Chapter Seven

~Zachary Goode~

November 20, Monday

They haven't located my wife or that fucker.

It's been two whole days since she contacted the police. It's been two days since my daughter has smiled up at me. Two days of unbearable pain that I haven't felt since they first told me, 'She's gone.'

Now that I know who has my wife…I can't…I can't function. It's worse now that I know that unstable son of a bitch has had her all these years.

I light up.

I take a long drag.

The smoke wafts around me.

"Zach."

It's like I can hear her just on the other side of the sliding glass, in the living room. She would play various melodies of whatever classical shit on the piano.

It was many of her hidden talents that made me fall even harder for my best friend.

God, did I fall hard.

"Zach."

"Hey, Hubby…?" I hear her play Claire de Lune.

I'm on the porch just outside, going through the photo albums that my mother put together just before she passed away.

There were pictures of me and Cammie when we were in elementary school, jelly all over our faces from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, us with floaters on our arms in the lake, Halloween pictures of Cammie in her Princess Belle dress, because that's her favorite Disney princess, and me with a purple shell bra and a fake green mermaid tail and a red wig; Ariel was my favorite Disney Princess.

There was a picture of us in the sixth grade when Cammie had to get her first pair of glasses-although she only wore them during class. There was one from eighth grade with me, Cammie, Bex, Grant, and some of the other neighborhood kids with silly string, raw cracked eggs, and TP rolls covering the abandoned house down the street-not to mention all over ourselves. I laughed at the memory of us losing control as we ended up spraying silly string and throwing eggs and TP rolls at each other instead of our annual raid at the abandoned house.

I would pull Cammie into an embrace as she squealed against my egged shirt. I would kiss her, because I just couldn't keep my hands off of her. She's my personal drug and I'm completely addicted to everything about her. Her natural honey and strawberry scent, her silky dirty blond hair, big green eyes, and her kinky personality. The way her pink lips form a straight line and she crosses her arms when she's being stubborn, the way her nose scrunches and she bites her bottom lip when she's concentrating or nervous. Her obsession with chocolate chip cookies with the white macadamia nuts.

She's my entire life.

"Yeah, love?" I ask as I step off the porch and into the living room where she's silently playing Debussy.

"I've written my own song…" she says quietly, a faint blush creeping up her neck.

I smile softly, even though she can't see me. her back is to me as she plays at the piano.

"It's more of a lullaby," she says as I walk the rest of the way and sit next to her on the piano bench, watching her fingers as they start to play a serene, beautiful piece.

"It's beautiful," I comment to her, truthfully. It really is on of the most beautiful lullabies I've heard. It switches from C Major to a soft A minor and back to G Major. It's soft and the notes flow together as she holds the right pedal down with her right foot.

"I wrote this piece, hoping that I could play it for the baby…" she's looking at me now, as her fingers still run across the keyboard. I don't know how she does that!

Wait…

"Wh-What baby?" I ask, anxious for the answer.

She stops playing now, turning on the bench to face me. "Our baby, Love," she grins, "We're pregnant!"

My eyes widen and I pull her all the way over to me so she's straddling my lap.

"Really! It's never worked before!" I say as she cups my face in her hands.

"I went to the doctor's today, I couldn't trust those damn sticks again after we tried so many times…I just had a feeling…that this time…" she trails off as a joyful tear runs down her cheek.

"Oh Babe!" I wipe her tear off and kiss her forehead, "We're gonna have a little munchkin!" I say and kiss her abdomen, right over her bellybutton.

She giggles in response, her nails raking against my scalp.

I continue to kiss and make farting noises on her tummy as she laughs.

"I love you, Zach."

"I love you too, Cookie. And our little munchkin."

"ZACH!"

I'm snapped out of the memory as Grant yells at me from his porch next door. They inherited the Newman's house that was next door to the old resident, Mrs. Cope. We were all pretty supportive of becoming neighbors.

"What?" I ask to try and hide the tears I had before he could see.

Because, seriously. I don't want my best friend to see me like this. No one should see me like this.

I had to stay strong.

"I thought you quit smokin'," he says with a disapproving gaze.

"I did," I say, taking another drag.

The pain in my chest was subsiding, even if it was only a little bit. It wasn't as strong.

His nostrils flare as he crosses his arms and leans against his porch fence. We were only a few feet apart.

"I don't appreciate you smoking with my pregnant wife is around. I don't think your daughter would want to be a second hand smoker, either," he chastised.

I let out a guffaw and quickly became serious as I inhaled the cigarette, "I quit smoking when my wife was pregnant. I told her I would quit because I wouldn't want to endanger our 'soon-to-be big family'," I let out another fit of humorless laughs.

"But now look where I am, my daughter won't speak to me, my wife is missing and I'm just a worthless bastard who can't do anything to help my wife while a sadistic bastard is probably torturing her. and what am I doing? Sitting on my ass. Waiting for the damn government to find my wife along with the other 840,279-plus missing persons in the United States."

I put out my cigarette and rest my elbows on the fence, hands clasped together. I feel my whole damn body shaking and I can't stop it.

Breathe.

Inhale.

"Zach…you have to stop this. Killing yourself isn't going to bring Cammie back. And it sure isn't going to help your daughter. Think of MC. If anything happened to you she would have to grow up without either parent. You think that's what she wants? If they can't find Cammie you need to-"

"SHE'S GOING TO COME BACK, DAMNIT!" I yelled, making Grant's dog, Pudding, start to bark.

Grant opened his mouth to say something when tiny footsteps drummed against the porch.

"Daddy, I'm going to be late to school," my little girl yawned and wrapped her little arms around my leg.

Grant's eyes met mine for a moment before he walked back inside his house.

"Here, baby girl, let's get you ready," I picked her up and walked with her in my arms to her room.

I brought her into the bathroom first so she could 'go' and brush her teeth and her long hair.

Her eyes were still full with sleep as I dressed her in a long sleeved shirt, thermal pants, long knee-high socks, snow jacket, and snow boots.

She's just like you, Cookie. Never was a morning person.

"You forgot something, Daddy," she says in her sleepy haze.

I smile, or at least I try to, because I haven't forgotten.

I put her blue ski hat on; along with one of Cammie's old scarfs that Rachel gave me. I swallowed hard as I remembered Cammie wearing the same scarf for years until she was twelve.

"I haven't forgotten, Munchkin," I say as I place my bundled up little girl on the edge of her princess bed.

I pick up her bunny necklace and clasp it around her neck so the little charm hung over her blue scarf.

I smooth down her hair as she yawns once more. I could understand why she would still be tired, since it's still very gloomy outside. Winter was definitely here.

"Daddy?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah, baby?" I ask still kneeling in front of her.

"You love me, right?" she asks and my heart aches. I can see tears in welling up in her beautiful green eyes.

How could she not know-not think-that I love her? She and Cammie are all that I have.

Half of me is missing.

"Of course I love you Macey. Why would you ask that?" I ask.

"Because…I thought you di'nt love me…cause you yell at me, but I sowwy, Daddy. I di'nt mean to m-make you angwy," I pick her up and sit on her bed with her in my lap.

I've failed you Cookie.

"Oh, baby, you didn't make me angry. I just want you to know that your mom does love you," I say rocking her back and forth.

"But she don't know m-me. How could s-she love me?" MC asks. I can feel her body shaking.

How do I explain this, baby?

"She's known you since the day you were born. She will always love you," I say softly.

She nods but I know she doesn't completely understand. How else could I say 'hello daughter, your mommy isn't here because her childhood stalker has her held captive for the past seven years. But, oh yeah, she loves you.'

Not the most ideal father/daughter conversation.

"Let's get you to school. Munchkin," I adjust her ski hat and hold her hand as we descend the stairs and grab her princess backpack.

We both walk down the porch and I tuck her into the booster seat of my Mazda 2011.

She buckles herself saying, "I gottit Daddy! I gots it!" and waves her hand in my face as if to shoo me away.

Just as independent as you, Angel.

That thought causes my smile to falter.

I get behind the wheel and pull away and we drive in silence.

Inhale.

Exhale.

We pull up to her elementary school and I walk her towards her first grade class.

More silence.

"Good morning, MC, Zach," MC's teacher, Liz, my cousin Jonas' wife, greets us.

"Hey, Liz," I wave and bend down to MC.

"Have a good day, Munchkin. I'll pick you up when you get out," I say and she nods.

"Bye, Daddy," she smiles and kisses my cheek before running off inside the classroom.

I stand up again with a sigh as I watch my little angel playing with her friends.

"You know there's another storm coming, so we might have to lock down the school," Liz says.

I shrug and stuff my hands in my jacket pockets. "I'll come as soon as I can."

Liz sighs and says, "Zach, don't give up on Cammie. I know you won't, but no matter what, you know she loves you. If they find her or not, you have to be there for MC. She needs you."

I smile at my cousin's wife because I know she means well. If it was anybody else I would've already flashed them a certain finger.

Plus there was the fact that this was an elementary school.

"I know, Liz. I just don't want her to grow up without her mom," I rake my hands through my hair, "You don't know what it's like to have your daughter not love her own mother. It's so fu-fudging messed up and I can't do shi-shizz about it."

Liz just squeezes my shoulder, "I can't begin to imagine, Zach. If you ever need anything, just call me and Jonas," she says and I feel a little better knowing my family would do anything for my little angel and me.

That sounds like some kind of boutique or something; my little angel and me.

Huh.

After my little epiphany I had already gotten into my car and had driven home.

When I got in, the phone was already singing.

"Hello?" I ask, answering the phone.

"Hello, Zach," I hear Rachel, Cammie's mom greet me on the phone.

"Oh, hi Rachel," I say with a sigh. I don't really want to talk to her right now. All I want to do is sleep since I don't have any clients to work with today.

"Look, Zach, would it be okay if I came over this weekend? I would really like to talk to you and visit MC," she says and I know she's full of bull shit cause' I know all she wants to talk about is custody over MC. I can't deal with that shit right now.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," I sigh.

I was about to hang up when she adds: "This is your last chance to prove that you're a stable father. I've known you since you were little, Zach, but I can't have my granddaughter neglected while you deal with your own problems. You understand, right?"

Fuck you.

"Yeah. I'll see you this weekend," I hang up and crawl my way upstairs and fall asleep on my bed, surrounding myself in memories as I hold Cammie's pillow to my face.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Inhale.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

Exhale.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I crack open my eyes and pick up the phone, disregarding the fact that MC is almost ready to be picked up. Or the fact that there's another blizzard outside.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Goode?"

My heart clenches, is it the FBI?

"Yes?"

"It's Cherrytop Elementary School."

I was expecting this.

"Oh, are they having an extended day because of the blizzard?" I ask.

"Well…yes, but that's not why we've called."

I'm confused and the worst possibilities come to mind.

"You see, after lunch, the storm started and they called in all children…"

No.

Hell no.

"But your daughter…"

Oh, God.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

"She's gone missing."

A.N. So, I love Arizona. I do. And I love vaycay cause I get to hang out during the day and relax by the fire in the hotel room and just write. Anyways, I know I said I might do the M rated thing in this chapter or the last but I just felt it wasn't really necessary for those chapters. I might do it later but there's only a slight chance. Sorry if this doesn't please you or whatever.

PM me if you have ANY questions! Oh, and REVIEW!

~Akira