"Are you looking for new carpets?"

"No." Everyone groaned. Potsie hung up.

"I don't care about the carpet, I care about my daughter!" Howard yelled annoyed.

At the Hildebrand home 4:30-

Deena and Joanie arrived back at the house and sat on the bench.

"It's 4:30. Your mom and my parents have got to be worried by now."

"How about this, we wait for another hour then go home."

Joanie sighed, "Okay."

"You didn't have to go with me, you know."

"I know. I just wanted to come in case you need a friend."

"Thanks. What time does your dad exactly come home?"

"5:15 or so." Joanie was starting to worry and wanted to go home then continued, "I still think we should have gone on Saturday."

"No. This is fine." Deena was not sure of her idea of going on a weekday was a great idea, either.

"We have to go to school tomorrow."

"We got our homework done, while we were waiting."

"Ha, ha."

5pm at the Cunninghams-

"I'm going to start cooking dinner. Maybe it will get my mind off things."

"Where is my model ship that I am making?"

"I think your toy is on the table upstairs, Dad," Richie laughed.

"Thank you." Howard got up, went upstairs then found it and came back down to the table and worked on it as he sat on the couch.

Ralph and Potsie left for home, Fonzie sat in the chair reading a book, and Richie just sat and thought at the table near the kitchen. The phone rang and Richie snapped out of his thought and picked it up.

"Hello? Oh, hi Lori Beth, no she hasn't come in yet. I'm going to stay and wait till she comes home. I'm worried about her. I'll call you tomorrow, bye."

"Aww. That is so nice. Such a wonderful middle class family." Fonzie gushed as he smiled.

Richie helped set the table then twenty minutes later they had dinner, while the police officer and Fonzie joined them. They ate quietly as their minds were on Joanie.

5:15pm at the Hildebrand home—

"Fifteen more minutes then we have to go home." A car approached and drove in the driveway of the home.

"Finally."

"Relax, you don't even know if he is your father and its dark."

"I will be right with you shortly," the man called out.

"Okay." Deena felt very excited and was happy that she would finally meet her father.

After a few minutes Ward was inside, getting in through the door near the garage that was not seen by the girls. The outside light was turned on and he opened the door.

"Hi," both girls said then smiled. Joanie introduced herself and Deena.

"Hi, what can I do you for?" he asked curiously.

"Uh…well um—what are we doing here?" Deena said then looked at Joanie since she was very nervous and couldn't think.

Joanie looked at her, "We are trying to find your dad." She continued as she looked at him, "She told me she looked on her birth certificate and it showed your name, Ward Hildebrand."

"Oh, I see."

"Well, um, did you know a Margaret Collins?"

"No, I'm sorry," the man said.

"Oh." Deena walked away quietly with her schoolbooks.

"I wonder if there is another Ward Hildebrand," Joanie said then continued, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"I'm sorry, too. I hope she finds her dad."

"I hope so, too." Joanie left and ran after Deena.

They started for the bus and got on when it arrived.

"I'm sorry, Deena."

"Yeah."

"Why don't you ask your mom about your dad? Maybe there is a reason she never talks about him. Did she ask or say anything to you after you had lied about your dad?"

"No. She was mad at me, told me she didn't want to talk about him and he was never in the FBI and to stop making things up."

"Well, what are you going to tell your mom when you get home?"

"I will just say I was visiting a friend who lived a bit too far away." Deena knew what she would tell her mom would work. Her mom never pushed her to tell her things. "I bet you won't even be grounded," Deena said with a smile.

"You mean you will lie to your mom? What if the police are at your house?"

"If the police are there I'll just apologize and if they ask, I'll just say I went to visit someone. Technically it's not lying. My mom won't say anything else."

Joanie thought to herself, you don't even know my own parents. "We'll see."

They got off the bus and waited a few minutes for the next one. Once another bus showed up, they continued their trek to the bus stop near Arnold's. Deena and Joanie walked to their block

"Well, I'll see you at school, tomorrow. Thanks for being there," Deena said.

"No problem. I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

"Yeah. Bye." Deena went home.

At Deena's home 7:30pm-

Margaret was reading a book since it helped her ease her mind then the door opened.

"Deena! Are you okay, honey?" She got up, walked over to her, and hugged her.

"Yeah, I am."

The officer got up and put a chair near her and motioned for her to sit down. "Okay, you got us pretty worried, we have been looking for you since you didn't tell anyone where you were going. Next time you go somewhere, you tell someone where you are going or leave a note for your mom, okay?"

"Okay," Deena said.

"May I use your phone?" the officer asked and after he was given permission he made a call to the police department.

"I'm glad you are okay," Margaret said.

"Thanks, I'm glad to be home." The officer hung up then left for the department.

At the Cunninghams 7:40pm—

Joanie walked to her door, blew out a breath, and opened it.

"Joanie!" Marion yelled as she ran to her daughter and gave her a hug as well as Richie, Howard, and Fonzie.

"Finally home."

The officer motioned Joanie to sit on the chair. "I'm glad you are safe but next time you go somewhere, you tell someone so we don't get so worried about you. We have been looking for you."

"Okay."

The officer asked and was given permission to make the call then left for the station.

They walked her over to the couch; Marion sat next to her as Richie called his friends and Lori Beth and Al. Fonzie gave Joanie a hug then left for his apartment.

"Did you eat?" Marion asked.

"Yes."

"So, who was with you and where did you go?" Howard asked.

Joanie thought for a second.