Hey guys here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews. I love to know what y'all think about the fic. Just to check...It's a majority yes to the Summer and Ruby i.e. the Rummer 'ship? I really don't want to do anything you guys don't want :) Oh and quick warning...There's a lil bit of violence in this chapter.
Chapter 63
"It's been almost two days" Charlie sighed despairingly as she glanced over at Cameron who was typing intently at her laptop "And we still haven't found anything about what happened to them or where they are now..."
"We know what happened to them" Cameron corrected looking up from her work "Grant's taken them"
"I mean we don't know where they are" Charlie said as she dropped her head into her hands "This is ridiculous...We should be able to find something! We're cops for God sake!"
"Okay..." seeing Charlie was close to hitting something Cameron stood up and stretched slightly. She winced as she realised that sitting in a chair for 12 hours straight was not good for one's back "This is what we do know..."
"I'm listening" Charlie looked up hopefully and nodded for Cameron to continue.
"We know they're not in Summer bay" Cameron started purposefully "They have to be somewhere else"
"Because the search party can't find them anywhere here" Charlie said "But they can't be too far away either, right?"
"Right" Cameron nodded "We also know that it has to be Grant who's taken them to wherever they are..."
"Because nobody has seen him since Ruby and Summer went missing two days ago and that's way too much of a coincidence" Charlie agreed "What else do we know?"
"Um..." Cameron though for a moment before shrugging helplessly "I think that's all we know..."
"We've been looking for two days and that's all we know?!" Charlie exclaimed in a stricken voice "If we keep up like this we're never going to be able to find them!"
"We need to stay calm" Cameron instructed gently "And we need to think positively"
"I don't get you!" Charlie said loudly as she stood up from her chair and slammed her hands down on her desk in pure frustration "How can you be so calm about this Cameron? I don't think you understand the fact that your sister is somewhere out there with a rapist! You don't even seem to care anymore than you would for any other case!"
Cameron's gaze dropped to the ground and she hesitated for a moment before speaking up quietly "If I think about what could be happening too much I'm not going to be able to do anything to help them. If I think about the fact that Summer is out there with the man who raped me I'm going to fall apart. I know I am. If I think about what he could be doing to them..." she visibly shuddered as she looked up at Charlie with tears in her eyes "It's not that I don't care. It's far from it in fact...It's just that I'm trying to deal with this the best way I know how and falling apart isn't going to work. For once in my life I'm trying to stay strong and do what's right for my sister...Okay?"
"I'm sorry" Charlie apologised softly as she realised she had upset the other girl "I shouldn't have said any of that stuff"
"Maybe you're right" Cameron sighed as she sank miserably back into her seat "Maybe I'm being too detached from the whole situation"
"Everyone deals in different way" Charlie responded as she too sat back down and leaned her head on her hand "But that doesn't excuse the way I just talked to you. I should never have suggested that you don't care about Summer or Ruby. I'm surprised you didn't deck me"
Cameron managed a small smile at that statement "Anyone else and I probably would have but it's understandable that you're annoyed right now Charlie. I am too..."
"I just want them back" Charlie said in a small voice as she looked briefly down at the files scattered on her desk in front of her "I want them to be safe"
"I know" Cameron sighed quietly. They fell into a short silence before Charlie exhaled in frustration.
"I can't stand this" she said quietly as she tapped her pen agitatedly against the desk "I can't stand guessing where they are. Wondering what he's doing to them..."
"You don't think he would stoop that low do you?" Cameron asked as she watched Charlie pale slightly "Ruby's his daughter"
"I'm hoping he wouldn't" Charlie closed her eyes against her rising nausea "But I really don't know. And...Summer's not related to him in any way"
Cameron nodded and bit her lip fearfully "I don't want to think about that..."
"Me either" Charlie agreed as she tried to push the thoughts from her head "Let's just...Keep looking for them"
"Right" Cameron nodded and they quickly returned to their work. A matter of minutes later a knock at the door interrupted them and they both looked up just as Joey walked through with a bag in her hand.
"Hey" she smiled weakly and offered a small wave "I brought you both lunch since you haven't eaten since yesterday and well...Somebody has to take care of you"
"Thanks Joey" Cameron smiled softly at her ex.
"No problem" Joey shrugged as she walked over to Charlie and kissed her quickly "Anything new over here?" she placed her hands on Charlie's shoulders and massaged the other girl's tense muscles gently.
"We've realised that we know nothing except they're not in Summer bay and neither is Grant" Charlie sighed miserably "And that we have no idea where they could be right now"
"Um...I may have another problem" Cameron spoke up reluctantly her gaze locked on the bag Joey had placed on the desk.
"What?" Charlie frowned "What else could there be?"
"Ruby has diabetes, right?" Cameron looked up at them in concern "And I doubt Grant cares enough to carry insulin round with him. And taking into account that they may not have eaten for almost two days..."
"This is bad" Joey whispered as their thoughts fleeted to what had happened the last time Ruby's sugar levels had become irregular "This is very bad..."
---
"I'm bored" Ruby complained as she played idly with the bracelet on Summer's wrist "And tired, cold, hungry...Did I mention bored yet?"
"I think so" Summer chuckled lightly at Ruby's complaining "And since we've exhausted normal things to do when you're kidnapped, bored and locked in a room like I spy and twenty questions...I'm out of ideas"
"This sucks" Ruby mumbled quietly as she shifted on the bed "This is even worse than last time I was locked up"
"Are you suggesting I'm bad company?" Summer smiled lightly at the other girl "Because it sounds like you are..."
"No" Ruby shook her head and smiled warmly "There's nobody I would rather be locked up with...Though I'd prefer we weren't locked up at all" she shifted again and winced audibly.
"What's wrong?" Summer frowned in concern.
"Nothing...I'm fine" Ruby lied quickly "Nothing's wrong"
"There is something wrong...You're kind of pale" Summer said as she leaned up on her elbow to look down at Ruby "Are you feeling okay, Rubz?"
"um...I feel kind of sick" Ruby admitted with a sheepish shrug "And a bit weak...I may have a headache too"
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Summer exclaimed as she placed her hand on Ruby's slightly clammy forehead "You're kind of hot"
"Thanks" Ruby chuckled breathily.
"I...You know what I mean" Summer narrowed her eyes at Ruby and attempted to hide her blush.
"Are you blushing?" Ruby grinned weakly.
"No!" Summer responded quickly "You...You're trying to change the subject!"
"So are you" Ruby countered.
"Ruby..."
"Fine" Ruby sighed and closed her eyes tiredly "It's the diabetes. I haven't eaten or anything in two days so I guess my sugar levels are low or something right now"
"Oh" Summer sat up slightly her eyes widening in alarm "Oh shit...That's not good"
"I know" Ruby nodded "I remember the last time my sugar levels were too low. It's kind of like how I'm feeling right about now..."
"Um...What should I do?" Summer asked in alarm "I don't..." her eyes widened suddenly in realisation "Chewing Gum! I have gum in my jacket pocket" she began to dig through the pockets of the jacket Ruby was wearing "Not even the crappy sugar free kind...This is full of sugar!"
"I don't think that will work Sum" Ruby said quietly as Summer pulled out a pack of Hubba-Bubba chewing gum.
"Why not?" Summer asked as she held out the gum to Ruby "It's sugary...It'll tide you over until we get out of here...I hope"
"I suppose so" Ruby concurred and popped the gum into her mouth before she slumped back down onto the bed "God I'm tired..."
"Do you need anything?" Summer asked as she moved to get up "Because..."
"I need you to stay still" Ruby said as she pulled Summer gently back down onto the bed "Make sure I stay awake...At least for now"
"Um..."
"What's the story of the bracelet?" Ruby asked curiously as she averted her hand to the silver bracelet around Summer's wrist "You never take it off...though it's missing the S now"
"I didn't know you took that much notice" Summer said quietly.
"Of course I do" Ruby said barely able to suppress a yawn "So...What about it?"
"Well..." Summer started wistfully "Cam had just gotten engaged to Marissa and I was starting to feel kind of like...My relationship with her wouldn't be the same since she would want space and stuff...y'know?"
Ruby nodded as she recalled feeling like that on Charlie's wedding day.
"She bought me this bracelet and told me that she would always be there even when she's not there physically" Summer continued quietly "She has a matching one"
"I didn't notice" Ruby said in a soft voice.
"I thought you said you took notice?" Summer asked.
"Maybe I only take notice of you" Ruby smiled sleepily.
"I wish you had some idea about what you're saying right now" Summer whispered more to herself than to Ruby.
"Wha..." a loud bang from the other side of the room cut Ruby off and Summer leapt to her feet just as Grant walked through the door.
"What?" he grinned when he noticed her defensive position in front of Ruby who had sat up on the bed "I didn't even do anything yet"
Summer remained silent and continued to glare at him.
"You don't feel like talking today?" Grant laughed evilly as he leaned against the wall "That's too bad...I guess you'll just have to listen than" he cast a look at Ruby "Is she sick or something? She doesn't look so good..." he started towards them but stopped when Summer tensed.
"Don't even think about touching her"
"Quite defensive I see" Grant grinned as he looked at her thoughtfully "Interesting"
Summer shuddered slightly but refused to falter under his probing stare.
"You know...It's quite boring having to stay here all day every day" Grant complained in a bored tone of voice "I'll have to find a way to make my days more interesting pretty soon..."
Summer swallowed heavily as his cold gaze swept across her body.
"Stop it!" Ruby exclaimed as she managed to get up from the bed and pulled Summer close to her side "If you even think about touching her..."
"Hmmm" Grant hummed curiously to herself "Very interesting" he took two large steps towards them and grabbed Summer's arm pulling her easily away from a weak Ruby "What are you going to do Ruby? Glare me to death?" truth be told if looks could kill at that moment Grant would have crumbled into a pile of dust from Ruby's furious glare.
"Sit" Grant ordered as he pushed her lightly backwards causing her to stumble back onto the bed. He felt Summer tense again in his grip and glanced at her smirking callously "you and I are going to have a bit of fun..."
"No" Ruby whispered as she sat up on the bed "Leave her the hell alone!" she watched in unadulterated horror as he shoved Summer back against the wall and placed a hand against her shoulder pinning her there.
"Hey!" he leaned forward and whispered in Summer's ear as she struggled valiantly against his firm grip "Just a quick warning 'Summer'...Since I don't think of Ruby as having anything to do with me um...Biologically...if I was you I would stop struggling in case you want the same fate to come to Ruby over there. I mean she is so much weaker..."
"You're sick" Summer hissed furiously at him though she stopped struggling almost immediately "You're a sick perverted bastard"
"And yet you've stopped struggling" Grant noticed with a smirk "You must really care about her a lot"
Summer whimpered as his hand moved roughly across her body "Ruby? Close your eyes"
"What are you doing?!" Ruby questioned in horror too stricken to actually move "FIGHT HIM Summer!"
"Close your bloody eyes Ruby!" Summer whimpered as tears formed rapidly in her own eyes.
"NO!" with a burst of strength Ruby didn't know she had she jumped off the bed and rushed at Grant pushing him roughly away from Summer "I told you not to fucking touch her!"
"Erm..." Grant stared at her speechlessly finding himself reminded of when Charlie had hit him at the hospital. Ruby was giving him exactly the same look right that second as she stood there shaking and pale but standing nonetheless "Whatever...I'll be back" with that said her turned and walked out of the room. Ruby followed him to the door to make sure he had actually left. When she realised he had she turned around and looked at Summer who was still standing in the same position.
"Sum..." she moved quickly over to the tearful girl and wrapped her in a warm embrace "Hey...It's okay. He's gone now...It's going to be okay. I promise"
Summer nodded tearfully and clung to Ruby as both of them shaking from fear and exhaustion slumped to the ground together in tears.
"We have to get out of here" Ruby whispered suddenly "We can't just wait for help. We have to get out by ourselves"
TBC
