Author's note: Just a brief warning, there's a little bit of violence in these next two chapters
"I'm calling the police" Leo said as he suddenly stopped his pacing
"She might just be at a friends and lost track of time" Harry said
Leo turned to Harry "She should have been home at three, it's now seven. I've phoned her friends, they haven't seen her since school"
Harry turned to Nikki giving her a worried look, Erin hadn't returned home from school that day and no one could get hold of her
"Police please" they heard Leo say into the phone "I would like to report my daughter missing…"
Erin struggled to try and catch up with Nora as the hurried along the cold and increasingly darkening streets.
"Where are we going?" Erin called as she nearly skidded over in a puddle
"You'll see" Nora called back
Erin sighed as she quickened her pace; Nora had promised her that she would tell her all about her father. Ever since Erin could remember there had been a deep longing inside of her; she had needed to know about her father and this woman, despite the fear she evoked in Erin, could tell her the answers.
"Here we are…" Nora said stopping suddenly
Erin looked up at where they were and felt a sudden urge to vomit; they were back at her own home. A place Erin hadn't been since she'd run away all those months ago.
"Come on" Nora said grabbing Erin's wrist with a roughness she hadn't been accustomed too since living with Leo
"Nora…." Erin protested
"Get in!" Nora snarled and suddenly Erin wished she hadn't followed the woman at all
Back at Leo's house, the three pathologists had been joined by some police officers who assured them, they were doing all they could to find Erin
"Is there any chance she might have run away?" one officer asked
"No" Leo shook his head, the worry clearly etched onto his face "I've checked her things and there's nothing missing"
"Is there any reason she might want to leave home suddenly. Any arguments or something she was worried about?"
"Even if there was she wouldn't run away" Nikki said as she balanced a grizzling Alice on her knee "She would come to me or Harry, Erin's spent far too long on the streets in the past"
The officer scribbled something down on a notepad "We've seen the reports of her godmother turning up. Would Erin have gone with her perhaps?"
"I doubt it" the three said in unison
"She's terrified of Nora" Leo sighed "I can't imagine why she would go with her"
"What if she offered Erin something that maybe you three couldn't offer her?"
Harry looked at Nikki who just shrugged in response as she soothed their daughter who seemed to have realised something was wrong
"Her father" Leo said suddenly
"Sorry?" the officer looked up
"Erin's father committed suicide not long after she was born. She knows nothing about him and when Nora came here the first time she mentioned Erin's father"
"Oh god…" Nikki gasped "I bet Nora worked that out"
"I'm sure Erin will be safe" the officer assured her "We've got teams looking for her right now"
Erin stepped inside the house feeling a surge of memories and feelings flood back into her.
"I want to go…" she said quietly
"We've only just got here" Nora said through gritted teeth
"Please…" Erin began but was cut of as Nora gave her a sharp slap around the face.
The blow caught Erin off guard and she fell to the floor with a thump
"Shut up you whiny little brat!" Nora screamed
Erin looked up at the woman towering over her and saw the same look she had seen in her mother's eyes far too many time
"You and me have a little sorting out to do" Nora said roughly pulling Erin up
She looked at the cowering girl in her grip and laughed suddenly
"Just like your father, a coward till the end"
"My dad was not a coward" Erin protested but was silenced by another blow which sent her skittering across the floor
"So why did he kill himself?" Nora shouted
"He was ill" Erin said her voice thick with tears
"Wrong answer" Nora spat "He despised you just like your mother did"
"He loved me" Erin cried feeling hot tears splash down her face
"He despised you and he should have taken you with him when he had the chance" Nora said leaning over Erin "You've caused nothing but pain for your family and now you're going to pay for it. The sins of the father repeat on the daughter"
Erin felt the familiar feeling of blows raining down on her and soon she felt her body give up and slip into the darkness
The three pathologists sat together in Leo's living room each hoping for the best but thinking the worst
"They'll find her Leo" Harry assured the older man
"If anything happens to her…" Leo shook his head, unable to finish his sentence
"Nothing will" Nikki gave Leo a comforting squeeze on the arm "Erin's a sensible girl, she'll try and get in contact if she can"
"Erin…" Alice mumbled and looked up at Nikki with a grin
"Her first word" Nikki laughed softly and even Leo managed a smile
"We'll have to get Alice to repeat it when Erin comes back" Leo said tickling the infant under her chin
Harry smiled at Nikki, both had noticed Leo's sudden positive attitude and knew he was still holding out hope for the safe return of Erin.
