Writer's Block is finally gone. Here's the last chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own
Central Park was the last place Danny generally wanted to be in the early morning. More often than not, the only reason he ever went there was because there was a body. So he didn't exactly jump for joy when Adam told him that was their destination.
They rode in Danny's car in silence, neither wanting to be the first to speak after the argument last night. Danny felt particularly awkward after witnessing Adam's nightmare state. He remembered Adam's mumbling his brother's name over and over, knowing there was nothing that could be done. The poor kid was being tortured by his own mind, with no way to escape.
Adam meanwhile, sat like a ghost in the passenger seat, closed off to the world. He locked himself in his own head, the one place he felt safe. He was still angry at Danny for getting involved like that, but he was even angrier at himself for letting him. After all, Danny never even would've known what had happened had Adam not told him.
Every once in a while, Danny would look over at Adam to see what he was thinking. Unfortunately, Adam had adopted a rather Mac-like stoicism, so he couldn't read his face. Finally, he gave up and decided if Adam was going to be stubborn, then he wouldn't bother arguing.
They reached Central Park and got out of the car. Adam motioned Danny to follow him, still not speaking. Rolling his eyes, Danny followed. They walked through the main area of the park without pausing. Clearly Adam knew exactly where he was going. Danny didn't ask, knowing there would be no response.
Finally, they stopped in front of a large tree. Adam turned to Danny and finally spoke.
"Well, there it is," he said. Danny stared at the tree, not sure what he was supposed to be looking at. Adam sighed, exasperated.
"Look at the trunk. Closely." Adam pressed. Danny walked closer to the tree and, using his finely honed CSI observation skills, examined a series of jagged cuts made in the bark. Suddenly, he realized that they said something. Reading them slowly, his felt his heart sink.
Elizabeth Jane Ross, Please Come Home.
Danny looked at Adam, as though suddenly seeing the lab tech in a whole new light. Adam stared at the ground.
"Adam… you never said you had a sister..." Danny began. Adam held up a hand.
"I never said I didn't, either."
"What uh… what happened to her?" Danny asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Adam stared at the overcast sky and sighed. He hated thinking about it, it hurt so much.
"I was ten, and she was eight. We… had just come home from school. We walked in the door and our dad was home. He had been… out. He grabbed me and started to hit me. Elizabeth tried to stop him. She jumped on him, trying to pull him off. Instead of letting go, he backed up and slammed her into the wall, then threw her onto the floor. She ran into her room crying and he finished where he had left off with me. By the time I came to, she was gone. I knew she had run away because her clothes and backpack were missing."
Danny gaped at him, unable to believe his ears. "How could she survive on her own at that age?" he asked. Adam let out a bitter laugh.
"Growing up with our dad, we learned to take care of ourselves real quick." He stopped and stared at the ground. "When we were little, she and I would talk about someday moving to New York. She loved the idea of the city with no Dad. So, when she ran away, I knew that's where she would go. I promised myself I would find her." The words caught in his throat as he fought back tears. "When I was choosing my college, I only picked schools in New York, so I could look for her. I spent every day of my life trying to find her. But I still haven't. It's been over twenty years, and I still have no idea where she is."
Danny listened in sympathy, wishing there was something he could do to comfort the miserable lab rat. He couldn't believe this was what Adam lived with every day, wondering if he would ever find his only sister. Danny couldn't imagine a more painful nightmare.
Adam swallowed his tears and stared at the sky. "I don't even know if my sister's still alive but I don't care. I'll keep searching until I find her, any of her. Even if it's her dead body in a river, I'll find her. No matter what the cost, no matter how much it hurts. I'll find her." Then, his wall came down and the tears came out. Pain that had been locked away for years finally came to light.
Danny stood beside him, not sure what to do. He had never seen Adam truly break down before. Everything he had ever thought about the lab tech changed in an instant. Standing before him was not the innocent, child-like genius who worked with him. He was a victim, carrying a burden that Danny would never understand.
He watched Adam attempt to wipe away his tears, only to have them immediately replaced by fresh ones. Not sure what to do, he stood awkwardly as Adam collected himself, building his wall back up.
"I've never told anyone this before, and you have to promise you're not going to tell anyone else," Adam stated firmly. Danny nodded. He knew the rest of the team probably wouldn't be as sensitive toward him should they find out. Telling Mac about Adam's father's abuse was one thing; telling him something as deeply personal as Adam's sister's disappearance would be way out of bounds. It was none of his business to know any of this, and yet Adam trusted him regardless. His heart felt like lead as he gazed into Adam's icy blue eyes, so full of pain and fear.
Feeling the rain begin to fall from the sky, he gently wrapped his arm around Adam's shoulders and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry Adam," he said, "I'm right here." Adam smiled, for the first time in days, as they raced back to the car, out of the storm.
A/N: Holding a vote here, because I am getting a lot of "more please" reviews.
A.) Adam sees his sister one day in public and tries to find her again, with Danny's help
B.) The story ends and does not go on
C.) Danny slips and tells someone Adam's secret, making Adam mad (If so, who?)
D.) Adam's sister contacts him and asks for help
Please review and include answer!