A/N:Third chapter. WARNING: please prepare yourself for the feels and a funny video afterwards to cheer yourself up.

Never Give In

Chapter 3

Farkle

Farkle looked through the clear beaker to Riley.

"Partner"

"Partner"

Three months. 12 weeks. 85 days. That was how long it has been since they filled the missing person report. But in all honesty he could probably count the minutes. It was longer. 92 days to be exact was the last time he laid eyes on her in person. 90 since their last video call. 86 since any form of communication.

It was not hard. It was difficult. He has heard of missing people before. Read and saw it from the news. He never thought about the people who knew those who went missing. He just never thought that it would have such an effect on his life. He never thought he would be one of them.

Emotions are stronger than science. One of his best friends, the person he knew by heart has vanished. No traces. Well not exactly no traces. The first 48 hours were crucial but the only thing they had was the fact that she was taken by two men into a black van. There was no nameplate. There was no way to identify those people. There was no way to find her.

He tried to stay busy but well the mind can only be consumed by so much. What is left will be the thoughts that drifted to her. Always her now.

Farkle hoped she was safe. He honestly didn't have it in him to think of any other alternative. Everything went to hell 85 days ago. Suddenly the world that he was in was a lot more darker than expected. If Riley was here she knew just how to balance the darkness out. Without her light well it was different. Everyone was different, including him.

He was at the science lab right now conducting a redo of an experiment. Chemistry to be exact. And he tried to keep his mind steady and on track with what is needed to be done but his thoughts constantly drifted to the girl that used to be her partner. The girl who refused to drop the marble.

The police were actively looking or so they say, it didn't feel like it. The Matthews were never the same. There was always this exhaustion under Mr Matthews' eye and Mrs Matthews' who was the second strongest woman he knew (his mom will always be number one) looked like she was barely keeping it together. Auggie, Farkle swallowed, he didn't know how much Auggie was allowed to know but judging from what Farkle has seen from him he knew more than what they credited him for. And he wondered how Auggie was faring now because the last time Farkle saw him, Auggie was screaming and crying.

And for the rest of them. Her circle of friends. Without her things seem to collapse. They tried; all of them tried but whenever they were together it was as if they were all looking for a way out. A way to say hey I need to go off now because I cannot do this, there is someone that should be here but isn't and you all remind me of her but I don't want to offend any of you. He himself could barely look at Smackle in the eye. And maybe that was why they broke up. She tried to be there he didn't want her to.

"Farkle, come on no one's going to make fun of you,"the six year old said. Farkle looked at Riley. Her hair was in pigtails and she was looking at him expectantly.

"How would you know?" Farkle asked as he moved to push his glasses up.

"Because even if Maya isn't coming, you still have me," Riley said before holding out her hand. Farkle moved to hold it, the two six year olds moved to go out of the bedroom door. Farkle paused there

"You won't ditch me?" Farkle asked.

"Nope"

"Always?" Farkle said as he continue to question his best friend.

"Always," Riley promised.

Farkle heard glass shatter and paid attention to his surroundings. The test tube that he was holding had shattered spilling the contents all over his gloves and the table. He took a deep breath before switching of the bunsen burner and cleaning up. Today was just not it for him. He failed to protect her. He should have been there instead of at a stupid science convention. He should have been there. He didn't even register that he grabbed an empty test tube and smashed it on the table alongside several other things when someone grabbed his shoulder.

The look the lab technician gave him forced him to stop and reevaluate. Ms Delcie was the lab technician. She was in her mid-twenties with this being one of her first actual jobs. Farkle like her because she was cool with the experiments that the science club does (most of them includes chemical reactions and occasionally explosions). She also knew how to talk to people and guided them through whatever it is. The anger simmered down.

"I'll pay for that," Farkle said automatically. He internally cringed at how presumptuous he sounded about the mess he made.

"I know," Ms Delcie said as she started to clean up the area.

"Wait it's my mess I am the one responsible. I need to clean it up"

Ms Delcie paused to look at him. Farkle could see her silently evaluating something in her mind. Everyone in school knew about Riley. They knew Riley disappeared. Ms Delcie looked as if she was about to give advice that he has heard a million times these past few months but decided against it.

"Farkle you spent all your lunch time in here," Ms Delcie said, "It's okay to go out there."

Farkle wanted to say it's not. He shouldn't get to live carefree when Riley isn't. He wanted to say a million things but his phone buzzed.

The message he received didn't exactly help with his mindset. He turned to Ms Delcie.

"Go Farkle, I can clean up here," Ms Delcie said. He nodded. Ms Delcie was truly one of his favorites. She understood.

He sighed before calling a now very familiar number.

"Downtown near PY" Farkle said running his hands through his hair.

His companion didn't miss a beat, "I'll be there as soon as possible."

It didn't surprise him that all of them reached exactly at the same time. He was the first to spot the blonde. The blonde who was now arguing with a man who looked twice her age and size.

"Sorry sir, this won't happen again," Farkle said quickly before yanking Maya away.

"It better not," the man said disdainfully.

Farkle yanked Maya's hand leading her away all the while said blonde protested loudly. It got so bad that Lucas was forced to carry her over his shoulder before they reached a safe distance away.

"Put me down huckleberry!" Maya said as she continuously hit his back.

"Fine stop hitting," Lucas said as he moved to place her down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Maya moved to punch Lucas.

"What the hell! You're built like a rock," Maya said moving her hand around in pain. Farkle could see how agitated the blonde was.

"Maya come on," Lucas said quietly.

"Maya she's not here," Zay tried. The boys knew it was a lost cause. They had all but failed to get through to her these past few months.

"The police said…" Farkle began only to be cut of by Maya.

"I know what they said but I can't stop," Maya said stubbornly.

"Maya, Riley wouldn't…" Zay reason but Maya cut him off.

"How would you know?" Maya demanded, "You're not her."

"Stop okay," Lucas spoke up, trying to defend Zay, "You're not the only one who misses her."

"Oh yeah huckleberry? What you gonna do about it?" Maya egged.

"Maya STOP!" Lucas yelled.

"NO!" Maya screamed. This was the loudest Maya got in the three months. Farkle watched the two of them look at each other. How can an absence be so heavy that it was bringing all of them down. They were suppose to be unbreakable, the six of them and here were four lost souls. Farkle watched Maya's shoulder slump before she spoke in the smallest voice Farkle ever heard from her.

"Do you know what was the last thing I said to her?" Maya asked rhetorically, her voice filled with guilt and blame, "I told her to give it a rest. And I told her to leave me alone. And now I have all the space in the world."

Farkle inhaled sharply. He knew Maya just as well as he knew Riley. And he knew how bad Maya feels as if she screwed up. He knew what was running through her head. If she didn't go to the party, heck even if she didn't dismiss Riley, none of them would be here.

"She never gave up on me and I'm not gonna give up on her," Maya vowed softly.

Farkle wished he could do something. He wished he could scream and yell the way Maya did. He wished he could pin this all on Maya (the way Auggie did even though Auggie didn't think that way anymore) and allow his anger to get the best of him. But his job was to be level headed. He needs to stay in control regardless of how much he wants to join Riley in her oblivion and Maya in her self destruction.

A/N: Not going to lie, this chapter made me tear up when I read it back. I'm so emotional now I can't even. And if you are anything like me go watch a funny video or something to cheer yourself up. I think this is how Farkle would react if one of the girl he loves vanish and the other one dissapearing in front of him. The next chapter we will see how Riley is faring and where she had been to as of late. Thank you all so much for reading this and reviewing. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Till next time :)