NYC:

Gen X Studios:

Laney watched her best friend absently staring out of the window; she had known her long enough to know when something wasn't right. She was good at hiding things from the other girls and the World, but her...never.

Ever since Zoe had come back into the studio after her phone call; Laney knew something was warring inside of her friend and if the past was anything to go by it never ended well – for anyone. Laney quietly opened and closed the door and sat down.

Zoe didn't need to turn around to know who was behind her. "Do you ever think about going home?" She whispered so softly Laney strained to hear what she had asked.

Laney stared taken aback by the sudden mention of "home". "Where on Earth did that come from?"

Zoe closed her eyes and sighed. There was a war inside of her; one she feared and had been losing for a long time. When she and girls left they promised to never look back, nothing in the World could ever make them long to return to Mornington. And here she was all this time later thinking about it.

Laney exhaled quietly and walked over to her friend. She sat down on the window ledge and reached for Zoe's hand. "Zo, talk to me. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" She whispered.

Zoe took a deep breath in and looked at Laney, "If I decide to go back will you help convince the girls to come?"

Laney searched her face for some kind of clue as to what was going on, but there was nothing. This time she was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. "Was that what the phone call was about? Has something happened?"

Zoe shook her head sadly. "No nothing like that." She wished with all of her heart and soul it had been "that call". She'd waited so long for it, some say she was just setting herself up for another fall but in her heart she knew that one day "that call" would happen. To think otherwise would send her spiralling into the deepest and darkest hole; one that no matter how much digging and pleading she knew would eventually swallow her alive. "Ms. Carol called, the School is having some sort of celebration an anniversary or something and she's invited us to come."

Laney dropped Zoe's hand silently fuming that their former teacher would have the nerve to ask such a thing and especially for something so trivial. "Who the hell cares that school didn't make us, WE made us. We don't owe anyone in that town nor that school anything."

"She just wanted to ask if we would like to come that's all." Zoe replied flatly.

Laney shook her head no. "I can't believe this. You can't possibly be thinking about this can you?"

Zoe sighed turning around to rest her back against the ledge. "I'm so tired Lane. I'm so tired of not feeling like I belong anywhere; I just need to stop and rest."

Laney panicked. She knew this tone she knew the state of mind she was headed for and it scared her to death. "Okay so we'll take a break. I'll speak with Gavin tell him to tell the Record Company to back off and give us some space. That's totally fine sweetie, that's not a problem consider it handled."

Laney continued as Zoe remained silent. "Let's go somewhere, we'll go somewhere tropical and get tanned and beautiful again. The city is too cold and depressing this time of year. What do you say a secluded Island somewhere, we can sit out on the beach and have gorgeous shirtless cabana boys waiting on us all day long."

A small smile graced Zoe's face for a split second before she shook her head no and took a seat at the table. "I can't run any more Lane." She replied tearfully. "I've been - we've all been running for so long and I can't do it any more."

Laney paused and took in the sight of her best friend. She was a mess, shoulders slumped forward and tears running down her face. She moved away from the window ledge and crouched down in front of her taking Zoe's shaking hands in hers and smiled.

"You're right we've been running long enough. Alright sweetie, if this is what you want then yes go back ... let's all go home."

Zoe wrapped her arms around Laney and the two childhood friends hugged another and cried. This wasn't going to be easy but Laney couldn't let her go by herself that was never going to happen. Now all they had to do was convince Gabi and Sash, let the "fun" begin.

Later that week:

"Mornington"

Ray sat behind his desk going over the file and all the reports. He sipped his coffee slowly and re-read over the witness statements. He had gone over everything so many times he could recite each report with his eyes closed. Everything was there nothing was missing and yet the feeling he'd had since that night still ate at him. Something was amiss but he just couldn't put the pieces together properly.

He sighed heavily and leant back in his chair closing his tired eyes. It was nearly midnight but he had opted to stay for the last tour of town before locking up and heading home. Things at home were strained at best so working back late felt like a gift that he couldn't pass up.

His moment of peace was short lived when the alarm he'd set earlier on his phone signalled it was time to leave. He locked up the file and his paperwork and proceeded out to gather his keys and gun. He wasn't expecting anything untoward but you can never be too careful.

Ray locked up the station and walked towards the squad car. He unlocked the driver's side, buckled himself in and started the engine. It was a cold night so he let the motor run for a few extra minutes before pulling out onto the deserted road. He rolled his window down revelling in the cool breeze that hit his face. He actually didn't mind doing the last tour it gave him time to clear the clutter in his head so he could make room for more. He yawned loudly as he took a left onto Cadley road which lead up the hill towards Montline Avenue. The hill was part of the more exclusive side of town where most of the more prominent families lived. And it was also the "scene of the crime".

He couldn't help but stop when he came upon the spot where so many lives had been changed. When it was all said and done the one thing Ray has always wanted was justice not just for his friends but for himself as well. As a man who had dedicated most of his life to serving and protecting he couldn't help but feel he had dropped the ball and he hated it. But most of all he hated what his mind was telling him and had told him since the beginning. The guilty party was someone he knew someone they all knew.

Ray turned off the ignition and slowly exited the car. He crossed the road and looked down the cliff face into the darkness.

Flashback:

June 5th 1994:

One Forty Five AM:

Rookie Officer Ray Fitzgerald and Senior Officer Max Lautimer were making their way up to Montline Avenue to make sure the graduation party at the Covington Estate was winding down. Mr. Covington or Gary to his friends had called into the Sheriff's station earlier that week to advice that his son Monty was having a party for graduation and that Gary and his wife Sylvie were going to be out of town. Sherriff Williams told Gary not to worry about anything and that they would make sure everything was in order and they would do a few courtesy tours up there throughout the evening.

They were travelling up the hill when Max suddenly slammed on the breaks as a young woman came running down the hill with her arms in the air signalling for them to pull over.

"Is that young Zoe Lancaster? What on Earth... Stay here." Max said stopped the car and getting out.

Max stopped in the middle of the road and got out of the car telling Ray to stay inside.

"What's going on Zoe darlin' I nearly hit you."

"We need help... Zoe panted breathlessly. "Please help them."

"Darlin' slow down calm yourself, what's going on?" Max asked trying to understand her.

Zoe took a deep breath in as best she could and slowed her breathing. "There's been an accident Brad's gone off the side of the cliff, please help." She cried as her emotions got the best of her.

Max's eyes widened for a brief moment before moving into action. "Zoe get in the car come on let's go." He said ushering into the back.

Max jumped into the squad car and quickly sped up the hill as he reached for the radio. "Dispatch this is car 05 we have a 10-50 I repeat we have a 10-50. A car has gone off the cliff on Montline Ave; we need backup, fire and ambulance."

"Car 05 this is dispatch sending additional units to your location now. Fire, Ambulance and emergency services are being dispatched. Do you copy?"

"Copy dispatch." Max replied as they arrived on the scene.

"Okay let's go. Kid, you stay with Zoe don't let her out of your sight."

The officers surveyed the scene witnessing the heavy skid marks in two directions up onto the curb, the grass and through the steel barricade fencing off the steep incline and water below.

"Zoe what happened here Darlin'?"

"Jeff and I were coming back from the party and Brad and Sahara was a bit ahead of us and all of a sudden we saw a truck come out of nowhere and bright lights and they hit Brad and his truck went over." Zoe replied hurriedly. "Jeff drove up as the other truck backed up and sped past us, they didn't stop and get out and see if they were okay."

"Okay and you said Jeff's down there?"

Zoe nodded her head. "Yeah I went after him but got caught in the thistles just past the barricade. He back came to help me and told me to go find help and that's when you found me. I didn't see any lights on up here; most have left for summer vacation."

"I want you to take her back to the car and take her full statement. When backup arrive; make sure they tape off the area in both directions and take notes and photos of everything here." Max whispered to his partner and went to take a closer look.

Zoe moved to take a step forward but Ray stopped her. "Zo come on let's move back." Ray said quietly wrapping his arms around her shoulders and waist and moving her from the curb, mindful of making sure neither of them disturbed any evidence.

"Are they gonna be okay Ray? Jeff can you hear me? She shouted as Ray moved her back towards the car. "Wilco! Sare!" She shouted out again for her best friend.

"Here take this, come on let's get off the road." Ray said taking his jacket off to wrap around her shoulders.

Moments later the sound of blaring sirens hit the air and flashing lights lit up the dark hill. "Everything will be okay Zo I promise. Stay here I have to talk these men, I'll be right back." Ray settled her onto the grass across the street next to the squad car and ran over to the responding back up units.

He quickly relayed the information Zoe had told them and gave out Max's orders and let them know that Max had gone over to see if he could find them. Within minutes men and women were running around organising equipment and taping off both ends of the streets and making sure the small crowd – mostly drunk teens from the party that had come to see what was happening were well behind the tape and ordered to get home safely.

It was fascinating to watch it was like a movie instead of what it really was... a living nightmare.

Ray sat back down next to Zoe after speaking with his Sherriff and soon after a female ambulance officer approached to check on Zoe. The young teenager argued at first but Ray said she needed to be assessed for shock and have the cuts to her knees and lower legs attended too.

Zoe nodded her consent and the ambulance officer got to work. "They'll find them right Ray?"

The ambulance officer glanced quickly up at Ray before turning her gaze back to Zoe's legs. The look said it all there was slim chance especially if the rock face which was unstable at the best of times finally gave way into the water below. "Don't you worry Zo; everyone is workin' hard to bring them up. No need to worry...

"No need to worry." He repeated shaking his head clean of the images that had haunted him for over a decade. He had lied to his friend but in that moment it was the only thing he could think of to somewhat alleviate the pain she was in. It was supposed to be the beginning of their young lives not the end. That night everyone had lost a little piece of themselves and regrettably Ray had played a role in the nightmare.

He stepped back from the edge and sat down onto the bench that was erected after the investigation was closed. Tears welled in his eyes as he gently ran his fingers across the small brass template on the back of the bench.

"In loving memory of Bradley Wilkens & Sahara McCallister. Taken too early but never forgotten."