Willow explains what happened in class and how she couldn't catch up with Sandra before she boarded the bus. Dave, wary of the fact that his class will be starting soon, sends her to the student union to pick up bus maps to determine which one she boarded and its destination. They exchange cell numbers, and she promises to check in with him as she tries to track down Sandra.

After she leaves, Dave slumps in his chair with his head in his hands. It was obvious something was bothering Sandra, but he let it go, accepted her explanation about worrying about her grade, and didn't push the issue. He chastises himself for such a bad decision as a parent, wondering why he didn't learn from her problems the previous year. Just because Sandra pretends to be okay and offers reasonable explanations for her behavior doesn't mean she isn't having some serious internal struggles.

He glances at the time - class is supposed to begin in ten minutes. Just as he's about to make the decision to cancel the lecture, Jeff steps into his office to see if he has any work for him this afternoon.

"Jeff, how would you feel about delivering my lecture today?"

"What? Why?" he asks, surprised at the request.

"It's Sandra. She became upset during class today and ran off. Nobody knows where she's at and she's not responding to texts or phone calls. I need to find my daughter. She's had some problems in the past." He decides against elaborating on those problems, unaware that Jeff knows about them already.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Roslin, I'm not comfortable delivering your lecture, but I think I can help find Sandra. She shared with me what she went through last year. I'd be of more use to you looking for her than giving a lecture I'm not prepared for."

Dave hesitates, feeling like he's caught in an impossible situation. Cancelling the second lecture of his new class could leave a stain on his teaching record and he may not be asked to teach the course again. But this is his daughter and if keeping her safe means tarnishing his academic reputation, then that's the way it will be.

"I'll have to cancel it then. Hopefully the Dean will understand."

"Dr. Roslin, let me try to find her. If you give your lecture, maybe you can finish early. I'll text you if I have any leads. Could she have gone home?"

With one eye on the time and the other on Jeff, who appears extremely concerned and sincere, he makes the decision to try and rush through his class. "I'll call Bill and have him check the house. Ahhh, Sandra," he sighs as he grabs his notes and shoves them into his briefcase.

Sensing how worried his mentor feels, Jeff tries to reassure him. "I'll find her. Please call me when you're done with class. If I haven't caught up with her by then, we can coordinate our efforts."

"I really don't feel right about this. I need to call Bill," he says as he leaves his office with Jeff behind him.

"She's still asleep but I can check her phone for messages. If Sandra hasn't contacted her, I'll wake her up before I check the house," Bill says as Dave is rushing to the lecture hall. "I'll text you with updates."

After he finishes speaking with Dave, he tiptoes into the bedroom and checks Laura's phone. No new calls or texts.

"Checking to see if I have a boyfriend?" she teases with half-open eyes.

"Do you?" he asks with a warm smile.

"I have five. That's why I'm so tired all the time. But you're my favorite."

"It's good to be number one," he replies, placing a kiss on her forehead. His expression then goes from light-hearted to serious in a fraction of a second. "Laura, I need to tell you something, and I want you to try and remain calm."

"Bill, what's wrong? I swear my blood pressure just went up."

"We can't find Sandra. She ran out of her class this afternoon, got on a bus, and nobody has heard from her since. I need to go to the house and see if she's there. Will you be okay here alone for a few minutes?"

"I'm coming with," she says pushing herself off the bed. "I'll just lay here and worry while you're gone."

On the short drive to the house, they discuss how they both noticed Sandra's behavior has been off recently. Laura first noticed it early the previous week, stating that her sister had been grumbly and anxious since the previous Sunday. Bill shared how he felt something was wrong when she clung to him after he carried her luggage downstairs last Thursday.

They arrive at the house, check it thoroughly, but are unable to find her. Bill sends a quick text to Dave to let him know, and they leave a note on the refrigerator with instructions to contact them if she comes home. They decide to return to the loft in case she shows up there.

Sandra rides the bus to the end of the line, uncertain of what she's doing, where she's going, or what she'll do when she gets there. It only took a half dozen texts and phone calls before she turned her phone off, not wanting to speak to anyone about anything. She thanks the driver as she exits the bus and looks around, trying to figure out where she is. After walking north a few blocks, she discovers that she's in the vicinity of JJ's restaurant. "Of course I would run to you," she says to herself. Even though she was wracked with confusion when she left campus, fate guided her to her good friend.

Approaching from behind the restaurant, she observes a waiter taking a smoke break before extinguishing the cigarette and stepping inside the back door. She waits until no one else is around, then slips inside and makes her way to JJ's office where she walks to the far corner where the cleaning supplies are located and sits on the floor in the darkened area.

Her father had mentioned JJ was expecting a large crowd tonight, and she doesn't want to be in the way, so hiding in her office seems like a good idea. In the meantime, she's alone with her thoughts, which is a scary place to be. A single tear trickles down her face as she thinks about the loss of her mother and the cruel way she was torn from her life. She scolds herself for drawing such a personal portrait. It was a terrible idea, something she'll always regret, but she can't undo what has happened, can't make her professor and the other students unsee it and forget about it.

The reason she felt so bad about the portrait wasn't because of the quality of her work, it was because of the subject matter. She questions why she didn't recognize that until now. Had she figured it out last week, she would have abandoned the sketch and started over with something new, even if it meant turning it in late. Perhaps a drawing of Fletcher, the well-loved least-damaged member of her family. Always fat, always happy, always full of affection. From now on, she will stick with drawing the beloved family pet.

On the way to his car, Jeff looks up the phone number to JJ's restaurant. Dave had told him her friend Willow was tracking down the bus she rode, and since Sandra has stated she only has three friends, it makes sense she might be with JJ. He doesn't see her turning toward alcohol or going someplace for an easy high after her troubles from the previous year. She's stronger now, he's convinced of that.

JJ takes his call and after he introduces himself and explains the situation, she tells him she will have KC, her assistant manager, cover the evening shift so that she can join in the search. She's still on the phone with him when she enters her office to retrieve her purse, making plans for search areas and locations that Sandra may go. A small sniffle from the corner of her office draws her attention to the despondent girl slumped on the floor.

"Jeff, she's here. She's in my office," JJ whispers into the phone.

"I'm on my way. Can you please text Dr. Roslin and let him know she's safe?"

Dave is approximately 50 minutes through his lecture when his phone lights up with JJ's message indicating that Sandra is safe with her. He pauses, clearing his throat and saying a silent prayer of thanks to the Gods before he proceeds with the rest of his talk.

"Sweetheart, everyone is worried about you," JJ says as she sits down next to her. "Why don't you have a seat on a chair over here? It's cold back here."

"I'm okay here," she replies.

"Alright, you don't have to move." JJ's eyes search the room looking for a blanket, but she quickly realizes it's in her truck. She doesn't dare leave Sandra alone for fear she'll run off again, so she places her arm around her shoulder for warmth.

"I don't feel like talking about it," Sandra informs her.

"You don't have to," JJ replies, gently rubbing her hand up and down Sandra's arm. "We can just sit here together."

"Daddy said you're supposed to be really busy tonight. You can go, I don't wanna cause problems for you."

"KC has it covered, and you're way more important than a bunch of obnoxious politicians having a birthday party anyway. I won't leave you."

Sandra stares at her much like she used to stare at her mother after she got the bad news. When she had first started her chemotherapy treatments, she was confident she would beat her cancer, telling her family she had no plans to leave them. Sandra believed her. She wanted to believe her, had to believe her, because considering the alternative was too awful. Her mother's gone now. How can she ever believe anyone again when they say they won't leave her? "How do you know that?" she asks curiously.

"How do I know what, sweetie?"

"Never mind," she sighs.

Other than the occasional sniffle, they sit in silence, JJ with her arm firmly wrapped around Sandra's shoulders. After a few minutes, the door to her office gently opens, and Jeff steps through.

Sandra looks at him surprised – he's the last person she expected to see. "How did you find me?"

"I assumed you would turn to a friend."

Sandra stares at him wondering how he knew where she would go when she didn't even consciously know what she was doing. "But I didn't decide to come here until I got off the bus."

"Or maybe you knew all along but didn't realize it until you got here." Jeff turns his attention to JJ, who stands to shake his hand. She offers to retrieve the warm blanket from her truck and bring them something to drink, setting a box of tissues next to Sandra before she leaves.

"Is it okay if I sit next to you?" he asks.

"I suppose. How's my dad?"

"Worried about you," he replies, taking the spot JJ vacated.

She returns with the blanket, draping it around Sandra's shoulders and giving her a hug. She leaves again to fetch two large sodas, hoping that maybe Sandra will speak with Jeff since he's closer to her age.

When she returns, Sandra has her knees pulled up to her chest with her chin resting on them, Jeff sitting silent next to her. "Sandra, I want you to know you can always come to me. Whether it's because you're upset, or you have something exciting to share, or you just need a safe place to hang out, you are welcome to come here, or call me and we can meet someplace," JJ says.

"Thank you. I think deep down inside I already knew that and that's why I'm here. Um, can you let my dad know that I'm safe?"

"Already done, sweetie. He's probably out of class now, he might like to hear from you himself. Maybe you can give him a call," she encourages.

"I'm not ready to talk to him yet. I need a few more minutes."

"Okay. Take your time."

When JJ leaves to call Dave, Jeff turns to Sandra. "So, how are you, really?"

"I'm feeling a little better now. I needed to put some distance between me and that portrait I drew," she explains, fidgeting with her hands. After swiping at another tear rolling down her cheek, she draws in a shaky breath. "Has anyone you loved ever died?"

"No. I've been very fortunate. Nothing really bad has ever happened to me. Guess I've sort of grown up in a safe little bubble and that makes me naïve."

"There's nothing wrong with that. If my mom hadn't died, I'd be the same way. I'd still be in high school with my goofy friends and my parents would be happily married and I'd be pestering them about getting me a car. I'm still grieving my mom, and I didn't realize how much until recently. It's been a year. Do you know what that feels like?"

"I imagine it feels pretty awful," he replies, shaking his head at the thought. "Like the ground gave out from under you and you've been falling, grasping at things only to have them break away and then you fall some more. Like you're out of control, your legs and arms kick and flail but don't really help."

She considers his words for a while, drawing the conclusion that he has a better understanding of how she feels than anyone else. "That's a really good analogy. That's exactly how I feel. How did you know?"

"After I learned about what happened with your mom, I thought about how it must feel. That's how I would feel if I lost my mom or dad. They are my basis, my stability. Losing one would send me into freefall."

JJ places a call to Dave, who insists on coming to the restaurant immediately. "Dave, I don't want to overstep my role here, but can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure, JJ, you know I value your insight."

"Maybe you should stay on campus for a little while. She didn't really talk to me at all, but I can hear her talking with Jeff. They seem to have a good rapport. I'll keep an eye on her for you and let you know when you can pick her up. Just sit tight and wait. Give her a little space. You trust Jeff, right?"

"I do. I honestly had no idea that they were friends. She's always said he's annoying."

"Well," she chuckles, "they must be pretty good friends because Jeff figured out she would come to me. He seems to know her fairly well."

The longer she speaks with Jeff, the better she feels. He points out that she didn't screw up as badly as she thinks today - she came to a place where she knew she would be safe from bad influences. He offers to give her a ride back to campus, and she happily accepts.

"I never once thought about getting drunk or high today. I just needed to get away and think for a little while," she says as she stands, offering her hand to pull him up. "And I needed to talk to a friend. Thank you. You're alright, 3," she says with a small smile before giving him a hug.

After texting her father that she is on her way back to campus with Jeff, her first stop is Professor Caran's office. Jeff waits in the hallway so that Sandra can speak privately with her.

She apologizes for her behavior and explains that the portrait she drew was of a very personal moment, leaving out some details, and that she is still dealing with the grief of losing her mother. Professor Caran is not upset, in fact, she is very understanding and states that in the future she will only ask students to speak about the inspiration behind their artwork if they are comfortable doing so. When she tries to give Sandra the portrait before she leaves, though, she refuses to take it.

"I don't want it. Please get rid of it, destroy it. I wish I'd never drawn it."

After she leaves, Professor Caran looks it over carefully. It pains her to think of disposing of it, so she tucks it safely away in a storage room hoping that someday Sandra will change her mind. The sheet of paper with comments and the letter grade 'A' is still attached to the back of it.

Dave is the last person on his floor at this hour of the day and he sits at his desk absentmindedly looking over slides for his next lecture.

"You ready?" Jeff asks as they pause outside his office door.

"Yeah. I have a lot of explaining to do," Sandra replies before she knocks lightly at the door and pushes it open. "Hi, daddy."

As soon as she steps through, Jeff goes to his desk down the hallway, giving her and Dave some privacy.

"I'm sorry," she says as her father stands and closes the distance between them. Pulling her into a hug, he holds her close, finally able to relax with the proof that she's safe. "I shouldn't have left without saying anything. I needed to go somewhere and think for a while. I was upset and I'm sorry I scared you."

"How are you?" he asks.

She pulls away to look at his face. "I really thought I was handling things okay, but then I realized that I'm still mourning mom. It was a terrible idea to draw her portrait because it stirred up all these awful feelings I have. When I was asked to talk about the sketch, I couldn't do it, so I ran."

"Sandra, I have to ask. Did you-"

"No, I didn't drink or do any drugs," she interrupts, able to read his thoughts. "I never even thought about it. I just wanted to find a safe place to think and maybe talk to a friend. So I wound up at the restaurant, but I still can't really talk about it. Daddy, I'm scared that all the progress I've made is going to come crashing down around me because I'm still so sad about mom, and I don't want that to happen."

"I can understand needing a place to think," he admits, thinking back to the night he left the banquet with Larissa, dropped her off at her condo, and then returned home alone. "But you have to let me know what you're doing. If you need time alone, tell me. Please don't ignore calls and texts again."

"I won't, I promise. JJ told me I can always come to her if I need a safe place or someone to talk to. Is that okay with you?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

"And there's something else. Ahhh, I can't believe I'm going to say this," she groans. "I hated seeing a therapist, but I do think it helped. Could I start seeing someone that specializes in grief? My court ordered therapist was focused on my behavior and staying out of trouble. We didn't get into grief much. It scares me how I still feel so raw about it sometimes."

"I'm impressed that you're suggesting this," he replies pulling her back into a firm embrace. "We can search for a grief counselor when we get home – are you ready to go?"

When they walk by Jeff's desk, Dave thanks him and shakes his hand. He then excuses himself to warm up the car leaving Sandra to speak with him alone.

After trying several times to find the right words but failing miserably and becoming tongue-tied, she finally throws her arms around him and whispers "Thank you". This time there's no hesitation on his part, he hugs her firmly for a few seconds before relaxing his grip. Her hands slide down his arms where she takes his large hands in hers, smiling up at him in appreciation.

"I didn't hear any yelling," he says. "Are things good between you two?"

"I think so, but I feel bad for stressing him out - for stressing everyone out, including you. And I owe you a dinner at JJ's sometime for finding me and not pushing me to talk about something I don't wanna talk about yet. I should go, daddy's waiting."

As she slowly steps away from him, her right hand is still gripping his left hand like she doesn't want to let him go. She pulls it with her until both their arms are fully outstretched. "Bye, Jeff," she says sweetly before slowly letting her fingers slide across his palm, releasing him.

"Goodnight, Sandra."