This is Linneagb writing. But Lily sent me some ideas before I put the pieces together.

Hello everyone. As some of you might have noticed, I and x snow- pony x have started a series of Oneshots together. She has written several, I've written one "(I'm hoping" and now two with this one) And as a member can only keep one community here Lily made a new account to post this saga on. She also made the cover picture.

"She should have been here hours ago."

Gina had forgotten something at work, (but for some reason didn't seem to want to go and get what she had left but stand and watch me) I was pacing around and around the house. But had gone over to pacing in the office not to wake the children up.

Tracy really should have been here hours ago, but I- that had had the evening shift before her. But I couldn't leave before she was here.

"Mike…:" This wasn't like her- but Gina couldn't help the worried glance in her eye when she spoke my name. "Don't you think she would have called if there was something going on?"

"That's just it." I interrupted. "She hasn't called. She's not here, She should have been here hours ago and…. I just have the weirdest feeling."

For a second I put my palm against my stomach to show where the feeling was. I had spoken to Tracy by lunch. Asking her to buy some milk and bread on her way here. But day had turned into night and I had had the same feeling ever since we hung up.

And Gina was starting to look worried too. Even though I could tell she was trying to hide it and it wasn't like her.

As if I hadn't already called her at least thirty times tonight I pulled up my phone for the billionth time. And without as much as looking towards the phone screen searched up Tracy's number in my contacts and put the phone to my ear.

Hello, you've reached Tracy Beaker. If you're hearing this….

"Tracy.." I interrupted without listening to her voice- again. "If you could just pick up the phone., Or call me back as soon as you hear this."

I hung up- for the billionth time it seemed. Then shook my head to Gina.

"Nothing!"

And, as if the rest wasn't enough I felt like my stomach was turning whenever I as much as thought of her.

I could hear noises of the kids in the hallway and going to get their evening snack. But I didn't leave the office- the last thing they needed right now was to worry with me.

"Mike…" Gina said carefully, almost as if she thought I'd break if she spoke too harshly. "I'll stay with the kids. You can't see them when you're like this. Go home to Tracy and go the exact road that she would be taking. If so you'll pass it if there's been an accident or she comes from the other direction."

There was a worried lump in my throat, something that kept me from talking while I was grateful like never before, shakily smiled at Gina and left the house. I just kept seeing in front of me what I would see behind any turn on the road in between Elm Tree House and the Beaker-Lawson-Household.

But with every turn I made, I breathed out a bit more….

And, it felt like a second yet terribly long. But when I at last could stop the car, get out and knock on the door I found both Tracy's car standing still in the driveway, And right next to it Cam's, Tracy would come and get her when she returned from New York next week.

Maybe it was a good idea and maybe it was not. But it was with relief I hadn't passed any accident or anything on the way. And when I rang the doorbell for the third time it still seemed dark and empty behind the curtains inside.

I decided I shouldn't open the door and let myself in. If there was no one home there just wouldn't be a point to stand here knocking and obviously there wasn't. Maybe some friend had picked Tracy up from here and they had gone… well…. Somewhere.

I couldn't help but seeing those kids one heard about on the news in front of me- Morgan Nick, Madeleine McCann, Engla Höglund. Either found dead or forever missing…

"But…" I had to remind myself almost under my breath. "those were children. That Tracy was an adult, on her way to work and this was Pottiswood. "

But was this the way it would start? If Tracy would go missing?

Despite wanting to do anything but I went back to my car. There was at least one more place I could check. Two actually if I didn't find anything.

I was weirdly relieved when I found the police station was opened and staffed until ten. And I was there two minutes before it would close for anything but emergencies.

"Hello…." I went up to the reception but it did seem the woman behind it wanted to be desk wanted to be anywhere but here. "…I'm looking for my…. My…. My…."

I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't just say employee but could I say she was my daughter? This woman didn't know anything about my and Tracy's relationship. I couldn't say my employee because she was so much more than that. Could I say she was my daughter?

She was as good as anyway.

But by now I had hesitated so much anyway the woman behind the desk wasn't going to believe me.

But Tracy was as much my daughter as she could in anything else but DNA.

"My daughter's missing." The woman didn't look all too certain. "I have tried calling her all night because she was supposed to show up at work. There's no answer and she's not calling me back. I've been to her house, her car's there but it seems the house is empty."

"How long has it been since you last talked to her?"

"By…" I tried to count the hours but couldn't. "…by lunch time today. And I've been driving the whole road that she'd be taking in between her home and work. So I'd see if there had been an accident and I just…" I sighed deeply and tried to fight the tears I could feel burning behind my eyes.

The woman in front of me gave me a meaning look.

Of course, to her I could be someone that wanted to hurt Tracy. She didn't know what Tracy meant to me. And she didn't know what Tracy was to me, she didn't know what I was to Tracy…

And before much else I was back in my car. But knowing there was one more place I had to check. I wasn't certain if I could have just used my phone and called like I had done so many times today.

I almost did it on automat and tried to ignore what a long distance extra this was when I left the main road.

"Good evening…." I went up to the reception in the nearest A & E. "I- I'm Mike. Mike Milligan's my name…. I'm searching for a Tracy Beaker. I haven't heard from her since this morning, she's not answering her phone. There's no one at home where she lives. So… I'm just wondering…. I'm just grasping for straws here. Has there come in a patient recently?"

I just saw in front of me how Tracy had been on her way to work. How she had been in a rush like so many times before, how she had skid in the turn and how her car had been thrown onto its roof.

The fact that Tracy had been having to drive faster than ever didn't hit me. Just the fact that wasn't realistic, or the fact that I had seen her car in the parking lot a few minutes ago didn't matter. How it had been still in one piece and I hadn't seen any sign of an accident. The fact that I hadn't met an ambulance or a police car.

But the thought that did hit me was about how the woman in front of me how turned towards me, for several seconds only watched me.

"CAN YOU JUST TELL ME SOMETHING?"

I didn't mean to shout, and the woman didn't even flinch. But this was just making me more and more nervous. And where on earth was my Tracy?

"Mr. Milligan" She said at last, annoyingly calm. ."You must understand that we can't just off and discuss our cases with random people that come in. Anyone could come in- rapists, murderers and some people are living protected for different reasons."

"Of course."

It would be a different story if the person came in and specifically asked for you or anyone else. But right now, I couldn't give you anything even had I had it.

"Of course." I repeated, then decided that it was time now to just go home. And maybe wait until Tracy, or anyone called me up with answers.

I was only lucky that there weren't many people out driving at this time of the night. Because had there been I would most likely had ended up in an accident. But the distance in between the hospital and my flat was short. Still, it felt long an eternity before I at last stepped over my threshold, went into the flat and collapsed right on my bed with shoes and clothes still on.

Then, for what must have been at least five minutes I only laid there. Before I finally started moving.

I couldn't ignore the worried feeling in my stomach. But what was I supposed to do? I sent a text message to Gina and she was staying overnight at elm tree house. I changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of my softest, biggest T-shirts.

I was hoping that if I fell asleep it would feel like a second before I woke up to my phone signal when Tracy called me back. And everything I could do was to make time pass by. Although I thought I wouldn't be able to fall asleep- Still, when the phone lit up and the signal rang loud I jumped high frm being half asleep..

Still, I picked it up without checking on the screen who it was.

"Tracy?"

It was quiet on the other side of the line. I had been so certain for a few seconds that it was. When the voice sounded on the other end it was one I did not recognise and my heart sank.

"Hello Mr. Milligan. My name is Katie Stevens and I'm calling from Pottiswood memorial." I could have screamed out loud. It was the same person I had met earlier. "I think we met earlier tonight…"

"Is Tracy there? How is she? Where is she?" I shot up, this phone call must mean that Tracy was there. But why? And why was Katie Stevens silent for a second before she answered.

"I think you'd better come here with your questions." She said a bit too calmly. "Tracy's here, she's awake. But she's been…. Asking for you."

The way to the hospital had never been so long before. And I had never parked so close to the doors before, or ran so fast. The revolving doors had never been so slow, anywhere at all.

"Tracy…" I ran up to the reception. "My name is Mike…." I could see the woman in the reception was Katie Stevens. "I had a phone call about Tracy."

And this time I didn't hesitate. To her, or anyone else this could mean whatever they wanted.

"I'm her dad."

Random fact

I just love that last line. It doesn't need explaining to anyone. He is as good as anyway.