Trigger warning.
….
Over the next few days Ace pretends to be asleep everytime they come into the room, meanwhile back at home no one is handling it well.
While back home, Graham looks out his window and gazes into Ace's room, blinds opened with police looking through it to see if she had anything in her room that proved them right. Officer Bell shows his partner a journal that reads like a teenage girl's journal, the only thing different is no hate directed at her father and the mother figure in the house. The most recent entry is her talking about how she doesn't know how to tell her boyfriend how she loves him. They look up to see the teenage boy looking through the window.
"I wonder what they found, probably that those close to Ace are right; she didn't run away," Graham gets out his phone that had a picture that he took of himself and Ace. "We will find you; I will not let you go until you know I love you. Graham gets out a little box that contains pins; opens it to find a small trumpet and music notes. "When I see you again, you will be getting these."
"Graham," he hears his aunt's voice shout for him. He walks down, "Yaz is here."
He looks to see his friend before he turns away quickly; Yaz follows him. "I heard what happened." She says as she enters the room.
"How?"
"It made the news."
"Great, if the people who took her see that, who knows what they will do." Graham still doesn't want Yaz to know about Ace's past.
"Why would someone kidnap her?"
"Because they don't know how wonderful she is and loved by those around her love her."
"Graham," Yaz hasn't heard Graham say that when talking about Ace yet. "Did you just say that you love Ace?"
"I did, and I do. I wanted to do something a little old-fashioned that was in a movie we watched recently."
"What is it," Sarah Jane asks, remembering the movies she watched as a kid.
"It will remain to me until she is back and in her home."
"Graham," his aunt says worriedly.
"What," a pause, "my girlfriend went missing a few days ago, one of the officers in her case refuses to believe that she was kidnapped."
"The other officer believes you, Graham."
"I hope so, I am worried about Ace and what those sick individuals will do to her."
"How do you know it's more than one," asks Yaz.
"Just a feeling." Graham knows it has to be both Audrey and the man Ace called Glitz.
"Yaz, why don't you go get something to drink, I want to talk to Graham." Yaz leaves. "Graham?"
"I miss her, someone has her captive, I can't sleep, I want to help find her, but I'm just 16; there isn't much I can do."
"I think there may be people next door feeling the same way."
"I know, Mel and I have been checking on each other."
"Yaz is here to check on you. She also cares about Ace."
"Aunt Sarah Jane, how did you feel when I was lying in the hospital?"
"Like another piece of me was breaking, another piece I should say."
"My mom?"
"Yes, and I see a piece of you missing too, a piece that had been missing for the past few years."
"She has a part of my soul."
"A big part of your soul from the sounds of it, I wish I could fully understand how much you two mean to each other at a young age."
"Didn't you date when you were my age?"
"I did, but it was different. You and Ace have a strong connection, had it since I saw the two of you together for the first time."
"We still have it."
"You will always have that love for her."
"How?"
"You wanted to pin her right?"
"I do, is it ok if we get some stuffed animals for when she is found."
"What are you thinking?"
"I don't know."
"I have an idea, we make two, one for when she is found and another one for when you pin her."
"That sounds great, thank you." Graham heads into the kitchen. "Yaz."
"So how are you doing really," Yaz asks as he enters the kitchen.
"Not good, my girlfriend isn't here. I want to be able to talk to her, hear her laugh."
"Feel her lips."
"I do like kissing her, but her safety and happiness is more important."
"What about yours?"
"Once Ace is back here in her family's arms, my happiness will be back."
"Graham, she will be found and returned. The two of you will be in each other's arms in no time. One of us needs to be happy. With what happened my parents are putting me on a tighter leash."
"It wasn't random, that's just it."
"We'll see." Yaz is curious about what all has happened to her newer friend and worried about her friend of over a year.
Next door Liam hears voices from Ace's bedroom. "You still believe that the girl was kidnapped."
"I do."
Liam comes to the door, "what are you doing here, next to Dad and I the only other guy allowed up here is Graham as long as the door stays open."
"Why must this area have so many people around?"
"Lakcy, if you want to remain on the case you must respect the family. From what we have found these past few days the boyfriend was right."
"Was it my Mum and the guy that snuck out of my sister's bedroom back in Perivale?"
"What do you mean," officer Bell bends down to be on Liam's level.
"There were times from the time my sister was 13 until right before we moved here that my Mum would have some guy over after I went to bed; I heard her screaming at times."
"We need to go find your Dad." Officer Bell follows Liam down until they find Harry. "Why don't you go upstairs, stay away from your sister's room ok."
"But."
"We need to make sure you will be safe too."
"Fine." After Liam leaves, Bell turns to Harry and Zoe.
"Was Dorothy ever sexually assaulted before she came to live with you?"
"She was, she doesn't remember. How did you know,"
"Liam remembers her screaming and a man coming out of her room."
"Last thing we knew he was in the states, since it is out of the jurisdiction we couldn't do anything, and the staff there, she had forgotten everything."
"He was here?" Bell has to be sure.
"The kids minus Liam ran into him at the mall." Harry remembers what Graham told him.
"Would any of them be able to describe him?"
"Probably, we can get Graham over here."
"I don't think he should be around my partner, I might have to take him off the case."
….
Across town Ace is looking out the window, she jumps in bed and closes her eyes and slows her breathing and pretends to sleep. "Your future wife is asleep."
"Let's see if I can wake her," Glitz reaches down and cups Ace above her pants. She has to try hard not to have any reaction. "How much chloroform did you put on that rag?"
"Not that much come on Glitz, we need to plan our getaway."
"We need to lay low Audrey, remember there are people here who think they have a claim to my bride." They leave the room and after the voices fade Ace lets out a large sigh.
"If there is one thing I have learned, no one has a claim to me. Yes, someone does have my heart. Graham, I am sorry you don't know how I feel." Ace lets herself fall into an uneasy sleep as a discussion is happening in the building.
"We have to lay low, you didn't see how her friends, especially her boyfriend tried to protect her." Audrey huffs listening to this.
"Well screw them."
"I plan to do that to my bride." Audrey smiles at this.
"Going to wait until she's awake."
"She needs to be able to enjoy it." Glitz takes a swig of his beer. As they are in bed Ace uses the bathroom and gets some food for herself before going back to bed herself. She knows she can't escape now, because they can be awake at any time. She hopes everyone is looking for her. Before she falls asleep, she looks at the stars in the night sky at the same time Graham is looking out his window.
"Ace my love, you will be found and, in my arms, if you wish to remain so until we do apart. I love you." There is a knock on his door.
"Graham," he turns to find Sarah Jane.
"I talked to them and gave them a description of Glitz."
"Graham, what we talked about today."
"I miss her still, I won't stop until I see her face for real and not just when I close my eyes."
"I know Graham, but you still need sleep. I don't know if I can keep you away from school tomorrow again."
"I know, I can't promise that it will be my most productive day."
"I understand, and after you get out we will go and make those bears." She gets the smallest smile from Graham.