Sunshine - Prologue

Author's Note: This tale picks up where Sarah left off. Relax, it's just a prologue so there's plenty of time to read Sarah and catch up. Sarah departs drastically from canon in the first chapter, but I hope stays somewhat true to the characters from Life. Also I haven't entirely finished this tale yet, but got tired of the lack of new Life fic out there, so I'm posting as I go. Should you see something, say something - not one scintilla of feedback is wasted effort. More tomorrow, promise -Surfer.

They'd been out all night. They'd been everywhere they could imagine Rayborn might be and even some places they knew he'd never be - out of sheer desperation. Both of his houses were empty, the penthouse apartment he kept downtown and the big house his family lived in. His boat was docked, but unattended. Even Rayborn's personal angel, Amanda Puryer, "claimed" she was unable to locate him. So she insisted even in the face of Crews' menacing snarl and completely unveiled threats of bodily harm. Clearly, she was respectful of what Crews could do, but she "couldn't tell them what she didn't know."

Crews seemed angry enough he might snap her neck, but for the light but controlling touch of Dani Reese on his arm.

It was clear now, that she held his leash. Just before they'd left, Amanda pulled Dani aside with words meant only between women.

"He cares deeply for you, perhaps more than even he is aware," Puryer told Dani something she already knew. "He was singularly focused when looking for you, but this is something else isn't it? It's not just Rayborn you are looking for is it?" she pressed.

"What makes you say that?" Dani questioned cagily. She did not show her cards or share her secret with this woman, nor had she allowed Crews to - something made her guard that secret even now.

Trust was something earned and only Crews possessed that currency from her now.

"There's a ferocity, an edge to him…" Puryer ventured a guess attempting to ferret out the truth, "something even more troubling to him has occurred. More troubling than losing a woman he clearly loves - to a psychopath..." She waited for Dani to fill the void, but she did not.

"He looked for you as if life depended on finding you, not just your life, but his. But this…this is different," she fished harder.

"Yes, it is," was all she got from Dani.

Dani Reese met him at the car and with a barely perceptible shake of her head told him this "talk" was off limits. He respected her space and just drove. He never said a word. Ten minutes down the road she covered his hand with hers and left it there. She felt him ease slightly. She knew she should have been panicked, but she wasn't. Something in her knew Rayborn would not harm Sarah and she knew Crews would find him or Rayborn would reveal himself when he was ready. There was a price to be named, but she wasn't sure it was one either of them would be willing to pay. However, she knew...that Crews would do dangerous things to recover her daughter and his life was no longer something she wanted him to trade.

It may have been greedy, but Dani Reese was certain there was a way to get Sarah back and not lose Crews in the bargain. They were small, broken and imperfect, but they were her family. She promised herself she was going to find a way to keep them together - or make one.