All characters in this chapter belong to me! Do not be alarmed, I will proceed with the nasty disclaimers in the next chapter

Chapter one, the letter.

It was a mother's worst nightmare.

She awoke on a summery morning and saw right away that it was a beautiful day for playing or hanging with friends. Her own daughter would inevitably come running in to see if she could go play at her best friend's house, or her best friend could come over. After all, she had spent every free moment with her friend ever since the divorce had been finalized. Laura sat up and listened for the sounds of her daughter making breakfast or moving through the house.

None came.

Curious, and hoping to find the early riser still in bed, Laura climbed out of her own bed and moved through the trailer to her daughter's bedroom door. There was silence on the other side. A hint of a grin played across her face as she slowly opened the door, looking for a mop of black hair on the pillow, it wasn't there. In fact, the pillow wasn't there. The bed had been stripped; the blankets and sheets lay neatly folded at the foot of the bed and the pillow was stacked on top of the linens. That was odd; her daughter just wasn't that neat, ever. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a folded sheet of paper on top of the pillow.

'This isn't happening.' Laura thought, 'She just left a note saying she's at Jessica's.'

Her mother's intuition laughed at her own foolishness.

Laura's hands shook as she stepped closer to the bed, by the time she lifted the note her entire body was shaking.

Mom,

I'm not sure what to say. I love you, and this isn't your fault. I have to leave, please trust me enough to know that I wouldn't leave if I had a choice. I can't tell you why I'm leaving; only that I have to and that I'll be fine.

I won't bother telling you not to call Jess's mom. If I know you any you already have the phone in your hand.

That wasn't true; Laura had already dialed and was waiting for somebody to pick up the phone.

I also won't bother telling you not to call the police.

Laura thanked Jessica's mom and hit the speed dial for the department.

I love you Mom, and believe me when I say this is for the best.

"No Sam, I don't know where she could have gone!" Laura told the officer frantically over the phone. "Well, yes she has, but not since she was four."

Please, please, please don't think that this is your fault, it isn't. Not in any way, shape or form.

After listening for a moment she nodded and started searching, "Um, she took some clothes, her shoes, um," Laura shuffled through the room, it was never too messy, but now it was so clean it scared her,

I love you,

"Her bible's gone, uh," Drawers were opened and shut almost frantically,

I'll pray for you,

"She took her Karate stuff, she left her CD player…Yes she left the CD's! Who do you think we're talking about?!" When Laura heard the shrill tone to her voice she stopped and took a minute to breathe as she recomposed herself. "Sam, listen to me, the last time she ran away…yes, when she was four, the last time she ran away her grandparents had to send her home on an airplane!" There was an exclamation from the other side of the phone line. "Oh sure, now you send an officer!"

Please don't worry about me.

Laura hurried to the bathroom, she had to splash some water on her face and collect herself before the officers arrived. The last time her daughter had run away she had told Laura the night before she was going to visit her grandparents; Laura had thought it was a game until she couldn't find her little girl the next morning. Somehow, despite being only four years old, she had somehow made it. But Laura's in-laws had died since then and this letter specified no destination, no intention to return. To make matters worse the girl was twelve now. There was no telling what she was capable of.

Take care of yourself.

Drying her face off with a towel, Laura looked blearily at the sink. Something was missing. When she realized what it was she began to laugh, Laura laughed until her sides ached and she had to back up to the wall of the bathroom to support herself, then she laughed until she slid to the floor, letting hysteria take over as she realized she would never see her daughter again.

After all, she had taken her toothbrush.

Please forgive me.

"Nobody's answering." The rookie said; he looked uncertain. The senior officer pounded on the door again, calling Ms. Thompson's name with a voice trained by almost three decades in the military. When still nobody answered he pulled his side arm and stepped back to kick the trailer door in. "Uh, sir, regulations state that we shouldn't-" The door slammed open with one kick and the officers moved inside. Hearing noises off to the right the senior officer moved down the hallway.

I love you,

They found Laura Thompson on the floor of her bathroom sobbing hysterically into a towel. Officer Carson sent the rookie to call for medical personnel before addressing the woman, when she didn't respond he gave into his fatherly instincts and pulled her against his bullet-proof vest. He rocked her slowly, holding her like one of his own children because she had lost hers.

Kit.