Finding Carter 1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hi everyone, so I really shouldn't be starting a different story with my limited time but this would not leave me alone. Like the summary said it's my take on how Carter makes it back with her family. I'll try my best to answer some of questions that were left unanswered in the finale and incorporate them into it, but this is mainly about how everyone deals with her being gone and what they will do to get her back. Who knows how far I'll take it, it just depends on how much love it gets from you readers, if there's interest I'll keep going I do have a plan for this story. Alright that's it, happy reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Finding Carter or any characters from it. This is purely for fun.

* * *

"Carter! Carter!" Elizabeth yelled running out of the back of the coffee shop. _No, no, no this cannot be happening again_, the thought the only thing running through her mind, everything else a blur. She ran her hand through her hair, distraughtly looking around but not making out much, the tears clouding her vision.

"Carter!...Carter… Cart…" her shouts turning into sobs. Her breaths were uneven as she tried to choke back all the emotions and memories that came flooding back. It was all too much and soon she was doubled over, her hands on her knees unable to move, barely able to keep herself standing.

"Elizabeth," Kyle shouted as he came running from around the corner. He tried to get her to straighten up but the attempt was futile. "Which way did they go? Did you see?"

She shook her head and he looked up to survey the surrounding alleyway. No obvious clues let him know which way they had headed so he pulled out his phone to get a general search started.

"Listen I need all roads leading out of town within a 15 mile radius shut down and checkpoints set up. Alert all train and bus stations; give information out to TSA and all the news stations. Lori Stevens does not get away," he yelled the orders to the person on the other end.

"Carter," Elizabeth whispered to herself. The memories of Carter calling her mom came rushing to her, once filled with joy they now seemed to bring sadness and guilt. "I told her I would protect her, that I was going to catch Lori"

Kyle turned back to her and tried to reassure her, "We are going to find her, they aren't going to make it far." Elizabeth desperately nodded back; trying to convince herself what he was telling her was true. The motion only caused her to lose more control and she soon found herself crumpled in Kyle's arms, almost on the ground.

"I'm sorry Carter."

* * *

It was dim, the only light coming from an old lamp, and it took a moment for her eyes to make out her surroundings. She was confused. Where was she, Carter asked herself. Her head was throbbing and she turned to see a bottle of water on the table next to the bed she was lying on.

Slowly she sat up and the motion caused her world to spin until her equilibrium came back a few moments later. As she drank a few gulps she looked around and took it all in. Clearly she was in a motel room, and a cheap one at that. The floral bedspread was scratchy, the carpet looked like it hadn't been vacuumed in months, and the walls were dingy with years of built up grime.

What happened, she silently asked herself, still in a fog and unsure of how she ended up where she had. At that moment the locks on the door began to turn and it was thrust open, sunlight pouring into the dark room causing Carter to shield her eyes until it was shut again.

"Ah good you're up we need to get moving," Lori said to her as she set down a few of the bags that were hanging on her arm. She moved to the table and began to sweep everything into the backpack on the chair, completely unaware how disoriented the young girl was.

"Mom?" Carter asked, clearly confused as to why she was with her, but the word triggered something.

"_Here you go," a man said to her, sliding a cup of coffee across the table._

"_Oh I didn't order this," she replied, turning from the window to look up at him. _

"_It's from your mom," he explained before turning around to leave her be._

_She looked back out the window to the center of the park, where her mom was waiting, and smiled before bringing the mug to her lips and taking a sip._

And suddenly everything snapped back into place. The fake therapy session with Lori, the attempt to capture her at the town square, the coffee in the small café.

"Carter," Lori said loudly, this time really focusing on her. "Did you hear me, we need to get going."

"You drugged me," Carter said back, astounded by what she had managed to remember and piece together.

Lori let out a soft sigh and began to move towards her. Carter jumped up from the bed and stepped further back from the woman, the trust and love she once held for her now gone and replaced with disgust and a small amount of fear.

"Hey don't be like that," Lori said, taken aback by Carter's movement away from her. "It was the only way I could get the two of us together again, the way it was always supposed to be."

"This was never how it was supposed to be. I was never meant to be yours and you…you just took me, and now you did it again," she said back, her voice raising with each word. The look on Lori's face after her words made her retract some of the harshness in her tone as she tried to stabilize the crumbling relationship between them. "You will always be a part of my life, but please let me go back to my family, to where I belong"

"You don't belong with them, you are MY daughter," this time Lori's voice was the one that was raising. "I am your mom, not that other woman. Now, like I said earlier we need to get going, so grab up your stuff and let's move."

Carter remained rooted where she was, her head slowly shaking back and forth, tears built up in her eyes. If she had been given the option of running away with Lori months ago she would have gone in a heartbeat, but standing there in that room all she could think about were her parents, Taylor, and Grant. All she wanted was to get back to them. She wanted to get back to the safety she felt in her mom's arms, to the warmth of her dad's reassuring smiles, to Taylor's home cooking, and to Grant's witty charm.

Lori let out a large sigh as Carter remained still before she spoke up again, "Carter, we can do this the easy or the hard way. What's it gonna be?"

Carter crossed her arms defiantly, "I'm not going with you anywhere until you at least let me talk with them. Just one phone call to let them know I'm okay."

"I don't think so, not here, we're too close," Lori replied. It seemed like they were at a stand still, neither one wanting to give into the other but eventually Lori spoke up. "Carter I have a plan. You need to trust me again, one more time. I will let you call those people but we are too close and we need to get moving. The offer for that single call and you coming willingly expires in five seconds and then I am dragging you out of here. Five…four…three…"

"Fine," Carter finally agreed. Her tone made her come off as compliant, but she had started to scheme a plan together. "I just need to go to the bathroom first."

Lori nodded as she glanced at her watch and Carter rushed into the bathroom. She closed and locked the door and began to quickly search through her pockets. She let out a breath when she managed to find a pen and an old gum wrapper. It was small but it would have to work.

She knew she didn't have much more time before Lori became suspicious so Carter jotted down a note before folding it up and putting it back in her pocket.

_Mom,_

_I'm okay. Please find me. I love you._

_Carter_

Makin it seem like she had actually used the bathroom, she flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Before she left she took a deep breath in to steady all her emotions and then walked back out into the room. She needed a place in plain sight to hide the note and she scanned the room, her eyes settling on the table lamp, before she tentatively smiled over a Lori's watchful eye.

"Ready?" Lori asked.

"Sure," she simply replied. Slowly she walked over to the door before she stopped, "Oh the water bottle, I want it for the road."

Carter walked to the table and angled herself so Lori couldn't see her slip the note under the base of the lamp, leaving only a small amount of the corner exposed. She turned back around and held up the bottle before walking back over.

Lori threw her arm over Carter's shoulders and pulled her tightly to her side, to which the girl tried to pull away from the contact slightly. "Isn't this going to be fun baby. Just the two of us on an adventure. Back together to take on the world."

She plastered a fake smile on her face as the older woman looked down at her. Her mind was consumed with thoughts on the past about how, although she didn't remember it, she had been in this position before. This time though she wasn't going to let it be 13 years before she saw her family again. This time her mom would find her because she had another ally, herself.

It was her family that would get her through this, not the woman that clung around her shoulders and only called herself that. No, she was going to get back to them that she was sure of.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hi all. So I was really surprised to see all the traffic this story got, maybe because there aren't many Finding Carter stories out there but nevertheless it made me want to continue. So here is the next chapter. The italics are used to indicate a flashback. I tried to get everyone in this chapter, Grant is the only one not in it but I haven't forgotten about him I promise. I tried to make things as clear as possible but if there are questions don't hesitate to ask. Happy reading!

* * *

Their home had turned into FBI headquarters. The living room that not too long ago had been used for fort building and movie night was turned into the central hub of the investigation. Computers and phone taps took up every possible desk and table. Wires ran across the ground in every direction, making everyone cautious of their step. It was loud and chaotic, and as Elizabeth and David stood by they both realized their greatest nightmare was replaying before them.

The noise and commotion was overwhelming and unfortunately familiar. Though she tried hard not to let her mind slip back to that dark day, the memory replayed anyway.

_It had been a normal day full of hard work but she was moving up, getting to where she wanted to be in her career. Her smile was wide the entire drive home. She had managed to get off early and the surprise of the two presents in the trunk made her want to get home a little quicker._

_That smile vanished. Those happy thoughts lost. Replaced with a look of anguish and a feeling of dread. Police cars lined the street, yellow tape wrapped around the yard, officers held people back at the barricade while taking orders over their walkies. The overload of emotions made her numb as she ran up to the front of the house and through the door. The activity within jostled her back to a responsive state._

"_David?" she yelled over the noise as she frantically scanned the crowded living room. Elizabeth turned round a few times but he was nowhere in sight and her panic set in a little deeper._

"_Mommy!" She heard at the same time she felt someone cling to her leg. A mess of blonde hair near her knees let her know it was Taylor and she scooped her up. Her daughter's normally bright blue eyes were slightly red from crying and she could hear her sniffling as she held her close._

"_Shh baby girl it's okay. It's okay," Elizabeth said trying to comfort them both._

_David walked around the corner into the hall only moments later and she let out a breath. She only needed to see one more person before she could let go of the fear that still hovered, but as he neared her it only grew instead. He seemed lost._

"_David, thank god. Where's Lyndon? What is all of this?"_

_As he met her gaze she could see it in his eyes, the hurt and despair, and she knew. Slowly she shook her head as her free hand made its way up to her mouth as she tried to keep her sobs in. It was in that moment that the world froze. She stopped breathing, clung to Taylor as tight as she could, and she felt it._

_Her heart breaking._

David could feel his wife trembling under his arm and he tried to pull her closer but everything was all too much for her and she slipped away from him to head for the kitchen.

"I need to get some air," she said hurrying out of the room, leaving him alone.

"Lizzy wait…" he yelled back but she had already disappeared. He ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath in. As much as he wanted to go after her, he knew they both needed a little space to find their footing in this free fall.

Elizabeth raced into the kitchen and once in the silence she leaned against the wall with her eyes closed, trying to get control over her breathing. After a minute she opened her eyes and was startled to see she had company.

"Oh Taylor!" she exclaimed as her hand jumped to her heart. "You gave me quite the scare. What are you doing in here?"

Pots and pans were strewn about and Elizabeth could see that her normally organized daughter was flustered, and understandably so. Which was why she wasn't surprised when she began to ramble.

"I didn't know what to do and I figured people might get hungry but I wasn't sure what everyone wanted so I just started to make everything and…" Taylor trailed off as it became harder to speak through her choked back emotions.

Elizabeth was quick to her daughter's side and in an instant she had her wrapped in her arms. She ran her fingers through Taylor's hair as she felt her shake in her embrace from the sobs that wracked her body.

"Hey there it's alright. Shh everything is going to be okay," she tried to reassure.

"I was awful to her when she got here… we just started to understand each other… please mom you need to find her," the young girl managed to squeak out between sobs.

She didn't think it was possible but her heart broke even more from Taylor's pleas. "I will, I promise. We are going to find her and bring her back home. I'm going to make sure of it. She's coming back."

Slowly Taylor began to calm down but neither one made a move to break free from one another. Both afraid that they'd lose the other if they let go; Elizabeth afraid to lose another daughter never to be found, Taylor afraid to lose her mother again to the dark abyss of never ending searching.

They remained that way until an officer poked his head in looking for Elizabeth. "Detective Wilson, an agent would like to speak with you, ask a few questions."

Sensing her mother's hesitation to leave her, Taylor broke free from their hug and nodded. "I'm fine, go. Really mom, please," she told her, gaining an unconvinced look from the older woman, but a sure nod assured her.

"I'll be right back," Elizabeth told her before pressing a kiss to Taylor's forehead.

As Elizabeth and the officer walked back to the other room, David entered the kitchen. Taylor had gone back to mixing something in a bowl, unaware that had come in, and David watched her try to whisk her worry away with limited success.

"Your mom is right. We are going to get Carter back this time. Once we do though I'm not sure we will have anything left to eat, it looks like you've cooked most of the kitchen," he said with a small smile, which she returned.

"You know, you did something similar when Carter was taken the first time," he continued, his voice soft. It was a memory he had tried hard to forget and never thought he would be telling her but it slipped out.

"Really? I don't remember."

David nodded and went on. "You and Carter, Lyndon then, had a play kitchen you both absolutely loved. Neither of you ever wanted to stop playing in it. You always pretended to cook while Lyndon was always the one eating. After your sister disappeared we would always find you there cooking away, and every chance you could you would ask when Lyndon was coming home because you had made her something special."

Tears had begun to form in his eyes but he continued with the story. "You wouldn't let anyone take her spot during your tea parties either. That old plastic tea cup you have on your dresser, the one that holds all your hair bands and other trinkets, that was Carter's."

"I didn't know that," Taylor replied, thinking of all the times she had tossed something into that cup.

David forced a smile on his face not wanting to show how much pain the memory brought up, how much he feared that memories would all he would be left with again.

"How about we clean this place up a bit," he suggested, walking over to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Taylor leaned against him and nodded before they silently went to work tidying up the kitchen. They remained silent the entire time, each lost in their own thoughts but both thinking about the same person. Carter.

* * *

Elizabeth walked back into the chaos following the officer to an older gentleman sitting at a computer near the front of the room. As they approached him he caught sight of their movement and stood, extending his had which Elizabeth shook before sitting down.

"Detective Wilson, hi. I'm Special Agent Louis Sands, I'll be the lead in finding your daughter and getting her back safely to you and the rest of your family," he said. His voice was stern and she wondered how hardened he had become through the many cases of his career.

"Please, call me Elizabeth."

"Alright, Elizabeth I just need to ask you a couple of questions. We got most of the information from your partner, but there are a few things I'd like to hear from you."

She nodded and he pulled out a folder, rifling through some papers before coming to a list of names.

"These are all the alias' we have for Lori Stevens, are there any additional names that you are aware of?"

She scanned over the list, each name familiar. "No. All the ones I know about are on this list."

"Do you know if Carter has any alias' that you were unaware of?" he asked, his focus back on the computer not catching the fire in her eyes at the slight insinuation that she didn't know her own daughter.

"No she doesn't. Only Carter Stevens or Lyndon Wilson."

"I understand Lori made contact with you recently. Was there any indication of where she might have been headed?"

"If there were don't you think I would have told you," she snapped back, becoming irritated by how the conversation seemed to be getting them nowhere closer to finding Carter.

"Okay," he could sense her irritation. "I just needed to ask. And you may not like this question, but again I need to ask. Is there any possibility that Carter went willingly with Lori?"

Elizabeth jumped from the seat, furious with the man in front of her. She could barely contain her frustration with him to get an answer out. "No! She didn't just leave with her. That psychopath kidnapped her again and is taking her who knows where. If you had just read the statement from the café owner you would know Carter was disoriented, like she had been drugged not able to leaving willingly, and we could be out there looking for her rather than wasting time in here with these pointless questions."

She was out of breath from the rant and tears had filled her eyes fore the countless time that day. Special Agent Sands stood up from his chair to try and calm her back down, "Look Elizabeth I know it seems like we are getting nowhere but…"

There was a sudden commotion at one of the computers near the other end of the living room. A woman Elizabeth hadn't recognized before barked orders to a few officers, causing them to immediately scatter with most of them heading out the front door, before walking over to them.

The woman leaned in, whispering something into his ear and his face became more serious that before. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on in one swift motion before checking he had his gun and badge in their proper spots. Concern grew on Elizabeth's face, still not knowing what was going on, but that concern turned to hope as the sentence left his lips.

"They tracked down a stolen car near a motel the next town over, possibly the one Lori took Carter in…"

She was vaguely aware that he was still speaking to her, briefly going over what the plan was, but she had tuned him out. Everything was moving in slow motion but her thoughts were spinning a mile a minute.

They had found a car, found a possible lead. They actually had a lead unlike 13 years ago. Carter could be close by. She was getting her daughter back.

Completely lost in her thoughts she didn't see that Agent Sands had made his way to the front door, still holding it open and ready to head over to look into the stolen car.

"Elizabeth…" he yelled but got no response.

"Detective Wilson…" he tried again and successfully got her attention. "Are you coming?"

"Of course," she replied and they were out the door and on their way. Only one thing on Elizabeth's mind the entire ride, Carter.

* * *

If she hadn't been so concerned with getting back home, she would have been impressed with the amount of planning Lori had put into making sure they wouldn't be caught.

They had ditched the car they arrived at the motel with, though she didn't really remember much about it, for a black one that looked like an unmarked police car that detectives use when on duty. Lori had told her that no one in law enforcement looks at cars similar to their own. When they stopped Lori paid with cash and kept her head down. Carter had still been unable to grab anyone's attention to alert them.

Silent. That's what the drive had been. Early into it Lori had tried to make conversation but Carter had decided to give her the cold shoulder, she was not going to make this easy. But now she was curious and wanted some answers.

"Where are we going?" she asked still looking out the window.

"Where's the fun in telling you, no it's an adventure. All I will let you know is we are going North," she replied, cheerful that there was some conversation happening.

"I got that," Carter muttered to herself. The highway signs had already given her that information.

"And as a real adventure we need to find some cool things to tell stories about later, so keep your eyes peeled for anything. Like maybe we could find the world's largest ball of string or a stand that sells three foot corndogs, let's just have some fun," Lori said while fiddling with the radio.

"I don't want to do any of that. I just want to talk with my family. When do I get to call them?"

The older woman let out a large sigh, clearly fed up with all the talk about her "family", she was her family but she knew she had promised. "Soon okay, we're still to close. I promise I will let you know when you can alright. Now look in the glove box, there are a couple of things in there for you."

Carter opened the small compartment up and pulled out an envelope. It was bulky and she could tell there was a new I.D. and passport inside and the it made her feel sick. She knew by using these it would make everything much harder to track, much harder for her mom to find her.

"Carly Stephenson, isn't that a little close to my name already?" Carter asked reading all the information on the license.

"That's the point. We are hiding in plain sight. Plus it's close enough that you shouldn't have a problem responding to that name in the beginning, once you've had it for a while you'll get used to it," Lori explained.

"And what's your name then?"

"Well to you it's still mom, but everyone else will know me as Lauren Stephenson," Lori said as she turned over to her and gave her a smile.

Carter forced one back in return before turning back to look out the window. There was no way that Lori was her mom anymore, that woman was gone and she felt like a stranger. Her mom was out there looking for her, and as Carter looked down at the new identity she knew her search just got more difficult.

* * *

And for the future I will still be using Carter and Lori as their names I just wanted to give you their alias'.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Wow! Thank you everyone for your kind reviews, all the follow/favorites, and for just reading this story. The response I have gotten is beyond anything I had imagined when I first started, so thanks again. Okay onto the chapter. It's shorter than I intended but I really wanted to focus on Carter next chapter so I cut off the end and you'll see what happens in the next update. With that said the next update may be a little ways off. I have the GRE for grad school coming up so a lot of my free time will be studying instead of writing unfortunately. So read and enjoy, and who knows maybe I'll cut out some time if those reviews keep rolling in. Happy reading.

* * *

"You're sure?" Elizabeth asked again, desperately hoping that this time the answer would be different.

The man looked up from his magazine and met her eyes for the first time before letting out a groan, his face showing he was annoyed with her.

"Look lady I don't know how many ways I gotta tell ya I ain't seen that girl before," he replied pushing the photo back across the counter.

Elizabeth stepped back and waited, watching as Agent Sands and some of his men finally made their way into the small main office of the motel. She wished she hadn't jumped out of the car so quickly, ignoring Sands' orders for her to stay put, because now she looked unprofessional. But it was her daughter, her little girl, and she needed to find her.

Agent Sands walked by giving her a slight look before making his way up to the counter. The man had gone back to reading and Sands slid another picture to him. Without taking his eyes off the article he began to speak.

"Again? The answer's the same, ain't never seen her."

"Look again," Sands said. The deeper voice startled him and looked up to see a new pair of eyes staring at him, these sterner, and more cold. The man nodded and picked up the photo.

It was different than the other one he had been shown. This one of an older woman, not the teenager he had expected to see once again. He held the photo closer and began to nod, slowly at first but more steady as he became surer. Elizabeth watched and moved closer, her heart rate quickening as she hoped he could give them some information.

"Ya, ya. I seen this one before, but she was blonde. Real pretty. Room 133 around back…" there was more on his tongue but Agent Sands cut him off.

"The key for the room, give it to me," he said sternly, jutting out his hand.

"Don't ya need like a warrant or something…"

"Now!" he boomed, slamming his hand down on the counter. The noise made the man jump and he scrambled to get the key card over to the agent.

"Just don't break anything…" he trailed off as he realized no one was listening and watched them race out of the office and down the hall.

Agent Sands lead the charge to the room. Four of his guys followed and Elizabeth brought up the rear. It killed her that she wasn't the one up front, that she wasn't calling the shots in the most important search of her life. All she wanted was to be the one that rescued Carter, the one Carter saw first, but she knew she was only there as a courtesy so she hung back.

133 finally came into view and Elizabeth wondered if Lori had requested a room near the back. It was secluded and dim, perfect for getting by unnoticed. The silver car sat in a parking spot not too far away and the sight of it made her go back to the previous day. If only she could have caught a glimpse of it, gotten a few details, maybe her daughter would be home safe already.

She shook the thought from her mind as Sands and his men took their spots around the door. A few hand signals were exchanged and before she could decipher what they meant, the key had been used to open the door and the men were already rushing inside. Elizabeth listened in agony as they shouted through the room.

"FBI! FBI!" came from each of them, all yelling at different times making the three letters sound like a jumbled mess. Then came silence and she felt like it went on forever before her heart dropped as a single word.

"Clear," Agent Sands yelled before making his way back outside. He pulled out his phone and made a call to someone she assumed was sitting in her living room. "Get me a team down here. I want that room turned over. I want to know if anyone saw something that can keep this lead alive."

The rest of the agents filed out and headed over to where Sands stood, awaiting more orders, and Elizabeth took the moment to slip into the room. She took a deep breath just before going in. It was harder this time. Knowing that Carter had been here, knowing they had been so close, knowing she was failing her again. But now she needed to focus, it was the only way she would her back.

Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to pick up the most obvious clues. There was a slight dip in the bed and the covers were ruffled so she made the assumption someone had been lying there. A picture of Carter passed out, drugged, popped into her head before she waved it away. One of the two chairs was tilted and pushed slightly away, making her think something had been set down on it. Not too much more stuck out. The room had been used as a point to quickly recoup and then get away, and Elizabeth feared they weren't going to get anything useful.

She continued to slowly walk through the room. It was dirty and dark, and she couldn't believe Carter had been forced to stay there. There was a filth to everything. Nothing remotely clean. A thin layer of dust and grime clung to everything possible, and that's when she noticed it. On the table, an area near the lamp that was lighter that the rest of it. A spot that hadn't been dirtied.

She moved towards the table, trying to keep her emotions in check but her heart continued to beat faster the closer she got. Her fingers were trembling as she reached out and carefully pulled out the paper. An initial wave of disappointment ran through her as she realized it was just and old gum wrapper, but then she flipped it over.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she read it over. It was simple but it was all she needed. Reassurance. She kept reading it over and over until the short sentences became jumbled around and her emotions started to get the best of her. I love you. Mom. Find me.

To steady herself her eyes lingered on that first word. Mom. She still wasn't used to hearing it come from Carter and that bothered her. Each time she heard it, she treasured the sound, treasured the thought that she had earned the title once again, but she shouldn't have lost it in the first place, and she wasn't going to lose it again.

A different team of agents began to make their way into the room and Elizabeth clutched the note tighter, not wanting to part with the small piece of paper that made her feel closer to her daughter. The paper that gave her hope and, if possible, extra drive to get her back. But an agent eventually made their way over and took it as evidence but not before she read it again.

I'm okay. Find me. I love you.

"I love you Carter and I will get you back. I promise," she whispered to herself and hoped that somehow Carter could hear it.

* * *

It was a typical morning. No drama or bickering, just them as a family. Taylor and Grant sat at the table with their breakfasts. Her Dad sat next to them and read the newspaper. Her Mom leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee and checking her emails. Carter watched them through the doorway for a moment before making her way in, heading directly for the pitcher of orange juice.

"Morning," Carter said to them all after taking a large gulp from her glass.

She stood there confused and stunned as they carried on as if they didn't hear her. And then it clicked and she started to chuckle, "Oh, really good one guys, but I'm not even late this morning."

Again she was ignored and her concern turned into actual fear.

"Hun are you working here today?" Elizabeth asked not looking up.

"No, I've got to meet with Toby to discuss a few things," he replied after folding up the paper. He looked at his watch and stood from the table. "And I've got to get going or I'm going to be late."

"We need to get moving also. Taylor, Grant you guys ready?" she asked them.

"Yeah," they replied in unison before grabbing their backpacks from the ground.

Carter tried to yell but suddenly couldn't speak. She tried to run after them but found herself stuck. Tears flooded her eyes as she watched each of them disappear out the door, one by one. Her Dad. Taylor. Grant. Her Mom. Each of them gone. She was alone, trapped, forced to be away from them. And then the door slammed shut and it went black.

Startled she sat up quickly, gasping for air as her heart beat out of her chest. It took her a moment to realize where she was. A car. Carter looked over to see Lori driving and everything crashed into her.

"You okay?" the woman asked her.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod and turned to face the passing landscape.

It was just a dream. A terrible dream. They weren't gone, but she was. How was it possible to escape one nightmare and yet be thrust into another? One she couldn't get out of by simply waking up, one far worse that that which just played in her head.

She needed some air, some space away from the woman next to her.

"I need to use the bathroom. Can we stop soon?"

Lori looked down at the dash, the needle beginning to get near empty and she wanted to stretch her legs as well so she nodded.

"Yeah a short break sounds good. We can grab some snacks before we hit the main leg of our trip."

Carter faced forward and her mind began to race. She wanted this to be the end of her trip, not the beginning and so she began to think. She only had until they reached the next gas station to plot and plan, it was possibly her only shot and she needed it to pay off.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Hi all sorry it's been awhile. I've been super swamped with school and life and every other excuse out there, but things are beginning to settle down so hopefully faster updates (although I can't promise anything). So this chapter is all Carter. I left a bit of mystery for you all to solve as well, as you'll see there is a clue that needs some deciphering. Hopefully you enjoy. It's a bit longer and I hope it makes up for the length of time between updates a little. As always reviews are appreciated. Thanks and happy reading.

* * *

It came into sight sooner than she expected. Only minutes had passed since she had asked if they could pull over, not nearly enough time to come up with anything when the gas station came into view. Carter knew it would be the one Lori would choose. It was a "mom and pop" station, free of cameras and that happily took cash for everything.

She began to scramble for any reasonable idea that came to mind but she was drawing a blank and silently she cursed at herself for not coming up with something before deciding to speak up. But as they pulled into the parking lot of the station the sight of two police cars gave her hope. Hope that she'd get more time to think of something, but more importantly hope that her ordeal would end right then and there.

Carter watched out of the corner of her eye as Lori tensed in her seat. Her knuckles going white as she squeezed the steering wheel tighter and her eyes growing slightly wider. But just as quick her face of worry turned into one of confidence.

The officers had spotted them pull in through the glass doors, had even raised a hand and given them a friendly wave before turning back to talking with the cashier. Lori pulled out her phone and pretended to make a call, making it seem like that was the reason they had stopped, just for good measure in case they were still being watched. As they pulled back onto the road Carter became filled with a mixture of relief and disappointment, but quickly swatted the emotions away to continue thinking up a plan.

They continued to drive a little further and Lori watched as the fuel needle dipped closer and closer to empty until the light turned on and she knew she had to pull over soon. She silently cursed to herself, as all she saw were commercial gas stations and knew she would be forced to fill up at one of them. It was her first slip up and she hated the feeling that it could possibly get her caught.

Slowly they pulled over into the heavily lit and recorded station, and Lori could see Carter's eyes seem to light up. Just another thing she would have to keep a watchful eye on for the next ten minutes until they could get back on the road again. Carter quickly jumped out of the car as soon as Lori turned off the engine and the woman hopped out after her with just as much speed.

"Carter no funny business," she said sternly. Carter's face had a defiant look to it so she made a threat. "If you try something, no phone call."

It had the desired effect as Carter's shoulders seemed to slump slightly, the mischievous glint in her eye gone from sight. They walked in together, Lori headed for the counter to pre-pay for gas while Carter roamed the aisles, a plan still absent from her mind. She carefully eyed the cameras though, wanting to make sure one of them caught her full face while trying to be discrete so Lori wouldn't see.

Carter looked up from the ample choices of chips displayed in front of her to see the cashier striking up a conversation with Lori, much to her displeasure. It was then that she caught sight of the lottery display and an idea clicked into place. She raced over and grabbed a sheet and pencil before going to the back wall near the drinks and hastily began to bubble it in.

3-1-18-12-25-19

The number 19 filled in for the Powerball space. Once she finished darkening the numbers in she moved on to another.

12-1-21-18-5-14

She looked up into the glass, trying to see Lori in the reflection and could see that she was wrapping up at the front, so Carter hurried even more. The last one was the toughest, there were repeats and it was longer that the previous two, but she had faith her mom would figure it out, so she bubbled the numbers in best she could.

19-20-5-6-14-19

Again the 19 sat in the Powerball slot and she was just able to stuff the paper in her pocket before she felt Lori behind her. She turned to face her and gave her a quick smile, trying to cover any tell that may have been on her face.

"Can I get a drink?"

"Of course," Lori replied, placing a quick kiss on Carter's head. Carter had to force herself to not flinch away. It was creepy that the woman could go from threatening to loving in such a quick turn around. Lori spoke up again. "I'm surprised you don't have five bags of gummy bears in your arms."

She had always thought that gummy bears had been their thing, that Lori had been the one to turn her on to the candy but soon after being home Carter had realized that it was in fact her third birthday that had made her fall in love with them. Her grandpa had slipped her and Taylor a few just before they had to go to bed and from then on she was hooked. Now it only reminded her of the fact that there were still numerous things she still didn't know about Lori and her family as well.

"I guess I just don't have a sweet tooth right now," she replied with a shrug. She grabbed for an iced tea in the refrigerator and turned to face Lori, sticking her hand out. "Can I have some money?"

Lori hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should allow Carter to go up to the front and talk with the cashier, and it didn't go unnoticed by the girl.

"Please, mom," she tried. The word tasted vile on her tongue, it sounded strange saying it back to the woman in front of her. It sounded wrong, but she said it as unfaltering as possible in hopes Lori would buy it.

"Yeah here," the woman replied, a grin on her face as she pulled a twenty out of her purse. "Grab me one of those bags of gummy bears anyway, huh?"

Carter nodded and she split away from her to head down the candy aisle. With no one else in the store, the clerk had taken to watching them and so Lori was cautious in getting Carter's attention back for a brief moment, not wanting to use any names.

"Hey," she said in a loud whisper. Carter looked up. "Remember what I said outside."

"Yeah, got it."

And with that Lori headed back out to the car to fuel up, while Carter grabbed the candy and made her way to the front counter. The guy was young, not too much older than her, and his appearance made it look like he wasn't going to be moving up in the world anytime soon.

"So, on a road trip with your mom?"

Now was her chance to spill everything out. Let this guy know that she had been kidnapped, again. Tell him to call the cops. But there was something holding her back, a feeling that Lori had something more up her sleeve that Carter didn't want her to let loose. Something she knew would be let out if she said anything, so she nodded and let the moment pass her by.

"Something like that," she mumbled.

"Anything else?" he asked after he scanned the few snacks she had grabbed.

"Oh yeah," she said pulling out the lottery paper. "This too, please."

"Got an I.D?"

"Excuse me."

"An I.D. You need to be eighteen to buy a ticket, so I need to see something that has your age on it," he explained.

Carter pulled out the fake one Lori had given her earlier, but it still only said she was seventeen.

"Look please, I'm really not trying to win. I just need to buy this ticket with these numbers," she told him, trying not to sound desperate but there was a hint of pleading in her voice.

"Rules are rules, and…" he tried but she cut him off.

"What if I pay you to buy it for me. You look over eighteen and who couldn't use a little extra money. Please."

"Alright fine," he gave in, taking the paper from her and started to punch the numbers into the computer. "I don't think you're going to even be close to winning with these."

"I don't care. Just make sure you put them in right," she replied, to which he gave her a nod and shrug.

After it printed out he slid the ticket across the counter and she paid him for everything. As she turned Carter looked up directly as the camera above the door, pausing for a second before heading to the exit. Just before went to push the door open, she tucked the ticket between a few Twinkies in a display and hoped a camera with a different angle caught the action.

Lori was already finished with pumping the gas and she jumped into the driver's seat, eager to get out of the area, once she caught sight of Carter. The girl slipped into the passenger side, but kept the door open, which also kept them from going anywhere.

"Carter what are you doing? We need to get moving again. Close the door," Lori told her. There was a sharpness to her tone and Carter could tell she was desperate to leave. An emotion that played to Carter's position perfectly.

"Not until you tell me," she said looking straight ahead.

"Tell you what?"

Carter turned and faced Lori. The girl's eyes slightly narrowed, her mouth tightened. Everything about her expression showed how serious she was.

"Tell me the truth. I want…no, I deserve to know everything. I'm tired of being lied to and I want to hear why you took me in the first place," she finished and prepared to fight Lori's refusals, but was surprised when the woman started to nod.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Close the door and on the drive I'll tell you everything you want."

Carter gave her a skeptical look. There was no trust between them anymore and she knew once she shut the door all of her leverage would be gone.

"Carter I promise," Lori said as she watched the internal doubt began to build up.

Slowly Carter closed the door and Lori drove out of the station as quickly as she could without drawing any extra attention to the car. They drove a ways in silence, an uncomfortable air resting between them. Carter was anxious and eager to her the information she had asked for, but didn't want to push too hard. Lori was unsure and hesitant, wanting to choose the right words. A minute turned to a couple, which turned to ten and then fifteen. Carter was about to say something when Lori broke the silence.

"I knew your Dad," she simply stated before going quiet again.

"Yeah you were a hospice worker on our block. I already knew that."

Lori shook her head. "Before that. I've known David for what seems like forever. Way before you came along or Elizabeth forced herself into his life.

"We met the summer before his sophomore year in college. He was the nicest guy I had ever met, so charming and polite, and by the start of his semester we had fallen in love," she paused for a moment, recalling memories of way back then. She looked over a Carter, shock swept over the girl's face and Lori knew only more would come.

"A few months later I found out I was pregnant. Neither one of us knew what to do, but we decided that living together was the next step so we moved into an apartment near the campus."

"Is that where that photo came from? The one of him sleeping," Carter interrupted.

Lori nodded. "That was taken only a few days before everything happened." She stopped to gather her breath. Carter could see the emotions running wild while the woman tried her best to remain in control.

"You could have told me this when you first gave me the picture."

"Would you really have believed me?"

Carter thought for a moment before shaking her head. She knew she would have accused Lori of lying, and there was still the possibility she was currently lying, but the rawness of her voice and the emotions in her eyes told Carter she was saying the truth.

"I lost the baby only a few short days later and I lost it. David tried his best to keep me the same person as before, but the grief was too unbearable and he left. Which I don't blame him for. I was an absolute mess.

"It was a couple of years later and just by chance we ran into each other. We got to talking and it was like no time had passed at all. But of course it had and by then Elizabeth had wormed her way into his life." Carter flinched slightly at the harshness behind her words when referring to her mother.

"We continued to see one another a little while longer, David was even prepared to break up with her but then she found out she was pregnant with you and Taylor. That news halted everything we had been planning. He told me that he needed to be there for her and the baby and so we tried to stop seeing one another, but we couldn't stay away.

"And for a while all was good again until Elizabeth started to show and David was hit by guilt. He broke it off again but it was different from the time before. He said that he had to give being a family a fair chance. That he needed to focus on raising the baby in the best environment possible, and that wasn't in a broken home.

"But he said that he wanted to be with me, so I agreed to give him some time and we agreed on three years. Three years to raise a kid before he would break it off with Elizabeth and we could finally be together." Lori paused for a moment and looked over to Carter. She had been doing a lot of talking and wanted to make sure that the girl was still following.

"I waited for him, doing odd job throughout the years but also getting into some trouble with the law. David found out about that and had used it as his excuse as to why it wasn't going to work out with us, but I knew the real reason. Elizabeth had managed to sink her claws into him, had somehow tricked him into loving her. He gushed over how great of a mother she was and that he couldn't leave.

"I tried to convince him I would be just as good of a mother, and for the first time since we met I saw uncertainty in his eyes. It was that look that made me feel like I had to prove myself to him. I wanted to prove that I was better. That if our child had survived they would have had a better life than anything Elizabeth was capable of providing.

"So I followed him and found out where you all lived. Got myself a job down the street and ignored David's protests for me to leave the area. I watched from afar as you and Taylor played outside on the porch unsupervised. I could hear your occasional tantrums from inside the house. And I knew I could do better.

"One day you were outside by yourself, Taylor had just ran in to get something, and I walked up to you. I had never gotten close to you before, and when you turned I just knew."

"Knew what?" Carter asked after Lori fell silent.

"I knew that you were my daughter. You were everything I pictured. Your golden brown hair and eyes. Your bright grin and tiny, outgoing personality. It all just clicked and I knew you were always meant to be mine, that we were supposed to be mother and daughter. You were Carter and always would be."

The car fell silent and Lori looked over to the passenger seat to see Carter taking it all in the best she could. Carter felt as if she were drowning. It was the most information she had gotten from a single person since she discovered she had been kidnapped at the police station. Lori turned back to focus on the road but set her hand gently on top of Carter's, to which the girl instantly pulled away.

"You…you just…" Carter shook her head as she couldn't believe the reason she had been given. "I lost thirteen years with my family because you wanted to be better than my mom at raising me. I didn't belong to you. I will NEVER belong to you. I am not your daughter. All those things you mentioned came from my parents. My dark eyes and hair from my dad, and the personality from my strong mother. Not from you."

Tears had begun to well in Carter's eyes. The frustration of everything had been building up and now was threatening to spill over, but she didn't let them fall. She forced herself to choke them back.

"How could you take everything from me?" was all she could manage to ask after her rampage.

"Look at the life I gave you though," she tried, still taken back at Carter's use of the word "mom" when she referred to Elizabeth in her rant.

"Look at the life you gave yourself. This is what you wanted," she replied while shifting in her seat, turning away from Lori and into the window. "I just need to think to myself for a little bit."

"Of course," Lori said, understanding that it was a lot of information to take in and hoping the time would make her come around to see she had only done what was in her best interest.

As Lori flipped on the radio and found a station, Carter let the tears slip down her face. She was scared and sad at the same time. Saddened by everything she had been told, by all the things she had missed growing up with her mom and dad simply because Lori had something to prove. Scared because now she knew that the woman sitting next to her was officially crazy. As she wiped a tear away her thoughts went back to that lottery ticket in the store and she hoped that her mom would be able to figure out what it meant.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey everyone hope the holiday season is bringing you all a little bit more joy. This is your last chance if you wanted to try and figure out what those numbers meant on your own because it is all revealed below. I hope you all enjoy. Happy reading.

* * *

It had been a frustrating day of getting nowhere. The lead from the motel that had once looked promising had fizzled out and the search was back to square one. The only clue was that they were possibly going North.

Elizabeth had sat in the living room the entire morning, watching everyone try his or her best but come up with nothing. And eventually she had to escape. As she walked into the hall she noticed how the rest of the house was silent. No music coming from David's office. No noise from the kitchen where she would have expected Taylor. No echoes of video games trailing down the stairs from Grant's room.

As she walked up the stairs she couldn't shake herself of the memory of all their faces when she had returned from the motel without Carter. Taylor and Grant had had such hope in their eyes, but of a shake of her head had erased it all.

At the top of the stairs a small wave of relief washed over her. She could hear a faint humming from Taylor's room and knew she was listening to music. Elizabeth walked closer to her daughter's door and as she listened her heart ached a bit. It wasn't the music Taylor normally listened to, but she recognized it instantly. Taylor was playing one of Carter's favorite CDs. Elizabeth had despised the same songs only a few months prior, as Carter had played them on full blast when she had first arrived just to annoy her. Now though, she would have given pretty much anything to hear it blaring from her room again.

David's raised voice coming from their room pulled her attention from Taylor and to that direction. She could hear he was arguing and was able to make out enough that she knew Toby was on the other end. Toby had never been one of her favorite people and had been steadily declining in her ranks over the past couple of days. David couldn't seem to keep the man away for a second, with calls coming in continually about adding an additional chapter to the book about Carter's second abduction. David's voice escalated before she heard a loud thump and assumed he had thrown the phone at the wall. Wanting to give him time to calm down, she made her way over to Grant's room.

He was the one she was the most concerned about. He had become very quiet from the moment she had told him Carter had been taken again. She knew they had become very close, bonding over their shared humor and feelings of being the outsider of the family. Elizabeth cursed internally at herself at the thought, yet another way she felt she was failing at a parent, two of her kids felt like they didn't belong. As she walked down the hall though she stopped at Carter's room first.

From inside she could hear soft rustling, so slowly she cracked open the door. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched Grant fiddle with trinkets on Carter's desk and dresser. Occasionally he would pick up a photo and smile, or sniff a scarf or hat. Eventually he sat on the corner of her bed and Elizabeth had to muffle the sobs that came once he started to speak.

"Hey Elephant, it's Armadillo. I know you can't hear this but just maybe you'll get the message somehow. I know for a while you wanted to go back to Lori because she was your mom and you loved her more than us. We were all strangers to you then, but I have to believe that now you see us as your family. That you know you belong with us and that you want to come back home. So please Elephant, leave something so mom can find you," he stopped for a moment and laughed to himself as a memory came to mind.

"You already know she's good at following your clues. Remember when she followed all those fake ones to the mall. She was pretty angry with you then, but you have to do the same thing now. Please Carter…" he trailed off and Elizabeth could hear him sniffling to himself.

She decided to give him a minute before going in to comfort him; she didn't want him knowing she had heard such a personal conversation. Just as she was about to push the door open and announce herself to Grant, when there was a flurry of action downstairs. She was torn between wanting to tell her son that everything was going to be okay and seeing if something had come up with her daughter.

Elizabeth glanced towards the stairs and realized that Grant must have heard the commotion as well because by the time she turned back to Carter's room, Grant was at her side.

"What's happening down there?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure. Let's go find out," she replied wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

When they got downstairs everyone was moving a mile a minute. People were frantically typing on their keyboards, papers were being spit out from the printer, Agent Sands was giving directions to multiple agents at once. As Elizabeth continued to observe everything happening in the living room she froze. Her eyes became glued to the computer monitor that was replaying a scene of Carter in a gas station.

Tears instantly welled in her eyes. She had known Carter was okay from her previous note and figured Lori would never intentionally hurt her, but actually seeing her filled Elizabeth with so much relief and hope it was almost too much to take. She realized it was the first time she had actually seen Carter since she had been taken, and though it had only been a few days it felt like an eternity.

"We got a hit off of facial recognition. Security cameras picked this up about five hours North of here. We have local agents headed over there now to survey the area and to ask the cashier more about what he saw," Sands said, startling her from her gaze on the computer.

"It appears Carter may have left something in one of the snack displays near the door," he continued, pointing to the computer as it came to that point in the footage.

A wide smile grew on Grant's face as he looked up to Elizabeth. "She's leaving you more clues."

Elizabeth's face matched his and she pulled him closer and nodded.

"Since everything was purchased with cash we can't be certain what it was, but we will let you know more once the agents get over there," the agent concluded as he walked back to his main station.

Elizabeth watched the clock as the minutes passed by at an agonizingly slow pace. It had only been forty-five minutes, but it felt like much longer. Grant had made his way back upstairs, while David had come down, anxious for more information. They sat next to each other at the dinning room table. He rubbed small, reassuring circles over his wife's back and she leaned into him, both relying on the other for strength as they waited for more information to become available.

Finally agent Sands phone rang and after a few acknowledgements and a "continue a perimeter search" he waived both of them over.

"We know they're driving a car similar to an unmarked. Lori removed the license plate but at least we know what to look for. After talking with the cashier it appears that Carter bought a lottery ticket, and that is what she left behind," Sands told them, earning him a confused look from Elizabeth and David. "We should be getting a scan of it any moment now."

As if on cue and image of a lottery ticket appeared on the computer screen. With a few taps on the keyboard Sands had printed out the picture for the both of them and handed them over.

"Do these numbers mean anything to either of you?"

They both scanned them over and began to shake their heads.

"Nothing I recognize," David spoke up first.

"Yeah me either," Elizabeth followed.

"Okay, well keep looking them over, maybe something will pop out. I've got a special team gathered as well so we can figure out what Carter was trying to get across."

With that the agent left them alone with each other, both continuing to stare at the paper in their hands. They remained silent for a few minutes; each giving their full attention to deciphering what Carter had left them. Elizabeth began to grow slightly frustrated. Her daughter had left her a message that she couldn't seem to figure out and she hated feeling like she was letting her down once again.

"Could these be zip codes or phone numbers?" David asked, grasping at straws to come up with anything.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't think so." She turned to a woman sitting at a computer. "Can I see the full footage from the gas station?"

The woman complied and ran the tape from the beginning Carter and Lori walked inside. Elizabeth kept her eyes on Carter as the girl wandered the aisles a little bit and then she noticed something as Carter's gaze fell on the lottery display.

"There," she said point to the screen. "Play it again."

"I didn't notice anything," David said watching from over her shoulder.

Elizabeth pointed it out again. "There. Carter sees the display and freezes for just a moment before dashing over there. It's like an idea hit her once she saw it. So these numbers mean something simple, she didn't have time to plan anything."

David nodded, understanding what his wife meant and went back to looking as the paper in his hand. He felt out of his element. He was a man of letters and words, not numbers. And that's when it hit him.

"Letters," he mumbled softly.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, turning from the computer and giving him her attention.

"Letters. What if these numbers correspond to their letter order in the alphabet? Carter could be spelling something out," he replied, and with no hesitation they both started to decode the numbers on the ticket.

3-1-18-12-25-19 became C-A-R-L-Y-S

12-1-21-18-5-14 became L-A-U-R-E-N

19-20-5-6-14-19 became S-T-E-F-N-S

"They're names," Elizabeth said in a hushed tone. She was in shock that they had managed to discover what it meant.

"Do you think it's what they're going by now? Carly and Lauren Stevens?" David asked.

Elizabeth paused for a moment to think. She recognized that Lori must have wanted to keep the names close, but keeping the same last name wouldn't be smart so she slowly started to shake her head.

"It's not Stevens, Lori is too smart to use that last name again and Carter would have used a "v" not a "f". " She started to run possible last names through her head before it came to her. "Stephenson. Carly and Lauren Stephenson."

The two of them raced over to where agent Sands stood at his desk and practically forced the paper into his hands. He took a moment to read over all the scribbles before looking up and into their eyes. He could see the slight desperation in their eyes. How much they wanted this to be the answer, how badly they wanted to find their daughter, and normally he would have let his own team finish their decoding but something told him that these names were correct and he couldn't waste any time. Quickly he grabbed the phone and started punching numbers.

"Get these names out to all important outlets. Carly Stephenson and Lauren Stephenson. Possible alias' for Carter Stevens and Lori Stevens…" he continued on but Elizabeth had started to tune him out.

David wrapped his arm around her and as she leaned into him he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"They won't get far now. Carter is going to be home soon," he reassured.

She nodded. They always had seemed one step behind and she hoped that this would give them the advantage they needed.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry everyone. I know it's been forever but I lost my inspiration for a little bit. I hope you like this chapter, has a little bit of a twist in it. I'll try to be better for the next couple of chapters. This is going to begin wrapping up and hopefully it will be done by the premier in March. Let me know what you all think. Happy reading.

* * *

Carter groggily opened her eyes and the room came clearly into view. For a brief second her mind tricked her into believing she was home. Tricked her into thinking she would hear her mom shouting for her from downstairs to hurry up. Tricked her into believing Taylor would burst through the door to make sure she was up so they wouldn't be late. It was only a split second but it was always the best part of her day because once she registered she was in a motel room with Lori everything crashed down around her again.

They hadn't spent more than one night in a single place and Carter had gotten used to the routine. Each morning she would wake up to find Lori packing up what little they had into their bags while she urged her to hustle and get ready to leave. Carter always dragged her feet, hoping those few extra minutes would do something to help but they hadn't so far. But as she looked around the room she could see that morning was different.

The bags had been untouched from the night before and Lori wasn't in sight. Carter glanced at the clock and could see why. It was only 5:45 am, much earlier than she normally got up. The soft glow of light seeping out from under the bathroom door grabbed her attention and she knew Lori was inside.

Her eyes darted over to the unguarded door. Carter wondered how long Lori had been in there, how long it would be until she came out. She entertained the idea of running away, escaping from the woman she had called mom for most of her life, until she remembered they were in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by woods, at least 5 miles away from the nearest hub of civilization and Carter knew Lori would find her by the time she reached it if she ran.

She let out a soft sigh as she realized that besides the first night when she had been drugged, all the motels had been secluded and Carter figured Lori had done that on purpose for times just like this.

Slowly Lori's voice began to rise and Carter strained her ears to hear what she was saying inside.

"…That wasn't the deal. The deal was you helped me with everything I needed to get Carter away from those people, passports, cash, and in return I gave you an exclusive interview plus much more material for a future book," Lori shouted in a hushed tone.

Able to only hear one side of the conversation, Carter furrowed her brow as she became confused as to who was on the other end.

"…I don't care if you can't get him to write more, that's your problem not mine. I held up on my parts and now you need to follow through with that additional wire transfer…"

There was another pause and Carter picked up every possible noise that came through the door. Fear and anxiety had built up inside her at the revelation that Lori had someone helping her. Someone that was close to their family. And as soon as the name rolled off Lori's tongue, Carter's eyes widened in shock.

"…Listen Toby, I've disappeared on my own before so I could more than likely make it by without any additional help from you, but I think you'll want to keep our agreement because I have no issue with slipping your name to the authorities. And I'm sure you haven't done very will covering your tracks in assisting me. Prison doesn't seem like a good look for you."

Carter strained even more but the rest of the conversation was just short answers and agreements that made little sense being able to hear only one side. The inside of the bathroom went silent and the door opened only moments later. Lori walked out while stuffing the phone in her front pocket.

"Oh, Carter," she said as a wave of shock swept across her face at seeing the girl up. The expression quickly erased as not to look like she had been caught. "Good you're already up. We can get an early start on the day, so grab all your stuff and we can get moving."

Lori began to head over to the bags near the door while Carter remained fixed in her spot on the bed. The conversation was still playing in her head. The new information consuming every thought, and Carter found herself upset. Angry that no one cared about her in this mess. She was simply a pawn so everyone could get what they wanted. Lori only wanted to keep her "perfect" family. Toby only needed her so he could make more money.

She remained motionless on the bed, barely hearing Lori's question, "Do you want to wear your jacket today or should I pack it away?"

Carter shook her head, still in disbelief of what had just played out before her. Though it shouldn't have surprised her, she couldn't believe Lori was able to keep carrying on as if everything were normal. The internal frustration continued to build up until she couldn't take it any longer and ignored the question, directing the conversation in a different direction.

"So you get to make phone calls, but I don't even get to call my family once," she said, her voice raised and anger evident.

She watched as Lori went rigid and slowly turned to face her. Lori's face had gown involuntarily white as a ghost, her eyes wide. It was a look that Carter wasn't used to seeing on the woman. She had seen confidence and love and sometimes suspicion, but never what she was seeing now. This was fear and Carter felt like she possibly had the upper hand for once.

"What did you hear?" Lori asked, almost demanded. She had tried to sound calm but Carter picked up on the subtle panic lying underneath.

"I didn't hear anything, just mumbling, but I figured you weren't talking to yourself," Carter lied convincingly.

Lori let out a small sigh but remained silent, mulling over the thought of how close she had been to slipping up in front of Carter, but not knowing she already had. Carter cleared her throat in the growing silence to gain Lori's attention again.

"It doesn't seem fair," she said.

Lori snapped her head back over to the girl and began to nod. In her conversation with Toby only minutes earlier and now with Carter looking at her for an answer, she had come to the conclusion that they both needed to move on. Forget everyone of the past, go forward with their lives together. And Lori decided the phone call Carter wanted to have with those people would do just that.

"You're right," Lori replied much to Carter's shock.

"I am?" Carter said back, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yeah. I promised I would let you call them once things had settled down a bit and I think we've reached that point."

She rummaged through her purse and pulled out an unopened, disposable phone. With a little bit of effort she was able to remove the packaging and held it out for Carter to take. Carter moved quickly across the room, as if any extra time the phone sat in the woman's hand would cause her to change her mind.

As Carter took it in her hand Lori pulled out a small scrap of paper and set it on the table, sliding it in front of the girl. It was a phone number and Carter scrunched her face in confusion.

"Call this number. Elizabeth probably has recorders and traces on every call into the house and I am not risking them picking up some noise or something in the background."

"I still don't understand how this…," Carter said pointing to the paper. "…is going to let me talk with my family."

Lori tensed at Carter's use of the word family before she started to explain.

"This number is to another disposable phone. A phone that happens to be in a basket of bills and old newspapers in the kitchen of their house," Lori paused for a moment. She could see Carter thinking, wanting to ask more questions, and so she continued.

"I knew that it was going to take some time for us to get back to where we were before this entire mess happened and that you would probably want to contact those people at some point, to tell them to move on. So I planted the phone the day I was over at the house disguised as the counselor."

Carter was sent reeling at the statement. She recalled the day that Lori had shown up at the house. Remembered their talk in the kitchen and began to shake her head. At the time she thought that she had gotten through to the woman that she wanted to remain with her family, that she didn't want to go back with her, but it was apparent now that her opinion meant nothing.

"You knew you were going to take me way back then?" Carter practically yelled.

"I knew we were once again going to be a family at that time, yes. I just wasn't sure if you were going to come with me willingly," Lori replied.

Feeling bold, blood-boiling Carter spat back a reply. "I will never willingly go with you anywhere ever again."

Lori took in a deep breath trying to keep the comment from getting to her. She had figured Carter might be resistant to everything at first, but she thought by now she would have seen they were better off together. Carter seemed to sense that she had pushed further that she ought to have but couldn't find it in her to apologize.

Carter reached for the piece of paper that lied on the table between them, but before she could pick it up Lori set her hand on top of hers to stop the movement. Carter's eyes went wide and she silently cursed at herself as she thought Lori had changed her mind because of her outburst.

"We need to make a few things clear before you call them," she stated and Carter gave her a nod before she continued. "First, you get three minutes and that's it, just enough to let them know you're okay and to say goodbye because there won't be a second one."

Carter felt her breath hitch in her throat. She had expected that this would be the only one she would get, but hearing Lori say it out loud made it feel like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"Secondly, and more importantly, is don't try and tell them anything about where we are, which direction we're headed, our new identities. None of it, got it?"

"Sure," she replied, her tone one of annoyance.

Lori gave her a stern look. She could see the look of defiance in Carter's eyes, it was a look that she had become familiar with having raised her her whole life.

"I'm serious Carter, do not mention anything or there will be consequences."

Carter scoffed at the statement. She knew she ran the risk of Lori taking away the privilege of making the call is she made another quip, but she was fed up.

"Consequences? You've already taken me from my family twice. I'm stuck on the run, against my will with a kidnapper. I don't think there is anything else you could possibly do to make my life worse."

"Why would I want to make your life worse? You're my daughter. I love you and I want you to have the best, but David and Elizabeth's well I have no problem trying to ruin theirs," Lori said, her voice cold and Carter thought she saw the corner of her mouth twist up into a menacing grin.

"How do you think Elizabeth would react if she found out about the history between me and David? David must have thought something when you were taken and me working just down the street, and yet he said nothing. Do you think Elizabeth could ever forgive him for that? You know her better than I do, maybe she would but maybe she wouldn't. Would you want to risk that?

"And Elizabeth, well David already knows about her affair so no upper hand there, but what about the rest of her department, her colleagues. That could be quite a dark mark on her record if that got out."

Carter's face had lost most of its color as Lori finished speaking. "Fine, you win. No hidden messages."

Lori smiled in satisfaction and took her hand off of Carter's.

Slowly Carter brought the paper up close enough to read it and began to punch in the numbers on the phone, double-checking each one as she went to make sure it was correct. She knew Lori would only let her make one call from the phone and she wasn't going to make some stupid mistake. Her finger trembled slightly before she pushed the button with the little green phone symbol on it and then waited for what seemed like an eternity.

With each ring a little more anxiety built up inside. She held her breath as the seconds passed by, praying that someone was up and near enough to hear the call. Her mind had been racing with all she wanted to say but went blank as she heard the click of the other end of the line. There was a moment of silence on each end before a familiar voice flooded her senses.

"Hello?" The tone was confused and unsure but Carter could hear the hope in it as well.

Tears quickly filled her eyes. Tears that months ago she never thought would have been there. Her throat closed up, forcing her to swallow so she could speak but she still couldn't get any words out.

"Hello? Carter?" Elizabeth's voice was soft and pleading.

Memories of the last time she had spoken with her mom rushed to the front of her mind, _"… you are my mother…"_, and she wished above all else that she could be wrapped up safely in her arms. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she tried to swallow back all the emotions so she could speak.

"Carter if that's you please say something, anything," Elizabeth said, and Carter could hear that she was struggling to speak through her own tears.

There was too much to say and too much she couldn't speak of as the warnings Lori had told her moments ago re-registered. She wanted to ask how Taylor and Grant were holding up. How her Dad was doing and if Toby had been around the past few days.

Instead only a single word escaped, not much louder than a whisper.

"Mom…"

Carter could hear the muffled sobs on the other end of the phone and it made her heart break. She knew Lori had only let her use the phone as a good-bye call, but as she listened to the woman on the other end and looked at the one sitting in front of her she knew. No matter how long it took, the only good bye she was going to be saying would be to her kidnapper. She was going to make sure of it.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Thank you all for the nice words. Welcome to those that just started to follow I hope you are enjoying this. I just saw some previews for the new season and I am getting so excited. It looks so much more dark and twisty than I could have imagined. Hopefully there isn't too much jumping around in this chapter, I tried to be as clear as possible, but if there is any confusion please let me know. Also there is a little bit of time overlap, this is happening at the same time as the last chapter, it should make sense when you read it. Happy reading.

* * *

Sleep had been difficult to come by the past few days. Most of the time she couldn't get her mind to stop thinking long enough to drift away into it. And when it actually did happen it was restless, plagued by memories of Carter being taken.

That's how she found herself up at 5:45 in the morning, unsettling "what if" scenarios running rampant in her fatigued mind. Most of the house was silent, allowing her to pick up the soft sound of David snoring in his office as she walked by. Elizabeth knew he was struggling with everything and she wished she could do more than just reassure him that none of it was his fault. It was her fault.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee lured her towards the kitchen and knowing all the agents preferred to buy their coffees Elizabeth realized that Taylor was already up. She peeked her head around the corner and could see Taylor wearing a light purple sweater that clearly belonged to Carter. It was the same one Carter had been wearing when they saw her for the first time after those thirteen long years.

Taylor had the morning newspaper in her hands and a mug of steaming coffee sitting in front of her. Heartbreak was strewn across her daughter's face and Elizabeth could see it was a reaction to what she was reading. It pained her to see the misery her family was in, especially her children.

"Hey there," she spoke up as she made her way into the kitchen.

Taylor looked up. Her eyes were slightly red from a combination of crying and lack of sleep.

"Morning," she replied setting down the paper and pushing it away from her.

It was this motion that let Elizabeth see the front page was still filled with articles on Carter's kidnapping and she understood why Taylor was upset. Agent Sands had decided against releasing the alias' they had discovered so Lori wouldn't change them again, which made sense but there were times Elizabeth wondered if it was the best decision.

"You're up early," Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, couldn't really sleep."

Elizabeth nodded in response knowing the feeling all too well. "Do you want some breakfast? I could make us something quick."

Taylor shook her head. "I think I'm just going to stick with having the Carter special for breakfast."

Elizabeth tilted her head to the side slightly having no idea what she was referring to. "What is the Carter special?"

She watched as her daughter directed her gaze down to the mug sitting in front of her.

"Black coffee," Taylor answered.

Elizabeth chuckled at the answer. She thought of all the times she insisted that Carter, Taylor, and Grant eat a good breakfast before going to school, only to have Carter insure her that coffee was enough.

"She does make the best out of all of us," Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, this is awful compared to hers," Taylor returned.

They caught each other's eyes and wide smiles filled their faces. It was a welcome reprieve from the continuous sullen expressions that everyone had worn for the last week. Both were enjoying their own memories of Carter when Taylor seemed to realize and quickly let her face fall back to its somber expression.

Elizabeth grimaced at the change. She knew what was running around in Taylor's head. The thought that if Carter wasn't home and happy that she couldn't be either. She had struggled the same way the past thirteen years. Just as she was going to speak up, to explain to her that she could be happy, Taylor broke the silence first.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Elizabeth asked confused. There was nothing she had done that required apologizing.

"For not understanding."

Elizabeth scrunched her eyebrows and waited for her daughter to continue.

"All the years that Carter had been missing I held onto an anger directed towards you and the older I got the more it grew. I resented Carter because she held more of your attention that Grant or I did. I didn't see why you couldn't just let her go. Why you couldn't focus more on the two kids in front of you rather than a ghost. I didn't remember anything about her back then, she was just a name basically a stranger. But now I have memories and stories. I know who she is. We built a relationship and now I understand why you couldn't let her go because I can't either. I'm sorry."

The tears had welled up in Elizabeth's eyes, threatening to spill over and run down her cheeks. Taylor had dropped her head so she was looking down at the counter. Elizabeth reached across the island and lifted her daughter's chin so they looked at one another again.

"I should be the one that's sorry. If Carter has shown me anything since she has been back it's that I haven't been as good of a mother, or wife, to any of you. And for that I am so sorry Taylor."

Taylor nodded and they both fell into silence. The air felt somehow lighter. A comfort filled them both after getting the weight of those statements off their chests. The silence was short lived however as a ringing filled the kitchen. They both instinctively looked over at the house phone that sat near the back door but could see it wasn't the source.

"Did Grant leave his phone down here last night?" Elizabeth asked, knowing her son always "misplaced" it.

Taylor shook her head. "That's not one of his ringtones."

Elizabeth began to move towards the ringing. The phone wasn't in sight but after a moment of searching she pulled out a simple, black cell phone from the basket of mail. She didn't recognize it and turned to show Taylor, holding it up as if to ask if she knew whom it belonged to.

Taylor shrugged her shoulders and Elizabeth looked back down at the phone. "Blocked Number" flashed across the screen and Elizabeth found her heart beating out of her chest. She knew it could belong to one of the numerous FBI agents that had been in and out of her house but she hoped it didn't.

Her hand trembled as she clicked to answer it and she was amazed she didn't drop the phone on the ground.

"Hello?" her voice was shaky and wavering.

Elizabeth was met with silence on the other end but a mixture of motherly instincts and detective skills told her that someone was still on the line.

"Hello? Carter?" she asked. Her voice was softer this time, more coaxing.

Taylor rushed over to her mom's side at the mention of Carter's name, placing her hand on Elizabeth's forearm. Tears sprung to Elizabeth's eyes as she heard a muffled sob come through the phone. A lump formed in her throat but she forced herself to talk through the emotions.

"Carter if that's you please say something, anything," she was begging now. The tears had started to fall and the emotion was evident in her voice even though she was trying her best to be strong.

Elizabeth waited for what seemed like an eternity before she heard a soft whisper.

"Mom…"

Her hand shot to her mouth. That word would be one she would never get used to hearing. She was flooded with relief and anger, happiness and pain as Carter's voice rang in her head.

"Carter, oh Carter. Are you okay? Lori hasn't hurt you or anything?" Elizabeth figured the woman wouldn't harm Carter, Lori thought Carter was hers, but she had to be sure.

Carter shook her head in response until she realized her mom couldn't see her. "No, no. I'm alright. I promise."

"Where are you?"

"I can't tell you"

"It's okay if you don't know exactly just tell me anything. It could be a street name, or business, or just describe you surroundings. Anything and I'll find you."

Carter swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She wanted so badly to say there were staying at the Pine Needle Inn. That they were travelling north. But she knew Lori would hold up her threat and she couldn't risk hurting her family.

"No Mom. I _can't_ tell you," she said again.

This time Elizabeth realized what Carter meant and she grew angry at the thought of Lori controlling her daughter.

"Is Lori nearby?" she asked.

"Yeah," Carter replied. She wanted to keep her end of the conversation as short as possible so Lori didn't hear too much.

"She allowed you to make a call home?" Elizabeth couldn't figure out why she would let Carter call them. It seemed like an unnecessary risk, but she was so grateful she had.

"Yeah she did. It's so… it's so I can say goodbye."

The statement caught Elizabeth off guard. Horrible thoughts of never seeing Carter again overwhelmed her and she had to steady herself against the counter. Taylor gave her a concerned look as she did so and Elizabeth was grateful she was there to give her additional support.

She cleared her throat before responding. "Well you and I both know how stubborn the two of us can be, so I promise you this will not be goodbye. Okay?"

"Okay."

Carter looked over to Lori who held up her hand. Her fingers formed a peace sign, indicating Carter only had two minutes left.

"Carter," Elizabeth said. "I want you to know your Dad and I figured out those numbers on the lottery ticket. We know the names and the FBI are tracking any activity using them."

Finally something was falling her way and all Carter wanted to do was let out a sigh of relief, but she stopped herself, feeling Lori's eyes beating down on her.

"How is Dad? Is he still writing?"

Elizabeth was perplexed by the second question. It seemed out of place, not something she should be thinking about in their current situation.

"Carter do you think he cares about that right now? All he is focused on is getting you back. He isn't interested in doing any writing."

"Well he should be," Carter replied. Her voice was firm and she hoped it would come across as being important. It was all she could come up with that would possibly lead her mom to Toby.

Elizabeth noticed the change and realized Carter was trying to tell her something. "Your dad's writing, are you saying there is something there that connects to you and Lori?"

"Yes," she replied simply. She could feel Lori's suspicion rising and knew she had to direct the conversation elsewhere. "How are Taylor and Grant? Please say they are holding up okay?"

It took Elizabeth a moment to respond as she was still caught up in what Carter had just told her. She wished the hint could have been more detailed but knew Lori was listening for anything out of the ordinary. But she was grateful they once again had something to go off of.

Elizabeth looked over to Taylor as Carter's question finally registered. She pushed Taylor's hair out of her face and behind her ear as she answered.

"They're both strong, just like you. They miss you but they'll make it through until you're back."

"I miss them too…" Carter said. She was going to say more but trailed off as Lori caught her attention, holding up a single finger that indicated she only had one minute left.

Carter grew panicked inside. There was so much more she needed and wanted to say that she knew there wouldn't be time for. She inwardly cursed at herself for wasting precious seconds at the beginning of the call.

"Carter?" Elizabeth asked as the line had grown silent. Her voice mirrored the same panic Carter felt inside.

"Yeah, I'm still here," she replied and heard the sigh of relief her mom let out.

Carter turned away from Lori so it would be more difficult for her to hear. It made her feel like she had a little more privacy before she spoke again.

"Mom, I know when I first got back to you, all I wanted was to leave again. I looked at the life I had lived compared to the one I would have had with all of you and I was glad Lori took me. But then I started to see what I had missed. Growing up with siblings, having a comforting dad and an extremely strong mom and now all I want is to be home. Please find me. I still need you to protect me."

The memory of the first time Carter told her she needed her to protect her jumped to the front of Elizabeth's mind. It had been the first time she had called her mom and told her she loved her since her return, and Elizabeth knew it would always be one of her most cherished memories.

"I promise I will get you back. I promise Carter, always know that I will never stop fighting for you. I love you."

"I love you too," she managed to reply. Her head was filled with so many thoughts and emotions, she didn't hear Lori get up from the chair until she was practically pulling the phone from her grip.

Carter clung to the phone, her knuckles white, as she desperately tried to stretch out the call by a few more precious seconds. Her eyes were wide and glossy as they looked up pleadingly.

"No please, please. Just a little bit longer…" She tried but Lori sternly shook her head and forcefully took the phone back.

"Carter! Carter!" Elizabeth yelled into the phone upon hearing Carter's pleas, but all she was met with was muffled shuffling on the other end. She hadn't thought it possible to feel more pain than she had already been in, but being so close and yet nowhere near her daughter proved her wrong.

"Carter…" Elizabeth tried again. This time she was met with a response.

"Carter's time for talking is up."

"Lori," Elizabeth spat back, her voice full of anger. "I will find you and take you down."

Lori chuckled at the threat, amused by the other woman's words. "I really doubt that. You couldn't find us for thirteen years, do you really think this time is going to be any different?"

"It will be different. She is coming home this time."

"But you see she's already home, with me. She's where she belongs, with her mother, because we both know as much as you try you aren't her mom. You weren't there for the scraped knees and broken hearts, that was all me. For every up and down I was there. Whether for comfort or advice I was the person she could turn to, I still am that person. And I can tell I've done a better job in parenting her than you ever would have," Lori boasted, her voice full of confidence and superiority.

As Carter listened to Lori explain, she thought of what the woman had told her days before. How she had taken her to prove that she was a better mother than Elizabeth, that David should have chosen her instead.

The ache that had filled Elizabeth only moments ago when she spoke with her daughter had vanished and was replaced with rage towards Lori.

"You're right. I wasn't there for any of those things. You took that away from me," Elizabeth replied, her voice serious.

"How does it feel?" Lori asked, leaving Elizabeth silent as the question caught her off guard. Lori continued as the other end remained silent. "How does it feel having someone force themselves into your life and rip away a person so important to you? How does it feel knowing that they're going to keep living while you're stuck wondering what you're going to do with out them? It's not very pleasant is it?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm simply returning the favor," Lori replied.

The more Lori spoke the more Elizabeth began to realize that taking Carter the first time wasn't simply an act of opportunity. She had wanted to get back at her for something. She was still trying to get back at her, and the thought scared her. It made Lori more unpredictable, more dangerous. And it made Elizabeth want to find Carter that much faster.

"Well, it's been fun chatting but I really must be getting back to my daughter. Goodbye Elizabeth," Lori said calmly before going to end the call.

"Lori… Lori…" Elizabeth tried before she was met with a tone on the other end and knew she had hung up. The only connection to her daughter now gone and a wave of frustration washed over her. "Dammit."

She set the phone down on the counter and brought her hand up to rub her eyes. As she stood up straight Elizabeth turned to Taylor, her daughter's pleading eyes looking up at her. It occurred to her that she wasn't the only one in the room. That Taylor had heard everything as well, but only one side, and the concern on her face was evident.

"She's okay. She's okay," Elizabeth said as she pulled Taylor into her arms, wrapping her up. Taylor relaxed into the embrace and the two stayed there for a few moments. "Taylor can you go get an agent from the other room for me please?"

Taylor nodded and silently left the room in search for someone that her mom could talk to about what had just happened. In a moment Elizabeth was left in the kitchen by herself. The thought of Carter's clue running through her mind.

She had made a point that David's writing was important but she was sure how it connected to anything. As she heard the footsteps down the hall getting closer Elizabeth could only hope that something else presented itself that would allow her to piece some things together so she could get her daughter back.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: You guys are the best. Thank you for the wonderful reviews as well as the new follows and favorites. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The beginning italics are a flashback/memory. I have a question for you all. I have two possible ways for Carter to contact her family again, one involves Taylor and the other Grant. I want to know who you guys would prefer to see. I'm leaning towards Taylor because Grant has a large roll in this chapter but I want to hear from you all. Thanks for sticking with me through the story so far, only a few chapters left! Happy reading.

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_Everything was a fog. People rushed by him but all he saw were blurs of color. There were conversations all around but white noise is all he heard. He knew that someone was guiding him into a private room, he could see their hand on his arm, but he didn't feel the touch. His entire body was numb._

_As he sat in the cold, metal chair he tried to convince himself it was all a terrible dream. Things like this happened to distant people on the news, not to him, not to his family. But there he was, in a room at the police station to answer questions. At least he was aware enough to know that._

_He rested his head in his hands but only moments later was startled into sitting up right as a detective made his way into the room. The man was young and David wondered how much experience he had._

_"Mr. Wilson, thank you for coming in, it was a little chaotic at the scene. This is calmer. I know this can't be easy, so I'll make this as short as possible so you can get back to your family."_

_David nodded in response as the watched the man pull out a voice recorder and hit the record button. A file folder and notebook soon joined it on the table. The detective started with questions that allowed him to rule out him and Elizabeth as suspects. He agreed to let them look into any records they needed to as well. Eventually they moved in a different direction._

_He knew the questions were coming, but hated knowing he wouldn't have any answers to give. Nothing he thought would help to get his little girl back._

_"Do you have any idea of who might have taken your daughter? Anyone suspicious that may have been hanging around this morning or the past few days?"_

_"No, I have no idea. There was nothing strange, no one out of the ordinary," David replied._

_"Is it possible that someone is doing this for ransom?" the man asked._

_Slowly he began to shake his head. "I suppose it's possible, but I'm a writer. Elizabeth is just starting out in her career. We have no money that anyone would be after."_

_He could have continued. Could have explained how they were barely keeping their heads above water trying to juggle the mortgage, car payment, and the expenses of twins. There was no money. But he let those details remain with him._

_"I understand," the detective replied as he jotted a note down on a sheet of paper. "Do you or your wife have any enemies? Someone that might want to get back at you for wronging them in the past?"_

_It was this question that knocked the wind out of David. Everything suddenly became clear and he found himself unable to breathe. The words "get back a you for wronging them in the past" echoed over and over, and her face popped into his head._

_He remembered the way her warm, loving, chestnut eyes began to well with tears and fill with hurt as he told her he wasn't going to leave Elizabeth. He could picture the way she jerked away from his touch as he had tried to reach out for her. He had hurt her. Betrayed her trust. Rebuffed her love._

_The more he thought of her, the more he began to question himself. Those questions ran rampant in his mind. She couldn't possibly have taken Lyndon, could she? What did she think she would gain from it? Him?_

_An internal battle began to rage within him. If he said her name, pointed the police in that direction, would his initial plan to leave with her get back to Elizabeth? Would Elizabeth find out he had continued to see her even though the were in a committed relationship? If she wasn't the person that took Lyndon, and all this came out, he would lose the rest of his family. He couldn't afford that._

_David's thoughts began to sway and he realized one final thing. He wasn't even sure what name to call her by. When he was with her, she had gone by Hannah. When she started working down the street, she introduced herself as Janet. There was too much confusion and he wouldn't drag them into it._

_"Mr. Wilson?" the detective asked pulling him from his thoughts._

_"Hmm…"_

_"Anyone from the past?"_

_"Uh, no," he shook his head while answering. "We're good people. We've never done anything to anyone. Please, you need to find her."_

_"We're going to do our best."_

_At the man's reply David placed his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. The detective closed up his notes and shut off the recorder, knowing that they were finished for the day._

_"I'll have an officer drive you back to your house."_

_"Thank you," David said looking up to the now standing detective._

_The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, rectangular piece of paper. "Here's my card if anything comes to mind. It can be the smallest detail, don't hesitate to call. Anytime of the day."_

_David took it and the detective left, leaving him twirling the card in his fingers. His focus on two people, his little girl and the woman he had once loved._

* * *

David flipped the old, worn out card over and over between his fingers. It had been ages since he had last taken it out of his wallet, where it had resided everyday since the young detective had given it to him. But each time he looked at it, vivid memories came back to the surface.

There had been many times in the couple of days after it was given to him that he had considered calling, but every time he had decided against it. Now all he could do was wonder how different things could have been had he spoken up.

A loud knock from the other side of his office door brought him back to the present. He opened the small drawer to his right and set the card inside before acknowledging the person outside.

"You can come in," he said in a raised voice. He fully expected it to be an agent with questions about or information on Carter, but his face visibly fell when Toby walked through the door. "Oh, Toby…"

"Don't be so thrilled to see me," he replied. Toby perked up as he walked deeper into the office after setting his bag down on the floor near the door entryway. "I like this though. You behind your desk, sitting in front of a computer, looking like you were deep in thought. This is good."

David let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head. Usually he was grateful for the constant pestering. He knew it was the only thing that had kept him on schedule for his last two books, but frankly he was fed up. Toby had been callous and not very subtle in his suggestions that they could both be thrown back into the spotlight because of Carter's second abduction.

"I wasn't writing," he explained, his voice dry, suggesting he wasn't in the mood.

"Oh… well maybe this will inspire you," Toby replied, ignoring the hint and tossing a USB drive onto the desk.

David looked down at the blue USB and then back up to Toby before cautiously picking it up. "What's this?"

"That is what's going to make us a whole lot of money." His response was met with a weary, questioning look from David and so he continued to explain. "Do you remember when Carter first returned, I asked if there was a possibility of getting an interview with the kidnapper? Well voilà!"

David's eyes went wide. He felt his heart rate speed up and mentally had to tell himself to remain calm. The initial surge of curiosity at what the interview was like was quickly replaced by anger.

"You spoke with Lori Stevens," he said. The way it came out, David wasn't sure if it was a question, statement, or insinuation.

Toby's phone buzzed in his hand and he pulled up his email, scrolling through them as he answered. "Yeah. I figured you were never going to get around to it, so I gave her a call and asked a few questions. Don't ask where I got the number from, it's a confidential source. Honestly it's not the best quality, but it will work."

"When?"

He glanced up to see David struggling to wrap his head around all the new information and set his phone aside while taking a seat in a chair across from him.

"About a week and a half ago. I was going to tell you sooner, but then all of this happened and I wanted to let everything settle before dropping this in your lap."

David jumped up from his chair, the wind from his sudden movement causing a few papers to fly off the desk. He was livid. A combination of anger towards Toby, Lori, and himself bubbling over.

"So you thought giving me a week would be long enough for things to "settle"? A week!" he yelled. "She is still gone Toby. Things aren't going to be settled until Carter is back home… I can't do this until she's back."

His final sentence softer than all the others.

"Listen David," Toby started, his voice more gentle than usual. "We can't sit on this. We need to strike when everything is still hot. There is money to be made. And let me remind you that _Finding Carter_ still hasn't been published yet. You need this. I need this."

Toby's own thoughts travelled to the money. The money he needed to get to Lori. The money he would only get if David cooperated. Those thoughts reiterating how badly he needed the extra cash.

Both men fell silent in the office. David walking back and forth from the left side of the desk to the right and then back again. Toby remained seated in the chair simply watching. They remained that way for minute, David cooling down and Toby giving him space, before he tried again.

"David, I know I'm coming off as an insensitive ass, but I only have you and your family in mind. And when you get Carter back you are going to thank me because you won't have to worry about anything financial."

David looked over to the other man and stared. There was something off about the way he was speaking, like there was more that his agent wasn't telling him. He was used to Toby insisting he write something because in the long run it benefitted him as well, but this was different. There was an ulterior motive that he couldn't place, and it worried him.

"I don't think…" David started to reply, when there was a soft knock on the already open door. They both turned to see Grant standing in the doorway, something in his hand.

"Hey Grant, come on in," David said waving him in, grateful for a reprieve.

Grant only took a couple of steps in before hesitantly replying. "I…I don't want to interrupt."

"No, no you're not. Toby was just leaving," David said, shooting his agent a look that couldn't be misunderstood.

"Yeah, I was just on my way out. David listen to that and then seriously think about what I've said. I'll get in touch with you later," he said. Toby stood from the chair and shot Grant an uncomfortable smile before brushing past him, slowing only to grab his bag off the floor on his way out.

"What did Toby want?" Grant asked moving closer to the desk.

"Oh just some work related stuff. It's not important. How was school?"

"Lots of staring," he replied with a heavy sigh.

David shot his son a sympathetic smile. He knew the feeling all too well. It had been his idea to send Taylor and Grant back to school, so they could have some sense of normalcy back. That day had been their first day back, and seeing how exhausted Grant looked, both mentally and physically, he wondered if it had been the right choice.

"What have you got there?" David asked, noticing the cream colored envelope in his hand.

Grant held it out for David to take and he could see it was addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Wilson".

"It's a letter and progress report. I need one of you to sign it so I can turn it in tomorrow. I would have asked mom but she's talking with a whole team out there so…"

David only nodded in response as he opened the envelope and started skimming the handwritten letter. It offered thoughts and prayers for their family. It stated that she understood if it took Grant a little while to get back into things. But it continued on to say she was concerned with his science grade, that it had been suffering long before Carter had been taken.

It only took a moment before the memory came back to him. A small smile appeared on his face as David recalled the attempt Grant had made at making Max more comfortable. He had told them all he was failing in science and yet he and Elizabeth never did anything to follow up. They had been more concerned with Max and Crash, Taylor and Carter, that Grant had fallen off to the side once again. A large pang of guilt swept over him.

"Grant we need to work on getting this grade up. Failing a subject isn't going to fly around here, understand?"

The boy nodded in reply and David pulled a pen from the drawer before signing at the bottom of the report.

"And no using Carter as an excuse for not pulling this grade up," he added as he handed the paper back.

Grant had a look of mild shock on his face and David found it tough to determine if it was from the assumption or the fact that his plan had been spotted. After giving it a moment, and knowing how cunning and witty his son could be, he figured it was the later.

"I'm serious Grant, no excuses. What would Carter think if she knew you were using her to continue getting out of school work?"

He watched as Grant seem to mull over the question before answering.

"Given her track record at school, I think she'd be pretty proud."

David let out a small chuckle at the witty answer. "You might be right, but promise me you're going to work on getting this grade up."

"Promise," he replied. "I'm going to go play some video games before dinner."

David nodded and Grant turned to leave the office. He attempted to stuff the newly signed paper into his back pocket, but his hands fumbled and it fell to the ground. Grant furrowed his forehead as he saw the progress report land next to another scrap of paper and picked them both up in a single swoop.

His dad's office was one of the neatest rooms in the house, everything had its proper place, and a stray note was certainly out of the ordinary. As he brought the paper closer he instantly recognized the hand writing as Toby's. He had become acquainted with Toby's writing from all the awkward birthday's cards he had received over the years.

"Da…" Grant began to say, turning back around, but trailed off as he could see David was already on his computer, headphones in listening to something.

He exited the office, shutting the door behind him, and stood in the middle of the hallway. All of his attention on the note held between his fingers. There was a long string of numbers followed by the initials L.S. His thoughts drifted to the conversation he walked in on and wondered if this had anything to do with what Toby and his dad had been discussing.

Grant read over the numbers one more time, lingering on the letters at the end. L.S… L.S… L.S… and then it hit him. Lori Stevens. It fit and she would have been something that Toby would want his dad to look into for his book. The numbers were the only odd part.

As he continued to think about what the note could mean, Agent Sands stepped into the hallway. His focus on the phone in his had, causing him to run into Grant. The contact startled both of them.

"Sorry bud, wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's alright," Grant replied, suddenly nervous in the agent's presence, and he could only attribute the feeling to the note in his hand.

Sands noticed the difference. In the week that he had been in the Wilson's house, never had any of them seemed uncomfortable around him, and he wondered why the young boy suddenly was. His eyes caught the paper Grant was fiddling with, he could only make out some numbers, and it piqued his interest.

"What have you got there?"

Grant could feel the panic begin to rise inside. He hadn't done anything wrong, but he felt like he had, and he knew it was because of what he had decided. He couldn't tell the man standing in front of him anything of what he had come across. Not of the note, the numbers, Toby or Lori Stevens. None of it.

Sure the FBI was doing their best to get Carter back, but they were failing. And he knew someone that wouldn't let herself fail. That wouldn't stop fighting. Their mom. She was the one he was going to share all of this with.

"It's just a cheat code for one of my video games," he lied, hoping the agent wouldn't question him further.

Agent Sands raised a skeptical eyebrow but let it go. "Alright. But don't stay in front of that computer screen for too long, it'll ruin your eyesight."

Grant nodded in return and slid past the man and into the kitchen where he had last seen his mom. He let out the breath he had been holding when he spotted her sitting at the kitchen table. She appeared to be reading through a stack of papers, ones he assumed had to do with Carter and Lori's possible whereabouts.

Quietly he made his way over and once he had reached the table he could see that it wasn't case files she was reading, but his dad's unfinished book. Questions continued to pile up in his mind but he pushed them aside as he pushed the scrap of paper in front of his mom.

Elizabeth glanced quickly at the note before looking up to Grant. She gave him a tired smile, an expression he was becoming used to seeing. It usually meant she had a lot on her mind, none of which she was going to burden him with.

"Is this from school?" she asked. It was then that he realized he hadn't spoken with her since getting back home. He shook his head in response.

"No. Toby dropped it when he was leaving dad's office earlier."

"Well maybe you should give it to your dad. He can call Toby and give it back to him. Looks to be an account number of some sort, it's probably important," Elizabeth replied, picking up the paper and extending her hand so Grant could take it back.

Grant only stood there and looked at the paper, internally debating whether or not he had looked into everything too much, but he was sure he hadn't. He had a hunch and so he took a half step back.

"I think…" he started but stopped.

"Grant, what is it?"

"I think those numbers have something to do with Lori," he blurted out. He pointed to the end of the numbers. "That L.S. could stand for Lori Stevens. And I overheard some of Toby's conversation with dad and it was all about his new book and money and Lori."

He wanted to say more but could see his mom trying to process it all. Carefully she traced her finger over the numbers bringing them to rest on the initials. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. They could stand for anything but she had a feeling they meant exactly what her son thought they stood for.

The clue Carter had left for her over the phone came back in full force. David's writing had something to do with her kidnapping. Could it be that Toby was the connection? That he was a part of this?

"Did you show this to Agent Sands?"

"No."

"Well we need to get this out to the team, have them look into this," she explained. But as she went to stand up, Grant blocked her and forced her to remain where she was.

"No, you need to look into this. Carter isn't leaving clues for them to find, she's leaving them for you. She trusts you. We trust you. You're the only one that can bring her back. Please mom, don't hand this over. Do your own investigation."

Elizabeth found that she had tears welled in her eyes and she quickly blinked them back as Grant finished. She nodded. He was right, he usually was, and without hesitation she pulled her cell phone out from her back pocket and dialed a number she had become familiar with over the years.

"Kyle, meet me at the station. We have a lead."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: So this chapter is short. There's more but it's not quite finished and I wanted to get this out to you guys. There's more Carter and Lori in the next chapter. Thanks for sticking with me this far. Season premiere is tomorrow!

* * *

It only took a few hours for Kyle to track down the number to small local bank in the New York area with an identical account number. There had been no activity since it had been initially opened, it contained no money, and while they hadn't been able to get the names that belonged with the account, Elizabeth knew she would find Lori's and Toby's names on it.

She had begun to piece things together. Toby stood to make a lot of money from her husband's book, just like he did the first time, only this time much more. All the additional pestering and urging was because he needed David to publish. He needed the money, she assumed, to put into the empty account they had just discovered. And while Elizabeth wasn't sure of the arrangement Toby had made with Lori, she was sure he was going to tell her everything.

She and Kyle made their way into the large, glass paneled building. They had decided that the element of surprise was their best weapon against Toby, and an interrogation at his agency would certainly be just that. Elizabeth also knew that a questioning at the precinct would draw attention and she didn't want the FBI to catch wind of this.

"We're here to see Toby Forrester," Kyle told the receptionist flashing his badge.

The woman gave them a polite but clearly annoyed smile. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Ma'am we are detectives, we…" Kyle started but Elizabeth cut him off.

"Can you just call him and tell him that Elizabeth Wilson is here to see him," she said calmly even though inside she was a bundle of nerves.

They stood and waited as the woman proceeded to call Toby's office. She spoke in a hushed tone and Elizabeth and Kyle didn't miss the annoyed looks she shot their way. But they were the ones with smirks on their faces when she reluctantly told them Toby would see them upstairs.

Toby's door was open when they reached his office and he waved them in, still on the phone with someone else. His office looked as if it had been professionally decorated, a far cry from the small one Elizabeth remembered from before Losing Lyndon was published. As she looked around, more anger built on top of what was already there. Toby was greedy, plain and simple, and her daughter was gone because of it.

"Elizabeth, what can I do for you?" he asked, still distracted by what he had been previously doing.

"What do you know about the whereabouts of Lori Stevens?" she asked cutting to the chase.

Toby froze for a split second before looking up. They could both tell he was trying his best to keep calm and not let on, but years of detective work let them see past the façade easily.

He cleared his throat before answering "Is this because of the interview I had with her? David must have told you, which surprises me, but like I explained to him, it was over the phone. I have no idea where she is or any of her plans."

This time it was Elizabeth that froze. She had no idea what Toby was talking about. David hadn't mentioned an interview to her. She didn't know what it was about or when Toby had conducted it. As confident as she had felt coming into this was as lost as she suddenly felt.

Kyle picked up on her stumble at Toby's words and took the lead. He pulled out a small plastic evidence bag from his inner jacket pocket and tossed it onto the desk.

"My patience is beginning to run thing, do you want to try answering that question again?"

Slowly he picked up the bag, which held the scrap of paper with his handwriting. Toby could feel the wall closing in on him but all he could think to do was to continue denying any involvement. They still hadn't proved anything; they hadn't connected it to him.

"Thank you for returning this, I misplaced it and have been searching for it. But it has nothing to do with Lori Stevens, it's just numbers for…"

"For a joint bank account in New York that belongs to you and a Lauren Stephenson, more appropriately Lori Stevens," Elizabeth interrupted. She was bluffing. The court order hadn't come through yet so they didn't have the names the account belonged to, but she had to get something from him. "Aiding and embedding a fugitive is as serious offense, it carries some major jail time. Tell us what you know or I'll make sure you get the maximum sentence."

She watched Toby's face finally fall. The last bit of defiance vanished upon her threat and all his fear rose to the surface.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," he began quietly. "Yes, Carter was supposed to end up with Lori, but not like this. Our deal was I got her new and passports for them both, along with a little cash and in return she gave me an interview that David could use in his book. It was going to make me millions and then I would wire her some additional funds and that was it.

"But Lori strayed. Carter was supposed to go willingly, but from briefly speaking to her she began to sense that wasn't going to happen. So she kidnapped her again and took off. There were supposed to be drop offs on certain dates but everything got thrown out the window. All I know is that she is still expecting money in that account soon. That bank is the only connection I still have with her."

"There has to be more," Elizabeth said.

"I promise, that's it."

She turned away from Toby and ran her hand through her hair. They had come up against a wall once again. Tears of frustration had begun to pool and she couldn't let him see. She had to be strong for Carter. Once again Kyle picked up on Elizabeth's actions and walked over to Toby's chair.

"You're coming with us. Maybe a little drive will jog something else to memory. And then once we're at the station you'll help me " he said pulling the man to his feet by the arm. Kyle gave him a little shove and soon the two were out the door, leaving Elizabeth to herself.

She glanced around the office until her eyes fell on shelf behind Toby's desk. There sat one of the first copies of Losing Lyndon. She had always thought those pages had captured the entire story of their nightmare, but now she wasn't so sure.

Her mind traveled back to what Toby had revealed to her. Everything he said made her feel like they were finally going to close in on Lori, but something didn't feel right, and she had a terrible feeling it had to do with that interview that was mentioned.

She knew it held answers and she needed to find it. Just like she needed to find her daughter.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hey everyone. So longer chapter since the last one was so short. There is a lot going on in this chapter all at the same time, so the line breaks are to show all the different characters and what they are doing, but keep in mind that they are all practically at the same time point. If there is any confusion please let me know and I can clear it up for you. Also time frame wise, the previous chapters have spanned a little over a week, these next few chapters are going to be hours apart to a day at most. Last note, I know that messaging on FB isn't exactly the way I wrote about it, but I needed to adjust it a little so it would work for the story. Thanks for all the support. Happy reading.

* * *

Elizabeth was on autopilot. She didn't remember the ride with Toby back to the station or getting into her own car and driving back home. She barely retained the plan Kyle had told her about to put the money into the bank account so they could draw Lori out. The conversation she had with Agent Sands was a haze, all she knew was he was displeased with her actions. It wasn't until she was in David's office that she became aware of everything around her.

Her focus had been solely on the interview Toby had mentioned. He had been incorrect in his assumption that David had told her about it, and the idea that her husband had kept it from her made Elizabeth feel uneasy. She realized that Toby had only given it to David just before Grant had come to her, but she had let David know what she and Kyle were going to do before they left. But still he had remained silent about it.

The desk was the first place she started. Normally it was clutter free, neat piles of papers and carefully organized supplies each in their proper place, but currently it was a disaster. Instead notes were scribbled everywhere. Sticky notes marked certain pages and parts of his manuscript were highlighted to no end. Elizabeth pushed some of the papers around but there was too much disarray to put anything together.

Her next options were the drawers, but as she went to open the first one her hand hit David's computer awakening it from its hibernation. Instantly her eyes were drawn to the center of the screen. On his desktop Elizabeth noticed a single, stray audio file. Her fingers hovered over the track pad of David's computer.

A flurry of emotions raced through her. Fear began to overtake her. She didn't want to know why David had kept it from her. She didn't know if she could handle learning someone else close to her held a secret regarding her daughter. But then Carter came to mind and without another moment of hesitation she pressed play on the file.

Static filled the room before voices came through the speakers. Feeling sick, Elizabeth had to sit down and then she blocked out all else as the conversation began.

"What's your name?" Toby's voice boomed through the silent room.

There was a soft chuckle before the response came. "Everyone seems to know me as Lori Stevens."

"How long have you gone by that?"

"About thirteen years."

"And you changed your name because you wanted to hide from what you had done in the past?"

"I changed it because I was starting over. My life changed and I wanted to focus on my future, our future."

"You mean with Carter, after you kidnapped her?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth could feel the anger rising within her, but she forced herself too remain calm. She needed to remain focused.

Toby paused for a moment before resuming the conversation.

"What is your relationship to the Wilson family?"

"I suppose it depends on which one of them you ask," she replied. "I'm assuming you are including Carter in their family, even though she doesn't belong with them, but to her I'm mom. To Elizabeth I'm a kidnapper, her worst nightmare. And to David… well to David I'm the ex."

Elizabeth sat there stunned at the comment. She could hear Toby choke over the recording at the revelation. As much as she tried not to, she could feel herself begin to go numb. It was easier than trying to sort out all of her competing emotions.

"The ex?" Toby began again. "You knew David from the past? As more than just neighbors down the street?"

Lori cleared her throat, "Yes I did…"

"How long did you two see each other?" Toby cut her off, the excitement in his voice was unsettling and Elizabeth could picture the dollar signs that must have been glimmering in his eyes.

"I don't think that has anything to do with Carter…"

"But doesn't it?" he cut in once again. "You can't tell me your relationship with David didn't play a role in kidnapping his daughter, obviously it contributed to some of your motive. So, did he dump you? Were you in love with him?"

"Stop. Yes, it's not a coincidence that I took David's daughter, but I'm not answering any questions about our relationship."

"You opened this with your answer."

"Yes I realize that and now I'd like to close it," she replied in a no nonsense tone.

"Fine, fine," Toby said, indicating he was backing off. "Did you ever stop to think about how taking Carter would destroy their lives?"

"Perhaps a little," Lori said, taking a short pause before beginning again. "But it honestly seems to have made everyone's lives better."

"How do you figure?" he asked.

"David was a struggling writer before all of this and then became a best selling author. Elizabeth switched gears and became a very successful detective after Carter was taken. Their other kids learned to be pretty independent growing up due to their present but absent parents, a good trait I might add. And Carter, well Carter got a wonderful life with a devoted and loving mother. Everyone won in some aspect."

Elizabeth's hand hovered over the track pad. She so badly wanted to shut off the interview. Did that woman honestly believe her life had been made better after she had kidnapped Carter? But Toby started up with another question and she forced her hand back down to her side.

"I'm just going to cut to it, why did you take Carter all those years ago?"

The question was met with a long amount of silence. Elizabeth had to look at the computer screen to ensure the recording was still playing.

"For a number of reasons really, but mainly to rescue her," she answered. "David and Elizabeth never had time to spend with their daughters. The number of times I saw those girls playing outside by themselves is too many to count on both hands. Carter wasn't getting all the attention she needed, the attention she deserved, and I knew I could do a better job.

"Getting her to a better life was my main priority, but I'll admit I had selfish reasons as well," Lori continued. "I wanted to prove to David that he had made the wrong choice, that I was a better mother than the woman he chose. I wanted Elizabeth to feel the pain of losing someone close. Of knowing that someone else ripped away a piece of her and that she could do nothing about it."

Elizabeth tuned everything out as she processed everything Lori had said. Toby had started to ask more questions about their lives after the abduction, but Elizabeth couldn't listen. She knew all the blame for Carter's kidnapping belonged with Lori, but a small part of her couldn't help but place a small piece of it on her.

She was part of the reason her daughter had grown up without her. Lori felt as though Elizabeth had taken David away from her and taking Carter was her way of getting even. Her thoughts shifted to David. There was so much she had kept from her. He was supposed to be the one person that she could depend on.

She stopped the interview and let her head fall so she was looking at her lap.

* * *

Lori and Carter walked down the street towards the car, Lori with her head down as not to attract attention and Carter was doing the opposite, hoping to catch someone's eye. They had needed to grab a few supplies and Lori felt comfortable enough in the small town to be out in the open.

Carter was mostly lost in her own world. She thought of each member of her family, anything she could think about them just to get her mind off of the horrible situation she was in. She felt a nudge in her side and looked over to see Lori giving her a smile.

"You look like you could use a pick me up. I saw a coffee shop just down the road, how about a latte or something?"

"Sure," Carter replied and they continued to walk in silence until they had reached it.

The coffee shop was crowded and bustling, the exact opposite of everything else in the town. Every young person with a laptop seemed to have flocked there for their daily dose of caffeine and free Wi-Fi. Lori clung to Carter closely. Carter hadn't tried anything since she had made that threat before the phone call, but large crowds still caused her to be weary.

The line was long although the menu was simple and Carter took the time to gaze around the café. There wasn't much to it, some mismatched tables and chairs and simple designs on the walls, but something did catch her eye as she passed over the crowd. Another pair of eyes, belonging to a boy about her age, was locked on her. He didn't look away but instead shot her a small smile before looking back at his computer.

Carter could tell this was her chance at getting another message out to her family. And while she could tell Lori was trying to stay close by, another customer had distracted her and she took the opportunity to slip away.

"Hey," Carter said to capture his attention. He looked up and greeted her with another smile. "I saw you staring and thought I'd come over and introduce myself."

"I'm Ben," he replied.

"Car…," Carter stalled for a moment. She debated with herself whether to go with Carter or Carly before settling on a decision. "I'm Carter."

"Your mom seems to be sticking pretty close. Are you grounded or something?" he asked as he looked over Carter's shoulder to see Lori keeping a watchful eye on them now that she had placed her coffee order.

"Something like that," Carter replied.

"She seems pretty cool though, I'm sure it won't last long."

Carter had to force herself from scoffing at the statement. "I wouldn't be so sure. She's been acting pretty crazy and overbearing lately."

Ben nodded at her response before continuing. "Well I think most parents have lost some of their sanity trying to raise us. I know mine have."

Carter looked back over her shoulder to Lori. The woman was occupied by something had popped up on her phone but Carter watched her closely. She wondered how many times over the years Lori thought they might have been caught. How on edge she must have been when Carter was younger. She shook the ideas away. She couldn't have sympathy for that woman as she pictured the amount of grief her family had gone through because of her.

"Ben, can I ask you a huge favor?" she said turning back to him. She had seen his computer open and knew it was now or never.

"Sure," he replied, drawing out the word and making him seem slightly unsure.

"Since I'm grounded, my mom has taken away my phone and all my other electronic devices. Could I use your computer to send a quick message to my friend?"

"Of course," he answered without hesitation, pushing the computer over to her just a bit.

Carter gave one more quick glance over to Lori, and seeing she had her hands full and attention elsewhere, she went for it. Taylor's name was typed into the search box in a blink of an eye and a private message was started a split second after. In her attempt to be quick, Carter accidentally hit the enter button with nothing typed sending a blank message.

She took a quick photo using the built in camera and sent it off. Carter knew that Taylor could be skeptical at times and she wanted to prove that it was really her sending the message. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and knew that Lori was on her way over, so she typed what she could and sent off the message.

**Taylor it's Carter. I'm at Mugs Coffee shop. Send Mom. We're staying at**

Carter tensed as she felt a hand on her shoulder but relaxed a little as she saw Ben quickly close the browser page, keeping what she sent a secret.

"We need to get going," Lori said, her voice was stern and she barely acknowledged that Ben was also sitting at the table. Her mind was elsewhere. As she had been waiting for their order to be made her phone sent off an automated alert. It was one she had put in place to let her know the Toby had finally put the money in the account, but something didn't feel right to her.

It was the exact amount she had asked for and had been deposited exactly at 1pm. Since she had started working with Toby she had come to realize he was not that reliable. She would have expected half that amount, maybe even only a quarter of it, but certainly not all of it. And he was always one to do stuff at the very last minute, she knew he would deposit something right before the bank closed not in the middle of the day. There was something not right and she needed to get them out of there.

Carter nodded at her and then looked back to Ben. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too," he replied.

Carter leaned in and gave him a small peck on the cheek. As she pulled away she whispered into his ear, "We're staying at the Traveler's Inn if you wanted to reach me."

He gave her a smile in response, which she returned. Lori had a tight grip on her arm and as the two left the café, Carter hoped Ben would remember the hotel name because she was certain her mom would track him down.

* * *

"Lizzy?" David asked as he walked through the door, not expecting to see anyone inside his office.

Elizabeth looked up. She could feel the color had drained from her face and the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Anger and sadness swirled together, almost to the point where she couldn't distinguish between the two. Slowly she backed away from the computer. She wished that by pushing the computer away it would take everything she just heard with it. Instead it lingered between them.

David's eyes widened as he caught sight of the open laptop, the USB drive still jutting out from the side. He had played that interview over and over the first few hours Toby had given it to him, but couldn't find it in him to share it with his wife. Now he could only imagine what was running through her head.

"Lizzy…" he started, moving towards her wanting to explain.

"Don't," Elizabeth cut him off. She had broken eye contact, unable to look at him as she tried to get her emotions in check. After a moment she got up and made her way over to David, leaving only a couple of feet between them.

"You…you knew Lori from the past? You dated?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth took a deep breath to steady herself and prepare for the answer to her next question.

"Did you see her before or when we were together?"

"Both," David replied heavily.

It was at his answer that Elizabeth finally looked up to meet his gaze and she was met with the same pained expression she was sure was on her own face.

"David, you didn't say anything. Carter went missing and this woman from your past… your ex or your mistress or what ever she was at the time worked right down the street, and you stayed silent," she said.

"I know, it's my biggest regret. I should have said something, but I wasn't sure how you would react if I explained everything and I couldn't lose you…"

"So instead we lost thirteen years of our daughter's life!" Elizabeth snapped, not allowing David to finish. The tears had started to fall. Her breath had become choppy, making it harder to talk.

David took a step closer. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing he could say. And she had every right to act the way she was. Elizabeth placed her palm on his chest to keep him from getting closer, but without her realizing her hand soon balled into a fist.

She lightly slammed her fist against his chest. "I'm hurt from the affair, but I'm mad at you because of the secrets. You didn't say anything."

Elizabeth repeated it again and again, hitting him a little harder, and then again. Her punches growing in force until she was sobbing.

"You…didn't…say…anything," she forced through the tears, hitting him after each word. David moved even closer, pulling her into his arms. Elizabeth tried to resist at first before collapsing into him.

Her sobs shook them both. She couldn't control it. All the fear, frustration, and anger were overwhelming, and only the warm tears that slid down her face seemed to keep her from drowning in it.

They stayed that way, in each other's embrace, well past the point of Elizabeth calming down. There seemed to be no words they could say, and although regrets were the only things plaguing their thoughts, each of them knew all had been forgiven.

"I'm sorry," David whispered breaking the silence before pressing a kiss on the top of his wife's head.

Elizabeth just nodded into his chest. She knew he was sorry. She knew he was scared as well. The same way she was feeling now that the anger had subsided.

* * *

Taylor lied on her bed her laptop open scrolling through her Facebook feed. She didn't know why she bothered. It was flooded with selfies of people she had seen earlier and posts she had no interest in. Sitting below her on the ground and using the foot of the bed as a backrest was Grant. He was playing a hand-held video game and she could hear enough of the sound effects to know he was dying over and over. Taylor could tell he was just as uninterested in his activity as she was in hers.

In the past week and a half they were often found in the same area. Although neither would admit it, they both harbored the irrational fear that the other was going to disappear just as fast as Carter had. Leaving them alone.

The hour after school had become their bonding. They escaped the looks and awkward politeness of their classmates. Their parents tended to still be wrapped up in what they had been working on the entire day. And so they were able to slip by and quietly just be with the other.

Taylor continued to scroll through everything, partially glazing over, before an unexpected message box popped up on her screen. She scrunched her forehead as she read over the name. Ben Leonard.

The box was blank, like someone had only hit the space bar before sending the message.

"Grant?"

"Yeah," he replied, not looking up from his game.

"Do you know a Ben Leonard?"

Grant paused his game and turned at the question. It wasn't a name he recognized but for some reason he felt like it was important and his attention had been captured. "No, why?"

"He sent me a blank message and I'm not sure wh…" Taylor stopped talking as a message and photo appeared in the box. Her mouth dropped slightly. "Oh my god."

"What is it?" Grant asked, the concern evident in his voice. Taylor remained frozen and Grant climbed onto the bed to get a better look at the screen.

"It's Carter," she finally managed to get out. Her eyes remained glued to the screenshot image of her sister. It was blurry and Taylor could tell it was taken in a hurry from a laptop camera, but she knew it was Carter.

Grant read over the incomplete message again and again. It had been cut off, unfinished and he silently hoped Carter had enough time to send them the final piece.

"Come on Carter," he pleaded in a whisper. "Please."

Taylor snapped back to her senses and began to type.

**Carter! Where are you staying?**

But as she finished the keystrokes, the message box disappeared just as quickly as it popped up.

"No!" they both yelled at the screen.

"Search for his name. Find his profile," Grant said urgently.

Taylor scrambled on the keyboard, her fingers making a couple of typos because of how fast she was trying to go. His page was the first to show up, but as she went to go send a message back to Carter, it showed that Ben was already offline.

"He's offline already," she said quietly, the tears had already started to pool. "Carter's gone."

"Taylor, we need to tell mom," Grant said.

Taylor pushed the tears aside and the two raced down the stairs, both knowing time was of the essence.

* * *

The office had grown quiet. Their breathing and the hum of the computer the only noise, which is why they both became startled when the door was suddenly opened. Inside the doorway stood Taylor, her eyes wide, red, and almost frantic. Grant stood next to her, out of breath. David and Elizabeth broke apart, both concerned and each taking a step towards them.

"Mom, Dad its Carter."


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hi all! I know it's been a while. Like a long while. And honestly I didn't think I would finish this (I stopped watching the show), but I got a few requests to continue and so here we are (mostly because season 1 is still one of my favorite shows to rewatch). So this picks up right where I left off. Please note that I started this before the second season came out, so the character Ben in this story is completely different than the Ben in the show. Drop a review if you're so inclined. I hope you all enjoy. Happy reading.

* * *

As they weaved their way out of the crowded café, Carter felt Lori tightly grab her upper arm. It was something she'd normally try to pull away from, but she let it go as her focus was solely on her hope that Taylor would get the message to their mom. She took a sip of the coffee Lori got her. It was a sugary, frothy concoction, something she would never order and was surprised Lori had ordered something like that. The woman clearly didn't know her as well as she thought.

Lori continued to stay close as they walked down the street towards the car. Carter hated the hovering, it wasn't like she was going to take off running, and with each step it was becoming more apparent that she couldn't even if she wanted to. Each step made her vision become a little blurrier. Focus became harder to hold and her thoughts had started to turn into a fog.

She had felt this way once before, when Lori had taken her from the café, and now she realized the reason for the fancy coffee, to mask whatever she had put in her drink this time. Although she knew it wouldn't help she gave her head one large shake to try and clear the feeling, but it only made her lose balance and fall into Lori's arms.

"Oh, careful Carter," Lori said, her voice seeping with fake concern. "We should get you back to the car. You aren't looking too great."

The world had started to spin and it was becoming harder for her to keep her eyelids open with each passing second.

"You…drugged…me…again," Carter managed to get out. Her words were slurred but still decipherable. And she strained to hold her concentration long enough to hear what Lori was going to respond with.

"'Baby, it had to be done. The police and FBI are on to us, and as much as I don't want to admit it, I think you are helping them," Lori started. "It has always been the two of us against the world. There has been nothing that could hold us back. And I had hoped that you would recognize that again, but I can see that Elizabeth has gotten to you too. Just like she did David all those years ago."

"What are…you…saying," Carter managed to get out, not sure of where her answer was going.

They had slowed down and she could make out the fuzzy outline of the car. She clung to Lori for support as the woman began to open the door, something Carter desperately wished she didn't have to do.

"My life has been so full with you in it. I can't imagine having lived it any other way, but I also can't imagine knowing you would willingly replace me. Choose people who are practically strangers over the woman who raised you your entire life," Lori began to explain.

And Carter wanted to point out that she hadn't raised her her entire life. She hadn't been hers from the beginning. That was the whole reason for this convoluted situation. But she didn't have control enough to do so, instead she kept her focus on listening and retaining every word the woman said.

"Do you have any clue how much that hurts? That you would turn your back on me, your mother?" Lori paused as she helped Carter sit down in the back seat of the car. "Carter, you have no idea how much I love. How much I will always love you. But I can see your love for me has been lost and I can't bear the thought of you giving it to those people. So, if I can't have you then no one can."

If Carter's eyes could have gone wide they would have. She still had no idea what Lori meant but she knew it didn't sound good. Trying to yell, a soft whisper escaped her lips. She could tell she was about to black out and struggled mightily not to.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. You'll see, everything will work out for the best," Lori said in a calm, and at the same time crazy, manner, just as she shut the door.

Carter remained awake a few moments longer. There was no telling what the woman was going to do and she was afraid. Her mind became clear for a moment as she flashed to thoughts of her family. Hoping that she would get to see them again before all went black.

* * *

She was on the phone with Kyle in what felt like mere seconds after Taylor and Grant explained what had just happened. Once again they chose to leave the FBI in the dark. Elizabeth knew it was a risk, but she had a gut feeling that this was it. The final time Lori got the best of them. When she would finally catch her. And she wanted to be the one to rescue Carter. To show her daughter she would always be there to protect her.

When she had called Kyle he had already been on his to do surveillance on the bank, giving him a large head start. She relayed all the information she was able to get from Taylor and Grant so he could begin to follow up immediately.

It took her another five minutes to convince David, Taylor, and Grant that they couldn't come along. She understood that Carter was their daughter and sister too, but Lori was unpredictable, and she couldn't put anymore of her family within the woman's grasp. She gave each of them a kiss on her way out, making them the promise she would bring Carter back with her. And she vowed to herself it would not be an empty promise.

As she drove, Elizabeth was conscious of how tight she was gripping the steering wheel. And convinced herself her knuckles were going to remain a permanent white color, but she couldn't relax her hands because the alternative was an uncontrollable shaking. It came from a combination of adrenaline and a surge of racing emotions, something she had thought she had become used to over the past couple of weeks.

But new images and thoughts of Lori flooded her mind and with them they brought anger, and if possible, an even stronger need to rescue Carter from her. She was startled from her thoughts by her ringing phone, and answered it quickly upon seeing Kyle pop up in the caller ID.

"Kyle, what did you find?" she asked, trying to bury those emotions and keep a cool demeanor.

"Elizabeth, they're gone… all of them," he replied with a frustrated sigh. "I asked around, no one remembers which way Lori and Carter went. And it seems this Ben Leonard is new in town, no one knows exactly where he lives. I'm going to need an address before I can follow up with him."

"It's coming. I called in a favor and they're going through school records. I should be getting it soon…" she trailed off as her phone buzzed. Quickly glancing down at the screen she could see a text message from the officer she asked to look up the information. "1307 Bell Ave."

Elizabeth could hear Kyle scribble down the information.

"Do you want me to hold off until you are here?" he asked.

That is exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted to be the one to gather the information, make sure nothing was left out, that no mistakes were made. But she couldn't afford to waste any time. This was the best lead to their whereabouts since the motel, and she trusted Kyle.

"No, don't wait. I'm still about an hour and a half away, and I don't want to lose this," she explained. I don't want to lose her, she silently added.

"I'll call if anything comes up before you get here."

Elizabeth just nodded as they hung up and stepped on the gas a little harder while looking over to the empty passenger seat, and she knew coming back her daughter would be sitting right there. Both of them ready for home.

* * *

Elizabeth arrived at the address a little under an hour later, making better time than she thought possible. Not that it had mattered much. Kyle had texted her 15 minutes after they spoke to let her know no one was home, but that he was going to stay parked down the street to wait for the boy to arrive. Elizabeth had initially thought to tell him to stake out the bank instead, but she knew there was no certainty Lori would show up. However, this Ben Leonard had to go home at some point, and so that's where she found her partner when she arrived.

"Hey," she tried to greet him, but her voice came out shaky and raw, giving away how she really felt.

"We're going to find her," Kyle reassured, earning a nod from Elizabeth. "It's a small town, but still too large to canvas without knowing exactly where to look."

"Lori knows what she's doing," she said. She thought about bringing up the details of who Ben Leonard was, but she knew he would have already done that, so instead she jumped to the plan. "I figured we could continue to stake out for a little while longer, and if nothing we could…"

"Elizabeth," Kyle cut her off and pointed down the street. She turned to see a beat up sedan pull into the drive way and a teenage boy get out, beginning to grab things from the trunk.

They briskly walked past the couple of houses that separated them.

"Ben Leonard," Elizabeth said as they reached the driveway.

The boy stopped rummaging through the trunk and turned to face them.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, clearly confused.

"We're detectives with the Fairfax police department," Kyle began. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about any knowledge you may have regarding a girl you met today."

"Okay," he replied, drawing the word out as he was still unsure of what they were talking about.

Kyle turned to Elizabeth and waited for her to take over. He understood this was her battle, her fight, and he was just there for support. She remained quiet for a few moments more, hoping and praying this would lead them, before breaking the silence by clearing her throat.

"Were you at Mugs Coffee shop earlier today?"

"Yes I was," he kept his reply short.

"Did you happen to meet anyone while you were there?" she asked.

"Yeah, this girl…uh, Carter was her name. Why?"

Elizabeth gave a small shake of her head, almost an involuntary movement. It wasn't her job to answer questions, jus ask them. And at the moment she could have cared less about how curious the boy was, all she wanted were the answers that would lead her to her daughter.

"Can you explain your interaction with her for me?"

"Sure," he said, noticing both detectives carried no nonsense attitudes. He ran the morning through his head once before replying, wanting to make sure he got everything right. "She came in with her mom. The lady looked really strict and uptight, like something was really bothering her. Carter, the girl I met, slipped away for a minute and we talked briefly, mostly about how she was grounded. She asked if she could use my laptop to send a friend a message, since her mom had taken away everything, and so I let her. And then only seconds later her mom was over with their drinks and said they needed to leave."

Elizabeth waited to see if he would add on anything else and when he didn't she proceeded with her questioning, recalling the unfinished message Carter had sent.

"Did she say where they were going or mention where they were staying?"

She watched as a light bulb seemed to go off in Ben's head, and instantly he began to nod.

"As she was leaving she mentioned she was staying at…" he paused as he tried to recall the name of the hotel. "…the Traveler Inn."

Elizabeth's heart started to beat fast and hard against her chest, making it difficult to maintain the last bit of professionalism that still remained. Every fiber in her body wanted to to jump in the car at that moment and speed to her daughter, but she also knew she needed to do things by the book. Follow all proper protocols and stick to how she had been trained so she could nail Lori once they caught up to her.

"You're sure? The Traveler Inn?" she asked.

Ben nodded without any hesitation, and she could tell from his eyes to his body language, that he was confident it was the correct place. Elizabeth only hoped they weren't too late this time.

"Thank you for your help," she told him and reached for the inside pocket of her blazer, grabbing one of her cards and handed it to him. "We'll be in touch if we need to follow up, but if you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call."

He nodded and turned to head inside, while Kyle and Elizabeth walked back to their cars. Kyle could see her mind was running through everything at a million miles per second, and he gave her some time to think. But after a minute of watching her pace back and forth in silence he spoke up.

"Sounds like we have a pretty good lead, so what are we still standing around here for?"

Elizabeth looked up and instantly Kyle noticed the welled tears in her eyes, but he waited once again for her to speak up.

"What if they aren't there anymore? Lori has been one step ahead the entire time, what if this lead is no different? I don't know how many more times I can get my hopes up, only to have them crushed again by that woman," she started.

Kyle had figured she had been thinking something along those lines. He knew she was one of the toughest people on the force. She held a "take no prisoners" mentality, but he had also seen her in a different light, and knew that when it came to her family, she could also love like no one else. And though he had been through loss himself, he could only imagine how painful the last few of weeks had been.

He moved closer and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"We will find them, no matter how long it takes. But one thing is for sure, they aren't here. So, I say we head over to the motel and see if we can nail this woman, once and for all."

Elizabeth nodded in reply and the both jumped into Kyle's car to head for the motel.

As they approached the motel, Elizabeth's emotions settled, making everything clearer. She told Kyle to circle around the property once so they could canvas it first before making their way in to speak with whoever was working the front office. As they pulled around back her heart quickened as her eyes fell on a black, unmarked car. Kyle picked up on it as well and instantly put the car in park.

In what seemed like slow motion, movement caught Elizabeth's attention and she watched as a woman began to exit one of the rooms. She was a blonde, carried a duffel bag, and moved in a swift motion. She kept her head down while making sure she could see most of her surroundings. And though she was a good distance away, Elizabeth knew in all certainty, that the woman was Lori Stevens.

Without another moments hesitation she jumped out of the car, followed closely by Kyle, and moved across the lot, weaving through the other parked cars. Her hand reached for her gun as she got closer. She had taken an angle that allowed her to come up from behind. Lori was about to open the trunk of her car when Elizabeth shouted out.

"Lori Stevens! Freeze!"

The woman slowed, taking a few more steps before coming to a full stop. Elizabeth and Kyle moved closer, guns drawn, ready for anything the unpredictable woman may try.

"Drop the bag, put your hands behind your head, and turn around slowly," Kyle ordered. They waited a few moments, and with no response, Kyle barked out again. "Now!"

This time Lori obliged and Elizabeth felt something sink in the bottom of her stomach as she saw the unsettling smirk that was on the other woman's face. There was something eerie and menacing about it, and instantly her thoughts shifted to Carter. All she wanted was to have her daughter back safe in her arms, and she quickly glanced to the car and back to the door, but saw no sign of her.

She looked over to Kyle and he gave her a nod. Cautiously she lowered her gun and placed it back in it's holster while Kyle kept his own firmly pointed at Lori. Elizabeth grabbed Lori's wrists, one at a time, with more force than was necessary and noticed the discomfort it caused in the woman, the monster, that stood right next to her.

She had wanted to be a part of this moment for so long. It was one of the things she had obsessed over the past 13 years, and yet now there was something missing. While she was glad to finally have Lori in custody, the relief she had hoped would accompany it was absent. And she knew the only way she would find it, would be once she finally saw Carter.

With Lori handcuffed, Kyle lowered his gun and walked over to her to read her the charges against her. He knew Elizabeth could do it as well, but he could tell most of her mind was elsewhere, and his would have been too if it had been Gabe in the situation. Elizabeth waited for a moment to listen to Kyle read the charges.

"Lori Stevens, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of a minor, fraud, and multiple counts of false personation…"

She began to tune everything out as she quickly went through the duffel bag, finding the one thing she needed, the key card for the room. Falling in a pace somewhere between a jog and speed walk, Elizabeth made her way to the room, fumbling with the card for a moment before finally getting the door open.

"Carter!" she softly shouted as she burst into the room, but instantly that excitement turned into dread.

Her eyes fell upon the seemingly empty room. There was no sign of her daughter, hardly any indication anyone had been staying inside the room at all. It was almost exactly like the first motel room the FBI had stormed into, and she couldn't let the outcome be the same. She couldn't lose Carter again when she was so close. Elizabeth frantically searched the rest of the room, checking the closet, bathroom, even under the beds, but to no avail. Carter wasn't there, not even a trace of a note or clue like before.

"Please, no. Carter."

She felt a surge of anger and frustration, but mostly loss. She stormed her way out and back across the parking lot, earning a puzzled expression from Kyle as she emerged without Carter. Lori startled for a moment as the door to the car was yanked open and Elizabeth pulled her out to her feet, getting right in her face.

"Where is she? What have you done with her?" Elizabeth yelled, giving Lori a firm shake, as if the movement would force an answer out. Her voice was quivering. And as much as she didn't want to show the woman any emotion other than the anger she held towards her, Elizabeth couldn't stop the few tears that managed to slip out. "Where is my daughter?"

Lori just smirked. She enjoyed having this much control. She enjoyed seeing the pain on Elizabeth's face. She enjoyed knowing that even though she had been caught, Elizabeth couldn't bask in the glory because she would never have what she truly wanted, Carter.

"She's someplace neither one of us can have her," she replied.

"Why would you do this to her? You love her, I know you must."

Lori rolled her eyes at Elizabeth. There was no trying to cover the disdain she still had for the other woman.

"I do love her, more than you could ever know," she started, attempting to insult Elizabeth. "But I could see she didn't love me anymore, her own mother. And so, if I can't have her, then neither can you."

"Lori don't do this," Elizabeth began to plead, but she could tell she had already lost the deranged woman.

She shoved Lori back into the car and slammed the door. Running her hand through her hair she mindlessly wandered through the parking lot, attempting to gather her emotions. There could only be so many places Lori could manage to take Carter. They had only been a few hours behind and she knew Lori wouldn't actually hurt Carter. She had to believe that, for her own sake. And so she started to think. Think of all the places her daughter could be.

"I'll find you Carter. I promise."


	12. Chapter 12

Elizabeth sat on a set of stairs that led to the second floor of the motel bent over, her forearms resting on her knees, head hung staring at the pavement. It had been hours since Lori had been taken into custody, and yet she still found herself in that parking lot. Unable to move, or do anything for that matter as she had been formally distanced from actively participating in any investigation into Carter's kidnapping.

Agent Sands had been none too pleased with her actions, but it had been her own commander that had pulled her off the case. And he was none too forgiving to Kyle as well. Something about bringing the entire department under scrutiny, but she couldn't remember exactly what had been said. By that time, she had practically tuned out, realizing she could no longer help her own daughter. That she had ruined her best shot at getting Carter back.

And so she continued to sit. A few tears occasionally escaping from the corner of her eyes. Her mind exhausted from trying to think of all the potential places Lori could have taken Carter, yet frustrated she couldn't follow up with any of the ideas.

Slowly she felt herself begin to slip into a dark place, full of blame and guilt. Different than what she had experienced 13 years ago. This time she had put Carter back within the grasps of that woman, allowing her to come along for Lori's capture, and now she had failed at protecting her. The one thing she promised she would always do.

Never had she let her mind wander to the possibility of not getting Carter back this time, but she found herself in that place. The strength that she had managed to cling on to the past week, the previous 13 years, crumbled around her. Suddenly unsure of where to turn, who to trust, how she was going to continue.

The tears started to flow harder until she was startled from her thoughts by a loud shout.

"Lizzy!"

"David?" she said softly as she stood from the step and quickly wiped the tears from her cheek. She was visibly confused and watched as he raced towards her, unconsciously stiffening as he neared her. She could see the fear etched across his face and felt torn between the want to comfort him, comfort herself, and the awkwardness…tension that still rested between them after she had learned about his past with Lori.

David picked up Elizabeth's hesitancy and stopped a foot in front of her, arms at his side. He could see her eyes were red, and all he wanted was to bring her close to him, but he refrained knowing he no longer had her trust, that she had to be the one that directed how they proceeded with each other.

"David, what are you doing here?" she asked, still confused by his presence. She had called him shortly after they arrested Lori to tell him the devastating news that Carter still hadn't been found, but she hadn't asked that he drive all the way to the motel, nor had he given any indication that was his plan.

"I…I wanted to be here for you…" he stumbled through the sentence. He had tried to prepare what he wanted to say to her during the drive, but now everything he had wanted to explain seemed inadequate.

"If you're here because you hope it will help me forgive you, I can't…" Elizabeth started.

"I'm not here for that. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself, and I don't expect you to either. I'm here to ask to help in finding our daughter. I may not have a gun or badge, but I'm here for you. I want to do the rest of this together…" he began to trail off.

Elizabeth looked down and started shaking her head in a slow, deliberate manner. David found himself crestfallen, thinking she wasn't even going to give him a chance until he heard her whisper.

"I've been removed from the case. There isn't anything I can do anymore to get information or leads or…"

"What?" David interrupted. "They can't do that. You're the one that has gotten us this far, this close. Don't they understand you are our best shot? They just can't…"

"Yes they can!" Elizabeth said sharply, this time being the one that interrupted. The two locked eyes and David could see that she wasn't lashing out at him, but rather the situation. Elizabeth let her eyes fall and head hang slightly, trying to prevent him from seeing the tears that had started to slide down her cheek.

"You can't give up," he said softly, having seen the tears she was trying to hide and hoping to get her to look back at him again.

Elizabeth shook her head, but her gaze remained downward. "They're not. A team is still investigating…" she trailed off.

David started to reach out his hand, hesitating for a moment, unsure if she would be receptive to his touch, but deciding to take the chance anyway. Gently he placed his hand under Elizabeth's chin and lifted her head so they once again held each other's gaze.

"That's not what I meant," he started. "I mean you can't give up. You are the reason Lori is behind bars. You are the reason we are so close to getting our daughter back. You are the one Carter wants to find her. You can't give up."

Elizabeth stood there stunned. He was right. She had let herself get wrapped up in all that was going around her, in all the things that were out of her control. Carter wouldn't care if she went behind her supervisor's back to bring her home. Taylor and Grant wouldn't mind if a few rules were bent in order to see their sister again. And she and David certainly didn't care if they got in trouble for doing their own investigation so long as they had their daughter back. She needed to get Carter back.

A small smile spread on her face and David wiped a few of the tears off of her cheek. And much to his surprise Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, to which he gratefully returned the gesture. The two stood there, thankful to have the other to lean upon, Elizabeth's head resting against his chest and David's chin set upon the crown of her head.

Elizabeth was the first to break the silence. "How are we going to keep searching if I don't have access to anything?"

They broke the embrace and took a step back from each other.

"I don't know," David responded, his voice heavy, reflecting the weight of the situation they were facing. "Are you sure they won't let you back to investigate? Even in an advising position?"

Elizabeth recalled the lecture she had received earlier from her boss and knew without a doubt it wasn't a possibility. There was no way her department or the FBI would let her anywhere near the case.

"No," she said, almost guiltily. "They won't allow me back in any role. They made that very clear."

"Okay, well what about everything that you've investigated up to this point. Maybe there is something we missed," David suggested.

"Everything is back at the house. And I don't think any of it would help us," she started to explain, earning a questioned look from her husband so she continued. "All the evidence we have back at home is from when Lori was organized and had a plan. The last day she's been sporadic, seemingly acting in the heat of the moment because we were on to her. I don't know how much we will actually be able to find without talking with her."

"Which you can't do," David said softly, mostly to himself but Elizabeth still heard and gave a small nod.

They both fell silent, their minds going off in a million directions trying to come up with some way to produce something useful in finding Carter. And then an idea hit David.

"What if I talk with Lori," he suggested, the words almost coming out as a whisper. He himself unsure if was a good idea or not.

"What?" Elizabeth replied, almost unsure she had heard him right.

"If you can't do anything then maybe I can. Let me be the one that talks with her. I can get information from her I know it."

"I've spoken with Kyle, she won't speak with anyone," Elizabeth told him.

David nodded but continued on. "Well maybe she'll talk with me. We have history. We both want what's best for Carter. I have to give it a shot."

"David…" Elizabeth trailed off trying to find the right words. She could tell the suggestion wasn't an easy one for him to make. That he was trying his best to tread carefully around the topic of his past. And she could also see that he appeared unsettled at the thought of talking to the woman, as if it would bring up old scars he preferred to leave untouched, yet was willing to do it for her. For Carter. "…David you don't have to; we can figure something else out."

He shook his head adamantly. "You said it yourself, speaking directly to Lori is our best shot at getting Carter back. And this is my fault. Everything that has happened has been because of my terrible decisions and I am going to spend the rest of my life making up for the unforgivable mistake I made. To you, Carter, Taylor, and Grant. To you all. Starting now. By doing this to bring our daughter home."

"Alright, I'll call Kyle and hopefully he can work something out."

Elizabeth turned and took a few steps in the opposite direction, reaching for her phone to give Kyle a call and hope he persuade her boss and the FBI to allow for a meeting. She stopped after a few feet and turned back to David, the last few days, this last conversation, all replaying in her head.

"David," she said, getting his attention.

"Yeah."

"I hope you know I still love you."

He shot her a small grin. It wasn't something he had expected to hear, especially this soon after everything and in their current situation, but he was certainly glad to.

"I love you too."

And with that he watched her walk off to make a call to Kyle, one he prayed would go in their favor. He never thought it would ever enter his mind, but he found himself hoping he would have the chance to Lori. After all these years, to have a real conversation with the woman who had loved him and also destroyed his world.

* * *

David glanced around the small, bare room. Only a few metal chairs and a table making up its contents. His watch beeped, letting him know it was the top of the hour and he let out a sigh to release his frustration. It had been 26 hours since his wife had finally caught Lori. And as relieving as that thought had been at the time, it had been over a day and they still weren't any closer to finding Carter.

That was what was so unbearable. The idea that they were so close to finally ending this 13-year nightmare, and yet they weren't certain about anything when it came to information on their own daughter. They didn't know of her location, whether Lori had been working with anyone else, and the most frightening, they weren't sure of Carter's well being. Whether she was conscious, in pain, completely fine, or… David had tried to stop the thought by couldn't. Or if Carter was still alive.

It was a thought he had managed to keep at bay, certain Lori wouldn't … couldn't do any serious harm to Carter, but as time crept on, that possibility became more dominant in his mind. Mainly because he wasn't sure of the conditions Lori had put her in.

He was startled from his thoughts by a loud rap from someone on the other side of the one-way mirror. It was the signal to let him know that Lori was on her way in and he sat up a little straighter. David found his breath caught in his throat as the door opened and a guard escorted Lori in. The first thing he noticed was how tired she looked, what 13 years of being on the run had done to the woman he had once known so well.

They sat there in silence for what seemed like a lengthy amount of time. Neither one of them seeming to know where to begin the conversation. It was Lori that finally broke the rising tension in the room.

"When they said I had a visitor with the last name Wilson, I was expecting to be interrogated by your wife. But seeing you here instead really threw me off. Is this some type of way to get me to open up, using someone I used to have a relationship with to get information," she stopped talking to David and turned her attention to the mirror, speaking those behind it. "Well, Elizabeth, I applaud the effort but you're still wasting everyone's time because I will never tell you, or David, or anyone else anything. Nothing."

"She's not behind the glass," David said sternly, the frustration he had tried to release earlier coming back. "Elizabeth was removed from the case. That's why I'm here. Not because of some tactic or a way to manipulate you, but because our daughter is missing. And even if my wife can't be in here, I can. All I'm trying to do is get my daughter back home where she belongs. I'm here for Carter."

He watched as the woman's eyes seemed to soften slightly and he could tell that he had already started to break through some of the walls that she had put up before walking in.

"Lori, where is she?" his tone softer, more gentle than before.

He was met with more silence, but could tell that Lori had something on her mind she wanted to say. The wheels in her head turning as she thought about the answer to his question. So he gave her some time, not wanting to push too hard, but as the silence continued to linger, David tried again.

"Lori?"

"Do you ever think about us? About what we had?" Lori asked, ignoring the question he had asked.

David let his eyes fall from her face to the table, trying to hide the internal conflict he was sure she could read. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to share, how much he should play into the game she was clearly starting. But after a moment he realized indulging her was the only way he was going to get information about Carter. Slowly he looked back up, staring directly into her gaze and gave a slight nod.

"I've thought about us, about what we shared, every so often. Probably more than I'd actually like to admit," he replied, or confessed, he wasn't really certain.

Lori tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, a smile curled at the edge of her mouth. It was a look David had seen many times before and he understood she wanted him to continue.

"I think about our chemistry. How effortless it seemed making things work between us. It wasn't until after we…" he paused, not sure if he wanted to use the phrase "broke up" in case it would upset her and cause her to close up. "…until after you that I realized relationships are not normally that easy.

"I think about our conversations. The silly ones that meant nothing but had us doubled over laughing. And the serious ones at 2 am that had us planning out our entire lives together," he stopped before sharing something he had never told anyone. "You don't know this, nobody does, but those talks, all of them, are what made me realize I wanted to become a writer. Almost always I scribbled down what we talked about, where we were, what you were wearing, and I found that I loved it."

"That's why you switched your major," Lori said, the sentence falling somewhere in between a statement and question.

David only nodded in reply and the two fell silent. This wasn't where he had planned on the conversation going, but he found himself almost relieved having been able to get it off his chest. But that sense of ease was short lived as his thoughts turned back to the point of their meeting, Carter.

"Lori…" David started.

"Do you know what I think about?" Lori cut him off.

David only shook his head, knowing it wasn't really a question he needed to answer, she was going to tell him anyway, but offering the gesture never the less.

"I think back to the memories of all our firsts. That old shipping warehouse where we first met, both of us just starting at that summer job. Our first kiss after that concert in the park. The time I told you you were going to be a first time father, the joy and fear in your eyes. The first, the only, name we chose. Do you remember?" Lori asked, stopping to wait for an answer.

David nodded and replied, barely above a whisper. "Carter."

"Carter," Lori reaffirmed, a small smile jumping back to her face, lingering only a moment before becoming solemn once again. "Do you know why I brought all of this up? Because for all the good, a single decision can erase it all. I also remember the first time you broke my heart, at that small roadside diner practically in the middle of nowhere. Where you told me you were choosing Elizabeth over me, causing me some of the worst pain I've ever experienced.

"Well, I began to realize I was facing the same with Carter. 13 years of a great life, full of first times and treasured memories, and yet she still decided to choose you and Elizabeth over me. I can't face that heartbreak again. It's your turn."

David now saw the full nature of Lori's plan. When she had taken Carter for the first time it had been to get back at Elizabeth for what she felt was stealing someone from her life, and wanting to do the same in return. But now, stashing Carter away, leaving them helpless and distraught, was to get back at him. All to make him now feel the way she had when he told her goodbye for the last time.

David could tell she was already beginning to withdraw, close up, and he knew that if he didn't get information from her know about Carter's location, he never would.

"Lori, she's my daughter. Your daughter… our daughter," he started. "I know you don't want anything to happen to her. You would never intentionally hurt her like this. This isn't the type of person you are. I know that more than anyone else. Please, I'm begging you…"

"Begging me?" she cut him off. There was a new sharpness to her voice. "Do you think that actually works? Because if I recall correctly, when I was begging you to leave Elizabeth, to choose me like we had planned, that did nothing to change your mind. Why would it do anything to change mine?"

David didn't answer. Instead he stared directly into Lori's eyes. Looking so deeply he was sure they would offer him some answers, but instead all he saw was anger, betrayal, and grief behind a thin sheen of tears.

He felt frozen as he watched Lori push away from the table, signaling she was done with the conversation, a guard taking her by the arm to direct her towards the door. All he felt was agony seeing his best chance at getting his daughter back, turn her back on him.

"Lori… Lor…" he stopped and decided to try one more desperate attempt. "Hannah."

The woman froze midway through the doorway. It was a name she hadn't heard anyone use towards her in 13 years. The last person being the same one that had just uttered it. She had gone by many names, even before going on the run just to have fun, but she had told David her real name the moment they first met. At the time she had had a feeling he would be important in her life and really needed to know her. And hearing it said again from him, all these years later even with the history written between them, she couldn't push aside the feelings she had always held for him.

Slowly she turned, recognizing his fear as their eyes met, and gave him one last thought.

"When you go back to your wife, David, remember this. Every word. Every memory the two of us just shared in this room. And be thankful the pain you feel now didn't last as long as what I experienced by your hands. I love Carter and I always will. Goodbye David."

Slightly stunned, and more than a bit confused, David watched as Lori disappeared through the door. He leaned back in the metal chair, her last statement running through his head, and though he tried to make sense of it he honestly had no idea what she meant. It had carried a tone that was sincere, no evident malice, but he still wasn't sure how any of their conversation helped him in rescuing his daughter from wherever Lori had taken her.

He could only assume that somehow it did and that either he and his wife, or the detectives that had listened from behind the glass, would figure out how.

* * *

Carter struggled to open her eyes as she finally came to. They were heavy, and as much as she willed them to open, they wouldn't move. The rest of her attempts to fully pull free from the drug's grasp weren't any more successful. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth, and in addition to the duct tape that was plastered over her lips, she recognized that letting out a shout for someone to hear was nearly impossible.

Her head pounded with an intensity she had never felt before, even her worst hangovers hadn't been as bad. And she could only hope that the pain would start to dull. Her fingers had fallen asleep as well, her hands zip-tied behind her, a metal pole between her back and wrists. She gave a quick tug, but could feel that they was no way she was going to break free from the restraints.

Finally, she felt her eyes begin to peel open, and after adjusting to the dim lighting, she could see that she was in an old, run down restaurant. It was grimy and clearly abandoned. Dirt and leaves had swept in through numerous cracks, and large wooden boards covered most of the windows. Carter could now tell that she was tied to a bolted down bar stool, right near the middle of the room, out of reach of anything she could use to get free.

Looking around, seeing no way out or even try and get help, she felt the frustration get the better of her. Tears began to fall down her checks, and she let her head hang as exhaustion, along with a small amount of residual drug, swept over her. Carter closed her eyes and hoped that somehow her mom, her family, would rescue her.

* * *

Elizabeth watched with a frown as David ran his hand through his hair once again, his tell that he was beyond frustrated. They had gone over the conversation more times than either of them could count, and yet they still found themselves coming up against a wall. There seemed to be nothing of use from David's conversation with Lori, nothing hidden within her words, and yet both of them had a gut feeling that that wasn't the case. There was something there, they were just missing it.

It would have been so much easier if she were still allowed within the investigation. Access to the video and recordings were so much more precise compared to going off of memory, but they had to make do. They had holed up in a small hotel on the outskirts of the town. Close enough to the investigation if Agent Sands or Kyle found something they could be right there, but far enough away that they could conduct their own search and not raise awareness to themselves.

She looked over the notes she had jotted down before closing her eyes and hoping something would come to her.

_"…memories of all our firsts…"_

_"…all the good, a single decision can erase everything…"_

_"…remember every word. Every memory…"_

_"…be thankful the pain didn't last as long as mine…"_

But after a minute, nothing had popped and she reopened her eyes to find David staring at her. She simply stared back at him, when an idea came to mind. Lori had given him all the answers, even if he couldn't figure it out at the moment, but she was going to get them from him. Just like she always did.

"David," she started.

"Yeah," he replied, his focus having shifted back to his own notes.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we haven't gotten anywhere in the past three hours. This isn't working."

David looked up, his expression showing just how drained he really was. Neither of them had gotten much sleep the last few days, and almost none in the past 24 hours. Just a 20-minute nap here or there before they would wake with a start, their minds solely on Carter.

He nodded. "I know, but I don't know what else to do besides go over this conversation again and again."

"I think we need to take a step back," Elizabeth suggested, earning a slightly confused look from her husband. "I've seen it too many times to count. Relatives, loved ones, getting caught up on one particular detail. They let it cloud their vision, even to the evidence that is right in front of them."

David nodded once again, knowing that she was right. "How do we continue then?"

"We need to take on a different role. Ones that aren't as emotionally attached to everything. No longer mom and dad, but I need to be the detective and you, the witness with information."

Elizabeth could see her husband trying to process everything.

"Lots of times when I'm working a case, witnesses or bystanders don't realize how much extra, and often times useful, information they hold until they are asked the right question. They just need the right prompting, and I think the same holds true for you. All the answers are there; we just need to find them. And to do so, I want to interrogate you."

David let the idea sink in. He knew his wife was one of the best detectives on the force. And it had been her skills that had gotten them this far in their current search for Carter. So it only made sense for them to approach this in a similar manner. And he only wondered why they hadn't thought of it earlier.

"Okay. Ask whatever you need to," he replied.

"Alright. Don't think too much about the questions. Just answer with what comes to mind," Elizabeth started, earning another nod from David. She took out her notes and began to ask. "The memories you two talked about, are you sure that these are all of them?"

David looked down at the list his wife placed in front of him. He scanned over the bullet points, each of them triggering the corresponding memory.

**Chemistry**

**English Major**

**Summer Job**

**First Kiss**

**Father and Name**

**Broken Heart**

"Yeah. Those are all of them."

"You're positive that there isn't any other one missing."

"There weren't any others. I'm sure," he answered.

Elizabeth took back the sheet of paper and scanned it over herself once more. Something registered this time though as she read it back to herself. All of the memories were good ones, except one. And she didn't know if that meant anything, but she jotted down a note to herself just in case.

"Why did Lori take Carter 13 years ago?" she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to set up her newly forming hunch.

"She wanted…" David paused, still having difficulty with the subject all these years later. "She wanted to get back at you for what she viewed as you taking me away from her."

"And why as she hidden Carter away this time?"

"To get back at me," he replied with a heavy sigh. "I broke her heart a long time ago, and she thought that Carter was doing the same thing. So she wanted to pass off the pain to me by making sure we wouldn't be able to find her."

Elizabeth nodded and wrote more down on the notepad. Her mind churning.

"She wanted to pass off the pain, when would you say you caused her the most amount of pain during your relationship with her?" she asked.

David thought about it a moment before answering. "Probably when I broke up with her. Why?" He could tell that there was something he was clearly missing.

"The break up in the memory she mentioned during your talk?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Lizzy, what are you thinking?"

She ignored his question, looking down at her notes. Connecting all the dots one last time before looking back up to him. "David where were you when you broke up with Lori?"

David didn't have to think long. Lori had mentioned it during their initial conversation, but it appeared he had forgotten to tell his wife during his recounting of the event.

"It was at some run down diner off the freeway," he replied.

"That's it," Elizabeth said, almost as a whisper. "There is an abandoned diner about fifteen minutes West of here along a small freeway. If she wanted you to feel her same pain, if she felt that Carter were doing the exact same thing as you had all those years ago, maybe she brought her there. As some type of equal justice."

David ran through his conversation with Lori again, this time keeping Elizabeth's idea in the forefront of his mind. It all seemed to add up. She had made sure to bring the memory up. And replaying what she told him, "…_be thankful the pain didn't last as long as what I experienced by your hands_…", he knew that this was right. That his wife had done what she promised she would, find Carter, and now all they had to do was bring her home.

"Lizzy," his voice no louder than a whisper, still in shock from what they had managed to piece together. "You found her."

Elizabeth's eyes were glassy and she could feel herself trembling from a mix of adrenaline and pure fear, but she gave David a smile and nodded. This was it. There was no more threat of ever losing her again. Once they had Carter back, she would be able to breathe for the first time in 13 years. Carter would be home. For good.

"Now, let's go get our daughter."


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Hey everyone! So this story is almost done. I could have ended it on this chapter by making it longer, but who wants to end on lucky number 13 and I thought you might want an update sooner (as the second half of this is still not completed). I left a question down below if you'd like to drop an answer. Happy reading and Happy early Thanksgiving.

* * *

Carter felt herself coming to once again and wondered how long it would last this time. She had been struggling to stay conscious. Fighting to keep herself alert, but the combination of residual drug, sheer exhaustion, and intense pain was making all but impossible. She blinked her eyes open once, able to see that it was getting dark, before closing them shut. The spinning making her feel even worse.

As she did, she tried to adjust the way she was seated, and her thoughts were taken away from her hurting head and became directed to her wrists. A sharp, shooting pain radiated up both of her forearms from the point where the restraints were digging in. She figured they had probably cut into her skin, sensing that the occasional drop of liquid that landed on her fingers was blood, but she wasn't sure how deep and honestly she was afraid to find out.

She could feel herself beginning to fade once more. Slowly, one by one, her senses beginning to dull. But as she tried once again to keep herself from being dragged back into darkness, to the silence, she thought she heard something. Like a soft grumble of an engine outside. Managing to slip her eyes open for a split second, she saw slivers of light shine through one of the boarded up windows.

Her eyelids fell shut, a tear sneaking past and rolling down her cheek, and she let out a small noise. Her attempt at a shout to get the attention of whoever was outside. Having used up all her energy, she slipped into the void. Her thoughts on what she had seen and heard, hoping it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. Hoping that the person was a friend, an ally. Hoping with everything she had left that it was her mom, there to finally rescue her.

* * *

For most of the ride Elizabeth kept her gaze forward, keeping her eyes glued to the horizon, awaiting the small, rundown restaurant to come into view. She could feel herself fidgeting but found herself helpless to stop. Her adrenaline coursing through her, and she was glad that David had insisted on driving. They had taken the SUV he had driven up, her unmarked cruiser having been retained by the department to further deter her from participating in the official investigation.

She took her eyes off the seemingly never ending highway to glance over at David in the driver's seat. His brow was deeply creased, more than just from squinting due to the dimming sky, but from immense worry. She knew, she was feeling the same thing. Elizabeth only watched him for a moment more before she went to turn back forwards, but as she did her eyes fell on the back seat. And instantly she was transported back to the day they had gotten Carter back.

Her daughter, finally back, a moment she had hoped for the past 13 years. And yet she was all grown up and clearly wanted nothing to do with them. Elizabeth remembered all the conflicting emotions that flooded her, and instead of trying to sort through them, she threw herself into her work. Recalling the series of phone calls she had made to her boss and Kyle.

This time there would be none of that. She knew Carter wanted to be back with them, and she wouldn't waste any time with phone calls or official police business. She would simply relax, put all her focus on Carter and her family. Love that she was back with them all.

She felt the car slow ever so slightly and her attention snapped back to the road.

"Lizzy, is that it?" David asked, the tone of his voice suggesting he couldn't actually believe that the diner existed, or that they actually came across it.

Elizabeth simply nodded, not actually knowing if it was but hoping more than anything it was, David catching the gesture out of the corner of his eye. It was still only a small structure on the horizon, but as they got closer it became more clear that it actually was. David placed an open hand over the middle console and Elizabeth instinctively took it, giving a small reassuring squeeze as she did. And she was sure her grip only tightened as they got closer.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably closer to 20 seconds, they pulled into what served as the parking lot. A gravely, dirt patch with a scattering of potholes. The tires made a large crunching noise as they rolled forward. Their lights falling on the building, shining into the diner only through the cracks in the boards that covered the windows.

The place was falling apart. Clearly nobody had been here in years, and Elizabeth suspected no one ever would in years to come. The thought made her shudder. That if they hadn't figured out what Lori meant, her daughter wouldn't have been found until it was likely too late.

She and David slowly got out of the car. It was now almost dark, making everything more difficult. Elizabeth pulled out her flashlight and grinned as she watched David use his phone as his light source. They both looked around a moment before he spoke up.

"I'll go around back and check for a way in there," he said.

"And I'll try the front and side doors," Elizabeth added.

She watched him walk off a few feet before calling out.

"David, wait!"

He turned back towards her and she met him where he stood.

"Take this just to be safe."

He hesitantly took the small gun his wife held out in front of him. He knew it was just a precaution. They were still unsure if there was anyone else Lori had been working with.

"Be careful," he told her before turning back in the direction he had initially started. Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath, drawing her own gun at the same time while starting towards the front door.

She figured this would be the most heavily locked to discourage anyone from attempting to get inside, but she needed to be sure. She stopped a couple of yards from the door, not needing to get any closer as she could see the thick chain intertwined in the door handles, a large padlock securing the ends tightly together.

Growing more anxious by the second, she hurried around the side of the building, coming across another door. Her heart skipped a beat as the beam of her flashlight fell upon a small hole broken into the glass of the door near the knob. Instantly she knew this was how Lori got into the old diner. And for as badly as she wanted to get into the building, for a few seconds Elizabeth couldn't move.

Finally, she forced herself to move the last few steps, carefully reaching through the jaded glass and opening the door from the inside. Her senses were on high alert, the crunching noise she made walking over the broken glass on the floor seemed deafening. Even with her flashlight, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the now pitch blackness. In a sweeping motion back and forth, she lit up every nook and corner her path came across. Her gun also following the path of her light.

A large noise from the other end of the diner startled her, her heart practically jumping out of her chest, but after a moment she realized it was just David trying to get inside. Elizabeth continued her thorough method of searching, coming up against what appeared to be a high counter top, tattered bolted-in bar stools accompanying it. Her breathing was quick, but as she rounded the corner, her breath caught completely in her throat.

There, half-way down the high-top counter, 20 feet in front of her, sat Carter. Her daughter's head hung, the rest of her body appearing to be limp. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to push away her initial, terrible thoughts.

"Carter!" she yelled, the name coming out in a whispered shout.

Elizabeth holstered her gun and ran over to her daughter, kneeling next to her. With her hands trembling, she reached out to gently lift Carter's head. As happy and relieved as she was to have her daughter back within her reach, the woman's heart broke as she looked her daughter over. Carter's normally vibrant face was the palest Elizabeth had ever seen her. She imagined it was probably from lack of sleep and, as much as she hated to think about it, whatever drug Lori had sedated her with. Her hair was tangled and her clothes filthy, more than from just being in the dirty restaurant. And while Carter had always been tiny, and maybe it was just the angle in which she was tied up, but Elizabeth had never seen her so small. Almost broken like.

She let out the breath that she had been holding when she heard a small, soft groan from the girl.

"Carter, can you open your eyes for me?"

Elizabeth watched as Carter's eyes seemed to flutter under her eyelids, but to her dismay her daughter's head remained heavy, her eyes still shut. She could see Carter's breathing was shallow as she ran her fingers gently over the edge of the duct tape that was plastered over her mouth from cheek to cheek. Carter's skin felt dry and dusty, and Elizabeth hoped her lips weren't chapped, as it would make what she was about to do that much more painful.

"Carter, I'm going to take this tape off. It might hurt a little, but I'm going to be as gentle as possible," she explained, still not certain if her daughter could hear her or not.

Slowly she started to pull at one corner and it took all of her will power to keep removing the tap as she saw Carter's face scrunch in discomfort as the adhesive pulled against her cheeks and lips. Elizabeth relaxed for a fraction of a second as Carter took in a deep breath once her mouth was free.

The relief was short lived, as once she was certain Carter was breathing normally, Elizabeth continued to look over her daughter, then noticing the small pool of blood under Carter's wrist. It wasn't enough to be life threatening, years of crime scenes told her that, but it was still enough to cause her alarm. She could see it was because of the zip ties. They were tight around Carter's tiny wrists, cutting deeply into her delicate skin.

Quickly, she started to fumble through her jacket pockets, looking for the tactical knife she sometimes carried with her, to cut her daughter free. Focused on finding the knife and figuring out what she was going to wrap Carter's cuts with, she didn't notice Carter groggily blinking her eyes halfway open. And froze when she heard a soft, raspy word.

"Mom?"

Elizabeth slowly looked up, hoping that it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her, but once her eyes met Carter's she couldn't control the tears that started to spill over. It was only the third time Carter had called her that since she had been back, a number that she was painfully aware was much lower than it ever should have been.

Elizabeth once again reached out and touched Carter's face, and she figured it maybe had to do a little bit with exhaustion, but she relished the feeling of Carter relaxing into her palm.

"I'm here my sweet girl. I found you. You're safe," was all she could manage to get out before she felt the lump form in her throat, preventing any other words from escaping.

Without taking her eyes off her, Elizabeth found the blade she had been searching for and swiftly cut the zip ties open. Once Carter's arms had been freed she instantly fell forward, Elizabeth stumbling to catch her, but nevertheless falling into her mother's arms. There was such an overwhelming amount of relief between them, that Elizabeth wasn't surprised when she heard the small, soft sobs coming from the girl.

"Mom…" Carter squeaked out again, so grateful that the single person she had come to trust to get her away from Lori was actually there.

"I've got you Carter. I've got you," Elizabeth reassured, noticing however how Carter was slowly starting to go slack in her arms, the thought of her unbandaged wrists coming back to mind. "Carter, you've got to stay awake. Keep those eyes open okay?"

Another crash came from the back and she was certain she heard the faint yell of "Lizzy" coming from the same area of the restaurant. She took it to mean that David had made it in, and she knew she needed him right then and there.

"David! Over here, I have her!" she yelled loudly enough she was certain he would hear her. Right away, her attention turned back to her daughter. "Hang in there, Carter. You're going to be home soon I promise, just hang in there."

Carter tried to do as her mom said. Keep her eyes open. Stay alert. But suddenly she had started to feel light headed, different from the drugged feeling she had been feeling before. And before she passed out one final time she was hazily aware of her mom wrapping cloth around her wrists and her dad carrying her outside to the car before it went black one more time.

* * *

So I was wondering if any of you would be interested in a Lori/Carter scene in the next chapter. I'm leaning towards it as it feels like a natural thing for Carter to want closure, but I thought I'd ask my loyal followers what they would like to see. I aim to please you guys.


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