The Next Step: 6 Years On

Through the tears I see forgiveness

Vic POV
"What do you mean gone?" Isaac asks
"We have searched everywhere-all over the house, neighbourhood, her school and just cannot find her." Zac says
"Oh my gosh. this is not funny. we need to go and look for her once more just to be sure. Ok?" I say confident enough
"Yep sure. are you positive that it will work?" Alex says
"Positive." I say
"Thankyou vic you're the best."
"No worries. ok. Isaac you look around this neighbourhood, Zac and Alex you look at her school and on set at the special family room and I will search this house ok?" I say

We all split up and I look around the house calling Emily's name every now and again
'Emily?"
"Emily?"
"Emily sweetie it's just aunt vic. tell me where you are gorgeous we really want to see out again."
"Emily"

Then I hear almost like straw or hay rattle in some room. I hear it again and again and decide to follow it until I am led to the upstairs hallway. there is a huge brown straw constructed toy basket sitting on the edge of the wall. the lid keeps flapping up and so I open it and there sits emily

"Oh my god. em what are you doing?" I ask
"Get out of there you silly sausage. your mum and dad and uncle Isaac and me were worried sick" I add
"Ok ok. I'm sorry. I was just....angry" she said
"At what?" I ask. she sighs and then I help her get out of the basket and we sit side by side with our backs against the wall on the ground with our legs folded up to our chest talking to each other. I decide to text Alex and Zac and Isaac to let them know that I've found her and that they can come back home now

"Why were you angry sweetheart?" I ask nicely
"Oh... I probably shouldn't tell you." she says
"No em I am our Aunty and are your mums bet friend. you need to tell me. I deserve to know ok?" I tell her
"Ok. Well you know how you were coming over? I was walking down to the kitchen to get a drink and I overheard mummy and dad talking about something. I wanted to know what it was so I listened closer and heard them fighting over why seemed like having another kid. mummy was saying things like: What else can we do? There is no other option? and daddy was saying: "We can either adopt or try again babe we have to at least try" and so I thought to myself I may never had a brother or sister and if course that got me really mad and so I hid in the basket and cried until mummy did when she found I was missing. I didn't want to tell them where I was because I was just really upset that I was going to be an only child for life." she tells me

"Aww sweetie there is no reason to be mad. listen you know maddie is an only child too? you and her get along really well and sometimes I wish you two were sisters." I say she starts to cry again
"Thankyou Aunty vic. you're the best. but please please don't tell mum or daddy. Please?" she begs
"Honey it's ok I won't. we will just say that you wanted to play hide and seek and wanted to practise for when we were coming around and you just fell asleep and lot track of time. then I would've found asleep" I say
"Thankyou thankyou. They will definitely buy that. I love you Aunty vic. you're the best Aunty anyone could ever have." she says. now I start crying
"I love you too em. you deserve a brother or sister and I hope your mum and dad can make that dream for you. I really do." I say giving her a hug and a kiss
She just smiles though and helps me stand up as we hear the front door knob turn

"Emily. Oh sweet of you're ok." Alex said running to Emily and giving her a hug and a kiss as soon as she got in the door.
"Oh my gosh Emily Beaton you naughty girl" Zac says. since they haven't gotten married yet and will be in a weeks time, they named her Emily beaton as she was Alex's daughter. when they get married though both em and Alex will get a surname change.

"I was playing hide and seek and I feel asleep in the basket so I couldn't hear you and I was buried beneath all of the toys. Vic found me because by now I was in deep sleep and she could hear me snoring " she explained
"You're lucky you have a cold then." Zac says laughing
"Ok that ok. but promise me emily. look at me? that you will never ever ever scare me like that again ok? I just have you as my only child and I don't want to loose you....." She was cut off my Emily running away crying and I knew why. emily had told me this earlier and that if Alex or Zac ever brought up the baby thing in front of her again and she ran away crying- to just tell them why.

"Emily?" Alex shouts
"Em. come back baby" Zac calls
"What's up with her?" Alex asks
"She amm told me why she was actually missing. she wasn't playing hide and seek that was a cover up." I say
"Well what is it?" Alex asks
"She overheard you two talking before about how you can either try again or adopt and it made her realise that she will be an only child forever now and that she won't have any siblings. she ran away and hid in the basket where I found her cause she didn't want to face you" I explain. Alex was crying and Zac was looking like he could have a heart attack

"Oh great! she overheard. we are going to have to explain before the wedding Zac or else she won't turn up and change her name to vran at the least." Alex says through tears. Zac wraps his arm around her and assures her that she will be ok.

This turned out to be a really good family BBQ. tomorrow was back to work but for only 3 days as we all had to help set up for the wedding on Sunday. I sure hope that goes to plan...... not like the rest of them.