Exhale

I Made A Promise!

Derek's POV

It's been two days since they've found Maggie's car. Today we find out if the blood is hers, I called into work for the rest of the week. I think it's understandable. Liv and Jenn have been helping me out with the kids. Laura and Jared get to bring their baby boy home next month. I sit on the couch staring at my phone on the coffee table before me, as I hear the twins playing in the background.

"Derek, do you have more laundry soap?" I hear Jenn ask. "Yeah, closet under the stairs." I say as my phone rings. Leah. "Hi, Leah. I haven't heard anything yet." I tell her. "Ok. Are you sure I shouldn't come home?" She asks. "Leah, stay there finish up it's just one more week ok." I say, Peter is calling in on the other line. "Leah, I got a call coming in. I'll call you back." I say and quickly click over.

"Hello, Peter. So what's the results?" I ask swiftly. "Derek, it's not her blood, hell it's not even human. It's deer." He says. "So what do we do now?" I ask him, felling lost and helpless now. "Look, we have people dusting it for prints from bumper to bumper." He explains to me.

I stand up, "No Peter, you look! I made a damn promise to her mother, to her father, to her, fuck to our kids that I would keep her safe. Now damn it we gotta find her!" I shout and throw my phone back onto the couch. Placing my hands on my hips, I hang my head, take a deep breath and look up.

There stands, Olivia with Bailey. She runs off to her room, tears welling up in her eyes. Olivia looks at me, "Derek, Peter is doing everything he can. Go talk to her, I'll get dinner going." She says pushing me.

I haven't taken the time and explained to Bailey, what's really going on. I knock on her half opened door, "Hey bug, can I talk to you?" I say walking in. She's sitting on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest, eyes swollen as she looks up at me and nods. "You wanna know about mom?" I ask her. She wipes her eyes and nods again.

I sit beside her, "Ok, remember when Noelle took you?" I ask, she nods. "Well someone took mom. We don't know who." I explain to her. "Check her laptop." She says casually. I look at her shocked at first, "Why? Bailey, why would I check her laptop?" I repeat her question back to her.

"Well sometimes, when she would sit in here while I fell asleep, she would check her emails, I think. And sometimes, when she thought I was sleeping she would use bad words. About someone sending her emails again and why won't he leave her alone." She says. I grab her face and kiss her head. " I love you. You're a genius." I say running to our room and grabbing Maggie's laptop.

I quickly log her in and go to her email, I scroll through hundreds of emails. None stick out, Jenn walks in. "Hey, what's going on?" She asks. I tell her what Bailey said, "What a smart kid." She gives it a once over and stops on John Spencer, "There's no subject." She says. "That was the guy from the art gallery in LA. "And? What he's not professional enough to put a subject?" She asks.

I shrug and click on it,

Maggie, I miss you so much. You made the right choice the night of the Gala to stay with me. Your husband was such an asshole to leave you here on the arm of another man. But I love you and I will be here for you when you are ready. I just need you to return my calls. Unless you're waiting until your divorce is final? Please write back love.

                                      Forever yours, John. S

I look up at Jenn as her eyes are wide. "You left her there?" She says slapping my shoulder. I roll my eyes at her, "Really, out of all of that, that's what you get hung up on? How about the fact that this creep has made some fantasy life with my wife." I say. I hear my phone going off downstairs. "Print all the ones with his name." I tell Jenn, then I bolt out of the room and down the stairs.