little love

112

MAYA

Carina and i took advantage of Maddie being at Lily's to have some adult fun... i love having Maddie living with us and wouldn't trade it for anything, but sometimes i miss how creative Carina used to get with our sex lives before we had a kid around. Let's just leave it at the fact that she took full advantage of the empty house.

I groaned as my alarm went off. I didnt want to work today, i just wanted to spend time with my girls. I hear Carina laughing as i blindly flail around the bed looking for my phone to hit snooze. Finally i find it and turn off the buzzing and sit up suddenly after a quick look at my screen.

"What is it bambina? You look very awake all the sudden" Carina laughed

"Umm Maddie called at like 2 am" i said, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears.

"She's at Lily's si?"

I nodded and pulled up find my friends. Maddie and i had started sharing our locations after Lane pulled her out of school and i had to guess where he had taken her. I was right of course, but i liked knowing where she was.

Carina leaned over my shoulder as we looked at the map. It looked like Maddie's phone was at Lily's. Or at least really close to it. Close enough that I should've been able to relax.

"Si bambina? Probably a uhh how do you say?" Carina searched for the right idiom

"Butt dial" i laughed with her

"Si si!"

"I should call her back to be safe."

"Bambina, it's early. She's probably asleep." Carina put her hand over mine. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"I'll text her and ask her to call when she's up" i compromised. Carina nodded and we both got out of bed and got ready for the day. I needed to be at work soon and Carina was due to be at the hospital not long after. She was going to drop me at the station before heading to the hospital.

"I just can't shake this feeling that something is wrong" i said, bouncing my leg nervously in the passenger seat of her car.

"I don't know bambina, i have a weird feeling too. I don't know what it is" carina looked at me before returning her focus to the road.

"I'd feel better if Maddie would call back" i said

—————

Shift began about an hour ago, and i was in my office trying to work on paper work, but I couldn't focus. I kept checking my phone to see if i missed anything from Maddie. I hadn't. I tried to remind myself that it was barely 8 am. She had stayed with a friend last night. They probably stayed up late and were sleeping in.

"Hey cap?" Andy poked her head into my office

"Yeah?" I looked up at her, I couldn't read her expression.

"You okay?" She asked me. I should've known she would come check on me... i wasnt exactly great at hiding my moods, especially when it came to Maddie.

"I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong-" As if right on cue, my phone rang. I answered before even looking at who was calling.

"Maddie?" I asked anxiously

"Umm no, its Shannon" came a nervous voice from the other end of the phone

"Shannon? Is everything okay?" I asked, Andy shut the door and came into my office. I put the phone on the desk and turned on speaker phone.

"Maya? Maddie isn't with you is she?" Shannon sounded nervous, but at her words i think i felt my heart stop.

"No. She stayed with you at Lily's last night?" I tried to insist, but my voice had gone up an octave.

"We um. We can't find her Maya, im worried" Shannon's voice was shaking.

"Shannon, are you with Lily?"

"Yes"

"Are there any adults around?" There was some shuffling on the other end of the phone, and what sounded like someone starting to cry.

"Maya, hi" Came the voice of Ellen Matthews

"Where is my kid?" I asked starting to panic.

"Lily said the girls snuck out to go to a party and they lost sight of Maddie. They were out all night looking, but only found her phone. I was about to call 911, but thought we should see if Maddie was with you first." Ellen said. "I'm so sorry maya"

"I will call PD, can you bring the girls to station 19? We can activate from here. Call Shannon's mom." I tried to switch into captain mode, but i was having a hard time breathing.

"Of course. We will be there soon." Ellen said before hanging up.

Andy ran out into the lobby and called a still alarm, and my whole crew came rushing into the lobby to meet her. I just stayed sat in my chair, feeling like i had lost all the air in my lungs.

Think. What do i do next? Think Maya.

"Maya, i called Carina. She's on her way." Andy crouched in front of me

"I can't. I —" the tears were starting

"Come on maya, the girls will be here soon. Jack is on with PD now. They are sending a unit. I called dispatch. Station 19 is working only on this for now. We are search and rescue with PD. We will find her" Andy pulled me into her arms "we will get her back maya"

"I can't lead this-" i started to say

"We have you Maya. You and Maddie. You don't have to be anything but a parent right now. We have you." Battalion chief sullivan said entering my office with Fire Chief Ross right behind him. "I hope you don't mind, I was going to work from 19 today anyway, but thought maybe we could use some backup from the brass." Both chiefs looked at me with kindness and sympathy in their eyes.

I couldn't do anything but nod. PD arrived, and we set up in one of the conference rooms.

"Bambina!" Carina pushed through everyone and stood in front of me, her eyes full of tears and terror in her expression. I tried to open my mouth to say something, but no words came out. "I know, i know" She hugged me and we both cried for a moment.

Shannon, Lily, Alexa, Parker, Ellen and Sheridan came in. Alexa moved to hug me, but i just held up my hands. I couldn't handle it right now.

"Captain Bishop, we are ready to get started" Officer Ryan Tanner said. Carina and I walked hand in hand to the conference room where they were taking statements from all the kids. It was clear that neither Shannon, Lily, or Parker had slept. They really had been searching all night.

The story of last night began to unfold. After the adults had gone to sleep, the girls had snuck out and met up with Parker before heading to a party at a boy called Wesley's house. I watched as the officer in charge wrote that down and nodded at Tanner. Ryan then left, presumably to send a unit to the house where the party was.

Around 1 or 2 am Maddie had said she didnt feel great and wanted some fresh air. Shannon had tried to go with her, but Maddie insisted she was okay. They shared a kiss and then she quickly lost Maddie in the crowd.

After a bit, when Maddie didnt come back, Shannon went to find Lily, who also hadn't seen her. They were worried so they tried to call her to no avail. They walked back to Lily's to see if maybe Maddie had just gone home, but she wasnt there either. They checked find my friends and tracked down Maddie's phone just off the sidewalk that ran between the Matthews house and where the party was. They spent the rest of the night searching every possible route Maddie may have taken. They assumed that maybe she had just gotten a little too drunk and gotten lost. It was a gated neighborhood, what was the worst that could have happened? They searched for her all night, practically every inch of the whole neighborhood before going home with their tails between their legs to ask Ellen and Alexa for help.