Gone ✹ Jaspar

Five

"Philly is sick, so Dan is going to stay with him, okay?" My granddad explained to me. "Your mum is on her way from London to get you, but until then, she wants you to relax and get your immune system restored to its previous state, alright?"

"Okay.." I said. It felt great to finally hear the words 'to get you' without it having 'pedophile', 'kidnapper' or anything else before it. My grandma made me all of my favourite foods and put on a movie to get my mind cleared from all of the torture and escape plans.

/

The next morning, there was a knock on the door.

"Catherine! Hello! Please, please, come in!" My grandma said. "Dil? Your mum is here!"

"Mum!" I ran to her.

"I'm so happy to see you.." She started to cry. "You're safe now, Dilly..." For the first time in nearly a year, I believed I was safe. Simply by being in my mother's arms, I knew I was safe.

"Let's go home.." I smiled.

"Wait..." Cat said. "Did Martyn explain what happened?"

"What?" I felt my heart beat faster. She refused to tell me first, and then told my grandparents before me.

"Oh dear...." My grandma said.

"Yeah..." Cat sighed. "Dil... The officers found the location you said you were at... But Emma wasn't there.."

"What? She... She said to bring back help!" I started to panic.

"Dil... Dil... Calm down, hun.." Cat hugged me.

"They took her? Where?" I cried.

"They are trying to figure that out.... But there was quite a bit of blood left behind. There was some of yours, proving you were there..... but..." She started to tear up. "Emma lost a lot more..."

—

"Joe?" I heard as a yawned.

"What, love?" I said to Caspar. He kissed me, then proceeded to lay down beside me.

"I just... I just got a call from Cat.." He hesitated.

"And?" I sat up.

"Dillon managed to escape and was admitted into the hospital in Manchester for a week.. He stayed with Dan's parents, and Martyn was helping him through the PTSD..."

"What about Em..?"

"Martyn told Cat that Emma gave Dillon the instructions on how to properly escape... and she went missing from the location they were held at. The police found it, but there was no one there.... only blood... a lot of Emma's blood, and some of Dil's blood...." Caspar cried. "Either they.... kil-led her... or they took her someplace else...." I threw myself back to the bed.

"Oh....." I closed my eyes, tears dripping down my cheekbones.

"Yeah..." Caspar rubbed his eyes.

"Daddies?" Jordan walked in, Jacob behind him. We quickly wiped our eyes and tended to them.

"Hi boys.." I said, trying to smile.

"Uncle Troye and Uncle Tyler are here..." Jordan said.

"And Aunt Zoë and Uncle Alfie.." Jacob added.

"Okay.." I said. They left the room, and we got dressed.

/

"Hey.." Zoë started tearing up. "Come here.." She hugged us.

"I'm glad Dil's okay... but I wish Emma was, too...." I said in a mumbling tone.

"We do, too.." Troye said. "I just... I can't imagine losing one of our kids.... But Emma is my niece..." He teared up, Tyler laying his head on Troye's shoulder.