Ready Or Not

Chapter 7: Why

Not waiting any longer, he exits the room heading to the breakroom where his youngest two were waiting. The second he entered the room they both are rushing over to him, wide eyed and clearly worried.

"Daddy where's Mummy," Mia asks tugging at his shirt sleeve

"We want to know what's going on," Elijah looks up at him, quite small for his age.

"Alright," Spencer takes a deep breath, before he bent down to their height. "Before I tell you anything, I want you to know that my team and I are going to do everything we can to figure this out."

"Please just tell us," Elijah eye plead making Spencer feel even worse about the whole situation. They didn't deserve this, no one did.

"Mum's not going to be home for a while," he starts only to be stopped by Mia.

"So, she's on a holiday," Mia questions her head tilting in confusion, she was to young to understand what was going on completely.

"So, the cats out of the bag that Mum's missing," Charlie pipes up as he appears in the door way a lot calmer than he had been previously.

"Wait Mum's missing," Elijah shouts.

"Yes, I'm sorry guys she is missing but I am going to make sure that my team and I bring her home safe," Spencer tries to reassure them.

"That's if she's not dead already," Charlie mutters unaware he could be heard. The reality of his words set Mia into tears as she realized she may never see her mummy again. At the sight of this Spencer's heart broke even more while wrapped his arms around the young girl,

"You don't know that," Elijah glares at his older brother, on the brink or tears himself.

"Just like you don't know that she's alive, heck we don't even know where she is," Charlie retorts.

"Can you both please stop," Spencer almost bellows making the room go silent apart from Mia's sobs. "No one knows anything ok, I get this is upsetting for everyone but it's not good arguing with each other. It won't help at all."

"Then what do you propose we do, act like everything is fine," Charlie bites back.

"That is not what I meant at all," Spencer sighs fed up with the teenager's attitude, but he let it slide once again due to the circumstances. "What I was trying to say was even though we are all upset and emotional there is no need to bite each other's heads off or make assumptions. We are a family and we need to be there to help each other.

"I love the three of you so much, but you all need to go home and rest," he continues turning back to Elijah and Ma, "Which is why my friend JJ is organizing for her husband Will to come and get you ok,"

"I want to stay with you," Mia cries he arm still latched around his neck.

"I do to," Elijah admits, he didn't want to have to worry about his father disappearing as well.

"I know both of you do but I need you both to be brave for me and go to JJ's for me. I will pick you up later ok, but for now I need to work with my team to bring your mother home" he is glancing at Charlie as he held his youngest two close. How he had let something come between this, come between his family was beyond him. What mattered now was that his wake-up call was one he needed; he was never going to let anything come between him and his family. Not even the twisted mind who thought it would be a great idea to take his wife. "I promise I will bring her home not only for myself but for the three of you."

"We know you will," Elijah whispers.

"Spence," JJ's voice cut through the silence of the moment, "oh I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, how can I help," Spencer's to his good friend.

"I just came to tell you that Will's here with the boys," she smiles softly.

"Ok you two let's go," Elijah and Mia quickly follow JJ, Spencer right behind them before Charlie stops him.

"Why didn't you ask for me to go with them," the teen asks confused, "I though you would want me to go and help Will out."

"Will is going to be fine Charlie, and you wouldn't have gone if I told you to anyway," Spencer placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Plus, you would have been driven crazy if you had and I was thinking that you may be interested in helping us out with a few things."

The two of them stood silently, each hoping and praying that they would really do this. That they could really find her

__________________________________

Hours

Days

Darcy had no idea how long she had been trapped here, alone. Her wrists and ankles burned from the ropes which bound her to the chair. Each movement made them cut deeper into her already tender skin, that didn't stop her from attempting to look around wanting to take in the room surrounding her. If there was anything, she had leant over the year being married to her husband was to be vigilant and always make sure to remember where you were. Pounding in her chest, her heart pumped a hundred miles an hour while her mind raced. There wasn't an option she had to get out of her, she had to escape.

"Well go to know your still here, oh that's right you can't get out of the chair," her captor chuckled darkly, he had disappeared with her phone moments after their conversation with Spencer had ended. At the sound of his voice caused her body to tense as he entered grabbing the stool he had occupied when she first came to.

"Why," that was all Darcy managed to say she looked at the man in front of her, only to earn a back hand across the cheek.

"Why, you have the audacity to ask me why," he glowered at her "you know exactly why."

"No, I don't Dean," she pleaded finally saying her captors name for the first time. "What did I do to you to deserve this."

"What didn't you do," he spat as he lent forward, inches from her face. "Everything that happened is all your fault. You took everything from me, my life, my family the practically disowned me because of you. Hell, you even took my fucking son. That is why. That is why I'm doing this, because you destroyed my life Darcy Owen. Oh, that's right its Reid now, how could I forget you married that scrawny idiot. I'm going to make you pay Darcy Reid.