Between Limestone Ruins

Chapter Thirty

Walker was pacing. He was very good at pacing. Jenn had found adoption papers for Hannah, which gave them her birth name, Beatrix. 'Beatrix' had led to a sealed document, which Jenn had no problems hacking into. A birth-certificate. Hannah, or Beatrix rather, had a twin brother. Bingo.

Jenn was currently tracking Benjamin Simmons through the system. He seemed to jump from foster home to foster home, which wasn't uncommon in foster care, but he seemingly disappeared at age 16.

Walker knew his skills were useless at this stage and it was grating on his patience. He dialed Hannah's number for the 8th time as he stared angrily out the conference room window overlooking the river.

"Hannah, Sunshine..." Walker didn't attempt to hide the beg in his voice. He paused, considering what else he could say. What else he should say. "You gotta come back to me sunshine," He whispered. "I am a grade-A asshole and I know it and you know it, but you need to stay alive and come fucking tell me I'm an asshole to my face okay?" He managed to growl the last part, implying if she didn't come back to tell him he was an asshole there would be consequences. Walker didn't know how much he would give to hear her on the other end of the phone bantering right back. Anything. He'd do anything.

"I thought I didn't need help. I didn't want yours, or anybody's help. And I put the blame on your optimism that had me so beside-myself baffled. I didn't understand it, couldn't fathom how anyone with an attitude like yours would want to work in this nitty gritty danger zone of a career.

But I was all wrong. Your optimism is what makes you thrive. I had forgotten how to push on through the hardship. I never would have solved this case, or maybe any other case in my career had I not been forced to work with your annoying ass.

Because of you, we're going to catch this guy. Because of you, no more women will suffer because of him. Fuck, Hannah," Walker sucked in a sharp painful breath.

"You've kicked me out of a rut I didn't know I was drowning in. I was a miserable son-of-a-bitch and you were the one to call me on it. So, if you're dead right now and I don't get a chance to hear 'I told you so' out of your smart little mouth, so-help-me-god I'll... I..." Walker's voice broke. "Fuck Sunshine, I don't know what I'd do".

There was a long moment of distressed silence before he hung up the phone.

"Jesus, Alec, you didn't tell us you were in love with her," Nora's melodic voice sighed from the door. She and the rest of the team spilled sluggishly into the room.

"If-if she's... Nora fuck I don't know what I'll do," Walker blurted out. His eyes were rimmed red. Nora wondered how long it had been since he slept. Days? Years maybe?

"Group hug?" Sammie suggested softly.

Nora was already pulling Walker in and the others solemnly joined. Group hugs felt like the furthest thing Walker thought he needed, but it gave him a second of serenity in the chaos overwhelming his whole body.

"We're going to find her, son," Doc said, slightly muffled by Sammie's shoulder.

"How?" Walker choked on the word.

As the hug disbanded Walker noticed Jenn was only half hugging due to the computer in her other hand.

"I am going to find how this kid disappeared," she said through gritted teeth, throwing herself in a chair, eyes glued to her laptop.

And then Walker's phone rang.

"Holy shit," Walker breathed.

"Who is it?" Nora inquired, curious as to who would get a reaction like that from Walker. It should have been obvious.