Summary ~ Elizabeth deals with the sudden disappearance of her young daughter.

Genre ~ Mark/Elizabeth

Disclaimer ~ The characters portrayed in this story are in no way mine, and I will return them to their original positions once I am done messing with their lives. The characters of Maura, Matthew, or anyone else you have not seen waltz across your TV on a Thursday night are purely of my own imagination.

Need to Know ~ The last episode that applies to this story is April Showers. Everything up to that point happened, but nothing after it did. Which includes the return of Susan Lewis. Mark has had no recurrences of his brain tumor and is going to be fine. Also, Abby and Luka broke up some time around July of 2001.

Feedback ~ As always, feedback is more then welcomed. Please feel free to email me, or Bridget, with comments (good or bad) on this story, another story, or just the site in general to greeneblob707@yahoo.com. If you could please put the title of the story you wish to make comments on in the subject box that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and enjoy!

Elizabeth came home very late that night. She didn’t want to go home. She didn’t want to walk into the house where everything was just the way she had left it before everything happened. She just wanted to stay at the police station until this was all over. But Mark had convinced her that nothing good would come of her waiting there for news. Matthew needed to be home and he needed his mother with him. Eventually she agreed, knowing it was best for Matthew.

When she walked into the empty house everything seemed so lonely. She stood in the foyer for what felt like hours. Mark took Matthew up to his bedroom and tucked him in. She wanted to go with him but she couldn't make herself move. A few minutes later Mark reappeared. He slowly approached her and pulled her in for an hug. Elizabeth just let herself stay there in his arms. Everything was hitting her suddenly. Her world had been changed forever.

She didn’t want to do anything but stay in his arms. She knew she wouldn’t e able to get to sleep that night, and she didn’t want to waste time trying. She slowly broke from Mark's embrace and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and looked around for a few moments. She didn’t know what she was doing. She felt like she was just going through the motions. Her eyes drifted up to the empty butter shelf and a lump began to form in her throat. If she had only said no to her pleases. If she had only decided to stay home that day.

Mark came up behind her. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t even touch her. She closed the refrigerator and turned around. She looked at Mark for a moment before making her way to the kitchen table. She plopped down in a seat and placed her head in her hands. She let out a deep sigh of frustration.

Suddenly the phone rang. Elizabeth looked at Mark and Mark got up to answer it, understanding that Elizabeth didn’t want to talk to anyone right then. He made is way to the phone and picked it up. He mustered together his best cheerful 'hello' but his attempts failed. Elizabeth listened to the conversation. She figured it was someone from work calling to let them know not to come in tomorrow or to send their condolences. Suddenly she heard Mark say, "Oh hey Rachel." Rachel, Elizabeth's mind raced. Rachel would be devastated. She hadn't even thought about Rachel. She figured Mark must have called her from the station when he had gone to pick up some food. Rachel loved her younger brother and sister. She always came by to visit when she could. Rachel and Maura had a special bond. Maura just adored Rachel and thought that she was the coolest person she had ever known. She bragged to all her friends about her 'Cool sister from St Louis' Elizabeth began to cry again thinking about how Maura's face would light up whenever Rachel came to visit.

Mark's conversation with Rachel went on for a few minutes. Elizabeth couldn't make out everything that they were saying. She knew Mark would tell her so she let her mind drift. She kept replaying those fateful moments in her mind. She couldn't get it out of her head. She couldn't understand why this was happening to her. She read all those stories and saw all the interviews with parents whose children had been kidnapped, but she never thought it would happen to her. She doubted any parent thought that their child would be kidnapped. It's always something that happened to other families, to other parents, to other children. Not to her own daughter, not to her family. She had just never considered it. They lived in a great neighborhood, everyone was very friendly. They never had any problems with crime of any kind. She had done everything right as a mother and yet this had still happened to her, to her daughter, to her family.

Elizabeth heard Mark hang up the phone and he reentered the room where Elizabeth sat. He sat down next to her and sighed. Elizabeth slowly said, "What did she say?"

Mark replied, "She's getting a flight tomorrow morning. Her plane should be here tomorrow afternoon."

"She's coming?" Elizabeth said with a mix of shock and relief in her voice. She didn't actually think that Rachel would come. She hoped she would come, but she didn't believe that Jen would let her.

"Yeah, she really wants to be here now. She talked to Jen and Jen agreed to let her come. She doesn't have school till Monday. It's spring break for her too."

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Elizabeth said with a halfhearted sigh. They were both quiet for a while, neither one of them knowing what to say. After what seemed like an eternity Elizabeth cried, "Oh god Mark, what are we going to do?" Her voice was pleading and terrified.

Mark didn’t know how to answer that. And Elizabeth knew that he didn't know to reply. He paused for a moment before answering, "Keep hoping." and in a sigh he added "I guess"

Elizabeth started to cry again. She had been crying so much in the past seven hours that she was sure she couldn't do it anymore. Yet the tears began to pour. Mark came over and wrapped his arms around her, and placing his head next to hers he whispered, "It's okay, please don't cry, I hate that." But Elizabeth could tell that he too was on the verge of tears.

Through sobs she choked out, "Oh god Mark, she's so little! She's just a little girl. God knows what they could doing to her! She must be so scared, so very very scared. She's just a little girl."

When she finished that sentence Mark added, "I know, I know."

Elizabeth woke the next morning to the sun shining on her face. For a few seconds she had forgotten about the previous days events. But it all came back to her when she looked at where she was. She was lying on the couch. She still had the same clothes on from the night before. She plopped her head back on the pillow as she remembered that her daughter was gone.

She heard Mark in the kitchen. He was probably making breakfast for Matthew. "Oh God, Matthew" she thought. What was she going to tell him? She knew he would ask where his sister was when he saw that she wasn't there that day. She sighed and rose, then walked into the kitchen. Mark was sitting silently at the kitchen table. He was just staring into space.

Elizabeth quietly said "Hey." His head shot up and he looked at her, not saying anything at first.

"Morning" he said solemnly. She was glad he didn’t say "Good morning." There was nothing good about that morning. His words echoed her sentiments. "I made some breakfast for Matthew, he should be up soon."

"Yeah, any minute now." Suddenly they heard a noise coming from Matthew's bedroom. Mark attempted a smile and said "Good call." He waited a moment before adding, "I'll go get him." In a way Elizabeth wanted Mark to go get him. She never wanted to go down that hallway every again. Matthew's room was at the end of the hallway, and in order to get there she would have to pass Maura's room. And she just didn't think she could pass her empty room without breaking down again. Yet she wanted to go. She wanted to face her fear. She knew she would have to do it eventually.

As Mark was rising Elizabeth said, "No, I'll get him."

Mark looked at her, unsure about what she was about to do. He asked concerned, "Are you sure?"

Elizabeth mustered up as much courage and reassurance that she could when she said, "Yes Mark, "I'm sure." She slowly made her way down the hallway to her son's room. When she passed Maura's room she cursed herself for leaving then door to Maura's room open. If she had kept it closed she wouldn't have to look in there and see her toys and her clothes and her unmade bed. Maura never liked to make her bed. She tried to get away with it whenever she could. Elizabeth always fought with her about that. And most of the time Maura would stomp off and make her bed. But Elizabeth knew that Maura hadn’t made it that morning.

Out of the corner of her eye she looked in the room, but all she saw was Maura’s bed before she passed it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to Matthew's door. The door creaked when she opened it. Matthew turned around to face his mother at the sound. He didn't greet her with the big goofy grin he usually did. It was like he knew that something was very wrong.

Elizabeth sat next to her son, and she stroked his beautiful brown hair. He looked up at her with is big blue eyes. He was quiet for a long time and so was Elizabeth. After a moment he sighed and said quietly, "Mommy where is Maura?" Elizabeth didn't answer at first. She didn't know what to say. Matthew then added, "Cause when we went to the store Maura was there, but when we left, she wasn't there. Where is she?"

Elizabeth kissed him on the forehead and prepared herself for what she was going to say. She mumbled, "Umm..." and Matthew looked up at her. She then finished by saying, "Matthew, uh, while we were at the store someone else was there with us. And that man decided that they wanted to take Maura with them. So they took her. And the police are looking for Maura and the person that took her."

Matthew was quiet. He seemed to not know how to react to that. He then looked up at his mother and said, "Was it a bad man who took Maura?"

Elizabeth was taken aback by that. She didn't think Matthew would ask that kind of question. She didn't hesitate when she said, "Yes Matthew, a very bad man."

"Do you miss Maura?" he asked, his face was pleading.

Elizabeth could feel the lump forming in her throat. "Yes, I miss Maura very much. And so does your daddy. But the police are doing everything they can to make sure that she is brought back to us."

"I miss Maura. She didn't come in last night to say goodnight." Elizabeth was shocked. She didn't know that Maura did that. Although it seemed typical Maura for her to want to say goodnight to her little brother.

"Well, I'm sure that Maura will be back soon to say goodnight to you again." she smiled.

"I hope so." he sighed. They were quiet for a moment. Elizabeth stroked his hair as he fiddled with his toys.

"Come on Matthew, daddy made breakfast for you." She said, forcing a smile. Matthew looked up and then jumped up. Pulling Elizabeth out of his bedroom into the kitchen.

Matthew ate his breakfast slowly. He usually inhaled it. But today he took his time. Elizabeth picked at her eggs. Basically eating just for the sake of eating. She didn't have an appetite at all. Matthew finished and looked up at his mother. "All done." he whispered.

"Matthew, why don't you go get dressed and I will be in to help you make your bed in a few minutes, okay?" Mark told Matthew.

"Okay, Matthew said half heatedly. He sighed and got up from the table and made his way to his room.

Mark and Elizabeth were quiet for a while. Elizabeth drank her orange juice quickly, Mark rinsed his dish in the sink. Mark looked at Elizabeth and said, "Kerry called while you were in talking to Matthew. She said we could use our emergency leave for the next week. And that we could work out a schedule next Monday."

Elizabeth sighed. She was grateful for that. "Okay." she said, not really caring.

Mark came over and sat across from Elizabeth. He looked into her eyes. The fire was gone. It was replaced with fear. A fear Mark had never seen in Elizabeth before. He softly said, "How are you holding up?"

She paused for a moment before answering, "As well as can be expected, I suppose." Mark nodded, understanding.

"You should call your mom." Mark told her. He knew how she would react to that, but she needed to talk to her mother. Mark waited for her reply.

Elizabeth looked up into Mark's eyes. God, her mother. She needed to talk to her mother, and yet she didn't want too. Her mother had to know what was going on, but Elizabeth dreaded having to speak to her. She wanted her mother to support her through this, but she couldn't shake the feeling her mother would be disappointed with her.

Elizabeth stood in the kitchen, the phone to her ear. Her frustration was mounting. She was trying to get a hold of her mother. Had been for the past half an hour. But all her efforts failed and she had not made contact with the women. “Typical,” Elizabeth thought, “The one time I actually need her and she isn't around.”

"Isabelle Corday, C-O-R-D-A-Y....Well check again please!" her voice was rising and she was slowly loosing patience with the young man on the other line. "Well, look, can you just tell her that her daughter called and that she needs to call me right away. It's an emergency." She listened as the man on the other line spoke. Then she said, "Elizabeth Corday-Greene. With an e....look she only has one daughter!" She was quiet again as the man spoke. She then ended the conversation with a quick "Fine, goodbye" Then hung up, obviously annoyed.

"No luck?" Mark asked walking towards her. Elizabeth sighed again and shook her head.

"I don't know how many times she has called when I don't need to talk to her, or I don't even want to talk to her! Now I need to speak to her and she is off frolicking about the English country side." She opened the cabinets and got a glass. She then poured herself some water. When she finished she plopped down onto the couch. Mark came over and sat next to her.

"You will get a hold of her eventually. Just give it some time." He said trying to reassure her.

"Yeah I know, but I really need to talk to her now." She said. For the first time in her life she wanted to talk to no one else but her mother. For the first time she felt like she really needed her. But her mother was no where to be found.

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