Justin sighed. Maybe he was selfish. But, he had been taking care of Maralyn and Peter! And not to mention the fact he was on trial fro defending Miley, Nate and Kevin! "Sorry, Brad. Is there any way you can get Vicki out of the foster care system?

"For a year and a half. Passed from hand to hand. Always unfamiliar places. Unfamiliar faces. Never a person to love her. Do you have any idea how hard that is on a child of that age?"

Brad could feel his heart breaking as he thought of his little child. The last time he had seen her was when he had passed her to Chloe. She was the babysitter that night. He had brushed his thumb along her soft hair at her forehead. He remembered thinking that it had already gotten so long. Vickie Mae had smiled up at him, even in her sleep. He knew she recognized his touch.

The cold concrete replaced the vision of the past, and Justin's pathetic face was in his sights.

"No, you have no idea, do you?"

Justin siad, "And now you're punishing Sarah by having her grow up without her dad?"

Brad scoffed, a harsh grating sound. "If you were in my shoes, I could see you doing that. Thank God you're not." He pulled Justin to his feet, and kicked over the chair he was sitting in. It fell with a clatter that reverberated through the room. With quick and precise movements, Brad flicked out a knife and slit the duct tape binding Justin's hand together. He strode across the room and open the heavy metal door. It hit the wall with a bang. Brad stood beside the open door.

"Go."

Justin stood there.

"GO! Go live out your miserible life, and forget everything you heard in this room."

Justin rushed as quickly as he could out of the building, not believing what a jerk Brad had turned into. He hopped into a taxi, wondering what on earth he was going to tell Amanda about her brother. Finally, he got to his house.

Melisha awoke to a throbbing bump on her head. For a minute or two, her vision swam and went in and out of focus, everything was fussy then clear then fussy again. She groaned and tried to sit up, hearing, through her ears pounding with a ringing, the desperate breathing of another. "Hello?" she asked in cold realization she wasn't alone, but there was another being in the room with her. When her sight finally returned to her, and she could see, for a minute all she saw was darkness. Then as her eyes adjusted she saw more than this, there was a single dim lamp dangling down from the ceiling. Under it's soft mellow light was a chair, with a woman bound and gagged to it. She whimpered slightly and stared at Melisha with turquoise eyes, that were innocent and piercing. Her hair, a reddish gold, was down around her shoulders causing a sweat to break out on her forehead. For a minute Melisha did not know what to make of this woman...why was she tied? What had she done? But more importantly who did this to her? Standing slowly, she cautiously moved toward her. That's when she noticed bruises and scrapes on the woman's arms and face, and she instantly felt sympathy knowing how she must feel. Coming to her she worked on the knot that tied her gag "Who are you? Who has done this?" Melisha asked, fighting with the clothe. The woman only whimpered, unable to yet answer her questions. Just as the not became lose the handle of door began rattling...

***

It was on Monday, at 5:24 pm that Natasha was told she had foster parents. A sudden despair flooded into her heart when Tammy gently laid a hand of her shoulder and told her she would be going to a foster home for six months. Natasha's eyes clouded with tears, and her lip quivered. She wanted parents...a true family....someone who would adopt her and love her like a real Mother or father would. Not a foster home where they only took you in cause they were on a list...how could they do this? She had been in they orphanage since she could remember and suddenly they threw her into the system of foster homes and care? Why? She looked and Tammy and weakly asked "Why? Why miss Tammy? Why am I going to a foster home? Why are you doing this?"

Tammy's own heart began bleeding for her as she said. "It's just the way things work Dear. The orphanage is getting to full. We have to send you and some of the older kids away to foster homes now. You'll stay six months then be transfered. I'm sorry" she leaned down and gave the twelve year old, small for her age, a hug. "I know it's hard...and I know you want a family but, it's just the way things work. I'm sorry" she kissed her cheek, like a mother or older sister would and left shutting the door quietly behind her.

All the other children on the room were silent. They stared at Natasha with big wide eyes, waiting for her to speak or move. All she did was lie down in her bed, and bury her face into her pillow. She didn't want a foster home...she didn't want to leave this big old brick building, and never come back. She wouldn't see any of they other children again. Or Tammy, or Rick or Elizabeth. The people that worked there. She wanted parents. A real family that would love her like a daughter...she didn't want a foster home...no. Tears poured over and dripped down into the soft material of her pillow. She felt a reassuring hand rub her back and new it was Dominic. A boy her age that was like a brother to her. She would miss him too...she would miss him very much. She cried for awhile and wished the world would melt away...or maybe she would.

**

Brian was slightly disgusted that Logan had to join them, but he didn't rebut. What was the point? When Emmy said she didn't want to go he nodded to her and said "That's alright. I understand." he told her gently and then turned to Brooklyn. "I'm sure either Jen or Emmy would be happy to help you." Then returning his gaze to Peter he said "I think we are all ready. Let's go get the bikes"

*

"I don't know..." gasped Abigail wiping beads of sweat from her brow "I don't understand. Brandon died, in a boating accident with my Mother and baby sister. They all died....drowned beneath the waves of the ocean. That's when my Dad started drinking. He blamed me for all if that....I moved and met Andrew..and...He's supposed to be dead!" she cried in slight shock at seeing him again after all these years. Tears spilled down her face and she hugged Amanda. "I don't understand this!"

Ian blushed "I dreamed about you. In jail. I don't know why but I did and I've come here to warn you!" he looked at her with dark blue eyes, that could see strait through her. "Please, will you listen?"

For a minute Susan was taken about and silent Warn me of what?! She then shook her head "Your crazy!! Get out of here!" she cried and flung open her front door allowing the wind and rain to come in. "I don't need you to warn me of anything! I have my whole life planned out! I don't need you...or Justin or Peter or anyone! Get out of here!" she picked up his coat and threw it at him

He caught it in his cold hands and looked down "Miss Susan please....I don't want to distress you but you must listen. Please."

***

Maralyn nodded to Chloe and entered the house with her sister and friend. Once sitting she blinked and looked up as Chloe set her baby down gently in her carrier. She reached down and held the small hand the grasped hair Why have they taken Justin?? What have they done with him? she thought worriedly staring at her baby's blue eyes.

Maya looked over the one of the boys as he talked to her. She nodded him and he left and turned to Jen and Emmy. "Yer Emmy, right? Nice ta meet ya. I'm Brooklyn." She stuck out her hand towards Emmy.

Amanda gasped, horrified. "Why do they blame you for that?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley felt relieved at the sight of her brother. She rushed to Justin, letting him give her a big hug. "Oh, Justin. Why did they take you? I thought you would be gone for a long time."
Comfortingly, Justin said, "Well, I'm here. I was so scared for Sarah, Maralyn, you and Peter."
Miley answered, "I was so worried. So was Peter. He's on his way here. I prob should text him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter recieved a text from Miley, saying Justin was back safely. THrilled, he let everyone know Justin was safe and back at his own house. "That's so weird. Wonder what tehy wanted with him?"

Maya watched with wonder at who this Justin was and what had happened to him. She shrugged her shoulders and asked, "Watchya talkin' about? Who's Justin? Cin we go ta yer house 'fore I freeze." She turned toward Jen.

Jen put an arm around her new friend. "Sure." She turned to Peter. "Do You mind if I take Brooklyn and Emmy to my house for a while? We could use girl time anyway."
Peter chuckled, "Sure."
Jen felt her heart flutter. "Thanks."
A few minutes later, the girls were at Jen's.

"Are you serious?" Declan asked, "A Kidnapping?"
Declan's mind flew through all the movies he had seen about kidnapping, "We should totally do something about this, like Liam Neeson's Character in Taken, or Denzel Washington's Character in Man on Fire... minus the part where he gets shot to death."

Peter chuckled. "Well, we don't have to worry about that. I got a text from Miley saying that he's safe. I've decided we are going to watch Prince Caspian after school tormorrow, since Brian and I won the game."

"Great movie choice," Declan said with a smile, "I'll bring the Popcorn."
"Also, that's a good thing that he is safe." Declan said.

Maya felt comforted as her hew friend, Jen, put her arm on her shoulder in a friendly gesture. She wrapped her hand around Jen's waist in return, gave her a light squeeze, and walked along with Jen until their reached her house.

When they got to their destination, Maya hesitated. Should she go in their? She shrugged her shoulders and followed Jen and Emmy in. They climbed the stairs to Jen's bedroom.

Jen walked into her room, showing her friends all her new outfits. THen, she remembered she was supposed to give some to Brooklyn. She hesitated, then remebered that she has an outfit she doesn't really wear that often anymore. It was still cute, though. She took it out of her closet, trying not to feel guilty about giving someone an outfit that was no longer her favorite. Then again, Brooklyn was smaller than her and it would fit her better anyway. "Try it on."