CHAPTER 37

(Nikki's POV)

Tom and I were at a complete loss, I didn't know where to start. Steve had never been round here, if he even was still around here... The more time passed the less chance I had of finding my daughter alive. I sunk back in my seat, feeling hopeless when we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll get it" Tom said standing up

He crossed the floor, his footsteps echoing on the laminate floor. The door opened and I heard voices.

"Is Nikki in?" The voice asked

Hearing my name I stood up and walked over to the door standing behind Tom.

"Nikki..." The policeman said

"What's happened?"

"We need you to come with us" He said

"Why? What's going on?" I asked

"We've found her"

A feeling of hope rose inside my chest but the police didn't seem that enthusiastic about it... I didn't need telling twice. I grabbed my phone and keys not even bothering with my coat and went out to the police car. Tom was waiting at the house because he didn't want to overwhelm her.

We pulled up at some abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't far from a lake but I'd never been here before. We weren't the only police vehicle and I was told to wait in the back of the car until it was safe. A load of armed police piled out of the back of a van silently and surrounded the house, one kicked the door in and I lost sight of them. A few minutes later they came out with a man in handcuffs, it looked like Steve but I couldn't be sure because of the swarm of police around him.

The policeman closest to the car, nodded at me and I flung the door open running as fast as I possibly could towards the house. I ran inside and downstairs into the basement where the trail of police led me. There were a few rooms and I ran to the one where I could here voices.

"Tink!" I said, as I entered the room

I got a shock when I saw who it was... It wasn't Tink... It was Vix. She was stood up and talking, she seemed to be okay. But, I hugged her quickly and tightly anyway.

"What happened?" I asked

"I'll explain later, you need to find Tink"

I nodded, turning around and rushing out of the room. The police kicked doors in one by one until we found her. Slumped against a wall suspended from a pipe by her wrists in handcuffs. She wasn't awake and her face and arms had blood on. One of the police broke the handcuffs, freeing her and I put my hands on her face.

"Tink? Can you hear me?" I asked her

One of the policemen handed me a bottle of water and I took the lid off pouring a little bit into her mouth. It took a few minutes but it did the trick and she opened her eyes slowly, grabbing the bottle and pouring the water down her throat.

"Hey, go easy you'll make yourself sick" I told her

When she stopped drinking, I held her tightly to my chest, after a while she pulled away and I cupped her face in my hands stroking her cheeks softly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, the concern clear in my voice

She nodded softly.

"Come on lets get you out of here" I said

I helped her stand up but she was shaky on her feet. I wrapped my arm around her torso supporting most of her weight and I got Vix and we walked up the stairs and outside. There was an ambulance waiting as we left the house and the paramedics approached us slowly. Tink stopped dead in her tracks, I turned to look at her. She was shaking her head.

"No... No... No..." She shook her head more and more violently, panicking as she did so

"Hey its alright" I said rubbing her arm softly

"Nooo... You don't get it. Look..." She said pointing towards the ambulance

I turned to glance at the ambulance.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked

"The blood... Can't you see it?" She asked panicked

Her face said it all, she was terrified and she backed away from me. I'd gotten so use to things being calm at home, it had never crossed my mind the effect that it'd have on her if she hadn't had her medication.

"Tink listen to me, it's not real sweetheart..." I tried to persuade her

"No... No!" She said "Mum! Mum!"

She'd never called me that before, then I realised she wasn't. She wasn't calling for me. She was calling Vix. She was hallucinating... She was probably just confused. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the ambulance kicking and screaming. I cuddled her tightly while they sedated her and then sat with Vix on the trip to the hospital.

(Tink's POV)

I woke up in hospital feeling a bit cloudy headed, they'd patched me up pretty well and I was hooked up to a drip. I sat up a little wobbly still but, I definitely felt a bit stronger though. My wrists had been bandaged and the cuts on my face had been clean and stitched where necessary and dressed. Nikki and Vix were sat with me.

"How you feeling?" Nikki asked

"I'm okay, just want my own bed" I told her

"I'm sure they'll let you out when you're ready"

"Are you okay?" I asked Vix

She nodded and smiled, "I'm fine, few scratches but I'm okay"

"Have you told her?"

Vix nodded once more.

"I know everything" Nikki said softly

It took a while but they finally let me go home a few hours later. I had my family back and I really didn't care what had or hadn't happened. Now we had a future to look forward to and a wedding to plan. My life was full of moments. Good ones and bad ones, big ones and small ones. I just had to find happiness where and when I could.

THE END