Monday. January 24h, 2011

The piece of English muffin Bailey had bitten into turned tasteless as the news from the television sunk in. Reaching for her glass of orange juice she took a sip, washing down the food before reaching over to turn the volume up.

"Oh dear," Gale mumbled, bringing her slightly damp hand to her chest, leaving the bleach stained rag she'd been cleaning the counter with. A small gasp escaped again, like what was happening hadn't fully registered as she watched the flat screen on the kitchen countertop. "She goes to your school, Bailey. Did you know her?" she asked.

Bailey licked her dry lips, trying to work around the cotton feeling in her mouth. "Not well, but her party was the first one I'd gone to. Remember? When I taped my chest?"

Gale paused, shaking her head in disbelief, "That poor girl, poor mother. I'll bet Wes is beside himself with calls," she continued, almost as an afterthought.

Bailey nodded. "He'll be so upset. He's gonna think it was his fault."

Gale sighed. "That man needs to separate himself from his job sometimes."

"I don't believe he thinks it's a job."

Sherriff Lambert had been with the town for three years, and two of those years as acting Sherriff, according to Gwen, who seemed pretty taken with the older man. The town trusted him, more importantly his actions spoke louder with how many successful cases that had crossed his path, and Wes Lambert was very, very good at his job. Good would be an understatement, seeing as it wasn't a job to Wes, he loved his town, and protecting the people of it. With this kidnapping people would be depending on Wes for results, but Bailey knew this would hurt him.

"You should cook the Levy's something and bring some to the Sherriff. And coffee, they're all going to be up all night," Bailey finished whispering the last part. "This is kind of surreal," she mumbled. "I never thought it could happen here."

"I'm talking to Wes about getting you a stun gun."

"Mother!"

"And mace. This is not going to happen to my baby. I'll be speaking at the town council meeting about this as well. We need to make our girls ready for anything now. I better call Mel," she spoke swiftly, determined, the wet stained rag completely forgotten as she went to the cordless phone.

Melissa Atherton and Gale had become pretty close in the time they'd been living in Haven. They were the exact opposite of each other, Gale, slightly crazy and eccentric, Mel, a little up tight, sometimes snooty too, but Bailey assumed that it started because of the almost instant friendship between their daughters.

She picked up the phone and started dialing, while continuing to speak with Bailey. "Where is your brother?"

Shrugging, Bailey glanced down at the food in front of her, her appetite suddenly diminished. "I don't know. I think Grayson and Damien knew Samantha."

Gale turned towards her daughter, visibly wincing at the new bit of knowledge. "Well, the Sherriff is going to find her," she assured giving Bailey a small smile before turning her back to her. "Mel! Have you seen the news?"

Adjusting the jacket to her school uniform before Bailey swiveled in her chair to call out to her brother. "Mattie! Better start movin' it!"

She turned her attention back to the television as she heard the gallop down the stairs indicating he was coming for food. She flipped the off switch. Matt didn't need to know about this.

Bailey liked to tease him about scary things when they didn't actually happen, but when they did, and he found out about it, his sleep walking got worse.

"I was watching the TV. Someone got snatched from your school, Bails!"

Bailey cringed, knowing she'd have to leave her door open tonight to make sure he didn't fall down the stairs. "You shouldn't be watching TV when you're getting ready for school. It makes you slow and slow makes ya late!"

"Did you know her?" he asked curiously.

Bailey shook her head and got up to empty her bagel into the trash. She placed her glass and plate in the sink, and then reached for a bowl as Matt went to grab the milk with his favorite box of marshmallow cereal. She handed the bowl to him before answering. "I didn't know her well."

"Thanks," he said, as he pulled the bowl closer to dispense the cereal. "Well I guess that's something then. If this guy's after girls in Haven now, you should get something. I told you to sign up for karate with me, but do you listen? No."

She elbowed him gently in the shoulder as he shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

He swiftly jerked away, giving her a glare, "Quit dork," his warning growl muffled by the contents being chewed in his mouth. "I bet it's that guy who buries girls."

Bailey saw Gale stiffen apparently listening to both Mel and Matt. Bailey asked the question she knew Gale wanted answered. "How do you know about that?"

"I'm not a moron. Even if you guys do ban the news from me there's still school."

"Hmm, that's not a very decent topic for middle schoolers," Bailey mumbled, propping her hip on the chair nearest to him.

"Don't do that."

Bailey raised an eyebrow at his stern tone, "Don't what?"

"I don't need two Moms, Bails."

She smiled at him and reached for the damp dishrag Gale had left discarded on the counter and threw it at his face, but his karate classes seemed to be paying off since he caught it. "Not tryin' to be, just pointing out a fact, Mattie."

He frowned, giving her a perturbed look. "Sure you are," he snorted then whipped his mouth with his sleeve. "His victims turn up dead after six months."

"Matthew!" This time it was Gale, the clear worry in her voice causing it to shake slightly.

"How do you know that?" Bailey asked casually, reaching over to capture a wet marshmallow from his bowl.

He shrugged, batting her hand away. "Know a lot about it."

Bailey knew a lot about it too, but only because she'd been in a class that had been rather outspoken about it nine months ago.

"How do you know a lot about it?"

"I was curious. Did some research, connected the dots, the usual."

Bailey snorted and then reached for her book bag that was on the floor near the end of the counter. "Okay oh genius one."

Gale placed the phone in the cradle. "I'm not at all worried about my children's morbid ideas of what's considered okay to research. No, not at all."

"I don't think that could have been any more sarcastic," Bailey chuckled.

"At least she'll know what to look for if some freak starts coming around her," Matthew commented, nodding in Bailey's direction. "If only she'd taken some type of self defense class-hey Mom, Sherriff Lambert would give Bails a stun gun, he likes her."

"God, what is it with you two and stun guns? I gotta get going. Gwen's going to be here soon."

Just as she said it a horn blared from the outside.

"You know," she added before letting a grin slide to her face. "Dangerous times to be a female teenager. Should I say ?"

The spoonful of cereal Matt had been about to chomp, fell making a clattering noise as it hit the white dish. With his face flushed red with anger and a fear so vividly obvious, Bailey almost felt bad for making the comment. "Bailey, that's not funny! Mom, tell her!"

"Oh Bailey," was all Gale could manage with a shake of her head.

"I couldn't resist," she chuckled. "!" she called as she exited the kitchen and headed for the front door.

Bailey had to bite back a laugh as she heard the groan that followed.

When she walked outside the harsh, cold wind whipped her hair into her face and took her breath away. She pulled the coat she'd grabbed before leaving, tighter around her, zipping it up while rushing to Gwen's Bentley.

"Hey."

When Gwen didn't respond with her usual chipper self Bailey knew what the cause was. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her she'd been right about Grayson and Damien being close friends with Samantha Levy. It was very clear the news of her disappearance had taken its toll on Gwen. She couldn't imagine what Grayson and Damien would look like.

"Everybody is going to be talking," Gwen spoke softly, staring off into space out the window. "Damien and Grayson are pretty messed up about it."

"How well did they know her?"

"They went to a lot of parties together. Sam was the go to girl for great parties. She wasn't promiscuous or anything though, she just knew how to have a good time. You remember?"

Bailey nodded. "I will forget it."

That first party had gotten wild and Samantha had ended up phoning the Sherriff for some help in getting rid of everyone. Her first party and the cops show, she'd been even more wary of them ever since.

"I still can't believe she called the cops on her own party," Gwen chuckled. The nostalgic reminiscing caused her voice to crack.

"I was traumatized. I went up to Sherriff Lambert begging him not to arrest me."

Gwen snorted, swerving the car into the parking lot of Starbucks. "That was hilarious."

"Says you," Bailey grumbled.

"Bails, do you think you could go in and get my stuff too? I'm not yet ready for this."

Bailey frowned, glanced at Gwen, and felt her heart tug a little at the ashen look on her friends face. "Sure."

"Make it a double please."

Clearly Gwen was going to need it. Bailey got a double for herself too.

With the hot foaming drinks in her hand she walked back to the car, thinking of how Raj hadn't teased Bailey about her childish hairstyle when she'd seen her in line for coffee. It was something Raj had done ever since Bailey had worn a pink ribbon to that party. Raj wasn't Bailey's favorite person, but the disappearance of Samantha was having a big impact on everyone. It was hitting a little too close to home for many people.

"Thanks," Gwen whispered, blowing into the small opening on the lid before taking a cautious sip. "After school, I'm going to stock up on Starbuck's coffee and muffins for the police department. You wanna come?"

Bailey nodded. "They're going to need it. They won't be able to sleep for a while."

Gwen bowed her head, her red hair curtaining her face. "I don't think any of us will for a while. Who knew this could happen here? To someone we know? I don't feel safe here anymore and I hate that. I can't even turn the corner without jumping."

Bailey suddenly felt bad about making the joke she had before leaving. She hadn't known Samantha well and though the joke of 'I'll be back' and 'dangerous times for a female teenager' hadn't been aimed at her, they'd been the cause of them.

Setting the coffee down in the cup holder she rested her head against the cool window, watching trees and other cars pass by as Gwen finally pulled into the parking lot at school.

"What's wrong? Other than the obvious," Gwen asked, turning the car off and removing her seatbelt.

"I made a stupid comment this morning that seemed funny at the time, but not really anymore. I reacted differently than you and everyone else has. I shouldn't have said it."

"Oh? What'd ya say?"

"Dangerous times for a female teenager and I'll be back."

"Bailey," Gwen shook her head in disappointment before letting out a strangled laugh.

"I feel guilty about laughing."

"Bails, that's how you deal with serious things, that or you get angry and you make jokes or sarcastic comments. Don't feel guilty," Gwen paused as she saw Damien getting out of his car. "Are you ready for this?"

"I suppose."

She really wasn't.

The look on Grayson's face was just the beginning and she went to him first. He was, after all, her fake boyfriend and though the relationship was a fake, the friendship was not. His embrace was crushing and he didn't let go. His masculine cologne filled her nostrils as she inhaled, curving her face into his neck, and wrapping her arms around him.

"This is insane," he whispered in her ear.

Bailey didn't say anything at first as she held onto him, smoothing her hand comfortingly up and down his back. She was guilty she didn't feel more upset about the situation, but really all she could think was that it was lucky it wasn't herself or Gwen, and when she wasn't thinking that, she wasn't believing it had happened.

"They think it's that serial killer that buries people," she heard Damien speaking to Gwen.

"Hmm? What's Déjà vu?" Grayson asked pulling away.

"Oh um, Mattie said something about it being the Gravedigger."

"Gravedigger?"

"That's what they called the killer in Bones, she buried people alive. It's a TV show," Bailey informed him.

Humor showed in his eyes, but he managed to keep his grim expression. "You watch way too much TV."

The bell rang and even though it was the warning bell, kids that had been in the hall were lingering unhappily in the corridor. When they finally decided to go in it turned out we weren't really having class. The school was pulling kids out for counseling, starting with those who knew her and as the day progressed to third period the teachers had been asked to have group counseling for those who wanted it.

Now in third period Bailey prepared for another round of discussion and speculations of who Samantha was, who'd taken her, if she was alive.

"She's probably not dead," Seth Wilson spoke out.

Some gasped at his forthright comment, some turned to look at him curiously wanting him to continue.

"What do you mean?" Bailey asked.

"If it is this sicko that buries girls alive that is, since, you know, he plays with them first. Right?"

Bailey heard the gasps dissolve quickly into sobs and though she wanted to continue the conversation the teacher put an end to it.

It was going to be a long day.