Allen had just returned from the station. His shift ended sooner than his dad's and brothers, so he usually just curled up with Mia and talked about the day. But when he entered, the house was.... quiet. Too quiet.

" Mia!" He called, searching the house. " Miaaaaa! Where are you?"

When no reply came, Allen thought of the worse- case- senarios. 

' Stay calm, Allen.' His brain instructed him. ' Call your family and ask them if they've seen her.'

Allen nodded, took a deep breath, and dialed his father and Clemmons's numbers.

________________________

" Great job, everyone! ! We saved the d-"

Freya was cut off when Clemmons's phone rang.

" Clemmons! Clemmons! It's me, Allen!" Then the ring tone paused. " Well, not really Allen. This is a voice rec-"

Clemmons fumbled with his phone, while Freya said, " everyone is dismissed. Buster, Clemmon, with me."

Clemmons accepted the call. Duke's voice filled the room.

" She's not here!" He said, panicked.

" Who? Who's not where?" Clemmons asked.

" Oh, thank goodness you answered. Clemmons, is mom and Buster with you?" Allen asked

" Yep." Clemmons confirmed.

" Has Mia come by the station?"

Clemmons looked at Freya, who shook her head.

" No, why?"

Allen sighed.

" Mia's run away."

Clemmons and the others remained quiet for a few seconds. Then, Clemmons threw the phone in the air and started yelling, " AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Buster, who had his eyes on his brother's phone, jumped in the air and fumbled to catch it.

" What do you mean ' run away'?!" Duke yelled.

" I don't kno-" Allen stopped, and took a sharp breath.

" What? What happened? What did you find?!" Clemmons asked, still running.

" Letters. One from Mia and the other from some random person." Allen picked one up, and read it.

" Oh, dear." He muttered.

" What? What does the letter say?" Freya practically yelled.

" It says she thinks we'll be better without her."

" What?!" Duke yelled.

_____________________

" I don't understand!" Freya said, rubbing her head as she examined both letters for the umpteenth time.

" Exactly! We love her!" Duke agreed, already thinking of what to do.

" Should we send the boys out to look for her?"

Freya turned to the couch and sighed.

" No," She replied. " That's not gonna be a good idea."

Allen and Clemmons were clinging onto Buster, who's eyes were squeezed tight. Allen was hypervating, and Clemmons was trying to breath. Trying. They were all wearing night suit. Those really comfy night suits.

"Well... um... erm... what should we do?" Duke asked, his voice filled with desperation as he looked at Freya.

Freya took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "We need to calm down first. Panicking won't help us find Mia."

"Exactly," Duke agreed, though his own hands were shaking. "Let's think logically. Where would Mia go if she felt she had to leave?"

Freya nodded, trying to focus. "She loves the forest, remember? It's her favorite place to be when she wants to think."

Clemmons, still in a state of panic, was pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath. "We need to find her. We need to find her."

Allen, struggling to control his breathing, clutched Buster tightly. "Yes, the forest! That's where she always goes when she's upset."

Duke grabbed his keys. "Alright, I'll head to the forest. Allen, Clemmons, and Buster, stay here and keep an eye out in case she comes back. Freya, can you call Harl? Maybe he saw something."

Freya nodded and quickly dialed Harl's number. As she spoke to him, Duke hurried to the door, giving one last reassuring glance at his sons. "We'll find her. Just stay calm."

As Duke drove to the forest, his mind raced with worry and guilt. How had he not noticed Mia feeling this way? How had they let her get to the point of running away?

When he reached the forest, he parked his car and began to search, calling out Mia's name. "Mia! Mia, where are you?"

The forest was dense, and the evening shadows made it harder to see. Duke pushed through the underbrush, his heart pounding with every step. "Mia, please, come back!"

Meanwhile, back at home, Freya was finishing her call with Harl. "Thank you, Harl. Please let us know if you see or hear anything."

She turned to her sons, who were still huddled together on the couch. "Harl hasn't seen her, but he'll keep an eye out. We need to stay here and wait for any news."

Allen, still trembling, looked up at his mother. "What if we can't find her, Mom?"

Freya sat down beside him, pulling him and Clemmons into a tight embrace. "We will find her, Allen. We just need to stay strong and believe that she'll come back to us."

In the forest, Duke continued his search, his voice growing hoarse from shouting. He was about to give up hope when he heard a faint noise. He stopped, listening intently.

"Mia?" he called out, his voice breaking.

There was a rustle in the bushes, and then a figure emerged. It was a deer.

" Awwwww, it's a deer!" Duke cooed. 

The deer, who got spooked from the person, ran away.

" Wait" He cried. " I just want to ask you some questions!"

The deer, oblivious to what he was saying, vanished.

" Ah, well. Seems silly to go around, asking a deer if it's seen Mia." Duke chuckled, walking to his police car which was parked at the outskirts of the woods. But it wasn't there. 

In fact, it was no where in sight.

Duke sighed, and called Allen.

" Dispatch, my car has..... vanished."

" What?! How?" Freya asked.

" I don't know! How should I know?!"

Freya took a deep breath, trying to stay calm despite the rising panic. She turned to Buster and Clemmons, who were still huddled together on the couch.

"Buster, Clemmons, I need flashlight, some rope, a first aid kit, a couple of blankets, and the binoculars, walkie-talkies from the kitchen drawer and hot cocoa."

Clemmons and Buster exchanged confused looks.

" But why-"

" No time!" Freya said, cutting Clemmons off.

Buster and Clemmons scrambled off the couch and started gathering the items. Buster grabbed the flashlight from the drawer in the living room while Clemmons headed to the garage for the rope and binoculars. They met back in the kitchen where they quickly found the first aid kit and the walkie-talkies. Allen helped too, by getting hot cocoa.  But then drinking it. All of it.

"Got it all, Mom," Clemmons said, breathlessly, holding up the items.

"Good," Freya replied, her voice steady. "Now, Buster, I need you to stay here with Allen. Make sure he stays calm and keep an eye out for Mia in case she comes back. Clemmons, you're coming with me to search the neighborhood."

Buster nodded, looking determined. "Okay, Mom."

Freya grabbed the items and handed the walkie-talkies to Allen and Buster. "Keep one of these with you at all times. If you see or hear anything, call me immediately."

With that, Freya and Clemmons rushed out the door. As they drove through the neighborhood, Freya's mind raced with thoughts of Mia. She couldn't shake the guilt and worry that gnawed at her. How could they have let this happen?

Back in the forest, Duke continued his search on foot. He heard the faint sound of a helicopter in the distance and looked up, hoping it was Allen coming to help.

"Please, let her be safe," Duke muttered to himself as he pushed deeper into the woods.

Meanwhile, Freya and Clemmons drove slowly through the streets, calling out Mia's name and checking every possible hiding spot. The walkie-talkie crackled to life, and Allen's voice came through, shaky but determined.

"Mom, Dad thinks Mia might have taken his car."

Freya's heart skipped a beat. "Okay, Allen. We'll keep an eye out for the car too. Stay safe and keep the walkie-talkie on."

Clemmons looked at his mom with wide eyes. "Do you think Mia really took the car?"

Freya sighed, her mind racing. "I don't know, Clemmons. But we need to find her, and we need to do it fast."

As they continued their search, a sudden thought struck Freya. "Clemmons, call Harl again and ask if he knows any other places Mia might go. Maybe there's somewhere we haven't thought of."

Clemmons quickly dialed Harl's number and relayed the message. Moments later, Harl responded with a few more suggestions—places Mia liked to explore when she was feeling adventurous.

Freya nodded. "Let's check those places next."

The search continued, with the family more determined than ever to find Mia and bring her back home safely. As the night wore on, they hoped against hope that Mia was safe and that their efforts would soon be rewarded.

Meanwhile, back at home, Allen was in full-blown panic mode. He paced back and forth, his breathing rapid and shallow, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

"Mia's gone, Buster! What if we never find her? What if something terrible happens? This is all my fault! I should have been watching her closer!" Allen blurted out, his words tumbling over each other.

Buster sat on the couch, his face a picture of concern and determination. His wide eyes followed Allen's frantic movements, and his furrowed brow showed his deep worry. Buster's hand gestures tried to convey calmness, but Allen was too overwhelmed to notice.

"She could be anywhere! What if she's hurt? What if she's... no, I can't even think about that!" Allen continued, his voice rising with each word.

Buster finally stood up and placed a hand on Allen's shoulder, squeezing it firmly. He gave Allen a look that said, "We need to stay calm and think."

Allen took a shaky breath and nodded, trying to regain control. "You're right, Buster. I need to calm down. But what do we do? We need a plan."

Buster pointed to the walkie-talkie on the table, then to his watch, and finally mimed taking deep breaths. Allen understood: they needed to keep communication open, wait for any updates, and stay calm.

"Okay, okay," Allen muttered, taking a few deep breaths. "We'll wait for Mom, Dad, and Clemmons to check in. But I feel so useless just sitting here!"

Buster shook his head and pointed to the windows, indicating they should keep an eye out for any sign of Mia or the missing car. He then mimed searching around the house, suggesting they could look for any clues Mia might have left behind.

"Good idea, Buster," Allen agreed, feeling a bit more focused. "Let's search the house again. Maybe we missed something."

The two boys split up, meticulously combing through each room, looking for any hint of where Mia might have gone. Allen checked under beds, inside closets, and behind furniture, while Buster carefully examined Mia's favorite hiding spots.

As they searched, Allen's walkie-talkie crackled to life. It was Freya. "Allen, any sign of Mia yet?"

"No, Mom," Allen replied, his voice a bit more controlled. "We're searching the house again for clues. How about you?"

"We're checking a few places Harl suggested. Keep us posted if you find anything," Freya said.

"Will do," Allen answered, exchanging a determined nod with Buster.

As they continued their search, Allen's mind kept racing, but he tried to stay focused. "We have to find her, Buster. We just have to."

Buster nodded, his expression a mix of determination and worry.

Suddenly, Buster remembered something. His eyes lit up with a realization, and he quickly pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his photo gallery until he found what he was looking for—a picture that might give them a clue about Mia's whereabouts. He showed the picture to Allen, who glanced at it and promptly fainted.

Confused, Buster looked at the photo again to understand why it had such an effect on Allen. It was a picture of a hunter with sharp blades, something Allen had always found terrifying. Buster sighed deeply. Typical Allen. He always fainted at the sight of anything remotely scary.

Buster gently shook Allen, trying to wake him up. "Come on, Allen. We don't have time for this," he thought, wishing he could speak.

After a few moments, Allen's eyes fluttered open. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. "What happened?" he mumbled.

Buster held up the picture again, this time covering the hunter with his thumb, and pointed to the background. 

Then Allen fainted again, this time collapsing hard onto the floor. Buster sighed deeply, his worry momentarily giving way to exasperation. He hauled Allen onto the couch and turned on every fan in the room, hoping to revive his brother more quickly this time.

A few minutes later, Allen began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked at the ceiling fan whirring above him, disoriented but slowly coming back to his senses. "Someone kidnapped my sister!" he suddenly shouted, jumping up from the couch in a panic.

Buster tried to calm him down, but Allen was already bolting toward the phone. He grabbed the receiver and yelled into it, "Dad! Mom! Someone kidnapped Mia!"

Freya, on the other end of the line, was startled by Allen's frantic shouting. "Allen, calm down! What do you mean someone kidnapped Mia?"

Allen was breathing heavily, his mind racing. "Buster showed me a picture of a hunter with sharp blades, and he thinks he saw someone like that outside earlier. What if they took Mia?"

Freya's voice was calm but urgent. "Allen, listen to me. Take a deep breath. We don't know for sure that Mia was kidnapped. She might still be hiding somewhere. We'll keep looking. Stay at the house with Buster and keep your eyes open."

Buster nodded, gently prying the phone out of Allen's hands. Then he led his brother to the kitchen and handed him a glass of water. Allen accepted it with shaking hands and took a sip, trying to calm his nerves.

Suddenly, Allen began to sputter uncontrollably. His eyes went wide, and he pointed toward the window, his face turning pale. Buster looked in the direction Allen was pointing and saw a figure standing outside.

Allen, in his panic, scrambled onto the kitchen table and then leaped onto the chandelier, clinging to it like his life depended on it. "There's a guy with a gun!" he yelled, his voice high-pitched with fear.

Buster squinted, trying to make out the figure. The person stepped into the light, revealing themselves to be Clemmons, who was holding a toy gun. He was just arriving home, completely oblivious to the chaos inside.

Clemmons looked up, confused, and saw Allen dangling from the chandelier. "What's going on?" he asked, bewildered.

Allen, still clinging to the chandelier, shouted, "Someone wants to kill Mia!"

Clemmons's face turned pale, and he started running around the kitchen, screaming, "AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Buster, standing in the middle of the chaos, shook his head and sighed deeply. He motioned for Clemmons to calm down, then gestured for Allen to get down from the chandelier. But they were both in their own fantasy worlds.

Buster sighed. This was gonna be a long night.