After his dad left for work, Robert turned on the electric kettle on the counter to make tea, then sat at the kitchen table, trying to decide what he should do.   How the hell was he going to find a job within the next two weeks when he was like this, barely functioning?  The answer immediately came to him and he went upstairs to retrieve his mobile.

While he was in his bedroom, he looked at his bed longingly.  What he really wanted more than anything was climb into it, pull the covers over his head and turn off his mind so he could escape again.  But he couldn’t do it.  If he got back in bed, he knew he wouldn’t be able to force himself to get up before his dad returned from work.  He made himself go back downstairs.

As soon as he was in the kitchen he texted Joey, his best mate from his old band.  He knew Joey would be awake by now and getting ready for work.  Before Robert had been kidnapped, they’d worked together at the same house painting job.  He let Joey know he was available if there was an opening with the company.  Joey texted him back almost immediately and told him he’d ask when he got to work.

Robert was hopeful there’d be a spot for him.  It had always seemed they were short a bloke or two when he used to work for them.  Except for the odd blokes that were permanent, most found it to be a pretty boring job and quit as soon as something better came along.  For him and Joey, the job had been a means to an end.  It paid the bills while they tried to make the band successful enough to support them entirely.  Joey must not have minded the work too much, he’d stayed on after the band had dissolved.

While Robert made his tea, he thought about the conversation he’d just had with his dad and how bad things were between them now.  The two of them were about as different from each other as a father and son could be.  His dad worked for large pharmaceutical company as a medicinal chemist, developing new drugs.  He was a typical scientist, with an analytical mind.  It was in stark contrast to Robert, who was creative with a passion for music.

In spite of their differences, their relationship had always been good, unlike many of his mates and their dads.   Or at least it had been until recently.  He hated that they didn’t get on now.  Especially because he’d already felt guilty for the stress and worry he’d caused both his parents in the months before he’d been kidnapped.  He knew it had been a terrible blow to them when he’d decided not to go to university but had instead tried to make a go of it with his band.

There were arguments between the two of them back then but in the end, his parents loved him enough to let him make his own choices, even though they didn’t agree with his decision.  In return, he’d made it a point not to ask them for financial help.  He’d worked hard to make the band successful, determined not to disappoint them.  But then he’d been kidnapped, and everything went to shit after that.  Now their disappointment with him was palpable.

It especially hurt when he remembered the night he’d reunited with them after the two of them had finally been set free. 

---Then---

Robert could hear the low murmur of male voices as he slowly rose from unconsciousness.  Where was he?  What was going on?  And then he remembered a needle being put in his arm.  Georgie.  She’d been lying next to him, already drugged.  Was she there?  Or had the bastard gone back on his word and kept her.  He tried to open his eyes, but they seemed weighted down, too heavy to move, and his limbs were like lead.   

Desperate to confirm she was with him, he listened as hard as he could.  Underneath the sound of men speaking French, he thought he heard breathing, but he wasn't sure.   Fighting hard to gain control over his body, he forced his eyes open, seeing a low ceiling, but it was another minute before he was able to turn his head.   As he took in his surroundings, he could tell he was lying in a bed in a hotel room, and then tremendous relief washed over him – it was Georgie, lying next to him looking like she was sleeping. 

As soon as he could manage it, he rolled over, throwing his arm over her so he could hold her.   She whimpered and stirred, and then her eyes fluttered open.  “Georgie, you’re safe.  Don’t be scared.  I’m here with you,” he whispered.  

She closed her eyes and tears leaked out as she began to cry.  He shushed her and then wanting to get closer to her, struggled to prop himself up on his elbow even though it made his head pound viciously.  Guards at a table across the room noticed him moving and finished a card game while one stood and walked over to the bed, his eyes hard and menacing.  Suddenly terrified, Robert practically laid on top of Georgie, wishing desperately he could move properly.  If the man intended to hurt either of them, Robert was helpless to do anything to stop him.

“Get up!” the guard snarled in a thick accent, and Georgie whimpered, turning her head away from his direction.   “Get her up too!  And make it fast!”

“Alright!  I will!  I will!” Robert agreed readily, tightening his arm around her protectively.   To his relief, the guard walked away.   

He pushed himself to sit up, and then urged Georgie to do the same while he struggled to help her.   She did her best to follow his instructions, but she seemed to be having a harder time recovering from the drugs.  Even when she could sit up, he had to hold her to keep her from falling over, but even more disturbing, she stared straight ahead at nothing. 

As soon as she was sitting on her own and he could let go of her, he managed to stand.  One of the guards came over and held out a pair of slip on sandals to her.  She didn’t move and Robert took them, kneeling to slip them on her feet.  He was startled when another guard came from behind him and shoved the pale blue rucksack the bastard had given Georgie at her chest.  She hugged it blindly.

“Let's go!” the guard barked, and Georgie shrank back in fear.  Robert immediately put his arms around her and helped her stand.   

“It’s alright,” he whispered in her ear, but his heart was pounding with fear.  Were they about to be released, or were they simply being moved to another location where something terrible awaited them?  Praying freedom was on the other side of the hotel door, he half carried her as they walked across the room.

When they stepped out into a dark, bitterly cold night, Georgie sucked in her breath.  All she had on was a grey pullover sweatshirt and grey sweatpants with nothing on underneath.  Robert was only wearing the black t-shirt, jeans, and converse trainers he’d been kidnapped in.

In the hotel car park, an ordinary taxi with its engine running, exhaust steaming from the tail pipe was parked, and Robert’s hopes soared.   They were quickly ushered to it, surrounded by the men.  One opened the rear door and Robert helped Georgie climb in first, but she failed to navigate the running board and tripped, falling into the cab.  He climbed in after her, lifting her up onto the seat.   As soon as he was seated, he hugged her to him tight, feeling her trembling in his arms.

The middle-aged Pakistani driver was handed a slip of paper with the address Robert had written down, and several large pound notes.   Then a clear plastic bag was held out to Robert.   He took it, amazed to see his keys, mobile and wallet for the first time in two months.   The driver eyed them curiously in the mirror as he put the car in gear.

“Wild party, eh?” he said, obviously referring to their disheveled appearance, then chuckled and shook his head, shifting his eyes ahead as he drove out of the car park.  Hearing his accent, Robert knew exactly which part of London the bloke came from and his heart swelled with joy.   He was home. 

He pushed his hair out his eyes, saying, “Yeah, pretty wild,” with a huge grin on his face.

Tears of happiness welled up as he looked down at Georgie leaning against him with her eyes closed, realizing he’d done it.  Against all odds he'd actually freed her.   They were finally safe from the bastard.  And he was going to see his family.   He couldn't wait.   He'd missed them all terribly and he knew they must be sick with worry. 

Georgie trembled in his arms as he held her tight, but after a few minutes in the warm cab, she finally stilled with a sigh.  He wasn’t sure if she’d fallen asleep or was just resting.

“Georgie, you alright?” he asked gently, giving her squeeze.

“Hmm?” She moved her head a little but her eyes remained closed.

“You alright there?”

“Yes, Robert.  I’m good.  I’m sleepy,” she said quietly.  He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.

“You sleep then.  You’re safe with me now.”

“Mm-hm,” she murmured. 

She still didn’t seem to be aware of what was going on and he wasn’t sure if it was the drugs, or if she was still affected by what had happened.  He decided to let her sleep.  It would help her recover and there was no need to rush things.   She’d realize they were free soon enough.

Pulling his mobile from the plastic bag, he turned it on, praying the battery wasn’t dead.  It took a minute, but it powered up and then started chirping as all the text messages from the last two months began being delivered one by one.   It kept chirping and he turned it to vibrate, then he worried the battery would die as it vibrated nearly continuously, and turned it to silent.

While he waited for all the messages to be delivered, he looked out the windows.   It was clear they were in the country as it was nearly completely black outside.   He suspected they were some distance from his home near London to give the men a head start to clear out.

He began reading through his texts, beginning with the ones from the night he’d been kidnapped.  Based on the time the earliest texts were sent, he knew he’d been kidnapped not long after he’d started walking back to his flat from the night club where his band had performed.  The first messages were the usual texts from his mates.   Then there were the ones saying ‘Where are you?’   As time passed, they became progressively more frantic and came from a much wider circle of people, including mates he hadn’t talked to in ages, and even old girlfriends.

He felt an ache in his chest as he began reading the ones sent by his family.   Seeing the panicked messages from his mum, dad, and sisters, begging him to contact them was terrible as he imagined how terrified they must have been.   But the ones sent long after he’d gone missing, were the hardest to read, messages saying how much he was missed and loved, as if he were dead.   He felt equal parts pain and anger course through him seeing how much they'd been made to suffer. 

After nearly an hour, the taxi finally pulled into a car park of a grocery shop not far from his parent’s home, the destination Robert had written down.  He gently shook Georgie, and she woke with a start, looking at him with startled eyes and then looking around wildly. 

“It’s alright, Georgie,” he said gently, and she focused on him, her eyes wide and begging him for reassurance.   “We’re safe.  I promise,” he whispered, and she nodded even though she still looked frightened. 

After he got out of the taxi, he turned, ready to help Georgie as she scooted towards him.  When she stood, he held her, not wanting her to fall but to his relief, she seemed more alert and was able to step away from the taxi on her own.  As soon as he shut the door, the driver pulled away, leaving them alone in the dark silent car park.   

A bitter wind cut through Robert’s clothes and he began shivering almost immediately.   Georgie huddled against him and he took her rucksack, putting it on her back to give her an extra layer of protection.   Then he put her hood up and pulled on the drawstrings, tightening it around her face, trying to keep her warm.   Pulling his mobile out of his pocket, he rang his parent’s house, hugging Georgie tight.   Listening to it ring while they clung to each other, he prayed someone would answer it quickly.

“Hello?” his dad said loudly in a desperate voice, as if he was hoping it was Robert.  As soon as Robert heard that familiar deep voice, his legs nearly gave out as he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

“Da? It’s Robbie!” he sobbed, completely falling apart.  Georgie held him tighter, keeping him steady as he leaned on her for support.

“Robbie! Is that you?" his dad shouted, and his mum cried out in the background.   "Robbie, where are you?” 

“I’m here, da! I’m here!” he sobbed.  “I need you! I need you to come get me!”  He struggled to pull it together, and managed to tell his dad where they were.

“I’m coming right now, Robbie! Don’t move, d’you here me? Don’t move from where you are!” his dad shouted while his mum sobbed.

When the call ended, he clung to Georgie partially because he was still overwhelmed and partially because they were so cold.  He managed to stop crying and wiped his face with his hands.  Georgie looked at him with concern and kissed him gently.  He was worried about the way she was acting.  She was too quiet and still seemed not quite sure what was going on, but he was too overwhelmed to attempt to talk to her.

It wasn’t long before he heard his dad’s car in the quiet night.  And then he was there, putting the car in park and jumping out of it with the engine still running, not bothering to close the door. 

He ran to Robert, shouting, “Robbie!”  Robert let go of Georgie and ran to him.  They hugged tightly, both of them crying.

“I thought I lost ya, lad.  I thought I lost ya,” his dad said, clinging to Robert.

“I know, dad.  I know.  I missed you so much!” Robert replied, holding his dad as tightly as he could.  Then Robert realized his mum wasn’t there.

“Where’s mum?” he asked.   Even in the dim light, he could see the deep lines of worry etched in his dad's face, and he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

“She was afraid it wasn’t really you,” his dad said with his voice breaking.   "She hasn’t – she’s not been well, Robbie.” 

“I want to go home!” Robert demanded desperately, then he realized he’d completely forgotten about Georgie.

Turning around, he saw her standing where he’d left her.  She was hugging herself, shivering from the cold and crying, affected by watching him reunite with his dad.  He immediately went to her and put his arms around her.

“I’m sorry, Georgie.  Are you alright?” he asked.  She nodded, wiping her tears with her sleeve.

“C'mon.  Come meet my dad,” he said gently, and led her over to him.

“Dad, this is Georgie.  She’s with me,” he said simply, and then began tearing up, scarcely able to believe she was really there, and really meeting his dad.  His dad looked at Georgie with surprise and confusion, and then held his hand out.

“Hello – Georgie,” he said hesitantly.  She looked at his hand as if she wasn’t sure what to do, then put her shaking hand in his while looking up at him.

“P-pleased to m-meet you, s-sir,” she said in a small voice that trembled as she shook from the cold.  His dad’s eyes widened as he realized she was an American.  Then he looked to Robert for an explanation.

“Let’s go home! I want to see mum, and then I’ll tell you everything!”

---Now---

It hurt to think of that day now, to remember how happy he was.   Back then, he’d felt like he’d reached the end of a hard fought battle.   Little did he know what was coming.

Sipping his tea, he tried to distract himself by thinking what he might do now that spending the day in bed wasn’t an option.   He briefly thought about ringing Darrell, his best mate, but decided against it.   Darrell was an apprentice bricklayer and would be at work all day.   And Robert wasn’t sure he was ready to be around people just yet, not even Darrell.   Maybe he’d go out for a bit, take a walk and get some fresh air.

His mum appeared in the kitchen doorway and froze when she saw him.

“Robbie!” she exclaimed, relief evident in her face.  Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, the familiar guilt burned through him yet again.  He stood up right away to go to her.

“Hi, mum,” he said, bending down a little so he could put his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.

“Good morning,” she said, rubbing his back.   “It’s so good to see you –.”  She stopped suddenly, but he knew she was about to say ‘out of bed’.

She held onto him for a bit longer than she usually did before releasing him, and he pushed his hair out of his eyes.  She reached up to put her hand on his cheek, and then stopped, letting it drop.  He knew it was because of the beard he’d grown since he’d stopped shaving nearly three weeks ago.  She hadn’t said anything about it but he knew by the way she looked at him, she saw it as a sign there was something seriously wrong with him.

“D’you want me to make you some breakfast?” she asked, turning to go to the tea kettle.

“No, mum.  I’ll just have cereal, yeah?”

“Are you sure? You haven’t been eating enough, Robbie.  You look like you need feeding,” she said with concern.

“Alright,” he said, giving up.  He still didn’t feel hungry but he knew it would make her feel better to feed him.  He sat at the table and she went to the fridge.

As she started cooking, he watched her, thinking she looked good.  She seemed healthier, even with the dark circles under her eyes.  She’d put back on some of the weight she’d lost, regaining the curvy figure she’d always had, and her coloring had improved.  Then she turned towards him.

“D’you want to talk about it?” she asked.

“Mum, please.  Don’t, alright?” he said gently but firmly.  He couldn’t bear to get into it, especially because he knew they’d be talking about her.  He wasn’t nearly strong enough for that.

“Alright, Robbie.  I just want you to know that if you do want to talk, I’m here for you.”

“I know, mum,” he said quietly, looking away as he slumped in his chair.   

Swallowing against the pain in his throat, he felt the ever present ache in his chest get worse.  He was grateful she let it drop.  He knew how hard it was for her not to say the things she wanted to say – the things about Georgie.

---Then---

It wasn’t long before his dad pulled in front of Robert’s home.  As they walked up the garden path, Robert led Georgie by the hand, wanting to make sure he kept her with him.  He stepped into the sitting room and when he saw his mum, he was shocked and then terrified.

She looked terrible.  Her face was ashen as if all the life had been drained out of her.   Her brown eyes looked haunted and sunken in a little.  He could tell she’d lost weight as she sagged on the couch.  Even her light brown curly hair was limp.  She looked as if she’d aged ten years over the last two months.  It was obvious she’d been sick.

She’d been crying but as soon as she saw him, she screamed, “Robbie!”

“Mum!”  He let go of Georgie’s hand and collapsed at his mum’s feet, burying his face in her chest and sobbing uncontrollably while he hugged her tightly.   

“My baby, my baby,” she cried while Georgie wailed in the background.  When he’d recovered enough to stop crying, he lifted his head.

“I love you, mum!   I missed you!” 

She put her hands on his cheeks, looking like she was drinking him in with her eyes while his dad hovered close by, watching her as if he was afraid something was going to happen to her.  Then Robert reached out for Georgie, calling her name.  He wanted to be certain he didn’t forget her this time.  She wiped her tears with her sleeve as she walked to him hugging her rucksack to her chest.  When she took his hand, he turned to his mum.

“Mum, this is Georgie.  She saved me,” he said with his voice breaking, overcome with emotion again. 

Georgie knelt in front of his mum reverently and looked up at her with her intense gaze.  His mum’s eyes widened, as if she wasn’t sure about her and Georgie said in a hushed voice, “I’m so glad to meet you, Mrs.  – Mrs.  –.”  She stopped, appearing confused and looked at Robert.

“Bennett.” he said quickly.

She turned to his mum, saying in the same hushed voice, “I’m so glad to meet you, Mrs.  Bennett.  I see Robert in you.” 

His mum appeared startled before she managed to hide it, saying hesitantly, “Uh, hello, Georgie,” while his dad eyed her carefully.

It hurt him to see how his parents were looking at her, as if she might not be alright.  It wasn’t entirely their fault.  She looked dreadful, like an escapee from a mental institution.  Her hair was still half pulled out of her braid from when she’d thought she lost him, her face pale and blotchy, her eyes red rimmed from crying.  He’d long been used to how she’d look at him intensely sometimes, with her eyes a little too wide, but he remembered how it used to make him feel uncomfortable when he’d first met her.  He was grateful she didn’t seem to notice how they were looking at her.  He didn’t want her to be hurt by their reactions.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room and he decided it was time to tell his parents what had happened.  He hadn’t planned out what he would say, but now that he was with them, he didn’t hesitate to tell the truth, or at least part of it.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes, saying, “Mum? Dad? The night I disappeared, I was kidnapped.  All this time, I’ve been held – a – a prisoner.”

His mum cried out sharply, putting her hand over her mouth, while his dad exclaimed, “Bloody hell!”

“They didn’t hurt me,” he reassured them quickly, taking his mum’s hand in his.  “I was held in this place – it was like a posh flat really – not a terrible place at all.”

“Where? Where did they take you?” his dad asked sharply.

“I don’t know.  They drugged me when they took me there and when they brought me back.  I never was able to figure out where I was,” he said, trying to sound believable.

“Who did this to you, Robbie? Who were they?” his dad demanded angrily.

“I don’t know who they were, dad.  I was never able to find that out either.  Georgie was there.  They’d been holding her for years.” Georgie hung her head as he began talking about her.  “She helped me.  She kept me from going mental.  She saved my life.  When they told me they were going to release me, I – I begged them to let me take her with me.” Georgie suddenly looked up at him.

“They let me take her – but only if I promised not to tell anyone the truth.  I’m telling you the truth because you deserve to know, but I’m going to tell everyone else a made up story.  Everyone has to hear the lie.  Even Mary and Betsy! I beg you not to tell anyone what really happened!”  He could see by the looks on their faces, his parents weren’t sure if they believed him.

“Robbie, this is crazy!  It doesn’t make any sense!” his dad shouted.  “If they really did kidnap you, they just can’t get away with it! I won’t let them!” Robert was terrified.  He had to make them understand how serious the situation was, how dangerous it was.

“No, dad!  Listen to me!” he said desperately.  “The fact is, I love Georgie.  They said if I told anyone the truth, they’d take her!  They said they’d hurt her – maybe – maybe even kill her!  Please, don’t tell anyone!  I’m begging you!”  As he buried his face in his mum’s lap and cried, he knew he couldn’t tell them more than that.  He wouldn’t.  They’d already been tortured by the fucking bastard enough.

Someone, either his mum or Georgie, was stroking his hair and he struggled to pull himself together.  When he sat up, Georgie’s hand dropped to her lap as she looked at him with sad eyes.  His parents were looking at each other, silently communicating but stopped when they noticed him watching them.  His dad cleared his throat.

“Well, we’ll sort this out soon enough, Robbie.  I should call your sisters to let them know you’re home.  We can deal with the rest in the morning, yeah?”

“And you won’t tell anyone the truth? I’m not asking you to lie, just let me do the explaining.   Please!” he pleaded.

“Alright, Robbie,” he said with a defeated sigh, and Robert slumped with relief.

---Now---

His mum shook him out of his thoughts by setting down two plates with a full breakfast of fried eggs, beans, ham, grilled tomatoes and toast.  Just looking at all that good food made him realize how hungry he was.

“This is brilliant, mum.  Cheers,” he said gratefully.

“Do you fancy some more tea?”

“Yeah, but I’ll get it, yeah?  Sit, mum,” he suggested gently.  Just as he stood, his mobile vibrated as he got a text.

While he read it, his mum asked, “Who’s that?”

“It’s Joey.  I’ve got a job, mum,” he replied.

“That’s fantastic, Robbie!” his mum exclaimed, beaming at him.

“Yeah,” he said, and for the first time in over a month, he could smile a little.

****

Please make sure to read the bottom of this A/N for important information you'll definitely want to know!

The reunions with Robert's mom and dad are probably my favorite parts of this chapter.  Being a parent myself, the writing came from my heart and I'm really proud of it.

This chapter is dedicated to each person who nominated Stolen Hearts for the Best Adult Perspective Award!  Thanks to you all for making it a finalist!

What happened that made Georgie decide to leave Robert?  Will she change her mind and come back to him?  Will he seek her out to try to win her back?  Will he be able to pick up the pieces of his shattered life?  You'll have to keep reading to find out!  If you liked this chapter, please show it a bit of love with a vote!  And leave me a comment, let me know what you think about how the story is playing out so far! 

Just like with Stolen Hearts, this is a mystery as much as a romance and I want to make sure the questions you have are answered fully before I finish writing the story. 

Just so you know:

Robert will find out why he was kidnapped.

Georgie’s history will be told more fully including how the bastard got her.