Unbreak My Heart

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera Potter anxiously paced back and forth across her living room as she waited for her little sister to arrive. The twins were sleeping upstairs as she had put them to bed an hour ago, making excuses for why their father was not there to tuck them in as well. She had to be strong for them despite the fact that she felt like a total wreck on the inside. Where in the bloody hell was James? He had gone out hours ago to pick up something from her shop. The outing shouldn't have taken him more than an hour. As the minutes and then hours ticked by, Kiera began to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was not right. When night fell and her husband had not returned, Kiera had phoned Kat to come and watch the children, so she could go look for him. Katheryn had promised to leave immediately and was expected any minute. Kiera's honey eyes looked up as she heard the latch on the door click open. She was hopeful her eyes would be meeting those of her husband's. No such luck. She stared straight into her sister's icy blue eyes that bared an uncanny resemblance to her brother and mother's eyes. Kiera embraced Kat, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she tried to force them back. "Oh, Kat. Thank you for coming. Link and Lyra are asleep upstairs. I will be back soon. I have to find him." she said, her voice shaky. With a kiss on Kat's cheek, Kiera walked out the front door.

Kiera apparated first to Ollivander's to see if James had in fact made it to shop to pick up the book she had requested. The brunette only had to take a few steps into the shop to see that James had never made it to the shop. The book was still lying open on the countertop, right where she had left it yesterday. Kiera could feel her heart beating faster as she began to imagine the very worst. She quickly walked around the shop, checking to see if there were any clues. The young woman found none. She sat down on the stool, trying to come up with a plan and trying not to fall to pieces. She rested her hand on her the tiny little bump on her belly. It had only been two months ago that Kiera and James found out that they were going to be parents once more. That was the reason James had gone to get her book instead of Kiera going herself. James was worried about his wife and the baby as she had previously experienced a few miscarriages. James was also excited about the baby. He loved Kiera, and he would never abandon his family. It was only a week ago that they had celebrated their ten year anniversary. It had been a lovely evening with the couple enjoying a nice romantic dinner just the two of them. Only those closest to Kiera and James knew that Christmas eve was the date of their actually wedding. Kiera didn't know what she would do without James, or how she could possibly explain that to Lyra and Link or their unborn sibling. She couldn't even begin to think about it.

Kiera went to all of James's favorite places, looking for any sign of him, but finding none. With each stop, Kiera began to panic more. With no idea what else she could do, Kiera apparated to the one place she could think of that might be able to help her in a way that she could not help herself. The weather outside was warm despite the absence of the sun. A breeze blew around her, ruffling her dress. The brunette had tears in her eyes as she walked up the walkway and through the door without knocking. Normally, she wouldn't be so rude as to enter uninvited, but this was an exception. Besides, this was her brother's house. Of course, Cyndi had long been considered her sister, long before she had officially joined the Kingsley family. "Cameron? Cyndi?" she called in a voice full of worry and despair. She looked for any sign as to where they were. Her brother was the head of the Department of Mysteries. Maybe he could find something out for her. "Help. I need help." she said despairingly.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

A very tired man sat down on the couch next to his very beautiful wife with a sigh. Cameron Kingsley had not been home long. It had not been the easiest of weeks as he had to work late almost every night. Something had come up that required the department's immediate attention. He also wasn't looking forward to his wife's return to school as he missed her terribly when she was away. Selfishly, he had considered asking her to leave her position, but there was no way he would ever follow through. Cyndi loved her job, and Cam would never ask her to give it up no matter how much he missed her. Cameron put his arm around his wife, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her temple. "How was your day, Mrs. Kingsley?" he asked her lovingly. Noah was silently sleeping upstairs which allowed the two parents to spend alone time together. This time was rare and precious to Cameron.

Unexpectedly, the door opened loudly, and Cameron was on his feet immediately with his wand out. He briefly wondered why his charms had not alerted him to the intruder. Upon hearing his sister's voice, he realized the alarms had not sounded because there was no intruder. However, late night visits were never a good sign. Cam quickly put away his wand. Something was off in Kiera's voice, then he heard her calling for help. The man looked at his wife, his eyes wide with alarm. He was up and walking to the entrance way, forgetting how tired he was. Something was not right at all. Cam approached Kiera, seeing the tears in her eyes. She looked extremely distraught. "Kiera honey, what's wrong?" he asked his sister, already knowing he wasn't going to like the answer. There was a reason behind those tears. Despite the fact that Kiera was grown and perfectly capable of taking care of herself, her older brother still feel very protective of her. "Where are the twins?" he asked, concerned.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Sitting on the couch beside her husband, Cyndi Kingsley was glad that Cameron was finally home. He had been at work late nearly every night during what was supposed to be holiday time. The woman rested a hand on her husband’s arm, massaging it gently, as she allowed the man a moment of quiet. As the head of the Unspeakable office, she was sure that quiet moments were few and far between, and she knew that they certainly were rare in their home. Moving to him as Cameron pulled her closer and gave her a kiss, Cyndi looked up at her husband, a smile on her face. From this close, she could see how tired he was though it did little to mar that handsome face. The woman often worried after her husband while he was at work. How could she not? She never really knew what he was getting himself into and the not knowing left her mind free to fill in the blanks. It was difficult, but Cyndi reassured herself with the knowledge that Cameron both enjoyed and was good at what he did. Resting a hand on his chest, Cyndi replied to her husband. “My day was good, Mr. Kingsley. I spent most of it chasing Noah on his little broom” she grinned as she recalled his glee. The broom, which only allowed him to get a few inches off the ground, had been a Christmas gift from his grandparents. “Of course, it’s much better now that you’re home. Was your day ok?” she continued, her voice quiet.

As the sound of the door being thrown open reached the woman’s ears, she was up on her feet in a moment and standing beside her husband. Cam had put the enchantment alarms on the home himself, that someone had gotten past them was extremely troublesome. The woman reached for her pocket, pulling her wand out. As she heard the familiar voice of her best friend, Cyndi’s brown eyes drifted over to her husband. The expression that he wore in those blue eyes mirrored her own, sending her heart to beating furiously. Moving forward with Cam, Cyndi spotted her friend. She knew it would be a long time before she got Kiera’s tone of despair and the look on her face out of her head. Continuing towards her sister-in-law, Cyndi waved her wand towards the kitchen where she knew tea was now being made before reaching for Kiera’s hand. As her husband spoke to his sister trying to find out what was prompting those tears, Cyndi was afraid to hear Kiera’s answer. Something bad had happened. The children were always with Kiera. “Is everyone ok?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera saw Cam and Cyndi move as one to her aid from where they must have been sitting in the living room. She saw the dual look of concern and confusion that her brother and sister-in-law wore on their faces. Cameron began speaking to her in a soothing voice as he asked her what was wrong. No doubt the expression on her face was causing him alarm as she could see it clearly on his face. Cyndi took Kiera's hand in her own in gesture meant to comfort her. She was beyond comforting. Nothing would ever make her worst fear subside. Kiera's watery eyes looked at her family seeing that they knew she was bringing bad news and understanding that the unthinkable might have happened. However, they would have to hear it from her own mouth to comprehend exactly how bad it was. Kiera didn't want to say it out loud for fear that it would make it true. She kept hoping that she would wake up from this horrible nightmare.

Kiera couldn't answer the question of what was wrong. Instead, she chose to answer the simpler of the two questions. "Lyra and Link are asleep in their beds. I called Katheryn. She's with them." she said, her voice quivering. Her mouth trembled as she knew she had to speak the words aloud. No more procrastination. They had to know, so they could help her. "James...James..is missing." she stuttered out. The young woman felt like her whole world was shattering in front of her eyes. She could only imagine the worst had happened. She couldn't bear it. "He left this afternoon to go to my shop and pick up a book I left. He never returned. I checked the shop. The book was still there;James never made it to the shop. I checked a few other places, but I couldn't find him." she said with the same tone of desperation as before. Tears were trickling down her cheeks as she was unable to stop them. "I fear the worst." Kiera admitted. There were still many insane people in the world who hated the Potters. Old supporters of Lord Voldemort even though he had been dead for so many years.

"Cameron, I came to ask for your help. I don't know who to ask. Can you check at work? Maybe you can find him?" Kiera begged her brother. He just had to help her. Surely, there was something that he could do. James just couldn't be gone. He had to be found. The young mother's hand rested on the bump on her abdomen. Kiera couldn't live the rest of her life without him. How could she raise their children on her own? How could she make it through childbirth without him there to support her and help her? "I can't lose him." she said in a defeated voice.
​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi let out a slow breath upon hearing that the twins were safe and sound with their aunt. That was a relief, though it was short lived. Unfortunately, that only left one other person in the family unaccounted for since the only other family member was riding shotgun in Kiera's belly. The knot in her stomach clenched just a little bit harder as Kiera confirmed that it was James who was the reason behind Kiera's desperate cries. As her sister-in-law told them what she knew, Cyndi's gaze never left Kiera's. She bit her lip nervously, tears coming to her own eyes as she saw just how much pain Kiera was in. She couldn't remember ever seeing Kiera this way. James was quite capable of taking care of himself, but Cyndi feared the worst too. Cyndi knew that he would never have stayed gone for too long with Kiera pregnant.

As Kiera spoke to her brother, Cyndi's gaze turned towards her husband. She knew that he would do anything for his family. It was one of the qualities she loved most about him. Giving him a small nod, Cyndi tried to reassure him that she would be fine and that she would do her best to take care of his sister. "It's a good idea" Cyndi stated quietly as she gave Kiera's hand a squeeze. Hearing Kiera say that she couldn't lose James broke Cyndi's heart. She closed her eyes, the knot in her stomach clenching some more. She couldn't allow Kiera to lose hope.

Opening her eyes again, the woman looked into her husband's blue eyes, knowing what he would do. 'Be safe' she mouthed to him, before beginning to bite her lip again. "Kiera, we should send a message to Kat. Maybe James has arrived home" she said, desperately hoping that was the case. Wouldn't it be a relief to everyone to hear that he had arrived just after Kiera had left to go search for him? "Or maybe his coach knows something" she muttered, willing to sit and write until she couldn't anymore. Maybe James had stopped for a drink, maybe he had run into his coach. Cyndi didn't care what he was doing so long as he was found soon. And, she knew that doing something would be better for Kiera than the alternative of sitting around and waiting. That was always torturous.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron held his breath as he listened to his sister's words about her husband. James adored Kiera. It was the only thing that made Cam tolerate James in the early days even though the two had become friends later. He couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. He glanced at Cyndi, considering the scenario where she was the one gone missing. Cam felt a sharp pain in his heart, knowing that Kiera was going through much worse right now. He was glad that Katheryn was watching the twins. His family was a close one, and there was no way Kiera would have to go through something like this alone. Cameron was still holding out hope that James would be found. Who knew what had happened? However, he was already mentally preparing for the worst.

When Kiera asked him to go into work and see what he could find, Cameron knew there was no way to refuse her. He looked over at his beautiful wife, silently asking her to take care of Kiera while he did so. He took the nod of her head as her agreement to his request. "Of course, I will. Stay here with Cyndi. You really don't need to be apparating all over the place." Cam warned her. She was pregnant, and Cameron didn't want her to lose the baby. He kissed Kiera on her head before turning to kiss his wife on her lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can." he promised her. Cameron apparated away. He would start with his own search. If that led nowhere, he would go talk to his step-father, an auror. Maybe he would be able to find out more.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera felt the tiniest feeling of relief as Cameron agreed to go in to work and check on James. Her brother was smart, and he would know what to do. Surely, Cam would be able to help her. Cyndi squeezed her hand tightly in an attempt to comfort her. The small brunette appreciated the gesture even if it didn't help to soothe her. Kiera smiled slightly at her brother. "Thank you." she managed to get out before he left. Normally, she would disagree about apparating in her condition, however she was so distraught that she didn't particularly trust herself either.

Kiera turned to Cyndi as she spoke, suggesting that they send a note to Katheryn. Kiera shook her head and held up a small device that she pulled from within her purse. "Kat would have called if she heard anything. If James came home..." she explained. Cell phones were the most common form of communication with her sister who preferred to live in the muggle world. Kiera had given her specific instructions to do just that. Yet, the phone had stayed silent. No calls from Kat. No calls from James. "I can write his coach though." she said, as she made her way towards the kitchen table. She tried to pull it together as she attempted to accomplish this small task. It wasn't much, but it was something to do to keep her mind off of the stabbing pain she was feeling in her heart. "Will you get me something to write with?" she asked Cyndi.

Kiera sat down at the kitchen table and took the parchment she was offered. She wrote a quick note, not giving too many details, asking if the coach had seen James. Kiera did not want it to get out that James was missing. Too much of her life was on display in the papers. She couldn't bear her grief and pain being smeared across the front page right now. Vandervoort would have a field day. Kiera quickly penned a second note to James' family. She had wanted to tell them in person, but she couldn't manage to get there right now. She wrote that she would be there first thing in the morning. Kiera signed and sealed both letters. "Cyndi? Do you have an owl around?" Kiera asked, weakly. She was losing all of her strength to manage this pain. She rested a hand on her baby bump, rubbing it unconsciously. Kiera was worried about the baby, not wanting to think he or she might have to grow up without a father. The brunette was lost. What was she going to do?
​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

A twinge of fear spiked through Cyndi as her husband apparated away. She pushed back the thoughts that were trying to fight their way into her head, fears about Cam going missing next and worse fears about what he might find out. Cyndi knew that there was nothing to be gained from such thoughts, and there was already one worried, scared person in the room. The last thing that Cyndi wanted was to make Kiera even more upset by voicing any of her concerns. As Kiera showed Cyndi her cell phone, she nodded her head. “Of course” she stated, having forgotten that muggles had more reliable sources of communication than owls. Cyndi had a cell phone that she had received as a gift, but she was still getting the hang of the contraption, phones having been something she had only used sparingly in her own home growing up. As the pair moved to the kitchen, Cyndi kept an ear towards the staircase. Everything seemed quiet up there, which was good. Noah was a good sleeper, so if he hadn’t awakened with the initial flurry of commotion, he likely wasn’t going to.

“I have some here somewhere” Cyndi muttered, as she rummaged through a drawer, glad when her fingers touched some pieces of parchment and a pen. She passed them over and then left Kiera to the note, not wanting to peer over her shoulders to see what she was writing. She moved to the stove, collecting the teapot and some mugs, pouring some milk into a small cup and gathering some sugar and honey. Tea had been her mother’s solution to life’s stressors and it had become Cyndi’s go-to as well. Returning to Kiera’s side as she was sealing the letters, Cyndi poured her sister-in-law a cup. Nodding to her question, Cyndi opened the back door and leaned out. She had nearly sent her owl out with a letter to her mother earlier that evening. Thank Merlin she hadn’t. Opening the latch, Cyndi held out her arm which the owl dutifully stepped onto. She’d had the female for years and she was pleasant albeit extremely loud at night. Stepping inside, Cyndi brought the owl close to Kiera. She knew the drill and held up her taloned foot so that Kiera could attach the notes. “ Here. She’ll get them there quickly, won’t you?” Cyndi petted the owl with a finger as she studied Kiera’s face. Her friend did not look good at all, and Cyndi could hardly blame her. She slid into the chair right beside her sister and waited for the owl to head off. “Kiera, what else can I do for you? Do you want to lie down for a bit? It might be a while before Cam gets back…” she trailed off, her tone filled with worry and concern.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera anxiously watched as her sister-in-law call her owl to her. The pregnant woman gave the bird the letters to deliver to the coach and to her in-laws. She trusted that they would all be discreet and not allow this to get out. The brunette felt that it was imperative that this stay quiet for as long as possible. It would not be possible to keep this silent forever, but she desperately hoped that they would find James. Who knew what happened? There was a reasonable explanation. Kiera had to believe that in order to make it through the night. She tried to keep her mind away from imagining the worst had befallen her beloved husband. Kiera looked helpless as the owl flew away, not know what else she could possibly do. She sat in the chair, feeling small as she sipped on the warm drink Cyndi had handed to her. She just stared at the table, tracing the wood grain. Feeling lost, helpless, and like she wanted to throw up.

Cyndi's voice snapped her back to reality as she asked if Kiera wanted to lie down. The brunette knew that it was going to be a long night, but she didn't think that she could shut her eyes. It would invite the worst of her fears to be played out in her nightmares. It seemed much safer to keep her eyes open. Kiera shook her head in response. "No, I don't think I could lie down right now. Sleep wouldn't come." she said, her voice quivering. She recognized the worry and concern in her sister-in-law's voice that was probably well deserved. Kiera probably looked completely mad. "I don't know. I don't know what else we can do tonight. I just can't think about James being out there hurt, or sick, or cold or who knows what." she said, her voice rising to the point of hysteria. "I don't know what's happened or if he is okay or even if I will ever see him again!" she said, looking desperately at her sister. "Cyndi, what am I going to do? Why me? Why do these things happen to me?" she asked, tears coming to her honey eyes once more. Kiera knew it wasn't fair of her to ask these things of Cyndi. It wasn't fair to put her through this, but Kiera wasn't strong enough to resist right now.
​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi felt useless, a feeling she neither liked nor was used to. Feeling like she'd swallowed a bludger, the woman looked down at the table, words failing her as she listened to Kiera speak. Each word was more difficult to hear than the last as Kiera's tone seemed to be one of despair, each word sinking her deeper and deeper into a dark place. She knew that she had to calm her down somehow. All of this stress was absolutely not good for the baby that her sister-in-law was carrying nor was it good for Kiera. She knew that she would be exactly the same way if their roles were reversed. As tears came to the woman's eyes, Cyndi had to fight back her own. Having spent a great deal of time growing up together, Cyndi felt a kinship to the woman that extended to such an extant that she wished she could share her friend's pain, if only so she could ease it a bit. She knew that she was being asked a very important question, but unlike all those times in school where looking in a textbook or asking a professor supplied an answer, Cyndi knew that there wasn't one for this question. Hastily wiping a tear before it could spill onto her cheeks, Cyndi shook her head sadly. "Oh, Kiera, honey...I don't know. You don't deserve any of this... None of you do." For a long time, Cyndi had not been a fan of James. It had taken several years of getting to know him and seeing his devotion to Kiera to make her have a change of heart. Now, he was family. And she knew that nothing short of his reappearance would fill the holes that were being dug into their hearts. She couldn't imagine what Kiera was going to do once the twins began to question her. They would eventually wonder where their dad was. Cyndi shook the thought from her head. She couldn't allow herself to think that way. It was her job now to keep Kiera from falling deeper into despair.

"We can't think like that. James is smart and resourceful. You know he is, Kiera" Cyndi said softly, her voice quivering as she forced herself to not even think about thinking in the past tense. He is coming back. He has to, Cyndi thought to herself. With a sigh, her brown eyes drifted away, falling on the Christmas tree that lay by the fireplace. Her gaze shifted sadly, wondering how something like this could have happened during the holidays. Shifting her chair closer to her sister-in-law, Cyndi took Kiera's hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. "I'll drop Noah off at your house in the morning so Kathryn can watch over him while we go look around if it comes to that, but I think we should wait to hear from Cam first...and to see if we hear back from anyone" Cyndi stated in a low voice. Perhaps he would give them some sort of direction so that they weren't just searching willy-nilly.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera listened to Cyndi speak, knowing that her sister-in-law was trying to comfort her. In some part of her mind, the young mother knew that she didn't deserve this, but for some reason, bad things happened to her more than her fair share. Bad things happened to good people too frequently. Kiera could see the pain in Cyndi's face; she could hear it in her sister's voice. Over the years, her family and friends had learned to love James even if they hadn't been all that supportive of her marriage to James in the first place. Many of them had preferred Alex who was fun-loving, good-natured, kind, humorous, playful, and dependable. He had been good for Kiera as he kept her from taking herself too seriously. Things had fallen apart between them partly because of James and partly because Kiera didn't feel Alex loved her. There had been something about her husband that always drew Kiera towards him in spite of her love for Alex. James had been reckless, daring, a womanizer, and even careless at times. There had always been that magnetic pull between them that Kiera now believed was fate. James had always been the one she was meant to be with forever. He had changed, mostly for Kiera, to become the man that he was now to his wife and his children. Kiera didn't know how to live without him anymore. He had been her husband for ten whole years. There was nothing that would erase all the years of memories that they shared together. Nothing that would change her feelings for James Potter.

"He is smart, and I know he knows how to take care of himself. It's the crazy people out there that have me worried." Kiera told her sister. James was capable of defending himself if he had to, but he shouldn't have had to. The pregnant woman just kept hoping that there was some other logical reason that her husband was missing. She rubbed her stomach where their baby was growing inside of her. A child that might not ever see his or her father. The thought was completely heart breaking. The brunette tried to focus on what Cyndi was saying rather than her own dark thoughts. Surely, these thoughts were not helping anything. They only made her more anxious which was not good for the baby. "I know Katheryn has to get back to work, but I know she will stay as long as she needs to. She won't mind watching Noah, too. I think she misses seeing him." Kiera said with an attempt at a smile. Katheryn didn't have any children of her own, but she loved to see her niece and nephews. "I will stay until Cameron gets home, and hopefully he will know something, but I want to be there when Lyra and Link wake up in the morning. I don't want to worry them." she said, turning her dark eyes to look at Cyndi. Until she had a better idea of the situation, Kiera would have to pretend that everything with James was okay. She didn't want to worry her children. She didn't want to alert the press either.
​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi knew that Kiera was right. James would be able to protect himself if it came down to him having to do that. It was the crazy people out there who were the real concerns. What they might do to him to simply make a name for themselves or get a point across was most concerning. Cyndi knew that. She sighed heavily. As Kiera mentioned that Katheryn would have no problem watching Noah, Cyndi forced a smile. Noah loved his aunt Katheryn very much, and it was true that they didn't get to see each other often enough. She and Cam were always so busy that it was impossible to see their families as often as they'd like to. A frown tugged on her lips as she realized that her sister would have to go home to children who would be expecting to see their father. "Of course. I'll be along after Noah wakes up and I get him ready. I know he'll be happy to see Katheryn and his cousins." Cyndi stated. What a difficult thing that would be for Kiera. They were getting older and their awareness was growing, but Cyndi knew that Kiera wanted to keep them from the ugliness in the world for as long as she could. That some of that ugliness had landed right on their doorstep was horrible to think about, but think about they must.

****hours later****

Although she'd been up most of the night, Cyndi could hardly think about sleep. As the clock ticked away each minute, each hour, Cyndi grew more and more concerned that they had heard nothing of note from anyone. Trying to keep someone's hopes up was proving to be a difficult task as they had nothing to hold onto. Dawn was mere hours away, and Cyndi knew that with or without Cam's return, Kiera would take herself home. Cam had been gone for hours, and Cyndi knew then that when he arrived home, the news probably wasn't going to be good. He'd never leave his sister to worry if he had heard anything or if James had been found. Even if he hadn't returned in person, he would've sent a message. That he hadn't meant that he was still trying to seek answers. Answers that were apparently nowhere to be found. Cyndi glanced over at her sister who was just as lost in thought as she had been. The woman stood up and headed for the front window to look out. It wasn't like she'd see her husband walking down the block. More likely, he'd just apparate right to the front door. Leaning her head against it, Cyndi enjoyed the chill that was coming from the window. "Cam should be back soon. Really soon" she reassured her sister and herself.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron had spent the entire night searching for his brother-in-law without any leads. He had retraced Kiera's steps to see if he would find something she might have missed in her panicked state. Then, he had checked the local bars and the hospital. Nothing. Cameron had gone to Raziel to ask him to check the Auror headquarters discreetly. The last thing Cameron wanted to do was to alert the general public. Raziel and Cameron had searched through their resources, looking for any possible explanations. There had been nothing. Cam called Katheryn, waking her up and alerting her to the news. He wanted her to be prepared for when Kiera arrived back at home. Raziel had gone home to Cameron's mother and brother, and Cameron had gone home to his wife, son, and sister.

Cameron apparated directly onto his doorstep. His blue eyes scanned the area as if there was a threat to his family. He couldn't help but feel as if they were all in danger. It was his job to protect them. Cameron shook his head before walking inside. He could hear his wife in the living room, and he made his way towards her. As he entered the room, he saw Kiera sitting on their sofa. His blue eyes met her honey colored ones. She looked at him hopefully as he shook his head at her. "Kiera, I'm so sorry. I couldn't find any leads." he said, glancing at his wife. He wanted to go wrap her in his arms and keep her safe, but Kiera needed him, need both of them, right now. He sat down next to his sister and gave her a hug. "I will keep looking for him, Kiera. Don't give up yet." he told her, looking over at his wife to see how she was handling the news.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera sat wearily on her brother and sister's couch, trying not to count the hours as they slowly ticked by. It couldn't be good news that it had been so many hours since Cameron had left the house. The brunette felt bad for Cyndi as she knew her sister was trying to keep her spirits up. Many long silences passed between them through the course of the night. Kiera was clearly miserable as she stared blankly ahead. She was startled as she heard the sound of the door opening. Her honey eyes met Cyndi's as she knew it had to be Cameron who entered the home. The small woman scrambled up off the sofa, turning to look at the empty doorway. Cameron appeared. His mouth moved, delivering the news that there was no news to tell. No trace. She thought she heard the words, but Kiera didn't want to believe it. It was too horrible. Where was her husband? She kept hoping that she would wake up in her bed with James lying beside her. Kiera didn't want to accept this reality.

The petite brunette shook her head at Cameron as fresh tears welled at her eyes. She hugged her brother back before trying to disengage herself. Kiera knew dawn was only a couple of hours away. She needed to get back home to her children before they woke up. She wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Cam and Cyndi. I appreciate it, but I need to get home to my children." she said, feeling hollow inside. A void had been created inside her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

The woman’s nervous energy didn’t allow her to sit for more than a moment or two. The wait was torture for her, so she could only imagine what her sister was feeling by having to simply sit and wait for Cameron to come home. Cyndi filled her time by packing a small bag for Noah, making more tea, and periodically checking the window, but none of those tasks consumed her attention. Cyndi was absent-mindedly rifling through a catalog, more because her hands needed something to do than anything else. If asked, she wouldn’t be able to recall one single thing she’d looked at. The woman spoke softly to Kiera every so often, but for the most part she let Kiera be. The woman was having a difficult enough time without having to hear Cyndi’s attempts at comfort every few seconds. Hearing a crack as someone apparated onto the doorstep, Cyndi’s eyes were filled with relief. No one other than family could apparate directly onto their doorstep, so it had to be Cameron returning. The woman could only hope that he came bearing good news for everyone. “Cam’s back, Kiera” Cyndi murmured, as if her sister needed telling.

As he entered the living room, Cyndi remained in her seat. She stared at her husband, wishing that he had something better to tell his sister. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that the words were almost as painful for him to say as they probably were for Kiera to hear. Cyndi longed to give her husband a long hug and not let him go for a long while, but she knew that at this moment Kiera needed her brother more than she did. The woman glanced down at her tightly folded hands as Cameron went to console his sister. Pulling at a loose string on her shirt, Cyndi looked up in time to share a look with her husband. Tears swam before her brown eyes as she imagined the worst for her brother-in-law. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but imagining Cameron in danger as well. The images assaulted her until she finally closed her eyes and forced them away. Wiping at her eyes quickly before any of the tears could drop, Cyndi stood up as Kiera thanked them. She looked down, wishing that she had done something worth the thanks that she was receiving. “Kiera, we’ll be by in a few hours to keep looking. Someone has to know something ” the woman murmured as she moved towards her sister to give her one last hug before she left. Cyndi glanced at her husband as she hugged Kiera, wondering what he would think of her desire to be involved in the search.