Family Counts (Joe Reagan's Daughter/Blue Bloods fanfic)

Ch1: Missing?

~~~~~Four Years later~~~~~
Elsie's POV

I ran as fast as I could, I needed to get away. I was scared and my body ached but I had to keep going. I needed to get to a safe place. Then I remembered, there is someone I could trust to help me...

Danny's POV

It's been a slow day in Precinct 54 and Baez, my new partner, and I sat at our desks talking about the case we just finished. "I wonder what will happen to the kid?" Baez mused. "Well since his mother's dead and his father is going to prison, he'll either go to next of kin or social services." "Why would anyone ruin their kids life like that?" "Don't ask me. People do crazy things when they think their spouse is having an affai-" I cut off mid sentence as I spotted the woman who walked into the room. She looked at me and we had a cold stare off until I got up and walked over to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you moved to Indiana?" "We moved back a few months ago." She replied coldly. "And you didn't say anything?" "I stand by what I said four years ago." At that moment, Baez came up to see what was going on. "Is everything alright here?" " Yeah, yeah it's fine. Sophie, this is my new partner Detective Maria Baez. Baez, this is Sophie Stuart, my Ex-Sister-in-Law." They shook hands briefly before I went back to business. "What do you want, Stuart." "I know we left on the wrong foot Danny, but I really need your help." She didn't look me in the eye. "So what, you're crawling back to the Reagan family for help? Good luck with that." I turned to sit back at my desk but her words stopped me. "If not for me, do it for Elsie." I was loosing patients but I turned around to hear her out. "What is it then?" She paused for a moment before dropping a bombshell. "Elsie's missing."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. My niece, my little angel, is missing? "Since when?" "Since yesterday. She wasn't home when I got back from work and I thought maybe she would have went to a friends house or to the park but I haven't heard from her since. Please Danny, help me find her." She finished with a look of worry on her face. "Fine, I'll open an investigation for her. What school does she go to?" "She gets home schooled online. It was easier when we moved." "Social media accounts?" "Not that I know of but you can check her computer and phone if you'd like." What kind of 12 year old doesn't use social media? Even Jack uses social media. "Is their anyone who would have wanted to hurt Elsie or anyone who disliked her?" Baez questioned. "No, no one had a reason to hate her." "What about people who want to hurt you? Did you have any boyfriends that would do something like this?" "I haven't been in a relationship since Joe died." I looked at her suspiciously. For someone with a missing child, she's acting quite calm. Usually mothers would be crying or panicking but not her. "We'll find her. Can you show us to your house." I reassured before grabbing my coat. "Sure, I'll lead the way."

While exiting the building, I called Jamie who would be doing his petrols with Eddie.
"Hello?"
"Hey kid, I need to ask you a favour."
"Hey Danny, what's up?"
"Can you check out a few of Elsie's old favourite spots?"
"Sure, why?"
"Sophie just appeared in 54 claiming Elsie's went missing. Apparently they moved back a few months ago."
"Wait, she's missing? How?"
"I don't know but we have to find her."
"Okay, keep me posted if you find anything. We'll look in a few areas she liked."
"Thanks kid and I will."

We arrived at Sophie's apartment and she showed us in to have a look around. It was small and dingy but prices for good apartments are high these days. I walked into Elsie's bedroom and their was no sign of a struggle and none of the doors or windows are broken in. The way the dust fell on her bedside table looked as though a picture frame had been sitting there but there were no pictures in the whole room. Now that I thought about it, I didn't see a single picture of Elsie in this whole apartment. I looked inside her closet and I noticed a few empty coat hangers. "Stuart, when was the last time you did the laundry?" "Last night." "And is there any cloths left to put away for Elsie?" I questioned. "No, why?" I didn't answer her but Baez came in with Elsie's computer and phone. "Could you excuse us for a moment?" She asked Sophie to leave the room. Once she was out the room, she showed me the phone. "The only thing that was in her browser history was her online school website but there is a text on her phone to a boy called Tyler at 1:23pm yesterday." I read the said text. I'm doing it today, I'm sorry but I can't take it anymore. "Have you found any clues to what it is?" She asked. "There are cloths and items missing yet no sign of a break in or struggle. I don't think she was taken, I think she ran away." Why would Elsie run away? "We should talk to this Tyler guy. He knows something." We exited the room and found Sophie in the living area. "Do you know this Tyler guy she was talking to?" I questioned. "Uh, yeah. Tyler Wells. He's about her age, he lives in the apartment below this one. 32B." We left Sophie in her apartment and down to 32B.

After knocking, a woman in her mid 30's answered the door. "Mrs Wells? I'm Detective Reagan, this is my partner, Detective Baez. May we come in, we have a few questions for Tyler about his friend, Elsie." "Oh, yes. Of course, come in." She allowed us inside as she called for her son. A boy came through who looked about Jack's age, with short strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. He looked a bit nervous when he saw my badge. "Tyler, these people want to talk to you about Elsie." He sat down on the couch looking uncomfortable. I sat across from him and spoke in a gentler voice than normal. "Hey kid, my name's Detective Reagan. I'm looking for your friend Elsie, do you know where she went." He looked down and shook his head. "Are you related to her?" He asked in a quiet voice. "Yeah, I'm her uncle." "She always preferred being called a Reagan but her Mom insists she's called a Stuart." I smirked a bit at this. "We saw the text she sent you yesterday. What did she mean by doing it?" "She talked about wanting to run away a lot but I didn't think she'd do it." He confessed. "Do you know why she wanted to leave?" "She wouldn't say exactly but I don't think she has a good relationship with her Mom." "Do you have any idea where she would have went?" Baez questioned him but once again he shook his head. "Well, thanks for answering, kid. If you hear from her, call me at this number, got it?" I gave him my number and he nodded. We thanked his Mom and left the apartment. Back at the office, we checked through video feed near the apartment block but we only got so far with what we had. Please come home, Elsie.

Elsie's POV

I knocked on the door both anxious and nervous. The door opened and a boy my age appeared in front of me. The face I missed so much was in shock when he saw me. "Elsie, is that you?! I thought you moved to Indiana?" "Yeah, it's me but I can't stay. I'll explain later but I need your help to hide me." I spoke urgently. "Why can't you just stay here?" "Because your parents will find me." "What's wrong? What are you hiding from?" He asked, worried for me. "I can't tell you but please, help me." I begged him, he was my last hope. "Alright, what do you want?" "Do you know any good hiding places that no one will find me? Abandoned houses, under a bridge, anything. You always liked hideouts when we were kids, there must be somewhere." He thought for a few moments as he fixed his glasses on his nose. "I might know a good place but I'll need to show you, we found it after you left." I followed him as we ran to the hide out he talked about. We continued to run and I realised where we were going. "Why are we going to Central Park?" I asked him out of curiosity. "No, we're going to the woods behind it. We found a hole in the ground that was big enough to play war games. We use to use it like a trench or something. It isn't too big but it's big enough to hide you in." I followed him into the woods behind the park until we came to a hole which was perfect. "Do you have enough money for food?" "I brought some in my backpack." I hugged him. "Thank you so much. Please don't tell your parents or Sean." "I won't. I missed you, Elsie." He smiled at me. "I missed you too, Jack." We said our goodbyes and then I made myself comfy in my new home until I figured out a plan.