Ready for Anything?

Chapter 15

Robert stood looking around the room the Morgan family's annual holiday party. They traditionally held it just before Thanksgiving in order to catch everyone before the rush that comes with the holiday season. He was grateful to finally spot Juliet, Colin and Steph walking toward him.

"There you guys are. I was starting to think I was going to be stuck here alone all night long," Robert said greeting the group.

"We're here. Where's everyone else?" Colin asked.

"Seth and Rose are on their way and should arrive any minute," Robert answered.

"Has Finn already taken off with his ladies for the evening?" Juliet asked.

"I haven't seen him yet," Robert replied.

"Has anyone tried to call him?" Steph asked.

"No, I'll try now," Colin answered. He took his phone out and called Finn's number, and he immediately received his voicemail.

"Hey, man. We're all here at your parents' party and haven't seen you yet. Hopefully you're on your way. Give me a call when you get this."

Colin ended the call and turned to his friends.

"Straight to voicemail - It didn't even ring. He hasn't shown for the two charity events in the last two weeks. When was the last time anyone talked to him?" Colin asked.

"It's been about a week and a half or so. Should we make the rounds and look for him? Knowing how he was acting at Logan's wedding he may be in a room with a redhead" Robert said just as Seth and Rose joined the group.

"What's going on, guys?" Seth asked.

"We were just wondering where Finn is. We're going to mingle and look for him," Juliet answered.

The couples all went their separate ways, mingling as was expected and looking for Finn.

Colin and Stephanie walked right up to Finn's sister, Eve, and decided they should ask her first - surely he would check in with her the moment he walked into the party.

"Hey guys! You look great!" she exclaimed, embracing Colin, and then Steph.

"Thanks! So do you!" Steph said.

"Hey, Evie, have you seen your long lost brother around anywhere? We haven't been able to pin him down yet" Colin asked.

Eve shook her head. "No, I haven't seen him yet tonight, I guess he's being fashionably late. Leave it to Finn to make dramatic entrances" she said with a laugh.

"But you've talked to him recently?" Steph asked, knowing Finn didn't ever go long without talking to his little sister.

"No, actually, I haven't talked to him since the night he got back from London. I went away on vacation the day after he came back, and I haven't talked to him yet since I've been home. His phone must be dead, because it keeps going straight to voicemail, but I haven't tried to call him today" she offered.

Colin rubbed his fingers across his lips in frustration, but not wanting to upset Finn's sister, he made up a story so that she wouldn't worry.

"Oh, I think I remembered him saying he was having some phone troubles, that must be it. He's just being lazy and not getting it replaced like he should be doing" he said with a laugh.

Stephanie looked at him in confusion, but he just gave her a look that she knew meant for her to play along.

"Anyway, we'll keep looking. Thanks, Evie" she said, and Colin pulled her away.

"Now we know something's up if he hasn't even talked to his sister..." she hissed.

He shushed her and pulled her away even further. "We don't need to freak anyone out, Babe, we just need to find our friend!" he said, and she nodded in agreement.

"Should we check his apartment?" she asked, concern eating through her voice.

He sighed. "If he doesn't show up at this party tonight, that's exactly what we're going to do...but in the meantime, let's go get us a drink and pretend like we're not scared to death" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the bar.

"He sleeps with so many girls - you don't think one of them finally snapped and hurt him, do you?" she asked.

"No, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all of this. Finn loves his family - he's not like the rest of us - he wouldn't miss this unless he had a really good reason, and we all know a random red-head isn't a good enough reason, even to him" he said.

She nodded and sighed, relieved when Seth and Rosemary came back to them, but their report was much of the same.

"Alright, let's just try to enjoy the rest of the party, and then we'll go" Colin promised Steph, and she nodded.

* * *

When the party was over, and there was still no sign of Finn whatsoever, the group decided to go pay him a visit.

They made their way to his apartment, and knocked on the door. They waited, but were answered with nothing other than silence. Colin knocked again, and again, nothing.

"He's not here...?" Steph whispered.

"Or he's dead..." Rosemary said.

"Shut up, Rose, that's not funny!" Steph cried.

"Girls, calm down. I have his apartment key" Colin announced, reaching into his pocket, and using the key in the lock, and the door opened with ease.

"Finn!?" The girls called, running from room to room.

The guys observed the living room and everything looked in it's place - and he knew the maid comes on Wednesdays to clean up after the man child, but it's never looked this spotless on a Friday night...

"Guys, he hasn't been here in days..." Colin realized.

"What? How are you so sure?" Seth asked.

"Just trust me. When have you ever known Finn to be this...tidy?" he asked.

"Oh my god, you're right" Robert realized, knowing where Colin was going with this.

"So what do we do?" Rosemary asked from the doorway.

"Guys, this might be serious enough to report him as a missing person..." Colin said, as his phone was ringing.

"It's Logan - maybe - just maybe - he's heard from him" he said, answering the call.

"Hey Logan, any chance you've talked to our dear buddy Finn lately? None of us have heard from him and we're standing in his apartment, and he hasn't been here for days... He even missed his parents' party tonight..." Colin explained.

"I talked to him last week, when he called and told me that apparently Rory is pregnant, because he thought it was mine. Thank god it wasn't!" Logan said, and then paused. "Wait, you said he's been MIA for days? Where the hell do you think he is?" he asked in concern.

"None of us has any idea, but I think I need to call the police..." Colin said.