Adopted By Hamilton One Shots

Lin - Grief (Luke AU)

(Written by Ashburn1198 !!!)

It's me again. I've come not to make you feel like empowered women (or punch Nick in the face with your house keys) (although that was fun), but to make you feel overcome with a ripping sensation in your chest until there's is nothing left of your sanity.)

(Tee hee.)

(Anyways, this is part of the Luke AU, but it's Lin and Vanessa's response to her going missing.)

(There's a reason I'm going to Hell, and it's because I do stuff like this.)

It was a bleak Saturday morning when I found the letter.

It was sitting on the counter with mine and Vanessa's name printed on it in Abi's handwriting. I furrowed my brow and opened it.

Lin and Vanessa,
I've moved to Michigan. I'm sorry, but I can't live in New York anymore.
Don't come looking for me. It'll only make things worse.
Love, Abi

A heavy feeling of dread waltzed its way onto my chest and plopped itself down onto my heart. I knew what Abi was like. Abi wasn't this cold and harsh with her words. And not only that, but she would never move without telling us where she was going.

I ran into Vanessa and mine's room and shook my beautiful wife awake.

"Wazzgoin on?" she said groggily, pushing herself up and propping herself on her elbows. I was too distressed to explain what had happened, so I just handed her the note, which she read through sleep-blurred eyes.

She sobered almost immediately and covered her mouth with her hand, shaking.

"This can't be Abi," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. "Something had to have happened to her, but what?"

"I think she was kidnapped," I said, running my fingers through my messy hair. "Maybe she was forced to write that letter, I don't care, but that isn't my baby."

She pulled out her phone and called 911 while I traced over her signature on the page.

There was a wet splatter next to it that appeared to have dried. My heart sank.
She had cried while writing this letter. She has been forced into it.

~.~

"Please, there has to be something!" I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. "I can't lose my baby! You can't close the search! What if she's still out there--"

"But the thing is, what if she isn't?" the detective interrupted, putting and hand on my shoulder. "We've told you before that we aren't dealing with an amateur here. They don't want money, or else they would have offered a ransom. The most likely explanation for this is that she's been dead since day one. We've told you that the first 24 hours are always the most critical. Unfortunately, your daughter is most likely dead. I'm sorry for your loss."

He then left our home without another word.
My poor wife was sobbing into a tissue, curled up on the couch. Sebastian was staying at my parent's house while all of this was happening.

"I refuse to believe that my baby is dead," I muttered, clenching my fists, feeling tears wash down my cheeks. "My baby can't be dead."

Vanessa only cried harder. This entire thing had destroyed any ounce of hope she had once harbored of getting our little girl home safe. She was ruined in a way that I couldn't understand.

But there was this feeling of emptiness in the pit of my stomach, a gaping cavern waiting to swallow me whole and send me into the grey wash of depression.