((Immediate following this post))

How long had it been?

The better part of two years had passed since she last set foot in the 27th?s home, having moved on from the events that had pushed her away from what could have been a fulfilling career in law enforcement. It wasn?t often that she thought of what she referred to as ?The Weekend in Hell?, her kidnapping at the hands of the one they called Mister R being something best locked away in the furthest reaches of her mind. Alas, it all came rushing back to her the moment Remigio reported the possibility of Serah going missing.

By the time Claire reached the Marketplace Watch station, the rain had started, warm drizzle serving to further dishevel the elder Farron. Her face was streaked with what looked like dried black blood and a trickle of the same was still cutting a jagged path from her ear and down the side of her neck. What had been a passably decent outfit at one point had been reduced to attire more befitting the homeless of Dockside, dark fabric somehow stained even darker with all manner of substances. In short, she appeared as though she hadn?t had a shower in a week. In truth, it had been longer than that and she probably smelled like it too.

But now was not the time to worry about appearances.

Hell, she didn?t even take notice of the odd looks she was given as she pushed through the station?s door and headed for the front desk. Along the way, she cringed and picked a dry bit of something or other out of a frazzled strand of pink that had been plastered to her cheek. That was gross. Her mostly broken phone buzzed out a pathetic ring from her pocket, the speaker evidently damaged by the fall it had taken not too long ago. Regardless, she couldn?t answer it, not with the screen in the state that it was. Letting the call go to voicemail, she stepped up to the desk and put her hands on her hips.

?So. Uh. I need to speak with Captain Ravenlock.? She paused before remembering her manners. ?Please.?

Claire was only vaguely aware of the fact that she probably looked like a hobo but finally it dawned on her that she might want to put a little more weight into her request if she wanted to be taken seriously. Brushing her hands back through her hair, she quietly cleared her throat and put up a grim smile for the person manning the desk.

?It?s regarding my sister, Serah. I?m told she might be missing??

Thank the gods for brand recognition. Seems all that time wasted in the rings paid off at times, if only just a bit. She offered a sheepish smile for dumbfounded Jimmy and looked up to Sergeant Waterman as he took over for the man.

"Oh I remember you, Sarge, how could I forget." She was exhausted and it showed in the manic grin she gave the officer. After all, she was still indebted to him for calling in to one of the other stations to expedite her release after she'd been tossed in a holding cell for oh, what was it again? Ah yes, that time she busted Maverick Sampson's shoulders on the front porch of the Inn. Yes, good times, those. When he mentioned the showers, she lifted an arm slightly for a quick sniff test. That was pretty horrific.

"Ah, well, unfortunately I'm pretty short on time, so um, please do excuse how awful I look. It's been a long," she glanced around and caught sight of a desk calendar displaying the date and her eyes widened, "two weeks?! Two weeks. By the gods. Yes, it's been a long day. Maybe I'll take you up on a few minutes to clean up while you get the Captain?" Maybe a quick shower wouldn't be so bad after all.

Old Marketplace? Just outside of Little Elfhame.

We find Brian Ravenlock in a somewhat frustrated discussion with a pair of individuals, just off of one of the mant alleyways in the district.

?Listen? I?ve been at this for a good while now, I need to use everything I got and that includes you two. So do me a solid, like I did for you when that ^&%$ went down over those gangs a while back--- what? Hell yes you owe me, an I?m calling it in. What? You gotta be ^&%$ing me, really? Listen, you need to do this for me, it?s a solid. Yeah, I know the rules, that?s why you?re gonna do it. I?m not askin? for you to do anything else but look around. According to everyone else, no one seems bothered or even thinks she?s gone. I also got other ones that were supposedly taken, too. Alive and dead. So this is what I need, just get out there? Talk who you need to talk to, do what you need to do. I just need some street-word here. Just point me, same as you did with the mules back when (*Brimstone RAID case) and I?ll make sure you?re taken care of.?

?27th 4800 to 27th 100.?

?Just fine out for me, guys. I need this--- hold on, there.?

?27th 4800 to 27th 100??

Lifting his radio, Brian keyed up a response. ?100 here, go ahead 4800.?

?27th 100, QSY (*change channel) to 3 for car to car.?

Brian looked to the pair he?d been speaking with once more, ?Sit tight a sec.?

That said, he shifted over to the channel and keyed up once more, ?27th 100, go ahead 4800.?

?Sir, it?s Jimmy here. You got a complainant here in the Station.?

?Tell them to have a seat, Jimmy. I?ll get there as soon as I can, I?m near Elfhame.?

?Sir, it?s Claire Farron, she?s here and um? She looks bad, Sir! Sgt. Waterman?s taking care of her, I think she?s headed to the showers maybe? She looks like she was run through the ringer, bad.?

Brian?s eyes widened at the revelation, as he looked to the pair once more. ?Alright, listen? That?s her sister, alright. I need more than what I got, and you need to help me with this guys. We go back, way back. So do this for me, cause if you don?t??

Brian went to key up once more, then paused as his eyes narrowed to the pair. ?Just get me something--- I don?t care if it?s something small. It pans out, I take care of you and yours. It doesn?t??

?Jimmy, I?m en-route?10 or less. Have Alex look after her, an take her to my office. No one else speaks to her, got it? An Jimmy?no harassing her for an autograph, kid.?

Brian released the key, his eyes shifted to the pair once more. ?I?ll know if you don?t look into things?if that happens, no one will be able to help either of you, or anyone on else in your crew? Not even my sister or her friends. So get to work, contact me the usual way, and I?ll settle up with you and give a bonus too.?

A quick series of nods was all Brian got, as he replied. ?We?re good then??

The pair faded back into the shadows, as Brian turned away and returned to his vehicle down the block. As he continued to walk, someone else slid up alongside him. ?That looked fun, you trust ?em??

Nodding softly, Brian replied. ?Just enough to do what needs to be done. Just keep an eye on them and let me know.?

?It?ll cost you,? came the reply.

?It always does,? Brian plainly stated as he neared his vehicle. Opening the door, he glanced back to find himself alone once more. ?Hmm, so that?s what it feels like.?

Moments later, he was headed directly to the station. With any luck Claire would be settled in his office, when he arrived.

Given the weather, it took Brian just a hair past that 'Ten or less', he gave to Jimmy.

That being said, there was no real time for any formalities when Brian arrived at the station, especially given the fact he'd parked his vehicle directly in front of the main entrance an then tossed the keys to a passing Watchman, ?Park it, out back, now.?

Into the station he went, a beeline for the break at the main desk. No salutes, or the what not, as he looked to Jimmy, who'd taken his station once more at said desk, ?We're not to be bothered, Alex has the watch.?

Slipping through the break, Brian made his way down the hall, catching a deftly tossed towel, as he did so. A quick pat of his face and hair followed, as it was tossed back to it's owner, ?Thanks.?

Turning into the office, he found Claire. "Hey, hi. Sorry for dropping by without an appointment, I wouldn't if it weren't important. Um, I got a call that Serah might be missing. Figured you'd be a good starting point to see what's up..."

Closing the door behind him, Brian flashed a faint smile to Claire that soon faded as he rounded his desk, taking hold of a file in hand from said desk. ?Claire, it's good to see you. You've been a hard person to track down. I'm glad you're here though, really.?

Brian opened the file, setting it before Claire as he took a seat.

?I didn't mean to startle anyone with my asking the public for any information, but I had little choice when I couldn't get a hold of anyone, or any real answers. So I'll tell you what I have exactly and maybe together, we can come up with something.?

Reaching across the desk, Brian tapped at the report that sat before Claire.

?A few days ago, an anonymous male approached a pair of Watchmen on the eastern side of the Marketplace District, he said he wanted to relay his concern for a woman that he believed might have been missing. He offered a description, and a name. As the Watchmen were going to question further, a huge commotion broke out just down the block. As they turned to see what had happened, the anonymous party took their leave, somehow.?

?The Watchmen had to assist with the commotion, which turned out to be some type of robbery attempt, and when back up arrived and the scene contained, they went back to search for the male, to no avail.?

?Given her name and association, the report was fast tracked to me for further investigating. Officially, it is a 'missing person' report, because that's what the original concern was, but given the fact that Serah has gone 'walk about' so to speak, I didn't publicly advise she was missing. Instead, I began to look into this myself. I checked the Inn, her new work place, other places as well. No one seemed worried, or realized she might have been missing. I found that strange, because as it stood she hadn't been back to work, nor to the Inn. That being said, I looked for you as well, and figured you might have been off world as well, so I put out a call for assistance from the public in hopes word would get back to you, or someone else would give me a lead.?

Brian sighed softly a moment and then continued, ?As it stands, I have nothing... I have no scenes, no complainant, no leads. I have a detail working this quiet like, as well. We're checking street level types to see if anyone's heard anything. I'm hoping you'll have something for me, but given what you asked me, I am guessing this is news to you too.?

As to the report, it basically stated what Brian had said. In regards to the anonymous concerned type male, he looked to be Caucasian, roughly 5'11 or so, maybe a 150 lbs, darkly clad with light brown hair and brown eyes, no real distinguishing marks at all.

Save that, there was little else, so Brian sincerely hoped Claire may very well have some light to shed on this somehow.

Brian listened carefully to the elder Farron, making mental notes as well as jotting a few down. He understood her concerns all too well, especially since Ravenlocks were known to up and vanish for weeks on end?well in Brian?s case it was more like over a year, but really? who?s counting, right?

The point was that, he felt where Claire was coming from and more so, this was also personal for him, because Serah was one of their own as well for a time. Not to mention he was close to the younger Farron.

That being said, he would do all he could as well, in order to get to the bottom of this.

Still, he had to chuckle at Claire?s barter attempt, but again he could relate completely, so when she finished he quickly replied in kind.

?There are no ?ifs? Claire, if I get anything you will get exactly what I get, hands down. What I know is what you?ll know, just as soon as I get it and can get it to you. So we don?t have to do the ?If you cans?, you know me better than that. So no worries, on that.?

A smile was flashed to Claire, ?That being said, you?re right? It was strange for someone who just waltz up and report such a thing and then vanish, all the sudden. Unless they themselves were under some duress, or were just afraid to be seen going into a station, or what not. Still, if they were that concerned, you think they?d at least say a location or something quickly before taking off. So yes, that?s the part that has be concerned. Especially since I couldn?t get a confirmation from anyone in regards to her whereabouts. Not to mention some of the other things that have happened upon her locally, in the last year or so. That?s why I am glad you?re here now. You and your people know her best, that makes you all our best shot at anything.?

?So let?s do this, alright. We each get out there and do what we do, we hook up in a bit, see what we have on the table and work from there. Here, this is a copy of the report for you and yours. I wish I had more, but it?s what we have so far. You need anything at all, Claire. You let me know, it?s yours. And for the record, I hope this is just some silly deal as well, an maybe we can have a laugh out of this later, y?know??

Brian held out the report for Claire, ?But if it isn?t? We?ll do whatever we have to do to get her back safely, fact.?

The shift in his tone was a testament to his statement indeed, Whatever they had to do.