"Missing? Nick's not missing. He's out there somewhere. We have to find him, let's go." Brian pulled the officer out of the house and towards the beach. Nick's family followed behind them, all excluding Angel, who was staying at a friend's house. AJ, Kevin and Howie arrived a few minutes before after getting the call from Brian regarding Nick.

The night air chilled each of them, the only light around was from the moon. "Who was the last to see Mr. Carter?"

Aaron lifted his head from Bob's shoulder and said, "Me. I did." Sorrowful eyes turned to Aaron, the officer walking towards him.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Aaron climbed from Bob's grip and walked over to a soft spot in the sand, accompanied by his father and the officer. Brian stood at the shoreline, still keeping hope that Nick will survive. Howie tried to comfort Jane and Leslie, who would not detach herself from Jane, trying to assure them that things will work out, but not believing the words himself. AJ stood by BJ, his arms wrapped around her, letting her cry whatever tears she had left. Kevin stared at the water, cursing it. 'How could something he loved so much, be so harmful,' Kevin thought. Kevin turned his back towards the others, letting his tears fall, not wanting anyone to see the less perfect side of him.

Brian looked around for the closest person to him, to show them what he found. Walking towards Kevin, Brian put his hand on his shoulder. Disguising his emotions, Kevin said, "What do you want?"

"I want you look at just washed up on the shore. You saw Nick at the party last night, right? You remember what he was wearing?"

Turning to Brian, his eye's blazing red from sobbing, he said, "Yeah, I saw him, I think I remember what he wore. A red and navy Hilfiger shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers."

"Oh God, that's what I thought. Come with me." Brian led Kevin to where he was originally standing and had him look down. "His shirt? Why, oh why is this happening?" Brian let out a animalistic growl before collapsing to his knees clenching the shirt in his hands. "Your not gone, Nick, you can't be gone... we had so many plans, you and me had too many things to do. I can't do them without you. How could you leave me like this? Us like this? Can't you see what you did?"

They all gathered around Brian, listening to his plea for Nick's safety. "Sir, I'm going to have to take that article of clothing now."

"NO, I'm not giving up, I'm not letting go."

"Sir, that's evidence, I need that. By giving it to me, you are not letting go." Brian, looking as young as Aaron in that instant, slowly handed the shirt to the officer. He turned to Nick's family and friends, saying, "I suggest you all try to rest. Due to the lateness of hour, and lack of visibility, we will have to resume this tomorrow." He put the shirt in a bag, to preserve what was left of it and walked back to his patrol car with his partner.

"I'm staying here until he is found. NO ONE argue with me. I'm not moving," he said, continuing to kneel on the sand.

"Brian you have to go up to the house." Kevin tried urging him on, but he wouldn't move. Aaron walked over to Brian, weeping softly and asked, "Will you stay with me Brian? Please? I don't want to sleep alone, but I don't want to stay with anyone else. I want to stay with you, please? Don't leave me alone like Nick did."

Brian looked up and saw fear. Fear in Aaron's eyes, fear in his face, and fear was heard in his voice as well. "A, I won't leave you alone." Brian sat on the wet sand and held Aaron in his arms, repeating, "Nick is gonna be okay, I'm sure of that."

Kevin helped Brian and Aaron up, the mourners walking back to the house solemnly. "Mom?"

"What, Baby?"

"Can I stay in Nick's room tonight?" The expression on Jane's face dropped. On the inside, she yelled, "No, stay away from his room, leave it be for when he comes back to us." Looking at the pain and sadness in her little boy's face, in everyone's face, she nodded. "Mom?"

"Yes, Aaron," the sadness evident in her cracking voice. "I love you."

"Brian, do you miss Nick yet?" Sighing, he placed a comforting hand on Aaron's head. "Yeah, I miss him already."

"Me too. I was really scared before when he walked into the water. Why did he have to leave me like that? I told him I loved him and I didn't want him to go."

"I know ya did Aaron. We all know you did."

"Do you hate me for not stopping him? For not trying harder?" Brian rolled to his side, looking at him. Aaron's eyes seem to cry for help, forgiveness, loneliness, or something Brian could yet figure out. "Airboy, NO. I don't hate you, no one hates you, believe me, please. I know you tried your hardest."

"Brian, don't call me that. That was Nick's name for me and I don't want it anymore if he can't call me that."

"Gotcha, Aaron." Brian tried to get Aaron to sleep, but sleep would not fall on him for hours.

*Downstairs*

Sitting on the couch were AJ, BJ, Kevin, Howie and Leslie. Jane and Bob were on the veranda, holding each other, weeping with each other, mourning Nick. Leslie said nothing. She stared at a photo of Nick, a photo that was taken after one of their recent appearances. AJ was keeping a close eye on BJ, making sure she was okay. "Do you want to go for a walk, Beej?" She nodded and AJ led her from the house.

"Leslie, do you want to nap?" Howie shifted on the couch and gave Leslie access to lay down, throwing a blanket over her. Kevin stood and walked to the window, looking out at the ocean, the ocean that claimed his friend's life. Howie stood next to him, allowing Leslie to stretch out, and stared with him.

"Kev, what could've gone wrong? What could have been so bad he had to resort to this?"

"I don't know, Howie. He died thinking I hated him though."

"Don't think like that Kev. He knows you didn't hate him."

"Howie, could he honestly not think that? With everything I've done, the shouting matches, disagreements and... just everything."

"He knows you never meant that."

"No, Honey, we didn't fail."

"I feel like we failed him."

"Jane, in time, we'll feel better. Why don't we go upstairs? You need rest." Bob helped a very fragile and weak Jane up the stairs, to their bedroom. "Honey?"

"Bob..." He kissed her softly on the lips. "We didn't fail as parents. We have four other children to care for and we have not failed them. Please believe in us, Jane. I need that, we'll need to believe in each other to get through this." Bob rested his head against Jane, and waited for her to fall asleep, restlessly, before checking on Aaron.

*AJ and BJ*

They continued walking down the beach, silence between them, under they came upon the little park. BJ sat on a swing, moving back and forth, while AJ sat on the bench watching her. "He was my best friend AJ. He knew things about me no one else knew. I knew things about him too. He never talked about... about doing anything like this."

He watched her facial expressions under the late moonlight. A notion of a smile crept on her face. "What are you thinking about BJ?"

"The first time Nick took me sailing. It was just the two of us, it was his first time out with my Dad. He was so nervous. I wasn't allowed to talk to him, every time I did he would growl at me."

Smiling, AJ asked, "Did he?"

Laughing, remembering back to that day, BJ answered, "Yeah, he did. He just guided us over the water.... that day..." Her voice slowly faded. AJ noticed the change in her disposition and walked to her. "Let it out Beej. I'll be here for you." He watched as her shoulders slumped, then the motions of her tears showing in her shoulders.

AJ stood before her, holding her in his arms, rubbing her back. "One day it will be okay again, BJ."

"How could he do that to us? Leave us all like we were nothing."

"He was thinking of himself, how to get him out of whatever he gotten himself into. Unfortunately, instead of talking to you, or Rok, he took the cowards way out. He could have come to any of us, we would have listened. I just don't understand how he could do that in front of Aaron."