“Josh?” JC groaned as he heard the voice of Joel first thing the next morning. Now every time he heard that voice he knew Laney had done something.

“What happened now?” JC asked trying to sit up, still half a sleep.

“We were going through the things Laney had on her, and um, we found a picture,” Joel replied from the other end. JC sat right up, and wide awake.

“What? Are you sure? A picture of Alexandra? Of my daughter?” JC asked the excitement to much to hide.

“Yes Josh of Alexandra,” Joel said laughing. “We’d like you to come down and pick it up so we can go through what the next steps would be.”

“Sure,” JC said jumping out of bed and heading for the bathroom to get ready. “When and where?”

“Whoa, hold your horses Josh,” Joel laughed and JC frowned, what was this man thinking? He had found a clue to his daughter, and he wanted him to slow down? “You can come in in about an hour. Does that sound good?”

“Sure,” JC said checking his watch. “So at like nine?”

“Yeah nine,” Joel replied. “Congratulations Josh, you may have just found what you need.”

“Thanks,” JC replied and smiled at himself in the mirror. “Bye Joel, see you then.”

“Bye Josh,” Joel said and hung up. JC looked at himself one more time in the mirror and cheered. He was one step closer to finding his daughter.

Alexa twiddled nervously with the hem of her dress as Johnny drove them in silence to the police station where her mother was being held.

“Alexa?” Johnny asked breaking her thought train and looking at her with a soft smile. “You okay honey? If you don’t want to go we don’t have to.”

“No Johnny its okay,” Alexa said softly and smiled at the older man.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Johnny said shrugging and continued to drive. As they neared the station the silence grew louder and Alexa finally turned to Johnny.

“Johnny?” she asked and Johnny glanced at her.

“Yeah Alexa?” he asked.

“What if she hasn’t changed? What if she’s the same? Do I have to go back to her, or can I still live with Josh?” Alexa asked and Johnny smiled.

“I don’t know Alexa, you’d have to ask him, but I’m sure he won’t mind. Do you like living with him?” Johnny asked and Alexa nodded.

“Yeah, I feel safe there,” she said. “He makes me feel like family.” Johnny smiled and turned to the young girl.

“Yeah Jayce is special like that, he can make everyone feel like family,” Johnny said as they pulled up to the station and he parked the car.  “Okay, so you ready to do this?”

Alexa hesitated for a bit before unbuckling herself and nodding, “Yeah I’m ready.”

“Okay then, let’s do this,” Johnny said unbuckling his own seat belt and getting out of the car. Once they were both out he locked the doors and they walked inside. As they entered the building Johnny noticed Alexa tense up and he turned to her, “Alexa?”

“Yeah Johnny?” Alexa asked looking up at the older man.

“I’m here for you okay? We all are, remember that,” Johnny said smiling, Alexa nodded and smiled back. That was the only thing she knew for sure.

“It can’t be,” JC said as he sat in Joel’s office at nine o’clock exactly that morning. “Are you sure?” Joel smiled and nodded, as JC looked at the picture in his hands for the hundredth time.

“We’re sure Josh, that was the picture she had in her bag,” Joel said and JC sat in shock. This is so unreal; JC thought and ran a finger shakily down the picture.

“She looks just like me,” he whispered and Joel laughed.

“I thought so too,” Joel replied, “Well then I guess the next step would be finding her?” JC looked at Joel and shook his head.

“Um, no thanks. That won’t be necessary,” JC said and Joel looked at him with confusion. JC never thought it’s be this easy.

“What do you mean Josh? Don’t you want to find her?” Joel asked and JC smiled.

“I already have,” he said, “Thanks for all your help Joel I’ll send you the payment by the end of the week.” JC stood up and shook Joel’s hand.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Joel said uneasily and JC smiled.

“I’m sure,” he said and began to leave. “Thanks Joel.”  As JC left the detective’s office, he felt a sense of warmth inside him. Finally everything he’d ever wanted was here, he’d found his daughter.