Michelle suddenly pulled out of Ben’s embrace, jumped up and began putting on her clothes. Ben slowly stood up as well.

    “I can’t do this, Ben! I’m sorry. It isn’t right. Christian isn’t right either, but I think the best bet is to just leave.”

    Ben had now put on a robe but was not doing anything to stop her, something that puzzled Michelle. She finished putting on her shoes when she decided she couldn’t take his intense stare any longer.

    “What?”

    “Nothing.”

    “What do you mean ‘nothing’? You’re staring at me as if I have two heads.”

    Ben was silent for a moment, then he spoke.

    “I was just thinking how beautiful you are. Right now. Running from me and what we have.”

    Michelle slowly finished putting on her shoe and rose to her full height.

    “Ben, what do you want me to do? I mean if these are your babies, what do you expect me to do?”

    “Stay in this house and raise them--with me.”

    “And the other crazy assed ghosts that live here?”

    “I would spend eternity making sure nothing happened to you, our children or Wilbur.”

    “I don’t hear Christian’s name in that promise.”

    Ben smiled sadly.

    “I think Christian can take care of himself, wherever he lands.”

    “That’s your way of telling me my marriage is over, isn’t it?”

    “It is over, Michelle. He has had sex with at least three women since you’ve moved in.”

    “Three?” Michelle asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

    “Moira, Constance and Hay...”

    “Constance?!”

    “It was a blow job, Michelle. Listen to me: he’s going to return here once he realizes you left the hospital.  How are you going to live with him? How? What kind of marriage do you have to nurture a child...children, in?

    Michelle took a deep breath.

    “And if these babies are Christian’s?”

    Ben closed the space between them and reached out to touch her stomach.

    “They’re not.” he said softly, moving his head forward to capture her lips in a kiss. But the sudden sound of the front door slamming downstairs, stopped them.

    “MICHELLE!”

    Michelle pulled away from Ben, opened the door and walked out of the room. Soon she was downstairs facing both Christian and Sean.

    “Why did you leave? Constance came and got you? And you left with her after what she did?”

    Suddenly, Michelle was tired. Tired of lying about everything.

    “Constance didn’t poison me.”

    “Oh you believe that?” Christian asked with disbelief riddled with contempt. Sean put a hand on Christian’s shoulder.

    “Calm down! Michelle, you scared us when you just left like that.”

    “I doubt very much anything about my welfare concerns you, Sean. You can leave now.” Michelle said coldly.

    “Now wait a minute...” Christian began.

    “And YOU can leave as well. I can’t live with you anymore. When the babies are born, you can see them whenever. Along with Wilbur. But you need to leave. You and your sanctimonious friend.”

    Sean smirked.

    “And what will you do to amuse yourself while Christian is gone? Besides cutting organs out of people that are still alive.”

    That, of course, was a crude reference to what Michelle was forced to do for her former pimp/pimpette. And Sean never let her forget it, especially since one of her victims was his and Christian’s anesthesiologist, Liz.

    “I don’t know, Sean. Maybe I’ll find a friend’s WIFE to fuck! You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Christian?”

    Sean peered at Michelle, then looked at Christian, then looked at Michelle again before settling on his friend.

    “What is she saying? What is she saying, Christian?”

    “What I’m saying, Sean, “ Michelle said in a shaky, angry voice, “is that my marriage to Christian was over the moment I came home and found him fucking Julia! I thought this house would save my marriage, for whatever reason, but it was already broken! Now get the hell out of here and take my husband with you! I’m sure JULIA will be happy to see him tonight.”

    And with that, Michelle walked past both of them and into the kitchen to get some milk. Christian slowly turned to face Sean, who shoved at him!

    “How could you?! HOW?! Julia and I just found one another again! How?! How?!”

    “STOP IT!! STOP IT! STOP IT!” Matt suddenly screamed as he ran down the stairs to confront both of his fathers! Sean’s mouth dropped open and Christian backed away, just as Michelle heard the commotion and mouthed the phrase ‘oh no’. She then hurried out of the kitchen.

    Sean slowly backed back in one direction, while Christian backed back in another, leaving a wide berth around Matt.

    “Matty?” Christian asked in a hollow sounding voice.

    “How? Why?” Sean uttered.

    “I’m in a special government protection program. I had to fake my death so that Sal Riccata wouldn’t come looking for me at all. Until they can move me elsewhere, I’m holed up here.” Matt said, looking directly at Michelle. Christian and Sean suddenly turned to look at her.

    “Michelle? You knew Matt was alive and living here?” Christian asked hoarsely. Matt answered.

    “Agent Sloan asked for her help after she put  you out and Mom and Dad left the night of my...my ‘faked death’.”

    Sean walked over and hugged Matt--hard! He then let go of him.

    “I have to tell your mother.”

    “No, Dad! I’m going to be moved somewhere else and I’ll have a new name and everything! It’s best to make a clean break now!” Matt continued to lie.

    “Are you fucking kidding me? I think your mother would rather know that you’re alive and living a life someplace than dead! I’m leaving to tell her now!” Sean promised, hugging Matt again. He then let go of him and walked up to Michelle.

    “Thank you for protecting my son.” he said. Michelle just nodded. Sean then turned and walked out of the house. But Christian had a few more questions...

    “Wait just a fucking minute! Then just who is this Hayden bitch? And you’re going to tell me that Detective Stanton didn’t know you were dead? I mean he’s been looking for that girl that everyone said killed you? And even if you needed to fake your own death, why do it that way?”

    “Christian,” Michelle interrupted, “that doesn’t change what’s happened between us. I want you to leave.”

    Christian turned to look at her.

    “Sweetie, I’m not going ANYWHERE! Do you hear me? Because something about this whole thing reeks! Clearly, Wilbur saw Matt here, didn’t he? That’s why he had so much trouble accepting your death! And we had a closed casket service so did we bury rocks or what?”

    “Christian, just let it go.” Matt said.  “Your asking questions is going to make others ask questions.”

    Christian turned back to Matt.

    “Asking questions in my own house, isn’t going to blow your cover! There are too many questions unanswered here! And I think Michelle and you had better start answering them. And if you can’t, then you can BOTH leave here!”

    Michelle gasped and moved so that Christian was looking at her!

    “You would throw your son out like that? He told you what was...”

    “It smells like horseshit! And you knew who this Hayden was the moment you laid eyes on her earlier! Then you’re going to guilt me because I fucked a woman that apparently DID not kill my son!”

    Michelle folded her arms.

    “You’re missing the point that you fucked another woman in our house.”

    But Christian sensed he had the upper hand here. Something was off. And he began to suspect something even more sinister here. He looked from Matt to Michelle.

    “Have you two been sleeping together? Are those babies even mine?”

    Michelle gasped and stepped back. Matt threw up his hands in disgust!

    “Christian! Just let it go!” Matt yelled.

    “I would’ve had to have conceived ‘Matt’s’ babies while he was still in prison, you do realize that, don’t you?” Michelle asked sarcastically.

    But Christian didn’t bat an eyelash.

    “Like I said, I’m going upstairs to check on Wilbur, then I’m coming back down here to give the two of you a chance to explain. And I doubt very much when Sean and Julia get back over here and listen to your BS, they’ll buy any of this either. Oh, and why don’t we call Agent Sloan and find out what he knows about this.” Christian threatened, before turning away from both of them and walking up the stairs. Matt watched as Christian disappeared from view, then grabbed Michelle’s wrists!

    “Michelle, he’s probably not going to come back down!”

    “What do you mean?”

    “Oh come on! Dr. Harmon wants you to stay in this house with him! And he’s not going to care whether those babies are his or Christian’s!”

    “You’re telling me he’d harm Christian to make that happen?”

    “No. Not him. But there are plenty of ghosts that want those babies. And they’re especially excited to find out there is going to be more than one.”

    Michelle pulled away from Matt and hurried up the stairs, with Matt close on her heels. Moira appeared in the kitchen and shook her head at the oncoming tragedy.

                                                                      ****


    Christian didn’t see Vivien sitting in a nearby chair, staring at him with disgust, as he kissed Wilbur’s forehead and adjusted his blankets, before leaving the room. Once Christian was in the hallway, he closed his son’s bedroom door quietly and began walking back down the hallway towards the stairs.

    But something made him stop in Michelle and his room first. He walked in, opened up a closet and pulled out her suitcase. He then began pulling her clothes out of the closet! Michelle had known his son wasn’t dead and didn’t say anything? She didn’t feel the need to say anything to him at all about it? Witness protection or not, she should’ve told him!

    And while Christian would acknowledge that the house was big, he couldn’t believe he didn’t know Matt had been here! Something else was going on here. Something else that Matt and Michelle were hiding from him.

    The answer to that, came into his peripheral vision, as the door to the room closed and Christian realized he was staring at Dr. Ben Harmon. Or Fake Ben Harmon. It just couldn’t be a coincidence that this man had just walked into his and Michelle’s bedroom as if HE lived here!

    “What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing. Here?” Christian said with slow deliberance. Then something else came to into his mind. The Fake Harmons had to be part of this whole thing somehow. Because if this Hayden girl hadn’t killed Matt, then why did they leave the party that night in such an all fire hurry?

    Ben was dressed in black slacks and a shirt. He took a deep breath.

    “I want you to put Michelle’s clothes back. She’s not going anywhere. You are.”

    Christian slowly put a dress down of Michelle’s, then walked halfway over to Ben.

    “Answer my question: what are you doing in my house? Did Michelle let you in here?”

    “Michelle let me in. And I don’t mean into this house.”

    Christian peered at him.

    “What the hell does that mean?”

    Ben walked up to him.

    “I love Michelle. And the babies she’s carrying are mine. I want you to leave this house. Don’t come back here because neither Michelle or Wilbur will need you.”

    Christian looked him up and down, then shoved him hard, so that he went crashing back against a wall!

    “You’re out of your fucking mind! I’m calling the police, is what I’m doing and YOU’RE getting the fuck out! Is your goddamned wife around here too?” Christian snapped, pulling his phone out of his pants pocket! This was bullshit! Something more was going on here and he didn’t know if he needed to just grab Wilbur, or Wilbur, Michelle and Matt!

    Meanwhile, the bathroom door opened and Tate, dressed in the rubber suit came out carrying an axe. Christian did not see him as he began to punch 911 on his phone. Ben did and he told himself that he had done all he could do, to protect this family. To keep it in tact. He had asked Michelle to tell Christian to get out.

    Then he found the bastard trying to put Michelle out. The mother of his twins. The woman he loved. Now, the inevitable was about to take place.

    The door to the room suddenly flew open, and Michelle, seeing Tate behind Christian, screamed for him to duck! Ben grabbed Michelle from behind and dragged her from the room, while Matt took the axe blow meant for Christian!

    Christian jumped in to help his son, beat down the weirdo in the rubber suit, while Ben dragged Michelle to another room, then closed and locked the door. By now, Michelle was sobbing with fear!

    “Oh my God! Oh my God!” she kept crying. “Who is that? He was in the bathroom with us before! Who is that?”

    “He’s the danger I’ve been talking about. One of the many in this house!”

    Vivien appeared.

    “Ben, it’s time to let go. Let Michelle, Christian and Wilbur leave while Matt has Tate distracted! Michelle, I’ll wake Wilbur up and get him ready! Just get Christian and go!”

    Michelle gave Ben a look, then nodded to Vivien, leaving the room. Ben clenched his jaw but said nothing as Michelle flew from the room. Vivien folded her arms and faced Ben.

    “Really? How did you think anything was going to work out with her? How?”

    Ben looked at his wife.

    “I love you. I always will. But I won’t spend eternity in this house with a woman that can’t forgive me. This house was supposed to be our second chance. I messed that up. Hayden messed that up. We can never see Violet again.”

    “What’s your point, Ben?”

    Ben looked into her eyes.

    “That this house is MY second chance. Michelle knows what a sacrifice it would be, to let go of Christian and continue to live here with our babies. And she’s not about to leave them here with ghosts.”

    Vivien frowned.

    “I don’t understand what you’re saying?”

    “I’m saying that Michelle will be back. Just herself and our twins. That’s how powerful our connection is.” Ben said and left the room.  Hayden appeared.

    “So is that Ben’s way of saying that he’s ‘not going to sweat the small stuff’? That his girlfriend will probably come  back here to be with him? Or maybe she’ll carry on...”

    Vivien, who always kept a butcher knife handy in her sleeve, in case she did run into Hayden, stabbed her again, then walked off. And Hayden wasn’t completely wrong. But what bothered Vivien was the decision Michelle would have to make about the babies, and who indeed would be their father. Ben or Christian. And if she decided that Christian would raise Ben’s children, she didn’t know what fate Tate would have in store for her.

    So, Michelle could NOT come back here. And Vivien would pray that she didn’t.

                                                                           ****

    Christian did not feel right letting Matt handle calling the police or the FBI, since all of this violence had taken place in his home--yet again. But he was now convinced that Matt and Michelle had been telling the truth. That rubber suit fucker had to have been there to kill Matt and anyone else that got in the way.

    Besides, he didn’t want to call Detective Stanton, yet again, and tell him some fucked up tale of violence that had occurred. And that’s what bothered him, as he sat on the bed in the hotel he, Michelle and Wilbur had checked into. That house had brought so much violence into their lives, the short time they had lived there.

    Apparently, Michelle had managed to fight off that wack job, Fake Dr. Harmon and he got away--for now. But the man was a clear threat. And what was that shit about the babies being HIS? What a weirdo!

    Wilbur was now asleep in the adjoining suite. Michelle had finally gotten him back to dreamland, after telling him a lie about a poison gas in the house, and how they had to get out. It was a stupid sounding lie to anyone that wasn’t a child.

    Now Michelle walked back into their suite and closed the adjoining door behind her. Christian looked at her, then held out his hand for her to join him. Michelle slowly walked over and put her hand in his.

    “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the accusations. I’m sorry for everything. That house is poison to us, Michelle. I know I thought it would fix us. But it almost tore us apart.  I swear, what happened between that girl Hayden will never happen again. What happened with Julia, will never happen again.” Christian said, tearing up and kissing her hand.

    Michelle stroked the top of his hair, then spoke.

    “And Moira?”

    Christian blinked back his tears.

    “Moira?” he asked in a hollow voice.

    “Moira, Christian. There was Moira AND Constance. Oh, God, this isn’t going to work, is it?” she said sadly, pulling her hand from his hair.

    “Of course it will! We have a family on the way! I’ll make it work! We’ll sell the house and find another place to live. In another town.”

    Michelle just stared down at him for a moment, then spoke.

    “You’d better call Sean and Julia and tell them not to go to the house. After what’s happened, it’s too dangerous. I’m going for a walk. I need some air.”

    Christian just stared at her, as Michelle picked up her purse and walked out of the suite. He was frightened and yet he was unsure as to why. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. Christian took a deep breath. He needed help. He needed help if he was going to save his family. Maybe therapy of some sort? Maybe if he told Michelle he’d get help, he could save what they had?

    He pulled out his cellphone and dialed Sean’s number. It was then that he realized that Matt’s axe wound had barely felled him. Had he just imagined that the rubber suit guy had buried that weapon deep into Matt’s shoulder?

    Christian shook his head again. Matt hadn’t had a scratch on him. He had indeed imagined it.

                                                               ****

    Michelle didn’t take a walk.

    She took the car Christian, herself and Wilbur had went to the hotel in, and drove back to the house. She then got out and looked around.

    Ben was over by the gazebo. Michelle slowly walked over to him and he held out his hand. She took it.

    “You came back.” he noted. Michelle stroked his face, then pulled him to her for a kiss, that blended into another, until she broke it off and their eyes locked onto one another. Suddenly, Ben backed her against one of the gazebo posts and welded Michelle’s body to his!  Almost at the same time, Michelle yanked up her dress hurriedly, while Ben quickly divested himself of his pants. Then, with one massive lunge, Ben sank his cock into Michelle’s enfolding flesh.

    A torturous moan escaped Michelle’s lips and Ben clamped his mouth over hers in a brief, sensuous kiss, before almost raising her off of her feet with his first thrust. Ben then proceeded to make furious love to Michelle, his tempo rivaling that of a washing machine.

    Soon, Michelle was too dizzy from excitement and lust, to notice that someone else was watching their display.
   
    Julia McNamara.

    Sean had went running into the house, looking for Matt, after getting Christian’s call. They hadn’t cared about what had happened there tonight! If anything, this latest attempt on Matt’s life made them all the more determined to protect him! Julia had been about to follow, when she realized that Christian and Michelle’s cars were still there.

    Then the sound of loud moans, tore her away from the front door and around to the side of the house, towards the backyard...

    Michelle was fucking that fake Ben Harmon guy in the gazebo! Oh. God. Christian didn’t deserve this! They had no idea if those fake Harmons were hired by the mobster that wanted to kill Matt or what! What was Michelle even doing here? Why wasn’t she with Christian and Wilbur?

    Constance Langdon stood outside of the house, under the pretense of walking her dog, and spied Julia watching Ben and Michelle. Mrs. McNamara would have to be dealt with. She looked down at her precious pup. A nice batch of her ‘special’ cupcakes, should take care of that nosy woman.