Monday, November 4, 2024

B6/Ch8: A STIRRING IN THE SECRET ROOM

Evie & Jacqueline come face to face 


The summer sky was as blue as a sapphire gem with clouds swirling in white plumes overhead. Evie stood at the front steps of the entrance to Tirymor House, her face frozen in shock seeing Jacqueline Gray arm-in-arm with Johnathon DeViana as they walked off in the distance into the lush grounds of the garden.

Aaron Hamstead, the Lord family driver, noticed Evie's reaction and when he turned his head to where Evie's eyes were looking no one was there.

"Are you ok miss?" He asked.

She shook herself out of the strange trans and said she was. She offered her own arm; Hamstead took it and helped her up the long stairs that lead to the front door of the mansion. 

In the Gardens, Jacqueline sensed Evie's presence. Her mind flashes of memories of the grave Evie was buried in and how Jacqueline would taunt Evie from above ground, and flashes of Evie in the hospital before she supposedly died being poisoned by Jacqueline who’d shape-shifted into a nurse. 

As the memories flushed in to the witch’s mind, Jacqueline suddenly snapped her body back and stared at the mansion behind her.

"What is it?" Johnathon asked.

“Uh … I’d like to go back in.” She said mysteriously.

“What, why? Just a moment ago you said you wanted to be alone out in the gardens.”

"Let's go back. Is that ok?? I think its getting a little chilly." Jacqueline said, lying.

Johnathon furrowed his brow, unsure of Jacqueline's reasoning but obliged and the two quickly returned. 

As the newly married couple entered from the garden side entrance, Johnathon took himself into the smoking room and Jacqueline quickly snuck off towards the foyer where she knew she'd find Evie entering the mansion. She knew she had to intercept Evie before they made their first encounter in front of the family. 

Jacqueline rushed down a dimly lit windowless corridor. Her dress swooshing and swaying in the quick pace she kept. Her heart was beating faster and faster and when she turned into the high-ceilinged foyer, there was Evie Jordan-Lord, the woman she buried alive, standing there with her hands across the front of her dressed clasped clearly awaiting Jacqueline. 

"Evie." Jacqueline said softly.

"I had a feeling you'd be the first one to greet me. What the hell are you doing here?" Evie asked, her voice simmering with fury.

Jacqueline smirked wickedly and slowly got closer to Evie.

"We're in-laws now Evangeline. I’s say you can call me Auntie Jackie, but even I wouldn’t keep a straight face with that one."

Evie furrowed her brow confused but then Jacqueline lifted her hand to show her wedding ring. 

"What have you done?" 

Jacqueline smirked again "I've solidified my survival, first of all. And secondly, I've found love. With Johnathon."

"No." Evie said. "You, you're married to Sebastian's uncle? How? Why could he marry you??" 

"Obviously, Evie, he loves me. And I love him." 

At first Evie was shocked, but then the wheels started turning. "They don't know what you are, do they? Is it you? Is it you who convinced the newspaper to print that horrible lie about Sebastian saying he's responsible for the death of those fishermen? Why would you do that? HOW could you do that? Sebastian would never ever hurt someone." 

"Wouldn't he? He's certainly done it in the past." Jacqueline noted, but quickly added “But contrary to what you might think of me, I would never ever reveal his secret like that. Ever.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself being here like this, especially after what you did to me.” Evie scolded. “I should expose you for the creature you are.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you my love, the very second you speak a work of what I am they’ll throw you in the back of a van back up to Churchill Green so fast your head’ll spin.” 

"I will expose you." Evie stabbed back. 

"You can't." Jacqueline replied. "And you won’t.” 

Evie knew Jacqueline was right. The slightest hint of a mantel break and Jacob’s dream of sending Evie off for ever would be secure. 

“When the Lords find out about you, there’ll be hell to pay.” Evie snarled. 

“I don’t blame you, Evie,” Jacqueline began “I know what I did was heinous but I would never ever tell anyone about what Sebastian is. He's sacred to me. The two of us had something special. It was true love.”

"You don’t know what love is, Jacqueline. You manipulate and twist things and lie. That’s not love. It's because of you that I lost my child and I lost Sebastian. You're the cause of all of this, your greed and obsession did all of this. And for what? What did you gain for trying to kill me and have Sebastian all to you yourself? Another man! You've already passed up Sebastian for Johnathon!"

Jacqueline gasped "Is that what you think I did? Passed up Sebastian? I had to marry Johnathon. It was the only way I could be sure I was protected while I searched for the man I truly love.” Jacqueline explained. 

Evie rolled her eyes “Oh please. You don’t need protection from the Lords, you have powers why not use them and protect yourself like you did on me?”

Jacqueline sighed “That’s not how things work in the coven I belong to. As much as I hate to admit it, we do have rules. Evie… tell me, where is he Evie? Where is Sebastian? You'll tell me where he is, won’t you? You have to. He and I truly belong together." 

"You don’t deserve him! You're cruel. You're evil. For God’s sake, you buried me alive and almost had my brother blamed for my death in the process. You just want to destroy, how can a person like you know what true love is? You don’t deserve love Jacqueline. You used Sebastian and when it was clear he was still in love with me, you did all you could to keep him. He hates you, he wants nothing to do with you." Evie said.

Jacqueline slowly walked closer to Evie, step by step, the pounding of her heart slowed. She was ready to snap Evie's neck for what she said. If Evie wanted to see destruction, Jacqueline would show her -- with her own life. 

"I could kill you right here right now and no would ever know I did it. No one here cares for you Evie, not a single person. So why don't you save your own life and tell me where Sebastian is right now on your own free will and I won't have to hurt you or .... Gabriel." 

The mention of her son's name sent a sharp pain down Evie's spin. She perked up. She would never allow anyone else to get close to her son enough to threaten him. Instead of backing away from the slowly approaching Jacqueline, Evie moved forward and lifted her chin and stared Jacqueline down.

"Touch even a single hair on my son, and I will burn you to the ground so that your body becomes a smoldering pile of pathetic ashes."

Jacqueline chucked. "Please. This is no time for jokes." 

"Listen to me yo birch, Im promising you that I’ll expose you; everyone will see what you are, and I won't have to do it myself. Just look how quickly this town believes Sebastian is some kind of hungry beast that is feeding on fisherman at the docks. I can just as easily tell the world of a sorceress now in the House of Lord being just as equally responsible for all the horrors this island has seen for generations and you'll be tied to a stake and burned so fast you'd never even smell the smoke before you'd die." 

Jacqueline paused before replying realize Evie was right. The villagers did have a quick tendency to jump to rumor and speculation as truth and then ask questions later. She'd seen it with her own two eyes when she witnessed half the village rush the lighthouse when Rebecca almost dropped Gabriel into the sea when Caspian controlled the old woman's mind. 

"I just want to know where Sebastian is. If you tell me, I’ll leave. I’ll vanish and he and I will leave you forever. That’s what you want isn’t it? To be free of me and him. Two forces of supernatural matter that only deserve each other." Jacqueline repeated. 

"I will never tell you.”

Jacqueline's frustrations grew and she again twisted her way around threatening Gabriel. "It would be shame then, for Gabriel to lose more than his hearing." 

Evie's eyes narrowed "Once again, witch, you touch my son, I’ll tell everyone within earshot what you are and what you’ve done ...." Evie then paused and stepped closer to her enemy and looked her deep in her chestnut brown eyes "then I will destroy Sebastian where he is. He’ll be Gone. Forever. And then, you'll never have him. If I find one hair on Gabriel’s head askew — your precious Sebastian is dead." 

Jacqueline saw the seriousness in Evie's eyes, she believed it was a bluff, but Evie did not budge. They were at an impasse, Jacqueline knew Evie had no fear of her and would destroy Sebastian if she threatened her anymore and Evie knew no one would believe her if she said Jacqueline was a witch who buried her alive.

As they two enemies stared each other down for seconds that seemed like hours a voice came from above:

"What is this?" Celeste said, coming down the winding wooden staircase with Coraline carrying Gabriel.

Evie and Jacqueline shot each other looks almost as if they were playing a game of chicken: who'd be the first to speak, who'd be the first to set the story of who they were to each other and their own crooked history. 

Jacqueline took the reins, as she had more to lose. 

"I've just introduced myself to Evangeline. And welcomed her back again." 

Celeste looked at Evie who smiled politely, signaling her approval.

"Oh." Celeste replied skeptically. "But I do sense tension." 

"Not at all." Jacqueline replied "Anyway, I should let you reconnect. Evie it was a pleasure." She walked off up the stairs turning one last time to watch Evie quickly move on to her baby boy in Cora's arms.  

Evie ignored Jacqueline's turn towards her on the staircase. Cora easily and happily handed off Gabriel to his mother. 

"Oh I've missed you my little boy! I've missed these cheeks. These little pink lips. This nose that I could eat up! Mama has missed you so much!" Evie said kissing her 11 month old baby over and over again. 

"It makes me so happy to see him this way." Celeste said. "He loves you." 

Evie looked up from the baby towards her old best friend almost annoyed "I'm his mother Celeste, of course he loves me." 

"Well, it makes me happy to see you happy." Celeste replied, adjusting her comment. 

"He's certainly very smitten." Cora added.

"This is Coraline Taylor, Evie, she's been hired to help Gabriel learn the language of sign. Over the months, she's slowly been able to teach him little signs for us to know what he wants. He's learned so much." 

"He's a very smart boy and I'm so pleased with his quick study. And in a few years, he'll be fully communicative with all of us. Its really a miracle." Cora explained.

"You're the miracle." Evie told her. "I can't think you enough. I worried for so long after we discovered he couldn't hear about how he'd grow, and this is amazing. Truly amazing. I don't know how to repay you."

Cora's heart warmed seeing Evie's true and honest reaction towards her. She could sense there was a mother who adored her son with every inch of her body. Every inch of her soul. She loved him to no end and the idea that Cora was a part of something that was putting the baby's father in a terrible light that included murder made her sick to her stomach. The truth was, she had no idea what Evie saw when she was freed from her grave. 

Was it Sebastian? Was it a hallucination? No one knew, but the twisting of the story into something so disgusting by Baxter thanks to Cora's influence made her whole warming heart turn black. 

"I'm only doing what Mr. and Mrs. Lord pay me to do." Cora replied modestly. 

Evie realized this too and turned to Celeste who stood there hoping for some sign of their old friendship dispute the terrible things she had done to Evie. 

"Yes." Evie said. "Thank you, Celeste." 

"Its the least I could do." Celeste smiled with watery eyes.

"What do we do about the papers? This story has to stop. Jacob has to stop Baxter from printing any more lies about Sebastian." Evie said, quickly returning to the actual reason she was at Tirymor.

"So, you've read them already too." Celeste replied. "We're just as upset, Evie, trust me. Jacob has all the editors at The Globe trying to get Murphy to retract what he's written. They're also very sorry they printed it. They had no idea the story would have such an effect." Celeste answered.

"How could they not?? They saying Sebastian is alive and a killer! He's neither." Evie answered.

"He's not who saved you from your grave?" Celeste asked, reminding Evie of what she had said to Dr. Ward of how she escaped. 

Evie, for her part, knew that if she wanted to keep Sebastian's true whereabouts safe from anyone who wanted to harm him and try to kill him for what he was, specifically Jacob Lord, she had to play along with the idea that it was all something she imagined, and the Sebastian has still died in the explosion at Lockwood Thicket. 

"He's dead." Evie said. "That's what The Globe needs to print." 

"We're doing what we can." Celeste replied as Cora looked still feeling sick for her part in all of it. 

Then as the three women stood there in the foyer discussing the salacious article about the deaths, Gabriel, the 11-month-old child of Sebastian and Evie began to use his little fingers in a way that made Cora yelp with glee.

"OH!!! LOOK! LOOK!" Cora screeched. "He's signing!" 

"What is he saying?" Celeste asked. 

Evie looked at Gabriel who was smiling ear to ear as he locked eyes with his mother and signed the word "mama".

Evie did not know sign language, but something told her what Gabriel was saying. It was her son, she sensed it almost as if some kind of telepathic connection entered her heart via his little signs and she said "mama" to Cora's surprise. 

"That's right." Cora laughed. "He's calling you mama. It's the first time he's used his signs without being prompted by me. It's basically his first words." 

Celeste gasped as happy tears rolled down her face. Evie squeezed her little boy close to her chest and kissed him over and over. Cora looked at the little family and realized she had to stop Baxter from exposing anything else. She could no longer be a part of what he was trying to do. Gabriel, the little boy she fell in love with deserved better. 

****

Aurora moves out of Gregory’s

Later that afternoon inside Constable Gregory Reigns apartment in town, Aurora packed a suitcase. She had decided now that Evie was safe and sound in her own home on the beach that she'd move there to be with her. The loneliness her daughter would face could be unbearable.  

Gregory, however, was not happy with Aurora's decision, but did not push her to stay. Having Aroura around in the apartment made things too close for comfort knowing that he was hiding Asha in the secret room behind his closet. 

Asha was a risk to him. Gregory wanted the secret of how they lied to Aurora about her baby's death and where the child was to remain the way it was. His fear Aurora's connection to the baby's father, Caspian, would rear it's ugly head and she's fall back in love with him drove him to cross the barrier of irrationality that he could now never cross back. 

The handsome and strong Constable stood in his bedroom doorway and watched Aurora back as she explained how Evie needed her. His heart broke knowing he wouldn't wake up to her beautiful face every day but this was better. Having Aurora out of the apartment would free him up to deal with Asha once and for all. 

"It's not like we won't see each other all the time." Aurora said as she folded scarves into her suitcase. "And Welshport isn't New York City, I can be anywhere you are in 2 minutes flat." She smiled.

"It's not the same." Gregory said, pouting like a puppy with a sly grin on his face. 

Aurora smiled and walked over to him and kissed his lips. She hadn't felt this kind of love in many years, since her husband Richard. Gregory's affections for her were so strong that Aurora felt as if she could sense them in the air. His vibrations of love were that strong. He loved her despite knowing what she and Richard did at the end of his life, he loved her despite the strange affair with Caspian. 

It was an unconditional love that Aurora cherished so much, and one that she never expected at her age. But being with Evie was even more important than living with Gregory. 

"No, I know you have to be there with her. I'm only sorry that we couldn't all be together." Gregory mentioned.

"I'm happy Rebecca gave her this place, something of her own. In fact, I was actually very shocked. Rebecca seems to be turning a new leaf. Nik's going to be with us too." Aurora said going back to her packing.

"Nik?" 

Tied up in the darkened secret room, Asha perked up at Nik's name being mentioned.

Aurora sighed "Apparently, Asha left town out of nowhere. He's broken up about it." 

"That's... awful." Gregory said hoping Asha didn't hear then from behind the walls. "I'm sure everything is fine though."

"Well, I don't know. Nik mentioned there was some kind of problem with her family that she had to rush off back home, but she didn't even wait for him to come home from the hospital to tell him-- or worse, she didn't notify the hospital. She just up and left." Aurora explained.

In the room, Asha saw this as a break. She struggled on the bed. Pulled her hands down yanking the restraints so that they'd move the brass posts they were tied to bang up against the wall. 

She yanked the posts back once. Twice. Three times.

Aurora stopped mid-sentence and looked towards the closet. 

"What was that?" She asked slowly walking to the closet. 

"Uh..." Gregory began before a knock from the front door saved the day. 

Shaking her head confused Aurora went to answer it "That'll be Nik."

Asha heard Nik's name again and yanked on the restraints. 

Finding himself alone in the room, Gregory quickly stepped into the closet and went over to the panel hidden in the back and whispered to Asha "You need to stop this, trust me, you do not want anyone to find you. If they do, I don't know what I'll do Asha. I'm in a very panicked state. Anything can happen."

Asha knew a threat when she heard it. She lowered her wrists and whimpered in defeat. 

When Aurora and Nik reentered the bedroom, Gregory was standing by the bed smiling.

"Those two, and this one." Aurora told her son Nik.

"Dr. Jordan." Gregory greeted. 

Knowing what he knew of Gregory's baby swap in secret, Nik couldn't stand the sight of Gregory but smiled. "Hi."

Nik's voice hit Asha's ears like a symphony. She wanted him to know she didn't abandon him. She wanted him to know she loved him and that she was sorry for her part in what happened with his little sibling. She had to make a decision: try and alert Nik and risk his and Aurora's life or sit quietly and allow him to continue to believe she left him. 

She yanked her wrists again pulling the bed posts back and forth so they'd bang against the wall.

"Did you find out what that was?" Aurora asked, remembering she was investigating the sound before Nik knocked on the door.

Nik dropped his mother's suitcases and went over to the opposite wall listening with his ear against the wall.

"What is that?" He wondered too.

"It just all of a sudden started happening. It sounds like... I can't peg it. Like a pipe? Or?" Aurora said.

"Pipes. That's probably what it is. These old buildings in town have very old pipes that run through them. They're not very good to be honest. I could have someone come look at them." Gregory said.

"No, its not pipes. Listen," Nik noted "the sounds seem almost like they're in a cadence. Not random. Its louder and more deliberate than pipes. What could it be?" 

Asha kept changing the amount of tapping she was creating so that they could tell someone not something was making the sound. A person. A person was doing it. 

"Keep listening Nik, keep listening!" The gagged Asha thought to herself. 

Nik kept checking the walls. He listened closely and ran his ear along the wall and finally was coming up to the closet side of the bedroom where the sound was getting stronger. 

"It's coming from here for sure Greg." Nik said. 

"I think so too." Aurora added.

"It could just be coming from downstairs in the station." Gregory tired to cover.

"No, its definitely in the walls." Aurora noted.

"I hear movements." Nik said, as Asha thrusted her tied body back and forth on the brass bed behind the closet walls. 

Gregory began to panic. 

Mother and son now were inches away from going into the closet to investigate the sound further. Gregory's stomach balled up. He reached for his gun that was attached to his strong thigh. He pulled it out of his holster. Walked slowly behind Nik and Aurora and waited for the moment they found the secret panel and then, he'd do something he did not want to do. 

He was desperate. He loved Aurora to no end, he wanted to protect her life from Caspian and his whole reasoning from taking the child from her was to give her a new lease on life away from any connection to what Caspian did to her. The child was the scar of that mistake, the scar that he saw would remind her every day that Caspian tricked her into bed and impregnated her. Gregory's mind spun out into these thoughts of justifying what he did to Aurora, to the baby, to Asha and now possibly having to kill Nik and Aurora to protect his crime. 

Secrets were killing him and now they'd kill two more people all because he was too afraid the strain and symbolism the child Aurora and Caspian conceived would affect Aurora's love for him, something she had never expressed, something she had never said out loud, but Gregory felt would happen if the child stayed with her. 

Then, Gregory tried to reach Asha one more time and loudly said "I don't want the two of you two get hurt now." 

Asha got the hint and stopped. 

Nik and Aurora turned back to Gregory who quickly hid the gun behind him. 

"Hurt? Why would we get hurt?" Nik asked slightly annoyed at Gregroy being so close to them.

"Are you alright honey?" Aurora askes seeing Gregory's odd facial expression. "You look pale!"

Nik turned back to the closet. 

"It stopped." 

"Told you, just pipes. I'll have someone look into it. It's probably coming from the police office downstairs anyway." 

“But it sounded like someone was banging…” Nik began before Gregory jumped in.

“It was pipes Nikolas!!! That’s it. Nothing more.”

Nik and Aurora stared at him. The outburst out of the ordinary and very out of his character. Aurora grabbed Gregory’s hand. 

“Alright. No need to jump down anyone’s throat. Nik, it’s pipes.” Aurora said attempting to cool the room. 

Nik lifted a brow unable to ignore Gregory’s odd out burst. Aurora had never seen this side of her partner and she wasn’t sure what was truly going on in his mind, what’s more the ridged way Nikolas was behaving around Gregory bothered her too. It was the first time the two men in her life had been this adversarial towards each other.

“We should go.” Nik said coldly . “The cab is waiting.”

"Right." Aurora said smiling. She walked over to Gregory and hugged him tight. "I want to make sure when Evie gets home the house looks is straightened up and my things aren’t all over the place." She joked. 

"Of course." Gregory replied kissing her. “Give Evie my love.”

Nik winced. He hated Gregory for what he and Asha had done to his mother and his little baby half-sibling but despite overhearing their confession he had yet found a way to prove their guilt and expose them. The stress of having to hide what he knew was killing Nik, and Gregory could tell something was going on with his pseudo-stepson. 

"I heard about Asha, mate,” Gregory said hoping to again cool the tensions in the room “don't worry. She'll be ok." Gregory said.

Nik furrowed his brow. "She's with her family. Why wouldn't she be ok?" 

Gregory smiled. "Well, whatever happened with her family will be alright is what I mean." 

Nik narrowed his eyes suspiciously "Right."

As Aurora collected the last of her things and Nik carried them down to an awaiting cab. Aurora, seeing Gregory's puppy dog face returning laughed and hugged him. 

"Oh, stop!" She teased. "I'm not too far."

Once they kissed goodbye, Gregory locked the front door and went back into the room, slid into the closet and peeled the hidden door of the secret room behind his closet where he found a sweaty, stressed, gagged Asha Hoffman. 

"You are not playing by the rules." He snarled. "What you did could have cost us everything, do you understand, everything." 

He walked over to her and looked down, he felt awful for his actions but felt it was the only way to make sure his secret was kept secret and his relationship with Aurora remained intact with no signs of the child that could bring back so may painful memories to the woman he loved.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asked kneeling down so that he and Asha were now eye to eye. "Having you here seems to be more a bother than I bargained for, but now that Aurora is staying at the beach house that won't be a problem, will it?" Gregory added, striking fear in Asha as the hope of being found started to fade.

"But, you know as well as I do, that you can't stay here forever now can you doctor? What are we going to do about that, huh? Where are we going to put you so that everything we worked so hard for stays the way I want it---in the shadows? What do you think?" 

Asha began to try to speak but was gagged. Gregory leaned down putting his ear close to her lips but no words escaped that made any sense to him. 

He signed and asked her if she wanted the gag released. She nodded. 

"Careful now." He said showing one hand was on his gun. 

He removed the gag and she coughed too deep breaths and stretched the sore muscles around her dry lips. He reached over to a side table, still one hand on his gun, and poured her water and helped her drink.

"You can just let me go." She said softly through gulps of water.

"So that you can just expose what we did and Aurora find her way back to Caspian? I can't do that Asha! You know as well as I do that I can't. Besides, once that is out in the open, what do you think will happen to you? We'll both be in prison somewhere in Bangor. You lied to me and made me arrest Andrew Kim for attempted murder. I covered for you, you covered for me. If I am exposed, you are exposed and it's curtains for the both of us. I can't risk that." Gregory explained again.

"Its the right thing to do Gregory. Maybe I need to pay for what I did to Andrew!"

Gregory smirked "Nice try. But and I both know that he was a pierce of garbage and deserved what he got for what he did to your father. Even though your father was a monster, he did not deserve Kim's cruelty. An eye for an eye." Gregory replied.

"But none of it is right. I had no right to do that to Andrew just as he had no right to kill my father the way he did-- and Gregory, you had no right do take Aurora and Caspian's child. It was a mistake; I made a mistake helping but we can fix this!" Asha exclaimed.

Gregory did not like what he was hearing. His plot was too far gone that he could no longer go back. He replaced her gag and she struggled again in the bed. 

"I'll return later with food, but don't get too comfortable Dr. Hoffman. Your time in this hole is limited. You've shown you cannot be trusted and I surly cannot have you here above the police station making noise. I'll be back with your final meal."

The words Final Meal sent a pain down her body that felt like she was being split in two. The stress. The overwhelming stress of the entire situation, she prayed, would kill her before he could.

He slid the secret door back over the closet passage into the room and replaced the two French doors that made up his closet and stared at his reflection in the small squares of glass. 

Who was he? What was he doing? 

He barely knew himself. Then a surge of rage filled his body, and he threw his fist through the square of glass in the closet French-door that held his face. 

The blood oozed from his knuckles and Asha could sense the darkness coming. 

Her time was truly limited now. 

****

Reunion in The Village


Elsewhere in the village, Welshportonians were preparing for the night to come and all its festivities. The full moon celebration was a fun and exciting event that the whole town would come out at dusk and wait for the full moon to rise above and shine its gloomy white summer light down on them. It was the first full moon of the season, a sign of the summer to come, a sign of excitement and respite. 

City officials were carefully decorating Village Park in the town square, lifting long string of new electric lights that made a dotted border floating above linked by tall iron gas lamps that would be dimly lit on the night of the full moon.

Fathers and their young children were already scouting spots on the park lawn to place their long-range telescopes to view the full face of the moon. 

Towards Village Hall, Rebecca and Caspian were meandering the square making their way to the records department so that Caspian could begin the search of who he was before his horrific demonic possession. This was a chance for him to redeem himself in the eyes of the Lord family who already saw him as some kind of monster for the terrible evil he inflicted on the family when he was under a demon's spell. 

All the while Rebecca showed a supportive front for her new husband -- but inside she feared what they'd find. 

Who was the man she married? Who was he really? And when he discovered his life before would he want to remain with her? Her heart told her he would, but her mind fell victim to the terrible thoughts of reality realizing there was a sliver a chance he might find out he had a whole different family out there somewhere, not just siblings or cousins, but perhaps a wife and even children. 

As the two made their way up the long stretch of path going up towards Village Hall, a chance encounter occurred. 

It was Rebecca's old and estranged friend Laurel and her grand-daughter Samantha in her baby carriage with large white wheels and a black cover. Seeing Rebecca, Laural froze in place, a face to face she hadn't had in a very long time. Laurel's mind quickly flashed to her husband Dr. Peter Ward encouraging such an encounter to burry the hatchet -- only Laurel pictured Rebecca burring the hatchet in her back!

Rebecca sighed, an awkward pause in her steps too gave Caspian a hint.

"Is everything alright?" He wondered.

"Laurel." Rebecca said loudly as Laurel then approached. 

"Rebecca, what a wonderful surprise to see you. I'm so happy to hear you are home and of course, of your marriage." Laurel began. "Mr. Casador, lovely to meet you." 

"Likewise." Caspian said slightly bowing his head and tipping his hat. 

"Thank you." Rebecca replied. "What brings you to town?" 

"Well," Laurel said motioning to the event set up. "we were thinking of coming back later in the evening, not too late of course, with everything going on with those fishermen, but Samantha's would probably enjoy a little summer night air and the moon." 

"Yes, the fishermen." Rebecca said, her discomfort around the subject considering the papers were saying her own grandson Sebastian was responsible for the murders. 

"Oh! No, no, I didn't mean anything by that at all. Not... no way implying that...oh Rebecca. I can't do this anymore." 

"Do what?" Caspian wondered.

As Rebecca stood there, the flashes came to her of the moment the relationship between Laurel, once a trusted employee and best friend, imploded: The Night of Vivi's birth and death, and how Laurel brought the village witch Eliza Goode to bring the child back, only to have the spell not work and leave Rebecca barren. 

All that pain. All that heartache and misery of losing a child and then realizing you could not have any more. Laurel too flashed to that day. A day she never forgave herself for. A day that would live in her heart like heavy scar tissue that would never heal. 

"We have a complicated history, that's all." Rebecca replied.

"We can easily say it," Laurel added "I did something that changed Rebecca's life forever. I fully take responsibility for that. I always have." 

Rebecca stayed stone faced but inside she wanted to let it all go, let it all pass over her. She felt like she had found a new lease on her life now that she was with Caspian, but her old ghosts haunted her, and Laurel was a reminder of them. 

Breaking the awkward silence Caspian interjected "We've all gone through things in our lives that we should somehow find ways of moving passed, I certainly know that I have those in my recent passed. That's actually why we came down here today. I'm searching for my own history." 

"Is that so?" Laurel asked relieved for a new topic. "Well, I wish you -- both of you-- the best of luck."

Laurel then began to push the stroller passed Rebecca who, as Laurel got close, grabbed her old friend's arm and looked into the baby carriage to see the most precious 2-year-old baby girl she had seen since her own Vivi was born. Rebecca crouched down and reached into the carriage. Laurel's heart felt as if it was going to stop.

Rebecca touched the baby's hand and Samantha squeezed and giggled. 

"She's stunning." Rebecca said. 

"She really is." Caspian added. 

"A beautiful child." Rebecca added.

Laurel gulped "She looks so much like my son. Sometimes when I hear her giggle it reminds me of him at her age." 

Rebecca then remembered hearing about Laurel and Peter's loss, Samantha's parents both died in an accident when she was just a few months old. Rebecca's heart suddenly thawed. They were two mothers. Two grandmothers. Two old friends who had lost so much in their lives. 

The baby looked up and reached for Rebecca's hand again. 

"You know, Father Ryan has scheduled her to be baptized sometimes after the full moon events. I know this is literally out of nowhere and I can't even begin to wonder why I'm going to say this but, Rebecca, would you like to be her godmother?" 

As soon as she said the words Laurel realized she had lost her mind. Why on earth would she have said that? It made no sense. They two had barley spoken in a decade or more and on their first reencounter she asked her to be the godmother to her granddaughter. It was Ludacris, but there it was out there in the open and Laurel felt like a foolish girl hoping her old best friend would like her again. 

But Rebecca seemed touched. She turned to Laurel and said one simple word "Yes." 

"Yes?" Laurel shot back stunned. 

"I think that would build a new bridge between us Laurel, and I would be honored." 

Laurel smiled from ear to ear and said she'd contact her soon with details of the very late baptism and went on her way happy as a clam. 

Caspian turned to his wife and smiled "Well now, if the summer didn't melt the winter snow, your happy smile would." 

Rebecca smirked back "I'm doing it for Vivi, she was baptized on the day of her death. This will be sort of a way to honor her. Samantha deserves a good godmother. I think I can be that." 

"Of course." Caspian smiled as he looped his arm so that Rebecca could link hers and they went up the marble staircase of Village Hall to search for records on who Caspian really was. 

****

Lear & Lucas connect  


In a small office towards the back of Village Hall, Lear Lockwood signed off on paperwork as the lawyer for his new client, Lucas Mural. Lucas had come to America from the Azores Island with Matthew and sought help with his citizenship via Lear's help. 

The two had gotten to know each other and Lear was happy to help in Lucas' hopes in his own American Dream. 

"I have to tell you, this is going to be the happiest event of my life." Lucas gleamed in his red leather chair in front of Lear. 

"Well its not every day someone can start a new life in a new place like America. Here, with hard work anyone can be anything. I hope once all of this is done with, you'll find what you're looking for." Lear said referring to the lengthy paperwork of citizenship. 

"I hope so too."

"I'm new in town too, well sort of new, I grew up here but left as a teenager after my father died." Lear added after turning to Lucas who noted Lear suddenly had blushing cheeks. "Would it strange if I ask if you'd like to maybe have a drink at the Siren?" Lear asked.

Lucas felt his heart skip a beat. There was something about Lear that he knew was very alluring and Lear felt the same pull from Lucas. They knew, almost instinctively that they had something in common, something inside of them that only they could understand and feel. 

There was a spark. A spark that Lear felt warm his heart and one that Lucas had not felt in a very, very long time.

"I would be happy to do that." Lucas said in a charming Portuguese accident. 

Lear then stood up and told him he'd be in touch with him when time came for the court appointment to go in front of a magistrate for Lucas' citizenship hearing. There were formalities that had to be ironed out, but Lear knew that the small number of new Americans in Maine meant Lucas was most likely at the head of the line.

As Lear opened the door with his name elegantly painted on the glass and Lucas once again thanked him and reminded him of having a drink some time at the Siren, Lear's eye caught his Aunt Rebecca and Caspian slowly walking down the hallway towards him.

He held his breath. 

This was a run-in he did not expect. Rebecca and Lear had yet to speak thoroughly since she returned from Churchill Asylum after she discovered he had helped Jacob attempt to take family company from her. 

"Nephew, what a fine place you have. Caspian, it seems today is the day everyone from my past comes to meet me at Village Hall. You remember my brother's youngest son, Lear." Rebecca said with a slight tease at seeing Lear look as pale as a ghost. 

"Aunt Rebecca, hello." Lear repeated as Caspian greeted him with a silent head nod. 

"This is your auntie?" Lucas asked happily. "Your nephew is so kind, ma'am. He's helping me so much. You should be so proud." 

"Thank you, Lucas," Lear showing sudden discomfort around Rebecca "I'll see you soon." Lear added.

Lucas felt a bit pushed away but nodded and gave Rebecca and Caspian a quick bow of the head. 

"I am very proud of you." Rebecca said. "Even though you helped rip me from what I worked almost all my life on." 

"Rebecca." Caspian said, a voice with a slight tone of warning. 

"It's true though. He knows it. We all know it. No hard feelings how can throw my only nephew overboard when he was only doing what he thought was right. Albeit very, very misguided. I mean to join forces with my greedy son of all people."  

Rebecca's sarcasm was palpable. 

"Aunt Rebecca, you know that while you were away, Jacob was in charge of all the arms of LPH, including the legal team of which I am a part of. I had to do what he wanted, its what the position of this family's solicitor is for. To make sure the best is done with the family business if something should happen to someone else. It's what uncle Albert stipulated in his will." Lear said, forgetting he was very happy to help lock Rebecca away.

"Yes, well, that's all good in theory but you were quick to jump on Jacob's actions. I would have appreciated at least a little questioning of his motives. But no matter now, I also read my late husband's will to the very creases of the folds of the paper. All is well now." She replied.

"Then we should be off." Caspian said, hoping this would be the very last of their run-ins and they could begin the search for his past. 

"All is well." Lear said with a raise brow. "All is well if you're the one who's life it benefits, isn't that right?" 

Rebecca cocked her head to one side "What?" 

"All was well when you left my father in ruins. You took everything Grandfather Lockwood had somehow. You left him with nothing. You forced him to do things for money flow that no one would ever think of. You left him destitute, yet, because as long as all was well for you, then you thought nothing more of the rest of the family."

"Is that what you think happened?" She asked, truly surprised. 

"It is what happened. I was there. I remember." Lear said, now leaning on his office doorframe. 

"Lear you were a child, you can't possibly know the very problematic details of what happened between my brother and I. Your father had a way of putting himself in ruins and my father needed to preserve our fortune in a way that made sure funds were safe for the future generations, specifically you and your sister." 

"That's a lie." Lear shot back. "You took everything from him. Everything!" 

"Lear that is not true." 

"When my sister vanished, that's when it all happened. You know it and I know it. That's when you decided that you had to take control of everything, and it left my father and my mother and myself in even worse place financially and we had nothing. We lost my sister to some mad-man and our house and our money and all of it when you decided that my father wasn't good enough. That's what happened." Lear explained all the while Rebecca shaking her head in disagreement. 

"No, Lear, no that is not what happened. When your baby sister disappeared and your father lost her or whatever happened, I didn't do anything. I was there to support but I began to see he was spiraling. I had to step in then. How do you think you got to law school. The money I saved from your father's part of his inheritance is what got you there." Rebecca revealed. 

"No." Lear said, his face softening. 

"Yes, dear." 

"That's not how my father explained it." 

"Perhaps he was too embarrassed, son." Caspian interjected. "Men when faced with something to explain to their children that put them in a bad light often times hide things and place blame on others." He added looking at Rebecca when saying the word others

"I, I don't know. It's not what I was told." Lear repeated.

The painful past Lear delt with had always been explained to him in a way that shaded Rebecca in the darkest of lights. There was a time when Lear's father began to spiral out of control with his finances and inheritance. That part was true. It was a dark time in the Lockwood family history. It was a chapter in their lives that all of them tried to forget because of all the painful residue that lingered on them like a single gray storm cloud that would never vanish not even in the brightest of summer days.

Lear's father one day, took his youngest child, a girl, to Village Park. Lear was only 5 years old and stayed home with his stick mother, but the little girl who was frail and sweet needed a bit of sun light. The summer air, much like on this day, was sweet with the smell of the ocean and crisp. And without a single moment to think or react, a man snatched the little girl from Lear's father's arms and took her away. On a small island such as Welshport people believed it impossible to hide a child that everyone knew thanks to her being the niece of the rich and powerful Rebecca Lockwood-Lord. But this theory proved wrong.

The little girl was never found again. The man, whom ever he was, took her to parts unknown leaving Lear's father Henry and mother Lorna devastated and broken. The marriage suffered. Their finances soon began to dissipate until Rebecca's conservatorship to secure Lear's future.

And over the years Rebecca's name was poisoned in Henry and Lorna's Houshold. Lorna died a broken woman, Henry too, by his own hand. Leaving a teenage Lear to find his way through the world without a father. Without a mother. Without his baby sister. 

It wasn't until his early twenties when he met Baxter Murphy and fell in love that he finally felt a twinge of normalcy, only for that relationship to also fall apart like a sandcastle crushed by wave. 

"We should get going now. Caspian has things to do here." Rebecca said. 

Lear nodded, still stunned by Rebecca's revelation of his father.

She smiled and touched his face with her gloved hand "You look like my baby brother Harry every day, my love." 

Lear winced his face and quickly moved his face leaving Rebecca's hand in the air for a spit second. Her touch still left a sting to his heart. 

"It was good seeing you Lear." Caspian said as the two left Lear standing in his office doorway broken. 

All of the painful memories with the new information about his father's recklessness with money after the little girl went missing felt like it was all happening again in real time. He felt alone again, he felt broken and withering inside, but then, a ray of light: Lucas Mural bounded back down the hall of Village Hall.

"I forgot my files!" He said with a silly grin.

"What?" Lear asked, his mind slowly coming out of the trans of his painful memories.

"My files. I left them on your desk."

"Oh! Yes! Yes..." Lear said stepping back into the very small office and grabbing the paperwork. Lucas's adorable warm face and light brown eyes felt like the hug he needed. Lear passed Lucas's files over and their hands touched. The Spark returned. 

"Say, would you like to have the drink now, It's been a bit of a day for me." Lear said.

Lucas smiled, a big happy warm smile and said he would.

Lear grabbed his coat and hat from the wooden ornately carved hat wrack and the two left together to begin something new. Something good. Something real. Something loving.