The weekend was fairly over for the couple and as much as they enjoyed their family, they wanted nothing more than for them to leave. Raven was beginning to get agitated with all the people running in and out, back and forth, upstairs and downstairs. The laughter and loudness becoming too much for her to bare.

She had thought that seeing the people she loved again would bring her the happiness that she longed for once taken away from them. But right now she wanted nothing more than for everyone to go home and let her be.

Her mother was constantly trying to babysit her and give her advice like she was the most perfect parent. Her father was upset and had expressed it to her numerous times but contradicted himself when he told her how proud he was that she grew up.

Stephens' family wasn't as annoying but his boys being here made things worst. They had been out all day and Raven wanted to be up under her husband instead of her best-friend.

She hadn't even noticed Ebony making her way to the couch.

"What's wrong mama?"

She signs deeply. How do you explain to someone that your boyfriend now husband, hunted you down, got you pregnant, kidnapped you, married you, and changed your name so no one could find you. Oh but now you're perfectly fine with it because you guys are happy and in love again. That's right. You can't. Because no one will actually understand the madness behind the music.

Raven could only imagine how Ebony would look at her and think of her if she let the secrets pour.

"Nothing I'm fine, just a little tired the twins are super busy today."

"Go upstairs and take a nap, I'll send Vicky up with tea to soothe the twins so you can rest properly."

She hugs her and makes her way upstairs to the room to get settled. Tonight over dinner they would be revealing the names of the twins to the family.

Soon after Victoria found her way into the room and cuddled up with her best friend.

"Turn on a movie."

"I'm tired V."

"You're lying and I have your favorite cookies."

Victoria knew Raven had played sick to get away from everyone. But now was the time for her to let everything that happened to her spill. No matter how much she would hate having to judge Raven for letting things get this far, it was something that needed to be talked about.

"Put a movie on, turn it up loud, and spill it. I already know about him stalking you so you might as well tell me the truth."

Raven twiddles with her fingers before signing again. She never thought this day would come. Someone actually wanted to listen to her. To hear what she had to say. She had been so tight lipped and closed mouth about the situation it was as if it had never happened. Just the way Stephen had told her. She wanted this to happen, he just sped the process up. She snickered at the thought.

"How do you know about that ? He told you?"

"Just like I know you found the pictures, I found them too. And it's fucking crazy that you've let me be here for three days and you've said nothing. Just holding it in like it never happened."

"V I swear I didn't know he was really crazy. You know that. We were good. But you know how I am about drama."

"So that's what all this is about ?"

"Me and E broke up because of his mom calling me fat and saying I didn't deserve him and some more shit."

She goes on to tell her the rest of the story not skipping a detail or dialogue in the process. Victoria can't help but feel sorry for her. She believed that she had just run away with him like she had done in high school.

It was common that Raven would run away. Her home wasn't put together well. Most families in are neighborhood were a unit they all talked and kept close ties while Ravens home was broken inside and out. Her father was present but only when it benefited him. Her mother was her guardian but never protected her. Her older sister had joined the navy and left Raven to fend for herself, coming home occasionally to keep Raven on track in school but sending her back as soon as a new chance to leave cake.

Her upbringing was pretty rough, staying in cars, sleeping in a home with only working water, no lights, no gas, no car. Just sunlight and a grill. Mother incarcerated for public intoxication while her father incarcerated for back child support. Leaving her to stay home alone for a week in middle school.

Freshman year in high school she turned to sex. Using it as a coping mechanism. Whenever her mother was away or would be too drunk to function Raven would make her move. And older guys were her preference. She was 15 while guys she was sleeping with were 18 and up. Not caring how old she was and eventually falling in love knowing it was wrong. Leaving two restraining orders into the process.

By senior year she had been arrested 8 times, fighting, attempted assault with a deadly weapon, running away, and even took a trip to the loony house for attempting suicide. Her first big arrest left people in school terrified of her. Her and her mother had first fought one morning before school outside in the yard. The boys on her bus had separated them and Raven walked to the bus stop as if nothing happened. While in first block the police had came and escorted her from class leaving everyone in awe. The girl always laughing, joking and smiling had been arrested for fighting with her mother. The charges had been dropped just like all the others but no one forgot.

It was only right to believe that none of the events leading up to this one were a surprise to her. She wasn't scared. She didn't care. She had let it become normal and adapted to the situation making the best out of it.

And Victoria at this moment had now believed that her friend was truly happy and had gotten over it. And it scared her. She had been there for Raven since elementary school and was upset with herself for not walking her out to the car or calling her until she got to her destination.

She now blamed herself for the events that had happened to Raven six months ago and was now crying, bawling into her shoulder.

"Ray I'm so sorry, I could have prevented this if I was a better friend. I should have called you like I always do or texted you the whole time or walked you outside. Stood in the door something. This is all my fault."

"V it's not your fault I promise. If he hadn't got to me that night he would have gotten to me another way. It's fine, I'm fine, I'm happy. Don't beat yourself up about it. It's not your fault at all."

V wipes her face and hugs Raven tightly not wanting to let go, not wanting to leave her behind. She just wanted the best for her but couldn't give it to her from the long distance they now had.

"Come back home with me..."

"You know I can't. But we're purchasing a summer home there so that I can bring the twins home in the summer so they can be closer to my family and his dad."

They lay back and finish watching their show when Stephan walks in taking a cookie from the plate sitting on Ravens' nightstand.

"Hey baby, baby's friend."

V waves lazily and gets up to leave so that she can give them some time alone and go get ready for dinner tonight.

"All be back before dinner so be dressed."

"Ok"

Stephen started at his wife trying to figure out what she could possibly be thinking so hard about. The strain in her forehead made it obvious that it was something major bothering her.

"What's bothering you?"

"V found your little creep box. How could you be so careless?"

"ME????? Ray you had that box last."

She smiles devilishly.

"You wanted her to find it. You knew she was mosey enough to snoop. The fuck is wrong with you ? You want me to go to jail."

"You deserve to rot for what you did to me. No matter how at peace I am with the situation now. You deserve to do time for putting me through this."

He shakes his head now finally putting the pieces together. Now he would have to destroy the box and pray that Victoria hadn't kept any of the pictures as evidence.

He thought that Raven was happy now. They had spent more time together, they were having sex again. She was letting him touch and sleep with her again. But the whole thing was a hoax to get her family here and take evidence back to the states to use against him. How could he be so stupid.

"If anything happens once they leave. Me getting put away isn't the only thing your ass will have to worry about do you understand me?"

"So what? You're going to kill me now ?"

"Don't test me Ray."

She pulls her phone out and plays the recording back for him.

"You're digging yourself in a hole daddy. If you want this to go away. Things go my way from now on. Every conversation we've had since I got my phone back goes straight to Vicky's email."

He runs his hands down his face and plops on the bed.

"Ok Ray you win."

What Stephen hadn't picked up on was that Raven was bluffing. She had become a professional liar by the time she was in fourth grade, professional parental forger by fifth, and the queen of bluff by seventh grade. She could make anyone believe anything she said. No matter how deep the lie. She spent so much time by herself and being isolated from the others that she became her own best friend and could come up with a lie and thirteen different outcomes and scenarios in less than three minutes. You need a lie she had it. You need a plan she had it. You need a cover story she had several ready to back her up.

And now was her time to shine. She would be getting her summer home in the states and she would be going back to school using Stephan's business accounts.

The damage he had done would be nothing compared to what Raven had planned for him.