"How the- what the fuck do you mean!? No. Stop this shit, Mary- fuck You! I went with Fred to identify- We made sure it was her...the lab said-,"

Everything zooms through my mind at the speed of light. Every heart wrenching moment of the aftermath of Cherie's sudden death, every time Freddie's legs gave out and he became weak at the knees when we walked to the morgue- every damn thing was inspected!

"Look- calm down! I'll explain if you just lower your voice!," Mary hisses at me, tightening her grip around my fingers.

"No touching," The guard by the door nods my way when our eyes meet. Fucking gladly.

"So! Explain it- and hurry up times ticking," i speak through gritted teeth, trying desperately to contain my outrage.

Marys whole demeanor shifts. If I wasn't paying such close attention, I wouldn't have caught the sly smirk on her face before she hid behind her signature stone mask expression.

"It was simple, really," This time she looks straight into my eyes, her wicked smirk grows wider as her teeth shine through in a maliciously twisted smile.

"You know the right people, in high places- it's easy to bribe a morgue pathologist with gambling woes," She tilts her head back into a roaring cackle. The evil way that it sounds makes my stomach bubble into knots.

She looks to me now, still snickering away, wiping the stray tears from the side of her eyes.

"Tetrodotoxin to slow her heart rate enough for any monitors to not detect a pulse....then, the extra precaution of Paul's hired ambulance workers that took her away...all so very simple, if you think about it..," Her eyes glow with the satisfying fire of revenge- she's not done yet, I know she's still playing the game. It's obvious!

"What else is there! What does this have- why-," I stand to my feet, now too fumed up to sit still.

"Where is she? What have they done with her if she...," plopping back down onto the chair, my hand covers my mouth with the possibilities.

I raise my head, fighting to push back the tears from feeling all of this overwhelming emotions. How am I going to tell Fred?!

"She's fine. She's being...well, let's just say she's not lonely," She scoffs and closes her mouth again. Her lips settle into the hideous smirk that tells me ashes definitely hiding something else.

"Who is she with?! Jimmy!? He's got her doesn't he- where! Mary if you don't fucking tell me I'll-,"

"You'll what? Lock me up?," She begins to chuckle lightly into the palm of her hand.

"Visiting times are over- inmates stay where you are. Visitors to the door, please," The guard from the desk stands to his feet as he makes his announcement. It's been two hours already!?

"Where is she! Mary Where is-,"

"Serpent's Desert- I'm sure you'll find her there," she says into my ear as she plays along with the other people around us and hugs me to say our goodbyes.

In tug her closer to me when she tries to pull away, "what about the children? How are they in danger?," I whisper quickly as the impatient guard clears his throat.

"Sir, visiting times are over. Step away now- you've said your goodbyes.,"

I drop my arms from Marys- looking into her eyes, waiting for her to say something!

"Did I say that? Whoops- maybe, we'll have another visit soon-,"

"Mr. Taylor- Lets go!," the guards arms slings around my back as he ushers me to the doorway.

"Bring Freddie next time!!," Mary waves with the biggest grin beaming on her face. I try to force myself back into the room- I can't believe this bitch!!

"Calm down or you'll be out in handcuffs, too," I stop my fidgeting if only to prevent myself from getting put in jail for the night. There's too much depending on me now- I gotta tell Freddie.

——————————————————-

The whole drive back to London, my mind is swamped with all of this new information. What the hell did she say they gave Cherie to stop her heart? Or did it just slow it down? Did they really kill Danielle just to get to Cherie!?

Well, I guess I can't put anything past them! Do I tell the cops? Should I have just said something while I was there?! I don't know!

By the time I gather the strength to face the music, that is, to tell Freddie the truth- it's already late and the night has long since begun. No doubt, he's having the time of his life right now- partying away. I don't want to ruin his birthday...but, maybe this is not ruining it. The news of Cherie being alive could only be good news to him!

————————————————-

"Montsy, please! It's his birthday- he...I just want to look at him...,"

"No! It's not a good idea, not a good time at all- you should get ready for tomorrow..,"

My dear saving grace- my aunt Monserrat, stares at me with a defeated, gloomy look on her face. "Please, Cherie...just- just go to sleep, get some rest...,"

She goes to close the door, lock and key that I've been kept down in this dungeon. Like the good liar that she is, my aunt takes her role of hiding here, very seriously. It's not her fault. This is a tricky situation- me and her are the same. We've the same reasonings for staying here. Miserable and exiled together in her abode, unable to contact the most precious people in our hearts, keeping each other company through the mental breaks and from running free which would be like setting up our own suicides.

Tonight as her heavy racing of bolt keys jingle, she walks away from the door, but I did not hear the lock slip in place. She's testing me. I know it. I don't care!

With a heavy dread knitting up my guts, I get dressed into the costume I bought with the secret stash of money that I've been hoarding for myself. Working again in these type of establishments has its perks. No one can keep count of my real cash flow- but then again, I'm not stupid enough to keep all my hard works pay. I give him most of it. That's the point.

—————————————————

Roger:

"Freddie!! Wait!!," I run towards him with the fresh courage pumping through my veins but he doesn't look the least bit glad to see me. And, his brute doesn't seem too happy either, judging by the looks of him.

Freddie breaks the space between us, stumbling out of Jim's arms, I can see that he's had a good time at his party. He almost trips over his own feet as he pushes me with all his force. His hands slam into my chest, his fingers find the collar of my shirt, ringing me closer to his liquor lips as he stares at me with a bewildered sheen in his eyes. His slurring words spray spit in my face through gritted teeth.

"What the fuck is your problem!! Couldn't make it to your best friends birthday!? Couldn't stop yourself form cheating on your wife!!?," His growls ring out loud and clear for everyone to hear as they turn their heads from the front steps of the house where they stand smoking cigarettes and laughing like banshees.

"Fred- What the f- no! That's not it-," I try to explain myself, try to pull free from his death grip. Looking behind him, I see Jim walking closer with an annoying smirk on his face.

"Stop the shit, Rog! Rose told me everything!," He launches me away from him so hard that I tumble backwards, flailing my arms about until I reach for a shrub that catches my fall.

My eyes go wide when he tauntingly smiles at me, the tips of his teeth peak out from under his mustache. He strolls close to me again, once I've got my footing. "Freddie just fucking listen!,"

"I'm not listen to a single thing you think I'll believe," A hiccup escapes his lips and now I know that my whole plan will go down the toilet- this was a bad idea!

"You still have your wife!!," He blows in my face as each words bellows out of him. "She's still fucking alive!! Shes still here and still loves you!!," in his drunken rant his voice begins to crack. His demeanor shifts, his shoulders slump forward to cave his chest in, under the weight of his own words he begins to sob uncontrollably.

"Y-you take her f-for granted! You fucking imbecile!!!!She LOVES YOU!!!!," In the constricting hold of his hands he tightens his grip on my fingers, shaking about like he's got a burning fever rising through his bloodstream, he says his last words like a chant over and over again, until he falls to his knees before me to the ground. Like a melting mortal into a puddle of his own tears. "She loves you! She loves you! She still loves y-y-you!!,"

"Now that's enough now! Come on, Fred! We're going home!," Jim quickly removes my arms from around my best friend as he once again crumbles under the ghostly memories of the real love of his life.

"Leave him to me! Go to your home, Jim! I've got th-,"

"Like hell you do! He was fine! We were fine until you came to ruin his birthday!," Jim roses to his feet now, forgetting about lifting Freddie from the cement ground. As he and I face off, Freddies sniffles cease and he wipes his face and stands between us.

"Go the fuck away! Your time's running out, Jim!," I smile defiantly at the smug look the prick gives back to me. Little does he know!

"Jim.," Freddie's choking, broken words are long gone now. Replaced by the thunderous command of a rage filled man. "Get. In. The. Car.," He swivels his head from its hung position towards Jim's face, steps directly in front of me in a protective open legged stance and whispers his next order in a hauntingly, terrifying growl. "I said go- NOW!," His His is enough to slap Jim's face back to reality as he huffs away and gets in the car slamming the door like a little baby-

"As for you!," Just when I think the guy has got some common sense knocked into him, he turns around to face me, pushing me roughly backwards once again. We walk that way until the back of my legs hits the front bumper of my car and I'm forced to sit and listen like a child in trouble, as he wags his long, slender finger in my face. I can see the glimmer of trickling tears still falling from the corners of his eyes.

"Rog- I would never-," he breathes the words with such a passion, it consumes my heart, "never. Never. Never would I cheat on my wife! Dying or not. Sick or not! You took those vows and I swear to God and Cherie that you better get your shot together!! Be a fucking man!," His stiff punch lands on my shoulder, he clenches his fist looking like he's hurt himself more than I even felt the impact.

"Freddie we have to talk- but you need to sleep this off-,"

He backs away now as I speak, his hands raise to the back of his head like he's trying to push his emotions back into place.

"Don't-," His hands drop to his stomach, his finger tips turn white at the strength he uses to keep himself together, like he's trying not to fall apart so desperately even though his eyes tell me all I need to know. "Don't t-tell me what I need to do!,"

His voice lowers to a normal tone, his glossy red eyes are heavy lidded, exhausted, drugged and fed up. "You know, you're very lucky. Having a beautiful, loving woman to call your home. I had that. Remember?,"

He looks like he wants to go on. Like he wants to say more, do more- but he closes his eyes, allowing the waterfalls to cascade from underneath his eyelashes, stripping the mask of lies off of his face, letting his true love take him over. His lips quiver beneath the shadow of his dark mustache, no matter how tightly he presses them together. His head shakes a couple of times, before he opens his eyes. He stares into my eyes, relaying his message through the portals of his soul- his expressive, deep, sorrowful brown eyes make my head start to nod up and down repeatedly in full understanding.

His bottom lip slips from the bite mark that held it in place, letting a choking sputter of a sob break the tension between us. I run over to him, locking him in the strongest hug that my arms strength can manage. His hands spread out on my back as he presses me closer to him, I've held him this way too many times to count! But I'd do it all over again, forever, every time.

His head falls to my shoulder, his nose rubs against my neck as his chest heaves and he tries to suck in some air to breathe through his cries. "I miss her, Roggie. I miss her so much! It's never going to end, is it!? - I..,"

"Darling! I'm getting a bit too sleepy to drive soon!," Jim croons oUt of the car window, completely obliterating this tender moment between us.

Freddie pulls away at a rapid speed, clears his throat as he swipes away the stubborn, involuntary tears that splash his cheeks. "I'm sorry- Goodnight, Roger.."

He walks away from me in a hurry. Like a dog with his tail between his legs, he accepts the quick kiss that Jim plants on his lips as he opens Freddie's door again. I look on as the two of them stare at each other. Jim's hand travels up Freddie's arm, dances on the top of his shoulder, and stop with a soft caress to his face, cupping his cheek in the palm of his hand. Freddie's eyes flutter and close and he smiles with a blush. That's enough for me to turn away now, but this is ending soon. I've just got to find a better time!