Like a Train Wreck - 18. Chapter 18: Have You Ever

It was dark and only bits of light shined through the trees from the moonlight, heavy breaths escaped as the leaves on the ground ruffled with the sound of running feet. It was the feet of Melanie as she turned around to look at the masked man following her and then she tripped and fell down. Her face nearly hitting the dirty ground. She laid there for several seconds, trying to catch her breath and her stamina.

Melanie rolled over only to see that the man had grown ever so closer, enough to swing the axe in a downward motion and she screamed, rolling out of the way and scrambled to her feet. "You stupid fuck! I didn't do anything to you!" She brushed bright red locks out of her face.

The man turned to look at her, silent and predatory as he lifted the axe again and moved in on his target.

Melanie took a few steps back and turned around to start running again, moving through the trees this way and that, hoping to try and lose track of the stalking man with the big axe. "Someone! Help!" She couldn't help but to look over her shoulder and that was when she bumped into a tree and nearly fell over again only to reach out and press her palm against another near by tree to catch her balance.

It was then that she turned around and saw the lights of the cabin up ahead. "Finally..." She gasped out relief before finding her arm grabbed by the man and she turned around and slapped him across the face, stumbling back before bumping into Jasmine, the little waitress girl from the lunch room who still looked as awful as she did days ago. "Here! Take her!" She pushed the girl towards the man and turned around to run.

Jasmine's screams could be heard when Melanie bumped into Sarah and Miracle. "He's coming! He got Jasmine! You hear her?!"

"Jasmine?!" Sarah looked up, hearing the screams just before they ceased and she walked around Melanie and over and around a few trees where her bloody motionless body lay, that was when Sarah screamed. "It's her!" She said just before Melanie and Miracle walked up behind Sarah and then Melanie looked up to see that the killer was no where in sight.

"Where did he go? He was right there!" Melanie grabbed onto the back of Miracle's shirt, appearing fearful, unknowing that the killer was now approaching from behind.

"Cut!" Cody screamed as he stopped filming from his position near by.

Sarah sighed. "This wasn't a bad idea, especially if we can get it done over spring break." She smiled and helped Jasmine up.

"Yeah, well at least this didn't ruin my hair." She pulled off the raggedy wig and sighed at her old clothes, covered in fake blood. "Jaemin was so nice to have taken me to the salon."

"Yeah, well you're still dead, bitch." Melanie laughed and shook her head.

Jasmine tossed the wig at the 'killer' who took his mask off to reveal it was Jaemin. The irony, right?

Jaemin caught the wig and held it along side with his mask. "Yeah but tomorrow night me and Miracle have to take a quick trip but we'll be back to finish filming, shouldn't take to long."

"Yeah, while you guys are gone, people need to set up for that kick ass ending effect. If it goes the way I picture it, holy hell." Kevin grinned and leaned a shoulder against a tree.

"That ending is pure satanic, this is all satanic. Jasmine shouldn't of been a victim, in fact out of everyone in this movie, she should be the one survivor." Robin narrowed her eyes. "Your Father would be pissed, Cody. This is shameful."

Melanie narrowed her eyes at Robin. "You just wanted me to die because you hate me. The point of the scene was to make me a sacrificing bitch. It was my idea and I love it."

"Can we please not fight? Making a movie along side a documentary is a work load, we all need to get along." Miracle sighed, seeming worn out if anything as he walked over towards Jaemin and wrapped his arms around him.

"Yeah well speaking of your trip, tomorrow is the last day before spring break. Jaemin, I'll have some ... business to discuss with you early tomorrow morning. So I'll text you." Melanie nodded and grabbed her purse that she hid behind a tree. "Thanks for letting us use your Aunt's cabin, Jasmine."

"Sure thing." Jasmine smiled and looked over at Robin. "Really, it's okay, I thought Melanie's scene was funny. It made her funny."

Robin stared at Jasmine. "You need to see the light." She shook her head and took her camera and started to head back towards the van with the group.

"And I do got to admit, Kevin..." Melanie grinned, taking his hand. "If you're picturing that ending the way that I am, it's going to not only be kick ass...but super hot."

Sarah shook her head and followed after them, looking over at Jasmine. "You know, maybe after this we could be friends or something. I never really realized without Brad how odd and out of place I would feel."

"Whatever happened to Kyler?" Jasmine asked.

Sarah looked puzzled. "I don't know, it's like he vanished. I never see him anywhere. Either he left town or he is damn good at being stealthy. I know why Danny and Ryan would be hiding, they probably went underground or something." She shrugged. "I don't think anyone ever bothered to call him, he was Brad's friend but pretty isolated, I mean Brad's friend only. He would talk to Brad and then take off."

Jasmine looked thoughtful. "Maybe you should go by Brad's house, see if you can find anything on him? A number or something? Brad's parents would let you go in, right? You're a good person, Sarah and you were always nice to me, always got your own lunch to the table..."

"Yeah..." Sarah smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'll do some digging, now that you mention it. Brad was just my world, I didn't think of anything else and then when he died, it was all grief. And now I'm only here to help out with a project for those who I have no reason to hate, plus I think it would be good for me. Gives me a reason to go out."

"Which is healthy." Jasmine smiled and continued and through out the woods to where the van was parked.

Melanie and Jaemin stood beneath the bleachers outside at the football field at the spring break pep rally that the school held the last day before spring break every year. Melanie grinned as she watched the cheerleaders stretching and preparing for their routine.

"I know the routine they are going to do, they peddle the same one every year. I know because I use to cheerlead until those god awful team color school spirit junk made me want to gag."

"So when Sarah is ontop of the pyramid...you want me to shoot an arrow at her?" Jaemin asked with a single lift of a brow.

"Why not? You didn't run with the gypsies practicing archery for no reason, did you? Might aswell make a purpose of it." Melanie grinned. "Just don't kill the bitch. Hit her in the leg or something."

"Wait...if I injure her ... then she'll be messed up for the movie." Jaemin noted.

"No, we'll just have to improvise and say killer man comes out from behind and axes her in the top of her stupid blonde head while we're staring at Jasmine's dead body."

Jaemin almost wanted to laugh and watched as the routine began, listening to the girls as they chanted their cheer and moved through their motions and grabbed the single arrow he had tucked into the belt around his waist and put it into the bow and pulled back on it, aiming between the bleachers, closing one eye as he targeted his sight on Sarah.

Melanie grinned and rubbed her hands together, watching as the girls moved about and so beautifully pulled Sarah up and flipped her onto the top of the pyramid. She waited and watched as Sarah lifted her arms and started screaming and cheering.

"Now." Melanie said.

Jaemin had taken aim on Sarah's leg and when Melanie gave her command, he gave the release and sent the arrow flying at full speed through that small opening from the bleachers as it sailed through the air and it slashed the side of her calf, not stabbing into her but causing a flesh wound.

Sarah was smiling and cheering until her eyes widened and she felt an intense pain as she looked down in time to see blood flying everywhere and falling down upon the lower cheerleaders, the audiance had seen the arrow fly through the air and it caused everyone to stand up. Sarah's eyes began to water as tears spilled and a scream escaped her as the injured leg weakened from the pain and she lost her balance and fell from the top of the pyramid, causing lower levels to crash down right along with her, total collapse.

Melanie's grin was one of pure enjoyment, it was as if she was riding the funnest roller coaster they had at Disneyland and she was just about to burst out into laughter. Jaemin however knew they could not get caught. He didn't find joy in it, Jaemin didn't have any reason or motive to hurt Sarah, this was for Melanie and he honestly didn't give a damn about it. He grabbed Melanie by the arm and started pulling her down the length of the bleachers.

Teachers and several adults from the audiance started to run down onto the field to check out the scene along with the medics they had on call for these type of events. Sarah cried out as she looked down at her leg. "What happened?!" She closed her eyes and curled up into a ball.

Once Melanie was in the passenger seat of the Lexus and Jaemin was speeding away, she burst into laughter. "Did you see that?! Pure awesomeness!" She just continued to laugh.

"All for you my pretty little partner." Jaemin shook his head but then laughed a little himself just because Melanie's laugh and her need to do such a pointless thing was funny in it's self.

Miracle walked along side Cody at the beach, close enough for the water to nearly reach their feet but far enough away for it to pull back just before it could even touch or wet their shoes. It was cloudy, with clearing in the distance and the sun beginning to set in the sky.

"That really has to suck, being gay and having a preacher for a Dad." Miracle looked around, thoughtful. "Though the story sounds so common."

"So common that it's kind of cliche, right?" Cody laughed a little and then frowned as he looked down at the sand, staring at their foot prints in the sand.

"How do you think he would react ... if you told?" Miracle stopped and slightly stepped in front of Cody, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Not good, obviously." Cody looked up and stopped watching. "I don't think there would be a brawl though, if that is what you mean."

Miracle slowly nodded. "Have you ever...done anything ... with someone?"

Cody shook his head. "I've wanted to, desperately." He then looked away. "I never knew anyone else who was...until you."

Miracle paused thoughtfully. "Something is going to happen ... something that shouldn't, for me anyway and no one can know. Do you understand that?"

Cody looked up at Miracle and slowly nodded and nervously began to tremble when Miracle stepped closer and grasped him by the shoulders. Cody's eyes closed, as did Miracle's as their lips met and there was nothing but the touch of the others lips, the feel of the wind and the sound of the waves to stimulate their senses. Cody had never experienced such a moment before but it was one that captured him, left him frozen, one that he was sure to remember.

Miracle eased back and opened his eyes, a small smile appeared. "Your first kiss, I hope I made it special for you because ... things like that ... well they should be special."

Cody smiled and nodded. "It was, more than you know."

Miracle's smile grew larger. "Your secrets safe with me, doesn't mean I have to be secretive, if you want, for fun, I could come over for dinner, light a fire under your Dad for you." He laughed, half joking but part of him really wanted to piss the man off.

Cody laughed a little. "I'll think about it. Last thing I want is to be banned from you just for a one time thrill."

"Would a ban really stop you?" Miracle turned around and started walking again.

Cody laughed and followed after him. "I guess not." He fell in line beside Miracle. "I mean look at Robin. I'm befriending the sinners, making satanic movies, being shameful as she so puts it. Yet she is so loyal to me that shes putting up with it."

"Maybe she'll make a good reporter one day? I think her need for the inside scoop over powers her beliefs. It's like Melanie said ... she has a whole club and she chose us or maybe she just chose you."

"You think it's a crush?"

Miracle tilted his head to the side. "God help you if it is." He laughed.

"You're really lucky and I don't think you know it." Cody stopped and this time he stepped in front of Miracle. "You express these horrible stories and they are truly horrible but ... what you have that most don't is that...you're free."

Miracle frowned and shook his head. "I have no more freedom than Melanie or Jaemin or anyone else. You're just comparing me to you." He looked down and then leaned in, pulling Cody in for a hug and held onto him. "Truth is ... I feel chained and shackled and I have yet to find the strength to break free from them. If I were truly free, I wouldn't be in a war with myself."

Cody closed his eyes and held onto Miracle. "What's so messed up about warring with yourself is the outcome is predictable, you half win and you half lose."

Miracle thought about that and slowly pulled away. "And that is what the war is exactly about, what part of you should win. The part of me that feels the need to be idealistic and proper or the part of me that wants to be true to my feelings even if I think they are twisted. It's a normal versus strange type of thing. Jaemin says it's all just a matter of the amount of similarities and differences. So then if that's the case, do I want to be so similar as to fit in or be so different to be true to myself? And then it all just beats at my brain because I can't predict the outcome."

"It's not all that different from religion. Like christian's versus satanist's or racism, like black's versus white's. Yet on some level certain differences have learned to co-exist with each other. Like race isn't as big of an issue anymore as it used to be, no more color coded towns, seperate schools, that sort of thing." Cody shook his head. "I some how think it's more complicated than that."

"Well ... like for example, I found out that Jaemin lied to me about Sterling never coming to the hospital, he assaulted Sterling in the stairwell so that he didn't interfere with us getting together. Yet I forgave him which part of me says that is wrong, normal people don't forgive liars, especially people like that and then the other part says you feel how you feel, don't resist. And then I wonder if it's just because Sterling basically told me he's done with it and Jaemin's a rebound. It doesn't feel that way though." Miracle shook his head.

Cody stared at Miracle. "That's a bit more personal. Honestly it's a battle of forgiveness and it's not wrong to forgive. Just because it seems statistically that most people wouldn't forgive doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't and that if you did it would make you bad. Just means you're in a low statistic of rare people who can forgive that and what I've been taught all my life is that forgiveness is the best thing a person can do."

"That's what I told myself." Miracle moved around Cody and over to a rock at the edge of the beach and climbed up to sit on it, looking out at the ocean.

"And look at all the supporters you have, no one has judged you for it. Well ... depending on who knows." Cody moved to sit beside him.

"Well Sarah knows and you know and neither of you judge me for still being with him. I guess it's natural for Sterling to hate it but then not only did Jaemin assault him but he had him sent to jail too, despite dropping the charges to free him, still has to upset a person."

"You should go visit Sterling before you guys take off, see how he reacts to you. If he chooses to be bitter then that is his choice." Cody bumped shoulders with Miracle. "I'll always be here." He smiled.

"Thanks." Miracle throws an arm over Cody's shoulders and looks at him before pulling him close and kissing him again.

Erica stared at the doggy gate that Martha put up on the kitchen door as she held her bowl of spaghetti. "Are you serious? Are you that nuts about eating in the kitchen?" Erica went to lift a leg to climb over the thing.

"Don't you dare!" Martha screamed.

"Woman! Seriously!" Erica pulled her leg back and turned around before she looked at Hunter who sat at the table. "How bad would she freak if I threw this spaghetti at her?"

Hunter tapped his chin with the end of his pencil. "I don't even want to think about it."

"You better not even want to try it." Martha turned around and opened the oven to take the garlic bread out.

"If this were my house, I would so do it." Erica rolled her eyes and leaned back against the counter, twirling her fork in the noodles. "So tell me about you and Craig. How does a woman like you get a catch like him?" She takes a bite of her spaghetti.

Martha stood up and stared at Erica before slinging the pan of garlic bread onto the stove top and then took the glove off of her hand. "A woman like me?"

"Mhmm." Erica looks at Martha and takes another bite of spaghetti.

"What are you trying to say?" Martha stepped closer.

Erica grinned and stabbed her fork back into her bowl. "What do you think I am trying to say?"

"I think you are trying to say something bad about me."

Erica stared into her bowl. "Do you have a therapist?" Erica swirled the fork around. "I'm not trying to call you a nut job or anything but usually when a girl asks a woman how she met her husband she doesn't get so ... hostile." Erica looked up at Martha. "I mean, just answer the question. You meet at a mall? The movies? Maybe clean his Fathers bed pan?"

Hunter slowly stood up. "Hey, could you please not put my grandpa in on it? He died. I don't expect you to know that but now you do."

Martha steps forward and slaps the bowl of spaghetti out of Erica's hand and it goes flying across the room, spaghetti splattering the wall. "I brought you here to help Miracle and so help me god if it were not for him I would send you packing."

Erica gasped as her spaghetti was slapped out of her hands. "Oh my god! Why did you do that? It was good! Destroy your own food!"

"That was my food! I cooked it!"

Hunter watched the two women and then looked at the beer bottles laying all around and thought about how much a bit of alcohol could really change two women. Though as far as Erica was concerned, he doubted that she would be afraid to taunt someone in such ways, he just didn't think she would do it to his Mom, especially being a house guest.

However Hunters attention was stolen by the screeching of tires outside and the sudden sound of gunfire and glass shatter as it appeared they had befallen a drive by shooting. His eyes widened as he saw the front living room windows taken out by random fire and then quickly dived for the kitchen, tackling Erica and his Mom to the floor just as the kitchen windows were taken out, glass falling on top of them and every where else, finally leaving behind the two windows in the dining area before the mysterious car drove away before anyone even got a chance to look at it.

Hunter slowly pushed himself up, looking at his Mom who was honestly to stunned to move or even make a sound and Erica, she was brave enough to look up and around from her position but other than that, she didn't move. Hunter shifted up onto his knees and his fingers curled around the edge of the counter where the sink was so that he could look outside the now broken windows. His eyes shifted around, looking for any sign of an encore attack, nervous breath quite audible.

"I think it's safe." He said as he stood up and moved for the phone, glass crunching beneath his shoes as he grabbed it and dialed up the police.

"Someone pissed someone off." Erica grabbed the counter and pulled herself up. "I'll be damned if me and my child are going to stay here." She turned towards the window. "I don't want to be at the front of the house." She then walked over and kicked the doggy gate out of the way and headed for the hallway, sinking down to sit on the floor.

Martha rolled over onto her side, curling up into a ball, silent yet breathy cries escaping as she hugged herself, still to afraid to hardly even move.

"What was all the noise?" Jaemin came out of Miracle's room, having been awoken by the massacre, hair messy and only in a pair of black sweat pants. He scratched his head and looked down at Erica.

"Oh nothing, we just nearly got killed in a drive by like gangsta's in tha hood." Erica nodded, hugging her knees to her chest, sarcastic yet still upset by the incident.

Jaemin frowned, looking into the living room to see part of the damage, he wasn't happy about this at all, none of them were but he had ideas of his own rather than being clueless as the others were. He slowly shook his head and turned around to head back into Miracle's room to call Melanie.

Melanie heard her phone ring and grabbed it, sliding her thumb across the screen as she belly flopped onto her bed. "Hello?"

"It's Jae..."

"Oh... hi friend." Melanie frowned, feeling sleepy. "I'm tired, can you kind of make it fast? Sorry my otherwise perky self isn't present right now."

"Look, you need to get Brian out of jail as soon as possible and I mean not even as soon as possible but sooner than possible. And..." He looked towards the door and lowered his voice. "And the drugs for the thing I texted you about months ago?"

"The dad thing? How are you going to even get Miracle to do it? I thought that's why you forgot about it."

"That's what I need Brian for and now it is of the utmost importance that I break this family apart, now." He hung up the phone and threw it at the bed before falling back onto it himself, covering his face with his hands. "Need Martha gone, get Miracle out of the way. Hunter will go to college .... this is Craig's mess."

Sterling opened the door at the sound of several knocks, rather surprised and taken back at the sight of Miracle. He wasn't sure why he was, he should of known he would run into him sooner or later despite their attempts to avoid each other like the plague, he imagine because they were both possibly afraid of each other or afraid of the moment that has now presented it's self.

"Uh...hi." Sterling said. "Not to sound ungrateful or unwelcoming but ... what are you doing here?"

"Just making a moment happen that has to eventually happen." Miracle responded and then looked over Sterling's shoulder. "So can I come in?"

Sterling hesitated but then nodded and stepped aside. "Sure."

Miracle walked in when Sterling stepped aside and he looked around. "Is your Mom home? It would probably be better if we could just hang out in the living room." His eyes did take in the direction of Sterling's bed room, remembering all that had happened, especially the last thing he had done there.

"No, business trip again."

"Okay, so living room it is." Miracle nodded and turned around, taking the single step down from the small, elevated foyer and moved to the couch, sitting down.

Sterling sat way on the other side of the couch and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "So I don't even know where to start." He shook his head. "I guess ... first of all, thank you for getting Jaemin to drop the charges, I know that had to be you." Sterling looked at Miracle. "You do know Jaemin attacked me first at the party, believe it or not. And Melanie is lying about what I was going to do with the disk, I never had it, she did."

Miracle nodded. "I should have trusted you. I mean you were the very first friend I made here." He looked down at the floor. "So Jaemin and Melanie both lied." He looked up at Sterling. "Yet I forgave Jaemin and now I sit here not wanting to be angry at Melanie."

"I could see why." Sterling clasped his hands together. "When you first came to school, I could tell that you were a loner just like me." He shook his head. "I won't even say a loner but rather a lone wolf, you were alone yet you were able to make an exciting life for yourself and now you're a part of something. And ... maybe you're afraid that you forgot how to be alone."

Miracle took in these suggestive observations and nodded. "Could be. Like maybe I depended on them so much. I mean we have formed such a great group. Cody and Robin, we're doing a documentary together, it's about my life and they are doing that all for me. They aren't really the bad guys though, well Robin is sort of, at least when it comes to us. And then on the side we're making this movie. Sterling it just seems like ever since Brad died, they aren't really mean anymore and haven't been since the party."

"So it's like why let seemingly ancient history ruin good things?"

"Sort of." Miracle frowned. "I don't know why Melanie chose to hurt you. I mean it's obvious now that it was to help Jaemin win and I know it's twisted and stupid and probably a little even psychotic looking and hard to understand and unbelievable to understand from the outside but I can't control or shut off the feelings for him that are still there. And I'm not strong enough to fight them and I don't really want to be."

Sterling shook his head. "Maybe it's because the feelings were there all along? Remember when me and you were together? When we had just started? And you asked me about Jaemin when he walked down the hall looking at you? It was something about is it possible to love someone and then love someone else just for their looks? I ... don't think it was just for Jaemin's looks now. I think, looking at it now, that you were drawn to him even back then."

"Does that hurt you? Even if I were unaware?" Miracle asked.

Sterling looked at Miracle. "Actually, no. It doesn't hurt me at all because it means that Jaemin didn't win anything, it just means that we tried something that you never wanted and that you followed your heart and would have done it anyway, without the trickery."

Miracle slowly nodded. "I am sorry for not trusting you." His hand lifted and he went to rub Sterling's cheek only for the other to pull back. Miracle frowned and dropped his arm to the couch. "Do you want me to talk to Melanie and Jaemin? Maybe you could be with us, in the group."

Sterling shook his head. "No and I choose that for many reasons. For one it would mean that people would only pretend to like me just because of your influence. Do you think Kevin really likes you? Miracle, he raped you. He only cares because of Melanie's influence and they only care about Cody, Robin and Jaemin because of your influence which you wouldn't have if it weren't for Melanie. The whole group you have? It would literally fall a part if Melanie died tomorrow because for one, I don't think Kevin knows how to lead and for two he only cares because Melanie commands it."

"And Kevin raped me because..."

"Brad commanded it." Sterling finished Miracle's sentence. "So you can play the fantasy all you want, go for it, play it up for however long it will last. I will be your friend but I won't be a part of that fake fantasy."

"Speaking of commands and leadership and this whole entire thing." Miracle then looked puzzled. "What happened to Kyler?"

Sterling's eyebrows lifted. "That's a thought that has run through my mind several times. Even thought that maybe he was the killer for a second but he really liked Brad so I could never picture that, in a way I think he was trying to help Brad change."

His eyes narrowed. "Kyler is a wolf in sheeps clothing." Miracle said as he stood up. "He acted like the good guy yet he had no objection to going with me to the janitors closet." He walked over to the window and looked outside.

"When did that happen?"

"When I went back to school, after the rape, before Brad's murder." Miracle turned around. "And then he tried to play it off as trying to show me literally that no one would ever love me by doing what I was doing." Miracle paused and then shook his head. "We didn't actually have sex, he just kind of ... got really dominant with me and like I said, tried to make a point. It wasn't that intimate but still, you couldn't picture him doing such a thing."

Jaemin pulled the Lexus up and pulled into the parking space of Melanie's town house and climbed out, black leather boots hitting the pavement just as he shut the door and walked up the steps and gave a few light knocks on the door.

Melanie threw on a pink silk robe and tied it around herself to cover the leopard print night gown that she wore that left little to the imagination. She grabbed a small black pouch that had a zipper at the top and it appeared to have two bottles inside of it, there was also a syringe. She walked down the stairs. "I got it, Daddy!" She then opened the front door. "Hi, Jaemin." She held up the pouch. "This has everything you need, probably more."

Jaemin looks inside when Melanie opened the door and then looks at Melanie before taking the pouch. "Good, something really bad has happened, you'll hear about it soon enough, I imagine and then I hope you understand the urgency of my plan. Originally I just thought it was funny until I realized that the plan could prove to be of more importance. While me and Miracle are gone, I need you to work on getting Brian out of jail."

Melanie took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll give it my best shot."

"Good." Jaemin nodded and turned around to head down the steps, hearing the sound of Melanie closing the door as he made his way for the Lexus and hopped in, driving off moments later.

Melanie turned around and headed back up the stairs and into her room where Kevin laid in the bed and she untied the silk belt, letting the robe fall to the floor as she made her way to the bed, climbing onto it then she settled herself on top of Kevin, straddling him.

"So what was that all about?" Kevin asked, taking her hands into his own, a grin appearing.

"Just an old plot resurfacing, more like a friends plot but you know me, Kevin. I like to get into any toy box I can find and ... well ... play." Melanie leaned down, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Kind of like right now but this takes a lot less strategy and thought, just reward."

Kevin returned the kiss and grinned. "Like Sarah's topple today? How did that happen? Have any clues?"

Melanie grinned and leaned up, running her hands down his chest. "I'm not a detective, I'm unemployed. Though I will say it was an interesting event. Sarah getting attacked by an archer. It could of been a water balloon or...a rock but they find a bloody arrow just laying in the grass." She looks into his eyes and her fingers moved to pull his lids down, closing his eyes. "Why don't we just stare into the darkness that is the mystery of it and think about the fact that it's an act that will end up in the cold case files."

"Whatever you say." Kevin smiled, his classic response to Melanie's orders.

"Good boy." She grinned and rolled off the top of him and reached over, turning off the lamp.

Miracle stood there in Sterling's living room, still at the window, watching the traffic go by on the street below, noticing that it seemed to be more active than before but then he wondered if it always had been like that and he just never noticed? He questioned small things like that and he hated that he did. Tear drops fell from his eyes yet he didn't turn towards Stering, he didn't want him to see it.

"You know what scares me? And it's weird because it's the same thing that scared my birth Mother all those years ago."

Sterling looked up at Miracle from the couch. "What is it?"

"Change. I'm scared of change and yet there has already been so much of it." He looked down. "My Mom told me about the last Fourth Of July that she spent with my Dad, how they watched the fireworks, how she was terrified that everything was about to get turned upside down. He told her that it didn't have to happen if they didn't want it to. He told her they had control and if they wanted it to stay the same forever that it could." A hand wiped at his eyes.

Miracle continued. "She just had this feeling deep inside of her, it was almost like this psychic feeling, at least that is how I take the story because not long after that conversation, he disappeared, I ended up being given away and it all fell apart."

Sterling was quiet, rubbing his hands together as he thought over it and he looked down at the floor. "Sometimes the years can just ... wear on you but I do agree with him on one thing, you do have control."

Miracle shook his head. "Doesn't feel that way." He leaned his head against the wall next to the window. "Not when your feelings feel uncontrollable. Not when yourself feels uncontrollable. It's like you're inside yourself but someone else has control and you fight that person so hard but they always win and you don't know if you should be fighting them. You don't know if ... maybe they could be right in doing what they do but you always question it because sometimes it seems so hard to believe it isn't wrong."

"Miracle, I know what you're fighting. You forgave Jaemin because your feelings wouldn't let you hate him but at the same time part of you tells yourself that doing so is crazy and that the only way to be 'right' is to be with me because I was his victim, he hurt me to get to you, he broke us up. It's a good versus evil battle but it's not so black and white." Sterling stood up and walked closer. "I've seen Jaemin with you, not much but enough to know that as far as you're concerned, he is a good guy despite anything he did to be with you."

"So you're saying it's okay because of how the relationship is and that the means of making the relationship become doesn't matter? Sterling, I can't stop feeling guilty." More tears fell and Miracle refused to turn around.

"I'm saying that you should know the truth, the whole story so that you can fairly judge, and forgiving his actions doesn't make you evil, it just means that you love him for so many other reasons and it's my place to decide whether to forgive you for forgiving him and I do forgive you for that, I just wanted you to know everything, to know the truth."

"I should probably go." Miracle turned around to look at him. "Maybe me, you and Cody can grab some coffee sometime or something. He's a really good guy, not messed up like me, maybe..." Miracle trailed off and shook his head. "It hurts to even suggest it but I think you know what I'm trying to say." He then turned and headed out of the living room.

"Do you still love me?" Sterling asked.

Miracle stopped after taking a step onto the elevated foyer and then turned around to look at Sterling. "For me? I think I could love anyone and everyone at any time, for any period of time." He looked down. "If you're asking me do I still love you like I did before?" He hesitated as he felt like if he spoke another word he would lose it but he managed to spit it out anyway, even if it came out in a cracked, overly emotional tone. "I do, not a bit less." A heavy breath was pulled in and exhaled nervously. "I'll be seeing you, Sterling." Miracle then quickly turned and headed out of the apartment before he truly broke down.

Sterling stood there, saddened by the entire visit but he truly didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to stick to his guns, keep himself out of it and not emerge himself into the situation again because all it would do is recreate the love triangle that existed before but then there was a very small part of him that was tempted to love Miracle even if Miracle loved Jaemin too but he wasn't sure how well he could handle something like that. Then he thought of how Miracle attempted to play match maker.

He didn't want anyone else right now, he wanted Miracle because he was broken, he wanted Miracle because he wanted to love him and save him and make him better because he knew that through each other they had made each other better people in their own needed ways. Their love wasn't just a wanted love, it was a needed love, a love where something more than love was to be gained and he couldn't think of a love any better than that.

Kyler stood outside Brad's house, near the mail box with one of those large manila envelopes in his hand, the thing stuffed with papers, information and he took a deep breath. "Not exactly home yet but close enough." He opened the door to the mail box and slid the envelope inside and looked at the house. "One son lost, Mr. Bradshaw but another one gained. I hope he makes you happy." Kyler then closed the mail box and turned around and climbed into the driver seat of his car and pulled the door shut, cranking up the engine, knowing a long drive was ahead of him.