Trigger The Years Past - 11. Chapter 11: Self Defense II

Cheston stood in the ring, a pair of shorts on, sweat covering his shirtless upper body as he stood before the man holding the board, his hands covered in boxing gloves. He punched the board a couple of times and then spun around and kicked it.

Andy grinned as he walked into the gym and caught sight of Cheston and laughed as he walked over to the ring. "People usually do that when they're angry. And...if you aren't already...I kind of have a reason for you to be."

Cheston punched the board and kicked it again until hearing Andy's voice and he stopped, breathing heavily as he turned around and waved his hand at the guy, signaling for him to take a break. He walked over and grabbed onto the rope and leaned forward. "What are you talking about?" He shook his head.

"I...really debated on whether or not I should mention this." Andy looked up. "Uh...think we could be more personal? I feel like one of the shrunken kids."

Cheston rolled his eyes and held onto the rope, letting his feet drop out from under him as he fell down to sit on the floor of the ring, more eye level with Andy. "Better?"

"Yeah, where is Miracle, by the way?" Andy asked.

"I don't know, you think I keep tabs? I mean, I imagine he might still be at his appointment." Cheston let go of the rope and his hands fell to his lap.

"Well, I ran into him at Wal-Mart not to long ago." Andy sighed and placed his hand on one of the four posts and leaned against it. "Thing is, he asked me to sleep with him, I didn't understand, I asked him why would he cheat on you? I made it clear that he would be cheating on you, he said that he wanted to sleep together and see if we could make the love happen. Though that was a complete lie, in all reality, he just wanted to know if I would get turned off by his scar." Andy explained.

Cheston stared at Andy with a blank expression and then after a moment, a grin appeared and the start of a laugh was released but then pulled back. "That sounds ridiculous. First of all, at Wal-Mart, while he's shopping? And by fate, he just runs into you, and this happens? And this, a story that is so twistedly over dramatic." He paused. "I mean, he would cheat on me and lie to you? So much deception for one person." Cheston started laughing.

Andy grinned. "Yeah, laugh." He nodded. "Over dramatic, is that something that you don't think Miracle is capable of?"

Cheston slowly stopped laughing. "You're serious?" His grin slowly faded. "So...why didn't you go for it? Was it because he lied to you? I mean, do you have to really win first? Maybe you felt like a guinea pig in one of those labs, or maybe like a statistic for one of those surveys."

"And you keep on, assuming that I feel like this is a game." Andy shook his head. "What surprises me is that you react with no anger towards Miracle."

"Well, Miracle isn't here, and how I deal with that is between us. You are here, so I'm dealing with you." Cheston grinned. "So, why didn't you go for it?"

Andy looked down. "Yeah, I guess I didn't want to be a statistic." He looked up at Cheston. "He wanted to know if I would get turned off by his scar. Why should that matter when he has you? I'll tell you why, it's exactly what I told him, he's attached and scared if something happens to you, no one else will want him, he's trying to figure out if he'll be able to repeat again or if that scar will make that hard for him, or maybe in his mind, impossible."

"Given what happened to him, the fact that my step father is in the picture, and still most likely has vengeful intentions, I'm pretty sure he feels scared."

Andy looked up and shook his head. "That's not the point, Cheston. Does it not bother you at all, that he's scared and more worried about who might take him in should you die over you actually dying?"

"Is that what he said, or just your analysis? Because you tend to do that Andy, and you make a lot of assumptions when you do."

"He never said that, but he doesn't have to."

Cheston slowly nodded. "Well, he does to me. And as to how I deal with this, regarding him, it's my business. I tried your tough love routine, I came down on him pretty hard for being so vain about it, so much so that I surprised myself. I had actually been down right cruel, maybe I took your advice a little to far. So...try not giving it to me for a while."

Andy held up his hands. "Whatever you say." He started walking backwards and then spun around and stopped to look back at Cheston. "And if this were a game to me, I'd nick name you Champion." He said sarcastically and then walked off.

Miracle walked out of the office building with Gavin and shook his head. "God, it seems like there are so many options and...I don't understand what I should be looking at. I mean, I'll bet there are pros and cons to all of them...and this might be childish of me, but I want a solution without a con."

Gavin started filming after they walked out and followed after Miracle. "It's not childish, we all want perfection, it's just...for some of us, it's harder to let go of."

"Well, see, I don't understand all these techniques, I don't even know which ones have the worse cons, so how can I even weigh my options? I don't even know why I come to these places." Miracle got into the driver seat of his car.

Gavin got into the passenger seat and managed to buckle up and keep aim on Miracle.

"It's like science class, you know my science book was like alien to me?" Miracle started his car and pulled out of the parking space and headed up and onto the road once it was clear. "I just want a nice, clean cut, perfect solution." He cringed. "And I used the word cut. It's like, okay, so a skin graft. I understand, they cut skin off from somewhere else and put it over the scar. Well, does the place they cut the skin off from, does it scar? And then the whole healing process, and then they tell me about generating fake skin, but some how it's still from my real skin, or a sample of it?" Miracle shook his head.

"Maybe...you're just brain overloaded. You asked for all the options and the doctor just explained many to you." Gavin said.

"Okay, you know what, I'm just going to stop before everyone is angry with me for being obsessed. I am obsessing, aren't I? I mean, Cheston said it didn't bother him and that's all that should matter and...I just shouldn't get paranoid about what could possibly happen."

Gavin frowned and looked at Miracle sympathetically. "I get it, I know you're upset that you're marked like that, I don't think a lot of people really understand until it happens to them. I think you took a lot of pride in your outer self and it's not a bad quality, it's just bad if that's all you do."

"Well, it would of helped if I started seeing more self worth in me, on the inside as well as the outside, but it would of been nice to get that chance without...and then having it all around full circle." Miracle took a turn. "But I'm just going to stop bitching..."

"Think of it like this, could of been your face." Gavin nodded.

Miracle took a deep breath. "Exactly, and I should just be thankful of that, though if the bullet went in my face, I'd probably be dead." Miracle grinned and then laughed. "But thanks for the concept." He stopped at a stop light.

Gavin grinned. "Your welcome."

"Yeah, people." Miracle looked at the camera. "Over four years later and I thought danger was out of my life, well a bullet messed with me, someone from my past who made it very violent to begin with, well his dad's really angry, though I took joy in throwing a steak knife by his head and nailing the wall."

Gavin's eyes widened. "You did what?"

"He made this crazy lunch at Cheston's house. It wouldn't of hit him, my aim is good. I learned it from a Chinese knife thrower at the circus a year or so back." Miracle smiled and started driving again.

"Wow." Gavin slowly nodded. "Well, at least you picked up a talent, nice to know."

"Yeah, doesn't do much for my job status." Miracle shrugged. "Unless I just go around picking up random skills and combining them into this super multi talent, which could be cool." He grinned.

Gavin stopped filming and lowered the camera to his lap.

Miracle turned into the drive way and grabbed the garage remote from the console and pressed the button, one of the doors started to lift and he drove into the garage, parking next to Cheston's car. He put the car in park and turned it off, pushing the button to close the garage door. He laid the remote down and climbed out.

Gavin climbed out of the car with the camera and his back pack which he carried various things. Once the doors shut, Miracle used his key remote to set the alarm and walked to the door and headed up the couple steps and walked into the foyer.

Gavin closed the door behind them and looked around.

"Cheston?" Miracle called out and nodded for Gavin to follow as he walked through the foyer and into the living room. "Where are you?"

"Regarding Jaemin's cell phone." Gavin mumbled. "Have you actually searched it? Like..are you sure there is no more video on it?"

Miracle's eyebrows lifted. "No.." He turned around. "I just kind of hit play, the video was already pulled up, I watched it and then turned the phone off and, well, it was never turned on again...until you did." Miracle shook his head. "Shh." Miracle put a finger to his lips. "Cheston?!"

"I'm here." Cheston walked around and into the living room from the foyer in a gray tank top and a pair of shorts. "Sorry, I was in the shower, just got back from the gym." He smiled.

Miracle turned around and smiled. "Oh, didn't know."

"Yeah, seems there are things that...I didn't know." Cheston walked closer. "Like Andy, at Wal-Mart."

Miracle frowned. "What did he tell you?"

Cheston looked at Gavin. "Your friend?"

Miracle looked at Gavin. "He brought the camera so you could watch the tape, with the video that I told you about. It's really not got all that much on it, but you wanted to see it."

"Gavin, why don't you sit your stuff down, go sit by the pool? I can have my door man bring you out...a sandwich, a drink, anything you want?"

Gavin slowly nodded and laid the camera and his bag on the couch. "Uh..a soda would be fine." He said as he walked back off through the kitchen and out through the glass door.

Miracle shook his head and crossed his arms. "Okay, so lets have at it, just so you know, kind of in the mood to throw a knife at the wall again, it's fun."

Cheston slightly grinned. "I saw how fun that was for you." He nodded. "So, I want to know, if Andy had went for it, would you have gone through with it?"

Miracle frowned and shook his head. "I was just...going in the spur of the moment." He looked down. "I doubt I would have, though you probably won't believe that, since it's what anyone and everyone would say." He sat down beside Gavin's stuff.

"But not anyone and everyone would be lying to the person, trying to use them as a statistic to prove a point to themselves." He sat on the coffee table and looked at Miracle. "That's the difference, he told me you were scared that if something happened to me, no one else would accept you." He looked down. "I'll admit, it's kind of half selfish to worry more about something happening to me and who'd take care of you next, where you would hop to, so to speak, but given what I know about you, I can understand the pattern of thinking, more importantly, I know where your heart is now."

Miracle looked up. "I'm sorry, and if it helps any...I wouldn't of needed to go all the way, I would of just needed to see if he stayed turned on after seeing it. Looking back on it now, I don't think I would of felt right about doing it, if it actually came down to it." He shook his head. "I'm done obsessing about the scar, I'm still going to go to my appointments, do that thing, whatever, but I'm done obsessing and bitching and...I'm just done with letting it drive me crazy."

Cheston smiled and reached forward and grabbed Miracle's hand. "I'm glad, because really, it's nothing to me. I saw the video of you and Daniel, so I've seen you, before scar...and I've seen you with it, and it doesn't make a difference to me."

Miracle nodded. "And I accept that." He smiled.

"Good." Cheston grinned. "So, mind showing me the video?"

"It's not much, but sure." Miracle nodded and started to dig through Gavin's bag for it.

Cheston walked outside onto the patio and then moved down the steps where he saw Gavin and he smiled and then sat down next to the pool and let his legs dip into the water. "Well, I guess he wasn't always so happy back then."

Gavin looked up. "No, he wasn't. Where did he go, anyway?"

"I had to make up something to make him busy." Cheston grinned. "I uh...asked him to make up a grocery list for the maid, she comes about twice a week and once a week brings the groceries from the list."

"So you had an excuse to talk to me, why?" Gavin asked curiously. "Not that I mind, just that we have never really...talked so much before."

"Yeah, and that's the thing. Despite whether he was all the time happy or not, what I could tell is that everyone in his life was...very close knit, and I think that made him happy. I think it was a good distraction from a lot of things." He looked at Gavin. "We're all so disconnected here."

"So...what? You want to pull us all together? The party did that, the hospital did that, none of it really tied us in." Gavin looked down. "Sometimes it's hard to form a group, especially when people are different, and if a lot of them are introverted, which most of us seem to be, in comparison. His friend Melanie was really in your face, then who ever that Jasmine girl is, that story about the fire extinguisher, that's crazy."

"You can't recreate." Cheston shook his head. "Miracle always says it." He smiled defeatedly.

"Maybe bring some old friends here, that was Andy's theory. Though Sterling turned out to be a bad idea, obviously."

Cheston's eyebrows lifted. "Quite possible, but who? Aren't most of them..dead?"

"Well, Sterling came, it was Andy's idea, because he was essentially not tied down. Anyone left went to college or something." Gavin said.

Cheston stared off in the distance with a determined look on his face, not one to ever give up when he set his mind on something. "I'll...come up with something, you can be sure of that."

Gavin sat up and leaned forward and smiled. "Well, whatever it is, make it interesting." He stood up and walked off, heading for the house.

Cheston took a deep breath and nodded. "I plan to." His eyes closed and he laid back against the cement, propping his hands behind his head.

Erica sat there on the laptop with Craig on Skype. "I can't leave, they still don't know what they are going to do about the incident. Martin is out on bail, I don't know who's story they believe. I honestly think that woman believes us, thing is...they have to go off of what happened. Just because I saw Martin behind Miracle on the terrace, it doesn't make a strong case. I mean, maybe they can prove he drugged him, but he could of done that for many reasons, it's all circumstantial, everything I did is factual, I shot him, accident or not."

"This is ridiculous." Craig looked at Erica on the screen and shook his head.

"Not like you notice I'm not there anyway." Erica mumbled.

"What? How could you say that?" Craig shook his head.

"Look, I am where I want to be...and the thing is...I don't think my life is there anymore." Erica frowned and slightly looked down. "I think, we should get a divorce." She looked up at him. "I don't want any money or any property, just my personal effects, a clean cut divorce, that's it, and my car, of course."

"You're kidding me. It's Jeremy isn't it? You never got over him."

Erica sighed. "I don't need the jealousy. It's not true, I loved you faithfully, I really did, and I put my all into our marriage, but I can't do that anymore, I just can't belong to a family that really doesn't need me when my family does need me, is across the country, and I feel like I belong here. My heart is here, with my son, and with his father. Can you please just understand that?"

Craig sighed and nodded. "I understand, and I won't give you a hard time, I wont be bitter, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy." He grinned. "You're so much like Miracle, it's crazy. I miss so many things..."

"Me too." Erica nodded. "I'm going to get off of here. I'll...have the papers drawn up, it'll be simple and clear, just a part of ways." Erica then grabbed the mouse. "Bye, Craig." She then disconnected Skype and stood up and walked into the adjoining room and found Jeremy watching television.

"How was it?" Jeremy looked at Erica.

"He made it easy, thankfully." She closed the door and sat beside him and looked at the television. "Now if only this police crap would go away just as easy." She fell back against the bed. "Might not even get a chance to be together again, not if I'm thrown in jail."

"Miracle won't let that happen." Jeremy shook his head.

Erica smiled and looked over at Jeremy. "When I'm with you, nothing ever seems scary, even at the hospital, it's like I just knew it would all be okay."

Jeremy laid beside her and smiled. "I have that effect on people, it's what made you want me so much."

"Okay, egotistical." Erica shoved him back and laughed.

Jeremy grinned. "And you'll get your quickie divorce, and we're in Vegas, we'll do our quickie wedding...and then drive to some parking lot somewhere for our quickie wedding night."

Erica sat up and slapped him on the arm. "That's so trashy!" She laughed.

Jeremy grinned and rolled over onto his back. "That's the way I dream of it."

"Nice." Erica rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Wayne heard a knock on the door and opened it and grinned.

Miracle stood there, his hand propped on the outer door frame. "So, you said the wife was gone? Where to?"

"Bridge with the girls." Wayne said. "I have to admit, I was surprised when you called."

Miracle grinned and softly laughed. "Bridge with the girls, I love that." He nodded. "It surprised me too." He looked down and nodded. "But, I decided I wanted to be..." He pulled his other hand out from behind his back to reveal a set of handcuffs. "..adventurous."

Wayne grinned and then stepped to the side. "Get in." He said, closing the door behind Miracle. "Why the change of heart? And where did you get those?"

Miracle turned around after being rushed in. "Oh, just from the club, accidently brought them home with me, so they were just laying around with my stuff." He swung the cuffs around his index finger. "Oh, and when I said adventurous, I meant in more than one way, being with someone I wouldn't normally be with, not for any bad reason, just...you know, taking fate into my own hand and seeing what an experience it brings me."

"I'm happy with that." Wayne smiled. "I had hoped this time would come, I've watched you for a while."

Miracle slowly nodded. "So, going to show me the bed room?"

"Of course, follow me." Wayne nodded and headed down the hall. Miracle looked back at the door and reached up, sliding the chain lock into place before following him.

"I have to say, I uh...I'm not really experienced in the kinky stuff." Wayne spoke nervously.

Miracle slowly nodded. "Don't worry, it's kind of...for my own liking." Miracle walked around Wayne and looked at a bottle of wine he had sitting on the dresser. "Maybe we should have a glass? Might calm you."

Wayne nodded. "Okay." He walked over and opened one of the cabinets along the side of the attached mirror and pulled out two glasses and sat them down.

Miracle grinned and nodded. "Manners, you pour."

Wayne smiled and picked up the bottle of wine and poured the glasses before replacing the lid.

Miracle reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of xanax. "Don't mind this, just something that I do for fun." He said as he pulled out four of them and tossed them into his wine and then closed the bottle and shoved it into his back pocket. "Secrets safe?" He picked up his glass and took a sip.

Wayne shook his head. "Whatever's good for you." He smiled and took a sip of his drink.

Miracle grinned and sipped half the glass down and then set it aside. "One rule, my shirt stays on, just because, you don't get everything at one time, maybe another day you can give me a massage." He walked towards the bed and sat down and pulled his shoes off.

Wayne nodded obediently and shuffled his house shoes off and pulled down his sweat pants.

Miracle looked up at him and then grinned. "You're so confident in the office, this side of you is very different."

"I'm not disappointing you, am I?" Wayne asked, after he had pulled his shirt off and started to walk towards the bed.

Miracle almost wanted to roll his eyes. "Not this second." His grin remained and then he stood up and leaned forward as if he were going to kiss Wayne, but then merely tapped his lips with his finger. "Finish getting ready." Miracle walked around the side of the bed.

Cheston opened the door and sighed when he saw Andy. "What story have you come to lay upon me this time?" He looked off to the side, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, I know, I act like Miracle's parole officer or something, is he here?" Andy asked.

"No, he said he had to take Gavin home and they were going to do some more documentary stuff." Cheston said. "Why?"

"Not true. Gavin is at home, and he said Miracle went into..." Andy cleared his throat. "What used to be our bed room and then he came out with a bottle, he assumed it was some of his meds from a while back. Weird thing is, he said Miracle was tearing the label off of it and said that Miracle went outside and burned the label in the yard and covered it with dirt and put the bottle in his pocket and drove away."

Cheston's eyebrows lifted and he started laughing. "Now that's desperation! Miracle can't get his medication here, so he goes to your house and manages to find some old ones there? Fail on you for not getting rid of them. And that story is pathetic, that one takes the cake, I really have to accuse you of making that up."

Andy frowned. "He kept them in the night stand on his side, I didn't think about it, he kept two bottles there, klonopin and xanax, I checked, the xanax was missing, and there was burned ashes and dirt in the yard. Do I need to take crime scene photos for you?"

Cheston shook his head. "And why would he do this?"

"Maybe he went to the club?" Andy shrugged. "Hell I don't know."

"With his scar? He's way to insecure about it to go off and do that." Cheston shook his head. "And besides, he doesn't do that anymore." Cheston looked down thoughtfully. "Whatever he's doing, you need to call Gavin and tell him not to say anything to anyone about it. You don't tell anyone about it, do you hear me? I'm dead serious. And get rid of any other old medication there is, burn the labels, wipe off the prints, bury them in a hole, go walk the streets, toss them into the warehouses, just make them gone."

Andy stared at Cheston and then slowly nodded. "Do you think...he's in trouble?"

"Just keep your mouth shut, and make sure Gavin does too, I'll figure this all out. Just go home, please. The more low key everything is, the better." Cheston stared at Andy. "For once, can we agree on that, if never anything else?"

Andy slowly nodded. "Yeah, just find him safe, it's all I ask." He turned around and headed towards his car parked in the drive way.

Cheston shut the door and then walked back into the living room and looked around, not even sure where to begin. "Miracle, what are you doing?" He grabbed his cell phone off the mantle and looked at it, wondering if he should call Miracle's phone, wondering if whatever situation he was in, if it would cause a harmful consequence.

Amidst the heat of the sex, Miracle's screams and cries, and the heavy breaths from Wayne's overworked body, Miracle's phone rings. Miracle looked up and shook his head. "Ignore it." He said, a grin appearing. "Harder." His hands tightened as he pulled harder on the cuffs that bound his wrists to the headboard of the bed, the chain digging into the wood, grinding into it and marking it.

Wayne nodded, tired, but Miracle seemed to want it rough, so he was giving it all, plus more, as Miracle seemed to continue to insist. He held onto Miracle as he continued to pound him before finally a groan escaped and he reached bliss as he released.

Miracle grinned, watching Wayne as he gasped in and bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes, his fists tightening as he held himself back, pushing away any pleasure as his mind settled on the pain he was causing upon himself by how hard he was pulling on the cuffs and then finally, he used his thumb to flick the emergency button and one of the cuffs broke free, he didn't bother to unhook the other. His hands came down and he rubbed Wayne's back with a single hand.

"Know what it's time for now?" Miracle asked, trying to catch his breath. "A cool down, could you get some ice from the kitchen?"

Wayne was tired and he looked down at Miracle and nodded. "Yeah." He pulled away and got off the bed and grabbed his sweat pants, pulling them on and headed out of the room, his body crying for rest, but he moved on for the kitchen.

Miracle watched him as he walked on and then reached down and grabbed his jeans and got up, working to pull his jeans on, latching the button and then he left the bed room and moved down the hall and through the dining room and he moved into the kitchen from the opposite entrance. A knife was grabbed from a set in a holder on the island and he held it behind his back and he moved through the kitchen and caught Wayne, who moved to go in from the living room.

Wayne gasped. "You scared me."

Miracle grinned. "Good, actually, I changed my mind about the ice." His hand moved to Wayne's chest and he guided him back into the living room, moving between him and the front door. "Think we have time for a cold shower? How much longer will your wife be?"

"You know the girls, once they get to gossiping....they can't stop." Wayne laughed through gasps of breath.

Miracle nodded and then brought his hand around and suddenly stabbed the large kitchen knife into Wayne's heart.

Wayne's eyes widened and he gasped, holding a breath in as he looked at Miracle, shocked, and obviously in pain.

Miracle grinned as he stared at Wayne. "I told you...when people hurt me, they tend to get killed." Miracle pulled the knife out. "Don't worry, you'll serve a greater purpose." He then grabbed Wayne by the shoulder and stabbed him two more times in the chest before stepping back. He watched Wayne as he tried to gasp for air only to hear gurgling and then saw blood start to spill from his mouth as he stumbled forward and fell to his knees and then onto the floor.

Miracle kneeled down. "Now, this is necessary." He grabbed Wayne's hand and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the knife. "You've probably handled it before, but this is for my peace of mind." He then pulled the knife away and leaned down, listening until Wayne went silent. He stared at Wayne, observing him, once he was sure that he was dead, he stood up and dropped the bloody knife.

Miracle reached into his side pocket and pulled out a pair of white latex gloves and pulled them on. "Now, I got a few more things to tidy up before our new guests arrive." Miracle carefully moved around Wayne and headed back into the bedroom, grabbing his glass of wine and he drank the rest of it, partly because he wanted all of the medication in him and partly because he was just thirsty. He sat the glass down and pulled out his bottle of xanax, which he made sure lacked any trace of a label. He walked into the bathroom and grabbed some tissue and wiped the bottle off and threw the tissue into the toilet.

"Wayne? I need a hand again." Miracle said as he reached Wayne again and then leaned down and grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the bottle and then the lid and then dropped his hand and headed back off for the bed room to toss the bottle into the night stand and then he closed it and looked around. "What next?" He looked down and pulled out his cell phone.

Cheston ran into the hospital and rushed over to the front desk. "Miracle Jaisyn? Where is he? I was told he was here!" He stared at the woman, his eyes wide with concern as she started checking the computer.

Miracle walked out into the waiting room in a pair of white sweat pants and a white tee shirt and plain white tennis shoes that the hospital gave him, lacking any socks. He held the white blanket around him and he looked up at Cheston.

Cheston rushed over to Miracle and grabbed him by the arms. "What happened?!" He asked, then his voice lowered. "What did you get into?"

Miracle looked up at Cheston. "The police want to talk to me at the station." He mumbled. "I was brought here..." Miracle leaned in close to Cheston. "They had to do the rape test and I think I was drugged too, so they took blood."

"What?!" Cheston yelled out, suddenly enraged and he pulled Miracle back and then looked around and reminded himself to calm his voice. "Who the fuck did it?"

Miracle showed Cheston his red and bruised wrists. "The handcuffs...see what they did?" Miracle shook his head. "Can we just go to the police, I just...I want to give my statement and go home."

Cheston started to grind his teeth and looked over when he saw Nora, the investigator that they dealt with before. "The station? Does he really have to be dragged to the station? Can't we do it here?"

Miracle looked at Nora and then down at the floor, as if he were going to start crying again.

Nora shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'd really prefer this at the station." She then turned around and headed out of the hospital.

"Bitch." Cheston mumbled, the anger boiling inside of him, all he wanted to know was what happened. "Miracle, lets go." He wrapped his arm around him and lead him outside. "Where is your car?"

"It got left at the scene." Miracle sniffled and looked up, tears falling down his face. "The ambulance brought me here."

"I'll get it later..." Cheston said.

Miracle pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Cheston. "I kept them from taking this with my belongings, keep it with you."

He took the phone from Miracle and appeared confused and then simply shoved the phone into his shirt pocket and opened the passenger side door, letting Miracle get in, he shut it and then climbed into the driver side and drove out of the parking lot. "Why did you protect your phone like that?"

"Because, if they found Issac's program on it, everything would be ruined." Miracle mumbled. "I gave them my newer phone, the one I normally use, I just kept that one around in case I needed it, for that reason."

Cheston shook his head. "Okay, Miracle, I have to be honest with you, Andy came to my house, Gavin told him what he saw you do at his house. Now don't worry, I made sure Andy would stay quiet and he would shut Gavin up and get rid of all of your old medicine." He looked at Miracle. "But now you're hiding phones, using double phones, what the fuck happened?"

Miracle's eyebrows lifted and he looked over at Cheston. "You will understand."

Cheston shook his head. "Miracle, I don't...and honestly, you're scaring me."

Miracle tilted his head to the side and reached over and brushed his fingers along Cheston's cheek. "Don't be scared." He said, pulling his hand away.

He parked in front of the police station and shut the car off. "Miracle, it's hard not to be right now."

Miracle leaned forward and lightly kissed Cheston. "Just come in...and for now, just love me..." Miracle turned to get out of the car.

Nora lead Miracle into the interrogation room but then turned and put her hand up at Cheston. "I need to question him privately."

Cheston shook his head. "Hell no. I'm coming in here, question him? He's a victim!"

Miracle sat down, clinging tightly to the blanket and looked at Nora. "It's okay, let him be with me, please? I..I need him." He looked down at the table.

Nora looked at Miracle and lowered her hand.

"Thank you, Nora." Cheston said, sarcastically and walked in and moved over beside Miracle, rubbing his shoulders.

Nora sighed and took a seat and turned on the recorder. "Okay, I need to get a clearer picture as to what happened. You called 911 and you told them that you'd been raped and he tried to kill you and you had to do it to save yourself, then you said something about his phone, a message about getting the job done?"

"I knew Wayne from a while back, but we were not real close, hardly knew each other. He just knew me as a dancer, when I worked at a club and...well, he played a joke on me and that's kind of how we got distantly involved in each others lives. We interacted briefly and that was it. Well, he sent me a text, I guess he decided that his wife would be out, maybe he was bored and would try his luck? So he sent me a text and asked me if I would come over, and he told me if I would bring the cuffs. The handcuffs that we used in our dance routines sometimes, you can handcuff yourself to the pole, but they have emergency switches so you can undo yourself and keep your show going..." Miracle explained.

Nora nodded. "Okay, so why didn't you use this switch to get away?"

Miracle's face tensed up and he started to cry again. "He...I know he put something in my drink, I just felt that feeling, you know? He let me lay there, almost like a doctor letting something take effect, we were just talking and stuff and then he went to get ready, took his clothes off and stuff. I think...maybe I blacked out for a minute." Miracle shook his head. "Next thing I knew, my hands were cuffed and he'd ripped my pants off and dived on top of me and just started and...he got really rough and..." Miracle shook his head. "I just went into panic and...and I didn't think and I just...it was like impulse, run away, logic didn't go through my mind. And...I've been attacked before, sexually assaulted before, it was like post traumatic flash backs...kind of, a little."

"I see." Nora nodded.

Miracle let out a loud sob. "And then he finished and I looked up at him...and...he was just this greedy old fat man....like David, the man that molested me as a child, and he had this awful smile on his face. He turned around...and I remembered the switch and I got one cuff free, I didn't even waste time to undo the other, the way it was done, I only needed one unlocked to slide free. So I grabbed my jeans and half managed to pull them on and he turned around and that's when he came after me. I ran through the living room..."

Cheston frowned and looked at Nora.

"I guess there was another way around..." Miracle looked up. "No, there was, because I ran for the front door and he came out of the kitchen with a butcher knife." Miracle started crying harder. "I was terrified...so I ran back down the hall and found the dining room and went into the kitchen, so I saw how he came before, and then I came through the kitchen and then he appeared again and he slammed me back into the counter and tried to stab me, I just...I don't know, I ducked down and crawled under his arm and ran for the door, he grabbed my arm and I spun around and then we heard a phone. I guess he thought his wife came home, I grabbed the knife and he ran to the door and realized it was his phone on the little table. He checked the message, so I sat on the floor and kinda tucked the knife under me and pretended to pass out..you know, from the drugs..."

"I see, and what happened from this point?" Nora asked.

"He went back into the kitchen, I thought to get another knife. I got up and I went for the door and he lunged out and grabbed me by the arm again, I kept pulling away from him, he was so strong, he wouldn't let go and so I went to slash him and then he grabbed my other arm and...he wouldn't let go, so I pushed forward, I thought I had no other choice, finally I stomped his foot, I didn't realize what would happen, he let go of my hand with the knife, the force, he was holding it back...and so when he let go...I guess...the knife...it went in. And then I just stabbed at him until he let my other arm go and..." Miracle sat there with wide eyes.

Nora sighed. "Are you okay?"

"No." Miracle looked up. "He...fell down..and I dropped the knife and I realized...his phone might have been what saved my life...so I went and looked...and the text was from Martin, it asked Wayne if he got the job done." Miracle shook his head and wiped tears from his face. "I'd of probably hated Wayne for what he did to me, but I didn't want to stab him, I just wanted to get out of the door and he just wouldn't let me go...he wouldn't let me..." Miracle shook his head.

Cheston silently thought about this, he knew Miracle had murdered before and staged self defense, could it be possible that he had just done it again? It was something that he found possible, at least for himself, to question.

Cheston followed Miracle from the foyer, tossing his keys into a small dish on a table beside the opening to the living room as he headed into the living room. "Miracle, is there something that you want to tell me?"

Miracle stopped in the middle of the living room and his arms opened and he grinned, one hand letting the blanket go as he swung it around and tossed it onto the love seat and then he turned around. "Am I good?"

Cheston's eyes widened. "You staged it?" He walked closer. "Are you crazy? You were lucky you got away with doing it the first time, and I understood why you did it the first time, you were frustrated, maybe even went a little survivalist...but, you actually look like you enjoyed it?"

"Why not? When you're good, you're fucking good." Miracle fell back on the couch. "You should break out the champagne. They will arrest Martin, doubtful they will give him bail this time, he'll go to prison, you and your mother will get everything, I'll get what's rightfully owed to me out of everything that is Eric's...and you.." He stood up and grabbed Cheston's tie and yanked him forward. "..my lovely King on the hill, you are, the King."

Cheston's eyes widened and he gave a shake of his head. "So you slept with the fat slob on purpose?"

"Not like it's my wet dream." Miracle grimaced. "But it had to be done for the whole scheme of things."

"You cheated on me." Cheston said. "And that probably sounds like the least of all things to worry about, but since I found out, all I could do was picture someone's hands on you, raping you, then it turned into Wayne raping you, and now it's turned into you going to him willingly and those pictures are in my head."

Miracle almost wanted to laugh at the concept. "Cheating? Yeah, it's cheating when I got a nasty old man on top of me, someone who I wouldn't sleep with in a million years, a guy that's an egotistical bastard who really has no right to be and I'm just feeding him ammo. It's really cheating when I'm screaming and crying like a hyena so that if there are neighbors, it sounds like I'm being attacked, all the while, I'm trying to fuck my wrists up all to hell..."

He held up his wrists. "You see? I did this, I laid there intentionally tugging and pulling, thinking about how much force, how much more damage, how much more do I need, to make it look really good and bad. And do you want to know if I got off? Hell no I didn't. How good would that have looked? And you know, given who it was, given why I was doing it, and given the whole circumstances...it really wasn't much of an effort not to get off. Fucking up my wrists took more concentration!" Miracle shook his head.

"And lets not forget! Between all my screaming, I took moments to go quiet, tell him to go harder, trying to get him to purposely hurt me just so it looked really good and bad!" Miracle added. "So...how does that picture look for you, Cheston?!"

Cheston stared at Miracle and sighed and looked down, shaking his head. "Well, you destroyed any sexual image with all those technical details."

"Good, because all of it was fucking technical for me." Miracle looked down and fell onto the couch and covered his face. "And now, I've forced myself to cry so much, when I really need to cry...I don't think I even can." His hands fell to his lap. "I'm all out of tears.."

Cheston sat beside Miracle. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I guess it just hurts me...and I know you did it for you...and for your safety and over all for us, I just...wanted to be your first...since Jaemin."

"Consider yourself that." Miracle looked at Cheston. "Because when it happens, I know I'm going to love so much, and love, real love...makes all the difference in the world."

"I'll try." Cheston leaned his forehead onto Miracle's shoulder. "Now I just worry, if Gavin freaks out, he would know that Wayne didn't work for Martin."

"Gavin might freak, inside, but he wouldn't do anything to hurt me." Miracle smiled a little. "His mom, they will both get everything, the house, the money, in a way, I did them a favor too. If the woman really did love that guy, well..." Miracle looked down. "I guess I can't cover it up with a band-aid, if she loved him, I did a horrible thing. I just...had to do what was best for me, and for us."

"Well, the guy might not have really tried to kill you, or rape you, but he did willingly have sex with you, either way, she'll know that he had secrets and while...she won't find out the exact true ones, she'll know she was deceived." Cheston looked up and kissed Miracle's cheek.