Trigger The Years Past - 16. Chapter 16: Second Chance

Miracle walked into the locker room, watching several of the guys walking out, what was left of the team anyway. He looked around and noticed steam from the shower room, and the silence that followed the last shower being turned off, once the room had emptied of everyone else. He walked around and then grabbed the frame of the opening to the shower room filled with stalls just as Kevin was coming out, towel around his waist.

"Gah!" Kevin jumped back, nearly running into Miracle.

He grinned at Kevin and looked down and then up again. "Have a nice practice?"

"Wow, I didn't expect you. And...especially like this." Kevin smiled a little.

Miracle grinned. "That was part of the fun of it."

"I guess so. Your friend never came for the yacht..." Kevin trailed off.

"Yeah." Miracle nodded. "He didn't need it anymore, so you get me instead." He smiled. "Though, I don't exactly need the yacht myself."

"So, you just came to visit?" Kevin asked.

"You could say that." He looked down. "Get dressed before that thing falls off." He grinned and turned around and headed out of the locker room.

Kevin had soon got dressed in a navy blue fish net tank top and a pair of jeans and walked out into the hall and looked at Miracle. "For some reason, I get this vibe that you're going to spell trouble with a capital T."

"Is that so bad?" Miracle's crossed arms fell to his sides as he pushed away from the wall and started to walk along side Kevin.

"That's yet to be decided." He took a deep breath. "I uh...heard about what happened to Jaemin, that whole thing made pretty big news back home, my parents told me."

"Yeah." Miracle slowly nodded. "I don't want to think about that right now." Miracle looked at Kevin. "I'm kind of on the offensive with things right now and...I need to...not fall apart or else that ruins it."

"What's going on?"

Miracle smiled, pushing the mentioned tragedy out of his mind. "If I told you, it would sound like a lifetime movie, and it would make me sound rather sane in comparison." He stepped outside when Kevin opened the door.

"Hey, better a lifetime movie than a psychotic mob tale." Kevin followed Miracle out into the parking lot and lightly laughed.

Miracle stopped when Kevin pushed the button on the remote on his key chain to unlock the doors on his car and he turned to look at him. "Maybe."

Kevin looked up and stared at Miracle. "You know, when we talked on the phone, I had this feeling, like I wanted to say more, like I needed to, but I just couldn't find the words. It was like getting choked up on something."

"It's weird...but I got that vibe." Miracle leaned against the back of the car and looked at Kevin. "Did you know what you wanted to say? Was it just a loss for words, a case of confusion, what?"

Kevin slowly shook his head. "I think it was a lingering of something that never truly went away, distance and separation just made it seem so."

Miracle nodded and looked towards the ground. "Well, I wouldn't consider that bad, we shared something that, if circumstances were different, it could have been really...great. I mean, it's not like it didn't work because the feelings weren't there, it's that the circumstances wouldn't allow it."

"Is there anything in the way now? Just curious." Kevin asked.

Miracle's phone began to ring and he pulled it out to see that it was Cheston. "Funny you should ask at this very moment." He grinned and looked up at Kevin and waved the phone at him. "Want to answer it? Oh, and if you do, make sure you take bragging rights to your stardom status."

Kevin looked at Miracle's phone. "You want me to make a guy jealous, why?"

"Because...this guy is a real bastard, and he deserves every jab I can give him." Miracle waved the phone some more and stuck his hand out. "Come on, you know you want to. Regress for a little bit, kick his books around." Miracle softly laughed.

Kevin grinned and took the phone, shaking his head and he slid his thumb across the screen and then tapped speaker phone. "Hello?"

Miracle nodded towards the car and then he followed Kevin as they climbed into the car, Kevin muted the phone long enough for them to shut the doors and then he took the phone off mute.

"Hi, who is this? Where's Miracle?" Cheston asked.

Kevin's eyebrows lifted and he grinned. "He's uh...in the shower right now. I'm Kevin Collins, you know, the football player? California Golden Bears?"

Miracle twisted at the waist and watched the phone curiously.

Cheston was silent for a moment and then spoke. "Really. Well...that's interesting."

"You seem a bit put off." Kevin grinned. "Something wrong? Are you like an ex? I swear Miracle forgets to break up with people all the time."

Miracle gave a teasing nudge to Kevin's shoulder.

"I wouldn't say an ex, we're working through stuff. At least that is what I thought, but I guess he figured a football star would make an impression." Cheston frowned.

"Hey, I'm a winner, what can I say?" Kevin looked down at the phone.

"Yeah, that is what you will think, until he twists you, tears you down, makes you nothing." Cheston shook his head. "I'm just lucky I didn't end up dead for him, will you be that lucky?"

"Seriously? Morbid much? Sorry you got burned, man." Kevin then hung up the call and looked at Miracle, offering the phone back. "Good enough?"

Miracle took the phone. "On your part, I had hoped he would have been more entertaining." Miracle shoved his phone into his pocket.

"So what did he do?"

"He was going to trick me into giving up my sperm to his secret girlfriend who was going to pose as our sweet surrogate, hope I didn't read the contract that terminated my rights and just signed it." Miracle shook his head.

"Woah, you were considering having a kid?"

"He was blackmailing me with something, the tables have turned." Miracle shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad you came here. Want to go to my place? I really want to talk..just about things."

Miracle looked up at Kevin and then nodded.

"Not a bad place, I kind of always wanted a condo." Miracle walked through the living room and moved to sit on the couch and looked out the window at the ocean view.

Kevin laughed. "It's nothing special to me, really. Are you thirsty or anything?"

"No." Miracle stared at the ocean and his smile faded and he looked over at Kevin.

Kevin slowly nodded and walked over to sit on the couch beside Miracle. "So, I guess we can't really pick up where we left off, that's kind of unrealistic..."

"Yeah, but what we feel now exists only because of what we felt then, it only went away because you went away, because I made you go away." Miracle looked at Kevin. "Truthfully, it started because you were grieving Melanie..and she was my best friend, and...you were everything that I wanted Brad to be, you became that, and..I think Melanie made you that person. Though in all honesty, you were better than anything Brad could of ever been."

"So we both had ulterior motives for feeling what we felt, for pursuing those feelings." Kevin looked up. "By the end of it though, it was you, Miracle. And for you, I know that it was me. I remember it, we loved each other and...it was something really special."

Miracle nodded. "I remember." He closed his eyes and looked down. "Making you leave was one of the hardest things I ever did." He felt the tears swelling up at the corners of his eyes as he looked up. "Sterling always says he was the closest thing to Jaemin, that it was always between the two of them.." He shook his head. "Maybe so, for a while, and even as brief as it was, Kevin..you were a pretty damn heart break."

Kevin reached over and took Miracle's hand. "Do you think, do you believe...that we're meant to have a second chance?"

"Why would you want to be a part of my life? It's a mess, I'm a mess." Miracle's face tensed up.

"Don't do that, I don't like seeing that." Kevin leaned over and grasped Miracle's chin and lifted his face up. "Maybe because I don't care about that stuff, maybe because you're naturally a mess and that's just part of your charm." He smiled. "I remember telling you that...I wanted to save you, and obviously you haven't found the right super hero yet."

Miracle smiled briefly and looked down, letting a breath escape. "I guess we both deserve that, to give our feelings a chance." He took a deep breath. "It's just that...I'm in the middle of something tricky."

He looked up. "I do want that child, it might sound horrible, but supposedly that guy has fallen in love with me during his scheme and wants to keep up appearances with the woman under the pretense that I know everything and still want to go through with it anyway."

Miracle continued to explain. "He knows that I'm angry with him, but hopes that if he tricks the woman into going through with it without getting rights to the baby, in other words, tricking her instead of tricking me, that I might come back to him. In all reality, I want to get revenge on them both by ultimately taking the baby away for myself."

Kevin slowly nodded. "Okay, well I get the anger, I mean, it was an awful thing to try to do to you, but Miracle, bringing a baby into the world for revenge? I mean, bringing a human life into the world is a permanent thing. So you get revenge on them, walk out of that hospital and leave them high and dry, good, you got your revenge. What do you plan to do with the child?"

"Keep it." Miracle said.

Kevin slowly nodded. "Are you really the type to raise a child? Miracle, I don't know how much you've changed since I last saw you, so it's probably really off base for me to judge you, but you seem to much like someone who needs to be taken care of yourself. You need someone you can depend on, how would you handle a small life that depended entirely on you?"

Miracle stared at Kevin and then looked away. "Is it really about me...or is it that you don't want a kid?"

"Well, it wasn't my ideal vision of a new start with you." Kevin slowly shrugged. "I'm not trying to be selfish, and if this were more about you actually wanting the child, I'd push myself much harder to try and see myself as a step father of sorts, but you want it for revenge."

Miracle sat there, quiet for several moments as he thought about it and then he looked up at Kevin. "Okay, then I won't do it."

"Are you sure? Are you positive that there isn't a part of you that actually wants a child?" Kevin asked.

"I was dead set against it at first, then I kind of surrendered to it, I didn't really feel all for it until I found out about all of his lies." Miracle looked at Kevin. "I guess, I don't know, it's the sad part about...being the way that we are. It's what causes most of my hesitance." Miracle then mocked a voice. "Oh, he's carrying around a kid, total downer, not cool at all."

"So part of you really does, you just don't want it to ruin what attracts people to you." Kevin said, observingly.

"I guess, and I mean, it's not like it didn't cross my mind that if I ever had one, my parents could just raise it, but then what is the point in that? And then there is this." Miracle lifted his shirt to reveal his scar. "Four more laser treatments left...and Cheston won't exactly be paying for them, so I guess I'm all out of luck with that, at least it's...not as bad now, looks more like a mark now, it's flat..." He lowered his shirt. "And it's small. Still sucks..."

Kevin reached over and traced the scar with his finger. "Miracle, that is nothing to worry over." He pulled his hand back when Miracle let his shirt go. "But you sound really conflicted, and yeah, I have to agree that it can be a bummer if there is a part of your life that most can't or won't accept." He took Miracle's hands. "It's why I strongly urge you not to do it, I mean, I am here and...with crazy Eric and the mob gone, the likely hood of my life is much greater, still, if something were to happen to me, I wouldn't want you to end up alone and...not be able to find someone because..."

"Because I have a child and that would be so uncool to them." Miracle nodded. "You're right, I couldn't afford it. At least you understand, you know, what I would have to do for my future if something happened to you."

Kevin grinned briefly and shook his head. "I'm being bad, I'm being a total enabler right now, if I die, make sure your life is suitable for the next person. Really you shouldn't have to be doing that, I think you still would, losing Jaemin was a tough blow, traumatic in all sense of the word, can't expect you to be changed and fixed, doesn't mean you can't work towards it."

Miracle nodded. "Yeah, well save the pep talking for another time. I kind of miss the way we used to talk." He smiled.

"All I'm saying is don't be hasty about this plan of yours, no matter how good the revenge might seem to you." Kevin took a deep breath. "How about...this weekend, we go out on the yacht? That's what we always did, it was like our spot, our traveling spot." He laughed.

Miracle smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Miracle walked up to the small single story house and knocked on the door.

Nikolai opened the door and a grin appeared. "You made it, come in! I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Miracle walked in, seeing Mysti and Rayne sitting on the couch and he nodded. "Hi."

Mysti smiled and Rayne nodded. "Hey, Miracle." Mysti said, then she looked at Rayne. "Doom and gloom, can't even smile when he walks in the room."

Nikolai started laughing.

"Rhyme for two dollars and a dime, it's not even worth that, you can tell by how much change you have in your hat." Rayne stared back at Mysti.

"Never mind them, they have been going at it for like fifteen minutes." Nikolai shut the door behind Miracle.

"Sounds fun." Miracle walked over. "Really fun, bet I could beat you two, it's simple, a seconds thought, that's all I'd have to do."

Rayne shook her head and took a drag of her cigarette.

"I might have change, at least I'm not broke, it's better than standing on the corner waiting to choke by a murdering john that will be rid of your body before dawn." Mysti sat back and laughed.

"That sucked." Rayne stubbed out her cigarette and then threw the end at Mysti. "I win."

"Okay, the surprise!" Nikolai turned around and grabbed a syringe and walked over to Miracle. "It's DMT."

Miracle's eyebrows lifted. "What does it do?"

"Well, a lot of weird things, a lot of nice things, you could go anywhere with it. I think it's all about having your mind in the right place. It's an experience that I think you should have." Nikolai grabbed the rubber band. "Will you?"

Miracle looked a little wary, but then he extended his arm. "Okay, what the hell."

Nikolai grinned and tied the rubber band around Miracle's arm and then injected him with the drug. Once that was done, he pulled the syringe out and took the rubber band off.

"Ow!" Miracle looked away when the syringe was stuck in his arm and then looked back once it was pulled off.

"Big baby." Nikolai said.

"Take him to my room, Rayne's is to scary."

"Why is my room scary?" She looked at Mysti.

"Because you're a scary bitch." Mysti grinned.

Nikolai shook his head at them and took Miracle's hand and lead him off down the hall.

Miracle followed, appearing confused. "Why do I have to go into a room?"

"Because, you will understand why. It could be a very personal experience." He stopped and opened Mysti's door. "You wouldn't want us watching you like hawks. Now go in, lay on the bed, get comfortable and...I would suggest closing your eyes...and just wait for it."

Miracle's eyebrows lifted and he walked into Mysti's room and sat on her bed and watched Nikolai close the door. He laid back and shook his head before closing his eyes.

He waited and as time wore on, he found himself slipping deeper and then time seemed to slip away from him and his eyes seemed to have opened and he looked around. His head turned this way and that before he sat up and then stood from the bed, only to turn around and find himself still laying there, as if he were in a dream so real, or maybe a dissociation? Or a hallucination?

Melanie grinned. "Well, don't let Kevin go, he's a catch, that would be a big mistake." She turned around. "But I would still find a way to make Susan pay, of course that's the feminist in me, go for the bitch. You need to break him down, in fact...if it were me...I'd love to see him down on his knees." She laughed and took several steps back and faded from view.

Miracle's eyes suddenly flew open as he experienced an instantaneous jump in position to find that he hadn't left the bed at all. His hands jerked down, feeling at his body and then he pushed himself to sit up. "Nik!" He screamed.

Nikolai rushed into the room and looked at Miracle. "What happened?!"

"I saw my dead friend!" Miracle swung his legs off my bed. "Except it wasn't really her! Just a creation of my brain! So what? That drug...dissociates me and makes things appear to me like that? Did you want me to see Jaemin or something? Nik, do you know what a mistake that would have been? I'd of become addicted to it, I'd of never wanted to let him go."

"Miracle, I just wanted to help."

He walked over to Nikolai and sighed. "I know you did, thank God it was just my friend that appeared, in fact, I'm glad it was, I got to see my best friend again, real or not, it looked real. Just...I can't be doing that, I'll cling and attach."

"I understand." Nikolai nodded. "I'm glad you got to...see your friend again, or rather a vision of, I'm glad it looked real for you."

"Yeah, and apparently I knew her well enough, it even seemed like her too." He grabbed Nikolai by the shoulders and then leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I should go." He smiled and then walked by him.

Nikolai watched Miracle walk off with a lingering gaze, hearing his goodbyes with Mysti and Rayne and then the thud as the door shut with his departure.

Cheston opened the door and a breath was released. "Miracle...you're here."

He stared at Cheston and a grin broke out for only a second. "Gee, don't have a heart attack." He walked by Cheston and headed into the living room.

"I just...I didn't expect you." Cheston said after he shut the door and followed after Miracle. "I mean, after the Skype, and then that Kevin guy."

"You know how I said you can't recreate things?" Miracle turned around. "Looking back on everything, aside from Jaemin, Kevin was the closest thing to a great love, while it was a short affair, the amazing thing about it is that...it's not tied to anything bad."

Cheston nodded. "So you think you found it again?"

"Maybe, we'll see." Miracle then nodded towards the floor. "On your knees."

Cheston almost let a laugh escape, one of shock. "On my knees?"

"You heard me." Miracle crossed his arms. "If you want to hear what I have to say."

He frowned, the idea of getting on his knees and bowing to someone, it was such a blow to his ego. He stubbornly hesitated, but for the sake of finding out what Miracle had in store, he sighed and lowered to his knees, looking up at Miracle. "Happy?"

Miracle grinned. "Starting." His eyebrows lifted. "You know that little recording I got? Well, I just realized, I have new terms."

"New terms?"

"I want the house, your car, all the money, I want everything, if...you don't want that little recording to show up on Nora's desk. I'm sure Susan will take you in, and that law firm is doing well, you can rebuild. Plus, it's not like you don't have Martin's estate to look forward to, which...by the way, your mother will keep to her word, I get any and all profits from the sales of Eric's property."

"You want to take everything from me?" Cheston looked up at him. "How can you be so cruel?"

"Like you were a softy? Okay, tell you what, I'll give you my car, not like I need two of them anyway, but yours is nicer, not my style, but it'll sale for a much nicer one than what I own." Miracle nodded.

Cheston looked down. "So you don't want to make the child, and you want to take my home, all my money, everything from me, save for my job?"

"Pretty much." Miracle tapped his foot against the floor. "So, how about tomorrow? We can get together for breakfast, then head to your office? You can sign over your car, I'll sign over mine, even trade and then you can sign over the deed to the house, then we can meet up at the bank by lunch and you can transfer all the money into my account?"

Miracle then added. "Oh...and don't think about hiding any money, I know you have more than our joint home account, you have your personal home account, as I had my own personal home account. And then I know you have a work account where all your money made goes, I heard Susan talking about making a deposit to it. Now am I to assume that you and Susan have a similar set up? You have a joint home account with her? Because I'll want that too."

"We would have to see Quinn about the deed to the house, and if you really want to be sure you've taken all of my money..." Cheston grinned sarcastically. "Would be more beneficial to sue me, but then blackmail wouldn't look good for you, would it?"

Miracle's eyebrows lifted. "Fine, we'll meet Quinn to sign over the house. Then we can go to the bank and you can make the woman tell me all the accounts with your name on it, and I want all of your money from those accounts put into mine."

"Won't that look a little weird?" Cheston asked.

"It's none of their business, you're a fucking lap dog for all they know."

Cheston then suddenly stood up. "You know, Miracle, for someone who got gang raped and beaten over blackmail, I would think you wouldn't play this game again."

"I was a kid, a dumb kid who left the single copy on my desk. Mess with me now, I have multiple people with multiple copies." He stepped closer to Cheston. "And if I died? Well, that would just give you a motive, wouldn't it? By the way, I lawyered up too, a secret lawyer, if I die...and my friends and my parents all die in a massacre and my extra cell phones vanish and everything goes to hell, well...that one last copy goes to my brother, Hunter, and he's in the FBI now."

Cheston shook his head. "I couldn't love you now if I wanted to."

"Good, because you should love Susan, instead of using your..." Miracle looked down and grinned. "..handicap as an excuse to cheat on her." Miracle stepped closer. "You shoot blanks, Kevin shoots full rounds." Miracle laughed and walked around Cheston and headed for the door.

Cheston clenched his teeth and tightened his jaw as his hands clenched into fists and he turned around, watching Miracle walk out, flinching as the door slammed shut.

Miracle looked out at the city as Kevin turned the engine off so the yacht could float out in The San Francisco Bay. "I know, it's a little drive, but this is the best spot." Kevin turned towards Miracle.

"It's beautiful." Miracle looked at the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. "I mean, it's amazing." He grinned. "If only we could go on top of one of the bridge towers."

"On top of one of the bridge towers?" Kevin laughed, sitting next to Miracle.

"Yeah, like they do on Charmed." Miracle grinned. "Maybe we could rope latter ourselves there from a helicopter."

"Oh, I don't think so. We're not magical, we fall and we're dead." Kevin grinned. "So how was the brief trip home?"

"It was a trip." Miracle nodded. "My friend got me to try this drug...DTM or something like that and...it like created a dream and consciously...made it..." He shook his head. "It's so hard to explain. It's like I went outside my body, but it was all a dream, and I saw Melanie, but she was just a dream too, but I knew her so well that she acted so much like...her."

Kevin slowly nodded. "That's weird, so it was like an astral projection sort of, but it was all just a dream and you were inside your body all along?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Miracle shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm not messing with it again. I think he did it hoping I would see Jaemin, and...doing that sort of thing will just make a person cling." He looked at Kevin. "On the other hand, I blackmailed Cheston into giving everything away. I have all of his money, his house, we traded cars..."

"Blackmail? Miracle...didn't you learn from before?" Kevin asked, concerned. "I don't want you hurt."

"Don't worry, I have multiple copies and multiple people, anything happens to me and he's toast, for stalking me, among other things." Miracle shook his head. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about all that crap anymore."

Kevin stretched his arm across the seats and around Miracle's shoulders. "Well, it's been so long, it's like all the feelings are there...but no words."

"Well that's sad." Miracle looked up and smiled. "It was our talks I enjoyed the most. Just...the things you would say, how you put everything into perspective." Miracle looked down. "Honestly, I feel like I'm on this path to becoming this evil person...and I show people that I enjoy it, and the small things, I do, but the bigger things...it feels like I do it because, well, I find myself just...good at it. And for over the past four years, that's all I've looked for, something I'm good at."

"And you don't want it to be evil, I would hope not, because I don't." Kevin tilted his head to the side. "But you're angry, that's understandable..and after all you've taken, every punch, every kick, not even being given the chance to stand back up...and then you get stabbed...and you're drowning in your emotions, and you know...you have to fight, and anger is what drives you." He leaned close. "But you have to find another way to survive."

Miracle smiled. "That's what you used to do...the way you say things..."

Kevin stared into his eyes and then leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, softly, just a brush of the lips, and then he slowly pulled back.

Miracle opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'd of never thought...the guy kicking Sterling's books around like an immature jerk...could turn into you."

"I did that because...it's what you do to belong, you do what people expect and...it's stupid, after Brad died, when Melanie brought us together, I really started to realize that, I gave you guys a chance." Kevin eased back. "Well, you took this guys everything, could always give it back."

"Then I would be broke, I don't really care for the money, the house is so beautiful though. There's this balcony off the master bedroom and it over looks the pool and the garden and it has the French doors and...I just feel like I'm in France when I'm out there, I enjoy it so much." Miracle shrugged.

"Well, what do you plan to do? Pick up the house and plant it somewhere here? Not as easy as the Sims." Kevin hesitantly smiled. "I mean, you would have to move out here...for us to be together."

Miracle looked out at the water. "I didn't even think of that, I should of, if I had, then I wouldn't of wasted all the time. The condo is nice..."

"I...well, I know I'm not filthy rich, the pros will offer more money, then I could make you that wonderful house, better than that one." Kevin took Miracle's hand. "It broke my heart leaving you, don't break it again by leaving me. This feels all sudden, but these feelings stayed inside, buried deep, but they were there, waiting to be opened."

Miracle looked down at their hands and smiled. "We'll be together." He looked up at Kevin and nodded.

"And since I have so much free time on my hands now, I could always come back to Vegas with you." Kevin looked up and smiled.

"I would love that."

"Then it's done." Kevin grinned.

Mysti and Lacey walked over to Miracle, looking around at the house full of people. "Did you...make it an open house party?"

Miracle smiled. "Hey! Glad you guys could make it!" He then smiled at Nikolai who followed right behind. "No, they are mostly Kevin's friends, some frat brothers, sorority sisters, groupies...that sort of thing. Thank God for his status, other wise a house warming party for me would look like a book club."

Mysti laughed and grabbed a bottled beer from one of the waiters that walked by. "Even got the staff dressed down." She took a sip from the beer.

"Of course, how out of place would they look all suited up?" Miracle sat on the bottom of the stairs. "I just wonder, in fact, I hope that Cheston is outside watching."

"You should have been all gutsy and invited him." Lacey said.

"Maybe slip him some of that drug." Miracle looked over at Nikolai. "Is it possible to have a horrifying experience?"

"Anything is possible, though you can't really force or choose what happens. It just comes from deep within your mind." Nikolai shrugged.

"I should still kick your ass for giving him that." Lacey looked at Nikolai.

"No, it's okay, I mean..to have a dream so real, to feel like I had actually saw Melanie again, it was nice. In fact, I think I knew her so well...that if I had actually seen her spirit or whatever, it might of been a very similar experience in exchange." Miracle shook his head. "Never again though, it's just a bad way to cling to missed people."

"Miracle, you should consider it, like I said, the experiences are uncontrollable. You might have a far more surreal experience the next time, it can actually be really telling." Nikolai looked at Lacey who was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "But, okay, not doing the peer pressure thing."

"Truth be told, it's not so much about getting high or having fun really, it's about reaching places in your mind that you couldn't otherwise reach, it can be very psychological and spiritual and..well, everyone forms their own opinion." Mysti nodded.

Lacey grinned and sat next to Miracle and took a sip from her beer. "Well, I'm scared I'll see a monstrous version of my boss."

Nikolai started laughing. "Is she mean looking?"

"She has some evil eyes...and this frown, like this smilie frown, the corners of her mouth actually droop down." Lacey shook her head.

"Sounds like she needs a face lift." Miracle looked over at Mysti. "And, none of that really sounds bad, I guess it's just the unpredictability of it. I mean, I believe dreams are the subconscious, and a way for us to deal with things, stuff we're aware of, and even things we may not be, and to get to experience those dreams in such a real and conscious way, and to remember, well it's not something that's bad or good, not in my opinion. I might be willing to take the journey again, some time."

"What about a tattoo?" Mysti grinned at Miracle. "Lacey says you've forever been lost on what you want."

"Yeah, they say they should be meaningful...so I just really don't know what would really symbolize me or anything about me." Miracle shrugged.

Mysti handed Miracle her beer and then fished her pack of cigarettes out of her purse. "That's why we should consult, one on one, you can tell me things and we can paint a picture, figuratively speaking, kind of get a feel for what the theme is." She lit up her cigarette.

Miracle took the beer and took a sip. "We could do that, in fact it would make a great session for my documentary, if you don't mind being filmed?"

Mysti looked up. "Sure, just the consultation though. I mean, to be doing tattoos now is still illegal for me. Though it won't be long until I have my license and then we get our shop!" She smiled.

"Okay, and I have another proposition for you." Miracle said. "Once you get your shop open, I'll grant you a present of a very generous amount of start up money to add to your parents money, on condition that I also hold ownership, in title anyway. I would get a certain percentage of the profits, but ultimately the running of the shop is under your command, you'll get advertising, commercials, magazines...what do you think?"

Mysti pulled out a miniature ash tray from her purse and pressed a button, flipping the top open as she flicked her ashes into it. "I would have to talk to Rayne about it, but it doesn't sound like a take over or anything, and I trust you, honestly."

"Oh no, not at all, it's just that...the idea of me actually working or having a career seems pretty bleak, and now that I'm very financially well off, I think ownership is the way to go, really, I just want to be able to say that I'm a part of something productive, you know?"

Mysti smiled. "I totally get it."

"What's up with Rayne anyway? She never goes anywhere." Lacey looked at Mysti.

"Shes been screwed up since that Sterling thing, really doom and gloom. I mean she puts up a brave face, but you know shes the dark sister, the one that never smiles, would hate it if you let the sun light in, I guess shes just withdrawn more." Mysti shrugged.

"Be funny if she pierced Susan..." Miracle mumbled and grinned.

Nikolai laughed. "Miracle, you hate that poor woman. Want to pierce her, switch your sperm with a black guys...man."

"Yeah, well, by the way, everyone, there isn't going to be any baby." Miracle shook his head. "It's not right to create a life for a thrill of revenge. I just imagine how I would feel if my existence was based on that."

Lacey smiled and hugged Miracle with a single arm. "Well, I'm glad you came to your senses, it would have made things so much worse." She pulled her arm back. "I mean, a child has to be something that you want for you, and it has to be something that you're ready for."

"So what do you plan to do to her?" Mysti asked.

Miracle nodded at Lacey and then looked at Mysti. "I don't know yet. I was kind of hoping that Cheston would show up here, if she was with him, that would make cherry cake."

Kevin walked over to the stairs where it seemed Miracle's little group had formed. "Hi guys, I'm Kevin."

Lacey smiled. "Nice to meet you, I'm Lacey, Miracle's friend from Australia and...this is our friend Mysti."

"Hi." Mysti up nodded and then put her cigarette out in her small portable ashtray.

"Nikolai." He grinned. "And yeah, you're the football player, Kevin Collins." He looked at Miracle. "He knows how to land them."

Kevin grinned at Nikolai. "Well, he landed me before I made television screens. It's just until now that we really have a door open." He smiled at Miracle.

"Well, I really think that's great." He looked around. "I'm going to go grab a beer, anyone want?"

"I need another one." Mysti said, watching Nikolai walk off.

"Wow, seems like everyone is so supportive, I half expected to go through the fighting that Jaemin did." He looked at Miracle. "Is that odd to you?"

Miracle grinned at Kevin. "It's very Wisteria Lane. You know...in the way that you'd see it from the outside, very nice and neighborly." He laughed and sipped his drink.

"Yeah, but then you have to wonder what's behind those doors." Kevin kneeled down. "Your friend Nik could have some intentions behind those eyes."

Mysti looked over at Kevin. "If he does, he hides it well, from what I've seen."

"Well, we were a little flirty when we first met, but we've been so busy in messes that we haven't had all that much time to really just hang out. The next time we did, there was tension there...but it doesn't matter now. I am where I want to be." Miracle pulled Kevin close and kissed him.

Gavin walked up along with Nikolai as he returned and handed a beer to Mysti. "Hey guys."

Miracle grinned when the kiss was broken and then looked over. "Gavin! You made it!"

Gavin smiled and held up his beer. "Only place I know of tonight where I'm allowed to drink." He looked over. "Damn, that's the football player! Kevin Collins!"

Kevin smiled at Gavin and nodded. "Nice to meet you."

Miracle laughed. "He's my boyfriend, I move on quick, like one of those songs those girls sing about with their crappy boyfriends that they're dumping."

Miracle then went into song. "Not gonna waste a day on you, not gonna spill a tear for you, I've moved on, I do it quick, the flame turns on, a lighters flick. Come back home to get your things, the blinds are drawn, you're in for a view, one of many flings, many that my visions had forseen. What can I say? You think I'm mean? I'm just a bitch, and a sex machine." A large grin appeared.

Lacey laughed and then clapped. "That was pretty good."

"Thank you." Miracle smiled and looked at Gavin. "I actually knew him from high school. We uh...had a thing but the circumstances weren't exactly right, but now they are!"

"Happy times." Kevin smiled. "Despite the tragedies, you know, if you look between all that stuff, just remember the nice moments."

"Remember after Jasmine threw the fire extinguisher, Melanie wanted you to be a big hunky nun?" Miracle laughed.

Kevin grinned and shook his head. "Oh yes, thought we could dress as nuns and get away. Though I think that was just her self entertainment, Robin was someone she really had fun messing with. I mean with Sarah, it was pretty evil, but with Robin, it was like the two were bickering sisters."

"Well, I'd imagine Robin would have wanted her as a sister." Miracle's eyebrows lifted. "I mean...if I had Ashley as a sister..."

"That was pretty crazy, but then you got Skylar as a sister, given only half sibling..."

Miracle looked at Kevin. "Eric raised her crazy, Hunter got to see a side of her that none of us got to see. I kind of wish I had gotten that chance."

Kevin looked up and then cleared his throat as he noticed the rest of the group staring at them. "Sorry, talking about things you guys don't know about. My apologies."

"Oh, I know, I read Miracle's diary, but it's not like living it, I am sure." Gavin nodded.

Mysti grinned. "Toast to the two that didn't even read the diary." She clinked bottles with Nikolai and they both laughed and took a sip.

"Hey, I didn't read the diary, I was just told some things." Lacey shrugged.

"Well the diary is burned." Miracle said.

Mysti stared at Miracle. "Man, you don't want your secrets found out."

Miracle looked at her and laughed.

"Well, I can say one thing, you should be a lyric writer." Mysti nodded. "I agree with Lacey, that little thing of yours was pretty good, and right on the spot too?"

"I guess I could." Miracle looked across the room thoughtfully. "It's funny, it's like now many doors are opening for me. I mean Andy said I shouldn't do that because it's so seclusive, but if it's not the only thing I do, I mean if you go in with me on the tattoo shop, and then maybe do the lyric thing, and then I can come up with more things." Miracle looked over at Kevin. "What do you think?"

"I think...you should make use of every talent you have." Kevin grinned. "By the way, the wall in the dining room needs patching up, it looks like someone stuck a knife in it."

"Yeah, that's when I threw a knife towards Martin, I purposely aimed to miss though. That is such a fun talent, if I do it fast enough and the person doesn't flinch or move and they just wait and freak out after." Miracle nodded.

Nikolai shook his head at Miracle, thinking about the incident that they had, happy that he didn't go through with it. Though if he knew all that he'd learned about Cheston, he would of killed him that night, he knew he would of, with the anger he had.

"Uh oh..." Miracle looked over at Gavin. "I sense someone being way to quiet, you so remind me of Cody."

"Sorry." Gavin smiled. "I just go blank sometimes...and then I end up going into listening mode."

Cheston stood outside the house, across the street on the corner, watching the party, hearing the faint traces of the music that was thumping within, looking over all the cars. He took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. "This isn't the end...I don't fall."