Trigger The Years Past - 19. Chapter 19: Checkmate

Miracle stumbled into the interrogation room as a cop guided him in there. "God, were the cuffs necessary?" He looked around, seeing an investigator who waved the cop to unlock him. Once Miracle's hands were free, he rubbed at his wrists and looked at the man, still not a bit more dressed than before. He was going to wait and see how long it took before they offered him anything.

"Go." Investigator Hudson waited until the cop left the room and shut the door. "My names Dex Hudson, we can be formal..." He looked at the flannel shirt that mostly covered the rather revealing yet only to a tease style briefs that Miracle wore. "...or informal. Which ever you prefer."

"I don't even know why I'm here. And what did you do with my friend?" Miracle walked over and sat in the chair at the table.

Dex walked over and sat down. "He's in another room, a partner is with him. As I'm sure you know, there was a shooting tonight." He looked up. "At a trailer park, neighbors called it in, and they saw a car under one of the street lights." He grinned. "The woman's brother happens to be autistic, caught the tag number, it traced to a rental."

"And let me guess...it was rented to yours truly." Miracle smiled.

"Precisely." Dex grinned. "So, why would you and...your friend be fleeing a murder? You know the guy died."

"I have a rental car...as in, I am from out of town, I don't know these peoples business. I just came to see a very old friend." Miracle crossed his arms on top of the table.

"And you don't know your friends business?" Dex asked.

"We haven't talked since summer of senior year, we really lost contact after junior year, in fact. So what do you think?" Miracle's eyebrows lifted.

"I think there is more to the story. There are knife slashes in the front door, your phone on the kitchen counter, a bloody knife on the counter, the victims face was slashed. Barry and Cody explained what happened, unfortunately, their story doesn't cover you and uh...Gavin."

Miracle stared at Dex, knowing he could easily talk his way around a story, problem with that idea is he knew that without Gavin or the others knowing what he made up, none of it would be collaborated. "You know what, I want my attorney, I want him for all of us." He leaned back and clasped his hands on his stomach. "So let everyone know, we're all lawyered up."

Dex grinned and slowly nodded. "If they accept, can't force it on them."

"Tell them it's my deal, they will know what to do." Miracle watched Dex.

"Will do." Dex walked towards the door. "Oh...and as they say, don't leave town." He said, wanting to take his own jab at Miracle.

Miracle's eyes widened, appearing disappointed. "Really? And I was so looking forward to jetting it to France tomorrow, what a shame."

Dex looked down and shook his head.

"Were you going to offer me any sweat pants or anything...or did you like me like this?" He asked Dex, a quiet laugh followed.

Dex paused and turned around. "Well, I guess you will need them, in jail. I think I'll hold you until your lawyer gets here. Since you...jet around, where is he coming from?"

Miracle's eyes widened. "Jail?! You're putting me in jail?!"

Miracle grabbed the bars and his forehead pressed against them. "He put me in jail." He mumbled. "He put us in jail..." He turned around and looked between Cody, Barry and Gavin.

"Well, you had to be so sloppy about everything." Gavin looked at Miracle.

"You jerked me out the door and didn't give me time to clean it up or think." Miracle mumbled and walked over and sat on the bed next to Cody.

"No, you jerked me out the door." Gavin said.

"At least you got some pants now. How was it getting arrested like that?" Barry grinned.

Miracle looked up and glared at Barry. "All we need to do is think up a better story. Stick to what Cody and Barry said about Finn and the self defense, stick to their alibi about the hotel and how they were together...Cody lied about the Asian man because he was scared of Finn. After two weeks, as it was, Barry and Cody returned home and that was when me and Gavin came to visit because...Cody needed undisclosed help."

"Who's the lawyer?" Gavin looked at Miracle. "Isn't Cheston going to be pissed at you? How do you know he won't hold this over your head?"

"He can't, there is no proof, if he decided to tell the truth, word only goes so far. Besides...I'll just make him think whatever he wants until he clears us." Miracle shrugged. "I don't care."

"There is a thing called lawyer client confidentiality, he can't legally turn on any of us as our officially hired attorney." Barry said.

Miracle laughed. "Confidentiality. That sure kept Rachel's big mouth shut."

"Rachel?" Barry looked up.

"Bad memory." Miracle fell back on the bed. "They weren't kidding, these things have like one inch thick stuffing..."

"Miracle...you really shouldn't take this so lightly." Barry said, concerned. "You and Cody aren't the types to be in jail, much less prison. You'd get eaten alive."

Miracle pushed himself up on his elbows. "So you eat the willing dinner?"

"So you could go twenty or so times a day? Go serving all the gang members? Walk from cell to cell like room service?" Barry asked.

"You're exaggerating." Miracle stared at him.

"Maybe, but I know it's not just your simple hook up every once in a while. I can guarantee you, even willing, it'd be more than you could handle, willingly trying..." Barry frowned.

"That's why you get protection. You pick your favorites, the biggest and strongest of the bunch, the most feared of all to be feared...and they make the rest back down like the puppies of the pack. You get the alphas...and they put the betas and omegas in their place." Miracle looked around and smiled. "Brilliant, right?"

Barry shook his head. "If you want to think so."

Gavin stared at Cody, since he seemed to be the only other one that was staying pretty much quiet while Barry and Miracle went back and forth on prison debate.

Cheston stared at the group in the conference room as they sat around the table and he stood there, appearing thoughtful. "Okay...this story is so mixed up, I don't know where to even begin processing it." He looked around. "First of all, I want the true version, in order, please."

"Okay, well he was drugging Cody and getting him drunk, waited till Alyssa passed out and then took Cody and sold his body for sex at hotels. Then if he got pissed, he would haul Cody to the bedroom, do him and film it and then he'd dress him and put him in his own room before waking up Alyssa long enough to smack her around, knock her back out and then he did her, he video taped it all and said if he ever really got pissed, he'd make sure Alyssa was good and sober when he made her watch a tape." Barry explained.

Cheston's eyebrows lifted. "If you knew...why didn't you do anything?"

"Well, actually I didn't know. Cody started having memories and he came to me about it, I went to Alyssa, she got pissed, didn't want to believe Finn did that, everyone got really pissed, I was afraid it would all go down on Cody so...I gave them drugs to chill everything out." Barry said, correcting himself. "Finn wasn't open about the tapes until after Cody told me about the memories, still, I knew he was taking Cody back there for some reason, just like he was taking him in and out of the house."

Cheston slowly nodded. "Okay, then what?"

"Well, I kept giving them free drugs, I was trying to keep the heat off Cody, Finn kept doing his thing. Eventually I ran out of drugs and money, I might be a seller but I'm also a buyer, have to get it somewhere, right? And I wasn't about to go into debt, that shit can be dangerous. So I cut Finn off, that made him angry, I told him if he just gave me some of the money he owed, I could get him more."

"Why didn't he just pay you money from what he was making selling Cody's body?" Cheston looked at Cody and cringed. "Sorry."

"Because, the deal was that he didn't take Cody out of the house, ever. That aggravated him enough, so he put all that into doing what he did to Cody and Alyssa even more. Finally I knew I couldn't let it go on...and I knew they were running out of drugs, I knew all hell was going to break lose when they went sober and then went into withdrawal, so I went to kill Finn, he got out the back door and I accidently killed Alyssa, Cody came in and saw it, I had to get mean with him, threatened to kill him if he told anyone anything."

"So then...Cody goes to the pay phone and then goes to the cops and makes up an Asian man in a hooded mask?" Cheston looked at Cody.

"Yeah." Cody said, jumping in place of Barry. "And then Barry and I made an alibi that we had went to an old cheap hotel, took cash, didn't ask for ID's or anything. We had sex, he dropped me off, and I arrived back home just in time to see what happened, though now, with what we have done, I told them it was really Finn and I made up the Asian man because I was scared."

"And so now Finn is believed to have gone to the trailer, tried to finish you off, Barry came in, tackled him, you got the gun, shot and killed Finn, and it was all self defense?" Cheston asked for confirmation.

Cody nodded.

Cheston grinned and looked at Miracle. "But the problem is...Miracle left his phone on the counter beside Alyssa's phone, which he used to call Finn to the trailer, threw a bunch of knives into the door, I'll bet you're the one that sliced his face and left that bloody knife on the counter, then the neighbors see you and Gavin driving away from the scene. Why does all that happen, Miracle?"

"Because I was pissed. He came in, I threw a bunch of knives around him, then I slashed his face...and then I tried to make him come to bed with me, making him think I'm one of those people that get turned on by cutting and blood during sex." Miracle paused. "It was fun...he got really freaked out. Then Gavin and Barry came in, we got Cody to shoot him dead, Gavin freaked and grabbed me and we ran, I didn't get a chance to think about anything."

"I did take all the knives out of the door and put them up." Barry said.

Cheston's eyebrows lifted. "And not to even mention the fact that...you were half dressed as you fleed the scene. So...despite a solid self defense story on Cody and Barry's part, how do we explain you and Gavin, and really, all of your little mess ups?"

Miracle thought about it. "Okay..so I noticed a phone on the counter, I picked it up, happened to see Finn's name, I didn't know who's phone it was. So I called and he never answered..."

"Stop." Cheston held a hand up. "They will pull up the duration of the call."

"Okay, so he answers, thinks it's a cop thing, because the cops should have Alyssa's phone, he hangs up." Miracle shrugged.

"Why didn't the cops have Alyssa's phone?" Cheston looked around.

"I take it with me when I go out, I don't own my own phone, well I did...but it broke." Cody said, honestly. "Finn stayed with Alyssa a lot during sober time, so I called his phone for her if I needed her."

Cheston nodded. "Okay, so you just had it in your pocket, forgot about it when you freaked and went to the pay phone, later you realize you have it and...you just sit it on the counter. Miracle sees it and decides to go through it, calls Finn, he thinks it's a cop thing..."

"He hangs up, I was sure he wasn't going to come so...I went to take a shower." Miracle said.

"Which is why you were half dressed." Cheston grinned sarcastically at Miracle. "So whats happening with Gavin and Barry at this point?"

"We went to Wal-Mart. Truth part, we wanted to ditch Barry's car so that Finn wouldn't see it and take off." Gavin said.

"What did you tell the cops?" Cheston asked.

"That we went to get beer, I wanted to talk to Gavin, so we decided to leave my car." Barry said.

"Did you at least go in the store? Because if not, video footage will just show that you left your car." Cheston stared at Barry who frowned and looked down. "Nice."

Cheston rubbed his forehead. "This is a mess...I got a half decent story put together here..."

"Okay, well as for the knife dent things in the door, maybe way earlier in the night, I was showing off?" Miracle shrugged.

"Fixes one problem." Cheston grabbed a chair and sat down in it, propping his forehead in his hand.

"Gavin's text goes to Miracle's phone while he's in the shower. Maybe Cody checked it, if he did, he just didn't do anything about it." Barry looked up.

"Now our biggest problem." Cheston looked up. "You both pulled up at Wal-Mart, left your car and got into Gavin's and took off without even going into the store. That is the worst looking part of it."

"Well, as for the knife, maybe in self defense, Cody tried using the knife first, Finn snatched it away after the slash and put it on the counter." Miracle said.

"Check." Cheston said, though he stared at Barry and Gavin.

"Wal-Mart always cards...no matter how mature you look, unless you look elderly or something, maybe Barry forgot his wallet, and then again, decided he wanted to talk to Gavin, so they just went on." Cody looked up.

"Yeah, and it's not like I'm old enough to even purchase." Gavin said.

Cheston's eyebrows lifted. "So then you guys get back, Barry jumps in, Miracle is just coming out of the shower...half dressed, during the middle of the fight, Gavin freaks and flees the scene with Miracle. We could try it." He looked around. "So can you all remember your parts of the story?"

Cheston stared at them as they all nodded and then he shot daggers when he looked at Miracle. "And no more getting into these messes, I'm serious."

He stood up. "There will be a hearing this afternoon. Very informal, a room kind of like this, just a lot nicer looking, it's pretty much to determine the authenticity of the self defense story by the collaboration of all parties involved, if it's determined not to be so, they will proceed further. I doubt that will happen though, if you guys keep it right."

Miracle nodded. "Not a problem, after sleeping on their half inch mattress."

Cheston grinned, he couldn't help but take some pleasure in Miracle suffering a little, after all they were not on the best of terms, as far as Miracle's love was concerned, it wasn't with him, where he wanted it to be. He grabbed his brief case and turned around and went to head out, needing to type up a summary of the fabricated story.

"Well, you're the last one, think of this as a test run...for the real trial." Cheston said as he walked over to Miracle. "Everyone else did great."

Miracle looked up at Cheston and then stood up and walked with him into the room, Cheston had been right, it was nicer, warm, carpeted and the table was a made of a fine finished wood, polished to shine. His eyebrows lifted as he looked at the people sitting around the table.

"The woman does the transcript, that's the Judge and the other man is the District Attorney, just a simple hearing, that's it." Cheston whispered to Miracle and pulled out a chair for him.

Miracle looked around and sat down in the chair that was pulled out for him and then he looked at Cheston who sat next to him.

"I'm Judge Henderson and this is District Attorney Jed Duncan." The man looked up. "This is a hearing in the reported self defense death of Finn Donovan, Miracle Jaisyn's account of the story, last and final witness."

Miracle's eyebrows lifted and he looked over at the woman typing and then he looked over at the DA.

"Now, Miracle." Jed spoke up. "Can you tell me in your own words, from your own point of view, only what you experienced that night? Ignore knowledge of the entire story, I just want your perspective."

Miracle nodded. "Okay, well, I took a jet...my ex's private jet and I flew here to see Cody and I met Barry and I brought my friend Gavin with me. I threw knives at the door because I wanted to show off, I learned how to do it from a Chinese knife thrower at a circus, ya know? Anyway Barry cooked spaghetti and then he took Gavin and they went to Wal-Mart. So I'm just idly stirring the spaghetti, talking to Cody about...stuff. Well evil stuff that Finn did to him and his sister. There was a phone on the counter and I got curious and went through it."

Jed nodded. "And what did you find in this phone? And what did you do?"

"Well, I found Finn's name. I didn't know who's phone it was, so I just called him, he asked who was calling from Alyssa's phone, he thought it was a police thing, he freaked out, I was mad, we went back and forth and he hung up. I figured there was no way he'd come near the trailer, so I went and took a shower."

Jed leaned forward, closer to Miracle. "And when you got out of the shower, according to your own statement provided by Mr. King...you walked in on a fight between Barry, Cody and Finn, is that right?"

Miracle nodded. "Pretty much."

"How could you not hear that going on as small and...well, for lack of a better term, fragile, as a trailer is?" Jed asked.

"I never said how long I was in the shower." Miracle responded.

"But you would of heard it, as soon as you turned the water off, right?"

"I'd guess." Miracle stared at the man and leaned back in his seat.

"Yet you take the time to...at least get half dressed before you come out to do anything?" Jed asked in a firm tone. "And a flannel shirt, none the less, how long did it take you to button it?"

Cheston stared at Jed and then looked at the Judge. "Your honor, this is merely a witness that was within the room during the time of the event for a mere minute or two. I don't see the relevence in Miracle's process of getting out of the shower."

"It's plenty relevent, if this was staged!" Jed looked up. "It's relevent if it was staged that he had time to get out of the shower, if he was even in the shower to begin with!"

Miracle looked between the two and brought a hand up to his mouth and then he looked over at the judge.

"I think it's relevent Mr. King..." The Judge then looked at Miracle. "Proceed."

Miracle looked from the Judge and over at Jed. "You asked so many questions at once, which one am I answering?"

"You would hear the conflict going on outside in the living room, most definitely after you shut off the shower. First question, why take the time to get dressed? You worry about coming out of the bathroom nude to see whats going on, but then you can run around town half dressed?"

Miracle grinned at Jed and looked at the Judge. "Is he even allowed to insult me like that?"

"Keep the elaborative thoughts to yourself." The Judge said, firmly, yet patiently.

"If you should know, the commotion didn't begin until I was half dressed, if I had it in my power, I'd of prefered to be fully dressed when it started, but life happens." Miracle sighed. "Next?"

Jed nodded. "Okay, so you're out of the shower, half dressed, just finished buttoning the shirt, what happens?"

"That's when I heard a yell, I came out, I saw Finn, he was slashed across the face, he had pulled a knife out of Cody's hand and laid it on the counter, then he shoved Cody on the couch and pulled out his gun. That is when Gavin and Barry came in. The fact that this strange man was inside with a gun...I was shot myself not to long ago, what a trauma that was for me. I went back into the bathroom. I heard the brawl and then the gun fire. I ran out into the living room, Cody fired again and again, Finn died, and Gavin grabbed me and we ran out." Miracle crossed his arms. "Satisfied?"

Jed stared at Miracle for what seemed like the longest time, then Cheston finally spoke up. "Is something wrong? You look like you're grasping at straws to jump at my client like a tiger..." A small grin appeared. "You weren't like that with the others, not even the shooter himself."

Jed leaned back and looked at Cheston. "I just find it curious after such an event how he could be so...humorous during interrogation. And even now...if you look deep enough, the sarcasm is there."

"It's how I deal, besides, I didn't know the man, I just knew what he did to my friend, and I'm not sorry what happened to him." He looked between Cheston and Jed. "And last I checked, not feeling guilty, doesn't make me guilty, because being a bitch isn't a crime." He looked over at the Judge. "Am I free to go?"

"Miracle Jaisyn is free to go, his story is found to be...credible." The Judge looked up at him.

"Bye." Miracle smiled at Jed and stood up and walked along side Cheston and headed out into the hall.

"How did it go?" Gavin asked, Barry and Cody both appeared as concerned.

"Well, Miracle made an interesting ending for the transcript." Cheston said.

"Is that how they are going to grill me at a trial?" Miracle looked around. "He asked me why I took the time to button up the shirt...He asked me why I took the time to get dressed at all..."

Barry wanted to laugh at that, but decided to push it back.

"So, what are we doing now?" Cody asked.

"Well, we have to wait for a final decision, should be in by tomorrow or the next day, though now you guys are free to come and go as you want." Cheston looked around. "I do want some time with Miracle alone." He reached into his pocket and pulled out two hundred dollars. "So if you guys want to treat yourself to a meal or something."

"Sounds fine by me." Barry nodded and stood up.

Cheston pulled his hand back when Barry reached for the money, he smiled and then handed the money over to Gavin. "I know him, no offense."

Barry held his hands up. "None taken."

Cheston turned towards Miracle. "Go somewhere?"

Miracle looked up at him. "I guess I owe you that much, along with whatever fee you're going to charge, get a little bit of your money back."

"It's on the house." Cheston said.

"A field? You brought me down a dirt path...to a field?" Miracle sat in the passenger seat of Cheston's rental.

"Well, no, it's a park...look at the map." He showed it to Miracle. "I just wanted to find one that was private."

Miracle looked at the map and then he looked up. "Well, of course it's private...it's just a field." He folded the map up and tossed it on the dashboard.

"Might as well sit in the car...because this park doesn't have anywhere to sit..." Miracle stared at Cheston.

He looked down at Miracle's hand. "You're still wearing the ring...has Kevin said anything?"

Miracle looked down at his hand. "No, he hasn't even noticed as far as I know. I just keep forgetting to...pawn it or whatever." Miracle looked out the window.

"Really? You want to just pawn it? Do you really just keep forgetting it...or do you just want it to stay there?" Cheston asked.

"What does it matter?" He looked over at Cheston. "Everything is ruined, it's unfixable."

"No it's not...if you could just let go of my mistake. And I know that is asking for so much, given what I did to you, what I hid from you, what I tried to make you do. And not only all that, I stole your moment, the time when you found home. If with anyone, you should of had that with Jaemin."

"Why? Just so he can decide to kill himself there?" Miracle shook his head and looked down at the ring. "I'll admit, being in trouble, just knowing I could call you, that you would come running..." He shrugged. "Kevin doesn't know anything. With him...it's like everything just has to be normal, he's visiting his parents, and supposedly I'm at home, maybe hanging out by the pool...when really I'm dealing with a mess."

"You'd think it would be hard to be picture perfect for an attorney, but you can be more real than you can with a football star. And I'm not downing him, I'm just saying that...he's in a perfect and blissful world, even if he seems to understand, I don't think you would ever...feel comfortable with yourself, with your flaws..."

"He's distant. He comes to Vegas, brings all his friends, we have that party and then not long after, he's off to New York to visit his parents...and then I have this feeling some plan in California will call out to him." Miracle looked up. "It seems like the feelings only came back for him...because I wanted them to come back. When I was on the run with Jaemin, I talked to him one time over the phone, he was on vacation and...he was as shallow as ever, like we hardly knew each other, or maybe all the people around the pool kept him distracted."

Cheston slowly nodded. "He's always going to have that life...and he's likely going to want to keep it away from you, for whatever reason. Maybe because he found it or made it on his own? Maybe because you're just part of the past? I know you might think I'm saying this just to win or something, but...honestly I just see a really shallow life."

Miracle looked over at Cheston. "What happens between Kevin and I, that is between us. Cheston, none of that changes the fact that you scammed me, and blackmailed me, and lied to me, and...worst of all, tried to force me to bring a child into the world, my own child...for you...and for her, even if you changed your mind and wanted it to be us in the end. I would of had to live with knowing my child existed based on...force." He frowned, knowing that was going to happen anyway.

"And all of that is horrible, an apology can't even begin to cover it..." Cheston looked down. "But you're still wearing that ring...there has to be a reason. I'm not ready to let you go."

Miracle stared at the ring and then looked up at the windshield. "You ever have those moments where you just stop feeling?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like...you're almost spacing out...but you're alert...and you just don't feel, it's like your body or your mind...or something somewhere is just saying it's easier not to feel...so it all just shuts off." Miracle's eyes fluttered a little.

"Or maybe it's you getting sleepy?"

"Could be." Miracle leaned against the door of the car. "I don't think I could even sleep last night."

"Given the conditions...you deserve a five star hilton." Cheston watched Miracle, tears ran down his face and then he shifted the car into drive and headed down the path to a road on the other side.

"Sounds nice." Miracle said, his eyes closed. "If you want, you can stay...but you can't sleep with me, at least in that way...and you can't kiss me...but you can hold me, and go to sleep with me...and maybe just pretend."

"Just to hold you would be a gift, and that's just a simple truth, from me to you." Cheston took a deep breath and drove on.

Las Vegas Nevada

Miracle opened the door as he stormed in with Barry and Cody, Cheston following in soon behind them.

"Miracle! Where have you been?" Kevin asked, then he looked up at Cody and grinned. "Hey, man! Been forever! Whats up?"

"They are staying with us, we got enough bed rooms, and...well I kinda had to help them with a mess, but it's all cool now." Miracle shook his head and turned towards Cody and Barry. "Come on, let me give you the house tour!" He waved Cody and Barry on.

Kevin waited until the others were gone in the rush that they came in and then looked at Cheston. "What are you doing here?"

"I came back with them. I had to act as their attorney."

Kevin looked confused. "An attorney? They needed you? For what?"

"Murder, though we managed a self defense claim...and I won." Cheston smiled. "You can thank me."

"More murder?" Kevin's eyes widened.

"Yeah, seems to happen a lot where Miracle goes. Might want to reflect on what happened to Melanie, Miracle was there, right? At the club anyway, then he ended up with her tickets to Fiji, skipped out on her funeral and went away with Cody." Cheston stepped closer. "Kind of odd, don't you think? Taking your girlfriends spring break." He paused. "Oh! I'm sorry...your ex girlfriend, may she rest in peace."

Kevin's teeth clenched. "You're a real son of a bitch, you know that? And Jaemin confessed to killing her, he confessed on the video before he killed himself. At least I don't have to feel bad about pushing him off the boat anymore."

"So you suspected Jaemin before?" Cheston grinned.

"Kind of."

"So is it really that hard to believe that Miracle might not, at the very least, have known about it? Maybe Jaemin's goodbye video, giving Miracle his new start, maybe it was all about insurance that he would never have to worry..." Cheston crossed his arms. "Then there is Brad, that motive is quite clear, look at what he did to Miracle, same killer, Jaemin...So what are the odds? And then of course Miracle took you in with your twisted way of dealing with your grief, I didn't know Melanie...but after seeing one clip of her on that documentary, well I'd say she and Miracle are a lot alike, I could see the appeal."

Kevin's eyes widened and he shoved Cheston back into the wall and grabbed him by the shirt with both hands. "Shut up. Miracle had nothing to do with what happened to Melanie, he had no reason to. He loved her as a best friend, just as much as I loved her as my girlfriend. Our love for her, in our ways, that was what initially bonded us, sure, but then everything between us came to be more..."

Cheston's grin remained even as he was pushed into the wall. "And what was Jaemin's reason? Why would he hurt her?"

Kevin stared at Cheston and then slowly let go of his shirt. "I never could figure that out...other than to think he wanted to frame Sterling for Brad, still...I never understood why she had to die for it."

Cheston straightened out his shirt and stepped forward from the wall. "Ask Miracle, I'm sure he knows." And with that seed planted, he would wait for it to bloom, he just hoped that it didn't sink Miracle in the process of hopefully tearing them apart. "Good day." He smiled and walked out of the house.

Miracle closed the door after showing Barry to one of the guest rooms and then turned around when he heard Kevin walking down the hall. "Hey."

"Hi." Kevin walked closer. "We need to talk."

Miracle's eyebrows lifted. "About what?"

Kevin looked at the door and then took Miracle by the arm and guided him into their bedroom and shut the door. "Melanie." He leaned back against the door.

Miracle stumbled into the room and then turned around after Kevin let him go. "Melanie? Why?"

Kevin sighed and looked down. "I know Jaemin confessed to it, I know that night he wanted to frame Sterling for Brad's murder...what I don't know...is why she had to die for it." He looked up.

"All this time, and you're now wondering that?" Miracle's eyes narrowed. "Cheston put thoughts in your head, didn't he? Kevin, the guy is trying to get to you, he still wants to get to me."

"Maybe." Kevin looked up. "But he makes a pretty valid point, and then soon after...I form this weird attraction for you...and you just cheat on Jaemin and return my feelings with ones of your own? After what I did to you? I mean, I know the only reason you didn't turn me in for the rape was simply because of Melanie."

"I didn't turn you in...because you turned out to be a decent person, and by that point, that was all that mattered to me. We formed a group and you were a part of it and...I got to know you...and you helped save me at the warehouse, I remember being in your arms, you got me to the ambulance, you went in there and got me out." Miracle looked up at him. "I guess I never let you know how much that meant to me, sometimes you do a wrong...but a right can fix it and make all the difference in the world. You hurt me, but my life, you saved..."

Kevin slowly nodded. "I guess I did." He looked up with a pained expression. "I hate that I hurt you." He took a deep breath.

"Let that go..." Miracle stepped closer and took Kevin's hand. "Just let that go..."

Kevin stared down at their hands. "It's just...Cheston, he said these things, like how Jaemin confessed to doing it, why would he do it, what would his motive be, what if it was all just to protect you forever..."

Miracle looked up. "I do...have something that you should know."

"What?" Kevin's gaze jerked up to Miracle's.

"Melanie...was Jaemin's half sister. Paula...was their mother. They thought they shared the same father, she...wouldn't let Jaemin see him because she was scared of Jaemin being written into the will, split inheritence. So she made up a fake anxiety disorder that could cause seizures and heart attacks, kept stringing Jaemin along...and after she died, he went to see the man and it turned out, they didn't share a father, that was when he snagged her tickets and gave them to me and Cody." Miracle explained.

Kevin was silent for a moment, rather shocked at first, he then shook his head after he gathered some of his thoughts. "That still doesn't make sense. She didn't have to die for him to see the man. When did you find this out?"

Miracle thought about it. "I don't remember exactly when I was told, I think it was some time after Fiji."

"So maybe that was the motive, Jaemin got pissed at how she reacted to him..." Kevin frowned. "I hate to say anything bad about Melanie...but if what you say is true...then it is rather selfish." Kevin looked up at Miracle.

"It's only what I was told." Miracle said.

"My stuff is still packed." Kevin pushed away from the door. "I'm sorry, Miracle, but I need to go back to California...I just...I need to process all of this. I mean...everything that is you and me was based on my grief, I turned to you...and now it feels like...I've just had a bomb dropped on me."

"Wait, Kevin, you don't have to do that." Miracle watched Kevin walk out of the bedroom and followed him down the stairs. "Kevin, stop! You don't have to leave! Don't leave me!" He followed Kevin outside and stopped on the porch and cried. "Kevin, don't leave me!"

Kevin stopped at the car and turned around. "Miracle, don't cry, please don't, I hate to see that, I just need some time."

Miracle stared at Kevin as he got into his car and then he looked down and wrapped his arms around himself as Kevin pulled out and away.

"Checkmate." Cheston sat parked a few houses down, watching Kevin drive away and then looked over to see Miracle go back into the house. He grinned and sighed. "The past can die hard sometimes.."

"I just can't believe he did that." Miracle frowned, poking at his cherry slushy with his straw.

Cody's eyebrows lifted and he looked around, watching cars drive by from where they sat outside the ice cream and slushy shop. "It was kind of dirty. I just don't get why Kevin would need to freak in California over it..."

"Cody, Miracle." Cheston walked up and smiled. "Always was Miracle's favorite lunch break spot, the short time he did work for me." He looked between them and then fixated on Cody. "Mind if I talk to him alone?"

Cody looked up at Cheston and then over at Miracle.

"There's a red box down by the corner, go find us a couple of movies for tonight?" Miracle asked.

"Sure." Cody slowly nodded and stood up with his ice cream and gave Cheston a not so friendly look as he walked off.

"Nice to see you too." Cheston took Cody's seat and looked at Miracle. "So Kevin freaked huh?"

"Well, when you find out years later that Melanie's murderer was her half brother..." Miracle looked up, still poking his slushy. "Had to tell him something, you made him so suspicious."

"I just made him wonder what I would wonder...if I were in his shoes." Cheston shrugged. "Anyway, this is not really a social call where I come to beg to you."

Miracle forced a grin. "So this is business where you come to threaten me more? Since your begging didn't work? What do you got? A big...fat...nothing."

Cheston's eyebrows lifted. "I beg to differ, if I were to be my step dads defense attorney...and even without the diary, I know so much about you, cross examination would be pretty brutal."

Miracle looked up at Cheston. "I'm not the one on trial, so you free Martin, so what?"

"So...in freeing Martin, I implicate you, it's tied together, you see?"

Miracle grinned and took a sip of his slushy. "All you could do is tear down my character, as you said, the text messages damn him without me..." Miracle choked back his next words, figuring Cheston might be recording this.

"True, but when it all comes down to it, really, it's all about what the jury thinks, and if they really don't think highly of you...even with the text messages, could end up with a hung jury, confused between evidence and witness credibility." Cheston sat back.

Miracle took another sip of his slushy. "Lets not forget that...my mom witnessed him trying to push me off the terrace, this was after he drugged my drinks, to which I only had two of them, both of which he served to me, and my medicine count came up legit, and thanks to your security on my meds...well, I couldn't abuse them anymore, despite Andy opening his big mouth. And then there were the three women, watching like hawks. Might of talked a lot of trash, but they know who was handing my drinks to me."

"Bet if they were counted again, they wouldn't come up legit." Cheston lifted his head up. "You were so upset about your diary...and you took some."

"How'd I get past your padlock?" Miracle asked.

"I don't know, you tell me." Cheston leaned forward. "Maybe you dug into my pocket after we had sex. It isn't the first time you'd try to breach my securities. You and Niki tried to shoot out the window to get into my study."

Miracle sat back and laughed. "That wouldn't of happened if you hadn't of stolen my diary out of my safe, just to read my old teenage secrets."

Cheston looked back when Cody returned to the table and he grinned. "Another time." He grinned and stood up and started walking off.

Miracle's smile faded as Cody sat down with a couple of DVD's. "Cheston is going to be Martin's defense attorney...and I think he just recorded everything."

"Huh?" Cody looked at Miracle. "Who's Martin?"

"Eric's dad, who is mad at me for Eric dying...and...well...he's waiting for trial and I'm the star witness."

"For Eric dying?" Cody's eyes widened.

"No...for Gavin's step dad dying." Miracle shook his head. "It's complicated."

"Well, if he was recording it, should of talked to him about your friend being deported and her papers mysteriously disappearing." Cody said.

"Counter attack." Miracle mumbled thoughtfully, though he doubted Cheston would fall for it, if he was anything like Eric in a conversation.

Cheston walked into the room, it was pretty cold, tile floors, a cheap table with two chairs. He looked at the guard and waved him on. "I'll call you when I need you."

"I'll be just outside the door." The guard said.

"Good, I would like some privacy with my potential client." Cheston said as the guard nodded and walked out, shutting the door. He looked over at Martin and walked over, taking the available seat.

Martin was chained and shackled to the chair, he looked up and grinned at Cheston when he arrived. "So did you get it?"

"I got some stuff." Cheston said.

"Good, you will be my defense attorney, it's the price you pay for what you wanted done to the girl."

"Lacey." Cheston leaned forward. "What really happened to her anyway?"

"Oh, she is in a room, nice and cozy, don't worry, she is in the best of conditions. Of course she has to stay in there, meals get delivered to her...but conditions are...top notch if she can deal without windows."

Cheston nodded. "And just where do you pick up rooms like that?"

Martin grinned. "It's in the basement of a house Eric purchased here, he had the room made like that. It was in case he ever had to...put Miracle there."

"Wait...if he knew Miracle could be in Nevada, why wasn't he ever pursued here?" Cheston asked.

"The Hells Angels? Eric didn't want to get into their mess." Martin frowned. "And I know they are responsible for actually killing him, point is that Miracle involved them to begin with, and I like to go to the source with my blame. Let the skin heads die of alcohol poison and reckless violence."

"So how long do you plan to actually hold Lacey?"

"Until you tell me what to do with her, that was your idea, I did it to put you in debt to me...for this, my defense attorney." Martin grinned.

"If I let her go...Miracle will know I did it, I basically told him we got her deported."

Martin's eyes narrowed. "You idiot."

"It was supposed to be a punishment to him, he had to know I did it." Cheston said.

"I'll figure it out, better yet, she stays until my trial is over, I want to ensure you keep your end of the deal." Martin leaned back.

"Just don't hurt her, I don't want anyone hurt."

Martin grinned and shook his head. "Naive boy...helping me hurts Miracle, you know that. But...I think you want to, he threw you away."

"Maybe so." Cheston looked down. "Sometimes I'm conflicted, sometimes I feel like I'm Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"But you know what will happen to him in here." Martin's head tilted to the side. "In the end, how do you feel about that?"

Cheston frowned and looked up. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"What about Susan? You know, if we do over throw him, it would be a sweet revenge to visit...and walk away with his baby."

Cheston took a deep breath. "You're hardcore...like Eric. I don't think I could be that evil..." He looked up. "But I came to you, I needed you to help me with Lacey...and now you have the power."

"That I do, it would be wise to keep that in mind." Martin nodded. "See you at the trial, if not before then."

Cheston frowned and stood up and headed for the door. "Guard!" He called out and the guard opened the door and he walked out of the room.