OCTOBER

by Rebel8954

"Seth's good to me. I was mean to him then 'cause it was hurtin' and made him cry but he still loved me. Even when he hit me when I came home and said it was for being an asshole." Dean looked at Kofi with a serious expression. "Don't tell Daddy that, please? I think it's a bad word, and I don't want to get him in trouble."

Three weeks later, Roman knocked on Cesaro's half-opened door. "Do you have a minute?" he quietly asked.

Cesaro glanced up, smiled, and motioned for Roman to enter. "Of course. Come in. How are the boys? Are they okay?" He waved Roman to a chair on the other side of the desk. "Coffee?"

"Thanks, I'd love a cup," Roman admitted as he sat down. "Just black. And strong, please."

Cesaro nodded and walked to the side table where a Keurig sat along with everything necessary to make coffee.

"The boys are okay although Dean got suspended for fighting a few weeks ago." Roman sighed and told the entire story including Dean's nightmare the previous night.

Cesaro handed Roman a mug of coffee and returned to sit behind his desk. "Has this occurred before? The nightmare?"

Roman nodded. "Twice. The first was the night of the Charity Benefit. We put it down to the boys having watched Ghostbusters as the trigger. We'd always thought it was just a quirk of Dean's…needing to curl up under a sheet or blanket in order to sleep. Then during our vacation…when we were in Seattle." He sipped the coffee. "He woke up screaming because Seth wasn't in bed with him. We knew then it was something more than just the result of watching a movie. But with the boys starting school and Seth needing glasses, we just let it slip away from us."

Cesaro saw the guilt on Roman's face and sighed, sipping his own coffee.

"But I wanted to thank you again for letting me take off when the school called," Roman continued. "Turns out Bayley's nephews are also students at Gulfside. They cornered Seth and knocked him down. Dean dived in and started fighting both Kevin and Randy." Roman smirked. "Actually he hit Kevin and bit Randy."

Cesaro chuckled.

"The result of that was Dean, Randy and Kevin being suspended; and Dean having another nightmare. Bayley's looking into trying to find a child therapist for Dean but so far there aren't any openings. But I may need to take some time when we find a therapist. Both of us want to be there for him."

"No need to thank me, Roman," Cesaro smiled. "You have enough comp time to cover whatever time is needed. Your work is excellent, and I know that the traveling you do is difficult."

"Thank you," Roman smiled in return.

Cesaro hesitated, then continued. "I never told you why I came to this country, did I?"

"No," Roman shook his head.

"I was living in Switzerland with my wife and newborn daughter when I got the professional opportunity of a lifetime," Cesaro explained. "It required long hours of work and travel. I threw myself into the job, ambitious as hell, and wanting to prove myself. I'm not sure who I was proving it to, however." He sighed. "My relationship with my wife was shattered. I didn't know my own daughter, and she didn't know me. My wife filed for divorce and was taking our daughter to visit her family in Venice." Cesaro sat his mug onto the desk. "They were killed in an automobile accident just before they got to the Italian border."

"Dear God," Roman murmured.

"I couldn't stay in Switzerland after that so I came here," Cesaro explained. "I basically closed my eyes and put my finger on the map. I didn't care for Miami so…" he shrugged. "Here I am." He half-smiled at Roman. "I admire you for being able to do the work you do…how you do it yet manage to keep your family strong. So never hesitate to take the time for your family when it's needed."

Roman nodded. "I'm sorry about…"

Cesaro waved his hand. "Thank you." He leaned forward in his chair. "If you don't mind the intrusion, I know of a child therapist. We go to the same gym and sometimes work out together. I could make a call and see if he's available if you wish. It might get Dean in to see a therapist sooner."

"That would be great if you could." Roman sat his mug back onto the side table and reached out his hand. "I can't thank you enough."

"Nonsense." Cesaro smiled as he stood and shook Roman's hand. "It's about family. I'll make a call and let you know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roman didn't know how well Cesaro knew the child therapist, but later that day Cesaro had handed Roman a note with an appointment for the following Tuesday morning for Roman and Bayley to come in and talk with him regarding Dean. He'd also told Roman to take that day off.

On Tuesday, Sasha showed up to take the boys to school and to let the administrators know she would be picking him up later that day.

"Hey, guys!" Sasha greeted as she walked into the kitchen. "Ready for school?"

"How come you're taking us?" Dean curiously asked, shoving his last piece of bacon into his mouth.

"Because today is…Dean, Seth, and Sasha Day!" Sasha did a little dance. "Well, technically, it's Dean, Seth, and Sasha afternoon," she admitted.

Seth clapped his hands and bounced in his chair.

"When I pick you guys up from school, I think…we'll go to Fifties!" Sasha announced.

Dean's eyes widened. Fifties was a 50's style diner, and his favorite place to eat. He didn't know anything about the 50's but there was a jukebox, and you could dance. Cheeseburgers and milkshakes…and mountains of fries.

Roman winked at Sasha. "Sounds like fun. I hope your Mommy lets me eat somewhere fun."

Dean patted his Daddy's arm and nodded.

"I believe she mentioned Salad World," Sasha commented, studying her purple colored nails.

Dean patted his Daddy's arm and sadly shook his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Kofi Kingston was a tall, lean man a little older than Roman with dark skin and twinkling dark eyes. He greeted them at his office door and ushered them inside his office. "This is my official office," he explained with a grin. He motioned to an open door leading into what looked like a play room with toys and puzzles on several small tables. "That's where I talk with the kids."

Bayley grinned. "Looks like kiddie wonderland."

Kofi grinned back as he sat behind his desk. "I even have a couple of really cool tea sets. At least according to my daughter." He motioned to the chairs across from his desk. "Please. Sit down."

Roman studied the frames mounted on the wall behind Kofi's desk. Degrees from Boston College and the University of Florida.

"Antonio tells me your son, Dean, is having problems with nightmares?"

Roman glanced at Bayley who nodded.

"Dean is four years old," Bayley explained. "He'll be five in December. We also have a son, Seth, who turned four last May. We adopted Dean when he was just a baby. He's always needed to curl up under a sheet or something in order to sleep. Even to nap."

"We never thought anything about it," Roman admitted. "It was just something unique to Dean. When Seth sleeps, he sprawls out. Dean curls up under a sheet. And as soon as Seth was big enough and old enough for his own bed, they've wound up sleeping together at night even though they have their own beds. One of them always climbs into bed with the other."

"It was just a cute thing, you know? Dean curling up under the sheet and Seth sprawled out next to him," Bayley explained. "Then early this summer, Dean found out about his adoption in a very…cruel way." Her hands twisted on her lap, and Roman reached out to cover them with one of his.

"My in-laws have never approved of me," he quietly spoke. "Never mattered to me. But because Dean's adopted, they never approved of him either. One way or another, Bayley's sister's boys overheard the adults talking about it in a pretty bad way and confronted Dean and Seth about it. They called Dean a 'throw away baby'. Seth wound up fighting one of his cousins over it."

Kofi shook his head. "That's…probably about as bad a way to find this out as I've ever heard."

"Dean was…I don't know," Bayley shrugged. "Shocked and stunned don't really explain it. He didn't talk for hours. When we went to adopt a puppy, and he got it confused in his mind with his adoption. He thought he'd been kept in a cage and…" Bayley bit her lower lip.

"We explained as best we could," Roman continued. "We showed both our boys their birth certificates and Dean's adoption decree. We explained what they meant…that they're both our sons and nobody can take them away as long as we're good to them. It seemed to help Dean, and we told him he could always talk to us or ask us questions."

"We don't know if Dean's had nightmares or bad dreams before this," Bayley frowned. "But now I've wondered if he did and we just didn't know."

"What changed?" Kofi asked, leaning back in his chair.

"My best friend was babysitting them overnight," Bayley explained. "Roman and I were attending a charity function…my grandparents' foundation. Then we…" She suddenly stopped.

"I'd arranged for a romantic night afterwards," Roman half-grinned. "Sasha, Bayley's friend, and I put it together as a surprise. The boys knew I was giving Bayley a surprise and were looking forward to their Aunt Sasha and her dog spending the night. They watched Ghostbusters, and Sasha said they weren't scared but laughed at the movie. Afterwards, they put up the air mattress and went to sleep."

"At some point during the night, Sasha's dog poked Dean in the back," Bayley continued. "Sasha said he woke them up screaming then started mumbling about monsters not seeing him and to go away. She said it took her a while to get him calmed down enough to come out from under the sheet."

Kofi frowned. "I take it there have been more nightmares."

"We were on our way to Hawaii to meet with my brother and his family," Bayley nodded. "We stopped in Seattle for two nights. He had a nightmare the first night. Seth had woken up and needed to go to the bathroom. But he was half-asleep and couldn't remember where it was. He came into our room and woke us." She glanced at Roman. "I guess Dean woke up and Seth wasn't there. He started screaming that the monsters had gotten Seth."

"You mentioned they started sharing beds when Seth was old enough for his own bed," Kofi recalled. "That's happened every night?"

Roman nodded. "With the exception of when Dean was in the hospital following an appendectomy. I stayed with him in the hospital."

"Dean and Seth are close?"

"Very," Bayley nodded with a smile. "I really think they're each other's best friend. They're in Pre-K now so I know they'll make other friends. But I'm really hoping they'll stay just as close as they are now."

"Do you think Seth knows anything about the monsters?" Kofi asked.

Roman and Bayley looked at each other.

"If anyone does, it would be Seth," Roman groaned. "I can't believe we didn't think to ask him."

"Don't put too much emphasis on it," Kofi advised. "It may be that Dean's gotten him to promise not to tell."

"That's what he did when Dean was feeling sick before his appendix got so bad," Bayley admitted.

"Any other nightmares?"

"A few weeks ago," Roman nodded. "Apparently their cousins, the ones who told Dean about being adopted, attend the same school, Gulfside Academy. They're in elementary. They saw the boys on the Pre-K playground and hopped the fence between the play areas. They saw Seth by himself and verbally bullied him about his glasses then pushed him. Dean ran over and started fighting both of them. The two of them and Dean were suspended. Seth wound up with a badly scraped arm."

"That night he had a nightmare," Bayley finished. "All he could say was that the monsters were going to punish him because he was a bad boy, and he didn't want them to punish Seth by mistake."

"You have to understand…Dean won't admit he cries," Roman added. "He'll shed a tear or two, wipe them away and tell you 'not crying'. But that night…" he shook his head. "I've never seen anyone, child or adult, cry that hard or that much."

"Roman calmed Dean down while I took care of Seth who'd been scared," Bayley finished. "We've reassured Dean that he's not a bad boy…that he's a good boy." She looked away. "I just don't know if he believes us."

Kofi sat quietly for a minute. "It appears to me that you've done everything right. You've been supportive and loving."

"We just want the nightmares to stop," Roman explained. "We want Dean to be happy." He sighed. "We told him we were going to find a doctor who could help fight the monsters."

Kofi smiled. "Then let's do just that." He glanced at his computer screen. "Is Dean in morning or afternoon classes?"

"Morning," Bayley answered.

Kofi nodded. "How about I see him Thursday afternoons at 1:30 for an hour? We'll start with once a week. If we need to increase it, we'll find a schedule that works."

"Do you…" Roman took a deep breath. "I promised him the monsters would go away."

Kofi smiled. "A child's monsters exist for a reason. Dean feels his monsters are there to punish him. We'll figure out why. Once the reasons gone, the monsters are gone."

"Sounds easy," Bayley half-joked.

"At Dean's age, I'm not sure if he knows the reason," Kofi admitted. "But knowing he believes the monsters are there to punish him, gives us a starting point."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They'd decided that Roman would take Dean to his first appointment with Dr. Kingston while Bayley picked Seth up from school and did grocery shopping. Dean had been subdued and had said very little on the drive to the doctor's office but held Roman's hand in both of his as they rode the elevator to the third floor.

Dean curiously looked around the room as his Daddy signed them in and spoke with the woman behind the desk. The woman smiled and waved at Dean who shyly waved back. Roman and Dean were looking at the fish swimming in the large tank along one wall when a door opened and they heard a voice speak.

"Roman, good to see you again."

Roman turned around, aware of Dean's hands tightening on his. "Good to see you again, Kofi." He walked over and shook Kofi's hand. "Dean, this is Dr. Kingston."

"You can call me Dr. Kofi." Kofi's dark eyes twinkled as he knelt in front of Dean.

"Doct'r…coffee?" Dean looked up at his Daddy in confusion.

"Ko-fee." Roman grinned.

Dean hesitated then held out his hand just like his Daddy had done. "Hello, Doct'r Ko-fee."

Kofi gently shook the boy's hand. "Hello, Dean." He stood. "Come on into my office."

Dean looked around in surprise as Kofi closed the door behind him. "Where's the table?"

"Dr. Kofi isn't like Dr. Maryse," Roman explained, mentioning the boys' pediatrician as he sat down. "Dr. Heath didn't have a table either, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Dean scratched his nose and climbed onto his Daddy's lap.

Kofi sat on the edge of his desk and folded his hands together. "So, Dean, has your Daddy explained why you're here?"

Dean leaned back against his Daddy's chest. "Yes, sir," he mumbled.

"You're not the only one, you know," Kofi softly said. "To have monsters hangin' around."

Dean's blue eyes looked at him.

"They've been beaten before," Kofi gently assured him. "I can help if you want." He held out a hand and patiently waited.

Dean half-gasped then looked up at his Daddy who smiled down at him.

"Love you, Dean," Roman whispered. "It's okay."

Dean looked back at Kofi and slowly nodded. He slid off his Daddy's lap and took Kofi's hand.

Kofi smiled. "C'mon, let me show you my toys."

"Toys?" Dean blinked in surprise.

Kofi led him through an open door. A play table sat in the middle of the room with paper and crayons in the middle. Toys of all types were lying on various tables around the room.

"So, first off." Kofi released Dean's hand and sat cross-legged at the play table. "Do you want your Daddy to come in and listen while we talk and play? Or he can stay in the other room? The door will always be open so you can go to him whenever you want."

Dean walked to where he could see Roman sitting in his chair by Kofi's desk.

Roman smiled. "It's whatever you want, baby boy."

"You won't leave me?"

Roman put his hand over his heart. "Never. I swear I'll be right here."

Slowly Dean returned to the play table and sat down across from Kofi. He stared at the top of the table, his fingers nervously moving across its surface.

"Tell me about the monsters," Kofi softly spoke. "Do they come only at night?"

Dean shook his head.

Kofi slid a piece of paper and a small box of crayons across the table to Dean. "Can you draw me a picture of them? So I know which ones we need to fight?" When Dean hesitated, he smiled. "The monsters can't come in here. Not ever."

Dean took a deep breath and slowly opened the box of crayons. He took the brown crayon and started to draw.

"Tell me about your brother, Seth." Kofi took a piece of paper and the red crayon and began to draw. "You guys get along?"

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "Seth's always there. But not when I was in the hosp'tal." He pointed to his abdomen. "I had to get somethin' out that was hurting."

"Your appendix?" Kofi's dark eyes widened.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I never remember that word." He lowered his head and continued drawing. "Daddy stayed with me." He released the brown crayon and picked up the yellow one. "Seth's good to me. I was mean to him then 'cause it was hurtin' and made him cry but he still loved me. Even when he hit me when I came home and said it was for being an asshole."

In the other room, Roman covered his mouth with both hands to keep from laughing out loud.

Dean looked at Kofi with a serious expression. "Don't tell Daddy that, please? I think it's a bad word, and I don't wanna get Seth in trouble."

"I promise," Kofi nodded just as seriously. "Just between the two of us." He put the red crayon back on the table and picked up the green one.

"And Seth went to school while I was at home," Dean continued. He dropped the yellow crayon on the table and picked up the black one. "I had to stay home 'cause I was a bad boy and fighting. But Randy and Kevin were gonna hurt Seth. Kevin shoved him down."

"You were protecting Seth," Kofi pointed out. "There's a difference between bad fighting and good fighting." When Dean gave him a quizzical look, he continued. "If you'd hit either Randy or Kevin for no reason, that's bad fighting. That's what they did, isn't it?"

Dean slowly nodded. "Yeah. All the time."

"You stepped in to keep them from hurting Seth again." Kofi picked up the yellow crayon. "What's wrong with that?"

"No fighting in school," Dean mumbled. "And Mommy and Daddy don't like fighting."

"Were Mommy and Daddy mad that you protected Seth?"

Dean shook his head. "No. I think they were mad at Randy and Kevin."

"They understand the difference between good fighting and bad fighting," Kofi smiled. "And, yeah, you made a mistake at school. But that doesn't mean you're a bad boy. Mistakes don't make you bad."

"Mommy and Daddy said that," Dean muttered.

"And they're right," Kofi nodded as he put the yellow crayon down onto the table.

Dean drew with the red crayon. Then the yellow again. Then the blue. He stared at the drawing for a few seconds then scooted back from the table.

"Is that them?" Kofi quietly asked. When Dean silently nodded, he reached for the drawing and turned it to face him. Two blue-eyed figures. Man and woman wearing brown clothes. The woman with yellow hair, and the man with red hair. Both had wide-open mouths colored in red. Two pairs of ten stick fingers reaching out from the black darkness…

"I know them," Kofi admitted.

"You do?" Dean whispered, eyes wide.

Kofi nodded and smiled at Dean. "They come to a lot of little boys and girls. But we've made them go away for good. You and I can do that if you want."

"I don't want them to get Seth," Dean whispered, gulping in fear.

"They won't," Kofi promised. "Not because Seth is a better boy than you. You're a good boy, too."

"They say I'm bad," Dean sniffled. "They always say that."

"They lie." Kofi's voice was low but firm. "They always lie."

Dean wiped a hand across his eyes. "Not crying," he muttered. "Seth is better. He makes it not so scary."

"How?" Kofi asked, putting the drawing back on the table.

Dean shrugged. "They just don't come close. And I don't hear 'em. Can't hear 'em say I'm bad."

"Remember what I said? They lie. They always lie." Kofi caught Dean's eyes. "If Randy or Kevin told you that Seth's a bad boy, what would you say?"

"You're lying," Dean firmly answered.

"And if they said that you're a bad boy?"

"You're lying," Dean repeated, although not as firmly.

"And when the monsters say you're a bad boy?" When Dean didn't answer, Kofi prompted. "Would Mommy or Daddy ever say you're a bad boy?"

"No!" Dean vehemently shook his head.

"Then why believe the monsters when they say it?" Kofi gently asked.

Dean stared at the drawing for several seconds, then whispered, "You're lying."

"Say it again."

"You're lying," Dean's voice was louder but trembled.

"That's right." Kofi smiled and took Dean's hand. "It's gonna take time, Dean. But we can beat the monsters and make them go away forever." His smile widened when Dean nodded. He released the boy's hand and folded the drawing. "When did you do when you were home from school?"

Dean sighed. "Played with Yorkie."

"Who's Yorkie?"

"Our puppy."

Kofi handed Dean another piece of paper. "Can you draw a picture of him for me? I love puppies."

"He loves to play with me and Seth but I think he's been playing with Mommy while Seth and me are in school…."

In the other office, Roman heard Dean babble on about Yorkie and began to relax. He wiped his eyes and began taking deep breaths. While he was thrilled that Dean was talking about the monsters to Kofi, he was unhappy that Dean had been living with this fear and he hadn't known one damn thing about it.

Soon he heard Kofi say it was time to come back to the other room and thanked him for Yorkie's picture. He heard Dean say he would put the crayons away because Mommy said you have to put your toys away when you're done. Roman chuckled to himself, knowing how often that rule got bent or forgotten at home.

Kofi stood in the doorway, looking back at Dean. "Thanks for cleaning up, Dean. Come in when you're done." Hearing a cheerful "ok", he turned and walked back into the room and leaned against his desk. He opened the drawing Dean had done of the monsters and silently showed it to Roman.

Roman's eyes narrowed then he took a deep breath when Kofi folded it and put it behind him on the desk.

"What time are the boys in bed?" Kofi quietly asked.

"No later than 8," Roman murmured.

"I'll Facetime you and your wife around 8:30 so we can talk," Kofi promised. He saw Roman's expression and smiled. "Don't worry. I never talk about the session to parents in front of my client. They may know that I'll be talking with parents about them but there's no need to do it immediately after they've talked with me."

Roman nodded as Dean ran back into the office and hugged his Daddy's leg.

"All the toys put back where they belong?" Roman asked, giving him a hug.

"Yep."

"Thanks again for doing that, Dean," Kofi grinned.

"You're welcome."

"And I'll see you on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, okay?" Kofi glanced at Roman who nodded once.

"Good-bye, Kofi."

"Bye, Doct'r Ko-fee."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seth sat in the set of the shopping cart, happily swinging his legs and eating a grape his Mommy had given him from the bag of grapes she'd put into the cart.

"How about tacos for dinner?" Bayley suggested.

Seth nodded and hummed. "I like tacos!"

Bayley grinned and silently hoped he'd finish one this time.

"Mommy, where's Dean?"

"He's seeing a doctor. Daddy took him. Remember?" Bayley saw the confused look on her younger son's face.

Then Seth nodded. "About the monsters?" he whispered.

Bayley nodded. She stopped in the middle of the bread aisle and leaned down. "Seth, honey, did Dean ever tell you about the monsters?"

Seth's dark eyes grew a little darker and sad. "One time. When we were on vacation." He studied the tips of his swinging sneakers. "He said I made it not so scary." He looked up at his Mommy. "Did I do bad not telling?"

"Oh, no, honey." Bayley quickly hugged him. "You're a good brother."

Seth smiled. When his Mommy stepped back, he pointed. "Raisin bread?"

"Sure." She grinned as Seth clapped with glee. Nobody else liked raisin bread so it would be all his.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for doing this, Dr. Kingston," Bayley smiled at the computer screen.

"No problem," Kofi grinned. "I prefer to have a separation between time with my clients and talking with family members. It's counter-productive to develop a sense of trust when your client sees me turning right around and talking about them."

"Roman said you want to go to two sessions each week?" Bayley asked.

Kofi nodded. "I think Dean and I made a lot of progress. I don't feel like he held anything back so I want to move a little faster by increasing the numbers of sessions each week."

"Is there anything we should know?" Roman asked. "I know there's confidentiality involved but…"

"From what I saw today, Dean appears to have a great family support system," Kofi began. "He seems to think the world of his brother." He snickered. "I don't believe he's really all that sorry about that fight since he was protecting Seth."

Roman nodded in agreement, a smirk on his face.

"Then why does he think he's a bad boy?" Bayley questioned.

Kofi took a deep breath. "To Dean, feeling sorry doesn't mean he's a good boy. In his mind, fighting to protect Seth makes him a bad boy but that's what was necessary. If fighting to protect Seth means the monsters come to punish him, then that's what he deserves. It's a price worth paying."

"Oh, dear Lord." Bayley covered her face with her hands. She felt Roman's arm slide around her and leaned in against him.

"We accomplished two things today," Kofi continued. "First, he could draw the monsters. Second, he understands that the monsters lie." He unfolded a piece of paper and held it to the camera. "Can you see the picture?"

"Yeah," Roman answered as Bayley took her first look at Dean's monsters.

"That's…awful…" she murmured.

Kofi removed the drawing. "Children see everything around them as larger than it really is. They're small so buildings, adults, whatever…they're larger than adults see them. Ever go back to your elementary school? At the time you were there, it seemed large, didn't it? But now, it's really small to you."

Bayley nodded. "That's why the figures are so big."

Kofi nodded. "But children also see things in an exaggerated way. A large dog barking at them is too big and too loud. Thunder sounds like everything is crashing." He stared at the drawing. "Dean's drawing shows the eyes and mouths too large. And the fingers as sharp points."

"What do you get from his picture?" Roman curiously asked.

Kofi hesitated. "Just from looking at it…a man and woman who yelled or were angry. Perhaps the hands represent punishment." He shrugged. "It's what it represents to Dean that's important. And, to be honest, at his age, he may not even remember who or what they are. But he knows the monsters tell him that he's a bad boy."

"Seth asked where Dean was," Bayley recalled. "I reminded him about the doctor's appointment and he asked if it was about the monsters. I asked if Dean had ever said anything about them. He said Dean told him during our vacation that Seth made them not so scary."

Kofi nodded. "Dean mentioned that. And that he doesn't want the monsters to get Seth."

Roman grunted. "In Seattle, he was afraid the monsters had gotten Seth. And after his last nightmare, he said he didn't want them getting Seth."

"The other thing we accomplished is that he understands the monsters always lie," Kofi explained. "I asked him what he'd say if Kevin and Randy called Seth a bad boy. He said they'd be lying. I asked him what he'd say if Kevin and Randy called him a bad boy. He said they'd be lying, but he didn't sound as sure about that. I asked him what he'd say if the monsters called him a bad boy. He didn't say anything. So I asked him if his Mommy and Daddy would call him a bad boy. He said no…very firmly. So I asked him then why he would believe the monsters. He realized that his Mommy and Daddy don't lie to him so the monsters must be lying."

"But you can be good to one person and bad to another," Roman protested.

Kofi nodded. "That's an adult concept. For a child his age, it's all one or the other." He grinned. "And he firmly believes the two of you don't lie to him. Now, I don't think that's all it's going to take. Which is why I want to go to two sessions a week."

Bayley nodded. "What can we do on our end?"

Kofi studied them for a moment. "Understand that you had no way of knowing about this. Don't blame yourselves or beat yourselves up over it. When a child has a nightmare and talks about monsters, most parents say 'there aren't any such things'."

Bayley and Roman exchanged a guilty look. "But to Dean, they are real," Bayley nodded.

"Exactly," Kofi agreed. "What Dean knows for sure and certain is that those monsters are real. If you'd told them they weren't…" he shrugged. "But you believed him. He knows you don't lie. So just let the rest go. Continue like you've been doing. If he has a nightmare, treat him just like you've done in the past. If he wants to talk, let him. If not, ask him gently but don't be surprised if he doesn't talk right now."

Roman took a deep breath then released it. "Okay, no guilt trips."

"One thing more. How old was Dean when you began the adoption process?" Kofi asked.

"He was eighteen months old when the adoption became final", Bayley recalled. "But we started the adoption process and brought him home when he was eleven months old."

"Could he subconsciously remember something from happening when he was that young?" Roman asked.

"At this age, possibly," Kofi nodded. "As he got older, most likely not. A lot would depend upon the circumstances. And most likely, whatever he does remember is going to be disjointed…flashes of whatever scared or traumatized him at that point in time." He smiled. I'll let you go for now and see Dean on Tuesday."

"Good night and thanks again," Roman said as the connection was terminated. He pulled Bayley into his arms and they both silently contemplated about what could have been so traumatic to have created monsters in Dean's mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roman and Bayley made an executive parental decision not to even mention soccer to either of their sons. With changes in their routine due to school and Dean's therapy, they felt another change or stress wouldn't be in the boys' best interest. Which was a wise decision because both boys were now totally focused on Halloween.

Despite Dean's problem with personal monsters, he loved Halloween. Kofi explained it as "Dean knows what happens at Halloween isn't real. Those aren't his monsters."

All Roman knew was relief that they could enjoy the holiday without worrying about accidentally inflicting more trauma on his older son. Which left the discussions all about costumes which Bayley wanted to take care of as early as possible since the boys would not only be Trick-Or-Treating in their neighborhood but attending a school party and a party hosted by Roman's boss for his employees and their families. She didn't think one costume would last for all three occasions.

So before heading out to shop, Bayley took the opportunity of a leisurely Saturday breakfast to try and finalize the costume decisions. Her suggestion of repeating last year's costumes was met by two vehement shaking heads and a smirk from her husband.

"Okay," Bayley sighed. She supposed it was too much to expect them to dress like teddy bears again…not matter how cute they'd been the year before.

"Ast..Astro…" Dean scowled, fumbling the word he wanted to say.

"Astronaut?" Roman innocently asked. He ignored Bayley's expression.

"Yeah! Astro…aut!"

"I'm not sure we can find that kind of costume so quickly, honey," Bayley warned.

Roman's eyebrow rose. Granted it would take most of the day to get to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, but he was pretty sure an astronaut costume wouldn't be that hard to find in one of the local stores.

Bayley saw Dean's disappointed expression as he played with a piece of toast. "But we'll look hard," she promised. "What about you, Seth?"

"Doct'r." Seth licked apple jelly from his toast and then chewed the bread. "A fun doct'r…like Doct'r Heath."

"I'm pretty sure we can do that," Bayley grinned. "You can tell everyone you're an eye doctor."

Seth happily nodded.

"We'll need some easy costumes as well for the other parties," Roman pointed out. "How about…Texas Rangers?"

"Baseball?" Bayley innocently asked.

Roman refrained from rolling his eyes. "No, the real Texas Rangers."

Bayley saw the interested looks on her sons' faces and masked a grin. Roman loved westerns and had a vast collection of western DVDs. They both agreed, however, that most of them weren't suitable for their sons' viewing at this age. But she hoped at least one of the boys would share their Daddy's love of them.

"You see, in the Old West, it wasn't settled and civilized like the way we live today," Roman began.

Bayley refrained from rolling her eyes.

"In Texas, especially, there weren't any policemen since there weren't a lot of people and no cities," Roman continued.

Both boys were watching their Daddy, caught up in the excitement of his voice.

"So the Texas Rangers were formed. They rode all over the state, chasing down the bad guys, and protecting the farmers and ranchers."

Bayley suppressed the urge to snort at her husband's sanitized version of history.

"Yeah! Texas Rangers!" Seth grinned.

Roman glanced at Bayley. "Would be easy to do. They have jeans and shirts. All they'd need would be cowboy hats and badges."

"Badges?" Dean's blue eyes widened. "We need badges?"

Roman smirked, thinking how close Dean had come to one of the classic lines in western cinema. "Gotta have one."

"Okay, that's two costumes." Bayley suddenly grinned. "How about pirates?"

Dean dropped his toast. Seth dropped his fork. Both boys looked at their Mommy with wide eyes.

"Yeah! Pirates!" Seth bounced so hard in his chair that he lost his balance and started to slip to the floor.

Roman quickly caught his younger son and helped him sit down.

"Yes! Please!" Dean nodded.

"Okay, settle down," Roman chuckled. "Doctor. Astronaut. Pirates. Texas Rangers." When the boys nodded, he grinned. "Finish eating and settle down, okay?"

Both boys nodded and began eating again.

Roman stood and took his plate to the sink. Bayley soon followed.

"Good idea about the pirates," Roman murmured as he took Bayley's plate.

"They are excited about it, aren't they?" Bayley grinned.

"So, you'd rather Dean want to be a pirate than an astronaut?" Roman innocently asked.

"Oh, hush!" Bayley hissed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dolphins and Flamingoes mingled in the lunchroom as the pre-K students celebrated Halloween during their lunchtime. The tables were draped in black tablecloths and small carved pumpkins were their centerpieces. Cobwebs were hung from the corners with large spiders keeping watch over the excited costumed children.

At one table, a doctor, an astronaut, a princess, a geisha, and a clown sat eating their lunch and happily talking about Trick-Or-Treating.

"Uncle Cass says we're going all over the neighborhood!" Enzo bounced in his seat, his clown wig shifting sideways on his head. He grabbed it and yanked it back into place.

"Your costume's so pretty!" Alexa gushed to Asuka.

"And yours!" Asuka smiled.

"Well, what have we here?" Daniel Bryan, the principal, smiled at them. "This is a very interesting table."

"Hello, Mr. Bryan." The five children greeted him with smiles and grins.

"I see a wonderful costume from Japan," Daniel smiled at Asuka. "And it seems very real."

Asuka shyly smiled. "My mother helped."

"Well, I think she did an excellent job." He looked at Alexa. "Good afternoon, Princess. I hope Your Majesty is enjoying the celebration."

Alexa's eyes danced with mischief. "More candy would be nice."

Daniel chuckled. "I'll see what I can arrange, My Lady." He looked at Enzo who was bouncing in his seat. "A clown! Just what I've been looking for!"

"You have?" Enzo's eyes widened. "I've been right here!"

"Perfect!" Daniel laughed. He looked at Dean. "And where are you planning to go, my astronaut friend?"

"Mars!" Dean excitedly answered. "My cousin, Finn, wants to go too!"

"Wow, well that will take a lot of studying, but I'm sure you and your cousin can pull it off." Daniel smiled across the table at Seth. "I hope you're keeping everyone from getting sick, Dr. Seth."

"I'm an eye doct'r," Seth answered. "Like Doct'r Heath. He makes sure we can see best."

"Well, Doctor Heath sounds like a very good doctor." Daniel grinned when Seth solemnly nodded. He reached into the bag on his shoulder and brought out five smaller bags. He studied them then handed one to each child. "Happy Halloween. Because we want you to be healthy, these are healthy snacks. However…" He looked around as though making sure no one else could hear him speak. "Because a Princess requested it, there just might be a piece of candy inside as well."

"Thank you, Mr. Bryan!"

Daniel chuckled. "Happy Halloween!" He walked towards the next table to talk to those children.

Behind him a clown, geisha, princess, doctor and astronaut eagerly opened their small bags.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Catherine Ambrose? Please come in."

Catherine Ambrose was a tired-looking woman in her mid-thirties with blue eyes and faded blonde hair. Thin, almost to the point of looking emaciated, her past drug use was written in the lines of her face.

She entered the office and warily sat down in the chair opposite the desk. "Why am I here? Who are you?"

"My name is Paul Heyman." The rotund man sitting at the desk smiled in greeting.

Catherine felt a shiver run up her spine. His smile reminded her of her husband's smile. Cold. Predatory. Sadistic.

"I'm an attorney, and I've been reviewing your file as part of your out-take procedure," Heyman explained. "You've successfully completed your drug rehabilitation and completed several educational classes. Good for you!"

Catherine twisted her hands together. He reminded her more and more of Jerry. "That's right," she quietly responded.

"And you've obtained employment?"

Catherine nodded. "I'll be working part-time as a receptionist at a day spa. I start next Monday. I'll live at the Eigner Halfway-House."

Heyman leaned back into his chair. "As I understand, you're still married? Your husband's in prison for a long time. Why haven't you gotten a divorce?"

Catherine twisted her hands together again. "I…I was trying to get better. And I was in jail myself. And…divorces cost money."

Heyman sympathetically nodded. "Do you want a divorce? Or are you hoping for a reconciliation at some…future date?"

Catherine immediately shook her head. "I never want to see the son-of-a-bitch again."

Heyman nodded. "As part of my firm's services, I can initiate divorce proceedings."

"I can't afford it," Catherine mumbled.

"The work will be done pro bono." Heyman snickered to himself when he saw Catherine's look of confusion. "No cost to you. It's part of the process of helping you get back on your feet and becoming a productive member of our society."

Catherine slowly nodded. "Then I want the divorce."

Heyman scribbled a note on his legal pad. "I understand you have a son."

"They took him away." Catherine's voice was monotone. "He cried a lot…things weren't good…they gave him to someone else." Her eyes flickered away. "I signed a paper."

Heyman leaned forward and quietly spoke. "Social services rescue so many unfortunate children. Children who desperately need help. But sometimes they forget that perhaps the parents in those situations also need help." He sighed. "I have to say that in reviewing your file and your soon-to-be-ex-husband's file that I have to agree no child should be around him."

"They told me Dean would be with good people."

"That's your son's name? Dean?" Heyman smiled again. When Catherine nodded, he continued, "Let me ask you a few questions and…please…answer as honestly as you can with what you remember. When you were told to sign that paper taking your son away from you, were you still under the influence of drugs?"

"It was the day after I was arrested." Catherine shrugged. "I wasn't really high but…"

"But you weren't able to think very well, were you?" Heyman quietly interrupted. "You were shocked. Confused. Scared even. I would hazard a guess that your health wasn't very good. And what were they telling you? That your son needed care and would get it if you just signed the papers? That he would be safe from his father?"

"Yes!" Catherine's blue eyes blazed. "He needed to be safe from…him. I tried to take care of Dean…I really did. But…" She began to desperately look around the room.

"But your husband interfered, didn't he?" Heyman gently stressed the words 'your husband'. "He got you hooked on the drugs. It was his fault it was hard to take care of your little boy. He made you do things that weren't good. Brought bad people into your home."

Catherine began to sob. "I tried…I tried," she moaned.

"Of course, you did," Heyman assured her. "You tried to be a good, loving mother. It wasn't your fault. And you weren't able to think clearly when they put this piece of paper in front of you. You just wanted to do the best you could for little Dean. But, Catherine…look at me." When the shaken woman looked at him, Heyman continued. "If you'd been able to think, would you have signed that paper…the paper taking your son away from you and giving him to someone else?"

"No!" Catherine blurted out. She began to wring her hands and sob again. "But they said he was adopted! All legal like! He's gone now!"

"But there may be a way to get him back," Heyman quietly spoke. "Listen to me. We can prove that you're clean now and remain clean…that you have a job and are working to better yourself so you can make a better life for you and your son. You're divorcing your husband, the man responsible for all this. You've taken educational classes so you can try to obtain better employment than a part-time receptionist at a spa. Catherine, you've done so much already to prove you can raise and protect your son. Let me help you with the rest."

"But…it's legal!" Catherine protested.

"We can show, through your medical records, that you weren't in any shape, mentally or physically, to actually understand what those papers meant when you signed them." Heyman leaned back in his chair. "Did you honestly want to lose your son forever? I don't think so."

Catherine slowly shook her head.

"Of course not. But the drugs and the trauma of your arrest and being forcibly separated from your child…no one could be expected to think clearly." Heyman shook his head in disapproval. "Social Services obviously took advantage of you. In what they felt was the best interest of your son, of course, but they took advantage of you. It will take time, but I think we stand a very good chance of getting your son back for you." Heyman hesitated then played his trump card. "Would you like to see a picture of him?"

Catherine gasped, her eyes wide. She slowly nodded.

"One of my investigators took this picture of him at his school yesterday." Heyman opened a file and removed a photograph. He gently placed it on the desk and slid it towards Catherine. "They were celebrating Halloween."

Catherine stared at the picture of several children, all smiling and laughing. A clown, a princess, a geisha, a boy in a lab coat, and… "Dean," she breathed, putting her finger on the boy in the astronaut costume. "He looks so happy." She took several deep breaths then looked up at Heyman. "Tell me what I have to do to get him back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean and Seth decided they would be Texas Rangers for their neighborhood Trick-Or-Treating that weekend. A minor crisis was avoided when the boys realized they had no cowboy boots. After making several calls, Roman found the required cowboy boots in a nearby costume store and brought them home.

He watched the boys struggle to pull on the boots then knelt to help them. "These aren't going to be very comfortable to walk in," he warned.

"But we're Texas Rangers!" Seth protested. "Gotta have the boots."

Roman chuckled. "Okay. At least they don't have spurs."

"What's that?" Dean asked, watching as his Daddy tugged the boots onto his feet.

"Round, pointed, sharp things that hurt animals," Bayley answered. "You don't need them."

"No!" Seth vehemently shook his head while Dean gave them a look of shock.

Standing, the boys stood quietly as their Mommy pinned badges on them and placed their cowboy hats on their heads.

"Here you go." Bayley handed them their plastic orange pumpkin containers for their treats. "Daddy will go with you on this part of the street. Then I'll walk with you down to the other end of the street. We'll each have a turn with you and also staying here to hand out treats."

The two boys glanced at each other. Dean lowered his cowboy hat down over his forehead.

"Let's go," he solemnly ordered.

Roman held back a laugh as both little boys puffed out their chests. They led the way out of the house, determined to follow the trail of Treats on this special night…their trusty sidekick Yorkie by their side and their Daddy following close behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Antonio had decided to throw his company Halloween party on the weekend after Halloween in order to give everybody a break from the holiday. There would be a costume competition for the children with each child receiving a small gift. The adults were encouraged to come in costume if they wished.

Bayley thought it would be fun. So Roman inwardly sighed and left it in his wife's hands. All he asked was that she not make a play on his name, Roman. He really didn't want to be a gladiator.

Bayley calmly agreed and decided they would go as some anonymous Knight and his Lady. She wasn't sure but she thought she heard a muttered 'could be worse' from her husband when he saw his costume.

Escorted by two excited little pirates, Roman sucked it up and escorted his Lady into the banquet hall. He spotted Antonio greeting his guests, dressed in an expensive suit that had to have been tailored just for him. He groaned under his breath, "Why didn't I think of that?" When Bayley gave him a quizzical look, he explained. "I bet he's dressed as James Bond."

Bayley snickered and squeezed his arm. "I prefer my knight although not in shining armor."

Roman smiled and lightly kissed her on her lips. "My Lady." He heard one of his sons mutter, "Kissing…yuck…"

Antonio turned as they approached. He smiled and took Bayley's hand. Bowing over it, he lightly kissed the back of her hand. "My Lady. Welcome."

"Thank you," Bayley grinned.

Antonio straightened up and grinned at Roman. "Left your sword at home, Sir Knight?"

Roman mock sighed. "Didn't think it was a good idea to bring it." He placed a hand in each of his sons' shoulders. "These are our sons. Dean and Seth."

"Pirates!" Antonio drew back in alarm. "I assure you there is no treasure here!"

"That's okay," Seth shrugged. "We're good pirates."

Dean nodded in agreement.

"Well, there are some games you can play and perhaps win a prize or two." Antonio pointed across the room.

"Mommy? Daddy? Can we…" Dean hopped up and down and pointed with excitement.

"Go look," Bayley agreed. "But stay within sight."

"We will!"

The boys sprinted across the room to join some other children.

"Please enjoy yourselves," Antonio smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Bond…James Bond," Roman teased.

"Good guess," Antonio grinned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The party was low-key and enjoyable. There were enough children of various ages to make the competitions interesting and Bayley liked that every child received a small gift of some sort.

Remembering some of the Halloween parties, he'd attended as a child, Roman was glad there were no goldfish involved. They never lived long and the resulting sadness was something he preferred to avoid.

At one point, Bayley whispered something to him and he nodded. As they were leaving, he murmured to his sons.

"Thank you, Mr. 'Saro," Seth spoke up as they reached where Antonio was standing by the door.

"We had a lot of fun," Dean added.

"You're quite welcome." Antonio broadly smiled. "I enjoyed meeting you both. Your father talks a lot about you."

"Really?" Seth looked up at his Daddy. "What does he say?"

"Oh, he talks about how smart the two of you are." Antonio grinned at Roman. "And how good and polite you are."

Dean nodded in agreement.

"If you have no plans for Thanksgiving, we would like to invite you to join us," Bayley spoke up.

"That's very…kind of you." Antonio looked surprised for a few seconds. "If it's no bother, I would enjoy that. Thank you."

"It's not a bother at all," Roman assured him. "Kind of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner."

"And football," Bayley fondly smiled at her husband.

"Then allow me to bring some wine," Antonio proposed.

Bayley nodded.

"I'll let you know the time and all," Roman assured him. "Thanks again for tonight."

"My pleasure." Cesaro smiled to himself as he heard a small pirate plaintively plea.

"Can't we do Halloween some more?"

For the first time since arriving in America, Cesaro looked forward to something more than a solitary Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant.