One year later...

Autumn sat on the front porch of her home. She had sold off most of the land, all besides a few acres, the peach orchard, and the barn out back. Morgan and her had been married for three months now, and the plan was by the time Elijah was three, she would sell off the rest of the property save for the main house. She had gotten more than enough money, and knew Elijah and herself would be set for the rest of their life's. Still, the money honestly meant nothing to Autumn. She only cared about her son's happiness, and he truly was the perfect baby Benjamin and her had always wanted. Everything about him was absolutely perfect. He had Autumn's dark hair and eyes, but everything else about him was Benjamin. To his slender face, all ready developing from his round chubby baby fat that was slimming down. His cheekbones, and tiny little chin. All of it was Benjamin, every single part of this little boy was him. In the beginning it had been rough. Autumn's delivery had been hard, but the relief she felt following her son's birth was met with nothing but relief. For the first few months she would stay awake at night, looking into his bassinet, nervous at any second he would stop breathing. That her precious little boy would die just like all her other children. She tried to do her research on who this palm reader had been that Benjamin spoke about, but met nothing but dead ends. Maybe, just maybe he had been telling the truth. Maybe there was a curse, which was lifted at twelve of their children were born dead. Still, there was no excuse for what Benjamin did. She knew he was half insane at the time, driven by the grief of his lost children, war, and losing his two brothers he had sworn to take care of.

All of this pressure had mounted to that exact moment, and no matter how hard she tried...she still had vivid nightmares of that rainy morning in the carriage. Him pinning her down, ripping her dress, eyes dark, and crazy. She fought him, no longer seeing the shy timid man that she had fallen so desperately in love for. She couldn't believe it, but this precious beautiful baby had been conceived by rape. Something dirty, and horrible. She never thought in all her years with Ben he could have been capable of hurting her, but he did. She tried so hard to believe that it was from his desperate insane empty drive to try and fix things. If he got her pregnant, they would finally have their family. She didn't hate him for what he did, she blamed herself for trying to kill herself, hysterical, and overwhelmed by what had happened. Not giving him the chance to explain. No, she had grabbed one of those awful rifles, aimed it at her head, and left him all alone. She knew Morgan, June, and the others would argue that it wasn't her fault, but she knew better. She had been responsible for taking away the tiny bit of sanity Benjamin had left. She left him alone, blaming himself, as well as those God awful rifles.

He snapped completely, and went on that rampage...killing 15 innocent lives. She would live with this shame for the rest of her life.

Morgan stuck by her, and proposed, telling her he knew Benjamin was the love of her life, her soulmate...but he loved Elijah as if he were his own. He loved her, and wanted to take care of her. Autumn thought about it, many nights sitting at the window, slowly getting herself off the medication she had became addicted to since she began nursing her son. Staring out at the darkness, absently playing with his wedding band, her heart aching. The next day, she told Morgan she accepted his proposal.

They were married in the parlor by the reverend, and Morgan ran his practice out of Mr. Block's old study. He mostly traveled to the city and surrounding towns to treat his patients, and the scandal had died down. Ben was just dismissed as a very unstable man that was driven to rage over the death of his brothers in war time. Morgan had made a fine husband, he was handsome, older, and kind. When Autumn and him first made love the night after they married, Autumn stared up at him and knew he would make not just a fine father to her son, but a fine husband. She had begun to slowly love him, as he listened, and was patient, kind, and gentle. Still, she knew he would never be her Benjamin. So today, she sat on the porch, knowing very well that Elijah would be the only child she would ever have. Morgan and her had spoken about it, and he stated after the delivery, she very well after the trauma of the other lost pregnancies and stillbirths, for her own health sake, Elijah should...be would be her only child. She knew Morgan loved him as if he was his own. Whenever he returned home, setting down his doctor's bag, he would light up smiling, get down on the ground as the baby gurgled and giggled up at him as he played with him. Autumn still got awful headaches, but she refused to self-medicate. Instead, she would get fresh air, or hold the baby and remember how lucky she was to have survived her gunshot. That unknown to her, Ben in a desperate terrible effort, had put his child inside of her. In fact, it really was all she had left to remember him by. She would stare at their wedding photo, now tucked away safely in her dresser. She would weep and mourn for her first husband in private. Morgan was understanding, and so kind, she truly didn't believe she deserved him. June on the other hand, knew how badly she missed him, and knew the guilt she carried.

She agreed, Morgan was a fine husband for her, and would make a wonderful father raising Elijah. Still, she never saw two people more in love than her and Benjamin. She knew the pain she carried, as well as the guilt. She has asked June if she believed what Ben had heard was right. Did she believe there had been a curse? Did she believe he knew this thirteenth child would live? June thought this over, before simply shaking her head.

"I'm not sure darling, I do know Benjamin loved you very much...and the man who...committed these crimes...it wasn't the Benjamin you married and we all knew. Grief can do terrible things. I'm not too sure what I believe, but I find it strange at he had been right about the thirteenth child. But maybe, it was the good Lord knowing you would be left a widow by the illness your husband was suffering from that drove him to act on these crimes, and let this beautiful baby be born healthy and happy..."

Auttum knew better. She knew June didn't want to say out loud that Benjamin had been right. That some awful dark cursed magic had been at work, and the day her darling son was put inside her womb by force, it broke the spell that had been cursed upon them. It also drove her husband insane, going on a massacre. As Autumn sat here, content with her life, staring at her perfect baby, married to a good man, and trying to pick up the pieces of her life...she thought of the eight births, which also held twins, and triplets. She thought of the miscarries, and the pain. She thought of Ben raping her, and the betrayal she felt when she aimed the gun to her head, looking at his scared helpless eyes, trying so badly to explain himself. Would she had believed him? Her heart aching, she knew she would never move on from her first husband's death and crimes. She would never forgive herself, and knew someday this beautiful little baby who sat on the blanket on the porch, moving his wooden blocks and giggling up at her would become a boy...and then a man. He would hear about his father, and want to know the truth... Shutting her eyes, her head and heart ached.

She had no idea how she would never explain to this precious little boy that his father was a cold blooded killer who was completely insane at the time of his death.

Present.

Tim was out at a meeting so Tiffany snuck into the office. After what she believed was an earthquake, and seeing Ben disappear, she became frightened. She hurried out and nearly ran straight into Todd who was showing a small tour of families around. She asked if he had felt the earthquake, and instantly he looked puzzled.

"Earthquake? There wasn't an earthquake?"

"Yes there was, I just felt it."

Todd shrugged, before motioning towards the people on his tour and Tiffany knew to keep her voice down. Frustrated, she was ready to tell him about Ben, before becoming annoyed knowing he would think she was crazy. Muttering to herself, she went to the office to find it empty. First she snuck in and searched the file cabinets for the employees, trying to see if there was any file on Ben. Her thin fingertips scrolled through them and found nothing. Eyeing the clock, she when leaned over the computer and tried to look him up on Tim's computer. praying he wouldn't walk in and catch her.

That's when she googled Benjamin Block...and instantly a million websites came up. Tiffany's eyes widened staring at the articles and photographs.

No, this wasn't possible. She looked at the photograph...and then the dates.

"Tiffany?"

Tiffany raised her eyes, and saw Ben standing on the other side of the desk, eyes pleading. Staring, Tiffany couldn't believe it, and used everything inside her not to scream.