{ A/N : Ohmigosh, thanks for the reviews! And for all the adds I've gotten since I posted the rewrite. You guys are amazing, all of you, and you are what keep me inspired. This idea was inspired by something an anon reviewer said, reminding me about Thaddeus, which thus reminded me about Nora's 'motherly' bond with Tate. This chapter kind of plays on that. And hopefully I don't fuck it up and everyone is as IC as they can be considered they're in a situation that they haven't really been in before, if that makes sense.}

Mother,Mother

Darkness on the Horizon

"And she says that her mother's just lurking in shadows with knives now?" Nora asked Tate as Tate paced, furious. "And that fucking Thaddeus.. His shit, the watching her, Nora.. I'm telling him to go away, he's not listening. It's almost like he's got something in mind for her and I don't like it." he growled practically as he stopped to punch a wall.

Nora sighed and then shook her head, said quietly, "I think it's another one of them. Not Thaddeus. He only watches her because she's a pretty girl, Tate." defending her son as Tate shook his head and said "In the fuckin shower? I saw him, Nora, don't fuckin lie for him."

"He's curious. He never actually got the chance you threw away." Nora explained, her eyes flashing an angry shade of their usual blue-green. She stood with her hand on her hip and stared him down firmly as he said "And that fucking pervert I thought I finished off and banished.. He's still hanging around, demanding Tess's mom pay him what Ben didn't. They're gonna mess this up for me."

"Tate, calm down.. Remember what I told you? Tell them to go away and they will. You're powerful, you always have been, even when you were alive."Nora admitted quietly as Tate looked at her angrily. "Control that son of yours, Nora. I mean it, or I'll fuckin kill him a third time and I'll make sure he stays gone." he fumed as she stiffened and said calmly, "Do it, Tate.. See how fast I'm up those stairs and in her room, telling her every single thing you refuse to."

"You said, Nora.. By any means.. If I want something, I can do it. Well, I want her and I'm not letting her slip away like Violet.." Tate grumbled as Nora sighed and said "You lost her, Tate, because you refused to just come clean after you talked. Your lies cost you Violet. And they cost me my new baby. You promised."

Tate eyed her, his hand in his hair. He thought she might have forgotten the promise, he thought she might have forgotten that he swore to her she'd get to be a mother again somehow. Seeing as how Vivien and Violet and the babies Vivien carried had all crossed over, Ben leading the way, of course, he'd had to break that promise.

His stomach churned and he shook his head as he said "No. I don't want.."

"I don't really much care what you want, Tate.. Who was your mother? Who took care of you when you got stuck here in this house after you died? Who?" she demanded, nagging at him in anger. The way she saw it, she had a chance with this new girl, to get something she wanted while helping Tate to finally get the one thing he truly wanted and hadn't gotten in life, had gotten screwed out of in death.

She could have her baby, if he got this girl he was so wound up over pregnant, and Tate could have the girl, because Nora was almost certain that the girl being as high strung as she was, would die soon.

But she'd never heard of a mother going after her own child with knives, waiting for the child to sleep so she could kill her.

Tate looked at her. He'd known Nora so long now, he knew she hadn't forgotten and the thought made him sick. She basically wanted him to purposely get Tess pregnant so that she could take the baby somehow, and Tess..

He shook his head and said calmly, "I'll find you a baby. But it won't be from her."

"What about the mother?" Nora inquired sweetly as Tate shook his head and said calmly, "Oh no.. Not with that one. Not this time." firmly. He wasn't going through what made him lose Violet a second time with Tess. Nothing was going to keep him from getting Tess all to himself.

"Pretty little girlfriend you've got yourself these days, Tate." Larry spoke from the shadows. Tate growled and lunged at the man, accomplishing nothing, because Larry laughed and reappeared across the basement from him as he said "So curvy.. She's got the fullest tits.."

"God damn it, Larry, I'll burn you alive a second time." Tate growled as Larry shook his finger then said "You won't. You're going to lose it all again you know.. You're going to lose the girl, Nora her chance to be a mom and the baby.. Unless you do something to get me my money.. I can get the Queer Eye guys to help me and I will. The woman is family, and it does fall to her to pay debts owed. I know you wouldn't want that pretty little piece of ass getting chopped up? Would you, Tate?"

Tate slow clapped sarcastically as he said "I fuckin own you, Larry."

"Not quite.. See, I'm getting powerful." Larry said with a laugh as Tate realized what week it was and growled as he said calmly, "Keep your god damn eyes and hands off of her, Larry, or I swear to Christ above you will burn again."

"See, Tate, I know something you don't even know about this house.. It's not just you and the Infatata that little sewn together sack of shit Nora calls a son who hold the power.. This house has roots. Those roots go back farther than even you realize. And soon? You're not going to be top ghostie anymore."

Nora scowled as she stared Larry down, but her eyes grew a fraction fearful when she realized the man wasn't joking. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say this Halloween is gonna be a real fun night. It marks the anniversary of quite a few things actually." Larry said as he paced the basement, laughed a little and said "And I'm not gonna tell either one of you about it."

"He's fuckin lying." Tate said in anger as he grabbed for Larry, holding him up by his collar, saying in a commanding tone, "And as soon as I find a gas can.."

"Sticks and stones, Tate." Larry said as he vanished to his own area of the estate for the night. This left him alone with Nora again. She said firmly, "You will do it, Tate.. You will give me the baby you promised this time. You owe me that much you miserable little shit." before vanishing into the room she seemed to spend all her time in.

Tate leaned back against the wall as he pondered everything that might lie ahead. And he growled, swung at a wall nearby when he could've sworn he heard Ben and Vivien laughing at him as if they were going to get the last laugh in all this. Not if he could help it, they weren't. They took Violet from him, they made him break a promise to Nora and this really pissed the teenage male off.