Moment of Truth

Ok so I went looking and, finally, found the dress that is perfect for Maddie to wear…so now I'm writing this chapter.

"She's late…for her own birthday…at her own house." Caleb said. "How does this happen?"

"I dunno." Pogue said. "Tyler and Reid are both down here so it's not like they're distracting her."

"Of course they're down here." Caleb said. "Maddie wants to surprise Tyler and Reid…well…what point does he have of being up there?"

"Well…all the girls that would be up there for some reason…aren't either." Pogue said, tilting his head back a bit to drink down some of his pop.

Maddie was really starting to rethink her decision to tell the girls that she didn't need help. The damn back zippers did it to her every time and she had yet to learn. Huffing in frustration, she was coming very close to just magically doing it (even though she did promise Caleb she would cut back). Maddie jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and then the bodice of the dress tightening as the zipper was done up.

"Holy fucking shit!" She said, spinning around only to see Madelyn behind her.

"My, my you are jumpy." Madelyn said. Maddie rolled her eyes. "Nice dress."

"Thanks." Maddie said, turning to look at herself in the mirror. It was a blue dress that went to the floor and had no straps. The skirt, which started off just below her hips, was all ruffles. There was an X like pattern just under her chest. The two lines from it met in the middle with a few little gems.

(((A/N: There's a picture link of the dress in my profile.)))

Maddie had the jewelry to glamorize it to an extreme level but all she did was put on a pair of sapphire earrings Reid had gotten her, a silver chain necklace with a pentagram pendant that Caleb had gotten her, a diamond bracelet that Pogue had gotten her and, of course, Tyler's ring. All the gems in each article of jewelry were real. "So what are you doing here?"

"I admit…I wanted to see at least one of the girls on her eighteenth." Madelyn said.

"Oh so you're not here to cryptic message me about being with Tyler?" Maddie asked, crossing her arms in such a way that Madelyn could plainly see the ring.

"Do you truly think you are with him because you want to be?" Madelyn asked.

"Yes." Maddie said, without even thinking. "Didn't…didn't someone ever love you?" The two girls stared at each other for a moment.

"No." Madelyn said.

"Are you sure about that?" Maddie asked. "Did you ever take the time to actually get to know the other guys? Or your husband?"

"I married him for nine months before I died." Madelyn said.

"Why are you taking this out on me?" Maddie asked. Madelyn looked away from her. Maddie rolled her eyes and turned back to her reflection. She brushed out her hair then sat down and looked at Madelyn. Her eyes flashed and a strand of her hair rose up and started braiding itself.

"I thought you promised to cut back?" Madelyn said.

"I know." Maddie said. "You have to answer my question." She stood up and grabbed Madelyn's arms. "You really must be a foremother of mine because I have the same attitude. Now tell me what the hell your problem is!"

"Well if that's how you feel…" Maddie jumped as Madelyn vanished just as the bedroom door opened and Caleb came in. He had spoken. "Are you ok?"

"No…I'm being fucking haunted Cal." Maddie said.

"You're…what?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah…the first daughter, who was originally John Putnam's sister and who married our family…won't leave me the hell alone!" Maddie said. "And she won't tell me why!"

"Ok just relax." Caleb said.

"NO!" Maddie said. "I'm sick of her just popping out of nowhere and going all cryptic about me being with Tyler and not telling me anything! I just want to know what the fuck her problem is!!" As soon as the words left her mouth, the room started spinning. "Uh oh…I didn't mean it!!" Everything was black but Maddie was sure she was still conscious. "Oh come on!! I didn't mean it! I don't want to know why the bitch is so…bitchy." Things came back to view, spinning again. Slowly, the spinning stopped and Maddie looked around. Something told her that she was in Ipswich still but most definitely not the Ipswich she knew.

Dreading what she might come across, Maddie started walking, wondering if she could figure out where she was. If she knew the general location of where she was, then she could figure out how to get to Colony House and maybe find an answer there.

"What are you doing?" Someone suddenly snapped. Maddie jumped and looked at the person who was talking to her. She stared because it was almost as if she was looking at Pogue. "Good lord, Madelyn. Collin has us all looking everywhere for you."

(((A/N again: I do not know what the original sons' names were so I'm just gonna make them into things that are similar to the present day boys.)))

"What?" Maddie asked. She looked down at herself for the first time and jumped. She was dressed the way Madelyn always was whenever the first daughter decided to bother her. As well, she noticed that she had a stomach on her, slightly round. It took a few seconds for her to realize that she was Madelyn, probably about half way through the pregnancy. "Collin has you all looking for me?"

"Yes." Perry said. "Despite what you want to believe, he does care about you, as do the rest of us." Maddie made a noise of disbelief. She hadn't meant to but it almost seemed as an unnatural, yet natural, reaction. Perry sighed. "There are a few times that I can understand how you and John were related. This one of those times."

"Where is my husband?" Maddie asked.

"At the house, of course." Perry said. They began walking. Maddie knew that he was giving her odd looks and she couldn't blame him. Madelyn probably knew how to get to the house from anywhere in the town. Maddie, however, couldn't recognize anything so she was relying more on her companion to lead her…for the first while anything. Soon, things started to make more sense and she was walking confidently. They walked past Putnam barn and Maddie stopped for a minute to stare at it.

"It's there." She muttered. The place looked brand new. She had never seen it that way before. It always looked old and rickety to her.

"Of course it's there." Perry said. "Where else do you think it would be?"

"I would have thought you would have…destroyed it." Maddie said.

"We were thinking about it…" Perry said, truthfully. "But you asked Collin not to. He respected your wishes. Now come." Maddie narrowed her eyes. "Please." She started walking again. It was another few minutes before they reached Colony House.

"Why do you always go away?" Maddie couldn't help her eyes widening. Collin looked so similar to Caleb. He was taller then her brother but that seemed to be the only truly noticeable difference. Collin lifted his eyes to Perry. "Thank you, Paul. Taylor and Rod are already back." He held out his hand to Maddie. She stared at it for a second as Paul walked past them and headed towards the basement. Collin coughed uncomfortably and began withdrawing his hand before Maddie shot hers out and placed it in his. He looked confused but smiled nonetheless.

"I'm sorry for…my behavior." Maddie said. Collin looked surprised. She smiled at him, genuinely. His smile returned to his face.

"Are you finally understanding that I do love you?" Collin asked. "I'm sorry for banishing your brother but there truly was no other option." Maddie nodded. Collin headed for the basement but, since they still held hands, Maddie tightened hers and he was forced to turn back to her.

"Were you…told you had to marry me?" She asked.

"No." Collin said. "In fact…I was advised against it."

"Then why did you?" Maddie asked. She could feel Madelyn's confusion as well. Collin stepped up to her. He towered over her, forcing Maddie to tilt her head back to look at him.

"Because, my love…" Collin said, smirking. "I just had to have you. I loved you before I knew who you were. I hadn't known you were a witch as well, and a powerful one at that. All I had known was you." Maddie smiled slowly. Caleb obviously picked up a LOT from their ancestor.

"I know that…now." Maddie said. She could feel the control that she had gained was slipping. Madelyn was becoming more controlled of herself.

"How many more times do I have to tell you that I love you before it finally sets in then?" Collin asked, partially teasing.

"No more." Madelyn said, for it truly was her now. Maddie smiled (or would have had she had the control over the body to do so). She also would have made a somewhat disgusted face as Madelyn and Collin kissed. Someone coughed behind the couple and Collin stepped aside so that Madelyn (and Maddie) could see the three others standing at the basement doorway.

"It was too quiet. We thought she had killed you." Rod said. So obviously Reid's ancestor. Taylor just smiled slightly and nodded.

Thank you Madison.

Hey, no problem. Can I go back now to celebrate my birthday?

Yes, of course. I'm sorry for what I've done.

Do you now approve of all the pairings?

…Yes, I do. Good luck.

Things spun again. Maddie closed her eyes. In a minute she felt hands on her shoulders and opened them to see Caleb standing in front of her.

"Where did you go?" He asked.

"I…" Maddie said.

"You just…disappeared." Caleb said. "You freaked the hell out of me. Although it was only for a few seconds so…"

"Shut up." Maddie said. "Let me talk." She told him everything that had happened. When she finished, Caleb laughed and hugged her.

"How about joining YOUR birthday party now…finally." He said. This time Maddie laughed and nodded. She grabbed the mask that matched her dress and slid it on over her eyes. "Nice touch."

"Thanks." Maddie said. They left the bedroom. Caleb went ahead of Maddie and made sure to get Tyler by the stairs when his sister made her entrance. The younger man was speechless when he saw his girlfriend walking down the stairs. He had never actually seen her in a dress such as what she was wearing. The only one he ever saw her wear was the princess dress her mother had forced her to wear for her birthday/Halloween back when she was a kid. Maddie smiled at Tyler when she stepped off the last stair in front of him.

"Umm…nice dress." Tyler said.

"Thanks." Maddie said, again. "Nice outfit."

"Well you did say you liked Phantom of the Opera." Tyler said, smirking. Maddie laughed and nodded. "And since there is dancing going on…" He offered his hand and Maddie took it. They moved into the crowd in the living room that was dancing to the music blaring from the sound system. Maddie was so glad she opted to just wearing her slippers. It wasn't as if someone was going to see her feet anyways under the skirt. They danced through a bunch of songs and then Maddie got her gifts and there was cake and other food, then more dancing before the majority of the guests went home. The sons, Sarah and Kate all stayed behind. They did a bit of cleaning before giving up and heading off to bed.

"I don't think I've ever had more fun on my birthday." Maddie said, lying on her bed in just a sports bra and boy shorts. Tyler joined her, wearing just his boxers.

"That's good to know." He said. He leaned down and kissed her. "Happy birthday."

Ok so no sex between these two. Weird huh…I could have sworn that I was gonna make them do that by now…lol. It will happen soon though but remember…they've really only been dating for like…a month. Well I guess if you want, you could say that it's been a year but in my mind that year doesn't count since Maddie was considered dead.