Stef

I got into the shower after the long day (every day for the last year has seemed like one long day from hell) and sighed letting the day go. Letting the year ago. For a second I let my brain drift back to the good times.

I came home and kissed Lena excited to leave for our little trip to Catalina for the weekend.

"You ready" I asked kissing her again.

"Could you two stop, you are going away you can kiss all day you don't need to right now" Jesus complained and I ruffled his hair.

"Oh we will, sport, trust me but why not get a head start" I said and he groaned as I kissed her again.

"Are you all packed?" I asked and she nodded. I leaned in and kissed her again and all the kids groaned.

"Mom" they yelled and we both laughed.

I laughed a bit at the memory but the tears still came and before I knew it I was crying out of control. I miss her so much. I miss coming home and kissing her, holding her, joking around with her everything. I miss not having to worry about her hurting herself or trying suicide, whether she feels like our maid (slave) or is actually starting to feel like a part of the family, and back when she was actually mine. I know deep down that I can't blame her for being with Martin. After all she didn't know about me, and you are bound to fall in love with the one person that is being nice to you and that is giving you food. I even know logically that I can't really blame Martin, there was no way to know that she was married.

Despite all this, I still can't help but blame him. Everytime I think of him I get pissed. I don't want to think of anyone being with Lena. How could someone else have been in a relationship with my wife?

And a man, too. I know it was just because of the circumstance but what if it's not. She, obviously, has changed since that awful day that she was taken from me what if that's another thing that changed. I mean is it possible that Lena could actually be straight now?

Lena

I heard the door shut behind me and a sense of anxiety and relief washed over me. Anxiety over the fact that I know something is up with Him and on many occasions he has talked about leaving and I don't think he is going with me. How will I get food or water without Him? He will lock me in the basement and I will die down here. Just as my life was starting to look up with Martin, I may be trapped down here left for death.

Despite the huge sensation of dread and anxiety on my shoulders I felt a similar sense of relief. The sound of the door close has always been a sense of anxiety and relief for me, a truly bittersweet moment. Obviously being locked away is stressful and the sound of the door closing symbolizes that but it also brought a sense of peace that I don't have to deal with Him for a bit. That I managed another day without being beaten or killed, that I got through another day.

After a night of restless sleep I woke up and expected to be ripped upstairs by Him and start another day but I kept waiting. Maybe I just woke up early. Who knows what time it is anyways it's always dark in here?

I laid on the cold ground waiting for what seemed like forever my ears haunted by the sound of the door closing me in as the realization that I'm not getting out hit me.

I woke up to Stef gently shaking me and her voice telling me to wake up. I startled from the dream attempting to take in my surroundings. I wasn't in the basement anymore instead I was in the comfy bed that laid besides Stef's.

"Honey" she said softly as if making sure not to frighten me.

"It's me, Stef. You ok?" She asked and I nodded.

"Sorry that I woke you" I said and she shook her head.

"Don't be I wasn't really sleeping myself. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked and I shrugged.

"How about we share secrets? I tell you a secret of mine and you can ask me anything you want and I'll answer honestly if you tell me about your dream" she said and I nodded surprised she's willing to do that.

"Ok let's see when I was in college I got so drunk once that I ended up stripping and my mom and one of her friend caught me. It was the most embarrassing thing of my life" she said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you laughing at me?" She asked and I tried to stop but failed.

"Sorry, you probably shouldn't have been that drunk" I said and she put her hands up in surrender.

"You are absolutely right, but I was in college, so..." She said and I laughed.

"Alcohol is pretty bad" I said and she laughed. I have seen both Him and his friend totally screw over their lives with it and I don't understand why you would ever want to do it.

"You're right, but if you drink it moderately it's not bad." She said and I nodded.

"He never stopped at moderately, he needed it." I said sadly. Before he passed out was always the toughest time. There was no telling what he would do.

"I know he had a problem called alcoholism, I'm sorry you had to deal with it" she said and I nodded.

"He didn't listen when I said that if he drank less we could actually eat." I said and she hugged me.

"I'm sorry. I would have done anything to have gotten you out of there sooner. I didn't stop looking for you. Ask the kids they were starting to worry about my sanity." She said sincerely. I still don't really understand how i forgot this life and was just put into that life and didn't remember the one before it. They keep saying I was taken but what does that even mean?

"What happened to me? I don't really get it?" I asked and she sighed. She looked as if debating whether to tell me or not.

Stef

I knew this was going to happen eventually. She was bound to ask I just worry about her looking into her own case. Maybe it will be good for her. Maybe she needs to see that proof to show that her delusion is just a delusion. On the other hand it shows that the world isn't really safe and she's barely getting to trust us let alone the world. What if it's too early to introduce her to it? She might not have recovered enough to hear about it and it might just cause her to suffer from more paranoia in the future. It's almost like sitting down a young kid and explaining all the horrible things that happen.

I sighed but decided against lying to her. It will only cause problems in the future and besides there isn't a nice 'Disney- ified' version of the story in the first place. I know it's ridiculous to think that I can shield her from it in the first place. I know she has seen awful things, witnessed awful things that even I haven't heard of yet but that doesn't change that there is still a small innocent part of her that I see every once in a while. The part that is still in love with car rides or loves the phone despite not knowing how to actually use it and loves playing racing games with Jude despite having never won one game. I just don't want the little part of her destroyed because it's the smallest sense of normalcy she has.

"Ok well this does sound scary but the world isn't actually like this. He was out just physically taking people and unfortunately you were in the wrong place at the wrong time." I said and she looked over at me scared.

"So you mean like people just take people?" She asked sounding scared.

"Hey look my job is to keep people safe. We have caught these people and always patrolling the town. My job is to keep this town safe for everyone" I said and she nodded but still seemed unsure.

"What was your dream about?" I asked and I can tell she's scared. It breaks my heart knowing I had to tell her about what happened that day and now will probably be even more scared. I don't want to make her paranoia worse, I know every time I leave her she's going to be paranoid. I worry about her becoming independent with her anxiety of being away from me.

"It's ok"

"When he left me in the basement and didn't come back" she admitted in a whisper.

"No one is going to leave you again, ok? You can trust us" I said and she nodded. I hugged her and pulled the covers up over her.

"Try to sleep, you need it" I said getting back into my own bed and going to sleep.

Lena

After my dentist appointment, which is awful by the way I hate having someone else's hands in my mouth, we went back to the house. We are going out to eat at this nice little restaurant because of Sharon being out. I don't know what to expect I have never been in a restaurant let alone a nice little one.

"Hey how was the appointment?" Sharon asked and I shrugged.

"Nothing better than having someone stick there hand down your throat" I said sarcastically.

"Yes everyone hates it" Stef said laughing at me.

"So any future operations?" Sharon asked scaring me. Operations? I don't know what it is but I don't like the sound of it.

"No thank god, she passed with flying colors" she said. Again I don't get these 'expressions' they have.

"Oh god I was worried considering" she said and Stef shook her head.

"No she has very good teeth considering" she said smiling at me the only proof they remember I'm here.

"Hey I had a decent amount of free time to take care of basic hygiene" I said defending myself. Believe it or not I still took a shower daily and brushed my teeth twice a day (for the most part). He still cared about hygiene (more than food I guess) even though he let his own slip every now and again.

"Of course" Stef smiled at me.

"Come on let's get ready to go out." She said.

"Can I give her a quick makeover?" Mariana asked excitedly.

"Oh maybe another day we don't really have make up for her yet" Stef said and she nodded.

"Well I can still do mascara and that stuff" Mariana said.

"Make it quick" She said and mariana nodded.

Stef

I went up to get change and watched as Mariana expertly picked out an outfit for her and started her makeup.

"Alright sit here" she said and started her makeup. I couldn't help but laugh at how confused poor Lena was.

"See it just makes you look even prettier" she said to her.

"She always looks gorgeous" I said and she smiled at me.

"Alright go put on your outfit, I will have to take you to get some more makeup soon" Mariana said getting my attention.

"Oh I will take her I have to get some more for myself anyways" I said almost too quickly. I don't want to worry her but I can't help worrying at the thought of her in public without me. The only time she was in public without me she was taken by him again. I know she picked up on it by the look on her face but neither of them said anything.

We got to the restaurant and I just hope this is a nice day out. We were led to a table and I kept a hand on her back knowing she's nervous every time she leaves the house ( and I'm not helping ease her fears with the whole explaining her case thing and makeup thing). I pulled out a chair for her out of happy and she smiled at me not sure what to do.

"You sit" I whispered in her ear and she sat down.

We got our menus and she looked over at me not sure what to do.

"What can I get?" She asked me as if not sure what we will allow her. I wish she would stop thinking like that.

"Anything off the menu Hun" I said and she looked down at it confused.

"She can't read, genius" Jesus reminded me and she looked down embarrassed.

"And she can't eat red meat" my mom said.

"Right sorry I forgot and Jesus maybe a little quieter next time" I said and he smiled sheepishly.

"Ok let see what chicken they have" I said looking at her menu with her like you do with a kid.

"You don't have to be embarrassed no one heard it" I whispered to her hoping I'm right.

The rest of dinner went pretty smoothly. Lena ordered chicken Alfredo (I ordered the same because she got nervous about talking to the woman so I got it too so it wouldn't seem weird when I say 'and same for her' so she didn't have to speak to her.)

We all talked and joked through dinner and I did my best to keep her in the conversation but she wasn't talking much today.

Lena

After that embarrassing dinner was done we went home and decided to start 'my Disney experience' which is supposedly a company that makes children movies that everyone has seen and are a 'must see'.

"You'll love them" Stef said smiling me.

"Hey can we have popcorn" Callie asked.

"Oh yeah there in the basement" she said.

"I'll get them." I announced knowing I haven't helped out at all today despite not liking the basement.

"You sure?" Stef asked worried.

"Yeah I'll get them" I said.

"They should be right in the entrance way" she said and I nodded going down into the basement. I immediately got a feeling of dread so I looked for it quickly but I couldn't find any popcorn. I kept searching but couldn't find it and before long I saw the light shut off and the door shut behind me.

I felt my breathing sped up into hysterics and my heart pound. I should have known this would happen eventually. I never should have let my guard down. I thought as I sat on the floor and laid down in the fetal position hoping to keep myself as warm as possible. The only thing I could think was I should have known.

Ok keep reviewing and let me know what you think. Also look for an update of my story What You Didn't See because I should be updating that today came up with an idea yesterday.