"Ok," he said eventually. "We'll meet up when I get out of here. You can't visit me in here for obvious reasons."

Oh Adam knew what the "obvious reasons" were alright. His fucking bitch was also on that ward. If he came in to Smith's Grove even to visit Chancer, he'd be accused by that bitch of a judge of breaching his order. "Yeah," he said bitterly. "Don't I fucking know it?"

"Sorry," Chancer apologised. He wasn't really sorry at all. "But yes. When I get out of here I'll meet up with you for a drink or something."

"Awesome, thanks."

"So what do you want me to do about the here and now?" Chancer asked. "I honestly can't hear a word she says."

Adam felt his anger soften towards the other man. True he was angry the quacks had made such a stupid, all be it clever move to modify his bitches cell, but that wasn't Derek Chancer's fault, a man Adam Dawson had idolised for years, given that Chancer was 10 years older than him. He sighed softly.

"Just keep trying Mr. Chancer. Can you? I don't mean all the time but if and when you can?" Adam kept his voice reasonable and he genuinely wasn't angry with Chancer. Danielle though, that was another story.

"I totally understand where you're coming from re getting a new piece of surveillance equipment in after what happened with the iPod. I'm sorry about that."

Chancer snorted. "Fucking Dr Loomis. I was in an interrogation cell for 3 fucking hours. Fucking cold and claustrophobic and there were guards all over me."

"I'm sorry," Adam said again. He meant it. Chancer made a dismissive sound. "Not your fault. Just keep fucking and hating women for me ok?"

"You're on," Adam said with a grin. He felt a strong bond with the notorious woman killer. They were united in their single aim. To get rid of the female sex. But then Derek Chancer spoke again, and Adam felt himself falling fast back to earth, his excitement fading.

"Listen Mr. Dawson. I have to warn you. For your sake as much as mine. It's not only because of the problems with the iPod that I'm struggling to continue with the job. It's because of whose protecting Danielle Hayward."

"Who?" Adam asked.

"Only the one man who scares everyone shitless," Chancer said. "The man who wears a deathly pale mask and kills anyone he comes across without hesitation. Well, except Danielle, it seems."

This time, Adam was forced to listen. Was it really, truly Michael Myers who was protecting her? If it was… He took a deep breath.

"Are you serious?" He knew it was a stupid question but he just had to ask it. "You honestly, truthfully mean Michael Myers?"

"I do," Chancer replied. "I mean Michael Myers."

Shit! Shit! Michael Myers was protecting Danielle Hayward. Bad! It also meant there was only one thing he could do. It'd been what he had already considered, but now Chancer had just confirmed Danielle was indeed being protected by the masked killer, it made his idea much more straight forward and easier to accomplish.

"Mr. Chancer," he said after a moment. "I've got a plan. Can I run it passed you? Michael Myers is indeed the one man who scares me shitless. In which case, I need to try and stop him protecting her. I think I know exactly how I'll attempt it. There's no way he'll do so after this."

"Ok," Chancer said quietly. "Run it passed me. I'm all ears."

Adam felt his anger at Danielle rise further with the ears reference, and was sure Chancer had used it on purpose. This was only confirmed when he heard Chancer snicker.

"Stupid bitch," the woman killer said. "She loves ears. What the fuck? She'd be dead before she got anywhere near my fucking ears!"

Adam laughed out loud. "I couldn't agree with you more. Of course I had to let her touch mine at first, false security and all that, but now, I'd fucking fuck and kill her if she even tried to touch my ears!"

"Good man after my own heart," Chancer said. "But come on, I probably don't have long before the screws come back to check on me. So run it passed me quickly. What are you thinking?"

As quickly as he could, Adam started to speak, spelling out his plan.

…

"Hi Danielle," Dr Loomis said when Danielle entered the therapy room, once again allowed to sit opposite Dr Loomis, not behind the glass. "Dr Stark is on leave so I'm here to help you in the meantime if that's ok?"

"Sure," Danielle said. "No problem. In fact Dr Loomis, I've wanted to say something to you for a while, is that ok?"

"Of course. I'm all ears."

Danielle chuckled. "Shut up," she said, blushing.

Dr Loomis chuckled back. "Oh yes of course, ears."

Danielle took a deep breath. She hated saying things like this, but when she had to she did. In this case, she most certainly did.

"No one can hear us, right?" She asked.

"No Danielle," Dr Loomis assured her. "This room and glass are soundproof, even more so than your cell. No one can hear a word, I promise you."

"Thanks. Well…" Danielle took a deep breath. "Dr Loomis, I want to say a very sincere sorry for the way I treated you at the beginning of my time here. I was bitter, scared and to be honest damn disrespectful towards you. I thought at first you'd switched to Dr Stark because I wouldn't engage with you, but now I understand it was purely because you have my best interests at heart. She's been amazing as have you, but I shouldn't have been so rude to you back then and I'm very sorry for it."

"Oh Danielle," she could tell he was smiling as he reached out and grasped her hand. Her affection for him intensified. "Don't be so silly. Of course you were bitter. You'd just attempted suicide following horrendous domestic abuse. Of course you were scared. Also," he squeezed her hand now. "I've had much, much worse, believe me."

"That's not the point," Danielle said. "I was bang out of order and I'm so sorry for it."

"Not that you need this," Dr Loomis squeezed her hand again. "But its ok, I forgive you."

Danielle smiled at him now, she couldn't help it. "Thanks, and I do need to hear that, it means a lot to me."

"In which case you're more than welcome," Dr Loomis gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it. "Now forget it, it's all in the past."

"I really appreciate that, thank you. But if we're now going in to the here, now and future, my main emotion is anger. I can't believe he still won't leave me alone, even in here. Why? What the hell is he hoping to accomplish? Drive me to suicide a second time?"

"Which we both know he'd fail in doing," Dr Loomis said and Danielle felt herself blushing. "Don't we? Plus, we both know why. Or rather, who you won't do it because of."

Danielle's blush grew hotter. She knew she was bright red and so did Dr Loomis evidently when he quietly chuckled.

"Yes," Danielle said. "He'd fail. But it isn't just because of Michael. It's also Charlotte and her family. I adore all of them, including Michael. I've realised I can't give up because of one fucking misogynist. That's what he wants me to do after all. Ok I'll have to be protected from him, but I'll be damned if I'm letting him win!"

"Good for you Danielle!" Dr Loomis said and touched her arm. "That's what we want to hear you say! That also sounds more like the Danielle before what happened."

Danielle smiled at him. "Thanks Dr Loomis."

"You're welcome," Dr Loomis said again.

Danielle knew Dr Loomis would've read her profile before she arrived and gained information from people who knew her, from doctors to school teachers. She wondered just how much he knew. As if reading her thoughts, Dr Loomis laughed.

"Don't worry Danielle, I just know about your education, a bit about your social life and so on. Not before Adam, however. Except from a couple of your college friends who said you got quieter and quieter as time went on with him."

Danielle pulled a face. "Yeah, I wonder why that was."

"Well at least he's all over with now," Dr Loomis assured her. "You won't be seeing him again; we'll make sure of that. Not just us doctors, however."

Danielle felt herself blushing again, knowing what the doctor was getting at. She couldn't help it.

"I don't know for absolute certain Michael will want to keep in touch with me when I leave here," she said softly.

"I do," Dr Loomis said. "Having seen the way he looks at you Danielle, how he watches out for you, I don't think he'll want you to lose touch when you leave. Whether as friends or…" He paused meaningfully. "Otherwise."

"That… That was another thing I wanted to discuss with you," Danielle said. "My… Feelings for Michael."

"Yes I thought as much," Dr Loomis said and Danielle just knew he was smiling. "Well go ahead. We have all the time you need."

"Will it sound," Danielle hesitated. "Weird if I start gushing about a masked, silent serial killer?"

"Not at all. Love is not a crime, you know. He's still a man, Danielle. Even if I do think he has some…"

"Supernatural abilities?" Danielle finished the sentence for him. "Yeah, me to. Having read about some of his kills and such, not to mention some of the things he's done since I've known him."

"Exactly," Dr Loomis agreed. "But to answer your question, no I don't think it's weird at all. In fact, I welcome it. Considering as you'll probably know, I've thought of Michael Myers as "evil incarnate for the last 35 years."

Now Danielle couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I saw that when I Googled him once." She drew quotation marks with her fingers. "I met this 6 year old child with this blank, expressionless face and the blackest eyes. The devil's eyes."

Dr Loomis chuckled. "Wow," he said, sounding impressed. "I had no idea my words would become so famous. But there you are then. So show me I'm wrong. Even if Michael's doing a damn good job of doing that for himself. That, Miss Hayward is all because of you. So tell me. How do you feel about Michael Myers?"

"You already know, don't you?" Danielle was aware she was blushing again. "I can tell by the tone of your voice."

"Perhaps," Dr Loomis said, definitely sounding amused now. "But I'd like to hear it from you. How, exactly, do you feel about Michael Myers/"?

"Damn shrinks," Danielle said, but she was grinning. "Always want to probe inside our deepest thoughts and secrets. No wonder I always have a headache at the end of these sessions!"

"Ah, I know." Dr Loomis gave a dramatic sigh. "Isn't it annoying?"

Danielle couldn't help but laugh at this. "Very, Dr Loomis!" She took a moment to compose her thoughts and then, finally started talking out loud about the feelings she'd harboured for the last few weeks, but which felt like forever.

…

By the time he arrived home hours later, Adam was tired, but ready to make his plans. His client had had a lot of little jobs which needed doing, some of which he'd only thought of while Adam was there. Lucky for him. Lucky for Adam too, considering he'd been paid a shit load for it. A day's work well done. Now he had enough money to get a real report on his property. Damn it he wanted one. They'd been silent for too long, since the text last night. That was too long as far as Adam was concerned. He was paying enough, he wanted answers.

But in the meantime, he had plans to make. Admittedly some of which would probably cost money, but Adam didn't care. It'd be worth every dime when they came to fruition. Although it was still relatively early, he ordered food from his favourite take away and once it had arrived, he sat down with his laptop and instead of loading up porn as he usually did, began work on his plans. The rest of the day was his now, so he had all the time he needed to make sure they would work, and that he got everything absolutely right. That was vital if he was to succeed.

…

"Well, I think… I think I love him. I've felt like this for the last few weeks. At first, I told myself that getting close to a man again was a huge mistake, let alone a masked, silent serial killer! And I was simply grateful to Michael for the help he gave me. When I first started feeling something a couple of months ago, I thought it was purely because he was the first man who'd been kind to me in the ways he had since I got here. So I was really confused. But I did want to make sure that it wasn't just because he and I were both locked up here and I wasn't just… using him if you like to get through everything. At first, I was genuinely happy to think I had a friend, a killer friend if you will," Dr Loomis chuckled. "And kept shouting at myself not to let a man too close. But then I found myself thinking, you can't love a killer, and that was when I knew I had to start facing it, the possibility I might be starting to do just that. But little things he's done for me over the last couple of weeks, yes like letting me touch his ears, holding me close at night and so on made it harder and harder for me to deny.

Believe me, while I was on my own at night I had a lot of time to think about it and always came back to the same conclusion. I was falling in love with and then realised I love Michael Myers. I wanted… Want to be with him. But I don't know how to tell him and also if truth be told, I'm a little nervous to do so. I know as well as anyone he won't have experienced love before either. Not even fake love like I did at first, before Adam showed his true colours I mean. So I want to make absolutely certain that Michael knows I'm not tricking or messing around with either him, or his emotions. I don't have a death wish."

Dr Loomis had listened in silence up to this point, but now he spoke. "Not that I believe for a second Michael would ever actually hurt you, but I do understand where you're coming from there."

"He might have done once," Danielle argued. "I bet when he first saw me he thought about it. What a ridiculously easy kill I would've been if he'd got the chance. Totally blind, not able to see him coming, I'd be handed to him on a damn plate!"

The Psychiatrist appeared to consider her words for a moment. "Fair point," he said. "Which is one reason I was so angry with Joanne the first time you crossed Michael's line. I don't know if she told you, but I lost my temper. That, for me, is very rare indeed."

"No, she didn't, but I'm not surprised. I'm amazed he didn't try to kill me to be honest."

"If you want the truth Danielle, so was I at the time. But I have thought about it since, as I'm sure you have and come to the conclusion that it may have in fact, been your blindness that saved you. Your vulnerability… Got to him somehow."

Danielle nodded. "I won't lie, I've wondered the very same thing ever since it happened. But then I told myself it was simply because we were surrounded by guards and that was why he hadn't at least tried. But then as time went on and he started… Looking out for me, I began to reconsider things. Like the time he wrote me that letter stating I was sending him mixed signals. I genuinely hadn't meant to, but I was scared back then and if truth be told, didn't trust men or even myself. I think that's one reason I spoke to you the way I did." She turned her head away in shame, but Dr Loomis touched her arm again and she looked back at him and smiled.

"Then when Jefferson made that remark about looking at my tits or whatever it was he actually said, and Michael tried to strangle him that first time, then actually did the second after Jefferson sexually assaulted me, I found myself wondering, why does Michael Myers give 2 shits what anyone says or does to me? But it seems he did. He smashed Jefferson's skull in to a pulp against his own cell bars after the assault for fuck sake! You can't get much more violent than that! Not to mention he didn't actually touch me. God knows what Michael might have done if he had!"

I then heard about what happened with Michael, Rick and Derek Chancer when Chancer tried to strangle Rick. How Michael knocked chancer out then carried Rick to the ambulance single handed. Still in his chains and all! Joanne told me the story a few days later and I think I know why she did. Because Michael was changing and it was apparently because of me. I'm not stupid, Dr Loomis. I can read the signs as well as anyone else. The Michael Myers you knew before, would not have helped Rick or done any of the other things he's done. But I still struggled at first to believe that was my doing."

"And now?" Dr Loomis asked.

Danielle blushed. "Now, I am finding myself having to accept that it just might be because of me. The way he's protecting me and anyone I trust…" She paused. "The little things he's doing for me, I can't look at it any other way anymore."

"I'll tell you something else Danielle," Dr Loomis said. "He also apologised to Ryan for the attempt on his life and told him it would never happen again. He has also communicated to Rick that both he and Joanne are also forever safe from his need to kill. Now if that isn't because of you then I don't know what is. They were working here long before you came here."

Danielle let out a low whistle. "Wow. That's…"

But she couldn't find the word to finish her sentence. Dr Loomis gave a quiet, "hmm," indicating to her he understood exactly what she was struggling to say.

"I want to tell him," Danielle said at last, after a few moments comfortable silence between doctor and patient. "I want to tell him how I feel and how serious I am. Even if he stays here for the rest of his life, I want to be with him, Dr Loomis. I'd visit him whenever I could and not go near any other man in that way. This is not just a… Smith's Grove fling if you like, it's real. I'll owe him for the rest of my life and I think he's stolen my heart. The only reason I say think is because it's only ever been done once and that turned out to be fake. But this? I think this is real. Unless Michael Myers is a better actor than I'd ever suspected, of course."