**** Gabi bumped into Ricardo at the Java Web who was getting himself a coffee. "Ricardo hi," she greeted him. He exchanged a smile "Gabi, I don't have time to talk now but if you want to come over to my loft in the evening and we can talk then," Ricardo implied and walked out as she looked confused. She wondered was this his way wanting to consolidate things with her and make their marriage another go. A hope appeared within her as she walked up to the coffee counter. She watched how both Maria and Ben walked in together. She couldn't help but watch how they both walked up to a table and took the seats out. Instead of sitting on the chairs that they took out, Maria sat in the chair Ben pulled out and Ben did the same with hers. They looked so comfortable and relaxed around each other, especially Ben. She was beginning to draw the difference between his relationship with Meg. She slowly walked up to them while she could hear Ben suggesting to get one of those racing bed for Benji. She watched how Maria raised an eyebrow as though she wasn't interested. "what you know he will love," Ben says. "more like you will love it," Maria revealed laughing vividly. "I can just see you father and son on that bed playing racing game on one of those PS console," Maria told him. "and what colour should we get him?" Ben asked. "definitely blue," Maria answered. "so you have agreed that we are getting him one, great," Ben declared. "I haven't agreed to anything. As usual you have put words in my mouth," Maria implied. "It's what I remember doing best, moulding you into doing what I really want," Ben stated. "that's only because I like to make you think that you have control over the situation when it is I that truly do," Maria expressed behaving impossibly. Gabi couldn't help but find it amusing, they sounded like old married couples. She could see how Maria would have challenged and twisted Ricardo's arm making him do exactly what she wanted. "You think you're so clever." "I don't think i am, I know I am after all I did manage to skip a few grades to start college early," Maria reminded him. "oh I remember alright having your older brother who escorted you around everywhere." "You were just jealous," Maria threw back. "Jealous of what exactly do remind me?" "The fact that I had two brothers just as you did but held a better relationship with them than you ever could ever have with your own," Maria declared as Ben didn't look impressed. She dug deep. "I'm going to tell you something and I'm going to make this very clear to you..." Ben paused with very serious and stern tone. "you were never meant to be shared by any of my brothers, you were always mine." "You make me sound like I am some sort of possession of artefacts and ornaments – you are more than just that and you know so," Ben threw back while he noticed Gabi close by. "Gabi," Ben greeted her. "Hi Ben, I was hoping if I could talk to you," Gabi asked. "Sure," Ben says while Maria looked back at her with a raised eyebrow eyeing her from head to toe. "she's probably wants to talk to you about getting her job back at the Deep seeing as though she is trying to keep her distance from the beloved Detective," Maria observed. Gabi wondered how Maria knew. "I'll leave you to deal with this seeing as though you have become fund of hanging around with your circle of employees," Maria added and got off her seat while she ticked angry emotions in Ben. "Look Maria, Ricardo wants me to meet up with him at his loft today," Gabi says feeling this coldness from her sister in law. "What my brother decides to do with you doesn't concern me," Maria made it very clear to Gabi. "and ask your employer that his wife is not like your friend who likes to snoop and mingle in peoples affairs making it hers," Maria made the point and walked out... **** what was that all about," Ben questioned her not impressed. "Didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your workers but I guess that's one thing only your wife can truly do," Maria replied As she carries on walking up to her mother's house. He followed her behind. "Don't walk away from me," Ben shouted while she opened the door front door with her keys and tried to slam the door on Ben but he pushed it back. "What is the matter with you," Ben grilled her. "nothing just leave me alone," Maria responds getting more annoyed. "I can't do that," Ben makes it clear to her. "You changed everything between us by moving back in with me." "I did it to keep you sane," Maria reminds him. "well whatever the reason was you are stuck with me," Ben replied. "you and I are bounded in this forever," Ben reminds her. "that was not how it was meant to be though," Maria let's out as he watched how distressed she looked. "what are you so upset about," Ben asked her softening his tone and coming up close to her. "because you and mama were right," Maria voiced while Ben expression turned into a deep frown. "you've lost me," Ben tells her wanting her to explain herself. "I thought..." Maria paused. "I thought mama was the thorn in my brothers life only to realise that she never was and I sent her away," Maria declared. "but I had to remove her out of the way only for Ricardo to come into his realisation whether he should make his marriage another go," she explained herself. "except there's a huge but..." she eyed Ben while he knew what she was leading to. "I think he already knows," Ben tells her. "the thorn in his life isn't mama nor Antonio but its Gabi herself, because she was never his to begin with just like you were never Megs to begin with," Maria declared and drew the parallels. "That fate was forced upon both of you and constructed because of others mingling and interfering in your life," Maria continued making Ben realise that there was no denying her. "She came into Ricardo's life in the search of a sister that she felt jealous of and envied. She came to destroy everything of her sisters life and that included stealing her sisters fiancé," Maria continued as Ben knew that was the same reason for his twins appearance, he very much wanted his life and that included his family. "I mean who in their sane mind will do such a thing, accuse him of even raping her. Did you actually even believe that Ricardo was capable of doing such a thing," Maria questioned him. "But then it doesn't surprise me because everyone did believe you murdered me when things were never what they may seemed," she concluded as he watched how her thoughts drifted. "no one did believe Ricardo though did they in spite what the evidence showed, just like you never believed me that night in spite of what you saw," Maria realised as fresh, hurtful tears filled her eyes while Ben stayed quiet. She looked back at Ben with growing shock eyes and let's out sigh. "That night when I begged you and I pleaded you to believe me, you never said anything before I slipped out from your hands. You never did believe me did you?" Maria asked while she could see how guilty and nervous Ben looked. "you had that little faith in your wife just like my brother's fiancé had that little faith in him," Maria went on. "you actually believed that I was capable of having an affair especially with your brother didn't you, no wonder you regretted sleeping with me in the Deep and Meg walked in on us and saw us. I caused that pain in you and initiated it in you scarring you for life. And there I thought the pain your felt was because of Meg, but really it was because of me," Maria finalised. "I need to be left alone for little while please," Maria tells her husband. "I can't leave you like this," Ben mentioned placing his hand on her shoulder. "You need to tell Ricardo everything that you have just told me," Ben stated. "and how is that going to help him?" Maria cried. "it will stop him from making the mistakes as I did with you. He needs to have everything laid on the table so he can evaluate things and make a decision," Ben explained. "it is nothing that he already doesn't know." "will you be there when I do," Maria asked. "if my presence gives you strength then yes," Ben assured her as his hand moved up to her long, elegant neck. She took his hand in hers. "thank you," she said and placed a kiss on his knuckles. "I haven't seen anyone do that to their husband, kiss their knuckles as form of respect and honour," Ben told her. "it's in the Asian culture that you will find such practice" Maria explained. as he placed a kiss in her forehead.