Return To Hill House

Disclaimers: I don't own the story or the characters, the plot line belongs to me, everything else belongs to Shirley Jackson and Jan De Bont.

Warnings: for this chapter, they're making a visit back to the house, for the week, before their mission, so from here the story starts heating up as he reflects on the night they barely survive the attack, before they return to the house and things change directions.

Chapter 10: Dinner, The Will Revealed and the In-Laws

"Anyone want to hazard a guess here, since we were out at the car checking to see if there was anything that could be used to file a lawsuit against Webster. You guys were in the greenhouse and the Dudleys were in the kitchen talking as they called the chief. But that dummy was the only one who could make a mess like this as it destroyed the rug. And painted the walls, in book two, this is book three." Luke said and she and I nodded.

"Haphazard with this, is we're just asking for trouble right now in this case, it's now looking like a case of unexpected murder stories and we know it now. We know the house is haunted and we know none of us did this, or the painting, the stunt in the fire-place or the noises, the clavichord and finally now. Is the noise like a gun going off, all of those times he was paired up with one of us, or we were grouped together." she said and we all nodded in agreement.

"What about the cooking pot?" Theo asked and she nodded. "Yeah that too, but we were at the table, Luke is standing at the stove and Dave's behind you, as we're discussing this. So with that, why would anyone want to lose their temper and chuck a pot that size across the room exactly?" she asked and we both nodded. "Because they're getting fed up with the fact everything they try is not working in scaring us out of the house." I said in conclusion and she nodded.

"Nice analysis baby, and you know your mother and I would never try to scare you out of your wits either, princess." Rob said in response and she nodded. "So not us or your parents, let alone the Dudleys right now, and they just arrived here, not them, the kids, your parents, aunt and grandfather. Or your grandmother, so we got someone pulling practical jokes of the level we seen in that book trilogy here." Luke said to her and she nodded in agreement.

"Well in their mother's words, let's just clean this up and have dinner, but this kid crossed the line right now, in practical jokes right now, before they caught him." she said and I nodded."Yeah no kidding, but destroying dinner and the bedroom was not funny, it was sick, as was destroying the camera, and the dummy. Wearing the hockey mask, that's going too far right now." I said sternly to this situation, and she nodded as she crossed her's as she answered me.

"Not that I blame the father for being irritated, but then we can take a joke, but Hayden couldn't as his own character in that story." she said and I nodded in agreement. "And I've seen my father like that enough already, but one prank phone call results in a murder." she added and he nodded. "And I can't believe Donna left the girls and Johnny alone for the night." Rob said sternly and Walters and Benson both nodded in stern annoyance at that remark.

"Dad passed in 1985, barring 1986, so before the rest of the series got started." she said and we nodded. "Was this idiot drunk when he crashed into the gas station terminal?" I asked and Rob nodded. "Yeah, but gas and alcohol, not a good mix and I've been known to arrest drunks as well for something like this. But though John was a cop, borderline homicide detective right, I'm the leader of the main team." he said and I nodded to the news.

"I actually work Malcolm's department at the hospital, Rob, and got connections right to Jared's cousin." I explained and they nodded in amazement to that. "Well I never saw that coming, so your thesis, said is exactly matched to my daughter's?" he asked and I nodded to him. "Yeah, unknowing till she told me this over the phone, I chose the experiment she'd have ran if she finished school." I said and he nodded as she hid a smile as she said it to me.

"Yeah, do you remember the live action version to that book though, that still gives me the creeps. But she's going to get a couple sodas, walks into the dining room and sees two hanging from the fan after repeated practical jokes." she said and I nodded. "Like the narrator said to her cousin after he said he didn't do it, well who else could have done it." I asked, crossing my arms and Theo looked passed me and nodded to that as Mrs. Dudley went to check the kitchen.

"Well whoever did that exactly, David look behind you." she said and I turned to see what it was to see four more at our spots at the dinner table playing poker and nodded. "Just found another stuffed in the fridge guys." Mrs. Dudley called out to us as she walked in and I nodded. "That's two hanging from the fan, one in the fridge and four more at the dining room table." Eleanor said and I nodded to her gently at that news.

As we exchanged looks at this remark as she grabbed her history books and checked it and nodded. "They had puppets in the 1800's, the marionettes and ventriloquist dummies history note here, ventriloquist dummies were created in the mid 1800's. And these, they all look like the ones on the episode scattered around the attic. And 2) we don't have a cooler in the house and no one can fit the damn thing inside it, but a pro."

"But come off it, they knew it was the cousin, yeah, but how, you can't fit anything this big in that bottle, that's impossible. And a second later Slappy arrives and then they get the truth, the damn thing was possessed. So we're in the same situation, we know it was someone between us, but how, none of us can get up there without a ladder. And either the chandelier or the upper sections of that painting, or get something to fit that bottle."

"As it's virtually impossible to stuff or fit something this big in that bottle, if you're human." she said and we nodded to that news. "And standing on a chair doesn't work either, we can't get up that high without a 10 to 15 ft ladder here." Theo said and I nodded to that. "These ceiling are slanted, in one area is a normal out of reach spot that can, if using a chair can be reached for us, but further up by 10 to 20 feet we need a ladder." Luke said to me at that news.

"Well if that tells me anything and I think our poltergeist took you up on that remark of finding a bunch of Goosebumps books on the shelf last night." I said and they nodded in agreement. "Yeah, baby, I think you made your point, you're the one that used to come up every summer to know these things right now." Walters said and I nodded to the news. "Yeah and as a result, it's like we got a possessed puppet in this house." Dudley said sharply and I nodded to that.

"Or worse, some homicidal ghost is trying to scare us out of the house right now, hey, whoever you are. But did you forget the last time you saw me and the caretakers investigating the last attack, buster. But 15 years maybe, but we're still as strong now as we were then, you crazy bastard, stay away from our daughter or so help me god. You're ending up back in those doors." Benson shouted out sternly and Walters nodded firmly.

And she and I exchanged looks firmly to that remark as she said it for both of us at the news. "And when the only ones in this house are us and you and then we bring in Uncles Jack and Peter next now." she said and they both nodded as the trio exchanged looks. "Well looks like you took the parent role Uncle Rick, Aunt Beth." she said and they nodded. "Yeah, but you know it wasn't you or the trio, so it's someone else." Dudley said gently and she nodded.

"Well that makes me the cousin's father now, but we're your parents best friends and this house belongs to you, so next question. But who has a lot to gain from trying to scare us and you out of the house, with the clock ticking. And on T-minus two days, before the window of opportunity?" Benson asked and she nodded in agreement to his thought as she answered him. "I would see this as book 3." I said and she nodded to that remark.

"And I thought knowing your parents on sight and them taking said identities to the best actors in our generation was strange this is worse." Luke said and Rob looked at him bemused at that. "Yeah well trying to break out by breaking a window is not a good idea, you remember Ghost, after he tried breaking that window. And the crane shatters the rest of it and he left himself open, don't try it son." he said and we all nodded to him gently.

"Where's Becky?" I asked and we heard her voice at that, as she came out. "Right here son, baby, it's me." she said and Eleanor smiled in delight and moved to her mother as she hugged her tightly. "Mom, god I missed you." she said and she smiled. "Missed you too baby, everything's going to be fine, I got you involved so everything was ready by the time we hit this point." she said and she nodded smiling in relief at that remark then gently then.

"Hey Becky." we said together and she smiled gently at us. "Like I said, my double is Ronee, so just age her the 18 years and here I am." she said and I nodded smiling as I gave her a hug. "I'll take care of her, you have my word." I said and she smiled gently. "Like I said and Tony said, the house has been in the family for years, but I'm descended from his second wife, she's the mother of my aunt and grandfather." she said and I nodded then.

"So this was to cover everything we needed to know, and the bastard just crossed me right now, after we saw the tapes, he's not getting away with it." I said to her and she nodded. "Well trust me, what she and Malcolm told you barely scratches the surface there's more, but that kid keeps this up and he's facing being committed for permanent rehab and this is what Brooke nearly did to her husband." she said and we nodded to the news then.

"I take it you mean your counterpart in look alikes?" I asked and they both nodded. "Yeah that's exactly what we do mean son, Brooke's son is as close to putting this kid in the hospital as she was to doing it to her husband." Rob told me and I nodded to the news. "Jeez man, how much longer can this go on for, before we arrest you ourselves." Luke said and they nodded. "Lou's middle name, Lance, Dave, baby." she said and I nodded to the news.

"I'm 31, and I just finished my masters in engineering and architecture actually, Becky." Luke said to her and she nodded smiling. "I take you were standing outside my apartment or were right below the window after the debate over the apartment and the will started, baby?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah, and I gained enough the bastard just nailed the coffin shut, after Nell told me the entire thing." he said to her and she nodded gently.

"I'm 30, he's 31, but she said we're the exact personality to Tony and Janie?" Theo asked and she nodded. "Yeah the duo are just like you, that it's catches in the office get a little out of hand, but did your parents ever mention a Becky Craine-Vance to you. A Becky Craine-Vance and her daughter, Eleanor Craine-Vance?" she asked and they nodded and then smiled. "That's you, you're Becky Craine-Vance?" Luke said and she nodded to him.

"I am, so I brought you guys together, as she met the duo last week, but that's all 5 of you, but whatever Rob told you so far guys now. It's he's not kidding, everything you heard so far barely scratches the surface right now, but the longer his tries to get you out of here, now. Are not working, the more warped he gets and the more dangerous he becomes, as for the will and Lou and Jane now, in truth, it's been rigged."

"And in her words, but clearly, I considered you much more capable of dealing with these unpleasant details then her." she said and I nodded. "Especially when I'm the favorite son in law, and he's the reject." I said to her and they both nodded. "Yeah that's the reason exactly, you think like we do, you're acting like a true son, rather then someone out for the family accounts, but you better come with me." she said and we nodded then.

As she lead us to a secure spot in the house we never been to before, and then inputted a key set of deactivation codes, and the door opened, and I saw the amount in shock then. "Holy crap, how much money does your family have here, as this looks like someone clearly ransacked Fort Knox." Luke said and she nodded. "In the area of $550,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00, and that's in all areas here, but all combined together."

"The total amount is a 60 digit number, and said is enough to have any man lose their minds over this number, but as you already figured out. I was testing her, but that 1/10th in total truth is really $100,000,000,000,000.00, they get this amount for the stunt they just pulled. But the savings bond boxes are the amount necessary, and said is being split between you and the Keoughs." she said and I nodded gently to her.

"That's the savings bond boxes, so said suitcase, Becky?" Theo asked and she nodded. "That's 3/4's of a billion dollars baby, so the catch 22: the rules get broken and you lose your participation in this experiment, and you get 10x's what was promised as a result." she said and they both nodded. "No need to take this to court, as Peter here is going to let it go, and you're getting insurances here." Rob said and they nodded to him then.

"So that's, if someone breaks said rules here, and I'm paying for Mary's medical insurance here right now the total comes to $1,000,000 each right now too. So that's not putting much of a dent in the level here right now, to pay for everything that either got destroyed or medical insurance here right now, though. So that helps, and if I need to destroy the car, I can buy her a new one, but this sweeps said lawsuit under the rug." I said and the Vances both nodded to me.

"This is the dangerous part of being a parapsychologist guys." Walters said to them and they both nodded. "So you see this all the time when she was bringing up her students and Eleanor up here?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah 20 visits in 15 years, as they learned to handle this, but a week in a haunted house, there's always going to be a draw back if you're a skeptic." Benson said to us and we all nodded. "Yeah that's an understatement." Eleanor said with a chuckle.

"So the few hundred million mentioned is dished out between us, and it's enough to last till the second probate goes through and once we choose to come back up here, and we can do a real trip back without the dangers that come with it here right now?" Theo asked and she nodded. "Yes dear, in fact the fact you now know what we both look like, it's enough you're going to want to choose the right person to play these two, but in truth here now."

"Born in the late 30's very early 40's it's we know there is one thing worse then getting arrested for rehab, as you saw from Tim's story. Said is coming out next year, but in his words, I'd die, before I ever set a foot inside these places, reason being is once you do it's all over town. In a week, if you're a scholar or just a Jesuit suffering PTSD, so it's getting arrested by the psychiatric department." she said and I crossed my arms.

"That and your age group already had schizophrenic in it, and Nash was it right now, but are you're trying to get arrested for attacking an elderly man here. Said old enough to be your father, borderline grandfather?" Luke said to that sternly and she nodded. "That's what we said when we heard that right now, because it's enough you're going to get arrested for assault and battery of getting violent with the next age group up." Benson said to him and we nodded.

As Eleanor said it, though just as she was saying it, we heard a loud crash at that, as we heard several clangs, a crash and a thud as it sounded like something got knocked into a pile of boxes in there. "Any cardboard boxes in there?" I asked Dudley and he nodded to me. "Now what?" she asked and we all nodded to that. "What the hell was that exactly?" Luke said sharply and Benson went running into the kitchen at that to check, before coming back in.

"Too late, someone trashed the kitchen, it's like the crash they heard from the cousin's bedroom after his camera was destroyed." Benson said sharply as he walked into the room. "I just cleaned up in there, is anything else destroyed in there." Mrs. Dudley asked in shock and he shook his head. "They never destroyed dinner, but they trashed the kitchen in there." he said and we both nodded to that in shock to that.

"Aw crap, is now the best time to do this you bastard, I'm in the middle of conference call with my entire family here." Becky snapped in annoyance and I hid a laugh at that remark. "No kidding, and I was about to tell them the added truth, of what the hell goes on in this house mom, then again, looks like I never needed to, but where the hell did he get these dummies from?" Eleanor asked and she sighed as she answered her at that question.

"That's the local pawn-shop actually, but he was watching the 4th and 1st season, saw the ones that narrators father had on that episode. And left a few hundred thousand on the counter, but they know only one house that money came from right now, but whoever was trying now. To get in a good income shouldn't have sold him those dummies, with our way of life nowadays." she said and Eleanor and I both nodded to that.

"And we both know the triplets love that portion of Stine's books." she said and Becky nodded. "I do, and cubs, I got one last gift for you guys, birthday and Christmas gift planned for you right now in this, but I'm sticking around as long as possible till you're ready to let me go now, my babies." she said and I smiled. "Playing favorites and mom loved the triplets like her own." Eleanor said and I nodded smiling gently at that remark and news then.

"Anyone else in there if we just heard that crash?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah and this one does look like the blasted dummy on the episode, red hair and green eyes. And he had a pan in his hand and beat the crap out of his book double." he told me and I nodded as we sighed as we exchanged looks at that remark as he answered him at that. "So the red head beat the crap out of his book double?" Luke repeated and he nodded.

"Find anything else on him?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah there's blood all over his suit and hands, so he was simulating the attack in here. Before beating the crap out of his book double and throwing his corpse in the garbage." he said and we nodded as she and I exchanged looks at that. "Like I said charades, but that matches up to the insane asylum that was on that episode in season 4." She said and Theo and I nodded firmly.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd be finding that funny, that one dummy wants to be the star of the story till they pull a top billing motif. And the stupid actor doesn't realize the casting either. But this isn't funny anymore right now, that the dummies are trying to get chosen. And for the first prize of scaring the daylights out of us till they start killing each other off." Theo said and I nodded in agreement to her thoughts at that remark.

"Yeah and this is a repeater of that in the story and the episode, but their house was spooky enough as it is, so why over do it right now with this. I never did a room by room search to know where he got these dummies from or when. But that's enough of this already right now." Benson said and I nodded as she answered that remark as she exchanged looks with Mrs. Dudley who said it for all of us with a stern look at this.

"Alright whoever is pulling these stunts better stop right now, or they're getting arrested for vandalism right now." Mrs. Dudley said sternly, and I nodded. "You thinking what I'm thinking here right now, honey?" she asked and I nodded to her. "Before you say it guys, she's my girlfriend, and we just got together tonight." I said and the duo nodded with a slight smile at the remark and reveal and her godparents hid a chuckle at the title she called me just then.

"Looking at this from a psychiatric point of view right now, it's a case of just how messed up they've become after repeated practical jokes every year." I said and she nodded as we said it. "Destroying his room wasn't funny, it was evil, so was destroying the camera and now this, I would call whoever was doing this has a severe case. Now, and of emotional instability right now as it remains unclear to what we saw in that fireplace or who defaced that painting here now."

"So case of emotional instability, whoever is doing this is clearly trying to screw with someone's emotional balance right now, after two days healing here. But first their sanity is being called into question right now, over that scene in the parlor, and now this, destroying the painting was not funny it's sick. So is this, and now they trash the kitchen, so yeah this is a case of severe emotional instability right now." she said and I said the next sentence with her then.

"But someone needs serious help right now." Eleanor and I said together and they all nodded in agreement as she finished that for me. "You gave us the clues, now we got to piece that story together, but now and even better. Is who are the dummies pretending to be and why would they be doing this when anyone of us could walk in. And catch them red handed and long before the truth comes out." she asked and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah and if that's not testing the paranoia in the group right now at the current moment, then nothing is. But I would consider this alienation of the other subjects, you're the only with the possible inner eye. And if your gift goes haywire, it just got worse, but looking at this very carefully now, was yesterday was by funny noises. And explosions, till the wire in the harp snapped and this is now practical jokes."

"But the noises and explosions, let alone the temperature drop and Mary getting hurt didn't get us out of the house last night, we stayed put. But that doesn't scare us out of the house, today it's by use of cruel practical jokes. And leaving the culprit that is doing it as the supposed possessed dummy, while finding several all over the house. As well as the mess in the kitchen and the table." I concluded and she nodded to me as she said it.

"Why am I not surprised that the ones that know the most in this are a couple of psychiatrists?" Jack asked and I nodded. "Jack that really necessary?" Becky asked him gently. "Well our invisible assailant is clearly out of his damn mind right now, but this is going too far right now." Walters said and we nodded in agreement to that. "Did Craine lose his mind completely, before he died?" she asked and he nodded and we nodded as she and I exchanged looks then.

"And said prankster is trying to get us to point fingers at each other till we get so paranoid that we start killing each other off. Or to take the fall right now, and..., get out of the way." she added and just as I was answering her, I saw one standing on the table with knife in it's hand, and that did it. As Luke knocked the thing to the floor and disarmed it, as he checked the back of it and yanked out a remote control battery chip.

And I nodded as he turned to us with a firm look on his face as he said it to me at that. "That's not funny anymore this is not a game, who did this?" he said with a stern growl and she nodded in agreement. "That's the episode right there, the cousin was waiting for everyone to fall asleep, grab's their father's favorite dummy. And then steals the narrator's brother's hockey mask, and grabs a knife as he has it standing on there."

"As the cousin pretends to wake up to find the one that their father had longest standing over him with a knife in his hand. And a hockey mask over his face, before he beats the crap out of it with the pillow till the down is scattered all over the room." Eleanor said and I nodded to that. "Well whoever did that one is going to get it, because that's going way too far right now." I said and he nodded in agreement to that remark

As he answered me, as he checked the inside of it and found a tape player, pressing it, we heard a recording of my voice and I shook my head at him to that. "These are battery powered guys, someone has these acting like that damn doll in Child's Play here, or the practical joke that first night." he said and I nodded as she said it. "Alright whoever you are, that's enough of this right now, and with all of us grouped together."

"So if you want to end up back in those doors and I will if I have to so stay the hell out away from us. I know what you're trying to do, it's not going to work, but keep it up and you're screwed. If the noises never worked, well then what makes you think practical jokes like this are going to work, right now exactly either, huh. You never got my mother out of the house so what makes you think you can do me before the timer ends."

"But you hurt my friends and I'm sending you straight back to hell in those doors, so stay the hell away from us." she said with a stern growl and the trio nodded in agreement. "Well the timer is ticking on his window of opportunity, he's running out of time to get you out of the house, but if that doesn't do it, then it's poltergeist part one next." Benson said and she nodded as she looked at me as she said it to us at that remark.

"Without the tree breaking the damn window." I said and he nodded to me. "My department is actually like the trio that got involved in the first film David." Becky said to me and I nodded. "Trust me, we go through this all the time, in the parapsychology department, so what you expect normally is not what you get. If, and I stress the word, if the bastard is like the beast, or the third film, and Tangina was trying to erase what happened from her mind."

"So she can move on, but the fact that the idiot psychiatrist unlocked that door in her memories everything that came with it, came back." Eleanor said and I nodded in shock. "So that's what happened, that's what the woman playing Tangina meant?" Luke said in shock and she and her parents all nodded. "Yeah, this where one trauma like this leaves said baby as the target for the rest of her life by deranged spirits like this." Benson said and we all nodded quickly.

"And though she's beyond concerned about her, she's waiting till the right moment to tell me in what the hell happened to cause me to not finish school here. I know this, but if this is connected to whatever secret there is, and it's not going to go over well once it gets all over our side of the department right now. As my friends all loved my mother like their own, and to us, this means war, once I realize in what the hell he really was." Eleanor said and the duo and I nodded.

"Our poltergeist is trying to frame one of us, but that fan is out of reach, but he was with me the entire time, that you find the quintet at the dining room table and in the fridge." she added and the duo nodded. "He was with you from the second you checked these tapes out to your coming back in here, he never left your side that entire time?" Luke repeated and we nodded as I answered that question as I crossed my arms then at that.

"Yeah prior to my checking on her, I was with you and Theo that entire time as we checked into what the hell this was. And following that I was talking to the Dudleys and told them what I found. Well I'm innocent, I was with her the entire time, whoever our adult poltergeist is trying to scare us out or the house. And he's possessing a bunch toys that still scare the daylights out of you." I said sharply and Luke nodded to me at that.

"We don't have a possessed ventriloquist dummy in this house, this isn't a game anymore, someone is trying to get us to start pointing fingers at each other. But this not that third book, we don't know who is trying to scare the bejeesus out of us right now." Luke said sharply to the practical jokes. "Well this lunatic doesn't know when to stop here evidently right now." Theo and Eleanor said together and I nodded in agreement.

"Whoa, Jesus, alright whoever the hell is doing this had better knock it off right now." Theo snapped going to check the bookshelf and another was sitting between the 1956 version to the storyline and three stories no bigger then kid novels. Walking up to the shelf, Eleanor tore the trio off the shelf I saw a close up of said dummy on the first. "I think that was supposed to be a message Theo, he's playing the starring character."

"In every book, that our poltergeist is trying to frame here, but he's innocent, everytime something happens, he's always investigating it or always paired off with one of us. But at this rate whatever Theo tells you to do just do it, searching every room for me. That is is going to take hours, and with my being in shock, I'm thinking straight enough. I know where you are, so stay put, I'll come to you." she told me and Luke and we nodded.

Stroking my hand through her hair, she pulled me into a hug and I tightened my arms around her and she buried her head into my shoulder. And as I hold her and the quartet nodded. "After repeated scares if that does happen, this is too much after being up all night, if the story starts coming out, if the search takes another turn." Dudley told me and Benson finished that as he crossed his arms as he took charge then.

"At the current moment one option is just dealing with the truth, before she finds out by herself, that Craine is Vader after he turned to the darkside. And they're still working on the prequel trilogy and like the duo thought it was best to hear it from them. He got the truth, before he was ready to find out, she needs that truth. And from Becky, before getting it on her own as it's too much here." Benson told me and I nodded to him.

"Yeah okay I get the point, but hopefully this means we can prevent her from ending up in the hospital herself, this time. But that secret is going to cause problems if her ability starts going crazy in addition to a fatal or near fatal injury." I said and she nodded in agreement to that as Luke switched subjects then. And I knew he was trying to lighten up the subject then as he looked at the amount in the suitcase and then at her.

"What's the count in that suitcase, if she's leaving that to us and you to pay for damages, if this results in you ending up in the E.R." Luke asked and she did a swift count and looked up at us. "$750,000,000, which in this case pays for damages and hospital bills, let alone therapy, if I wind up with a serious drawback later. But to repeat that, you guys keep yourselves together later, as to why that night, when he goes all out"

"And it's enough that every supernatural horror flick is like Child's Play, compared to it. So if it takes destroying the car to prevent them, by that I mean the Websters, from killing me, you got no choice, but to do it by the fence and the crash is going to kill the gas tank itself, that car is on its last legs. But this is enough we can pay for a few new items and you're getting compensation from these injuries you get, this week."

"But if I've got to ensure you survive the night you got the money to cover my medical bills honey, but 10% of this is enough to last for a year." she said to me and I nodded in agreement as she looked at the trio at that remark. "When's the integrity test results coming back from the bank, Uncle Jack?" she asked and he smiled. "One year to the day, you probated the first one, if they've already taken advantage of the admission."

"And they're chewing up their side of the inheritance faster than they can blink. But as your mother suggested, let them dig their own grave and then once the results come back tell them the truth." he said and she nodded smiling. "Well we can live off this till then, we just pretend to let them hold their status over us. And then when the test results come back we hit them with both barrels, but if he loses his mind, here now."

"And tries to pull armed robbery with a weapon, I'm knocking him out and having him committed for two months till the trial. But if we're in stage two of the trilogy, we just entered 'The Empire Strikes Back', and we, so she can recover completely. We'll have to return so she's able face this finally." I said and they nodded. "And in the mean time we stick together, she needs us most." Theo said and I nodded in agreement to that.

"Fortunately I'm less likely to go off the handle out of fear, but this situation if he does start going all out is enough to scare a woman, because to us a maniac like this is our worst nightmare if the darker secret is anything like Fred Krueger." Theo said to her and she nodded. "Yeah that's my point, for us, we need the guys protecting us, while in their case their anger is going to spike if he traps us in here, because I just got that truth."

"With my being the possible legal heir to the house, this means that in order to purify the house, yet again, I've got to finish what mom started." she said and he looked at her. "Meaning what exactly, our bond is getting so strong, that if he hurts you, I'd kill him a second time Nell." he said and she took his hand. "Meaning whatever mom never got the chance to tell me, I got to exorcise the bastard out of the house and into the doors."

"Luke, I understand how you feel about me, you're turning into my brother, but listen to me carefully now: your anger if he tells you that truth is going to be your undoing if you lose it completely, if he traps us in this house, especially with you hate being caged. You're claustrophobic, like I am, but you losing control over your anger that night. And when I'm doing first aid here, is enough that that is going to get you killed."

"And your anger will get you killed if you deliberately provoke Craine, if he's haunting the house here." she said to him gently as Theo looked at her gently as she answered that. "Just what the heck is happening between us here exactly?" Theo asked and she smiled. "Issues of heart to heart talks, once you tell them how you really feel the bonds start deepening to the point that you're now more connected then ever, now."

"And with the fact we just did that and our conversation at dinner last night, our friendship is now unbreakable now. The five of you are my sextet now, and with you and Luke, I think he's your soulmate, if you're turning to him that fast last night." she said and they looked at each other and then smiled at each other. "Makes more sense, Rick doesn't have his sense humor or his understanding nature, at the moment."

"And we're so much alike we can get along pretty easily here." she said and he blushed at that. "Alright ladies enough already. If we're a trio, I think our bonds tonight just stamped themselves into place now here. Though if we just became a sextet it activated last night." he said and she chuckled as Theo answered him. "Maybe, but if they did, Craine knows he's about to wind up dead a second time, if he targets me."

"And for whatever reason at the current moment, but if anything now, he's determined to hold this up." she said and Theo smiled at the remark as she answered her. "You get the feeling this is about to lead to further problems tonight though with vandalism on the property here now. Though none of us did it, it's enough to worry about?" Theo asked and Eleanor sighed as she answered her and he nodded to her gentl at that.

"I know right, I mean frequent fooling around with the silverware, screwing around with the added staples on the table. Let alone several explosions from the champagne bottles, two fights over these guys getting rough with each other. The door slams shut when none of us are near it. Unexpected noises, furniture and alcohol bottles tipping over when none of us got near it, followed by a cork flying across the room."

"After getting like a bullet with a blast like a gun going off, and we wind up eight explosions in the side of thirty minutes here, one leaving a dent in the wall after they pointed the thing right at the wall last night. Our little friends are going at it as a preteen version of that tv show, and we've got to act like parents. Several crashes in the kitchen, possessed billiard balls starting a street hockey and croquet game in the hallway."

"And it's immediately followed by getting into a fight. And for what looks like sexual harassment in the hall, the painting looking like someone decided on vandalism, us getting attacked by the blasted flue earlier. Mary gets hurt last night and and we got a pot being thrown across the room though none of us ever touched it. Either Craine is the one haunting the house or we got a maniac like Fred Krueger in this house."

"And he's trying scare us out of our wits till we die of fright right now, but of us, I'm the one he's scared of. And because he possibly onows I'm the only one that can control the doors. But either way, one of us up with added problems or my abilities, if I'm descendant of his second wife, but my powers start going crazy and this is enough of a worry, because I've studied parapsychology for years and haunted houses like this."

"First it's gentle gestures, before they start getting more violent and he's driving up the scare tactics, because though we were scared earlier, and last night, it's not enough to scare us out of the house. To put this like that movie Troll, if he was Torok, he's got three days to get us out of the house, before I realize who he is and what my connection to this house is, or he's screwed." she said to her and we all nodded as he answered her.

"Nice touch, so scare you out of your wits, and once you leave the room, he replaces it with the flue and we get the crap scared out of us. He keeps this up and I'm not falling for it any more at the moment." Luke added in agreement. "You get a good look at that thing, whatever it was?" Theo asked her and she nodded. "Yeah and it was made of mahogany wood, not solid iron either. All these carvings are made of Mahogany."

"And with at least eight hundred in the house, if it's one hanging out in the foyer, than it, or rather he, knows I'm not falling for it any more. And I'm doing whatever it takes to solve this case and learn who this maniac is, what my connection is to him and why I seem to be able to see what you can't yet." she said as she pulled a set of pens and pencil sized markers out and set them on the coffee table as she looked at the paper.

"I hope you grabbed the ones matched to their colors." Luke said and she smiled. "I did, with 7 or 11 now, I grabbed the ones that would let us know who's doing the talking. And when we got them writing down messages to us like this. Though once I get the final details, I don't doubt they're traveling up to Boston to see us repeatedly. And by possessing the table." she said before the green was picked up and she got to work then.

"Guys who was the guy who attacked us in the foyer earlier, with the flue, if it was you kids, since you're usually following us around?" she asked and I could hear a sigh as the voice wrote down his first message. "That wasn't us trying to scare you this time Eleanor, that was intended to scare you out of the house. We're doing playful noises and he's the one getting more violent with the scare tactics.

"To answer your second question, Craine's haunting the house, but he's getting more paranoid by the minute, so be careful." Luke read out and we nodded as she went to the next question as Andy drew a green star next to it, as her eyes narrowed then as we exchanged looks at that as she said it. "Guys how long do I have to work this out?" she asked and the pen wrote out the next message at that remark.

"With us getting your attention yesterday, you got three days, but tonight needs a chance to really rest, before the case gets started, just be ready, he's going to be trying to scare you by any means necessary now guys. Before you ask, I'm Andy, the sextet and I are going to be hanging around for a while, so don't mind us." Luke read out and we all nodded to that as we looked at each other

As I saw another green star put on the paper as Theo finished that then. "To repeat what Nell said yesterday, if we're communicating like this now. You guys just mark your remarks to us with your favorite color since we got markers and in the shape of a star, so we know who's who, alright. Though if you're doing that episode don't lose your temper or we're going to get caught in the middle." Theo said and I nodded in agreement to that.

And a hot pink star appeared next to the 'Alright Theo' that was written out and we nodded. "Good idea Theo that certainly helps now, though practical jokes are not being tolerated here at the moment." He said, and Eleanor smiled. "I don't think you should have said that now, don't give them any ideas or they're going to try that next Luke. After repeated explosions and movie jokes." I told him and he looked at me at that.

And answered that, before he could say anything though I heard a loud snap and we all jumped and she covered her eyes at that. And I could tell she was trying to keep from laughing. "Eddie that's not funny any more, cool it you guys." she called out as I sat down on the sofa next to her and she leaned into my side then. "Nice way to break up the tension after the little spat this afternoon, but this is getting ridiculous."

"Alright you guys start going at it and one of you gets blown off the table and we're not taking it too well here." Theo said in answer to that smiling and I answered that with a bemused look."Why do I feel like Eddie is the one acting like the wiseacre on the kid's team exactly?" I asked and a cherry red star appeared as he answered that with a bemused tone in his voice as he answered me gently at that remark.

"Because he's the wiseacre of our gang and tends to act like the original black ranger on the tv show Doctor. Though he's asking to get knocked into the wall if he starts scaring Sarah later, but with us at the point where my character comes back, get ready to duck here, because he's annoying her. But at the moment he's on the edge of getting knocked into the wall at that."

"As a result, the debate is going in the run around right now, and she's ready to beat the crap out of Eddie, since Andy is close to losing his temper right now." I read out and nodded. "Great that's just what we need, our little firebird is going to kill him if this keeps up and little dragon is close to the edge here. This keeps up and she's going to blow Leo right into the wall next." Theo said for the four of us and I nodded.

"What's he mean by that?" Benson asked and in answer to that we heard a loud clunk followed by a thud and a thunk and clump. And looked at the table to see Sarah knock him into the corner pocket for whatever reason. "Uh oh, I think if they're doing a billiard ball form of that dear john letter, he's just pissed her off. And by taking sides in this situation right now." Eleanor said and he nodded in agreement as he looked at him.

"Well that's tantamount to smacking him in the face right now." I said and she nodded in agreement to that. "And him collapsing on the floor, thought if they're doing this on the table, he lost his balance and forgot he was next to the curb and tripped over it. Baby calm down please, I know you're furious, but keep in mind, you got us over on the other side of the room." She said and Sarah looked down and rolled to the edge of the table.

"Alright whatever this is about, it's private young man, but out, if she just did that. So with that fact in mind whatever you say next is going to result in another repeat performance of Daniel getting thrown across the room." Luke said and she nodded as she looked at Sarah sternly. "Alright what was that about exactly, because we've already gone over this?" Eleanor asked her and a pink star appeared as she answered her.

"He finally ticked me off by dragging up his alter ego's screwing around and he's been pulling pranks on me ever since we started watching that show, including the gorilla costume and he's asking for it right now, but your guess is right at the moment. My character is the victim and she gets burned for doing the right thing and he's ticking me off at the moment here."

"But before freaking out, ask the blasted reason for why that letter would be needed to be written in the first place right now." She read out and we nodded to that explanation then, as I answered her gently, but sternly at that. But before I could answer I heard a clunk, followed by two more and then a loud branng come off the piano. And turned around to see Eddie on the keyboard then as he rolled of the keys.

And onto the floor with a slightly drunken look to him. "Well he hit the wall hard enough to get a concussion at the moment." Eleanor said crossing her arms as he leaned sideways as we watched Sarah hop off the table and he jumped onto the bench. "Yeah, I think he crossed the line here if our young firebird just blew up and threw him across the room." Luke said and I nodded as I hid a chuckle as I looked at Eddie firmly then.

"How did you get over there exactly, and what did you say to her to cause her to do that Edward?" I asked sternly and the next message wrote itself out, with a shaken tone in his voice, and I could tell he was scared of her as he answered her. "Like her counterpart on the show, we gave her the nickname firebird, and I just got blasted off the pool table Doctor. Though at the moment the characters over did it."

"So with that, rule one: never mess with a girl who's likely to roast you for testing her temper. Or you're going to get blasted across the room next." Luke read out as a black star appeared next to the remark as he tried to keep from laughing. "Yeah that's an understatement here, for gods sakes here', guys take it down several notches or you're going to break a window next." he added and I looked at him smiling.

"That's what I was meant last week when I told you that Dave." she said laughing and I nodded to the remark as her godparents exchanged smiles at that. "Yes and I remember this all too well, you and Dana were finding that funny, but you guys loved them as playmates as you grew up but though adults. It's something's never change no matter how old you get right now." Rick said laughing and Beth and Walters nodded with a chuckle as her godfather said it.

"Them like this, that goes without saying right now." Benson said as he started laughing at that and we nodded in agreement. "And you're right, if this was your age group we would say to take it back a step, with one of you out of town. And rebuild it, until you get back and then heat it up again." Beth added and I nodded in agreement. "Well this is good practice for being parents, but again, was that really necessary, guys, come on."

"Lovely so what's next exactly, him getting thrown into the bookshelf next here at the moment. Alright young lady you want to lose your temper, do it when we're not in the room with you, will you please, or you're going to hit one of us in the head if you throw him across the room a second time, or you're going to break a window." I told her gently. Before a message wrote itself out with a sheepish tone in it as she said it.

"Sorry Doctor, but he started it." "No you started it" "No I didn't" "Yes you did" "No I didn't." "Yes you did" "No I didn't, now cool it." she read out and I covered my eyes as I listening do to them arguing. Listening to this, I answered that sternly as I tried to keep from laughing at that. "Lovely if this keeps up and the next explosion we hear is a..." she started to say and we heard a loud thud at that remark.

And I looked up in time to see Eddie go rolling off the bench, and right into the wall. "Didn't, now cool it!" a message read out in hot pink ink and I nodded to that as she lowered her head. "Great just what we need, a preteen bickering match, you want to do this or should I. Before someone else gets knocked across the room?" I asked and she chuckled as she said it for me with a bemused tone in her voice then as she said it.

"After our bickering matches we don't need a fight tonight and with those words in mind you guys." she said and finished sternly as she looked at the duo. "Alright I don't care who started it, I'm ending it, now cool it already, now again next time. That you two, you guys, want to try that do it when we're not in the room with you, will you please. And I mean it now, if there's another explosion in temper wait till we're out of the room here."

"And if there's another fight that causes one of you to get thrown across the room, you're all grounded now enough already." she said sternly as Eddie answered her sheepishly. "Yes Eleanor, sorry. I just tested her temper a bit too much today after the fight over the painting, but Robbie, Billy, Dylan, Jake and I are her boys and it tends to get out of hand at times." Luke read out as a second red and black star appeared.

And next to the red, black and blue and we nodded to that as we exchanged looks at that as Eleanor said it for the four of us with a bemused look on her face at this as she said it then. "I take you guys are the ninja trio along with the secondary yellow?" I asked and a new voice entered the conversation smiling as a yellow star appeared next to it. "We are Doctor, with the fact that the trio have got the best of both worlds."

"And Andy's going back and forth between his characters colors. But right now we're stuck in the middle of the movie. Just before Sarah's got replaced and mine changed places with Kitty's. Before you ask my name is Anne, I'm part of the trio you saw in the second assemble yesterday." She said and I nodded smiling at that as Luke smiled as he asked it smiling as she and Luke exchanged smiles.

As he looked at the eleven sitting there on the table, he asked them our question. "Alright let me take a guess here, but instead of the dear John letter episode, Sarah's making it seem like her character got to Andy's, before the blasted thing arrived and told the seven of yours that truth, before it showed up. Just to prevent your team from taking sides and of nine, seven chose both sides without thinking twice about it, correct.

"Because with us in this decade, your parents, and we, would suggest if you're separated, to put things on hold till you were back together, and rebuild the bond, while acting like you're still together." he asked and a reddish pink star appeared and I knew she was annoyed. "Yeah you got it right Luke, to be honest I was disgusted with the way they ended their relationship, so we chose to do an alternate reality episode, so it's just weeks after the letter arrived and his maternal family."

"Robbie's character got recalled now and the nine are now acting as Ninjetti and the nine of us are tightly bonded as a result. Though that's why I threw Eddie across the room. He's just insulted me enough that Andy would..." Theo read out, before I heard a second loud branng come off the piano and looked up to see Eddie lying on the keys with Andy, as the white cue, was standing there in front of him then as the seven of us exchanged bemused smiles as he said it for all of us.

"That Andy's going to throw him across the room, aw for god sakes here, alright Andy calm down alright. Well that's the episode after he got hijacked a second time. And now Sarah's character is furious that they are the reason he is, and was, captured and he's taking his anger out on Eddie's after the duo just got back." Luke finished for her and I finished his remark as I looked at the green ball gently as I said it.

"Well our young Dragon just got pissed enough to throw the young lion across the room. Andy, what was that for exactly?" I asked and I heard an angered sigh in his tone as a message wrote itself out at that. "I'm not repeating what he said Doctor, but what I will say is if he wanted to keep his heart from being broken, he should have ended it, before they left for a while. The eleven of us were disgusted at this."

"Because Sarah and I are not letting each other go, she's my entire life, but here's the critical thing at the moment and it's why Kathy chose the stripe ball so you can tell her apart from Jenny and Anna. Though Anna and Kathy chose both sides, Jenny, she's taken sides in this scenario, and if I wanted her help and sympathy I'd ask for it here, and the same goes for Eddie, but no, I don't want their help or sympathy, the seven have chosen both sides for us."

"They know I don't need their support, but she does. As if that's not enough, I'm furious at him for causing that relapse as it is, and as to why. Eddie crossed a line that, in your time frame, would be enough that the gang would be forever split in half, because not only did he break my crane's heart, he just barely landed her in the hospital. And ever since the duo left town for a few weeks it's between weeks to months between letters and phone calls

"And she's doing what needs to be done to protect me. That alternate reality episode is as close as you can get for us at the moment. And he's finally ticked me off, by insulting her and hurting her this much emotionally, Dylan, Jake, Billy, and Robbie are as pissed as I am and the trio are not taking it to well at Jenny at the moment either. So same situation, we're like this though, we just turned ourselves into the early preteens of the last decade and a half." he said and we nodded to that as Theo said what I was thinking then.

"Unexpected temper tantrums and annoyance for not doing what should have been done in the first place, if we were their age, our parents would say to put things on hold when we're separated from our mates." Theo said and she nodded in agreement to that thought as she said what we were all thinking then. "Yeah and in our case, mine and David, I doubt that's going to be a problem, this week is a test of our relationships."

"Well if it's not weird noises and items coming to life on their own, letting alone being knocked over I'd say we're dealing with 'The House on Haunted Hill' and with a bit of 'Clue' thrown in there for good measure." she said as the billiard balls started a second game and started fooling around. "Yeah well at least they're not getting lethal yet though at the moment Nell." Luke said to her and she nodded to him as she answered him.

"Anger management issues in addition to stress and frankly with those two about to sell my apartment. So with that now they better be ready for the consequences, because this is a game, games have rules. You play by the rules and you win, you cheat and you lose everything, it's like investing in the right stocks." she added and she smiled as a checkerboard landed on the table and positioned itself in front of her.

"I take it one of you wants to play checkers?" she asked and they wrote out 'yes' in answer to that with the red checkers and I chuckled. As I watched her play checkers with whoever our invisible companion was. "Andy that you?" I asked and they spelled out' 'Yes Doctor', this time and I smiled at that, before the checkers got replaced by the chess pieces, before they started arguing over who was going to be the next person to play games with us.

"Alright, whoever is fighting over the board games that's enough already, we'll switch off, but the next fight is landing you back on that table, now enough already." Luke said as I exchanged bemused looks with him at this. "Kids, alright whoever I'm playing here, I hope you know how to play chess, because I used to be on the chess team." Luke said and they put themselves into a smiley face at that as she hid a chuckle at that.

"If there's one good thing here, we can really relax, before things change directions though as far as Jane is concerned, I don't care what she says anymore, I'm not giving you guys up now." Eleanor said and I smiled as I answered her. "Yeah well her opinions are not up for debate and neither are Webster's, if this is the beginning of our relationship than I'm officially your husband, your parents, in this time."

"Would have signed the betrothal contract now and with that fact in mind here, the Websters don't have legal rights to make decisions for you now, but we do. Your parents gave me their blessings and they approve of me, so to them, I'm officially real family now, as to that whatever you're not telling us is enough he's ending up behind bars, if he ever touches you like that again." I told her and she smiled in delight at the news.

"And we mean that with every word too, he ever touched or touches you when drunk and he's winding up in the hospital before he ends up behind bars here. If you're more than we think, to Theo and me, we're not going anywhere." Luke added firmly and she nodded to that. Hearing that she sighed as she told it to me. "Guys, the reason I needed this now is because every time he's drunk and he and mom got into a vocal altercation, I tried to prevent him from causing a heart attack and I took several blows."

"He's landed me in the E.R. Six times in five years since the heart attack. He just married Jane so he could get mom's money, that's the portion I told you this morning is true. But I never had the chance to really live my life, because to top it off, as I said, nothing I said made any difference. He's selling my apartment whether I agree with it or not." she told me and I nodded to that as I pulled her against me. "I see him, if you get hurt, and he's screwed." Luke said with a dangerous growl for me.

"You'll know him when you see him Luke, because if I get hurt or this situation results in a near fatal injury the heart monitor is enough for you to tell you if you hear my heart speed up by the machine. The man is a chronic drunk and he's on the edge of winding up in the rehab department at the moment, because Rick Jefferson is on the edge of putting him in there after arresting him thirty times in five years. Though at this rate, he's ending up in rehab at mom's hospital next." she said and we looked at her in shock.

"Thirty times, how does he still have a driver's license exactly, let alone never ended up in the psyche unit for this?" Luke asked for me and she sighed. "You recall that movie the mighty ducks and he was using loopholes that entire time?" she asked and we nodded. "Malcolm said if he so much as touched you when drunk, he's having him committed. Well with what you just told us now, I'm giving him a chance as I evaluate, but he's getting two more chances, he touches you again or raises a hand to you and we're arresting him ourselves this time." I said firmly and she nodded to me gently.

"And aside from that, I'm a medical psychiatrist and Rick is a medical doctor, specializing in drugs, alcohol and rehab here, so if he walks into the medical floor there's no way out with fifty guards, orderlies, cops and two doctors if he's drunk and throws the first punch. With you being my future, he touches you like that at all and he's winding up in the tank for a week till that level is out of his system." I added, running my hand through her hair and she laid her head against my shoulder as Theo hid a smile at the way we were together.

"What was it you said were the barbs she kept throwing you, because she's about the eat her words now, with the fact you found us now." Luke asked and she sighed as she named them. "Life is really hard out there, you have no idea how hard it is out there, you don't have a real job, you can't afford to pay the bills.', I've been hearing that ever since the surgery, but I've got two of three solved here, friends and I found my future mate."

"All that's left is getting job, but first time to finish college and complete my own research, though this results in them crossing that line and he's getting committed for attempted murder." she told him and he nodded as he answered her softly. "Well if that's one reason you hate him so much I don't blame you, but they destroyed your life. But you got a few connections and our bonds are getting stronger now." Luke said to her and she sighed.

"Whatever their problem is I don't know, but I..." she started to say and then saw a message lying on the table then and picked it up. "What's that exactly?" Theo asked and she leaned against my side as she sat back on the couch. "It's the added forms that I didn't see regarding the will here, get a look at this, this was the post note that she left here in the copy of my book." she said and she read out the information as I smiled at this.

"Was that with the will?" I asked and she shook her head. "No, but I bet it was in the book that shoved itself off the bookshelf last night when it was getting my attention. She's got the fake, I got the added post notes to the will confirming it is a fake, when you're all surrounding me and you're the legal executor of the house if mom chose you in advance. The legal heir is the blood heir, and I bet this has information regarding that."

"Though the legal executor is the marital heir of the family property and with those words, the rightful heir and marital heir are the ones undergoing a series of trials, while the secondary heirs are about to get short changed later. We can spend the trip going over things and life's about to get much better, because I just found my quintet and my future husband." She said and I smiled at that as Theo hid a smile at the wording.