**** Ben woke up to find a tray of breakfast that waited for him beside the bedside cabinet. It had red rose inside a small vase with the news paper rolled to the side. She had set of different bakeries with a small tea pot full of black coffee. She left a small note that read:
"certain as the sun which rises from the east is what you should find when your soul returns from the heaven. I thought I'll provide breakfast in bed which is known to the be the most important meal of the day. Enjoy the bakeries and the freshly black grounded coffee, that fits with your dark, dry and sweet persona."
A smile appeared on his face and got up from bed. "you can say that again," Ben thinks to himself as he got dressed for the day...
**** Maria opened the door to find her mother who smiled back at her. "Mama what's wrong why are you here so early?" Maria asked. "I thought I will drop my grandson to school while you look after his father," Carmen explained. "mama I'm fine I can manage," Maria assured her. "no Maria," Carmen lets out quickly while she eyed her mother in confusion. "don't leave Ben alone for a second today," Carmen warned her daughter. "why Mama?" Maria was concerned and confused. "because there are hidden forces that will try and come between you and Ben. People envy you and Ben Maria, what you have and what you share, you are fated to be together forever and you can not allow hidden forces come between you both. Take control now of your fate by taking the actions and making sure no one uses either one of you against each other," Carmen revealed as Benji came out from the kitchen finishing his breakfast.
"Ola Benji. Cómo estás en esta hermosa mañana lista para que te lleve a la escuela?" Carmen asked her grandson in Spanish, how was he in this fine morning and was he ready to be dropped off to school. "Benji nodded his head smiling at her. He looked up at his mum placing rack sac on him. She gave a hug. "as dawn breaks in complete certainty you will fine me near the ocean shore," Maria told her son while Benji nodded with a big grin. "I won't tell daddy I promise," Benji tells his mother. Taking hold of Benji's hand Carmen left while Maria shuts the door. She quickly went up to the phone and called her brother. "hi it's me, I need your help and fast," Maria told her brother while looking up at the stairs...
**** Ben walked down the stairs in a pair of dark indigoid jeans and a blue polar shirt t shirt. He was confused to see Ricardo, with Spencer and other police officers. A frown appeared on his face. "detective you going to tell me what is going on here?" Ben asked his brother in law. "let just say your wife, is placing high security around here," Ricardo filled him in while Ben eyes on widened. He threw a glance at Ricardo which he recognised and gestured with his head to follow him on the deck. "right you lot disconnect the whole telephone wiring of this house including upstairs, change locks of both the doors and the security code," Ricardo ordered them. "Spencer I want you check Evans car making sure it's not bugged including the rest of the house," Ricardo made it very clear delegating responsibilities before walking up to with Ben.
"it's not me man, it's lightening she's not taking no chances," Ricardo told him. "I can't believe what she is doing," Ben whispered feeling he had no control over his life. "look Seattle has done this to her. Just watch how she behaves and what she does and how she speaks, she does it so instinctively. Your brother messed her up and she rages war with everything and everyone that used the dead and ghost Maria to gain satisfaction in their own life," Ricardo voiced. "what am I going to with her?" Ben questioned. "nothing, see it as wake up call for you and for all of us. She told me there are hidden forces everywhere that will try and come between you both, Evans she knows alot of things and she kept you in the dark," Ricardo mentioned. "what kind of things," Ben was getting impatient and angry. "I can't tell you because it's not my place to say. Rather she is showing how you should have lived your life and you shouldn't have let others tress pass into your property making it their own possession like they have all the rights in the world. She's not going to let nothing and no one hurt you and she is taking all the means to do this. She doesn't trust no one and neither should you," Ricardo concluded. "now see it as a favour and... a reconsolidation of our friendship," he tells him and walked back in while Ben looked out onto the beach inhaling the ocean air which his wife loved smelling when she was sketching.
**** Maria came out of the kitchen with jug of ice tea and drinks for her brother and colleagues. She poured glasses and handed it to them. "thanks Maria," Spencer thanked her. "no I should be thanking you," Maria threw back at them. Ben slowly walked back in while he stood by the deck door and hand on his hips. She threw a content smile at him while everyone watched the tense vibe between them. "well hello handsome," Maria greeted him as everyone burst into laughter. "what am I not allowed to compliment my husband that makes my heart flatter like a moth every time our eyes meets," Maria filled them in while everyone looked at Ricardo. "she's my sister she's always been good with words and expressing her feelings for the one she loves in the most unimaginable ways," Ricardo reminded them. "well I do remember you being very popular with opposite gender, i must have learnt from you how to win the mind and hearts of complex souls," Maria complimented her brother while his colleagues laughed. "it's just a shame the father is still an amateur," Maria joked will Ricardo spat drink out in complete laughter including everyone else. "Ricardo your sister is still so funny, she hasn't changed one bit has she," Spencer stated. "oh she has changed, it's not as visible as some," Ricardo commented. "wouldn't you agree Evans?" "completely," Ben answered with a smirk on his face. "any ways you lot have better hurry up and finish this," he threw back. "you can watch the star cross lovers later," he implied while the officers made their way to different directions.
"thanks for the breakfast," Ben tells her with a smirk on his face. "no worries," she answered as he watched how she looked around looking a little nervous. "I'm sorry," Maria apologised. "for what?" Ben wanted to know. "look I know I should have told you and ran it by you but I couldn't, I just have this unease inside me that every time you leave this house that I won't see you again and so many people are working against you," Maria explained her reasons. Ben closed his eyes. "your not angry are you," she had to ask him. He shook his head. "no, I'm sorry I didn't do this a lot earlier for you, I've disappointed you," Ben stated. "no you haven't, you didn't know what you were dealing with and the decisions you made were purely based on facts that were presented to you at the time," Maria made him see. "I blame others for the situation and setting up the situation as it is," Maria concluded. "like who?" Ben questioned wanting her to open up but she closed her eyes and gulped. "it doesn't matter," Maria lets out. "it matters to you," Ben says. She watched Annie walking in from the deck door.
.
"oh my god Maria what is happening here did you guys have a break in?" Annie asked concerned. "no Annie we just tightening the security around here," Maria mentioned. "well that's it sister you show them who is the true Mrs Evans," Annie declared. "hey Ben how you feeling," Annie asked placing a friendly gesture on his shoulder. "I'm fine, i'll leave you guys to talk, I need to check up on your brother and make sure he does thorough check in my room," Ben implied while he walked up the stairs. She smiled back at him when he did as Annie tried to read them. "what?" Maria asked. "nothing, see sometimes you have to fight for the very things you want. You can't let things be if you just leave them to be especially when it comes to you two," Annie convinced her. "how are things with you two anyways," Annie was keen to know. "we are fine," Maria replied. "oh come on Maria I want the details," Annie was dying to know all. "why Annie so you can run off to surf central and rub it in Meg's face the fact I moved back in with him again," Maria threw back at her.
"look I admit that it was wrong of me to but you two are fated to be together forever and the sooner it gets through her thick skull as well as everyone else they will leave you all alone," Annie convinced her. "I'm sorry Annie I can't trust you when it comes myself and Ben in fact I don't trust no one. The situation is the way it is because people set it up this way and that includes you too," Maria voiced. "so what you going to do now blame me for everything," Annie was getting annoyed while Maria looked back at her as she felt rage of temper rage in her. "Annie you still don't get it do you," Maria says. "get what? I never told Ben to choose Meg did I, that was a decision that he purely made out of his own choice," Annie voiced.
"you are unbelievable," Maria shouted at Annie realising why Ben cut her out of his life. "Ben may had chose Meg but you set the situation up like this initially for him to make the decisions that he did," Maria grilled her while Annie looked a little stung. "when you found out when I was alive and you saw me, you didn't tell Ben or anyone about me, who I was, where I was rather you let this whole town think that my mother was some mad woman trying stop that wedding from happening," Maria cried while Annie felt guilty. "you let Ben go through a mental torture for himself after everything he has been through and feeling my presence, why didn't you tell him!" Maria shouted so loudly. "I wanted to so many times but Tim wouldn't let me," Annie tried justify her reasons.
"yeah good all Tim, you chose him over us," Maria says. "it wasn't like that," Annie wept. "oh I think I know exactly how it was like. You could have stopped that wedding happening you could have stopped me from feeling so unwell wearing that white dress, getting lost, getting caught in the storm that evening but you didn't, him having to deny me completely when you knew how much he felt my presence and was being haunted by my memories leading up to the wedding day," Maria observed making Annie all teary. "was it worth it Annie?" Maria questioned her while Annie saw Ben standing by the stair bannister with a dead expression. "Annie get out before I throw you out myself. I will deal with you later," Ben tells her as Annie walked out of the deck door weeping. Ben kept his eyes on Maria and watched how she took deep breaths to calm herself down. He now realised what Ricardo meant and what other things she was keeping from him. He walked down to the deck door slowly and shuts it slowly staring back at her.
He watched how she poured herself a strong drink and added ice to it and knew she was trying to block everything from her mind. He quickly took it off her before she took a sip. "you are not drinking this now," Ben told her putting it down. "don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do," Maria replied. "just leave me alone," she says walking away but he grabbed her back. "you are not going anywhere until you tell me everything," Ben responded. "there is nothing to talk about," Maria answered as he watched how the tears quickly filled her eyes.
"why didn't you tell me what Annie did?" Ben says. "what difference was it going to make," Maria wondered. "you married her and made a commitment to her," Maria told him. "the people that I thought I could count on have disappointed me," Maria cried. "she chose money and wealth over me. Because that was far too important for her," Maria wept. "she sacrificed my health for a bit of wealth thinking that money was going to buy her love and everything that she wanted. She ripped that family apart by marrying Gregory, she could have helped and she didn't," Maria sobbed. "and it was because of greed, possession and ownership. Since when did people in this town become so selfish and inconsiderate," Maria asked him. "I hope she doesn't get single ounce of that will and inheritance back because she doesn't deserve it or anyone else for that matter," Maria burst in sobs while Ben pulled her into him. "sssshhh... just don't say anything. Everything will fall into place I promise ," Ben assured her giving her words of comfort realising how she's been living a complete nightmare. "oh my god," he thinks to himself realising now why he could never save her. Maria only felt his hold tighten to stronger as she felt him inhale the aroma of her hair.
She slowly moved away from him placing a hand on his chest keeping a gap between them. "I'm sorry," Maria apologised as he watched how she pulls herself together. You want to come with me somewhere?" Ben suggested. "Ben we have officers everywhere," Maria reminded him. "your brother can take care of that," Ben implied. "I just need to spend some time with you alone away from all," Ben tells her. "I don't want to face anyone right now," Maria explained. "you can't hide away," Ben reminds her. "I'm not sometimes you have to pick the battles you want to fight ," she told him. "oh believe me I know which battles I intend to fight, no one is getting away with anything. As far as I am concerned I don't trust anyone around you," Ben voiced making Maria realise they both were behaving the same and that was the very thing Meg saw in them. Spencer came back with Ben's car keys.
"Ben, your car had this on," Spencer showed him the GPS while Maria's mouth dropped open. Ricardo walked down with his phone receiver. "Evans you need to change the receiver of your room phone," Ricardo informed him. He watched how quickly Maria was starting to slip. "give him your watch and your cell phone," Maria says as Ben did hand it over to Ricardo. "sis it's okay we'll fix this ," Ricardo assured her. "we'll get Antonio and Annie to keep you company," Ricardo suggested. "no," both spouse say together. "not Annie, just phone Antonio and tell him to come over, on second thoughts..." Ben paused while he looked at Maria. "we'll pay him visit actually," Ben suggested. "in that case take my car it will be a lot safer," Ricardo says throwing his car keys to Ben. "i'll have it ready and sorted when you get back." "leave the invoice and I'll have it paid. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that this place is safe with, law, order and force," Ben responded. He guided Maria out of the front door and walked out. Ricardo watched how Annie walked in opening the deck door. "what did you do Annie," Ricardo asked.
"never you mind, we have got work to do getting these two together forever!" Annie declared.