14.

Duke felt like banging his head against the wall. If he had to hear Audrey suggest them talking it out with Chayla one more time it was going to drive him crazy. Chayla didn't want to be reasoned with. It had been three weeks and he had seen Chayla prance around Haven drenched in diamonds and designer clothes. Aira now was seen driving around a black Porsche Panamera Turbo Elite and he knew all this reckless spending was because of Chayla. She is in bipolar distress. She told me this happens to her. He hadn't seen her have 'a bipolar moment' as she called them.

"Chayla has been following me." Audrey said suddenly. Duke looked up quickly, surprised this was the first she was mentioning it.

"What, since when?" Duke asked.

"Last week, maybe. I don't know how I let her slip under my radar."

"She can brainwash people around you. So, she is just seeing what you know I bet." Duke stood up and rushed to his refrigerator. He grabbed a Coors Light and popped the top. "She is planning something, but what? God, I wish you would have told me a week ago. Aira is probably brainwashed to all hell." He took a long swallow, not really tasting it.

"She's really something to you, isn't she?" Audrey asked. Duke looked over to her, surprised.

He had no doubts. "I love her." He said, his voice tired. "And I was too scared to tell her. I can't even think of her anymore and I have to look at a picture stolen from the internet." He finished off his beer, then reached for a mug to get a cup of coffee. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out and dropped it on the table. It was an unknown number. The message was simple. 'It took days.' He frowned at his phone, confused on who had texted him. It looked like the response to another conversation.

"Well, I know you hate the idea but talking could still be an option we can go with Duke. Somehow sneak her psych meds?"

"Drugging her? How? She probably has loyal minions. Scattered all over Haven. Little kids. Brainwashed." He knew he sounded tweaked, but three days of no sleep, going on four, his mind was buzzing with crazy ideas. His phone buzzed on the counter. 'But it finally came out.', said the message. He frowned again, still confused. This time he texted back a response, telling the person they had the wrong number. He grabbed his mug and drank the hot liquid black, scalding his throat and tongue.

"You make it sound…bad. I don't mean drug her badly."

"So… we drug her nicely?" Duke scoffed reaching for the coffee pot again, pouring himself another cup. "You think she'd…." he had grabbed his phone as an image appeared from the person sending him text messages. It was a horrifically bloody object in someone's hand. 'Now she has room for our creation.' Realization of who he was talking to hit him heavy, making him want to hit the floor, and when he realized what he was looking at, his mug fell from his hand, shattering on the floor.

"Duke?" Audrey said.

He shook as he stared at what he now could tell was a head with two tiny hands and two tiny feet. Tears rolled from his eyes as he stared in revulsion. "I'm going to kill her."

"Duke, wait." Audrey moved around the counter quickly, but Duke moved the other way, opening cabinets, digging for his knives and guns. He pulled a sawed off shot gun out from between a quilted blanket. "Duke!"

He stood up and shoved his phone in her face, putting it mere inches from her nose. "She killed my baby! She killed it!" His voice trembled as tears blurred his vision.

Audrey's eyes broadened. "Oh, my God…."

"So, you either say something fucking useful right now, or I am blowing her brains out as soon as I see her fucking face."

"Okay, okay, uh, she's following me, so uh, I can distract her while you try and save Aira." Audrey looked like he was

He had to admit, it wasn't bad, but it didn't end with him blowing her head off. "Do you know where she is?"

"Don't have to, I can call her to meet me, and you go in after she leaves." Audrey looked like she was going to tackle him if he tried to leave with the guns he was searching for.

"She goes to fuck up once, or erase my memories and everyone's in Haven, you shoot her. Not to injure, not to maim, to kill." He stared hard. "Aira was pregnant, and I didn't even know, and she killed my baby." Duke returned to looking for his weapons. He then began looking for his duffel bag.

"You gotta try to break her memory as quick as you can. Me calling her is going to cause suspicion. She isn't going to believe I'm gay."

"I'll do my best." All he kept thinking about was if Aira knew she was pregnant and didn't know when to tell him or if she didn't know herself. But she knew. She knew and that's what she was talking about. His mind went back to when she shouted that he had created a problem. My baby was the problem. He gritted his teeth as he shoved more knives into his bag the before leaving, he grabbed something she had made for him. It was small but he hoped having it would help him bring her back. Back to me…. He thought. He even wondered if he deserved her, or was that the self-doubt implanted by Cruella DeVille herself? Either way, she is dead. Duke put the duffel on and went up to the step ladder. Audrey was on his heels as he rushed to his jeep.

As he got in to drive, he thought of who that baby could have been if it had been left alone, where it was supposed to be. He gripped the steering wheel and drove as calmly and as much under the speed limit as much as he could. All he wanted to do was speed through everything. If I see Chayla I am going to kill her. He was so certain of it. His phone buzzed in his pocket, Audrey. It was the prewarning of her calling Chayla. They planned to lure her out before Duke was close, just to blend in with normal traffic. Which is why he had to act normal so no one saw him and remembered his jeep driving. Three minutes. He needed to be closer to the house. The closer he was, the best chance he had of hiking the rest of the way to the front of the house. There were a few houses up the way to her house and he knew they were brainwashed to spot his jeep. He made it as far as the turn off private road before he drove into the forest, making sure not to get to close to her invisible fence. She loves her safety. Unfortunately, it trapped her inside with a monster.

He hid his jeep next to a large bush tree and stepped out into the cold air. He had forgotten his jacket. As he went to head to see where he was by the road, a red Lamborghini went flying by, not even seeing him. His heart hammered, wondering what would have happened if he had stupidly walked out into the street. She would have purposely hit him with a car. His pocket buzzed. He pulled it out and read the message from Audrey. She had picked the farthest place she could for the rendezvous without being too suspicious. He hadn't of thought of that aspect. He was only hoping to get her away for ten minutes to think of a plan. Thank you, Audrey. He had thought originally that she was going to just meet her at the pier, he hadn't seen her leave.

He kept to the trees, dodging any people he may have come across. He wasn't sure of her mammal range, so he scared off any creatures he saw as well. He was doing well when he remembered the last climb was up. It didn't seem like much in the car, but looking at it from where he stood from across the three crossroads, he felt like crying. He looked both ways and sprinted quickly. "I'm coming Aira." He whispered.

Aira laid in a ball in her bed. Her period had come on like a raging force of nature and her whole body was tired. Her cramps had died down and she felt like she could only thank Chayla for being by her side for the rough parts. Chayla had suddenly needed to leave and she couldn't convince her to stay to rub her sore lower back. She dragged her tired body from the bed and walked slowly to her jacuzzi tub. She hit two buttons and the water began to pour out at a perfect one hundred and one degrees. It was filled halfway when she became impatient with the tub. She eased herself in groaning, wishing someone, anyone was there to rub her shoulders. She had just shifted to have a jet massage her when her doorbell rang obnoxiously. She sighed loudly. She stood up slowly and stepped out. She rushed to the monitor that was in her bedroom. "Just a second." She said before turning off the com. She dried herself off and put on an oversized rainbow hoodie with bunny ears on them. It was one of her favorite hoodies she had made. It went to just past her bum when her arms were raised so she wore it like a warm dress. She slipped on black glittery thigh highs and finally wandered out of her room. Each step made her feel exhausted. I need to make some food in the cast iron, boost my iron, I feel anemic as fuck. She stared at the figure in the distorted glass, trying to guess the figure. Duke. She shook her head, how would she know Duke's figure, and so quickly. I told Chayla to close the front gates if she left, people just wander up to the house. "Hold on!" she called, her voice weak. She coughed, trying to clear her cracking voice. She opened the door slowly to see Duke breathing heavily. "What the… did you run here?" she asked, opening the door wider.

"I-I…." he coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"Come inside and get a drink. Do I need to call the police? Is someone chasing you?" Aira reached for his hand and guided him inside.

"Aira." He said. He stopped her and turned her to look at him.

"What are you doing?" she was shocked by why he had his hands on her, but she didn't do anything to stop him. His hands felt too nice on her shoulders. She began to wonder what it would be like to have him touch her shoulders. Skin to skin. You have. She was startled by her own thought. She frowned and pulled back. "Keep your hands off of me. We don't even know each other like that."

"But we do, baby. Please try to remember. Three weeks ago, Chayla changed your memories."

"What? Chayla isn't troubled." Aira said. She crossed her arms. "She would have told me. We basically grew up together."

"You know that's not true. She's from Haven. I knew her as a kid. You were raised in Washington."

"No…she," Her head began to hurt. He was saying truth but that didn't make sense to her. She winced, bringing her hand to her temple.

"You had an all-girl all lesbian emo band in boarding school that you hid from your mother called Scissoring the Knife." Duke said, he stayed where he was, but Aira felt like he was rushing towards her.

"Are you stalking me?" She felt scared, and confused. She bolted to her right, trying to make it to any room so she could call the police. She could hear him call out to her. Her legs felt like bricks and it became harder to breathe. She fell, slamming her knee into the floor. She shouted in pain.

"Aira!" Duke had caught up with her but he didn't attack her like she had thought he was going to do. "Are you alright?"

"What do you want from me." She looked up at his face and in his eyes, she saw that he was crying. He reached his free hand into his shirt and pulled out a feather made from yarn. It was just a simple thing.

"I want you to come back to me." His voice broke so quietly she almost missed it.

She stared at the yarn feather and it looked familiar. Cuz birds have lice…. She thought remembering something. "Birds…have lice. So, here's one that you can keep." She frowned as her head throbbed.

"Yes!" he smiled.

"I made it in shades of brown, to match your eyes…why?" she asked herself. She looked back up at him and everything felt like it clicked. "Duke…." Her eyes watered. How could I forget him? "My head, what…." She was brought closer to him, he squeezed her so tight she could barely breathe. "Why does it feel like I miss you, so much?" Aira asked. Why isn't anything clear. What happened? Where was I? "Was I in a coma?"

"No." he pulled back to smile at her. He then brought her to his face and kissed her hard. "Oh my god, I thought you were gone. I thought…." He mumbled in between kisses.

"Duke. Duke!" He stopped. "What's going on? I was running from you but why…someone did this to me…."

"Chayla Duca."

It felt like a spike was drilled through the front of her skull and the rage built. "She made me buy the entire fall collection of Versace for her! Do you know how expensive that is! Oh…." She held her stomach and winced.

"Ai…." Duke went to move to help her.

"No, no, no. It's just a gnarly period. It's starting to end." She went to get up but felt the earth move under her. She was still so weak. She literally thought she was dying over the past few days. "We have to stop Chayla. Oh God, she made me use your nick name for her." She groaned.

Duke looked at his phone and frowned. "Chayla is headed back. She can erase and change memories. I CANNOT lose you again." He said firmly. "Can you please sing something." Aira was shocked at how broken he looked.

"How long was out?" she asked.

"Almost a full month." He answered.

"I'll do my best." Aira closed her eyes breathing slow searching for the right words, the right language, the right genre, the right pitch. It had to be perfect or it didn't work right. The stronger the need for that to be the truth the clear it became. Hindi. It was a pronounced voice that told her that and she didn't hesitate. She disregarded the fact she had never taken a class in her life. She could also count on one hand how many Bollywood movies she had seen, but clear in her mind, the words were there like she had spoken them since she could form words. Her voice started in soft, mainly due to the fact her throat was so dry, but when her trouble really kicked in, it became fuller. The song was a blur but she knew the essence of the song. "I-I made it so she only thinks she's erasing our memories but she will tell when we don't react. Tell Audrey to ask for back and be prepared for an immediate arrest." Aira said. "Help me up please?" Duke hauled her up immediately, steadying her if she wobbled. "Worst one ever."

"Are you sure it was a period that did this to you Ai?"

"My heads still foggy, but I think I know what a period is." Aira said as she grunted through a cramp. "We need to get to the front of the house…whoa!" Duke had lifted her up and picked up the pace.

"You looked tired." He said. "You've lost weight Aira. What's been happening in here."

"Lots of drinking. Drinking, and…drinking. I spent most of the time vomiting everything I've made. I bought four new cars Duke, oh God! Oh!" Aira looked up at Duke. "Duke!"

"What?"

"I cheated on you!" Aira could feel the tears rolling. "Oh my God I cheated on you!"

"Hey you didn't know!" Duke couldn't hide his smirk.

"No, no, no…. Chayla got Denise in a threesome. Then she called Margaret in once, but my period started like then, so I just, you know, fucked the living shit out them." Aira said. "I'm sorry." She had just notice they had stopped moving. "Oh my god, your mad." She started crying.

"I'm not mad, I'm just why she had threesomes." He said smiling.

"She'd lose focus when she'd orgasm, so I think she was trying to use my sexual appetite against me to protect her hold on me."

Duke nodded his head. "That actually makes sense." He began walking again. She went to reach up to hold on to his neck to help him but he told her to relax. She didn't know why he was babying her so much. She caught sight of his face and she could see he hadn't been sleeping and it made her angry. Angry that he had to go through anything because of one fanatic.

"She will pay for what she has done Duke." He didn't say anything as he propped her up next to the door. The Lamborghini roaring up the drive way. She turned and looked up at Duke and reached out for him, dragging him down for a kiss. Oh God, I missed you, Duke Crocker. She stood up straight. She knew she messed with Chayla's trouble, but she didn't know she was going to be connected to what she thought she was doing to them, meaning she was open like a book. She stood up straight and opened the front door and marched out into the brisk air. Duke was right behind her immediately. Chayla screeched on her breaks when she saw Duke waltz out of her home.

Chayla flew out of the car wearing a sweater dress from Gucci. "Slipped out while I was gone! You thought you could just come up in my home and try to take my girlfriend!" Chayla screamed.

"I am NOT your girlfriend." Aira screamed. "You are sick! You made me sick! All the drinking and partying and sex. I am not like that anymore.

There was a silence, and Aira knew that she was trying to scan her mind. "I'm going to make you kill Duke, then you will be mine!" She screwed her eyes shut as she obviously thought she was working her trouble.

As her eyes were closed, Aira took advantage and rushed up to her, then striking her quick and fast in the throat. Chayla grabbed her throat and gagged and coughed. "You stupid, little bitch! I sang away your power over us."

"Wha-what…."

"You scanned all my memories but couldn't remembered I was troubled, or did you even know?" Chayla screamed as she sprang up at Aira. She fell back, smacking her head on the cement. Duke shouted her name as Audrey appeared from the driveway and had a gun to Chayla's head in mere seconds. Duke helped her up and dusted her off. He was being so extra attentive; it made her feel like she had just come out of the hospital. She swooned, feeling sick. "I just need a nap now." She joked.

"How long have you been bleeding?" Duke asked her, catching her off guard.

"That's random…haven't thought about it."

"Think."

"NO!" Chayla shouted. "Don't you dare turn her from me!" Aira stared at Chayla like the psycho she was. I'm already turned.

"About…eight…wait…." Eight days? "Why would I be bleeding for so long? The craps didn't start until recently now that I think about it." Chayla began sobbing and pleading for Aira to stop and that she only did it for them. Her cries were making her antsy. She was missing something. What was she missing?

"Oh baby," He cried. Duke was crying. "You didn't know, did you?"

"Know what? What?" she looked from Duke to Chayla.

"It's not a period Aira, it's a miscarriage."

Aira looked at Duke. "No, because I am on my period." Tears rolled out of her eyes. "This is a period." She said, her voice shaking. "Oh, God, when was my last period!" she looked up at Duke. "How'd you know it's a miscarriage." Aira's tone was flat, suddenly filled with rage.

"Because she sent me a message…."

"Let me see." Aira asked as she slowly turned her head to looked at Chayla.

"I don't think…." Duke tried to protest

"Give me your fucking phone Duke!" she yelled. Audrey began moving backwards with Chayla, guiding her to the car. Aira's shaky hand guided through his phone until she froze over an image. She looked back up at Chayla. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill you!" Aira screeched as she dashed toward Chayla. I'm gonna rip her eyes out! Her thoughts were jumbled as Audrey tried to get Chayla away from Aira. They had almost made it to the car when Aira grabbed Audrey's arm to step up on her thigh to push her out of the way while giving her momentum for a punch that landed on Chayla's eye.

"I did it for us!" Chayla bellowed, arms restricted behind her. Chayla fell against the door, denting the frame.

Aira straddled over her and began to land as many punches on her as long as she could before Duke pulled her off. "NO! She needs to die!"

"I know." Duke said as he held her against him.

Aira flipped around in his arms and buried his face in his chest. Sirens wailed in the back ground. "I didn't even know…I didn't even know and she took it away." Duke just held her tightly and she swore if he even loosened his hold one small bit, she would be shattered. "Why did this have to happen."

"Aira, I regret not saying this from the moment I lost you, and I want today mark it." Tears rolled down his face. "I love you. I should have said it sooner."

Aira kissed him, shutting him up from any further babble. She wanted that second not to be about how Chayla stole something from her. How her life was almost taken from her. That one second, she found out the man she loved, loved her back. "Te amo." She cried, and kissed him again.