AN: The info on Bobby Mackey's Music World was looked up, I can't remember the site, but I do not own it.

Return of the Return to Bobby Mackey's

A few weeks later, Zak got an email from (surprisingly enough) Bobby Mackey. He wanted us to come back and investigate, although the GAC had been there twice before. I agreed at once, though maybe I should've taken it back when I looked up the history. This was some info I'd found:

Pearl Bryan's cousin and close friend, William Wood, had recently introduced her to Scott Jackson, who was then attending the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati. He and Wood, who was then attending medical school at DePauw University, became close friends but unbeknownst to Wood, Jackson was an alleged member of the occult group that met the former slaughterhouse in Wilder. Jackson's family was as well-to-do as the Bryan's and so he was immediately accepted as a suitor for Pearl. He soon seduced her however and she became pregnant. Pearl turned to Wood, who in turn, informed Jackson of the problem. He made arrangements to remedy the situation with an abortion in Cincinnati. She met with Jackson and his roommate, Alonzo Walling, in Cincinnati. She was at that time five months pregnant. Jackson first tried to induce an abortion using chemicals, apparently cocaine. After that, he tried to use dental tools, but botched that as well. After an hour or so, Jackson and Walling has a frightened, injured and bleeding young woman on their hands. The three of them left Cincinnati and traveled across the Ohio River and into Kentucky. Jackson took them to a secluded spot near Fort Thomas and here, he and Walling murdered Pearl Bryan. Using dental instruments, they severed her head from her body. Pearl's body was found about two hundred feet off the Alexandria Turnpike and less than two miles from the abandoned slaughterhouse. Pearl's luxurious blond hair was later found in a valise in Jackson's room. Pearl's head was never found and legend has it that it was used during a satanic ritual at the slaughterhouse. It was then dumped into the well of blood and was lost.

The building re-opened as another nightclub called the Latin Quarter. It was also during this period that the legends of the building gained another vengeful ghost. According to the stories, the owner of the club's daughter, Johanna, fell in love with one of the singers who was performing there and became pregnant. Her father was furious. Thanks to his criminal connections, he had the singer killed. Johanna became so distraught that she attempted to poison her father and then succeeded in taking her own life. Her body was later discovered in the now infamous basement... and according to the autopsy report; she was five months pregnant at the time. Bad luck continued to plague the owners of the tavern. Finally, the building was turned into the popular bar and dance club that it is today. Bobby and Janet Mackey purchased the building in the spring of 1978 with the intention of turning it into a country bar. Mackey was a well-known as a singer in northern Kentucky and had recorded several albums. He actually scrapped his plans to record in Nashville in order to renovate the old tavern. Once the bar was opened up, it immediately began to attract a crowd. Despite a number of years success with the place though, the good times have never been able to erase the "taint" caused by the history of murder and death. Bobby Mackey's Music World remains stained with blood, from the ghosts of its past."

I gulped. Each of the women that had died there had been five months pregnant. -Gulp- what if when we got around to going that's how far along I was? If that happened, I'd probably be possessed by one of the female's ghosts. Zak had though the same, and reasoned that I shouldn't go. Every time he brought that up, I'd tell him to shut up and kiss him right after. Sometimes he'd play along with it and gently kiss me back, but most times this wasn't much more than wrapping his arms around my back to hold me. He'd stopped biting me and massaging my hips while we kissed just because he was afraid he might do something to the baby. I only huffed, he was going all 'I'm not gonna get rough because you're expecting' on me. Well, I'd have to get used to it for awhile yet. If I carried the baby that far...I mean, if I did end up going to Bobby Mackey's.

(Zak's POV)

I wasn't going to endanger Kenzi's life, as well as our baby's. Not when what happened to me could truly do some damage to her if the spirits decided she was a trigger object. I'd only been scratched. What if worse happened to her? Still, we had to investigate. Admist all this, the song that suited how our lives had been going was the Cure's It's Friday I'm In Love.

Kenzi wanted to wait until she thought if the worse case scenario happened, the baby would be able to handle it. When she was about seven and a half months along, she finally promised to not get into trouble and to alert the others if something went wrong. Satisfied with her promise, we headed to Bobby Mackey's in Wilder, Kentucky. Brittany and Aaron were unable to come, as she'd just had the baby, and they wanted to stay home. Emily, Nick, Kenzi and I continued on. If only we knew what was going to happen while we were there.

(Kenzi's POV)

The investigation had gone smoothly and as planned until we reached the basement area in the room adjacent to the well. This was (as the locals called it) 'the portal to hell'. It was here that all of a sudden I felt sick. Just over a minute later, I had collapsed onto my knees clutching my stomach, whimpering softly. Zak was at my side almost instantly.

"What's wrong, Kenzi?" he asked, his voice clouded with concern and urgency.

"It's – ah! – n-nothing. I just – oh – must be – ooh – picking up Pearl and Joha – AH! – nna's energy." I panted, trying to keep my breathing steady as I felt a burning sensation all around my abdomen. When Zak had been scratched, he'd felt a burning sensation. What if mine was worse? I took a deep breath, standing up.

"Zak. Y'know how you felt that burning on your back when you got scratched?" I asked weakly.

"Yes. Why? Oh, no…don't tell me you think you just got attacked. Are you trying to say that?" he asked. I nodded.

"Okay. Nick, take it off night vision. Emily, where's my flashlight?" Zak nearly barked at my best friend. Wow, he really was worried. Otherwise he'd never talk to her like that. So I sat down and leaned up against the wall, being careful to steady my breathing so I wouldn't faint if I had indeed been attacked.

"Kenzi, love, pull your shirt up. Where'd it burn?" Zak asks, kneeling next to me. I was actually scared enough now to the point where tears had clouded my vision.

"My stomach. The front, l-like where we n-normally feel t-the baby kicking." I choked out.

"Don't let her be hurt. If she is…I'll never forgive myself." I heard Zak whisper under his breath as he lifted my shirt. I looked, and nearly fainted. All around the front of my stomach were little red lines and gauge marks. From what, though? Zak cautiously traced one and after that looked at his finger. It was blood, just enough to let us know I'd been scratched, well, attacked rather, by something.

"Wait." Emily said gently. "Didn't you say Pearl had an abortion that ended up being botched and caused her death? What if this is the ghosts of Alonzo and Scott thinking Kenzi is Pearl and they're trying to perform on her?" I looked at my best friend, nodding silently. It made sense. Just then, the four of us all heard a loud growl from right behind me. I jumped, and flew into Zak, his arms wrapping around me to hold me tight. He just kissed my hair; his hands pulling my shirt back down so it covered the marks we'd just discovered, murmuring reassurance, like I'd just had a nightmare instead of discovering two ghosts had just attacked me. But he was also trying to calm himself down as well.

"Sshh. Love, it's alright. I've got you. They can't hurt you. They're just ghosts. They're dead."

(Zak's POV)

Or so I thought. My wife had been hurt, and I was afraid if anything else happened she'd be mentally scarred for life. Well, she already believed, didn't she? I still didn't want to think about how much worse it could get. I heard Kenzi's sharp intake of breath as her hands tightened their grip; she now was clinging to me as though something really scared her. And maybe it had. Things only got more complicated as I realized I was scared as well, not just for myself, but for her. And the baby.

"What's wrong, love? Does it burn again?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. She shook her head, biting her lip.

"They're talking to me." She said, face expressionless.

(Kenzi's POV)

I could hear the soft whispers, of a female, as though she was standing right next to me. She struck me as a motherly figure, one who wouldn't harm me. I let go of Zak, and began to wonder, like he'd done at Preston Castle.

"Where's she going?" I heard Emily ask.

"Don't know." Nick said.

"Kenzi? Baby, where are you…Johanna, no…don't do that to yourself. You could've still had the baby. I would have still loved you, regardless." Zak had started talking to me, but then it sounded like someone else. He'd called me Johanna. Wait a sec. Robert Randall! He had been Johanna's boyfriend, and they'd been expecting a baby before her father killed him which led to her poisoning herself and their unborn child. Holy shit. Did that mean Zak was getting possessed again? Here we go…I thought, wondering deeper into the basement.

"Take a walk with me." I heard the female voice say. I followed her lead, as she started a conversation.

"Why did you come here? You are living. My boyfriend wants that baby of yours, too. He'll try to kill you, and your friends. I am Pearl Bryan. You are?"

"Kenzi Bagans. My husband has been possessed by Robert Randall. Is Johanna nearby where she can get him to stop?"

"For you, she'd gladly help. You see we both lost our babies before they were born. We'll try to keep Scott and Alonzo away from you, if we can."

"It's too late." I lifted my shirt, showing the entity what marks had been left. I felt cold fingertips gently touching the spots where the damage was the worst.

"Oh, honey. This is horrible! Is your baby okay?"

"I-I think s-so. I'm due in about two months so…AH!" I cringed, doubling over and grabbing my stomach. It felt like I'd been shot. I panted, letting the sensation pass.

"Well, maybe I'm due sooner." I said, realizing the grisly fact. If I couldn't be killed, they'd make sure I was in extreme pain. And the only way Alonzo and Scott could manage that…was if they forced me into labor, forced me to have the baby tonight.

(Zak's POV)

I followed Kenzi as best I could, Nick and Emily behind me. I heard a male's voice talk to me as I ran about, searching for her.

"You know of Alonzo and Scott, yes? They want the child she carries. They can't kill her, so they want her in extreme pain. They will force the unthinkable." I thought for a minute. Wait. The ghosts were going to force my wife…into something that wasn't supposed to happen. If I was right, they were going to force her body into having the baby here. It was the only thing I could think of that would put her in a world of hurt.

"How do you know?" I asked aloud.

"My friends have talked to her. They know. Pearl and Johanna will try to keep her calm while it happens and try to stop Alonzo and Scott. I can guide you, as I was never able to truly guide my girlfriend before it was too late." I got the sense I was talking to Robert Randall, as he'd died before Johanna. He led me through the halls, and I finally found Kenzi. She sat against the wall, her legs criss-crossed like how a little kid sits in kindergarten, her hands placed over her swollen stomach, protectively. I immediately got to her side, kneeling beside her, cupping her cheek with my hand.

"Oh, Kenzi. I'm so sorry. This was a bad idea."

"N-no. Zak, i-it's m-my f-fault. I s-should h-have listened to y-you w-when you said t-to n-not go." She stuttered, pulling my face closer to hers to kiss me. She shivered; I could see the goosebumps rising on her silky skin. She broke the kiss suddenly, leaning forward and grabbing her stomach as soft cries of 'ah!' and 'ooh…' escaped her lips. Then I knew for sure.

"It's the baby, isn't it?" I asked. She only nodded, her composure finally breaking as she buried her head into my shoulder, sobbing. I didn't try to calm her this time. Because fear and regret had gotten its claws around both our hearts and it wasn't letting them go.

(Kenzi's POV)

I lifted my head, and looked into Zak's hazel-green eyes. They burned with regret, we shouldn't have come here after all. Mine were full of tears, and I was trembling as the contractions I was experiencing grew stronger as my body set to work the impossible. I took a deep breath and tried to stand up. But to my surprise, Zak stopped me.

"I know." He said softly, leaning in to kiss me. "But you can't move much. If you do…this could get worse. I'll carry you." He whispered against me, picking me up to cradle me against his chest, holding me careful enough to not injure me farther.

"Nick, call Carl and the paramedics. We have to get out of here before it's too late." Carl had locked us in, and we obviously needed paramedics for when the baby came. I moaned, closing my eyes as the motion of Zak walking steadied me. I felt a cool hand across my forehead, and I heard a man's voice that must've been Robert Randall's.

"She won't make it that far. Alonzo and Scott are going to make her worse. You've got to get out. Now."

"But Robbie, how will they? Scott and Alonzo will do everything to keep them here." I heard Johanna say.

"My love, do not worry. Buck and I can protect them and lead them out. You and Pearl just keep the girl calm and help her balance the pain. Tonight, she'll experience pain far greater then anything we went through while we were alive." I whimpered softly at hearing this, and began to shiver violently.

"Z-zak…they're r-right. I'm g-getting worse. I feel l-like I have a f-fever t-that's r-really h-high…" I trailed off, mumbling sleepily. Zak only adjusted his grip on me, kissed my forehead and said softly, "But we'll get out of this, don't worry. I'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again." I tried to open my eyes, but they just seemed so heavy. But then I felt another jolt of pain run through me, and I yelped, grinding my teeth to try to stop the sound. I could almost see Pearl shaking her head as I heard her whisper, "Honey, don't hold back. You're only going to be in pain like this once in your life. So go ahead and scream, they'll understand." I wish I could take those words to heart, but I didn't want Zak thinking something else had happened, or I'd gotten way worse then I already was.

"Well, what do we have here? Girl, you don't look so good. Baby on the way?" A male's voice snickered in front of Zak and I. I felt Zak tense, so instead of letting him say anything, I just growled for him.

"Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling, you bastards. Do you know what you're doing to me?" I growled. I heard a disembodied laugh that sounding like it was mocking me from somewhere in front of me.

"Why the hell are you asking me that? You know damn well it's my fault."

"What's it to you?" Zak asked, readjusting his grip on me again as he must've heard my breath catch as I tried to steady myself due to the fact another contraction had hit.

"Ah!...Oooh, ow…ow….ah…Z-Zak, baby, it's getting worse. T-The -ah- contractions aren't –ah- as far apart as they w-were. And I…when I was t-talking to P-Pearl, my - ooh - w-water broke. It's n-not long now. I c-can feel i-it."

"Right. Then we need to get you out of here."

(Zak's POV)

I've never seen Kenzi like this. Even through Poveglia, she'd never been put in this much pain. So I knew what I had to do.

"Hey Robert Randall, Buck, you guys there?" I called.

"At your service." A friendly but gruff male voice answered.

"Scott and Alonzo are keeping us trapped here. I'm with two friends, and my wife is in labor. Can you help us out?"

"Always." But it was not just one voice that answered, but four. Johanna, Pearl, Robert, and Buck had our backs.

"Buck, you've gotta unlock the door. You're the only one who can reach it. Pearl and Johanna will stay with the girl. I will bargain with Scott and Alonzo." Robert began. Beginning to start again, he was cut off.

"But Robbie, you can't. Scott and Alonzo…they'll…they'll…" But he had cut her off.

"Love, I am already dead. What more can they do? And besides, life upsets death. If this young lady does indeed give deliverance to new life on the property, maybe the misfortune of Scott and Alonzo's torments will stop affecting us. As long as they are out of the basement I will consider this a victory." He finished. Johanna sighed.

"Fine. Have it your-" Johanna was cut off by Kenzi's unmistakably agonized scream.

"AAHH! Z-Zak! I-it's – OW – b-bad n-now. We have to get o-out of h-here!"

"Buck, girls, now!" Robert yelled, and the four split, Buck guiding us, Robert heading toward Scott and Alonzo, and Pearl and Johanna coming near me to comfort Kenzi.

"Let's go." Said Buck. I smiled in spite of what was going on, this meant there truly was life after this. Buck lead us to the doors where we were locked in, and then we heard a shuffling sound outside.

"Zak? Nick? Emily, Kenzi? You guys there?" Carl asked.

"OH THANK GOD!" Kenzi yelled. In that second, Carl flung the door open and we saw paramedics had already parked by us.

"Thanks. You're not gonna believe the shit that just happened in there." I said, laughing a little.

"Oh believe me, I will. I was possessed myself a few years ago inside there." Carl and I exchanged a 'I've-been-there' glance, but it was broken by Kenzi's scream. Again.

"ZACHARY ALEXANDER BAGANS, I'M IN AAHH PAIN HERE!"

"Oh boy. That ambulance as fast as I think? We don't have much time."

(Nick's POV)

I had to smile at how Kenzi was yelling at my best friend. It was classic. Course, as every little kid'll tell you, once the middle name comes out, it means trouble. Kenzi had clearly stated Zak's, so he was definitely in for it. Oh well. Within minutes we were all in the back of an ambulance, Kenzi on a stretcher with Zak sitting next to her, her hand grasping his, his other running through her hair.

"Kenzi, remember when we were younger how we tried to see who could hit higher notes with Paramore's Misery Business?" Emily asked. Kenzi nodded and smiled through her pain, remembering.

"Well, if you need to scream, pretend we're playing that game, okay?" Again Kenzi nodded, but her face contorted in pain. Zak leaned over and kissed her forehead, murmuring 'It's alright's' and 'Love yous' as her pain ebbed away. A playful spark was shinning in her eyes as she teased him, "You know this is all your fault, right?" I coughed to hide a laugh, that sentence was brilliant of her. But Zak just smiled and kissed her on the lips, "Yeah, baby, I know it is."

(Emily's POV)

We got into the hospital, and they got Kenzi all set up and stuff in a delivery room. She'd wanted just Zak with her, and I could understand why. Besides, I wasn't feeling that good myself, and I needed a break. So Nick and I sat in the lobby, just talking. It seemed like hours had passed before either of us spoke.

"Kenzi's probably in a lot of pain right now." I said simply. He smiled.

"Yeah, but…can you imagine how Zak's handling it? He's the real victim. Aaron said when Brittany was delivering that he couldn't feel his hand for two hours afterward. And Brittany's not that strong. I mean, Kenzi's got more on her. Think about that." He said mockingly. It was my turn to smile. We hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday, as we had to prepare for the lockdown. Motioning to the food court, Nick got up and told the receptionist to page him if something came up. And we headed for food. The hospital food court had good food, so I got a salad, a pretzel (extra salt!) and two cartons of white milk. Nick got one of those deli sandwiches; I think it was a turkey club. As we were sitting down and eating, all of a sudden he asked me, "Hey Emily, do you want kids someday?" I coughed and tried not to choke, as this had taken me totally by surprise.

"Well, we're only in our late twenties-early thirties. I can't see how it would hurt. Well, minus the sleepless nights, the endless crying and money involved." I added with a laugh.

"So say it's our fifth anniversary. Would you want kids then?" I smiled.

"Nick, I could handle kids now. It's just…after seeing Kenzi like that, I'm not so sure."

"Oh…okay. Well, keep it in mind."

(Zak's POV)

"You did amazing, Kenzi." I said, leaning down to kiss her. Her eyes were closed and her head was surrounded by pillows. A cool cloth still rested on her forehead. She smiled and sighed with relief, saying softly, "Sorry about your hand." I grinned. True, I couldn't feel it. But what did it matter? In my arms I held a bundle of pink blankets. Our baby girl. She was born about 15 minutes earlier, and was normally size (13 in., 7 ¾ lbs.) despite being born two months early. And she was the only thing that existed in that moment.

(Kenzi's POV)

Wow. Hearing the baby start crying was perhaps one thing I'm never going to forget. I opened my eyes, turning my head to see Zak sitting in a chair next to the bed, and bundle of pink blankets in his arms. I smiled; he was going to be a great father. I began to hum something, as Zak handed me our baby. It was "Wonder" by Natalie Merchant.

"I love you." I whispered. He looked up, his hazel-green eyes the brightest I'd ever seen.

"I love you, too, Kenzi. But what are we going to name her?" I took a moment to think.

"What about our middle names. Alexander has a girl form, and Joan is well, Joan. Alexandra-Joan. What about that?"

"Only if I can call her AJ." Zak said, still grinning like an idiot.

"And besides, the J can double for Johanna." This time I grinned.

"But what about a middle name?" Zak asked. We both thought, and said at the same time, "Pearl."

But somehow, I had Bobby Mackey's Johanna running through my head. And started humming it, Zak catching on and laughing in response.

(Nick's POV)

I was just about to get another soda when my cell rang. It was Zak.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Nick, get Emily and come to Kenzi's room. We've got someone we want you to meet." I smiled, hanging up and signaling Emily. And together we raced to Kenzi's room.

"Kenzi? Zak?" I asked softly.

"Sshhh. The baby's asleep. Finally calmed down. Kenzi's somewhat awake, but she's been slipping in and out." He led us into the room, where Kenzi lay in bed, a small bundle of pink blankets in her arms. So she'd had a girl. Wow.

"Guys, meet Alexandra-Joan "AJ" Pearl Bagans." Zak said, grinning from ear to ear. I laughed, congratulating him. And for once, everything was alright in the world.