All recognizable characters in this fic are property of Showtime. I claim ownership only to the story written and any characters not recognized (OC).

Season 8, Episode 3: Blood Never Lies

"Pregnant?"

Dexter heard himself breath that single word while the magnitude of it was still sinking in. His eyes were wide. Just like when Rita had announced Harrison's impending arrival, he felt blindsided.

Hannah was studying his face carefully. Her bloody fingers began to fidget nervously. She could not tell how he felt about her confession. She was uneasy. Her mind citing back to her husband rejection of their unborn baby. She made him pay for that. Was the nightmare of her past repeating itself yet again? There was a moment of silence before she decided to reply to him.

"I think I am. I've been late as of the end of December. I was going to tell you on Christmas, but then after everything went to shit..." Hannah trailed off, lowering her eyes as she frowned.

She had played the turn of events over and over again in her mind. Dexter taking her to task over her poisoning Debra's bottle of water had been the cause of their first fight. Hannah had told him to decide what he wanted, and when he had arrived at her nursery on Christmas Day, she had thought he had chosen her and their future together. She had been ready to tell him about her possible pregnancy when she saw that look of betrayal in his eyes. Her heart was shattered and all he could say was that he was sorry before she was led away.

"You should have told me there was even a possibility when I came to see you in prison. Why did you wait until now?" Dex asked back narrowing his eyes.

Hannah scoffed. She used the back of one of her hands to wipe away the tears from her face. She then shook her head before going on to explain:

"You had me arrested. The last thing on my mind was telling you that there was a possibility I was pregnant. Besides, you had made it very clear that there was no future for us. You were going to let me spend the rest of my life behind bars. I did what I had to do to escape."

"And then you left a black orchid on my doorstep. Am I suppose to believe that was a parting gift?"

A corner of her mouth pulled taunt. She smirked at him; surprised that he had not figured out the significance of the plant that she had particularly chosen to leave for him to find.

"The black orchid: symbol of absolute power and fertility." muttered Hannah. Her words were followed by a quick eyebrow raise.

"Absolute power? I guess you feel pretty powerful after being able to fake a seizure to escape custody." Morgan commented, returning a smirk. He was going on what Deb had told him about her escape, since Hannah hadn't filled him in on the details.

She sighed, biting gently on the side of her lip before she opened her mouth to correct him. She spoke in a soft voice that sounded hesitant to reveal the truth.

"I didn't fake it..."

Her admission caused Dexter to shoot her a look of disbelief. His mouth parted slightly while he began to wonder what had caused a seizure at such an opportune time. Hannah could see him trying to make sense of it. She decided to enlighten him with the details of her planned escape.

"It was all part of the plan that I set up with Arlene. I gave her detailed instructions on how much aconite to put in a capsule and she slipped it in my hand at my arraignment at the court house. It was just enough to trigger the seizure."

Hannah's account of events caused Dexter's jaw to drop even further. He couldn't believe that a woman who believed she might be carrying a child would intentionally poison herself in an attempt to escape.

"You trusted a drug addict to measure the amount of poison you put into your body? That's completely crazy, weren't you worried about what effect that could of had on the baby if you are pregnant? Not to mention if Arlene would have given you too much, you would have died." Dex pointed out in a low voice that was underlined with a bit of anger.

His judgment of her decision caused Hannah to lean forward and sneer while defending the action she had taken:

"I had no other choice! It was the only chance I had of escaping and I took it! And if I am pregnant, you know I'd never be able to keep a baby while behind bars! I was willing to take the risk!"

Dexter drew in a deep breath and then quickly moved to crouch in front of her before making his rebuttal:

"You would have had other options of you would have told me."

Hannah closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them, they darted away from his gaze. How quickly he had forgotten their conversation in the visiting area of the prison.

"You were intent on making sure I knew that Debra came before any future we could have together. Having a baby with me would only come between you and your sister. You chose your sister over me, and I was afraid that if I told you, you'd want me to get rid of it. I won't do that, Dexter." She confessed as her blue eyes began to glaze over with tears.

Dex was surprised by her words. He exhaled, blinking his eyes a few times looking away from her as he thought about the best way to respond.

"I would never ask you to do that. I'm not Jake. You know that." He whispered back before returning his gaze to her.

Hannah pursed her lips slightly while a tear began to stream down her face.

"Do I?" She breathed back with an eyebrow raise, "You also once said that you would never land me in jail like Wayne."

"How could I ever foresee what was going to happen between you and Deb? Giving her the evidence to arrest you was one of the hardest things I ever had to do...Next to killing my brother." admitted Dexter, feeling himself getting choked up.

Hannah's mouth parted open in response to him confiding in her that he had murdered his own brother. Her brilliant blue eyes shifted away for a moment before returning focus on him.

Dex frowned as his eyes widened. He couldn't believe that he just brought up Brian. He hadn't thought of him in over a year and now the conversation was surely going to shift from talking about a possible pregnancy to the murder of big brother Biney.

"Why did you kill him?" She inquired softly.

Hannah was, of course, curious rather than horrified to learn that her lover had taken out his own sibling. Too bad he wasn't for doing the same to his sister.

Dex closed his eyes and was about to divulge how he had to sacrifice his brother, Brian, for his foster sister, Debra, when Hannah amazingly answered herself:

"Because of Deb?"

Dexter's eyes connected with hers, slowly he began to nod his head. It was amazing how easily she could figure him out. She understood him and what he had been through in his life. Before even thinking about it, Dex heard himself begin to explain why his brother had to die by his hand.

"My older brother, Brian, was the Ice Truck Killer. We had been separated after witnessing our mother's murder, but he found me. Brian accepted my need to kill, because he had it too. He wanted me to be free like him. The freedom to kill whomever I wanted without a code. Brian tried to prove his point by attempting to kill Deb, so I put him down..." Dexter trailed off as he began to get teary eyed. He quickly began to try and shake off his emotions.

She reflected a look of sadness before she slowly closed the distance between them, bringing her forehead to his.

"I killed Biney, my real brother, who I was born in blood with, for my adopted sister who will never fully understand or accept me." Dexter heard himself confess in a mutter as tears streamed down his face.

His thoughts and feelings about murdering his brother all those years ago were rising to the surface, and spilling out of his mouth.

Hannah instinctively sat back after hearing for the first time that Debra Morgan was not Dexter's biological sibling. She couldn't believe that he could have so much profound loyalty to a woman who wasn't even his blood, regardless of whether or not he grew up with her. With her newfound knowledge of Brian, she now knew that she wasn't the first person that Dex had to sacrifice being with for the sake of Deb. Perhaps she should've considered herself lucky that he had put her in jail instead of killing her.

"Dexter, if you know that Deb will never accept who you are, then why do you keep putting her before your chances to be happy? Why do you feel like you owe her that if she's not even really your sibling?" challenged Hannah as she looked her lover directly in the eyes.

Dex let out a deep sigh before bringing both of his hands to his face. He needed to get himself together. With everything he had on his plate right now, this was the most inopportune time to be exploring his complicated feelings about his older brother and how he had killed him for Debra. Hannah was asking all the right questions. They were the same ones that were now swirling around in his mind. His head was pounding and he knew he had to get out of there.

"Stay here and get yourself cleaned up. Do not leave this motel room." He finally muttered, getting to his feet.

"Where are you going?" She immediately asked him with curiosity, standing up to meet him.

"The closest store to get supplies. I'll dismember the body right here in the room then wait until nightfall to move the six hefty bags out to my car."

"Can you get me something to eat while you're out? I'm starving." requested Hannah. She looked to not be phased at all by the gruesome prospect of having to witness him disposing of the body. Despite the fact that she had killed her attacker, her hunger had not wavered.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be back as soon as I can." He breathed before making his exit.

Upon exiting the motel room, Dexter took a quick moment to go into the manager's office and turn the business sign over to 'Closed". He also did away with the manager's hat and the bags of snacks. These items were the only evidence of the struggle outside and they would no longer be a problem as they were now inside the motel room. Harry was standing right outside room four when Dex reemerged.

Harry: "What just happened in there?"

"Which part? The killing of the motel manager, Hannah telling me that she's pregnant, or me letting it slip to Hannah that I killed my brother for my foster sister?"

Dexter immediately began to walk toward his Ford Escape while imaginary Harry followed after him.

Harry: "Do I have to pick one? This just proves that you should have left Hannah alone once you found out she had escaped. It's obvious now that the orchid she left you was to manipulate you into finding her. Son, you don't even know if she really is pregnant."

"It makes sense that she is. We were together practically every night leading up to when she tried to kill Deb. I can understand why she was afraid to tell me. The last time she was put into this situation she was rejected by her husband and miscarried."

Dexter climbed into the drive seat of his SUV. As he brought his keys to the ignition and cranked it, Harry got into the passenger seat and continued to speak to him:

Harry: "You're assuming, Dexter. A lot of women fake a pregnancy in an attempt to hold onto a relationship that will never work out. Why not Hannah? Don't let your feelings for her cloud your judgment. You need to be certain that she's telling the truth. You should pick up a pregnancy test and watch her take it. It's the only way to be sure moving forward."

Dex let out a deep sigh as he griped his steering wheel, letting his father's words sink in. Harry did have a point. He did need to have proof that Hannah was carrying his child. Whether or not it was so would directly affect his course of action.

" A qualitative blood panel would be able to detect if there is a presence of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in her blood. My kit is in the back of the Escape, I can get a sample from her and test it in the lab. I'll know by the end of the day."

Dexter drove to a Large Mart he had seen that was located right off the main highway. Luckily for him, the parking lot was sparse thanks to the many good citizens of Florida who were working.

"Large Mart. "We'll have whatever you need at a discount price, guaranteed", so the slogan says. "

Dex wasted no time wheeling a cart up and down the aisles, collecting the essentials: hefty bags, plastic sheets, rubber gloves, smock, new bed sheets, and a Black & Decker electric handsaw. And of course, he then began to fill the cart with some normal everyday items so that his purchases didn't scream "I just killed someone and need to clean it up".

Dexter felt completely clueless about what size clothing to buy for Hannah. He had never bought clothing for his wife, Rita, let alone any other female. With a look of confusion, he held up a pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt to figure out if it would fit her. He shrugged slightly before tossing both into the cart along with a few other articles of clothing.

"Find everything alright today, sir?" The clerk asked while he began scanning each one of the items at checkout.

"Yup." piped Dex as he flashed a fake smile while reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

"Got a messy project you're working on?" The employee then asked, noting the plastic sheets and garbage bags before bagging them.

"You have no idea." Morgan replied with a smirk.

Miami Metro's homicide division was bustling with activity. The double homicide from the crime scene earlier that morning was everyone's top priority, well, everyone except Debra. She had herself sequestered in her office while doing her best to turn up a lead on Hannah McKay.

"Bueno, asegúrese de que nadie los toca el coche, vamos a estar allí. Muchas gracias." Angel said into the office phone receiver before hanging up.

"What's up, do we have a lead?" Quinn asked the Sergeant when he saw that the call had ended.

"Sí, Dexter was right on the money when he told us to reach out to the salvage yards in the area that have been previously investigated for connections grand theft auto. I just spoke to the owner of one of the local yards, Julio Ramirez, who received an automobile with the same plates, make, and model, as the one registered to the victim, Audrey Jenner."

"That's good news, chances are that the guy who fenced the car is the killer. This is the break we needed. Should we tell Deb?" questioned Joey as he got up from his desk.

Batista glanced over the Lieutenant's office before looking back at Detective Quinn.

"No, I'm going to take on the responsibility and head this investigation. You saw how Deb reacted at the crime scene. She's been an emotional mess since Maria was murdered."

"So much for retirement, huh?"

"I'd rather be here right now anyway, it keeps my mind off of Maria's murder. A shark has to keep swimming to stay alive."

" Do you need me to head down to the salvage yard?" Joseph offered.

"No, I'm on it. It's better that I deal with the owner, since you barely know any Espaniol. I'll take Masuka with me to do a forensic sweep on the car. Do me a favor and check in on Deb."

"You do know that she's just going to end up tell me to go fuck myself and to get out of her office, right?" Joey commented, pointing his thumb in the direction of the Lieutenant office.

"Wouldn't be the first time. Just try and talk to her, okay? The two of you have a history, maybe she will confide in you." encouraged Angel, giving a swift pat to Quinn's arm.

Joey sighed and then gave a nod. He reached behind him, scratching the back of his head while watching Sergeant Batista walk off to go and grab Vince Masuka from his lab station.

Quinn decided that there was no sense and putting off going to Debra's office. Upon approaching the door, he had to stop himself for simply walking in. Debra had been promoted to Lieutenant over a year ago, yet he still sometimes had trouble remembering that she was his superior. He knocked on the door and awaiting a response from inside. When he heard nothing after a few moments, he opened the door and walk inside.

Lieutenant Morgan looked away from her computer screen and over at Quinn the moment he entered her office.

"You ever heard of knocking, Quinn?" Deb hissed, giving him a look to show how annoyed she was by him interrupting her work.

"Uh, I did. What are you doing in here? You missed this morning's briefing." Joey questioned, he placed both hands on her desk and leaned in, awaiting her reply.

"I'm sure Batista handled it just fine. I'm busting my ass to chase down a lead on Hannah McKay. I stopped by Arlene Shram's house after the crime scene this morning and she refused to talk to me. I guaran-fucking-tee you that she's been in contact with Hannah. I think I have enough probable cause to get a judge to sign off on allowing me access to Shram's cell phone records." explained Debra pointing at her computer screen before continuing:

"I'm going to nail that bitch to the wall like she's on a fucking crucifix." Deb promised looking down at a picture of Hannah's mug shot from her arrest that was in her police file.

"Hannah McKay, the woman you accused of the double homicide from this morning?" asked Joseph with a smirk causing Morgan to narrow her eyes.

"What's your fucking point, Joey?"

"Batista and Masuka are following up a lead on the case. Turns out the killer took victims' car to a salvage yard to fence it for quick cash. There goes your theory of Hannah murdering the mother and child for a getaway car." He chuckled folding his arms.

Debra's mouth gaped open. She used both hands to tuck strains of her brown hair behind her ears. It was quite clear now that she was wrong about the murders. She would have to accept that. What she wasn't willing to do was forget the fact that Hannah was on the run. She had been the one to arrest her for the murder of Sal. It was only right that she take on the responsibility of putting her back behind bars. Not to mention the fact that it was Hannah who tried to kill her.

"So she didn't commit the double homicide, that doesn't change the fact that she's a killer. I'm not going to give up until I find her and her murdering ass in back behind bars." promised Debra as she resumed her focus back on her computer screen.

"You're kind of taking this a little too personal, don't ya think? I mean, she was your brother's girl. I would think you would want to let someone else handle it out of respect for him and what he's going through." Quinn pointed out. Ever since Dexter saved his ass after the Stan Liddy murder he had been accused of, he felt like he owed him.

"Respect for Dexter?" She scoffed slightly with a forced laugh. How fucked up was that? She wanted to scream in his face that she had done more for her brother than he could ever imagine, but she had to refrain from doing so.

"Yeah, I've got a lot of respect for a lab geek who was able to land a woman as hot as Hannah McKay. I'm just saying." joked Joey cracking a smile while shrugging his shoulders.

Deb shot Detective Quinn her best "eat shit and die" face before she opened her mouth to comment on what had been his lame excuse at humor.

"God, your such a fucking guy! All you bastards ever do is think with your dicks, meanwhile, innocent people are getting killed..."

Her words trailed off as she began to lose her composure. The fact that seemingly every guy in Miami was enamored with Hannah McKay's beauty, despite her deadly reputation, infuriated Debra. Unlike the male officers of Miami Metro, she knew exactly what Hannah was: a liar and a killer who would come after her and her family.

Quinn's smile quickly faded when he saw her begin to cry. He immediately began to feel sympathetic to the woman who was not only his superior, but was also his former lover who he had once asked to marry him.

"Deb, I'm sorry, I was just kidding around. I didn't mean to upset you." He apologized in a voice that was quite sincere.

Joey moved toward her, going around to her side of the desk. Gently, he placed his hand on her back causing her to finally respond to him.

"I'm just so fucking stressed out." sobbed Morgan while she tried her best to stifle her tears. She didn't want to give her co-workers anymore of a reason to think that she wasn't fit for the Lieutenant shield.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Debra wiped away her tears and sighed. As nice as his offer was, there was no way she could confide in him. The burden of the murder she had committed was hers and hers alone. Her brother was the only other person that knew about it. Dexter was the one who she should be able to turn to for support; but where the hell was he?

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. You should get back to work." She whispered finally getting her emotion in check.

Quinn gave a nod before taking his leave. It was when she was alone again in her office that she reached into the top right draw of her desk and pulled out her bottle of pills. This was how she was going to get through the day.

Dexter had to knock on the motel room door a few times before Hannah answered it. She was wearing only a towel that was wrapped around her torso as she stepped out of the doorway and allowed him room to enter.

"I hope you don't mind fast food for lunch. I didn't think to pick up any food while I was at Large Mart." Dex commented setting the paper bag and drink down onto the small table that was up against the window that was covered by the drapes.

"God no, at this point I'll eat anything." She quickly replied moving to remove the food from the bag.

Hannah immediately sat down at the table and began eating while Dex started carrying in the bags of his purchases and his forensic kit from the SUV. Despite the fact that there was still a large dead body lying in the bed only a few feet away, she had no trouble devouring her meal.

"I bought you a few pairs of new clothing. Hopefully it all fits. So when you get finished eating, you can get dressed. I'll need what you were wearing."

"Okay, thanks." She said with a mouthful of food. A quick sip of her drink and she swallowed before speaking again.

"What's your blood spatter kit doing in here? I didn't think you needed that to get rid of a dead body." inquired Hannah, giving a nod toward where he had set his kit on the carpet floor.

"I've got my spray bottle of Luminol in there. It will help me ensure that I don't miss any blood during the clean up. The last thing we need is for this to become a crime scene." Dexter explained while taking that moment to open up his kit and put on a pair of latex gloves.

He dug around and then removed a packaged syringed, needle, and a plastic test tube. McKay immediately noticed the items and it caused her to narrow her eyes. Before she could question him, he gave a response.

"I also need to get a blood sample from you. I'm going to test it in the lab for the pregnancy hormone, HCG. I can get the results by the end of the day."

"You know, most people just buy one of those pee sticks." She mentioned with a smile. She then took another sip from her drink's straw.

"We're definitely not most people." Dex muttered while tearing open the plastic packaging. . He inserted the sterile needle into place before speaking again.

"I'm the blood guy, remember?"

His brown eyes focused intently on the complete syringe he now had in his grasp.

"The syringe: just holding it in my hand gives me a rush, as if it's filled with Etorphine, and I'm about to immobilize my prey from the shadows. I have to remind myself that I'm not on the hunt."

"Can we get this over with?" Hannah asked somewhat impatiently. She wasn't thrill with the fact that she was going to have a needle jabbed into her arm.

Dexter broke his gaze and then nodded in his lover's direction. He bent back down to retrieve a disposable tourniquet from his kit.

"You really have everything in that kit, don't you?" She commented with an eyebrow raise, holding out her left arm out to him.

"Always be prepared." Morgan said with a smile as he wrapped the band around her arm. "I'll be quick."

"I hope you do a better job drawing blood than you do performing a DNA swab." joked Hannah as her mouth stretched into a smile. Her playful smart ass remark made him chuckle.

She winced slightly as the needle punctured the vein at her antecubital. Her blue eyes focused intently as the syringe began to fill with her blood. Dexter's mouth gaped open slightly and he breathed in. He too was watching intently as the tube of the syringe became completely red. Slowly, he backed the needle out of her skin causing a red dot of blood to form from the puncture site.

"Here, use this to put soft pressure on it to stop the bleeding." Dex directed handing her one of the napkins that came with her meal.

Hannah followed his instructions and she watched as he deposited her blood into the plastic test tube before capping it off and putting everything back into to the kit.

"You should get dressed now so you can leave the room. It's going to get very messy." He warned while beginning to unpack his plastic sheets and hefty bags.

"I can help. It is, after all, my mess you're cleaning up." Hannah pointed out, getting out of the chair.

She let the towel drop to the floor and then began putting on the clothing that Dex had purchased for her.

"It's going to be pretty gruesome. The human body can be quite disgusting when you are dismembering it; the smell of death and decay that is expelled into the air when you begin to dissect."

"I think I can handle it." She commented back as she finished getting dressed.

Dexter had a game plan. Luckily for him, the bloody mess from the body had been contained to the bed. With the help of Hannah, he laid the plastic sheets down over the shag carpeting in preparation of moving the body to the floor as well as hung the plastic up against the wall to contain spatter. Dex donned his smock and rubber gloves before he expertly rolled the large man onto the plastic. Due to the fact that he hadn't bought Hannah any clean up attire, she sat in a chair simply watching him work. Immediately upon rolling the body onto its back, Dexter noticed that the knife was missing.

"Where's the knife?"

"I took care of that." admitted Hannah, folding her arms in front of her.

"Keeping the murder weapon is not a smart move. Must I remind you about the Sal Price pen?" He muttered in a low voice while looking in her direction.

"I'm not getting rid of the knife. I've had it since I was a kid. I cleaned it, there's no blood left on it. Besides, there's no crime if there's no body." She told him raising her eyebrows.

Dexter silently nodded in agreement. Hannah had brought the discussion about the knife to a close and now it was time to get things tided up.

"I need to work quickly, the quality of the blood sample will only last a few hours without proper refrigeration."

The electric handsaw began to whirl and the red mist began to spray. He expertly sectioned the body parts before placing them all in the black hefty bags. The bloody sheets smock and gloves, Hannah's clothing, and all of the plastic found its way into its own hefty. All that was left for him to do was to spray the Luminal and clean up any blood that had seeped onto the mattress. When he was satisfied with his job, he commissioned Hannah to put the new plain white sheets on the bed. Dex tied off all the bags and stacked them neatly in a corner of the motel room. They would be there waiting for him to take them for a night boat ride out to sea.

"I'll be back later tonight. I'm going to take the motel key so I can let myself in, in case you are asleep." He told Hannah.

Dexter approached where she was seated and bent down to place a kiss on her forehead. She smiled because of his loving gesture, bringing her hands up to his face before she spoke to him.

"I'm glad you found me. You are slowly redeeming yourself for turning me into your sister with everything that you've done for me since I escaped. And I know how hard it must have been for you to tell me about your brother."

"I want to be honest with you about all of my darkest secrets. You know that you are the only person in this world that I don't have to hide anything from. I don't want you to have to leave." Dexter admitted in a whisper, bringing his forehead to hers. Hannah closed her eyes before breathing a reply:

"I don't want to go anywhere either."

They both let out a long exhale in unison before their mouths met for one passionate kiss that ended as quickly as it started. With his kit in tow, Dexter left the motel and headed back to Miami Metro.

The elevator door chimed before its doors opened. Dexter stepped out casually with his work satchel hanging from his shoulder. His kit he was carrying in his right hand as he navigated his way to his lab room. Joey Quinn saw his entrance and immediately followed after him. Dex was keenly aware that Joseph was walking after him.

"Dex, you have a minute?"

Being verbally called out caused Morgan to stop dead in his tracks just before making it to the forensics station.

"Not the best time for socializing, Quinn."

Dexter turned around and put on his best fake smile as he tipped his head as a way to inquire what it was that Joey had to speak to him about.

"Hey, I just wanted to give you a heads up. Deb is really gunning for your girl, Hannah. She's trying to issue a warrant for a judge to sign that would give her access to Arlene Shram's cell phone records. You might want to try and talk to her. She seems like something is really bothering her. She wouldn't talk to me about it. I just feel like it's something more than Laguerta's death."

"Arlene's cell phone records. If Deb gets a hold of that it won't take her long to trace the payphone to the motel Hannah is staying at. I'm running out of time."

"Okay, thanks Quinn. I'll talk to her." Dex replied in a mutter before walking on at a quicker pace.

He was almost home free when Masuka looked up from a microscope and made an attempt to talk to him. But Morgan wasn't having any of it.

"Not now, Vince." He piped dodging quickly into his lab before Masuka could rebuttal by saying whatever perverted quip he wanted to say.

"Peace and quiet is what I need. Who knows how much time I have before Debra gets the go ahead to investigate further into Hannah's whereabouts. I need to move fast."

He closed the shades cutting himself off from the rest of the homicide division before he began the process of testing Hannah's blood sample. Working methodically but with speed, he completed the necessary procedure before feeding the sample into lab equipment. It was going to take several minutes before yielding a result. He could move onto his next order of business while waiting.

Dex presented a driver's license from his pants' pocket. It had belonged to the motel manager that he and Hannah had dispatched. Keeping the identification was by no means a trophy for Hannah, it was, however, a way for Dexter to find out just who he had been in society. Would a family be filing a missing person's report? These things had to be considered as a potential problem for him and Hannah. He began to type the information into the computer database and then hit enter. Harry appeared next to his son. He leaned forward and stared at the computer screen as Dex began to read to himself:

"Buddy Wilkins, listed residence in Pinewood, Florida. Unmarried and lives alone with no family or any next of kin listed."

Dexter heightened the search parameters to outside of the state and raised his eyebrows by what he found.

"Originally from Allgood, Alabama. He served over ten years in the Holman Correctional Facility for two counts of kidnapping and sexual assault."

Harry: "At least this time Hannah's victim was a deserving one. And it doesn't seem that anyone is going to be looking for him."

"One less thing I have to worry about."

Satisfied with his search results, Dexter then sent the driver's license through the industrial shredder. It wasn't a moment too soon, because Vince decided to make another attempt to try and talk to him. Dex cleared his computer desktop before Masuka rattled off the information he had been so desperate to tell him earlier.

"Dude, I know you don't want to be bothered, but it's about the double homicide from this morning. Hold off on doing the blood report, because we caught a huge break thank to your tip about the salvage yards. We found the victim's car. I spent all afternoon going over it with a fine tooth comb. I've got a partial print and get this, blood on a napkin that had fallen between the front seat and the console." Masuka explained.

"Wow, that's some break. I'm guessing the blood was from the killer and not one of the victims? Did you cross match the print and the blood with our database yet? Any matches?"

"You bet your sack I did. I got a hit for one Pedro Lopez-Fernandez. Blood never lies, bitches. And because I am Vince Masuka, the fucking Rain Man of forensics-"

"Rain Man? Wasn't that movie about an autistic savant?" Dex asked interrupting Vince midsentence.

"Yeah, what, don't see the resemblance? Huhuhuhuhuh."

"Oh yeah, kind of, I guess." chuckled Dexter before Masuka continued.

"I suggested that Batista call the closest pawn shops in relation to the salvage yard and Fernandez' apartment and 'bam"! We've got a record of Pedro pawning a wedding ring matching the description of ring that was stolen from Audrey Jenner post-mortem."

"Rock solid evidence, that's good news."

"Hell yeah, solid as a ten inch strap-on in an amateur transsexual orgy fest. I already finished my forensic report and cataloged the evidence in the lock-up. I'm sure you will want to look it over for your spatter report."

"Okay, great, thanks. I'll definitely do that." Morgan replied with a smile. His eyes shifted toward the lab door to signal to Masuka that the conversation was finished.

Once he was alone again in the lab, he went back to machine where he had inputted Hannah's blood sample. A few button presses, and the results were sent to his computer. He pulled up the report and immediately began to scroll through the blood panel. His lips parted while his brown eyes focused on the listed hCG hormone level in her blood.

"Blood never lies. Hannah was right, she's pregnant. Her human chorionic gonadotropin level is significantly high. I can't send her away, not now."

Harry appeared again behind his son. He placed one of his hands up against his head to show his disappointment with the news.

Harry: "I was praying that she was lying. This is going to do nothing but get in the way of you doing what's best for you, Debra, and Harrison. Hannah's a serial killer and fugitive from the law. What kind of a mother would she make?"

Dexter let out a long sigh. His eyes were glazed over with tears as the reality of the situation was beginning to set in.

"What kind of a father am I? I'm a killer too. And 'this' is Harrison's little brother or sister, your grandson or granddaughter."

Harry placed his hand on his son's shoulder before replying sympathetically:

Harry: "I don't mean to come across as uncaring, Dex, but you do have to realize that this can't work. You can't have a family with Hannah like you did with Rita. She's facing a murder, not to mention additional charges for escaping."

"The only thing the police have on her is that pen. Without the evidence they will have no choice but to drop the murder charge."

Harry: "Are you seriously even considering stealing that pen from the evidence locker? That would be an entirely stupid move, Dexter. Your sister would know immediately that you had sabotaged the case so Hannah could walk. She would never stand for that."

"I'm not suggesting that I make the pen disappear. The cap of the pen is where Hannah put the aconite. Replace the cap and you have a pen that when tested will come back negative for traces of poison. I have a reason to be there, Masuka just gave me my reason for signing into the lock-up."

Harry: "But what about the fact that she escaped police custody? Nothing says guilty more than a prison break."

"Hannah had an actual seizure. I'm sure her lawyer will be able to find a doctor to cooperate on a theory that she woke up disoriented in the hospital with no idea why she was there tied to the bed."

Harry: "You think you easily have all the answers, but what are you going to say to Deb when she finds out you are back together with Hannah after you help her beat the charges?"

"One step at a time, Dad. I will deal with that when I have to."

By the time dusk was approaching, Hannah had eaten every one of the small bags of chips that Dexter had brought back into the room. The demon of hunger had returned to her once again and she began to contemplate venturing back to the snack machine. She had no idea what time Dexter was going to return to her, so it behooved her to eat something now.

Hannah left the room unlocked. Walking with a purpose, she traveled toward the manager's office where she noticed the 'closed' sign on the door. She smiled. Dexter Morgan really did think of everything. The sound of the payphone's shrill ring caused her to walk passed the snack dispenser. She hesitated for a moment, not knowing if she should answer it. It could be Dexter.

"Hello?" She said after lifting the phone from the receiver.

"Hannah? Oh my God, I've been trying to get a hold of you all day! I was about to give up on reaching you from this number!"

McKay knew Arlene Shram's voice immediately. She let out an exhale shifting her weight from one foot to the other while standing inside the booth.

"You shouldn't be contacting me. For all you know, your phone could be tapped." scolded Hannah.

"That skanky cop came by my house this morning. I didn't even answer the door, but she knew I was there. She went on and on how she knew that I knew where you were and that she was going to find you. She said that I'll be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive. Hannah, I can't go to jail, I have my kids to think about!"

"Arlene, listen to me, you are not going to jail. I'm going to figure something out. In the meantime, you continue to say nothing. Do you understand?"

There was a pause on the line compelling Hannah to give her friend more reassurance.

"You trust me, right?"

"Yeah...But you have to do something soon.."

"I know, just stay strong, and from now on, don't call this number again." McKay instructed before hanging the wired black phone back up on its hook.

Something did have to be done. The difference was that this time, she had Dexter to help her make her next move. It was a strange feeling to know that she had a man in her life that loved her and wanted to protect her. After Wayne Randall and then Jake Kirkwood, she had become used to only counting on herself. Hannah was ambivalent. A part of her felt safe and protected with Dexter, while she also felt like she should be skeptical about where his heart truly was. He had thrown her over for his adoptive sister before, and it could happen again. Her past had taught her that nothing was for certain.

"I'm getting back to the motel much later than I wanted to. After a quick dinner with Jamie and Harrison, I'm off to sneak into the night. Six hefty bags and my pregnant fugitive girlfriend await my return."

The Ford Escape's headlights cut through the darkness as he backed it up into the deserted motel. He opened the back hatch and then the stow and go compartment. Instead of knocking, Dexter used the key to gain access to room number 4. He found Hannah lying asleep on top of the made bed with several empty snack bags lying on the bedside table.

"Hardly a substantial meal for the woman who is growing my child inside of her. I should have remembered to bring her dinner. I'll stop on the way back from dropping off Mr. Wilkins and get her something. That's what a loving boyfriend would do after tossing the chopped up body of his girlfriend's victim into the ocean."

Dex moved quickly and quietly, carrying two hefty bags at a time out to the SUV. After making the three trips, he closed everything up and was on his way to his marina. When Dexter arrived at the solitary marina, he wasted little time loading his cargo into the Slice of Life that as docked nearby. After untying the boat from the dock, he started the motor and eased the throttle. The boat sliced through the Miami water like a knife through butter. It was a nice night to be out at sea. Using his boat's navigation, he found his dumping ground where his "playmates" would be swept away by the Gulf stream's current.

"Happy trails, Buddy." He said aloud with a smirk when he tossed the last hefty bag overboard.

Morgan closed his eyes and paused. The rocking of the boat on the waves was soothing. He took a moment to take a deep breath of the ocean air, before he reached into his pocket. When he opened his eyes, they focused on the plastic pen cap that was impregnated with aconite that he held in his hand. He had followed through, replacing it in the evidence locker. It was the only evidence that state of Florida had on Hannah. Harry appeared next to him, he too was looking at the cap.

Harry: "It's not too late, Dexter. You still have time to put it back without anyone being the wiser. You don't have to do this for Hannah just because she's pregnant."

"I'm not just doing it for Hannah. I'm doing it for me too. I want a life with her and Harrison, and the new baby. A real family, not camouflage like what I had with Rita. My life isn't a cover anymore, it's real."

Harry: "Listen to yourself, you're only thinking about what you want! What about Deb? Choosing to be with Hannah is going to destroy your sister in the process! I can't let you do that."

Despite his imaginary foster father's anger, Dex wasn't fazed at all. Slowly, he stretched his arm out over the side of the boat.

"Just as I am no longer a slave to a 'dark passenger', I am not bound to do what my father would want. I am, in fact, the most typical type of monster: the selfish human being who wants to protect his loved one and children at all costs."

Dexter felt his hand release the plastic cap. It fell into the ocean, barely making a ripple in the tide. He watched as it lingered for a few seconds at the surface before disappearing into the dark depths below.

Morgan took a staggered breath into his chest while his eyes continued to focus on the waves. He was waiting for Harry's voice to pierce his mind, but it never came. He was standing alone on the boat again. The only sound was that of the waves hitting against the boat. And then, his ears picked up something else. Dexter's eyes widened when he heard the sound of someone clapping directly behind him. Instantaneously, he knew it was Brian. He had appeared to him in the same fashion when he had avenged Brother Sam's murder. Dex slowly turned around to confirm his thoughts.

Brian Moser stood on the opposite side of the boat with a broad smile on his face. His clapping ceased before his voice broke Dexter's silence.

Brian: "I'm proud of you, little brother."