DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Halloween franchise in any way but I DO own Katarzyna "Kat", Emelyn "Emmy", Cara and her family, and my other OCs. I also own the plot of H&D

Sorry for the wait! My life is currently nothing but deadline after deadline for classes and unfortunately I am also busy with some other personal stuff that has delayed me terribly.

Also I just wanted to say, looking back I was not planning on making Kat take all these twists and turns and focus so much on the romance portion of things. Honestly I was going to keep Kat as she was introduced, the "I-don't-care" attitude, morbid, etc. So I'm going to see if I can make a full circle here and bring back that Kat if we all want her back but we shall see.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

HEADS UP: I AM PLANNING TO CHANGE THE TITLE A LITTLE BIT. IT MAY CHANGE TO "HEARTS AND A DAGGER" BECAUSE I THINK IT MAKE BETTER SENSE. I'm giving you guys the heads up in case anyone has this story saved on their phone or something because they don't have an account or something. So in the next day or two I would save my author name so you can still get to the story just in case. Tell me what you think!

Over the next few weeks, the death toll of Haddonfield rose fearfully high; beginning to compete with its old record. In just five short weeks, at least twenty people were already found murdered by who everyone already knew was Michael Myers. The news channels and papers were saying that it was his way of making up for his year long absence. Some of the police believed Michael was reasserting his power and control over Haddonfield because, in their words, "Myers has been getting a little soft lately it seems." Only Loomis, Emmy and I knew the real reason behind Michael's rage, only in this case, we had no idea what he would do next.

I hadn't heard from Michael since the night he confronted me with the test. I couldn't feel him watching me anymore nor would I find him in odd places around the house. Emmy had become anxious when Michael had stopped coming to her as well, never saying anything out loud but her emotions showing on her face clear as day. The realization that Michael had seemed to even shut Emmy out was enough to put Loomis and I on high alert.

After two weeks of relentless persuasion, I managed to convince Laurie to stay in our guest room until things settled down. Loomis had too seemed to temporarily move in, using the pull out couch as his bed. An unusual little family brought together out of the worry that Michael Myers would finally turn on them. All because of me.

"I don't understand why this is happening," Laurie said flipping through the news channels as I curled up on the other side of the couch, studying for one of my midterms, "I mean, yes Michael Myers is ruthless and has always taken large body counts but this seems so different. Twenty-two people are dead within a month; that's more than he's ever done in that time,"

"Well obviously he is furious about something and from what I've seen, he seems to be projecting it onto these people because he can't go after the true source," Loomis said from where he sat in one of the chairs. I refused to look up at him, feeling his gaze burning into the side of my head.

"Did you warn your friends?" Laurie turned to me, trying to ease some of the tension that suddenly filled the room.

"Yeah, I managed to convince them it was safer to stay in Ohio for a couple more weeks, but they came back a few nights ago because Oliver needed to get back to work. But anyone who has a strong tie with Emmy seems to be an exception to all of this chaos, hence why you haven't been attacked," I explained, flipping to the next page of my textbook. A few moments of tense silence passed until Laurie announced she was going to check on Emmy, heading upstairs, leaving Loomis and I alone.

"You need to tell her," he said.

"I will,"

"When?" he demanded, "Your stomach may still be small enough to hide beneath clothing but soon, it will be impossible to conceal,"

"I don't know," I growled. Everything after that day seemed to happen in a whirlwind. I had to go two towns over just to see a doctor to confirm the pregnancy so no one in Haddonfield would get wise. Then I had to bribe Emmy not to tell Laurie anything about the baby until I figured out a way to tell her first. But I quickly found myself unable to do that.

"The longer you wait the harder it will be Kat, you know that. She needs to be prepared for the worst. If Michael's anger gets too high, random people won't be enough for him anymore. He may revert back to how he was before you came back to town. Laurie may be put back into the line of fire,"

"But we agreed that the only possible reason Michael didn't harm Laurie was because she is Emmy's caretaker," I rebutted, "Same way Cara and her family are spared,"

"Cara's family is an exception because Emelyn Myers managed to make some kind of deal with her father. She did no such thing with Laurie; that was a decision Michael made all on his own and he may very well change his mind," Loomis pointed out. He looked around the corner to make sure Laurie remained upstairs before continuing in a low voice,

"Also take into account that while, yes, Laurie's death would hurt Emmy, any harm that comes to Cara's family will destroy her and that is something not even Michael wants. No matter how far back he reverts it seems his bond to Emmy is deeper. That's why Cara and her family are spared while Laurie could still be in danger,"

"And how do we know me telling her about the baby will help her? She didn't leave the last time Michael wreaked havoc on Haddonfield and she found out who Emmy was,"

"Reality tends to set in late for Laurie," Loomis sighed, "I want her to leave town but she is just as stubborn as her brother and is tired of running. But, she can be another pillar of support for you because goodness knows you'll need all you can get when this hits the fan,"

"You know, I could still do what we originally planned and leave town for a while. I can have the baby then come back if we want to,"

"Leave Haddonfield for a while then come back with another child? What are you going to do then? Say it's your cousin? It may have worked once with Emmy but Haddonfield isn't that stupid,"

"I have nineteen years' worth of evidence to disprove that claim," I deadpanned.

"Disprove what claim?" Laurie asked as she came back into the room. She looked between the two of us, seeming to realize that something was wrong.

"She deserves to know," Loomis said quietly as he sat back.

"What do I deserve to know?" she asked slowly. Finally, I sighed and closed my book, patting a space on the couch beside me for her to sit.

"We may know the reason behind Michael being even more ruthless then usual," I began softly.

"What?" Laurie's voice sounded so small, like a child's. Guilt flooded through me as the only thought that went through my head was that I had somehow betrayed this poor girl's trust for my own selfish reasons.

"You have to understand that what I am about to say can't, under any circumstances, leave this house," I continued seriously. At her answering nod, I took a deep breath.

"Laurie, I'm pregnant," I finally said and the silence that followed seemed to tick on forever.

"You're pregnant? By whom?" she whispered. Neither Loomis nor I spoke as we watched the wheels in Laurie's head turn, no doubt putting the pieces together.

"It was shortly after Michael Myers' unexplained revival. He apparently came to Emmy a little after Halloween but didn't reveal himself to me until about two months ago," I explained quietly.

"So are you trying to tell me that you-,"she paused in contemplation and I took that moment to nod in answer, "The baby's father is-,"

"Yes," I whispered, the knife of guilt only twisted further in my chest as I watched a multitude of emotions cross her face. Loomis finally seemed to come to life, coming over and placing one hand over mine and the other on Laurie's shoulder.

"You can't blame Kat, Laurie," he said, looking into the girl's eyes, "We all have moments of weakness and with the history that she and Michael share; it was bound to happen unfortunately,"

I stayed quiet, keeping my legs tucked slightly towards my chest; doing everything I could not to touch Laurie. In the pocket of my jeans, I felt the comforting pressure of my dagger that I had begun carrying around again. In the back of my mind, I was well aware that I was rusty with my skills and that in my condition, someone could easily overpower me, but the feeling of having my blade gave me the extra confidence I needed.

"I never intended for any of this," I whispered, not realizing I was speaking out loud, "I'm not the same as I was when I first came and that's something that led to this downward spiral. I wasn't thinking, Laurie,"

"I think I'm going to go to bed," she said slowly, "I just need to think," she left the room, heading for the guest bedroom on the first floor that she had claimed as her own when I brought her in. The only sound in the room was the sound of the clock ticking away the minutes.

"She will come around," Loomis whispered comfortingly.

"Yeah, but who's to say she won't grow to resent me when Michael finally strikes?"

Loomis never gave me an answer.

/oo/

Emelyn "Emmy"

I stared intently out my window and into the backyard, hoping to catch a glimpse of Michael passing by. It had been a little over a month since I had last seen or heard from him. Everyone had been convinced that he had shut me out too, but I refused to believe it, refused to listen to that sharp pain in my chest.

I barely acknowledged my bedroom door opening and my mom coming in. I listened to her go through my drawers, pulling out pajamas and then pulling the blankets away from my bed. Normally she would talk to me about little things that happened throughout the day, sometimes she would even make plans for the baby and ask for my input. But tonight, she was completely silent.

"Is everything okay?" I asked quietly as she led me away from the window and handed me my pajamas. It wasn't until after I changed that she answered.

"Yeah, everything is fine," her smile was tight and forced.

"You're lying,"

"Emmy, it's nothing. I'm just trying not to get too stressed," she said, "Nothing for you to be worrying about. Now, bedtime, you have school in the morning,"

"Did you tell Laurie about the baby?" She faltered as she tucked the sheets around me before regaining composure.

"Yes," was all she said.

"And?" I prompted.

"She needs some time to take in all the information. She will come around," another forced smile, "Now get some sleep, I don't wanna hear about how tired you are in the morning,"

She bent down and kissed both my cheeks, whispering a soft "Love you," before leaving, quietly closing the door behind her. I waited until I heard her bedroom door close before slipping out of bed and making my way to my desk. In the second drawer, under a mound of notebooks and papers was one of our good knives I had taken from the kitchen. Thankfully its absence had yet to be noticed.

I quickly pulled on my favorite green hoodie and slipped the knife into the front pocket, waiting for the entire house to fall asleep and I could make my escape. It had to have been close to midnight before I considered it to be safe enough to leave my room. I crossed through the bathroom to avoid the telltale creak of my room's door and crept down the hallway towards mommy's room. I pressed my ear against the door and listened for any noise; aside from the occasional rustling of sheets, as if she was trying to get comfortable, it was silent.

Turning on my heel, I made my way back down the hall and slipped down the stairs; I only hit one creak on the steps, but when I paused, no one came to investigate. I kept myself out of the living room's line of sight as I entered the dining area and made it to the guest bedroom that Laurie was currently staying in. Pressing my ear against the door again, I was once again met with silence. I pressed my hands to my mouth to muffle my squeal of victory before returning back to the living room.

The television was the only source of sound coming from the small area, but I was nervous to poke my head around the corner to see if Loomis was asleep. If he wasn't than my entire plan would backfire before it even began.

I would have to pass through the living room to get to the back door, so that exit strategy was out. I could always go through the front door, but I would be risking catching Loomis' attention if he was still awake.

I had no choice but to check.

I was just about to look around the corner when an idea came to me. My mom's school books were still littered across the dining room table, along with her notebooks. As quietly as I could, I took one of the notebooks and ripped two blank pages out, pausing for a few moments for any signs of someone waking. Nothing.

Balling up the pieces of paper, I returned to the archway of the living room, pressing myself against the wall and tossing one of the balls into the room. I heard it hit the coffee table and fall to the floor, rustling silently in its descent. I waited for Loomis to move or say something. Investigate the ball maybe.

But once again, nothing. Either he was asleep or he was waiting for me to check and catch me in the act. My money was on the latter.

Taking a deep breath, I threw the second paper ball into the room. This time I heard it hit something more solid before falling to the floor. Still silence filled the room except for the late night news playing on a low volume.

Out of ammo, I couldn't go back and take more paper. Mommy would notice if one of her notebooks was suddenly empty. I only had one option left. Holding my breath, I looked around the corner, biting my bottom lip; a nervous habit I thought I broke ages ago.

Loomis was passed out on the couch, a book resting on his stomach and the blanket still folded by his feet, as if he didn't even have time to prepare for bed before sleep took him. Soft snores came from his mouth. On tip toes, I gathered the two paper balls and quietly tossed them in the trash can in the kitchen. I was about to unlock the back door when I remembered that mommy hadn't had the hinges replaced, leaving the door with a loud creaking sound whenever someone opened it. I was an idiot to have forgotten that detail.

Nearly running back to the front hall, I pushed my one hand into my hoodie pocket and gripped the handle of the knife, the feeling leaving a sense of comfort in me as I unlocked the door and slipped out into the night.

/oo/

Katarzyna "Kat"

I knew Emmy was up to something the minute I heard her creeping down the hallway and stopping in front of my room. She had definitely inherited Michael's skill in being able to move about silently, but she still had a long way to go before she was as good as he was. She would still make little bits of noise here and there.

I made a point to rustle my sheets a little to let her know I was still awake before I heard her feet padding away back down the hall. I assumed she was going back to her room.

Then I heard one of the top stairs creak.

Silence followed for a few moments before I decided to poke my head out. I threw on my gray hoodie over my clothes and walked down the hallway, much more efficient in keeping quiet. That's when I noticed Emmy slipping into the dining room before returning to the hallway. What was this little girl doing?

I stood close to the top of the steps, watching in slight fascination as Emmy moved around to make sure everyone was asleep. She didn't notice me watching her when she returned to the front hall and quietly left the house.

Without missing a beat, I ran back into my room and stuffed my dagger into the pocket of my hoodie before following after her.

Whatever she was planning, I didn't trust it at all.

/oo/

Emelyn "Emmy"

This wasn't the first time I walked down the streets of Haddonfield at night, but it was the first time I ever did it alone. Everything was completely different without a companion, creepier. The street lamps were dim and a few of them occasionally flickered; you would think the town would replace them after they've had a mass murderer running around over the last who knows how many years.

My grip on the knife's handle grew tighter for reassurance as I continued down the sidewalk, passing various houses, not a single light in any of them. My feet followed the familiar path until I found myself across the street from Cara's house. Just like all the other houses, it was dark except for the faint glow coming from Cara's room. A nightlight she liked to have on whenever she had bad dreams.

I wanted to walk over there and throw pebbles at the window until I got her attention. She could walk with me and keep me company. But, I knew that Dallas and Oliver were light sleepers and would most likely catch Cara leaving, which would mean they would catch me too. Sighing, I stared at the window a little longer before turning around and continuing on my way.

When I finally made it to the school, I hesitated. The building looked far more intimidating abandoned in the dark than when it was full of students during the day. Taking a few deep breaths to collect myself, I ran around the side, easily finding the door to the basement, the old rusted lock barely doing its job of keeping it shut. I picked up a nearby rock and gave the padlock one strong hit before it fell into the grass. Taking another quick looks around, I pulled the door open and slipped into the darkness of the basement.

/oo/

Katarzyna "Kat"

Walking through Haddonfield at night had brought back so many memories from my childhood when Michael and I would sneak out and run through the woods. When Emmy had passed my old childhood home, I paused, almost seeing my dad in the kitchen window with a bottle of beer and hearing my aunt fussing around the house during one of her visits. I always thought when I escaped that house, I would never look back. But, the sight sent a sharp pang in my chest.

I hurried to catch up with Emmy when I found her out front of Oliver and Dallas' house. For a moment I thought she was trying to get Cara to sneak out and play, much like Michael would do with me. But quickly she turned on her heel and hurried down the street.

"What are you up to Emelyn?" I thought.

I followed her to the school and watched her run around the back and break the padlock on the door before going inside. I took a moment to pick up the broken lock and was shocked to find that despite its appearance the padlock was very sturdy. And Emmy broke it as easy as breaking glass. Her growing strength was becoming more and more noticeable by the day.

I felt uneasy walking into the dark depths of this school without any source of light, but there was no way in hell I was leaving Emmy alone, especially not knowing what was going through the little girl's head. Pulling my dagger from my pocket, I gripped it tightly and stepped through the threshold, the door closing behind me.

/oo/

(Emelyn "Emmy")

The red emergency lights flooded through the hallway, making the basement look far scarier than it should have been. I almost pulled my knife out, but thought better of it and instead held onto the handle with the tightest grip I could muster.

"Where are you?" I thought.

I had overheard some workers talking a couple weeks ago about strange sounds coming from the boiler room. At first they had assumed there was a problem with whatever equipment was stored in there, but nothing out of the ordinary appeared when they had everything checked. I had thought nothing of it until earlier in the week when Michael's latest victim was a maintenance man at my school. While everyone had assumed it had happened while he was walking home from work, I knew better. I now had a lead on where Michael was residing.

The police had looked everywhere for Michael, but no one once questioned the school; Michael Myers never harmed children so why would he hide out in a place that was full of them? I had believed that briefly too until one day I had gotten into a fight with a kid named Randy. Mommy was able to talk the principal out of suspending me but he threatened to follow through with the punishment if I didn't "get my act together."

The next day in school, I walked to my locker and a piece of paper that looked as though it had been ripped from a notebook was sticking out of the door. When I unfolded it, I was half expecting it to be the start of another cruel prank from the kids, but instead I was met with familiar, scratchy handwriting.

Behave for now

I stared at the paper before scoffing and shoving it in the back of my locker. Michael Myers was actually scolding me. Like he was one to talk! But then I realized that he would have had to of put that note in my locker when no one else was around, which would have had to of been at night. Suddenly, what the workers said earlier all came back to me.

That's when I decided I needed to explore the school.

I was brought out of my thoughts when I forgot to turn the corner and walked into the wall. I groaned and put my hand to my nose, pulling it away and seeing a little bit of blood on my hand. Great.

Wiping my hand on the front of my hoodie, I turned and continued down the narrow hallway until I finally came to the door to the boiler room. Suddenly my palms grew sweaty as I pulled the knife out of my pocket and gripped it as I pushed the door open with all my strength. The loud screeching of the metal echoed throughout the corridor. I pushed a large block of wood into the doorjamb to keep the door propped before walking into the too hot room. It looked completely empty, but the slight sound of scuffling told me otherwise.

"Michael," I called, "I know you're in here,"

Review! I am so sorry for this late update. It has been a very long few months and things have just been very overwhelming with school and such. If this chapter is terrible I apologize! I am trying to get back on my game!

Until next time, read and review!