Mandy, unable to really shake that news report from the little gas station TV, had almost completely zoned out for the rest of the drive til it started to come into view.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down?" She requested

Seth slowed the truck down as requested, almost as intrigued as she was when he caught her eyeing that infamous old Macher house, just before they would've passed it by, even making a full stop.

She looked, slowly, back over at him. "Is that really…?"

"Where it all went down." Seth finished for her. "...back in '96, and then again four years ago."

"Holy shit…." She whispered under her breath, still staring up at the house, before looking back at him. "...Sam's dads' house isn't that far from here…...it's really that close?"

"Yep." Seth hadn't been able to take his eyes off the house either, having been hit with a wave of morbid awe over it that was equal parts mixed with an added sullen air to it, recalling what else had gone down there…

—

"Look, stop me if I'm crossing a line, but…."

Seth looked back at her. "...but...what?"

"Last year, back when…." She sighed, struggling for the words while also craving the resolve for her own morbid curiosity. "...Colton..mentioned that there was still blood on the doggy door, from when Billy killed Tatum Riley….did you..ever see anything like that?"

"Well, I've only been here a few times, and that's including Dani Hahn's party, so…" He shrugged. "I don't know. Surely they would've replaced that garage door though, I mean, lifting a human body like that? That's bound to fuck up something in the wiring, if not, completely short circuit it."

"Ooh, Mr. Electrician, here." Mandy teased.

"Aha…" He chuckled. "...No, I just know a basic thing or two from working in garages."

"I see." She chuckled.

Seth nodded. "...I have heard that rumor before, though, so maybe there is some truth to it, like maybe they just replaced the garage door but not that."

"Or, maybe they just fixed the garage door and couldn't get the bloodstains out." She laughed. "Why would they replace one and not the other?"

"I don't know. I never claimed to be the expert on it." Seth laughed.

"Right." She chuckled. "...and actually, they'd probably just paint over it in that case, so just forget my theory all together."

"Mmm…" Seth chuckled. "...Actually, knowing the both of them, Nat probably let Leslie paint some red on it for bragging rights, so this whole conversation might just be moot."

"Yeah, probably." Mandy laughed.

The mood faded slightly, however, when she noticed Seth staring back up at the house again.

"...Sorry if I'm being a little too nonchalant about it all, by the way….you know, considering….." Her expression, a little more sympathetic. "...it's just…" She shrugged. "...true crime stuff has always fascinated me, it's…."

"I get it." He gave her a smile that seemed surprisingly genuine. "...we all have our own ways of coping."

She smiled back at him. "Exactly."

Seth nodded, glancing back up at the house. "Well, I won't tell Sam if you won't."

"Appreciate it." She chuckled, glancing at her watch. "...we will have to tell her something, though, if we don't get back on the road soon."

"Well, like we just said, it's not too far off, now is it?" He pointed out with a small smirk as he started the truck back up. "...so, let's hit it."

"Let's do it."

Meanwhile, back at the Macher-Loomis house, Billy was going off on his usual gripes about agreeing to let Stu's sister, Leslie Macher and her son spend time at their house for the holidays.

—

Hers and Stu's parents never made any real effort to make things right with Stu after how poorly they'd reacted to finding out about both his relationship with Billy and that he was going to have Sam, and that combined with the town's alleged theories about what really happened in '96 added up to Leslie being the only family that Stu was still fairly close with.

Even despite her own, personal disdain for Billy, she'd been the only one to really stand up at all against her parents' treatment of her younger brother.

Billy, on his part, had enough understanding from his own prior familial trauma that he couldn't help but humor his husband for a few days almost every year…..but he was also damned if he wasn't going to get his share of kicks in and snide points made, through it all.

—

"Remind me how you always manage to get me to agree to this again?" Billy muttered, making a point of moving on to cleaning off one of their larger kitchen knives while Stu was feeding the cat nearby.

Stu giggled to himself, especially amused, as he tossed the now empty cat food can into the trash and came up behind Billy, chin over his shoulder

"Mmm, because she's family and you love me?" He nuzzled his head closer to Billy, who responded by deliberately shifting his shoulder and smirking.

"She's your family, and you have been warned against using that against me for the foreseeable future. "He corrected.

"And yet you still do." Stu snickered, sneaking a kiss against his husband's neck.

"Thin ice!" Billy threatened with a playful smirk, trying to conceal his secret bit of amusement at his husband's antics. "..thin fucking- "

But he was abruptly interrupted by the sound of loud, rapidly approaching barking that was coming from the direction of the large dog door that they still had, for when Sam visited with Asami.

Barking, which was shortly followed by distant scattered shouts of which Billy vaguely recognized the voice.

"Asami, No! NO!" The panicked shouts continued, only getting closer, as Asami also grew closer and eventually came bursting in through the familiar doggy door and racing through the living room.

Stu, who had moved closer to investigate the commotion, quickly scooped his at up and away from Asami's reach.

"Asami, Asami! Shh! Hey! Calm...he urged. "Calm."

Asami, recognizing the familiar command, immediately obeyed and began trying to, more calmly, sniff the smaller new furry friend.

Billy, on the other hand, was not so subtly losing his shit as he tried to conceal how hard he was laughing over the incident, off to the sidelines while Seth came crawling through the dog door next, on his hands and knees.

"Oh, thank fuck…" He panted, looking over at Stu, who was still holding the cat, and Asami. He chuckled nervously. "I'm so sorry...Mr. ….Macher-Loomis, is it?"

"You can call me, Stu." Stu chuckled, carefully setting the cat back down and petting Asami.

"Hey, don't sweat it!" Billy laughed, directing the remark at Seth. "..She just thought it was lunch."

"He, Billy." Stu corrected. "..thought he was lunch."

"Well, he is a cat, Stu." Billy pointed out with a smirk. "...and I did remind you to lock that thing."

Stu just shook his head to himself, moving Billy under his breath.

"Anyway…" Billy snickered at him, just before redirecting his attention back to Seth. "Sam with you?"

"No, she didn't tell you? She and Kinsey are riding up separately." Seth explained.

Billy pointed toward Asami and the cat, who had somehow made good enough friends with each other in the midst of all this. "Do you think we would've had the joy of this if she had?" He laughed.

Stu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm on thin ice." He still, nonetheless, couldn't help but take some amusement from Billy, and chuckled a little to himself. "Will you just shut up and remind me where we keep her bowls?"

"Well, wait a minute. Do you want me to shut up? Or do you wanna know where the bowls are?" Billy smirked.

Stu shook his head again, looking back over at Seth as he pointed to Billy.

"You see what I have to deal with here?"

"Right, what you have to deal with." Billy chuckled, looking back at Stu and nodding toward a nearby, higher cupboard. "..in that cupboard right behind you."

"Thank you." Stu chuckled, opening the cupboard and taking one out to fill with water for the eager mutt. "Tsk tsk. Come on, girl." He cooed, coaxing her over to where he was setting it down.

Asami responded eagerly, wagging her tail as she trotted over to follow him.

—

Shortly after which, Mandy was crawling….slightly more hesitantly through the dog door, averting her eyes as she stood up.

"I saw a cat through the window and Asami's a big dog." She chuckled nervously. "...someone tell me if it's safe to look."

"Well, if you like cat guts splattered everywhere. Asami's having herself a feast." Billy teased.

Stu picked up a nearby dishrag from the counter and smacked Billy with it.

"Get out!" He teased, trying to conceal his own snickering. He looked back over at Mandy. "You're fine. Asami loves cats, she just gets excited….and the cat's name is Mikey."

"Thank God." She chuckled nervously, scratching Asami's side when she came back over to her. "I'm Mandy, by the way. I think we met before."

Stu nodded. "I remember….and Seth, right?"

"Yep." Seth answered from where he was now sitting, on the couch.

Asami soon trotted over to lay beside him, earning some more scratches as she made herself comfortable.

"Right, well, Sam and Kinsey should be here in a few. Is it..cool if we hang around until then?" Mandy asked.

"You know what they say, the more the merrier!" Billy chimed in with a smirk.

"Right.." Stu responded with a more mocking tone. "..more like, the more people around to keep Leslie off your back when she gets here."

"Did I stutter?" Billy snickered.

Stu rolled his eyes before redirecting back to Mandy's question.

"As long as you want." Stu chuckled. "Our house is your house."

"Thanks." Mandy chuckled, kicking back on the couch, next to Seth and Asami.

"His sister, on the other hand…." Billy muttered, adding onto Stu's, as long as you want, comment.

"Billy!"

"Alright, I'm going. I'm gone." Billy laughed.

Stu just shook his head again, while Seth and Mandy just snickered to themselves over the whole thing.