Note: It has been mentioned by a couple people (not in a bad way), that my structure of writing dialogue tends to make it hard for them to read. I must confess that in my many years of writing, I have acquired some writing habits that tend to be irritating for some. If I may attempt to explain my writing style, it may help shed some light.

Once upon a time I wrote scripts for community theater productions. I did this for about eight years. This tends to cause one to adapt to a writing style which can cause a misalignment with regard to the applying of action and dialogue tags (among other things.) When you write scripts you are not just writing the dialogue. One thing you Do do is that you separate the dialogue from describing the scene.

I must also confess than I am autistic, and can also be OCD about certain things. This tends to lend to my translation process when writing dialogue and applying action/dialogue tags. It is just one of those things that actually pose a quirk to me if I do not visually see it structured in a certain way. In this case it tends to create a need to position the next line of spoken dialogue on a new line.

I do very much apologize to those who may find it hard to read. I am consciously aware that my process is technically incorrect, of course. But my mind defaults the writing back to the manner which makes me feel most comfortable when I look at it. As I just noted, when you script write you place the dialogue separate from what you are describing. When I went back to writing actual stories, it was hard to go back to a traditional and proper technique. I must confess to having some early draft stories where I actually insert INT/EXT throughout!

This is similar to a conversation I had with someone a year ago when we talked about being concise with writing. And I had to confess that ever since I was writing scripts, the ability to apply a conciseness to my writing a regular story had been difficult. With scripting, it is not only writing dialogue, but also describing the settings and situations. Often in great detail. So that is definitely another quirk. It's not like I set out to hold the record for most words in a single HBFF story! Haha.

So, with this in mind, I hope those who are put off by the technical elements of my writing structure can still derive something from the story.

I cannot make any promises (as old and poor habits can be hard to break), but in future chapters I will make an attempt to break from this. I have always been aware this style was obviously incorrect. But, when you are so used to doing something a certain way and your mind wants you to type it as such, it can be challenging.

I regret that my tendencies, no matter how they were derived, have made it harder for you. Thank you for reading just the same :) I always welcome reviews offering any opinions.

-4-

"I expected you to be more upset throughout this lengthy conversation." Joe confessed as he looked across the table at Iola. They were sitting in his office at the Hardy Agency downtown. Iola took a deep breath as she looked at her husband. Honestly, she had expected to be more upset today. The prospect of seeing Joe for the first time in several weeks had been daunting. She was unsure how she would react. And while she knew that her husband had done some very disturbing things to her, she knew she was not entirely blameless.

"Joe, I have been through a wide range of emotions lately. A lot of anger, but also some introspection." She sighed, then looked at him. "The fact that you were honest with me and telling me you wanted this marriage to work does speak a lot to me. I was honestly expecting you to give me the brush off and tell me how hopelessly in love you were with her."

Her! Iola couldn't say her name.

"Well, I can understand how you feel. I suppose you could say I had a rough patch and went through some introspection myself after I woke up in a strange motel in Florida feeling, well, desperately empty. Feeling that part of me wasn't there." He looked down with clear embarrassment painted on his face. "And that is when I know that I still needed you." Iola's anger had since melted away. At least to the point of being more tolerant of his indiscretion. She looked down herself.

"It's hard to cast as harsh of a judgment upon you when I consider how imperfect I have been." Joe's eyebrows went up, uncertain as to why she had even considered feeling any blame for anything.

"Not sure I understand." Iola looked about uneasily and gave a slight shrug.

"Well, it's not as if I never shared intimate times with someone outside of our marriage." Joe tilted his head, then looked at her.

"Well, you never really did try to hide the thing you had going on with Callie. And I know that was something different. It was just you two doing your thing. I knew it was happening to some degree before we were married. While I was never fond of it, I knew it was happening. There was really no concealment on your part." Iola looked off to the side, unable to make eye contact.

"Well, there was a little more." She confessed. Joe looked surprised.

"What do you mean, hun?"

"Well, I did have occasion to play around with Aimee." Joe wasn't particularly surprised. He had assumed that after the three of them had a lost weekend in an Atlantic City hotel room, that there were likely subsequent encounters which occurred. He shrugged indifferently.

"Is that all? I mean after I caught you all that morning in Atlantic City, I rather assumed you had gone back for more. I mean even though she quite clearly developed a relationship with Callie, I kind of figured that the two of you may have still met up from time to time. Heck, it's not like you could knock her up or anything. Not sure what the big deal is." Iola's eyes narrowed and she gave him an irritated look. Joe looked back at her with a confused expression.

"What did I say? You seem mad all of a sudden." Iola rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? That was not a particularly tactful comment to make!" Joe again looked confused.

"Which comment do you mean? That I already pretty much knew you and Aimee were getting down? Like I said, I am not mad about it." Iola looked intently at him. It had occurred to her that maybe he was not aware of the fact that Aimee was now pregnant.

"Then you are saying you don't know?" Joe held his hands up.

"Know what? Can I buy a vowel?" Iola closed her eyes and managed to calm herself now that she knew Joe was unaware. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I just thought Frank likely told you and you knew." Joe again shrugged.

"Frank and I haven't really been all that chatty since I came back." He admitted. "So, what is this news that I was presumed to have already known?" Iola leaned back in her chair and looked past him out the office window.

"Aimee is pregnant." Joe blinked several times, clearly surprised by the news.

"Excuse me?" He looked at her with complete surprise. "Did she and Cal decide to go get artificially pregnant so that they would have a child to share?" Iola blinked several times at him.

"Artificially pregnant?" Joe rolled his eyes and made a waving gesture.

"Well, inseminated from a clinic. You know what I mean." Iola nodded, dismissing her irritation with his lack of proper terminology.

"No, she got pregnant the traditional way." Joe's eyes widened as he leaned back in his office chair.

"Wow, I bet that pissed off Callie. That might have been enough to chase Callie back into Chet's arms." Iola sighed. It was apparent that Joe really was out of the loop when it came to the current status of their friend's relationships.

"Uhm, well when Maddie was taken, Chet and Callie had been on the mend in terms of their marriage. They were on a parent night with her at the bowling alley when it happened."

"So, Callie and Aimee were on the outs, and she went and met a guy?" Iola glanced at him with frustration.

"No." She shook her head. "Aimee and Cal were never really on the outs. When we went to Virginia to look into Maddie's abduction, we determined she was taken by a serial kidnapper and trafficker. So, as it happened, Chet and Aimee went undercover as a couple. Chet was supposed to be in the market for product and wanted to procure more girls." Joe blinked several times.

"Are you attempting to tell me that Chet and Aimee were playing the couple and got swept up in the role? How on earth does that happen? Are you telling me that Chet is the father?" Iola nodded with a fatigued look.

"Yes, if I can reduce it to the short strokes, Aimee found herself attracted to Chet. They spent a lot of time together and developed feelings for each other. With a little help from the traffickers they pretty much kick started the physical relationship. But without going into all the sordid detail, yes, Chet and Aimee are expecting."

"Wow." Joe gave a low whistle. I assume Callie has given them both their walking papers?" Iola slowly shook her head.

"No, actually they are all shacked up at the farm. Chet is building a giant log cabin on the property, and he also bought the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop for Maddie. Those are just the highlights. I haven't talked to Cal in a few days, as I have been distracted." Joe looked back at her wide eyed.

"They are all living together?" Iola began rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, I don't know in what type of relationship before you ask. But Aimee is expecting and they all seem ok and civil with each other. You want anything else; you will have to ask them yourself." Joe rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Not sure I want to go out there just yet. I am sure they are not thinking very highly of me at present. Not that I can blame them."

"Maybe not. But I am sure they can get over it. I think I did." She looked at him with hope in her eyes. "Are you sure you want this? Because I don't want my feelings played with again. I don't think I could take it. Are you sure she is out of your system?" Joe's eyes shifted back and forth once, then he looked up at her, nodding solemnly.

"Yeah. I do love you, Iola. I want this to work. I want us to raise our son and I want to get back to work." She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I love you, too." She looked at him intently. "I assume she knows she is now unemployed, and you are attempting to reconcile with me?" Joe looked down.

"I've made that clear." He said quietly.

"Alright, then. You can come home." Joe smiled broadly at her.

"You won't regret this, baby." She looked at him with a vulnerable expression, swallowing hard.

"I hope I don't."

Aimee tapped lightly upon Maddie's door before pushing her door open. She walked in and noticed Maddie laying on her side on her bed. Aimee gave a casual wave and smile as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Good morning, girl. How are you doing?" Maddie was hugging a pillow and looked up at her.

"I'm ok, kind of tired I guess." Aimee looked around the room.

"Jaime leave?" Maddie nodded.

"Yeah, she had to leave earlier. Her mom was taking them to the shrink and stuff."

"Ah, I'm sure that was an exciting prospect to her."

"Kind of doubt that." Maddie offered a passive smirk. Aimee looked down at her. She wasn't quite sure, but something seemed off about Maddie. She leaned over and ran her fingers through the youth's hair. In the process she inhaled a strong scent, and a slight smile creased her lips.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to just walk in, girl. That was rude of me." Maddie's eyes widened for a moment.

"What do you mean?" She asked quickly, hoping Aimee hadn't been lingering outside the door earlier. Aimee offered an indifferent shrug.

"Nothing, really. I just know I walked in without you telling me to come in. I know we all kind of like our privacy." Maddie nodded.

"Yeah, and sometimes it's hard to contain our privacy to our bedrooms." Aimee closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't realized that the previous evenings activities with Callie and Chet could carry up the stairs.

"Oh my. I am so sorry, girl. Now that was definitely insensitive of me, well, all of us involved." She turned slightly red knowing that the girl had heard them. Maddie gave a passive wave.

"It's ok. It's not like I don't know those things happen with you all. I kind of figured you wouldn't be pregnant otherwise. I knew it used to happen when we lived at mom's house and the two of you would, well." She looked down slightly embarrassed. Aimee ran her hand along Maddie's arm.

"I am still sorry. Maybe in the future we could do something which makes it less obvious. Play some music or something." Maddie let out a giggle.

"Well, then I'd pretty much still know whenever some random late-night music starts playing."

"I see your point." Aimee conceded. Though she wanted to be sensitive to Maddie's comfort level, she also knew that it wasn't something to be ashamed of. "But ya know, it's not really a big deal if you see it for what it is." Maddie looked cautiously at her.

"What do you mean?" Aimee shrugged and smiled.

"Well, girl, it is just sex. I mean everyone does it." She looked down at the floor. "Or everyone wants to be doing it. But I mean it's just a natural process of life. Nothing to be ashamed of." In the face of her bold statement Maddie had not really considered it from this perspective. The idea that so much shame seemed to be connected to a natural act that all living things did.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess you are right. But I would still prefer not to hear it each time it happens." Aimee smiled at her knowingly.

"Agreed. Discretion can be a good thing for all involved. But I just wanted to let you know that there is no shame in expressing or experiencing such things." She looked at Maddie significantly. The girl narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head.

"Uh, me and Jaime weren't doing anything up here!" She claimed a bit defensively.

"I'm not judging you, baby. It's none of my business if you were." She said kindly. Maddie's eyes shifted about nervously.

"Well, you know, I just don't want my mom thinking there was, if there really wasn't. I mean not that I wouldn't want that…maybe."

"I hear ya, girl. And it's ok to feel that, really!" Maddie could tell that Aimee wasn't offering any judgment and was very much sympathetic to her. She scooted herself to a half seated position against her headboard and sighed.

"Having hormones sucks!" She lamented with an exhausted expression. Aimee nodded knowingly.

"I'm right there with you, girl. They are a force that just takes over sometimes. And of course, we then secrete all these damn pheromones, so then everyone around us knows. Whether we actually did anything or not." She got up and winked at Maddie. "Your mom and dad are out this morning. The wash machine is free if you need to keep your room in order. I know how your mom likes a clean room. I am gonna go down and make some coffee, then call Madison and make sure everything at the café is running smoothly. See ya."

Maddie watched as Aimee left the room. She knew her stepmother figure could have handled the situation much differently, and was grateful for her understanding and discretion. She swung her legs out of bed and sat up. She took a deep breath, then began removing the linens from her bed.

Chet and Frank did their best to restrain Callie, who had been kicking upon the heavy back door in futility.

"But we need to get in there!" Callie protested as the pair brought her down from the rear stoop. Frank held up a finger.

"Callie, calm down! Even if I wanted to break in, look at these doors! They are quite sturdy and cannot simply be kicked in." Callie backed away from the arms of Frank and Chet and placed her hands on her thighs and looked up at the rear door. Indeed, it was every bit as sturdy as the front. Not to mention, it also had a lack of hardware. She nodded, slowly regaining her breath.

"Ok, then. How do we get in?" Frank closed his eyes and shook his head.

"We don't." Callie glared at him with a look that suggested this response was clearly unacceptable. "At least not legally." He finished.

"Got a plan, Frank?" Chet inquired with hope. He looked at his stout chum and gave a half shrug.

"Not just yet. But can I at least get a promise from you guys that you won't come driving your car into the front door while I think something up?" Callie looked about impatiently, chaffing at any delay.

"How much time are we talking, Frank?" The elder Hardy brother took a breath.

"Until tonight. After my shift I am open to come out here with you guys and do a stakeout. If you really think something foul is going on here, I am open to granting you some latitude."

"As a Bayport cop or as a friend and experienced private detective?" Callie asked offering a wry smile. Frank knew her inquiry was justified. He further knew there was a calculated risk in getting caught doing this. As a detective who worked at an agency outside the jurisdiction and without any first hand just cause to warrant an entry, things could get uncomfortable if the situation went bad.

"As your friend, and all that entails." Frank said firmly. Callie tilted her head favorably.

"In that case, fine. We will go home and come back tonight to stake things out if you feel that might be the best course of action."

"I do." Frank nodded. "I think it best if we go back to our youth and approach tonight on foot from your farm. I don't think it would be wise to drive a car right up in front of the place." Chet and Callie both nodded.

"Alright then." Callie said uneasily as she looked up at the structure. She didn't like walking away from a situation where someone was possibly needing help. But as the voice had not made itself heard since, there was no likelihood of getting more urgent assistance from the sheriff. The trio slowly made their way back towards the car.

While brisk out, the sun helped make for a pleasant day to be outdoors at the Morton farm. It had been a couple hours since Frank had brought them back and went on to work. Callie sat out on the side deck of the house nursing a hard lemonade. She couldn't keep from thinking about what she had heard outside the front door of the Daniel's home that morning.

Was she certain she had heard a voice asking for help?

Her thought was disturbed when she heard a car door slam from around the front of the house. A moment later Aimee appeared and walked towards the deck.

"Hey, Girl!" Aimee called as she approached, eventually taking a seat beside her.

"How goes it?" Callie asked, still a bit distracted by the events earlier in the day.

"Not bad. Just had to drop by the shop and see that everything was in order. I called earlier but it sounded like they were swamped, so I drove over."

"Everything ship shape?"

"Yeah." Aimee nodded affirmatively. "Madison is a good worker and really keeps things moving when I'm not there." Callie offered her a sideways glance.

"Did you ask her out to lunch again?" She smiled.

"No, I don't want to encourage her. Though I suspect she would be open to it based on our last chat." Callie laughed when she heard this.

"Always good to have a backup in place." Aimee rolled her eyes and her friend's ribbing.

"I think she is too good of a worker to possibly complicate things with any personal interactions. Not to mention I do feel quite content being right here with you."

"Good to know. How much do we pay her? I never did check."

"Madison makes $15 an hour plus tips." Callie cringed.

"That's not very much. I think you should give her a raise." Aimee nodded her agreement as she had always found the young barista to be an efficient worker and often doing tasks that were outside of her job description.

"Fine by me. What were you thinking?" Callie smiled and gave an indifferent shrug. Money was not of particular concern to her when it came to these things. She did hold that a good worker was always worthy of a decent wage.

"How about $23.50 an hour plus some benefits. Give her a new job title and some formal authority. Maybe assistant manager. If she works out well for six months, boot her up to $30 an hour and you can delegate her to some of your other obligations."

"That would do nicely I think." Aimee reflected thoughtfully. "She does so many things she doesn't really have to. At first I thought she was just brown nosing, but she has been too consistent and has never even alluded to wanting a raise."

"Thought you wanted her to brown nose." Callie teased.

"Wouldn't mind it. But like I said, why rock the boat mixing business and pleasure?"

"So true." Aimee watched her friend sip her drink, though could sense something was on her mind.

"You doing alright?" Callie exhaled slowly and faintly shook her head.

"Not sure. We went back over to that house this morning. And while Chet and Frank were in the back and I was in the front, I swear I heard a voice crying for help coming from the inside."

Aimee's eyes widened as she listened.

"Are you serious? What happened when you investigated?" Callie took a long sip and drained her glass.

"We didn't. The place was locked up, and Frank was, shall we say, hesitant to break and enter since he didn't hear it for himself."

"Wow, that's surprising. Did you call the police?" Callie shook her head.

"Nope. Frank was of the opinion that they wouldn't do anything either if there was no obvious indicator that someone was in danger. I guess that makes sense…from a cop's perspective anyway."

"Wow, that is concerning! So, what do you intend to do?" Callie leaned back in her seat and took in a deep breath.

"Well, Frank is coming back tonight after his shift ends. We are going to go over and stake the place out. I guess since he or Chet didn't hear the voice, they may be hesitant."

"They don't believe you?" Aimee's eyebrows shot up in question.

"Well, I'm not sure it's flat-out disbelief. I think Frank may believe I might just be hearing voices carrying over from the neighbor's property." Aimee looked off into the distance, across several pastures and to a distant line of trees.

"Is the house over that way?" She questioned. Callie nodded and gestured towards the north.

"Yeah, thereabouts."

"Then wouldn't that make us the neighbors?" Callie tilted her head upward, then gave her a half smile.

"Pretty much, yes. Were any of you yelling out across the pastures this morning?"

"Well, maybe Maddie." Aimee murmured. "But I doubt she was yelling out."

"Excuse me?" Callie's eyes flashed for a brief moment. "Did she and Jaime make some noise?" Aimee waved her off and shook her head.

"Oh no, not at all. Jaime left earlier. But Maddie suggested that we tone it down so she doesn't hear us." Callie covered her face with both hands briefly, then looked back at her.

"Are you serious? She heard us from way down the stairs. God, how embarrassing!"

"I wouldn't sweat it. I of course apologized, but then added that, well, it was just sex and shouldn't be something that was seen as a bad thing. I was more meaning it for her own perception of intimacy."

"So, you don't think she and Jaime were doing anything last night?" Aimee shook her head.

"Maddie did stress that they hadn't done anything. I think when I first went in her room, I caught the end of a solo session. And when I alluded to it in a roundabout way, she thought I was asking about her and Jaime actually doing something. The possibility about being discovered doing either can be terrifying to a young girl." Callie nodded soberly.

"Poor kid. Having a grown up walk in when your hand is still in the cookie jar." Aimee giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, so true. But I think she is more a pillow pumper. She was hugging a pillow for dear life when I walked in and there was a pretty strong aura in the air."

"Well, like mother like daughter." Callie murmured with uneasy humor. She tilted her glass back, then realized she had already emptied the contents. "Think I better get a refill." She excused herself into her house. Aimee rolled her eyes, amused by the things that could drive Callie to have a drink. The sound of a car approaching caught the corner of her eye and she stood up. A few moments later she determined the approaching small SUV as belonging to Iola. Aimee walked over as the vehicle approached, waving to Iola as she got out.

"Hey, Aimee! How are you feeling, girl?" She called as she leaned over and gave her a brief hug.

"Not too bad. I haven't thrown up in two days." Iola laughed and gave her a thumbs up.

"There ya go! Who said pregnancy can't give you some good days. So where is Cal?" She asked, looking about as they walked up the side of the house. Aimee gestured inside.

"She is inside making herself a drink." Iola nodded knowingly.

"Stressed about something bad, or just needing a drink?" Aimee giggled.

"Well, in this case it's because she was just informed that her daughter masturbates." Iola shot her a glance, then rolled her eyes.

"I'd say she probably has been for years. Lest we forget my niece was already thrust into a threesome while in captivity. Not sure why a little self pleasure has Cal jumping in the bottle."

"I don't think she is all that disturbed by it, really, if at all. Just that little maternal voice in her head fighting her first born daughter turning into a woman."

"Understandable." The pair stepped back up on the side deck and Iola poked her head into the house. "Callie, I'll have whatever you're having, girl!"

"Is that you, Iola Leann?" She called back from the kitchen. "Sure thing! Give me a few."

Iola and Aimee took a seat. Iola took a look about and sighed happily. "Great day out for December!"

"It is." Aimee agreed feeling the warmth of the sun upon her.

A few moments later Callie emerged from the side door holding two glasses. She smiled down at her best friend and offered her one.

"Here ya go, girl. A stiff Irish lemonade." Iola gratefully accepted the drink and took a sip.

"Thanks, this just hits the spot!" She said happily.

"Well, you seem in good spirits." Callie commented. She noted that Iola was definitely in a happy frame of mind.

"Well, there is good reason to be."

Callie's eyebrows went up."Did Joe come to his senses?"

Iola took another drink, then nodded. "You could say that." Callie and Aimee both looked at her intently.

"Well, spill it then!" Aimee implored impatiently.

Over the next half an hour both Iola and Callie caught each other up on the latest episodes in their lives. Callie was happy to hear that Joe had worked things out with Iola and that they would be getting back together. Or at least making their best effort to move forward from the situation which had alienated them.

Iola was intrigued to hear about the call Callie had received about the elderly Melanie Daniels who had owned the house just north of their farm property. She also recalled the time or two they had ventured over there when they were young.

"That house was scary." She recalled. "I think it's kind of creepy that you heard a voice and that no one is answering the door. Not to mention the whole affair with the police encountering this granddaughter who isn't supposed to exist."

"I'm not sure what to make of it. But I sure intend to find out tonight!"

Both Aimee and Iola looked at the firm expression on Callie's face.

They knew the look. It meant one simple thing.

She would find out!