Jesse Martinez could not take his eyes off of her as she stepped out of the elevator and stared at everyone in the hallway. A nervous smile came across her face as she spoke. "Hello," she said, "I'm Ryan Clarke." She glanced around the hall at the surprised faces staring back at her and paused for a moment. "What?" She asked? "What's wrong?"

"Julia," Jesse Martinez said as he took a step forward and threw his arms around her, "you're home!" He pulled her close and hugged her as hard as he could.

"Excuse me," Ryan responded as she tried to pull herself away from Jesse's grasp. "Excuse me," she said again, "Can you let me go!"

"Jesse," Mrs. Mulberry said as she came back to terms with reality and took a step forward, placing her hand on Jesse's arm. "Let her go," she said softly.

"It's Julia!" Jesse responded.

"Let go of me!" Ryan Clarke yelled as she struggled to get away from the stranger that had embraced her.

"It's not her," Mrs. Mulberry explained. "Devon," she said as she glanced at the equally stunned woman, hoping to get some assistance.

"Jesse . . ." Devon mumbled as she shook her head, "Jesse, no . . ."

"Somebody help me!" Ryan Clarke pleaded, unable to break free of Jesse's hold. "Get this guy off of me. He's crazy!"

"Jesse, stop!" Cayden yelled as he sprung forward to try and help.

"Julia," Jesse repeated, as if it were a mantra. "Julia."

"What the hell is going on?" A man questioned as he stepped off of the adjacent elevator and saw what was going on. He dropped the box he was holding and ran straight for Jesse Martinez, grabbing hold of his arms and pulling him away from Ryan Clarke. He pushed Jesse against the wall and turned toward Ryan Clarke.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "What the hell are you doing?" He yelled as he turned back toward Jesse Martinez. "You crazy son of a bitch!" He added as he advanced toward him.

"Wait!" Gage Matthews said as he jumped between the two of them to prevent the man from harming Jesse.

"He attacked me!" Ryan Clarke said as she pointed at Jesse.

"What were you trying to do to my girlfriend?" The man questioned.

"She's not your girlfriend, she's my girlfriend!" Jesse responded.

"Screw you," the man said as he tried to push past Gage.

"Back off!" Cayden yelled as he jumped into action and pushed the man away. "Let's just all calm down and relax," he said.

Devon James' eyes were locked on Ryan Clarke. She found herself stepping forward slowly, cautiously, until she was face to face with her. "Julia?" She questioned as she stared into the other woman's eyes.

"Who the hell is Julia?" Ryan Clarke questioned as she shook her head in frustration. "My name is Ryan. What is wrong with you people?"

Devon reached down and grabbed the woman's hand. "Let go of me," Ryan yelled as Devon lifted her hand and forcefully opened her palm to stare down into it. "What are you doing?" She questioned as she tried to pull her hand away.

Devon held onto it tighter and stared at her palm for a moment before letting her hand drop and backing away as she shook her head. "It's not Julia," she said softly. "It's not her. She doesn't have the birthmark on her hand," she explained. "It's not Julia," she said frantically as she glanced at the shocked faces in the hall until she stopped at Ryan Clarke's. "Who the hell are you?" Devon demanded.

Ryan Clarke stared back at Devon James with surprise. "I already told you," she responded, "My name is Ryan Clarke. I'm moving into apartment 8C. What the hell is going on here?" She questioned, trying to compose herself.

"You look just like her," Mrs. Mulberry commented.

"It's not her," Devon said as she shook her head. "She doesn't have the birthmark, and her eyes . . . her eyes are different."

"Who are you talking about?" Ryan asked.

"Julia," Jesse Martinez replied. "Julia Taylor."

"Who the hell is Julia Taylor?" Ryan questioned.

"She was his ex-girlfriend," Devon responded. "She was murdered."

"Murdered?" Ryan questioned, slightly worried.

"You look just like her," Devon explained.

"What are you people talking about?" Ryan's boyfriend questioned. "Get the hell away from us or I'm calling the police," he threatened.

"Let's just all try and relax," Cayden said as he moved to the center of the action.

"This is crazy," Sarah Mulberry whispered to her grandmother. Mrs. Mulberry nodded in agreement. "She's like her twin," she added.

"I'm sorry for the confusion," Cayden King said as he turned to Ryan. "My friend is just confused."

"He's crazy is what he is," Ryan said as she glanced at Jesse, whom Gage was holding quite firmly. "I'm not Julie, or whatever her name is," she affirmed.

"Her name was Julia," Devon reminded her, "and it's obvious that you aren't her. Jesse made a mistake."

"A big mistake," Ryan's boyfriend declared as he stared at Jesse menacingly. "I should kick your ass."

"No one is going to kick anyone's ass," Mrs. Mulberry said as she took a step forward. "He made a mistake. Your girlfriend isn't hurt. No one is bleeding. Everything is fine now. Gage, Elijah, take Jesse back upstairs. I'm sure his grandmother is worrying where he is right now. Make sure he goes to sleep," she said.

Gage nodded and Elijah walked over to help him with Jesse. "C-come on Jesse," he said as he guided his friend toward the elevator.

"It's not her," Jesse said as he glanced back. "It's not her. I was wrong, she really is dead," he said softly as the elevator doors closed.

"What's that guy's deal?" Ryan's boyfriend questioned.

"His girlfriend was murdered," Mrs. Mulberry answered directly, "and a woman who looks exactly like her walks off of the elevator. What do you think his deal is?" She asked pointedly, causing him to stare at her incredulously.

"He didn't mean to scare you," Cayden assured her.

"Well he did a damned good job, even if he didn't mean it," Ryan rejoined.

Cayden nodded his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Well, you're obviously not who we all thought you were," Mrs. Mulberry said. "Now that it's settled, I have a bingo game to get to." She turned and started for her apartment. "Sarah, come help me find my sweater," she called out.

Sarah Mulberry glanced at the doppelganger for a few moments before turning and following her grandmother back to their apartment.

"I'm Cayden King," he said as he stepped forward and extended his hand to Ryan's boyfriend. "I live in 8B."

"Steven Harris," the man responded as he shook Cayden's hand.

"And this is . . ." Cayden said as he motioned to Devon.

"I can introduce myself," Devon interjected as she stared at Steven for a moment, then directed her full attention to Ryan Clarke. She said nothing as she examined the woman from head to tow. "Devon James," she said finally before turning away and walking down the hall.

Cayden stared at her for a moment, then turned back toward Ryan and Steven. "Welcome to the building," he said with a shrug.

"Holy shit, I think I'm going crazy," Szymon Skubisz said as he stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind him. Pointing toward the hallway, he took a step forward. "I think I'm seeing things. I think I just saw . . ."

"Julia Taylor," Cayden interjected, "moving into Kathryn's apartment."

"So then I'm not crazy?" Szymon said with relief. "Wait a second," he said a moment later. "What the hell's going on?"

"Ryan Clarke," Cayden said as he stood up from the couch and stared at Szymon. "She's moving into the apartment and she looks exactly like Julia Taylor," he explained.

"I've heard people say that everyone has a twin," Szymon said as he shook his head, "but they're identical," he said as he sat down on the couch.

"I know," Cayden said softly. "Jesse saw her too."

Szymon glanced up at Cayden and sighed. "I forgot he was coming home today. How did that go?" He questioned.

"Well, at first, we thought Jesse was crazy when he started babbling about how Julia was really alive. Then Jesse's grandmother kicked us out of his apartment, then we all saw Julia with our own eyes. I mean, it wasn't really Julia, we found out later, but it was still a shock."

"I bet it was," Szymon said. "What's this about Jesse's grandmother?" He questioned.

"Liliana Martinez. I think she's evil. She even told us that we contributed to Jesse's poor mental state and she doesn't want us to have anything to do with him," Cayden explained.

"That's not such a bad idea," Szymon noted. "Jesse is unstable at best."

"He's my friend, Szymon," Cayden said.

"I know, I'm sorry. If you want to be Jesse's friend, I won't stop you," Szymon assured him as he glanced over at Cayden. "What else happened? You look exhausted."

"It's just been the day from hell," Cayden said. "First I had to deal with Devon's aftermath and get Sebastian back into his apartment, then I get a visit from Isaiah and we go at it over Elijah's treatment," Cayden informed him. "Did you know that Elijah's been ditching therapy?"

"He has?" Szymon questioned. "That's stupid."

"No kidding. He says that it makes him feel retarded and he's not going back. I don't know why, but I can't get through to him anymore. He doesn't listen to me anymore. The only person he listens to these days is Devon," Cayden said with a pout.

"And you're jealous," Szymon noted.

"I am not jealous," Cayden replied. "Elijah was my friend before he was Devon's friend. She stole him from me."

"He's not a possession, Cayden, he's a person."

"He's MY person!" Cayden said with frustration, "and she stole him."

"When is this little vendetta going to end?" Szymon questioned as he got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Returning to the living room, he sat down on the couch and took a nice long sip.

"We had another argument," Cayden admitted. "It was the same stuff. Your boyfriend pointed a gun at me," he said, mimicking Devon.

"Well, I didn't shoot her," Szymon noted.

"I told her that. She doesn't care. If she can't forgive us for making a mistake, then it's her problem," he said with a shrug as he sat down beside Szymon.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't exactly have a fun-filled day," Szymon offered.

"What happened?" Cayden questioned as he nudged closer to Szymon.

"I got a new partner," Szymon responded.

"Again?"

"Not you too," Szymon sighed. "I'm really not that bad," he added. "Anyway, I have to work with Joseph Lester," he said.

"The gay basher?" Cayden questioned with surprise.

"I'm stuck with the guy until Cici gets back on active duty," Szymon explained. "The chief said that I have to stick it out or it's my ass on the line."

"That sucks,"

"Big time," Szymon agreed. "I'm gonna head in for a shower."

"Okay," Cayden said as Szymon got up from the couch. He reached for the remote control and flicked the television on and began flipping through the channels. A few moments later, Cayden shot up from the couch and turned toward the bedroom. "Szymon! Wait!" He yelled.

A moment later, Cayden King heard a piercing shriek and he covered his eyes. Szymon Skubisz shot out of the bedroom completely naked and covering his genitals. "Cayden!" He said as he turned toward him. "There's a naked woman in our bathroom!"

Victoria King stepped out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around herself. "Cayden, this naked man walked in on me in the shower," she said as she pointed toward Szymon.

"What's going on?" Szymon and Victoria said in unison.

"Szymon, I'd like you to meet my mother Victoria. Mom, this is Szymon . . . my boyfriend."

Devon James opened her door and smiled when she saw Elijah Montessori. "Come in," she said as she stepped away and allowed him to enter the apartment. "Where's Gage?" She questioned as she shut the door behind him and followed him to the couch.

"H-he had to go s-somewhere," Elijah explained as he sat down.

"How did Mrs. Martinez react when you two brought Jesse back?" She questioned.

"Like a b-bitch," Elijah responded. "Sh-she pulled him into the a-apartment and sh-shut the door before w-we could say anything."

"What a bitch," Devon said with a sigh as she shook her head. "Did you bring the movie?" She questioned.

"I g-got it," Elijah said. "I had to g-get it quickly an g-get out," he explained.

"What happened?" Devon asked.

"C-Cayden's mother is th-there. I th-think she's staying over," Elijah explained. "Szymon w-walked in on her in the sh-shower."

Devon James glanced over at Elijah and started laughing. "Szymon walked in on Cayden's mother while she was naked? I would have paid money to see that!" She paused for a moment and got up from the couch, glancing at the door. "Wait a second, Cayden's mother disowned him. What is she doing back? I swear to God, if she came back just to treat him like shit again, I'll . . ."

"You'll wh-what?" Elijah questioned. "Y-you're not friends anymore."

Devon paused and glanced back at Elijah. "That's right," she said softly as she returned to the couch. "Whatever," she sighed. "He deserves what he gets."

"You st-still love him," Elijah noted.

"You're crazy," Devon responded. "Give me the movie," she said as she reached for the DVD.

Elijah pulled it out of her reach. "You still c-care about him. Admit it!" He laughed.

"I don't care about him," Devon said. "Give me the movie!"

"You d-do."

"Fine!" Devon shouted as she crossed her arms and pouted. "Then we won't watch it."

Elijah glanced at her for a moment, then handed her the DVD. "H-here you go," he said apologetically.

"Thank you," Devon said as she grabbed it from him and sighed. "I'm mad at him," Devon said softly. "After Julia, he was my best friend and he turned on me," she said as she glanced at Elijah. "He turned on me. Do you know what that feels like? To find out that your best friend betrayed you? It's the worst feeling in the world."

"He apologized," Elijah explained.

"That doesn't mean that I'm going to forgive him that easily," Devon explained. "I have the right to be mad at him."

"You d-do," Elijah noted, "but if you ever w-want to be his friend again, th-then, you need to figure out if st-staying mad at him is worth l-losing him," he said.

Devon stared at Elijah for a moment then said: "When did you get to be so smart, you little shit?" Elijah rolled his eyes and smiled and Devon reached forward and began to tickle him before hearing a knock at the door.

"Here," she said as she shoved the DVD into his lap. "Put this on. I'll answer the door and send them away and then we can watch the movie," she added as she got up from the couch and walked toward the door. She pulled it open and glanced at the man standing in the hallway.

"Can I help you?" She questioned.

"Hello," the man said with a smile. "I'm Luis. Is Gage home?"

Sarah Mulberry stepped outside of her apartment holding an apple pie and pulled the door shut behind her. As she started down the hall, she saw a man knocking on Devon's door and she smiled at him. He smiled back at her and winked as she passed.

As she continued down the hall, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw him step into Devon's apartment. "Damn," she said to herself, "why are all of the hot guys knocking on HER door?" Rolling her eyes, Sarah stopped just in front of Sebastian Vaughns' door and paused. She could hear what sounded like guitar music coming from his apartment, which made her even more curious meet him.

When the door opened, Sarah was greeted to a pleasant view, the sight of her new neighbor shirtless. She smiled. "Hello neighbor," she said as she presented the pie to him. "Welcome to the building."

"Wow," Sebastian said as he glanced down at the pie. "Is that?"

"Apple pie," Sarah said with a smile. "Homemade and baked fresh," she said as she handed it to him.

"Thanks," Sebastian said as he reached for it. "Oh, come in," he said, "excuse the mess, I'm still unpacking."

"That's okay," Sarah said as she stepped into the apartment. "I know what that's like. I'm Sarah Mulberry, by the way. I live down the hall with my grandmother in 8D."

"Sebastian Vaughn," he said after placing the pie on the kitchen counter and returning to the living room. "Nice to meet you," he said with a smile.

"Likewise," Sarah said as she glanced around at all of the boxes in the living room and saw a guitar lying against a futon in the corner. "Is that what I heard coming from your apartment?" She questioned as she pointed to the guitar.

"Guilty as charged," Sebastian said with a smile.

"So you're a musician?" Sarah questioned.

"Well, I'm not great but I will be one day," he explained, "and watch out, because I'm gonna be a big star," he added with a smile. "I just have to finish school first," he explained.

"You're in music school?" Sarah questioned.

Sebastian laughed. "Music school? It's not just music, it's the best music school in New York," he said. "I was lucky to get in."

"Then you're a liar," she said with a smile.

"Why?" Sebastian questioned.

"If it's the school that I'm thinking of, then you have to be a great musician to get in," she explained.

Sebastian Vaughn paused for a moment. "You're right," he said with a smirk. "I am a liar."

Gage Matthews glanced both ways before ducking into the alleyway. He reached into his pocket where he had shoved the wad of cash, just to make sure that it was still there. He sighed and cursed himself for betting on those damned horses. Now he was thousands of dollars in the hole and his next allowance check wasn't coming for another week.

He shook his head and checked his watch as he waited. He was an hour late and hoped that Luis was late as well. If Luis had already been there waiting for an hour, he would have been even more pissed off and Gage didn't need another bruise on his midsection.

"Gage!" He heard someone yell and it startled him. He turned around quickly and saw Cecilia Nakamura walking down the alley toward him. "I thought that was you," she said as she got closer. "What the hell are you doing walking down an alley like this? Don't you know what happens in these alleys?" She questioned as she eyed him carefully.

"Jesus!" He said as he put his hand up to his chest to feel his pounding heart. "You scared the crap out of me, Cici!"

"Why is that?" She questioned. "Are you doing something you shouldn't be doing?" She asked.

"Of course not," Gage responded, pretending to be offended by her suggestion. "I'm not doing anything," he said.

"Then why are you here?" She questioned. "This is a hot spot for drug dealers and bookies," she explained. "You're not back on drugs again, are you?" She questioned as she stared into his eyes.

"No way!" Gage said. "I ended that addiction. I don't do drugs anymore," he assured her.

"Good, because you have a baby on the way, and as much as I dislike Devon, she doesn't deserve to be with a drug addict."

"And she's not with a drug addict," Gage explained, "because I don't do drugs. Why are you here anyway, shouldn't you be at the hospital in a wheelchair?" He questioned.

"I've been out of the wheelchair for two months," Cecilia explained as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well . . . you're still walking funny," Gage said as he glanced down at her legs.

"Well, let's see how well you walk when you're pushed out of the eighth floor," she rejoined.

"You fell down to the fire escape on the sixth floor," Gage said. "Big deal."

"If that fire escape hadn't have broken my fall, I would be dead," Cecilia reminded him. "I'll take walking a little funny over death any day."

"Amen," Gage agreed.

"You still didn't answer my question," Cecilia said. "What are you doing in this alley?"

"Hey, if I remember correctly, you're on leave, right?"

"So what?" Cecilia questioned.

"So it means that I don't have to answer any of your questions, Detective, now doesn't it?" He explained as his cell phone began to ring. "This is Gage," he said into the phone. "Devon? What's wrong?" He questioned as he glanced at Cecilia momentarily. "Who? He's there? Hold on," he said quickly. "I'll be right there. Don't let him out of your sight," he explained as he snapped his phone shut and rocketed past Cecilia Nakamura.

Cecilia shook her head slightly and reached into her pocket for her cell phone. She dialed Szymon's number and held the phone to her ear. "Szymon," she said, "it's Cici. I just ran into Gage. I think he might be up to something. You might want to keep an eye on him," she said as she stared down the alley.

"I'm terribly sorry for walking in on you," Szymon Skubisz said as he sat down on the couch. "If I had known that you were here, I would never have done that," he assured her.

Victoria King sat on the adjacent couch, fully clothed and nodded. "It's quite alright," she said, "you had no idea. No harm done."

"I'm so embarrassed," Szymon said as he shook his head.

"I should be the one that's embarrassed," Victoria smirked. "Forget about it, it's not important, but let's talk about something that is important," she said as she turned to stare at Szymon. "What are your intentions with my son?" She questioned.

"Mom!" Cayden said as he sat forward and stared at her in shock.

"Cayden, you're my son, regardless of how old you are. I simply want to make sure that you're not going to be hurt."

"Mom, you have no right…"

"It's okay," Szymon said as he motioned for Cayden to relax. "I'll answer the question," he said as he glanced at Victoria. "I love your son," he said simply.

"You love him?" She questioned as she glanced from Szymon to Cayden then back to Szymon.

"With all of my heart," he explained. "I fell in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him," Szymon explained. "He is everything I've ever dreamed of, everything I've ever wanted."

"How old are you?" Victoria questioned randomly.

"Mom!"

"It's okay," Szymon said. "I'm twenty-eight," he answered.

"You are aware that you're ten years older than my son, aren't you?" She questioned.

"Mom . . ." Cayden groaned.

"I'm entirely aware of that fact," Szymon responded.

"What do you do for work?" Victoria asked.

"I am a homicide detective for the New York Police Department," Szymon said.

"So your job puts your life in danger every single day, doesn't it?" Victoria questioned.

"Mom, please . . ." Cayden said as he reached for her hand in an attempt to stop her from asking any further questions.

"Cayden, I'm simply trying to get to know your boyfriend," she explained before turning back towards Szymon.

"My job is to get dangerous criminals off of the streets, Mrs. King," Szymon responded. "It's true, I do place my life in danger every day, but it's for a good reason. I want to make the streets safer for people, especially for Cayden."

Victoria King smiled at that response. "Do you have children?" She questioned.

"I have a son," Szymon responded. "Sammy. He's five year's old," he added with a smile.

"Then I'm sure you must know what it's like to be a parent and to want the best for your child," she said.

"Believe me, I understand," Szymon assured her.

"Okay then," Victoria said as she got up from the couch. "Cayden, come help me make dinner," she said as she started for the kitchen.

"Dinner?" Cayden questioned.

"Yes, dinner," she said. "It's the big meal after lunch, or don't you remember? Please don't tell me that you haven't been eating regularly? Don't answer that," she said as she put her hands up. "I can tell you've dropped at least ten pounds since I last saw you. You need to eat so you'll stay strong."

"Oh God," Cayden groaned, totally embarrassed.

"Well, I'm sure Szymon wants you to be healthy," she noted as she glanced at him. "God knows he could put on a few pounds himself. Look at the two of you! You look anorexic. Well, I know just the thing to take care of that. All you guys need is some good home cooking. No son of mine, or his boyfriend is going to starve. Not while I'm hear," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

Cayden smiled and turned toward Szymon. "I think she likes you," he said.

"I heard that!" Victoria King responded. "And it's true," she added as she stepped out of the kitchen with a smile. "Now come in here and help me make dinner," she said.

"How does that look?" Ryan Clarke questioned as she stepped back from the painting that she had just hung on the wall and smiled.

"It looks like shit," Steven Harris responded without even looking at it. He was crouched in the corner pulling CDs out of boxes and lining them up on a shelf. "I told you to put it over on the other wall," he explained.

"I like it on this wall," Ryan responded. "I think it looks better over here."

"No, it looks better on the other wall," Steven said, slightly angry.

"You didn't even look at it," Ryan noted with a slight chuckle. "Come look at it," she said as she motioned for him to stand next to her.

"Jesus Christ," Steven said as he dropped the CDs and walked toward her to look at the painting on the wall. He paused and looked at it. "It looks like shit. Put it on the other wall," he said as he turned and walked back to the CDs.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Ryan questioned as glanced at the painting again.

"Because you don't listen to me," Steven explained as he stacked more CDs.

"It's just a painting," Ryan assured him.

"It's not just the painting," Steven explained. "It's everything. It's this apartment. I told you that I didn't want to live in this area, but you just had to go and find an apartment here, didn't you? Do you really want to make my life as miserable as possible?"

"I thought you liked this place?" Ryan questioned.

"I hate it," Steven said. "And this morning. I told you to wait for me so that we could ride the elevator together, and what did you do? You ran up ahead just so you could be the first one to walk in the apartment. And then what happens, you let some guy you don't even know touch you!"

"I didn't let him touch me," Ryan explained, growing quieter as she stared at Steven.

"He touched you," Steven said as he stood up and turned toward her. "He had his hands all over you. You liked it, didn't you?" He questioned.

"Of course not," Ryan said as she took a step back.

"I swear to God, Ryan, if you so much as think about cheating on me, you will regret it."

"I'm not cheating on you," Ryan assured him. "I don't even know that guy. I swear. I didn't let him touch me. He grabbed me. I didn't know he was going to do that."

"When I say something to you, Ryan, I expect you to listen to me," he said as he walked toward her. "I expect you to do what I tell you to do. I told you to wait for me and you didn't. Then you let some guy grab you. What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked.

"Nothing," Ryan said as she backed into the wall and found that she had no place else to go.

"Don't make me hurt you Ryan. I don't want to do it, but you keep pushing me. If I hit it, it's no one's fault but yours."

"I know," Ryan said softly. "I'm sorry. I'll listen to you the next time, I swear," she said as she saw Steven undo his belt and pull it off. She glanced into his eyes as he held the belt up to her face and pressed it against her cheek.

"You'd better listen to me," he warned her, "or you know what'll happen," he added menacingly before pulling away and returning to the corner of the room where he proceeded to stack the CDs on the shelf. "Now move that damned picture to the other wall," he demanded. "Right now!"

Ryan Clarke jumped toward the painting on the wall and removed it quickly. "Okay," she said softly as she walked toward the opposite wall.

Standing on the fire escape, Jesse Martinez watched in silence. He watched as Ryan hung the picture on the wall. He watched as Steven Harried removed his belt and held it to her face. He watched Ryan sadly remove the painting from the wall and hang it on the opposite wall. Then he watched, with sadness as Steven had sex with her and she stared, her eyes distant, at the ceiling with shame.

He placed his hand on the windowpane as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Hello, my beautiful stranger," he said softly.

Cayden jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen to help his mother as Szymon's cell phone rang. "Hello?" He said. "Cici, how's it going?" He paused for a moment. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll keep an eye on Gage."

"You like him," Cayden teased his mother in the kitchen. "You like my boyfriend."

"Oh shut up," Victoria said as she shook her head and smiled. "I saw tomatoes in the bottom of the refrigerator. Grab them for me. I feel like having pasta."

"You like my boyfriend," Cayden sang as he opened the fridge and grabbed the tomatoes, setting them on the counter as he heard a knock at the door. "I'll be right back," he said.

Crossing toward the door, Cayden saw Szymon standing in the corner talking quietly on his cell phone. He smiled and pulled open the door. Two hands reached in and grabbed him, pulling him into the hallway.

"What the hell!" Cayden cried when he saw that it was Devon. "What are you gonna do? Hit me?" He questioned.

"Shut up!" Devon said as she pulled him into her apartment. "I need your help."

"What?" Cayden questioned. "All of a sudden I'm your friend again because you need my help? You treat me like shit for months and now you suddenly need me?"

"Cayden, I wouldn't ask you for your help if I wasn't serious about it," Devon explained.

"What is it?" Cayden questioned, sensing the urgency in Devon's voice. "What happened?"

Standing in her apartment next to Cayden, Devon pointed into the living room. Cayden slowly turned and glanced in the direction she was pointing in.

"Hello Cayden," Elijah Montessori said with a slightly smile. In his hand was a candlestick, and he looked somewhat strange holding it, but even stranger than Elijah Montessori in the living room with a candlestick was the dead body lying at his feet.