The Conclusion: With a Twist

A part of me reverts back to that teenage girl that used to let her boyfriend slap her around...how am I going to get out of this?
But then I remember...I'm older, wiser, and stronger than he is.  I can take him, easy.

I run in, guns a' blazin...(metaphorically, of course).

Me: I knew it was you!  Who the hell do you think you are, taking me away from my family, my NEWBORN babies...everyone!  And you chopped off my hair!  What was that about?  Do you think I'm Samson or something?  You're lucky I need you to figure out how to get home, because I want to kill you!

John: Whoa!  Don't come in here screaming at me!  I came back for you, didn't I?  And what do you mean, chopped off your hair?

Me: Don't give me that innocent crap...I don't know why you did it, but before you lured me out here, I had long, pretty hair!
John: Huh?
Me: Look, that's not important...I just want to leave...take me home!

John: Look, Hadley, I'm sorry...I realized what I did was wrong and I came here to get you.
Me: Don't give me that crap, you learn about as well as a turnip plant.
John: No, listen...

By that time, the adrenaline is kicking in and my heart is pounding in my ears.  I reach out and slap him across the face.

I turn away from him...
Me: I can't believe you would do this to me John, honestly.
John: Hadley, honestly...it wasn't...

I heard a thud, and John fell to the ground.  Someone else is here?  Friend, or foe?

It's Janis Dias, looking like her sweet self...coming to rescue me?
Janis: Did I get him?
Me: Um, yeah...I think so...what are you doing here.
Janis: Oh, the whole town is buzzing about you being missing and I followed him out here.  I just knew it had to be him.
Me: Oh...so you know the way back?

Me: I really need to get home.  I just had two babies...I've been trapped here for heaven knows how long...
I stopped...there's something off about the way Janis is looking at me.

She's got this evil expression on her face...

Me: Um...Janis...?

Janis: You're not going anywhere.

She still has the wrench in her hand where she clobbered John...her knuckles are turning white grasping it...

Me: Janis!  What's going on?
This is not the woman that was so willing to forgive me before...

Janis gives out an evil laugh.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?  John was just a pawn...he was so worried you'd let out his dirty little secret and ruin his chances of winning the election, it was easy to convince him."  She starts, "of course, the plan was to kill you while you were on the way to the hospital..."

She continues, "...but apparently, he's still sweet on you because he bribed a guy that works in the morgue to give him a body and dress it up like you and put it in the car so when I checked to see if you were dead, all I would see is that hair and those clothes you always wore and I would think it was you..  I don't think he counted on the police finding it so fast..."

"What?" I am dumbfounded.  What all had happened since I've been gone?

Janis is apparently not done talking...
"So apparently he holed you up in this cabin because he knew I wanted you dead." She says.

"But why?" I ask her, genuinely hurt.  I know she had every right to hate me, but she said she didn't...and she said she was my friend...I can't believe all this is happening...

"WHY!?"  She starts screaming.
"Who do you think you're trying to fool with that innocent look?  You strut around Butterfly Acres like we all owe you something and we should be thankful that you grace us with your presence.  You flaunt all your kids around like they're trophies, then you have the audacity to sleep with my husband, and you don't even really want him.  You just used him and threw him back to me...like my husband wasn't even good enough for you!"

She has completely lost it...
Ok, maybe I can talk her down.
"Janis, I didn't want to be with your husband because he wanted to be with you..."

Wrong thing to say.  A low growl came out of her mouth as she pounced on me.  She had me by the throat and it was all I could do to get away...

I made it outside, but where was I supposed to go?  There's nothing for miles...I hid in the bushes as the sun started to come up.

I could hear her come outside.
"Oh Hadley, you can't hide from me.  Wherever you go, I'll find you."

She heads down the stairs as I back away behind a tree.  How am I going to get out of this?

Then I hear a scuffle...John has gotten up and he's trying to fight her!

...but she's too strong for him...somehow...I guess blind rage gives you super strength.

"Please, you're not going to get me, John...and you're never going to get Hadley back.  You're destined to be the lap dog.  She'd rather have a million brats than be with you.

That's when I realize...what am I doing?  I can take her skinny butt in a minute...
"Hey, yo, bitch," I start, "I think you're looking for me."

"Look, you're crazy, I just want to go home and I want you to leave me and my family alone." I try to reason with her.
"Never!" she says as she starts to lunge toward me.
"Hmm...have it your way."

So we have a beat down...and is there any question who won?  Uh, yeah, only I can call my kids brats, damn it!  Then I start chasing Janis...all the way up to the mountain next to the cabin.  Something else snaps in her and she jumps.  I can see her body, broken in lord knows how many pieces at the bottom of the cliff.  Her head is twisted around in an impossible angle.  Yeah, she's definitely dead.

After everything is said and done before we go home, John apologizes.

John: Hadley, I am so sorry...about everything....putting you in this situation...what happened in high school.  Everything.  You have to know I'm not that guy anymore.  We got to talking one night and she had me convinced that you would tell everyone what happened....but when she suggested killing you...I couldn't do it.  I...I still love you, Hadley.

When I hear those words, my heart skips a beat.  Even after all he's put me through, a part of me loves him too.  But I'm not so sure we're not a toxic combination.  I'm not really sure about anything right now.

Me: Wow, um...I still love you too, John...
he reaches in to brush his hand against my cheek and I flinch.
John: ...you still don't trust me, do you?
Me: I'm sorry, John.  I can't.  We've been through too much.  This whole experience...I'm not sure I can trust anyone...a woman whom I thought was my friend just tried to kill me...but I do accept your apology...and I won't tell anyone what happened between us.  I swear.

John: Okay, but I'll tell you this, if I have to work on it every day for the rest of my life, I will prove to you that I'm not that guy anymore.
Me: I hope you can.  The first thing you can do is get me home.

***BILLY'S POV***

I had just gotten Cici into bed and I was about to go to sleep when I looked out the window and I swear I saw...

"Mom!"  I can't help but cry.  I didn't realize just how much I missed her.

***HADLEY'S POV***

I look at my baby boy, standing on the front porch with tears rolling down his face and I can't believe I'm home.  I made it through.  He runs out to me and I throw my arms around him so tight, I never want to let go.  He's sobbing in my arms and I'm glad, for his sake, that it's night time and no one else is awake.  I know he would be embarrassed.

"Sweetie, it's ok, I'm home now." I console him.
"I just missed you so much," he says through hiccups and sniffles.

"I know, love.  I'm so sorry." I say, still unable to let him go.

He finally calms down and pulls away from me...just in time for me to see Aunt Z walking out behind me.

"Little girl, where have you been?  You've had us all worried sick!" she says, pulling me into a hug.
"It's a long story," I tell her.

Word traveled fast that I was back.  Uncle T-Bone came by and took my statement.  Apparently the first thing John did when he got back was turn himself in.  He also admitted to being physically abusive to me when we were kids.  I think Uncle T would have taken him out, but I told him it's all over with and I didn't want to press charges.  He said something like, "John and his jaw should be thanking you."
Then we told everyone about Janis.  Everyone was shocked, but happy I am home now.

I just want everything to go back to normal...or at least what's normal for me.

Hadley?

***ZOEY "AUNT Z" POPE'S POV***

"Look girls, I'll level with you.  I'm not really a kid person...and I'm prone to migraines...so...if we could keep the screaming to a minimum...that would be awesome..."
I am met with more screams...well, can't say I didn't try.

I must really love Hadley.  There's no one else in the world, except for maybe my own children, that I would do this for.  Eh, it's not really that bad.  In fact, caring for Cici and Debbie has kind of been like those times I took care of Hadley while she Evie were both little.  These girls got nothing on those two.  Whenever they were together, there was trouble.  I love that girl like she's my own daughter...it's been three days...and there has been no word, no leads.  The search parties continue though...there has to be something.

Just as I get the twins playing, I get a call from T.  

T: It's bad, Vi.

(My husband calls me Vi...short for Violet...which is short for shrinking violet because when we met at first I was really shy around him...and I really like purple)
Zoey: What is it?
T: Someone found Hadley's car.  You know, the old one that Andrew had.
Zoey: Oh no...was...um...
My throat is slowly closing up and I can't seem to be able to speak.
T: The car is totaled.  It looks like it was driven off a cliff near the edge of town and then a large tree fell on top of it.  That's why we hadn't found it until now.

Zoey: Was she...?
T: We haven't found her.  We can't get to the car until the tree is gone, so we don't know what's inside there...but we've got dogs sniffing out the area in case she was thrown from the vehicle.
Zoey: In which case...
T: We can't jump to any conclusion just yet.
Zoey: Oh, God...
Am I having a heart attack?  I can't breathe...
T: Hold on, calm down...take a few deep breaths.
Thank goodness my husband's voice is like auditory morphine for me.
Z: Oh God, have you talked to Amy and Andrew?
T: I just got off the phone with Amy.  She's freakin'...
Z: I need to call her...love you, bye.
Don't worry, he's used to that.

Zoey: Amy?
When I call, it's hard to tell which Amy I'm going to get.  Either she'll be "Put Together" Amy who is strong for everyone but herself, or she'll be "Completely Lost It" Amy who has finally let her guard down enough to lose it.
Amy: She's not there.
Zoey: Right.
Amy: She got out...and she's...somewhere...
Zoey: Yeah, definitely. She's fine.
Amy: Exactly.  She'll be home in no time.
Zoey: Before you know it.
Amy: She has to.
Zoey: She will.
Then she gets a beep.  She conferences the call because it's T.  He has news.  Oh boy.

T: Are you both there?
Amy & Zoey: Yeah.
T: We got into the car...Hadley's wasn't in it.

Zoey: Thank the Lord!
Amy: Thank God!
T: There was someone else in the car though...and they were wearing Hadley's clothes and had a dark wig on.  Someone set this up to look like it was her.
Zoey: Who would do that?
T: The more important question is, if she's not here, where is she?

***JOHN ELLIS'S POV***



I can't believe the nerve of Evie Cowan...



I wonder if I have to worry about her...



This could be bad.

***TWO DAYS AGO***





I wake up on the floor...in a dark room that smells like mildew.  I almost throw up, it's so nasty in here.



There's a couple couches and a TV...where the hell am I?



Where is this place?
Where are my children?
I just had newborn babies...where are they?



I walk around the little space more and find a room with a twin size bed, a lamp, and a mirror.  The last thing I remember, the hospital called me and told me to get there immediately because my mother had been in a car accident...then...everything's a blur.



Looking in the mirror, I am shocked.



What the hell happened to my hair?  And my clothes?  What is going on?
Suddenly, I feel woozy again.



I lay down on the bed and everything goes dark.