Night. Decker's house. The twins stay up in the Belle room. After visiting the Evigan's house and the graves. They might need to know something about what actually really happened between their mother, Emma's mother, the graves and Gibson.
Still.. Who the hell is Gibson? Belle leaned her back on the bed. It's time the twins need to know the truth.
"Emma Jane Evigan was my best friend and sister when I was young. The old woman we met earlier is her mother. She died at the age sixteen years old, stabbed through her heart inside her bedroom. Her mother found her bloody dead body on her bed that night. Since then, I've never forgiven myself over her death".
She smiled. The photo of Emma, she shows towards the twins, that she kept inside the shoe box until now. If she misses Emma, she will see her photo and be brought to sleep in her arms.
"Is she?" ask Poppy.
"That's her and me, yes. Sixteen years old. Am I pretty?" The twins nod their heads. "And that is how it began, where I met your father, Victor Gibson". She smiled.
Moments later, the twins' faces are uncomfortable as Belle tells them about their father's past life toward her. Vincent got up from her bed, walk toward the window. His eyes stared at the house next door, previously his father, Victor Gibson stayed.
Poppy bowed her head, studied her laps.
"That's why I keep this secret from you two because I know it will end like this". Her eyes shoot at Vincent's back. "Vince? Honey. I'm sorry, I shouldn't _"
"Surely it wasn't your fault, Mom". He said. "It's him. We share our blood, our flesh with him. It makes us a murderer to".
"No Vince. Don't say that. You share blood and flesh with him then what I'am? I lived with the murderer of my friend before you two born. I had to stay because of your grandparent's life. What choice do I have? Nothing but stay with him. Now he's dead. I'm free, fly like a bird. He returned me to my family".
She breathed, wiped her tears. "Until I suddenly fall in love with him. I gave birth to the most beautiful precious baby twins that he never experienced being a father when is alive. He died from protecting me. He died for his family he loved, he died for the only wife he loved and that wife is me".
"But he _ I mean, Dad". Vincent shoots up at his twins. "Dad killed your sister".
"Poppy!?"
Poppy turns to anger Vincent. "Don't you ever call him Dad. He never will be our dad nor this family. His the murderer!"
He grit his teeth. "The name of Victor Gibson will never be our father even if he is still alive. Never!"
"How cruel he is, he is still our dad, Vincent. Even after his death, still _ his blood and flesh running through our veins. We never taste fatherly love from him because he's dead protecting us. Don't you see his efforts? Dad died in honor, dignity for his wife and kids. And that kid is us, Vincent".
He stared, Belle stopped between the twins before the arguing became tense. She got up from bed, walk toward her closet.
Poppy spoke. "See what you did, Vincent. You made mom upset with your word".
"She just opened her door closets doesn't mean I'm upsetting her. For the last time stop calling him dad!"
"Dad". Poppy mocking him then she smirked.
Belle walks back to bed with a vintage wooden box in her hand. Belle smiled as she laid the box down on bed.
"What box is that?" ask Poppy. "So vintage. Got heart on it. Is it a cursed box?"
Belle chuckled, shaking her head. "You wanna see your father, he lived inside this box".
She opens the box, one of Gibson photos she shows to Poppy as Vincent is still standing at the window bedroom. Slowly he made his move toward Poppy, his eyes on the photo too.
"That's him. Victor Gibson. Your father. The photo was taken when he was twenty six back years ago, like my age right now. This box contains our sweet memories we shared before he died and before I knew I'm pregnant. I hated him so much when we first met".
Blushing, she spoke back. "But then I fell for him".
"Are you sure this is our dad, Mom".
"Of course he is your dad. Why did you say that, Poppy? ''
Poppy and Vincent look at each other's face, back to the photo then back up to Belle.
"What?" She asked.
Poppy handed Gibson the photo back to Belle, said.
"Because this is our school gardener, Mr. Lee Herman. We spoke to him, spending our time if we don't have any classes. He's a nice man. We were shocked after seeing our dad's photo who looks like him".
"Must be a mistake. I was there when we buried him, I was there to identify his body. I was there for the last time I touched his cold skin".
Silent, she spoke again. "They both maybe had the same face, and I'm sure the gardener looks like your dad, not your dad".
Poppy shrugged, yawning. She laid beside her mother.
"He's not coming back for sure. I was there when it happened. We talked about this later. It's already late at night. But I want you two agree with me on something".
"Of what?" Vincent raises his eyebrows.
She smiled. "We're going back to our house. Not in New York but _ in Garnett, Kansas. Where it all begins. And I'm gonna introduce someone that I love who helped me when I was in pain. You two are gonna love him, trust me".
Garnett, Kansas. Daylight. Older Craig Allen sees the car entering the ground. Smile. Knowing who just entered. The car parked right in front of the house, the engine dead. He walked towards the car, greeting.
"My dear Belle". Both hug. He studied her face. "All grown up. Such a beautiful wife he shouldn't deserve. How's your journey?" He asked.
"A memory. Luckily I remember the road. Bit change still I could figure it out". She looked around. "Where's Hannah?"
"You never believe what I told you".
"Is she pregnant?"
"Glad to hear if she is. No. We had a fight a little before I came here, she never let me far from her. You know how jealous she is toward you, Belle. I'm saying she is just, she is who she is".
He bit the bottom of his lips. He looked over her shoulder where the twins were. "You're not gonna introduce me to the twins?"
"Urgh! Silly me".
She slapped her forehead. I Walked to the car, swung the door open. "Kids. Come on out. I need you two meet this man who will help change my life".
The twins get out of the car, their eyes shooting to Craig. "This is Craig Allen. He is also a friend of mine and your father, and he's the doctor".
Craig looked down with a smile. He studies the twins' faces. Beautiful, strong jawline, absolutely perfect DNA combination. Like the father, like the mother.
He smiled. "I'm Doctor Craig Allen. I'm your mother's best friend".
"That creepy". The twins laugh. "Your mother's best friend sounds so cliche dude". said Vincent.
Poppy is still laughing. "So you are the one who changed our mom's life. He's pathetic isn't he?"
"Pathetic? You mean your dad?" Vincent nodded his head yes. Craig looks up at Belle for a moment then back to the twins. "So, you know about him. Trust me he wasn't like that before, not until he met your mom".
Vincent scoffed, said. "Same thing. He is still pathetic! How?" He asks Craig.
"Our mother was just sixteen back then, he forced himself on her like she was some kind of a puppet that he could play with. I know, I wasn't there when it happened and I didn't ask for it, nor we".
He turns to Poppy. "That's the past. We don't know him. And I'm glad we don't".
"Still _ he's your dad".
"Doesn't matter anymore. He's dead already".
Craig turns to Belle, she shrugged and doesn't want to argue anything. He nodded and smiled.
"Alright. Of course. I understand. Well, welcome home. I can say this is your house too, before your existence. There's plenty of room you can choose".
The twins make their way inside the house. Belle and Craig follow. "Huge house. Wonder why".
"Vince? Please". Belle stared at him. "This is where I lived before. That you cannot argue or change about it, can we just forget about the past. We created a new one. Just you, me and Poppy in here".
"I don't want to sleep when he touches you".
"You don't have to. Like the doctor Craig said, there's plenty of room you can choose. It could be fun".
She smiled.
Later that evening. The twins play outside the house, hide and seek perhaps. She and Craig sit on the porch steps, eyes on the twins from far.
Belle smiles. Finally, for so long she abandoned this house, now she returns with her baby. Craig is always with her as he promised. He never left.
"Weird huh?" asked Him. "Returning to a place you called Hell before. Why sudden? I thought you wanted to forget all this, and build a new life. Why now?"
"They must know. As they were asking who their dad was. I can't hide it anymore, they need to know. There _ Vincent hates his own dad".
Craig chuckled. "If I were him, I would hate my dad too. He hurt my mom, how can I forgive him? I wasn't even there when it happened. Still _ that what your son thinks about Gibson".
"I wish I could turn back in time, fixed everything. I swear if I can do that I shall not see him, Emma is still alive and Jake will never forget about me".
He turned to her as she mentioned Jake. The Harley's. What happened to him anyway?
"Have you seen him?"
Shaking her head. "Since now. He never looks after me. All I know my parents said, he left. Back to New York, a fancy apartment. Whatever".
"If you saw him, what would you do?"
Scoffs. "I will push him down the stairs like what Gibson did to him that night".
"You sound like him. Impressive. Will you?"
She looked at him. "Deep down inside your heart you wouldn't. Same like your husband, deep down inside his heart he won't but he must. Just for you. He will do anything to have you, protect you. He did".
"The kids hate him. What should I'd said?"
"They slowly learn, Belle. Don't force it. If you forced them _ they exactly turned out to be like you when you were young. Just relax".
His eyes on Poppy. "She is a quiet shy little girl I've never seen. Poppy isn't it? Where does that name come from".
Belle smiles. "She looked like popcorn when she was a baby. She is different from her twin brother, Vincent. Vincent has his dad's behavior, protective. They saw Him in school".
"Who?"
"Their dad. He's the gardener". Both stare. "I saw he died, Craig. I saw his lifeless body laid on the morgue table, there's no possibility he is still alive".
"Well, maybe he looks like Gibson but not who he is".
She nodded, and spoke back. "I'll tell my kids the same thing. Because I don't see right in front of my eyes yet. If I do? I appreciate that".
"What? You're gonna kill him again. Like a second time dead _?"
"Something like that. Turns out I have become more like him".
Both Belle and Craig, back to the twins. Silhouetted against the evening sky, a sudden rain, thunder and lightning are rumbling. Belle and Craig stand at the porch. He stands behind her, his arms around his waist.
"It's raining. Stay with us, get to know the twins".
"Unless they try to kill me. I'll stay".
Belle leans out the porch, festively. "Kids! Get INSIDE! Put down that metal! Are you trying to get yourself killed! There's thunder and lightning above the sky!"
Another lightning flash, the twins hurried their feet running back to the house, both wet and smiling.
"Don't show your teeth. Get inside, showers. Go on now".
Watching the twins running upstairs. The adult enters the house and closes the door behind.
Didn't they know? Someone has been watching them since Belle arrived at the house. And who will be?