The Neighbor

Home (Not so) Sweet Home

Nothing was the same. Nothing will ever be the same. Cassie was lost and broken after finding out about Sarah. That situation caused for her parents to stop talking to Cassie yet again. Sure, none of this was her fault, but in her parents' eyes, it was.

Ben was not about that situation at all. He ranted on about how they were with her one minute, then gone the next; like clockwork. He forbid her to speak with them when they came to visit one last time and didn't even let them glance at Michael. Patricia, he could tell, looked hesitant to leave; but as always, one goes with the other and she left with Brian.

Alec was still on speaking terms with Ben and Cassie, but it was always very vague. He didn't know what Sarah had gotten into when she did and he was very upset with her about it. He apologized to Ben and Cassie profusely and asked them to come over for dinner sometime so they could all talk it out.

But Cassie didn't want that. She didn't want anything to do with Sarah after that. Ben didn't blame her, of course and was very pleased that she didn't want to speak with Sarah. If she did, he would be absolutely furious.

By the time the week was over, her stitches came out. She was in bed for an extra couple of days before she was actually released. Ben had asked one of his co-workers (who had 2 kids of his own) to look after Michael, while he got Cassie home and settled.

As soon as Ben pulled up into the house, he saw her visibly tense up. He looked at her curiously, until he followed her gaze to her old house, which was lined with caution tape. He got out and quickly helped her from the car and into the house.

Marshall was the one to happily greet her when she walked in and she couldn't help but smile. "Hey, buddy," she cooed at him. He followed her and Ben up the stairs and into the bedroom. Ben helped Cassie into some comfortable clothes and got her into bed.

"Alright, baby?" He asked, sitting down next to her. She nodded and smiled weakly. "Thank you." He placed a kiss on her head and said, "It's my pleasure. Can I get you anything?" She thought a moment, before saying, "Water. Food." He nodded and placed a kiss on her lips.

Marshall followed Ben downstairs with a wagging tail. Thank God this dog is on his side now. Ben made Cassie a light sandwich, throwing Marshall pieces of turkey every so often, and put it on a tray with a glass of water.

When he got into the bedroom, he saw Cassie looking at a small picture. He furrowed his eyebrows and set the tray on her nightstand. "What's that?" He asked. She sniffled and held it up to him.

It was their last ultrasound picture.

"Cass," he whispered, "don't do this to yourself. Alright? It will all be fine, we can try again sometime in the next year." She nodded, but the tears still came. He wiped them away with his thumbs and sighed. He really wasn't sure what to do.

He watched her as she looked out the window, into the bedroom of her house. "He was in there, Ben. He watched us, he recorded us, and—and—."

"Hey, hey, shh," he soothed. "He's gone. He can't hurt us anymore." She shook her head and cried, "That's not the point! He was living there, plotting to kill you, our son!" She was starting to get hysterical, which Dr. Andrews warned him would happen. She's going to be going through minor PTSD. 

"We'll move," he told her. "We don't have to stay here. As a matter of fact...I got a job offer. I meant to talk to you about it when I got home that day." Cassie wiped her tears and looked at him curiously. "Where?" She asked. "With who?"

"Same company," he explained, "it was just a part of the deal I made with my boss after I got arrested. He would let me keep my job if...if I took over the building I went to New York for. I would be on the project until it finished and, since they're apartment buildings, he offered us a place there for seventy-five percent off. It's a gorgeous place, Cass, and it's near a pre-school, high school, day care, every parents' dream."

Cassie laughed and bit her bottom lip in thought. "It can be a new start for us," he softly added. She nodded in agreement. "New York," she said aloud. "Moving to New York City. That sounds...amazing. Let's do it." Ben gave her a wide smile and brought her in for a passionate kiss. "I love you," he told her. She smiled and told him, "I love you, too."

**

Ben was woken up that night by something kicking his leg. He sighed in annoyance and mumbled, "Marshall, get down." He heard a whine down on the floor and opened one eye to see Marshall looking up at him from the floor.

So the kicking didn't belong to him.

Ben turned over to see Cassie writhing in the sheets and mumbling something inaudible. He moved himself to where he was leaning over her and starting brushing her hair out of her face. "Honey...Cass, wake up." She kept moaning and looking incredibly distressed.

"Cassie, wake up," he said louder. "Baby, come on." He shook her a bit, then she suddenly sprang up, screaming her head off. Ben was quick to act and gathered her in his arms, even though she was hitting him to get off of her.

He shushed her and held on tightly as she kept fighting. "It's me, Cass! It's me, it's alright!" Her screaming quickly turned into sobbing and her thrashing body turned limp. Michael's screams and cries could be heard just a few moments later.

"Shit," Ben mumbled. He lay Cassie's sobbing and shaking body down on the bed, before springing up to go get Michael. He was able to calm him down by singing a quick song with his voice a soothing few octaves lower. Once Michel was out, he brought him into the bedroom.

He put him in the middle of the bed and Cassie immediately snuggled up to him, making Ben smile. To complete his little family, Ben picked up Marshall and let him on the bed.

Ben got back under the covers and sighed in relief on how calm Cassie and Michael both were at the moment. He knew it would happen again, as it comes with PTSD, but that was almost too much.

He watched fondly as she smiled at Michael and brushed his hair back, singing to him almost inaudibly. Michael was asleep in no time, as was Cassie. Ben was incredibly relieved. He put his arm across his son and rested his hand on Cassie's hip before closing his eyes.

"Ben?" Cassie's voice suddenly asked. "Hm?" He responded. It was quiet for a moment, so he figured she dozed off. Just as he was about to do the same, her voice asked, "Did you kill Chuck?"