Mistaken Love

"Mimi just shut up!" April screamed at her sister.

"NO! Why don't you ever tell me anything!" she yelled back.

"I don't have to tell you every detail of my day!"

"I WAS JUST ASKING WHERE YOU WERE AFTER LUNCH!"

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

"SEE! YOU CAN'T TELL ME ANYTHING!" Mimi furiously roared with tiny tears in her eyes. When Mimi was pissed off you didn't want to get in her way, yet she also cried. It didn't make her any less angry. As Emma and Eddie were about to intervene, Zacky stepped up behind Mimi and pulled her away. He was cradling her gently as Mimi quietly whispered her anger into his chest.

"All this stress wont be good for a baby...nor a soon to be mommy." Shaun sighed.

"I know what you mean...they've been at each others throats for a while." Emma gulped. I saw April give her a look and storm off outside. Ben quietly followed after as I grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it.

"I can't take it anymore!" I growled out, "Mimi you need to calm down. April doesn't need to tell you every aspect of her life. Relax." without listening to Mimi's protest I ran off outside. I understand she cares...but after I worked up the nerve to yell at Mimi I needed to get out of there. I didn't want to start cowering if she yelled back.

I found April talking to Ben by some trees out front. She was laughing and crying...at the same time. As I quickly walked up behind them April stopped talking immediately. Both turned their heads and looked at me.

"Hey Rory." Ben smiled.

"Hi. April we need to talk," I said and stepped toward her, "You need to stop freaking out whenever Mimi asks you a question. She just cares, the least you could say was 'for a walk' but saying 'nothing' or 'nowhere' doesn't help."

"Well she keeps pestering me on where I go." April tried to argue.

"You're gonna be an aunt, and you're still her little sister, I wonder why she cares where you are." I said sarcastically. Without hearing her I turned back around and went inside. I was rubbing my temples as I bumped into my uncle.

"Headache?" he asked.

"Sorry...I think I just need to lay down." I sighed and went upstairs.

"I'll put some Aspirin in your room in a little while."

"Thank you." I smiled and closed the door.

-------------------------------Eddie's P.O.V--------------------------------

After hearing Rory shut her door I let out a sigh. I'm tired of all the fighting but it gave her a reason to lay down. She didn't sleep well last night. I heard her scream form across the hall. In fact, she has had a bad night ever sense we arrived two weeks ago. It was now the beginning of December and the weather turned quite cold. To everyone's surprise the house stayed comfortably warm.

I do admit it was nice resting up here. The place was cozy and in its own way, magical. The thing that I find strange is her uncle. I trust him but he's just a very...different kind of fellow. Rory told me that she assumes he is now blind in his right eye. Little did Rory know, that wasn't the only thing wrong with him. I think he has a brain disease. My first suspicion was his wacky vocabulary. The second was that he sometimes smiled off into the distance and wouldn't move for hours...and finally my third suspicion.

I woke up three nights ago and thought Rory was having another bad dream. I heard talking and when I came out the door I saw that Rory's uncle was pacing up and down our hallway. I had shivers all over, it freaked me out. When I called out his name he stopped and turned to look at me.

"Kyle! Hey man where have you been? Chad has been waiting forever."

"Um...Conner?" I said slowly, "It's me Eddie." Suddenly I saw that he was actually looking above my head. Supposedly this "Kyle" person was taller. I watched him pretend to grab someone's arm and drag them downstairs. I followed silently. I saw that he had set up a table of cards. There were three chairs. He sat down in one and started a conversation. Twenty minutes of just watching this I couldn't take it anymore.

"Conner, Conner...who are you talking too?" I asked as I crept down the stairs.

"Hm? Eddie! Meet my friends Kyle and Chad, "he smiled proudly and dramatically swung his arm in my direction, "Boys, this is my nieces boyfriend Eddie! Why don't you pull up a chair and play some cards?" he offered.

"Conner. There isn't anyone there." I gulped and said slowly. I saw him blink a couple times. His smile slowly fell, his face turned pale, and his eyes widened. Suddenly he turned to me and laughed weekly,

"Please. Pretend you saw nothing. Just go to bed." I nodded and went back to bed. Before I went into the hallway I looked back into the living room and saw him put his head down on the table and his shoulders shake. I was the one who had a hard time sleeping that night.

Other than that it has been smooth sailing. Our day consisted of figuring out where to go next, doing some house chores, and relaxing. Zacky was especially grateful for the opportunity. His snowflake could rest. Excluding the quarrels with her sister. April herself has been withdrawn from everyone more and more. She barely speaks to anyone except Ben. He seemed to be getting closer with her. I suppose Shaun and I were the only ones knew the reason.

Another odd day sometime ago was after another fight. Shaun and I followed April and Ben. Basically April has some serious issues about relationships and stuff. It was clear that she was depressed.

"I feel like dieing all the time." she said sadly, "Yet, I want to live."

"It's normal to feel this way April...you can't give up. An-"

"Don't...don't say his name right now." she sighed, "Mimi would hit me if she heard this. All of them would. I know he was just a guy but I loved him."

"I know you did. You'll heal." Ben tried to sympathize with her.

"Can you have a swollen heart? It feels like it'll burst with all the emotion's I'm feeling." she said and ran her hands through her hair.

Shaun nudged me and we left soon after that. Basically Ben and April were having therapy sessions. Understandable. As long as she gets her emotions out somehow and stays alive...I have no problem with that. Shaun and I actually bonded and became friends. He was a pretty nice guy. A little cocky at times but generally a nice person. Emma and him were a lot more touchy feel with one another too. Emma's reason might of been that she was slightly jealous of Mimi. She had great boyfriend, probably soon to be husband, and dad!

"This is going to be a rough month." I groaned.

"Ah, you feel it too?" Uncle Conner said as he plopped on the couch right next to me, "the best medicine for stress is to be unstressed."

"Ya think?" I said a bit rudely.

"Listen...you all are welcome here as long as you like. If things start to get dangerous for any reason I want you to take Rory and your friends to my buddy Luke's. He has a cabin over in North Dakota." he smiled and wrote down an address.

"Rory would be very upset if she knew you were telling me this."

"She'd also be upset to find out I'm sick." another smile.

"You seem fine." I mumbled.

"But the eyes tell the brain to tell you I'm not."

"I know you'd never hurt Rory. We're safe here." I sighed and placed the paper in my jeans, "You said so yourself. This place has magic."

"When in doubt follow the butterflies. The birds cannot be trusted." her uncle whispered into my ear and got up, "OH! Miss Mimi you are looking absolutely peachy today!"

I saw her roll her eyes and growl. Zacky wrapped his arms around her more snapped out a possessive "Mine" which caused a chuckle from Conner.

"When you want a real man, I'll be waiting."

"Excuse me!" Zacky seethed.

"You heard me young lad. I'm way more manly than you'll ever be."

"I've killed someone!"

"I jump out of planes with risk of a parachute not working."

The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out who was more manly. Small contests were held to prove points. Zacky was able to lift the mailbox out of the ground, but Conner pulled a frozen tuna from the newly frozen lake. It lasted until early twilight. I believe a silent truce was called.

"I can't believe you guys thought about wrestling a bear." April laughed quietly as we all ate dinner.

"He wouldn't of lasted five minutes." Zacky grumbled.

"You guys," Mimi said with a warning tone, "Enough."

"You seem to be doing a lot of mothering lately. Practicing for anything important?" Rory joked while stuffing a potato into her mouth.

"Oh gee, I wonder why." Mimi sarcastically replied, "I suppose I only have a baby growing in my tummy." she smirked as she ripped a piece of roast beef of her fork.

"You may want to cut down on the meat." Shaun laughed.

"Yeah. Try some fruit." Zacky offered her a peach.

"No way! Meat gives my baby protein!" Mimi protested taking another chunk out of the dead animal.

We all chuckled at Zacky's somewhat fearful expression. It was calm and peaceful until a knock was heard at the door. Everyone's head whipped around so fast I thought everyone broke it. April scooted closer to Mimi and grasped her sisters hand. Emma had a good grip on Shaun in case they had to run. Zacky was tense and ready to pounce at the given signal. Ben clenched the keys in his hand and scooted backwards. I heard Rory whisper something to her uncle and he nodded.

Suddenly the lights were out and Rory told us to get under the table. Her uncle and Ben went to the door. When we heard it open a gunshot echoed through the house. I cupped my hand over Rory's mouth. We heard a thump of someone falling over and then Conner's boisterous laugh.

"Goodness. I think you made him faint."

"I was irritated! You left me waiting in the cold for seven minutes!" a gruff voice spoke.

"You didn't need to shoot my porch." Conner chimed to himself and opened the door wider, "It's alright everyone no harm done."

As we all slowly crawled from under the table April ran over to Ben. He was out cold. We all looked up to meet a very manly man indeed. A rough lumber jack looking guy set his gun down by the door and clapped Conner on the back.

"Havin' a party and didn't invite me? Connie you ol' fool I thought we were buds." the bear man laughed.

"Everyone this is my neighbor Bert. Bert...this is everyone."

"Nice to meet you..." we all said skeptically.

After a few awkward introductions and a bucket of water to wake up Ben, we all got back to dinner. The conversation mostly revolved around hunting and tall tales. Bert being the noisiest. I could tell everyone was a little uncomfortable. I also noticed Rory jerk her head to the side for her uncle to follow her.

"Excuse us, my niece needs help...getting the dessert out." Conner expertly lied and led Rory away from the table and into the kitchen. With one final glance at them we all turned our attention to Bert.

----------------------------Rory's P.O.V.----------------------------------

"Uncle Connie...I never new you had neighbors." I asked him in a hush trying to help him find something dessert worthy.

"Neither did I." he chuckled.

"This isn't the time to be funny. I thought you were hurt."

"I wish I was being funny. Rory I have never seen this man in my life."

"Why did you let him in!?" I whispered shocked.

"He had a gun." my uncle pointed out.

"Is he..going to hurt us?" I asked feeling my hands shake.

"Not while I'm here." he said hugging me close.

We finally whipped together some milkshakes and walked out. Bert turned and gave us a big grin. Then, as I mentally slapped myself for being so stupid, I saw it. He had a cell phone. Before he shut it I saw a text,

Found 'em

Pretending everything was alright I helped my uncle distribute the milkshakes no one but Bert drank. He asked for seconds and we all shoved our glasses toward him. Wouldn't you of guessed he finished them all. As the girls started gathering dishes to wash the boys started to throw the scraps into the yard. Each time someone passed his line of view he went into vulture mode and started to analyze them.

"So Bert!" I chirped happily, "Do you remember me?"

"Sorry darlin' can't say I do." he fake smiled.

"Oh come on! You took me and uncle Connie fishing once! I caught a catfish with no tail!" I lied and smiled.

"Oh oh, Now I remember. You fell out of the boat and we ended up fishing you out!" Bert's laugh rumbled. "Forgive me for not remembering right away Rory, you've just grown so much," he smiled in a way I didn't like and judging from a quiet growl somewhere in the house, Eddie didn't either. "It's hard to think about you as that cute little girl I knew so many years ago."

I fake smiled and nodded. As I walked away I felt his eyes on me. Then Mimi walked behind me carrying some glasses and his eyes left me and began burning into her. It seemed he just took notice that there were four, young ladies in the house. Each time me or one of the other girls walked by he didn't look away. With this strange new development, it was decided that the boys would be bunking with the girls tonight as Bert took up the Boy's old room.

Later that night as we all tried to sleep I could hear my uncle and Bert arguing downstairs. Bert's voice was a little annoyed while my uncle kept his calm. I sneaked into the hallway, much to the discomfort of my friends, and stayed at the top of the stairs so I could hear them.

"Weird old man. Honestly letting a stranger into your house." Bert sighed and loaded his gun.

"It's not like I could say no." Uncle Conner sighed and tapped his chin.

"You know...you've got some pretty family members."

"Aye, that Rory is something special. Just like her mom."

"Friends aren't bad either." Bert smiled and quickly glanced at the stairs. I saw a flash of something I had rarely seen in my Uncle's eyes. Anger. It melted away quickly and he regained his calm composure. Suddenly Bert's pocket began to buzz. He took it out and started talking. "Yeah...all eight of them." he said into the phone, "Mhm....mhm....yeah....no....uh huh.....yeah second right first left up a long road." he then closed his phone and turned to my uncle. "No hard feelings? I don't want to kill you so you should just let my boss have his way."

"Way with what?"

"Don't take it personally if he's a little rough with your niece...she's been quite an annoyance. I'll see if I'm the one that can load her into the car. I'd be gentle." Bert chuckled looking at my uncle.

I saw Uncle Connie's face contort into anger then sadness, "Don't let them hurt her." he begged Bert. I accidentally gasped out loud. My uncle flicked his gaze up at me and his eyes widened. Bert then too looked my way. With a malicious grin and a cock of his gun, Bert shoved my uncle to the floor and ran to the stairs.