Took a deep long breath of relief once I shoved the strange guests of mine outside and shut the door close tightly. This was not going to be as normal as I thought, in fact, how could I even think of it being normal when nothing about it was. Anyways, I made sure there was no thing or person unwanted to me in the room anymore. Their eyes....those hatred dripping pissed off eyes were still giving me churns inside my heart and abdomen. Shoving the fear and chills bravely out of my window, I rested my body on the bed and it was about seconds when I was already doozing off in deep long slumber. No wonder the sleep was already in the eyes for it was such a long day for me and the little one inside me.

My morning happened with loud thuds on the door. I woke up haphazardly and there was a slight hope in my heart that all that happened was just my dream and I'm back to normal now. I opened the gate and found fuming Mrs.Webber waiting for me with her eyebrows all stunted and crookedly fold while her hands on the door.

"Mrs...Webbaaouuu..?" I said yawningly.

"How many times....how many many times have I told you woman I DON'T WANT ANY DISTURBANCE IN MY SLEEP. Which part of THAT you are not willing to understand...?"

"But Mrs.Webber it was you who woke me up not me...and I'm sorry for last night. Come on..." I said while trying to scratch off the dried drool around my lips. My eyes were still not ready to get all active and listen to this grumpy old potato chips bag woman. I was yawning when suddenly she bellowed again making me jump out of blue.

"I'm talking about now, I was sleeping when two friends of yours came banging the door and woke me up....why can't you open doors for yourself"
My friends??? Oh my god...are they the same ghosts from last night??
I got proactive immediately and held Mrs.Webber's arms.

"Mrs. Webber are you alright..? Did they...did they do anything to you..? They are not my friends...they are....they are harmful people Mrs.Webber...but don't you worry, I'll save us..." She was puzzled with my reaction which I expected of course. So this was not a dream! Sadly!

"I don't think we can do any harm to you or Mrs.Webber with PAPERS, can we Stevens?" My eyes travelled to the source of voice and got stuck there. Unbelievably idiot I'm.

"And I genuinely thought we were friends Iris...never knew you would feel such for us"

Can't explain how badly truly highly respectedly embarrassed I was. Too much. It was Mr.Woods and Cristina standing on the staircase watching me with their pathetic eyes holding papers in their hand. I'm dead meat!

"Um..Cris.. Cristina...Mr.Dash..I mean Mr.Woods...what a....what a hehe pleasant surprise.." Mrs.Webber was surely planning to call 911 and send me to psyche ward consult.

"Yeah pleasant for us too...to know some unknown facts. By the way, Mrs.Webber we don't know why Stevens considers us harmful but let me assure you safety from our side. We do no harm, never done any to her as well" he said and I could only dig holes on the floor with my stares.

"I'll go crazy with all of you people....just till the delivery woman..mark my words.." Mrs.Webber stepped down to her room by warning me her usual threat. I nervously looked at both of them and waved them to come in.

They both entered my room, I immediately straightened the bed and picked my clothes from the sofa for them to sit. I could see disgust in Cristina's eyes as she was observing my apartment. Some reasons I'm isolated most of the times.

"So..we came up with some help to you" she said finally looking at Dashing....oh need to stop calling him that..Derek Derek Derek.

He looked at the papers and forwarded me them. I took them and saw, it was a manuscript of a book. I looked with puzzled eyes to them.

"So far you didn't sign for your maternal leave so we did it for you and decided that you can work from home so...there it is" he said putting his hands back in pocket, reminded me of Lucifer.  His brows were still not flattened like he was still not comfortable about something. I gave myself a quick check if it was something about me which made him uncomfortable or what. He looked at Cristina and then back at me again.

"So....we will leave then...right Derek?" Cristina chimed when suddenly Derek looked at her with stern eyes.

"I...I mean Mr.Woods" she corrected herself which gave me a relief.

"Alright...well thank you Cristina..and Mr.Woods. Really I appreciate it and I'm sorry for before actually, I mistook you guys with someone else...who are actually.. dangerous so....I'm sorry really. " I said holding the papers and moving my body while speaking in order to divert the embarrassment.

"It's fine.." he said. Cristina turned away and exited the room and next was Derek. I don't know what got me, I suddenly called him to which he turned immediately and said "yeah?"

"Um...thank you...for caring for me...I mean...you came hospital last night..so thanks for that.." I blurted whatever came inside my mind that moment, if had gone by heart, would have been kissing him by now.
He started coming closer to me. Was he thinking of kissing me too? Oh my god...please make it happen. He came dangerously close, like if I would forward my hand, it would completely touch his chest....too close..!

"You....you have....you have drool dried here.." he said while touching the right corner of my lips. Embarrassment and me are long lost twins. I immediately covered my mouth while he withdrew his hand and looked down.

"I'm sorry..I just...just woke up now...it's not usually me...it's the baby hehe..it drools so I drool" I think I owe a kick from the little one. Derek nodded and turned around to leave me with my drool.

I washed myself up and made a bowl of cereal and hot milk for breakfast. That's all I know in cooking. My stomach was growling already.
While gobbling the food I reminded myself the motive  I was here for. It was past afternoon already as I took alot of time in showering.
I had to find someone who would sacrifice his/her life for us. Technically I never called or tried to find Jaden and tell him about his one more kid growing inside me so I was convinced that he was as much responsible for this baby and it's life as I was. I needed to track him down and tell him.

I was thinking all this only when suddenly I felt the gush of sudden cold air behind me. I shrieked a little immediately and jumped up from the couch and looked behind, only to find Lucifer standing behind me biting his nails.

"Jesus Lucifer...you scared me shits..." I cried holding my chest and getting my breathes back to normal.

"Oh come on...you are a ghost yourself, you should be habitual of it by now" he said while hopping right beside me on the couch. I turned to him still with shocked eyes.

"So...stupid Stevens.. what's going on" he said looking at me now.

"Move your gaze away..they scare me" I said while turning away from him. As I said before, once you receive Lucifer's focus, you would feel nothing but creeps inside you.

"woah woah Woman....you don't get to order me..ohkay.." he said sitting straight now looking at the TV.

"So Jaden huh..?" He asked and I turned to him. He could help me out.

"How's Angela? Last night she wasn't in......good shape."

"She is fine. It happens with her all the time, but you dodged my question."

"Oh no...I didn't mean to, well yes I'm thinking of Jaden only. He owes me and the baby too. He is the father right.."

"So you think that a one night stand baby will make him realise his RESPONSIBILITY as a father and he will die for you?"

I looked at him as I could feel the sheer mockery in his voice. I got tensed. I was thinking this only.

"You gotta be kidding me...no wonder you were stupid enough to kill yourself too. God I hate Angela for doing this."

Now this was giving me just high school flashes. I acted this stupidly there only.

"I don't...I don't know...how am I gonna convince someone to die for me..? "
It was me irritated at best. He looked at me for a few seconds and then said
"Look...it's not about convincing someone or preparing them or just simply kill them. It's just about life, however you take it."

"I can't kill someone...for my life"

"But you did already once...do it again"

"Argh... Lucifer...you are supposed to help me out with this."

"I'm doing my best ain't I? Putting my life in danger already...what else can I do, carry your kid in my testis now?"

And that made me just laugh.

"Oh stop imagining my swollen testis...I'm married"

Argh...mind reader..! I immediately tried to divert my mind and all I reckoned was Derek Woods.

"Ouhhh Derek huh....so I saw he came looking for you..?"

"Yup... I was so surprised I tell you"

"Woman I'm not here for your gossips" he cut me in between rudely which made me ball my fist and stop it from hitting him. Such a bitch he was.

"And you met new people?"

"Oh right...I had to talk to you about it. They can see me?"

"Why not, you are a ghost after all"

"But what am I supposed to say to them if they find me talking to others like...like human others.."

"That is up to you Iris. Can't be available for you always." He said while raising above from the couch and pulling his jeans up.
I looked confusedly at him.

"But Lucifer...I can't fight them..I have.... I've no power or something..." I said standing in front of him now, he was fixing his jacket but looked at me when I said my last word.

"You have Stevens...you gotta find them out what they are and use them all by yourself. But don't think you are weak....you are just stupid, that's all"

He said looking right into my eyes and Woosh! He disappeared leaving the fog behind him so instantly that I couldn't even reckon he was gonna leave so suddenly.

"Thank youuuuuuu" I yelled hoping he would listen and right at that moment the door of my room opened and Derek was standing there.

"Iris?" He said, I jumped back to him. Why people keep scaring me all the time? Did he hear me yelling? It was the third time since yesterday when Derek was astonishing me by his surprise visits.

"Mr.....Woods...Mr.Woods. you back again....?" I said nervously.

"Um yeah...I'm sorry for bothering you... actually..."  He said looking at the floor and then looking back at me shortly.

"Oh no no....I didn't mean that...please come in." I said moving towards him. He looked at me and then entered the room. I closed the door shut. He sat on the couch right where Lucifer was sitting minutes ago. I cleared my throat and sat beside him.

He saw the paper untouched on the table.

"You didn't do the work?" He asked and it suddenly stroke me about it. I totally forgot I had to work as well...I wasted my time in thinking and watching TV only. I immediately took the dirty bowl of mine from the table and went to shove it inside the washbasin.

"Um actually....I was tad bit dizzy and bored. I'm sorry...I'll do it as soon as possible I swear"
I said coming back to the hall and sitting beside him.

"It's fine..." He said shutting the tv off and putting the remote back to the table. I looked at him as curiosity was growing wide inside me thinking of the possible reason he was here for.

"You were yelling at someone when I came.....?" He said finally looking at me and not shortly this time but his question made me move my eyes away from him. I panicked inside and started thinking another lie to tell him.

"Um ...I was....I was just talking to the baby...." I said nervously again making stupidest face I could make.

"Hmm... anyways, I was just...I was just passing by so I thought maybe you could use some company.....are you actually fine Iris?" He said making me look at him completely. My eyes were about to fill in. He actually cared for and came to give me company as he didnt feel I was alright. I wanted to throw myself in his arms and tell him all that was happening but I couldn't just involve him in all this stupid drama of mine.

"I'm good Mr.Woods. Thank you for stopping by. It's just pregnancy fatigue making me seemingly low. Everything is fine although. " I said nodding my head and smiling at my best. He smiled too. It was the first time I noticed Derek smiling genuinely. I had seen him talking smilingly and wooing to  our bosses before but this one felt more natural and not forced. We had an eye contact and it was giving me all hollywood chills in my stomach. I strongly felt that any second now he would lean in to kiss me and I couldn't stop but keep the contact on but suddenly he moved his eyes away breaking the possibilities. Thank God he did that, I don't believe myself at all.

"I...I think I better leave now." He said while standing immediately and moving towards the exit. My heart sank but it reminded me of Jaden. I decided not to dwell in again as dwelling in before already gave me enough issues. Ouch! Baby kicked, why it hears everything!!!

I followed him to the gate when he suddenly stopped and turned again
"Uh and Iris.. tomorrow I'm throwing a small party at my place so, I'll come pick you up at 8 ohkay" he said and left me alone with my amusement.

*****************************

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God bless you all good health
Signing off
Shruti!