Hey guys! I know I was supposed to post a double update yesterday, but my internet was being shitty, so tonight, instead of doing 4 different updates to stay on track, I'm combining two chapters into one!

Get ready for a lot of reading!

**

"I'm not crazy. She was here. She was here looking at everything, going on about butterfly wings and...and the Tiffany glass, as if she built the house herself." Nel says pointing to Stephanie Montgomery in the picture she got from Mitch.

Josh and Angelica look at each other quickly and then back to Nel and the old photo trying to come up with an answer for her.

"She must've had a granddaughter." Josh says trying to brush it off.

"Josh, you were on the same murder tour I was on. He said she killed herself, and her only child was dead." Nel says.

Angelica then quickly buts into the conversation trying to change Nel's mind.

"They do say we all have a doppelganger, Mrs. Grassi." Angelica says.

"It feels as if someone is trying to make me feel like I'm crazy!" Nel yells.

"Oh, Lord." Josh says.

Angelica looks at Josh as he has a worried look on his face about the whole situation at hand with Nel and the photo of Stephanie.

"Angelica, how about a calming cup of tea for Mrs. Grassi?"

"Don't patronize me, Josh. In fact, there is someone who wants my husband, who wants my life."

The room falls silent as Nel continues to look at the old picture and Angelica makes her and Josh hot tea to calm them down.

"You know, Cousin Helen went paranoid when she was pregnant with her second. She imagined the stuffed animals in the nursery, dancing to some dreadful African drumbeat. She thought they were enacting voodoo on her! We got her hormones straightened out, and she was right back on the happy track in no time." Josh explains of his cousin.

Maybe Josh is right.

Maybe Nel's hormones are just out of wack because of the pregnancy and that's was she feels like she's going crazy.

Nel has too much pride and could never tell him that he was right, so she kept to herself and continued to look at the old picture, running things through her mind.

"There are things in this world that can't be explained by the rational mind." Angelica says.

"I'd love to spend the day debating the supernatural, but I've got to pop by Mr. Escandarian's office. He's not answering my calls, and if we don't open escrow, you're gonna have a bigger problem than your little ghost story." Josh says getting up and collecting his things to leave.

Nel hums at him and stares of into the distance thinking about everything.

"Or do we think he's a ghost too?" Josh says sarcastically.

"Whatever, Josh." Nel says.

"I, for one, believe in things unseen. Who knows, Mrs. Grassi? We're all just lost souls, aren't we?" Angelica says.

Nel sighs.

"Maybe I am going crazy."

**

"I feel like I'm going crazy. I feel like I'm gonna break into a million pieces. He's cheating. I can tell." Shawn says to his friend Tammy.

"How?" She asks.

Shawn sighs and takes a sip of his wine.

"He's weird. He's gotten weird."

"Weird how?"

"Weird. About money, about the renovations. Weird about having a baby. I'm not sure he even wants one anymore. Every time I bring up a color scheme for the nursery, he changes the subject." Shawn explains.

Tammy laughs a little at how Shawn is overreacting.

"I don't know why you insist on torturing him with your swatches." Tammy says.

Shawn sighs.

"The point is I go out of my way to make him feel included, but he's distant, distracted. He's even been sleepwalking!"

Tammy reaches across the table and grabs Shawn's hand to calm him down and talk some sense into him.

"Okay, Shawn. None of this is exactly evidence of infidelity."

"No. But what I found on his computer is." Shawn interrupts.

She sits back in her seat and looks at Shawn as he explains further on what he found while looking through Alex's computer.

"He usually logs off. This time he didn't. He's been carrying on a truly vile online relationship with some S&M freak who calls himself JungleJim4322. I can't even believe he types those words, let alone does those things. It's completely humiliating!" Shawn explains almost in tears.

Tammy just looks at him with wide eyes trying to think about what to tell him to calm him down again.

Finally she sighs and sits forwards in her seat.

"Look. Al's obviously got some interests that he doesn't feel free sharing with you." Tammy says.

Shawn leans back in his chair and chuckles.

"Now, if you don't want to end up sharing him, then you need to make a preemptive strike." Tammy explains.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have to fight! Al's a great guy, Shawn, worth fighting for. And if that means that you have to fight with a cat-o'-nine-tails and some titty clamps, well, then, brother, you better gear up." She explains further.

Shawn and Tammy bid their goodbyes for the  afternoon shortly after that and go their separate ways.

He sits in his car thinking about what Tammy just said for a hour before leaving to go to this sex shop up town by his and Alex's house.

Shawn walks in and looks around at everything in disgust.

He doesn't understand why someone would like stuff like this, but if it means fighting to save his and Alex's relationship, then he's willing to try anything.

"Mike's Spikes makes this stainless steel ball stretcher. Spikes are fully adjustable." The store manager says coming up behind Shawn and showing some of their most popular products.

"The Ultimate Asslock, also known as the Apple of Anguish. Is, uh, any of this working for you?" The manager asks.

Shawn turns around and faces the man with wide eyes.

"I, umm, I don't like pain, so..."

"Okay. Maybe we start with  simple pair of handcuffs." The manager says.

He walks Shawn over to their shelves of handcuffs to see which ones he would enjoy the most.

"Uh, look, I'm sorry. Um...my boyfriend has been in these chat rooms."

"That's always how it starts. Is he dominant or submissive?"

Shawn just stares at him as he truly doesn't know what Alex is.

"I don't know. I'm usually the one who calls the shots." Shawn says.

"Then maybe he wants to be the dom for a change."

"Huh. Well, that's interesting. I never thought of that."

"Every relationship's a power play, with or without the props."

Shawn then sees muzzles and thinks Alex's might find that to his liking.

Although, Shawn feels like he doesn't know who Alex is anymore.

He doesn't know what he would like.

It was all just so confusing and frustrating for Shawn to have to think about, but he tried to keep his cool so he didn't throw a huge fit in the middle of the store like he did at lunch early with his friend Tammy.

"What about a muzzle? He's forever telling me I talk too much."

"Yeah, the muzzle's good. But if you're feeling brave, I got just the thing."

The manager leads in to the back corner of the store where this black rubber suit is hanging from chains for all to see.

"The hood's fully detachable, and the harness has anchor points for bondage." The manager says.

Shawn stares that the rubber suit in awe and shock.

He still doesn't know how to feel about all the S&M stuff.

"Forgive me. Um, I don't get any of this. At all." Shawn says.

"The point of the suit is to dehumanize the submissive, turn him into a rubber sex toy. Why don't you try it on?" The manager asks.

Shawn shakes his head quickly trying to get away from the large rubber suit.

"I don't think I have the body for that." Shawn says laughing is off nervously.

"You wouldn't believe how slimming it is, especially in black." The manager says trying to get Shawn to buy it.

Shawn continues to stare at it as he tries to think of more ways to get out of possible buying the suit.

Then the manager tries one last thing by cutting Shawn a deal.

"Get the suit. If it doesn't work out, you can always wear it for Halloween." He says.

A large smile then comes across Shawn's face as the manager mentions Halloween.

"I do love Halloween."

**

Later that night when Alex is getting ready for bed, Shawn sees this as his opportunity to win Alex back with this rubber suit he bought earlier in the day.

Shawn walks quietly into their shared bedroom and waits for Alex to turn around and look at him.

When Alex finally sees Shawn in the rubber suit, he starts laughing at him.

"What are you doing?" He asks laughing uncontrollably.

"Decide to go as a sausage for Halloween this year?" Alex asks still laughing.

Shawn walks towards him slowly not making a sound or saying anything as he is still trying to be serious while in the suit.

He runs his figures through Alex's hair and he quickly becomes annoyed with Shawn.

"Dude, I'm in the middle of cutting my toenails."

He then puts his hand on Alex's large arms trying to get his attention unsuccessfully.

"I am serious. I hate how that feels against my skin. Take it off, so we can watch Rachel Zoe without me worrying about you passing out." Alex says.

Shawn quickly unzips the hood and takes it off and throws it to the ground.

"Why are you being such an asshole?" Shawn asks just as annoyed as Alex.

He then looks into his eyes as Alex tries to avoid eye contact with Shawn.

"This turns you on. I know it does."

"Seriously, Shawn, depressing sex is even more depressing when you try too hard."

Alex gets up and throws his bath towel to the side so he can put on pants for bed.

"Who is JungleJim4322?" Shawn asks standing up and facing Alex.

Alex just looks away trying to come up with an answer.

"I don't know."

"Stop lying! The lying is worse!"

Shawn runs up to Alex trying to get into his face to scream at him some more.

"First my phone, now my email?"

"Have you ever met up with him? Because if he brought disease into this house, I swear to God-"

"No, never! And jerking off with a guy online isn't cheating."

"I want you to get  out. Go! Stay at some Motel 6. It's all you can afford!" Shawn yells.

Alex finishes putting his clothes on and turns around to face Shawn again.

"You know what? I changed my mind. Leave the suit on. It's appropriate, considering how much of a little bitch you are." Alex says.

Shawn quickly smacks Alex across the face and then throws the rubber hood at him.

"I wanted to have a baby with you! Why are you doing this to me?" Shawn yells almost in tears.

"The house, decorating, I hate it! It's no wonder I don't want to have sex with you anymore!" Alex fires back.

Shawn chuckles and wipes the tears off his face, while Alex tries to calm himself down by take a few deep breathes before he says anything else that's stupid.

"You know what? Go find JungleJim. See if he'll redo every bathroom in this house to your exact, nouveau riche specifications." Shawn says.

"What are you gonna do when we lose it? What are you going to hold over my head when the bank comes and takes this place away from us?" Alex asks.

Shawn sighs and tries to tell Alex he is sorry for everything he just said, but he won't hear it.

"You don't think I read our bills? Our statements?" Alex continues further.

Alex quickly changes into some jeans and goes to grab his keys off his night stand and head out of the bedroom, when Shawn tries to stop him.

"Where are you going?" Shawn asks.

"Out. And for the record, I like leather, not latex."