Lindsay knew what she had to do. She had been putting it off for months. The need to be punished for her crime was weighing on her. It was her fault Melanie was gone. Her beautiful Melanie. It was an accident, but that didn’t matter. Because it was still her fault.

They were yelling at each other at the top of the stairs. She was begging Melanie not to leave her. It had been a mistake sleeping with Sam, she knew that now. But it had been so hard to even talk to Melanie at the time. There was so much happening and she felt very lonely. Brian was dealing with Justin, who had just shown back up. Michael was acting odd at the time. Then there was Melanie. She was on Lindsay to have another baby, that wasn’t going to happen. She loved Gus but didn’t see herself popping out kid after kid.

They were arguing, then before she knew it, Melanie was falling down the stairs. She flew down the stairs to help her wife, but Mel’s head and neck were in an odd angle.

It was then Sam made his presence known. He had just seen the last bit. The part where Lindsay had shoved Mel away from her. She didn’t push her down the stairs, but she had fallen because she shoved her.

Sam had taken over after that. Someone was always looking after her. First it was her parents, then in college it was Brian. After that it was Melanie. Never in her life had she been all on her own, she didn’t know how to do it. So when Sam instructed her what to do she did it.

After Sam rolled Melanie up and put her in the crawlspace, they left. She called everyone and made sure they knew that Mel left her. When Brian found out she was living in the hotel with Sam, he sought custody. She only fought enough to make sure no one got suspicious.

When the shock finally wore off, and the medication that Sam was shoving down her throat stopped working, she knew she needed to confess. But when she told Sam he said that she would be put away for life. He told her that if she left him, he would tell them what he saw. That she had shoved Melanie down the stairs. That it wouldn’t be a manslaughter charge but murder. She wouldn’t ever get out of prison, he promised that.

After that she couldn’t even look her child in the eye. He was asking where his mama was, she couldn’t take it. Then after the party where Ted and Erik shared their good news, she just couldn’t lie to them anymore. It was soon after that Sam and her went to California.

Yesterday, she had asked Emmett to check the house. She wasn’t stupid, no matter what people thought. The unusually long winter had finally given way to spring. Melanie would be making her presence known. Her beautiful, loving, strong wife. She decided to have Emmett go and make the discovery. She felt bad about having Emmett do the dirty work but she wanted Melanie treated with respect. If one of those real estate people found her they may take pictures of her before calling the police. She couldn’t risk that. It was the last thing she could do for her wife.

The phone rang drawing her attention back to it. With shaky hands she reached for it, then put it up to her ear.

“Hello,” she said quietly.

“Lindsay, it’s time to come back home,” Carl said, voice strong and calm.

“Yes, I know.”

“I’ll meet you at the airport. If you fly back on your own, we can question you.”

“Yes.”

“I booked you on the last flight of the day to Pittsburgh. It leaves in two hours.”

“Okay.”

“You will come, right? This doesn’t have to be harder than it has to be.”

“I killed my wife. I need to be punished.”

She could hear a choke on the other end. Apparently, Carl didn’t really think she had done it.

“Fuck,” Carl said.

“What?” she was confused.

“I have to call San Diego police now. You made a confession to killing Melanie. They are going to come and arrest you, if you don’t fight extradition it will pass much faster.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll wait for the police then.” She told him where she was, glad that Sam was going to be at the gallery until late.”

“Just stay there, I’ll call Brian. Don’t talk to anyone until you get a lawyer. They’ll fly you back as long as you don’t fight it.”

“What? Shouldn’t you be on the police side?” She was a bit confused.

“Yes, but I can’t let you go in blind either. Debbie hired you a lawyer for you. She should be there soon.”

“Debbie?”

“Well, Debbie, Emmett and Ben got the money up quickly to put her on retainer.”

“What about Brian?” She was sure Brian would call her, or at least do something.

“Brian’s at the hospital with Justin.”

“Justin? What’s wrong with Justin?”

“Hon, Emmett asked Justin to check the house out. Justin is the one that found Melanie under the house.”

“Oh, god.” There was a reason she wanted Emmett to find Mel. Emmett may be a loud flamboyant man but he was so damn strong. It would take more than this to break him. She could never as Teddy to do it, he loved Mel almost as much as she did. Brian’s just one shock away from falling over the edge. Debbie and Ben were out of the question, not with everything going on with Michael. But she never considered Justin. She barely knew him and he knew Mel less. A small part of her was upset because she wanted Mel to be with friends, it was crazy since she killed her. She was the one that let Sam put her under the house, where she was alone. Maybe she should just end it all. Then maybe she’d be with Melanie again.

She looked at the medication that Sam was always giving her. Just one pill was very strong. She picked up the brown bottle. She could be with Melanie again with the swallow of these pills.

Opening the bottle, she tilted the bottle and let the pills slid into her hand. There had to be at least twenty pills left. Before she could talk herself out of it she grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. One by one she swallowed each pill. There had been twenty-two. She locked the deadbolt in the hotel and went to lay down.

I’m coming home, love.

Brian had just gotten everyone settled at home. Justin was sleeping on his bed. The boys were on each side of him. They hadn’t told the boys what had happened. It was going to be hard on Gus. He wanted to know the full story before he told him.

Marissa started whimpering in her swing. It was the one that he kept in his loft. Since they decided to live together they had gotten more comfortable bringing things to each other’s places. He picked her up and started pacing the floor with her. He made her bottle, pretty good with only one hand. Once that was done he popped it in her mouth and she started drinking.

Mel’s face kept popping into his mind. How could Lindsay kill her. He almost called Carl a liar when he said such a thing. But it had to be true, until it was that boyfriend of hers. It didn’t make any sense why she stayed with him though. None of it did.

Damnit Mel, why did you have to go and fucking die. I hope you know Ted went into early labor after hearing the news. The two bigger babies they think are going to be okay, but the little one is probably not going to make it. This is all your fault.

After he raged in his head to a dead, murder victim he knew it was time to get drunk. Unfortunately, he couldn’t because of the baby he now carried.

What had happened to his two best friends? First Michael went off the deep end, and now Lindsay killed her wife. What was going to happen next? Ted robbing a bank? Debbie stripping? Justin dating a serial killer? What a minute, he’s still married to one…well not anymore but that’s not the point. In fact, he didn’t like the thought of Justin with anyone else. But that little tidbit wasn’t getting out, he could keep a secret.