Suddenly Winn's body begins to shake. It looks like Winn is having what Miah says is hallucinations. At this, I begin to tremble and wush out of the woom. Me can't stand to see Pooh Bea huwting like dat speciawy since it's me fault. When me finally calm down me go back to Pooh Bea woom. "Mama Pooh? Mama Pooh whewa is you? What have me done? Mama Pooh go bye bye and it's me fault." Falling to me knees me begin to sob.

"Shhh. Bella baby don't cry. It's alright. I'm here." Mama Pooh says walking out fwom behind de cuwtian.

"Mama!" I smile rushing into Winn's arms giving hews a big beaw hug. Mama Pooh is you otay?"

Quinn POV

I almost feel like telling Bella that I'm not her mother but after everything that she's done for me I just done have the heart to do it. "Yes baby. In fact, I'm more then ok I'm great see." With that Mama Pooh does a funny mobe dat she says is called a cawtwheew.

"Wow mama how you do dat? Dat is neat."

Suddenly, I hear a chuckle come from nearby "Bella Quinn isn't your mother. Your real mother didn't want or love you. In fact, your real mother hated you and wished you had never been born. She even said that she's rather be dead then be your mother. And thats just what happened. She's dead just like Jerome." Echo says.

"Is dis twue? You isn't me mama?"

I glare angrily at Echo but before I can respond Miah replies instead. "Yes Bella it is true. Quinn is not your mother. Our mother was a cruel woman but that's besides the point. The point is, you are not to call Quinn mama again. If you must call someone mama you can call Echo mama. She is after all, my girlfriend." With that, Jeremiah gives me a wink and pulls Echo into a heated kiss. I let out a low growl. I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards Echo.

I glare angrily at her and Jeremiah.
"That woman may have given birth to Bella but she was never a mother to her. Mothers love and protect their children. I have always loved and protected Bella and I always will. I'm more of a mother to her then Lila ever was. I will always love and fight for her."

"That doesn't make you her mother. You heard Mr. J. The little termite" Jeremiah clears his throat and Echo immediately rephrases her sentence. "I mean precious little thing, is not to call you mama again. Mr. J and I are going to get married and I will be the... Echo paused and winces in disgust as continues "precious little thing's mother. So please don't let my..:" Echo clears her throat before continuing "my daughter call you mommy again."

"Your daughter? Don't make me laugh. Your the one who handed Bella over to that Witch Sofia. Who then turned her over to Barbara. Who had to go rescue her? Me that's who! I'm more of a mother to Bella then you will ever be!"

"Ladies that is quite enough. Quinn you need to accept that Echo and I are a couple and that she is going to be Bella's mother figure. If you can't accept that, then I'll have no choice but to remove you from Bella's life. Don't make me do that Quinn. Echo please put Bella to bed. She's had a long day and it's getting late. Quinn and I have much to discuss."

"I can't believe that after everything that woman has done you still trust her with Bella! I wish Jerome were here. He'd never tolerate how she treats Bella. In fact, he'd have killed Echo long before now. You might not want to admit this, but when it comes to Bella and I, Jerome was more sane then you will ever be!"

At this, Jeremiah's gaze grows dark. "I thought I told you that I never wanted to hear that name spoken in my presence ever again!" Then to my surprise he begins to laugh. "You really know how to push my buttons Quinn. That's why I love you."

"I'm tired of playing games Jeremiah. It's either Ecco or me. You can't have it both ways. You need to chose."

"Fair enough but know this, Bella stays with me. You know what happened to the last group who tried to force my hand. Instead of six hours I blew the bombs all at once. Knowing that, do you still want to force my hand?"

At this, my gaze narrows and "Try me!"

"Come on harlequin. You really don't want to do this do you? Challenging Mr. J is suicide. You won't win." Echo says with a giggle.

"Bella baby, please go to your room." I whisper quietly.

Bella looks up at me then over at Jeremiah and Echo then back to me. Her eyes sparkling in amusement. "Is you gonna huwt dem mama Pooh? If so, me wanna stay and watch. Miah needs to be taught a lesson."

I sigh. "Please Bella I don't want to do this in front of you." I reply as I pull out my mother's blue bat. Bella smiles. "I am tired of these games of his. He needs to choose it's either me or Ecco. Oh and that reminds me, don't ever call me harlequin again Ecco. Especially not in front of Bella!" With that I hit Ecco with my bat before taking Bella's hand and leading her to the door. I could hear Jeremiah whistle as We started to walk off.

"Now that was hot." Jeremiah says his voice and eyes filled with lust.

Bella POV

"Mama Pooh, Miah has chosen. Me know dat he not lobe dat lady. Him lobe you. Him just jealous cause he knows you still lobe Jewome. Isn't dat wight Miah?"

At this, Jeremiah chuckles "I guess it's true what they say in Psalms out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise. Or as they say now a days from the comments of children who are honest and  innocent comes wisdom and truth. Alright, I'll admit it. Echo and I aren't dating we haven't since that night to took you out on a date."

"Do you remember? It was when I first told you that I loved you. That hasn't changed my sweet. Ok, I give up. You can put Bella to bed but only if you give me a kiss first."

Winn blushes slightly as she gives Miah a peck on the cheek in response."You call that a kiss? I want a real kiss Quinn. Like the one we shared that night on the hill before my Uncle took me away." With that he pulls Quinn into a deep passionate kiss.

At this, I close my eyes. "Yuck." I state as I watch them kiss causing Winn to giggle.

"Now that, my love, is a kiss. There's plenty more where that came from pumpkin but first the little one needs to go to bed."

At this, Winn blushes again and lets out another giggle "anything you say puddin." She says as she gives Miah a wink before picking me up and carrying me to my room. I look at Winn in confusion. What was going on? Why was she acting like she was in lobe wifh Miah? Me thought dat she was in lobe witfh Jewome still. De next mownimg me woke to de sounds of angwy voices. One sounded like Mama Pooh Bea but doffwent somehow.

"Nothing you say is going to change my mind Jeremiah! She deserves to die after what she did."

"I understand Quinn.  Really, I do but I can't in good conscience allow you to go. You just got your legs back the last thing you need is to do is go storming into Barbara's bar and wind up getting yourself shot again."

"She has to pay for what she did Jeremiah!"

"Would you lower your voice? The last thing we need is for Bella to wake up and hear us arguing. You know how sensitive she can be about these things."

"I'm sorry Miah. Your right, I don't want Bella seeing me differently but You can't stop me from going after Barbara Keen."

I could hear Miah sigh in frustration. "Why must you always be so stubborn? Would you please just listen to me for once in your life? You need to consider all of your options before going after Barbara. Come up with a strategy. Otherwise, you will wind up right back where you started."

"You don't know that."

"Alright, say you do go after Barbara. Have you even stopped to think about how Bella will feel if you were to wind up getting shot and paralyzed again or worse killed?"

"It would devastate her. Alright you win Miah. For Bella's sake I will work out a battle plan first. So I don't have to worry about getting shot."

"Good. Because I would hate to have to lock you up in your room like Jerome did. We can be a happy family. I can picture it now, you the loving obedient housewife. Bella our sweet innocent baby girl and me the loving and overly protective master of the house, the king of the castle."

Quinn POV

"I'm sorry I must have wax in my ears. I thought I heard you say obedient housewife."

At this, Miah began to laugh. "Is that what you took away from this conversation?"

"I don't know Puddin, I suppose that depends."

"On what my little pumpkin pie?"

"On is you really expect me to be an obedient like a dog."

"While I hate cliché  but I'm going to have to take a quotes from my two favorite movies the Ten Commandments and the bride of Chucky on this one. First the Ten Commandments. You  my sweet are a treacherous sharp clawed little peacock and I shall have all of you."

"You will be mine all mine like my dog, my horse or my falcon except that I shall love you more and trust you less. You shall come to me when I ever I call you and I shall enjoy that very much. Weather you enjoy it or not is your own affair but I think you will."

"And as Chucky says in Bride of Chucky: You got what you wanted. Your mine now doll and if you know what's good for you your going to love honor and obey!"

"Excuse me?" I demand. I might have been angry before but now, I'm livid! Grabbing my mother's bat once more I swinging it at Jeremiah. "You think that you are going to own me like I am some kind of pet? That I'm going to come to you whenever you call? That I'm going to love honor and obey or else?"

"Is that a threat? What a joke! That's all you are a rotten stupid joker! Puddin you don't own me and you never will! Don't you dare try telling me what to do or say!" I reply angrily swinging the bat at Jeremiah once more. Jeremiah easily dodges me which enrages me even more. "Don't think you can tie me down cause like I told your brother when he pulled this crap I'll never stay!"

"Quinn, sweetie, sugarpie, honeybunch, pumpkin, please calm down. I was only teasing." Jeremiah gulps as I let out a deep growl my eyes flashing in anger. "Come on my little Harlequin, why so serious? Can't you take a joke? If I'd have known you couldn't take the punchline I'd have never said it."

"It was never meant to be taken literally. You need to lighten up. Have a little fun. Come on my little Harlequin it was just a joke. I just wanted to make you laugh like Jerome and I use too. Is that so wrong?"

"Your just a Joker huh? You'll never be like Jerome. He knew when to joke and when not too."

"Aww come on Quinn, let it go. If not for my sake then for Bella's." Jeremiah replies.

I chuckle slightly and then smiled at him beckoning him to come closer. "Alright. I will forgive you." I reply setting my mother's bat down next to me. Just as Jeremiah gets close
I grab the bat once more.

Jeremiah gulps and ducks as I swing my bat once more. "Yipe! You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses would you?" Miah asks putting on a pair of his glasses as if that would stop me. Grabbing the glasses I hit him over the head with them and then proceeded to punch him in the mouth causing his mouth to bleed. "You hit a man with glasses. Well played my love."

"I am not your love! I am not your anything!" I hiss at him.

"Come on Quinn, you said you forgave me. I swear, it was only a joke. I don't expect you to be obedient like a dog. It's not your style and even if it were, I'd never do that too you. I was however, being serious when I said that I wanted us to be a family."

"I wouldn't want you if you were the last man on earth! Your an insensitive jerk! Your a joke compared to Jerome. In fact, I think that's what I'll call you from now on the Joker." I reply picking up a nearby vase and throwing it at him. I would have hit him with my bat if Bella hasn't started crying.

"Sounds like the baby is awake. Be a dear and go fetch her will you? We can continue this argument later when she's taking a nap if we must."

WC 2295