When she gets upstairs, Scarlet can't find it in her to go straight to her room for the shower. Instead, she drags her feet, slowly making her way to Celine's room.
She cautiously steps inside, clicking the door shut as she does. Walking to the closet, Scarlet lifts a trembling hand, filing through and sniffing her daughter's clothes, taking in her scent, her beautiful pure scent.

"No!" she squealed, shaking her head vigorously, her brown curls moving back and forth in her face. "I don't like pewfume mommy!" The three year old girl closed her eyes and scrunched her nose up.

"But baby," Scarlet pleaded. "It's going to make you smell good!"

Celine's forehead creased as if she was thinking about it then she shook her head again. "I don't want to smell good." She concluded and nodded, agreeing with herself.

Scarlet sighed, the girl was impossible. "Okay let's try this one," she said. "Come here baby, you can smell it first."

With uncertain footsteps and a sparkling curiosity in her emerald green eyes, Celine moved next to her mom on the bed and put her little nose on the perfume. "Ew!" she squealed. "Mommy! That smells like the Tree House!" Her eyes were wide as saucers, as if she couldn't believe her mother was committing such an atrocity.

"Okay," Scarlet said with defeat. The perfume had a beautiful woody fragrance. "This one," she held out a strawberry scented perfume.

"No," Celine said after sniffing it. "I like it but it's pink!"

Oh God! Scarlet thought as she handed her a third perfume, for some reason her daughter did not like the colour pink. She knew for a fact that Celine would accept this one, as it was blue.

She giggled. "Hmmm," closing her green eyes, Celine hummed in contentment. "That smells like buebewies mommy!"

Finally! Scarlet thought as she smiled at her daughter's inability to pronounce the letter r. "Yes!" She agreed enthusiastically, wanting to get it over with. "That's because it's called Blueberry perfume," she lied.

"Weally?" Celine eyed the bottle, her eyes squinted. "But mommy, do you not know how to wead?" she asked.

"Of course I do my love!" Scarlet answered.

"I think you do not," Celine narrowed her eyes at her mother, nodding again. "Because you and Mws Jake told me that this," she pointed at the first letter of the Zara perfume. "...is lettew Z!" she exclaimed then giggled all of a sudden.

"Zuebewies!" she said in between giggles. "I like it! Mommy why do not we have zuebewies in our garden?" She asked.

"That's because it's just a flower garden my love, but the correct word is blueberries."

Celine nodded, "but I still don't want pewfume."

Scarlet knew she was not winning this one, so she pulled her daughter onto her lap. "You're right. But smells like blueberries, don't you like them?"

Celine nodded against her mother's chest. "I like them," she agreed. "But I want to smell like me!"

"I'm sorry my love," in the cold silence of what four days ago was a room full of life, Scarlet's whisper echoes over the blue walls, her heart breaking into a million little more pieces. "I'm sorry I wanted you to wear perfume," she whispers against Celine's dress again. "You will always smell better like you my baby."

Scarlet momentarily closes her eyes then opens them. Letting go of the clothes, she frantically turns around, wanting to get out of here, to get out of these painful memories. But as she does, she trips over Celine's baby swing, making a camera fall off the edge of her nightstand.

Wait... a camera?

Yes, a camera. Her eyes land on it, it's pink and black and on her daughter's bedroom floor.
She didn't know that Celine had a camera. How...? When?

Had. Scarlet fights the urge to slap herself at the past tense word. What is wrong with her? Celine will be fine. She will not lose hope.

Is it hers anyway?

Picking it up, Scarlet curiously plays the last video that was recorded, expecting a self made video of Celine playing with her car toys or something. She has never up to now understood how her little girl preferred cars to Barbie dolls and the colour blue to pink. But that's what she's telling herself, her hands are shaking and her heart is thumping hard. What if it's not hers? Who could've gotten in the room?

Oh God! A shaky breath escapes her lips as the video starts playing.

"Hello," Celine says into the camera, flashing a toothy grin.

An immediate immense flood of relief washes over Scarlet,making her legs give out as she settles on the mattress sprawled out on the carpeted floor.

"My name is Celine Greene and today we...um...what was it again?" She asks herself. "Yes! I got it! Today we're going to play 'I spy!' Let's find out what ministries Mrs. Jake hides in the kitchen! And our topic will be: why is Uncle Han so obsc-essed with Mrs. Jake's chocolate cakes?"

Scarlet's heart contorts painfully in her chest and she all of a sudden wishes she had more tears to shed. Nevertheless, Scarlet can't help the chuckle that bubbles inside of her as she watches her baby girl, moving blindly from the living room as she talks into the camera. Curious like a five year old, happy, healthy. She flinches and cringes when Celine's tiny fit hits something in her way.

Who gave her a camera?

"Ouch!" Celine cries but continues anyway. "Here people!" she says. "We're here! First step is to make sure we catch her blind spot! Unless we want to get in trouble with Momma Bear, we don't want to get catched!" Tiptoeing on her feet, Celine walks behind a kitchen table, her camera unfocused as she searches for said blind spot, which she gets behind the big table mat covering the table. "AHA!" she whispers and places the camera where she can capture well. But it isn't Becca that enters the kitchen, in fact, it's Scarlet her self.

Celine turns the camera to her and giggles into it. "Yes that is right!" She whispers. "This is like our lucky day. It's Momma Bear herself!" She giggles. "Mrs. Jake will have to wait then." Then the camera is facing Scarlet again.

Her focus seems to be on her phone as she prepares some coffee in the machine, for God knows whom because she doesn't take coffee. Her question is answered as soon as a male figure walks into the kitchen. He's wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants and an unbuttoned white button down. His face is very well bruised, just like his torso which is covered by a patch of gauze with stitches underneath.

Scarlet remembers this day now.

"Good morning Scarlet," Theo grumbles groggily. The camera's focus is now a bit shaky but it gets better soon enough.

"Hey," she mumbles back, her face flushing, probably from having the whole of her lower thighs and legs on display.

That's when...wait...CELINE walks in?

"Morning mummy!" She chirps like a bird. Too excited, mischievously excited!

Dear lord! Scarlet can't believe this!

"Morning baby."

"Morning Cee." Theo and Scarlet say in unison.

"You're up early today!" Scarlet points out placing her phone down to kiss her daughter. Celine giggles and kisses her mother back.

"Yes!" she replies enthusiastically. "I was wanting to spy on Mrs. Jake and her cooking ways!" she admits. Scarlet raises an eyebrow at her daughter in amusement and warning. She opens her mouth to tell her that instead of spying she should just ask.

"Do you want to learn how to cook at five?" Theo asks instead.

"Yes!" Celine says and nods vigorously as if agreeing with herself.

Scarlet and Theo chuckle. "Don't worry Princess," Theo says. "You will always have your mommy and all of us to cook for you." He ruffles her hair and Celine skips out of the kitchen, giggling like the conniving little thing she was.

Scarlet didn't notice it then, but she does now. Celine was up to something that morning. She also doesn't miss how Theo practically included himself in their "always". It makes her heart flutter, like it did that day. Only now she knows better, he meant nothing by all of that. Lies.

Theo turns to Scarlet after Celine disappears, his grey gaze sweeping across her T-shirt clad body, making Scarlet feel like he's stripping her bare. She gulps nervously.

"You clean up real nice," he comments.

Even in her state, Scarlet snorts. "If this is your idea of me cleaning up then I can't wait for your reaction when I'm wearing my full pyjama set," she hands him the cup of coffee.
Theo's lips turn up at the corners. "Nah," he says. "My idea of cleaning up real nice involves you wearing much less than this." He puts the mug to his lips and gazes at Scarlet's Tshirt.

"Ugh!" Scarlet makes a gagging sound and a deep chuckle sounds behind her as she makes her way to a further cabinet; the one with the tea. "Men are so gross," she continues, her back to him.

Theo's now serious eyes keep staring creepily at her, then down to her exposed legs. Until even he feels creepiness radiating off of him. He nervously turns his eyes away, looking everywhere but her as he fidgets with the mug. Then his Adam's apple bobs and he swallows tremendously.

Of course, Scarlet didn't notice that then.

When Scarlet turns back around, Theo is smirking. Guilt that Scarlet is unaware of written all over his beautiful face. "Why up so early by the way?" she asks.

"Huh?" Theo is caught off guard by the question, his mind probably anywhere but here. "I uh..." he lifts a thumb and scratches his brow then rubs the back of his neck. As if coming to a realisation, "This!" Theo points at the bruises on his face suddenly. "This!" he repeats like a five year old, nodding. "It kinda hurts, I was hoping you'd take a look at it."

An oblivious Scarlet nods, fetching a bowl and putting hot then cold water. She feels its temperature with her fingers to make sure it's just warm then adds antiseptic in it. Scarlet picks up a new towel from a cabinet and pats the kitchen counter besides the sink. "Sit," she orders.

Theo smirks but obliges her. "Feeling bossy this mornin'?" he asks with a cocked brow.

Scarlet shoots him a death glare. He raises his hands in mock surrender and Scarlet forcibly pats his facial bruises with the piece of cloth.

"Ow!" Theo groans. "What the hell?"

Scarlet cocks her head to the side and raises a brow at him too, "feelin' pained this mornin'?" she mocks, then continues as if nothing happened. Theo pouts, he actually pouts like a Celine. Scarlet can't help grinning. She keeps slowly cleaning, more like rubbing his face as there's nothing to clean. Her eyes studying how sculpted his jaw is-- not that she's never noticed before---how he's grown a stubble the past three days he's been in her house, his lips are so attractive it's not even funny. She's practically staring but her victim doesn't seem to notice.
Theo's face suddenly lights up like a Christmas tree.

Then he opens the faucet and splashes her face.

Scarlet is frozen for a second, two, unable to process what just happened. She blinks, and then she does, he just splashed her!

Then the water fight begins.

Scarlet picksup the bowl full of water and screams, "BOTTOMS UP!" Then empties it all over Theo and leaves it on his head like a horrendous hat. The sight is a funny one Scarlet places a hand on her mouth as she can barely hold in her snickers. Then she takes Theo's pained face and she just can't stop herself from stumbling back and bursting with laughter.

"All right Greene!" Theo announces in an overly deep voice. "It's so on!"

Lost in her own sounds of laughter, Scarlet doesn't notice when Theo bends the faucet so that it's facing where she's standing. The water wets Scarlet's Tshirt along with the kitchen but she just can't stop laughing. "Oh my God sto-op!" she shrieks in laughter and the water enters her her mouth.
"Stmo-oph -heo!"

"Wha-at?!" Theo's bellow of laughter echoes on the kitchen walls as he continues. It's contagious.

Scarlet gulps the water down. "I said stop you moron!" Her voice full of more laughter, Scarlet reaches over to Theo's head, wanting to grab the bowl and use it as a shield but Theo grabs her hand and continues splashing her face and upper body, water drenching her from head to toe. Her hair sticks on her head and face.

Theo grins, but it quickly disappears as he takes in Scarlet's body.
That's when she realises what he's looking at, and the position they're in.

She's basically standing in between a shirtless Theo's legs in nothing but a T-shirt that's sticking to her body and panties, their faces only a breath apart. When she moves her face down to create some space, her eyes fall on his wonded torso whose gauzes have been drenched, "crap!" She mumbles breathlessly, then her eyes land on the tattoos on his sculpted chest and the thoughts of the wound fly out the kitchen window.

Theo is looking at her, at her whole body, like she's the last cookie in the jar.

One of his tattoos is a huge black hawk with two blades in each of its wings. It looks like its trying to fly away despite the blades, but its wings can't and there's a smaller hawk grabbing onto its legs, weighing it down.

"What do they mean?" she asks, noticing how they both are out of breath. Theo just sits there, a look of a man that has been through a decade of famine in his now stormy grey eyes as he stares at Scarlet's lips. She suddenly doesn't know how to breathe. Her lips are drier than the desert despite being wet all over.

"Mama!" Celine saves the day as she skips back into the kitchen, still giggling. "Why are you guys wet? Why is the kitchen full of water?" she asks but doesn't wait for the answer. "I think forgot my jacket in here!" she screeches.

And then it's over. Scarlet had been too engrossed in whatever was happening between her and Theo to see her take a camera instead of the jacket.

Setting the camera down, Scarlet ignores the sinking feeling that's slowly eating her up from losing those two people in the video and decides to hurry into her shower. It'd be rude to keep Shirley waiting after he so kindly offered to make her breakfast. The thought of food makes her stomach churn nonetheless.

After showering, Scarlet doesn't know what exactly she can wear that can give her peace on a day like this, she steps into her walk in closet and files through her clothes indecisively. Not even sweatpants can do the trick today. She sighs. After a while of unproductive thinking, Scarlet remembers her most comfortable pair of yoga pants. She reaches up for them where they're on a hunger.

But they're stuck. Just what she needs.

"Ummmpf!" She tugs. Nothing.

"What the fuck?!" She tugs again, this time they make a tearing sound and it's all Scarlet can do not to burst out crying. Seriously. Not her favourite yoga pants too.

Stepping on a chair, Scarlet reaches up to carefully remove them, and she does. But they're not the only thing that moves out of place. And all Scarlet can do is watch as an invisible door becomes visible. She watches dumbstruck as it revolves around and makes one portion of her clothes disappear, only for another to appear; another filled with everything black in the world.

Carefully as if stepping on a landmine, Scarlet enters a walk-in closet in her walk-in closet. It's full of black pants; jeans, cargo pants, leggings. Black dresses, black lingerie, black shades and accessories. Black hats and shoes so high heeled that she doesn't think she can even walk in them. Just. Black everything. Scarlet loves black.
But this, this is like having an admirer that likes you, then they advance from liking you to falling in love with you. Until they start stalking you everywhere and end up peaking while you take a shower or something.

This is beyond loving something, it's beyond her love for the colour black, it's beyond creepy, it's ... scary.

Something in her feels like there's more, and when Scarlet reaches out, sliding the black clothes apart, she screams.

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A/N: For some reason I really love this chapter... then again, it's been a while since I wrote anything about Celine's (alive and skipping) character and I just love her. ❤

Oh and I'm really trying to summarise and give this story a faster pace but honestly, I realised that every single word I type means something, every little thing contributes to the development of this plot. I'm sorry but I just can't seem to be able to cut down on anything. I want the story to run normally, if I try to force it to go faster it takes away from my ultimate goal. Which is for it to be believable.
But trust me, there's no extra words in here. I know because I've been looking for them. Otherwise Thank you for reading, voting and for all the comments that make me grin like a stupid Cheshire cat.

Xx Love yall❤