Clark and Bruce would take turns leaving and watching over our home. Maria would answer the phone calls. They talked among themselves most of the time. I coped by trying to be the best mother I could be. Miguel and M.J. were getting old enough to go to preschool, but Maria and everyone assured me that I should "wait until things are sorted out." I could always be their private tutor if I needed to be.

I received a note in the mail. It was a lovely invitation to a private cruise party. It said "Wear the black dress." I pulled it out of my closet. I had not worn it in so long. I put it against my body, looking in the mirror. My body hadn't changed all that much from my pregnancy. I had a couple of stretch-marks here and there on my hips, but thanks to some silky lotion called "Mother's Friend," it wasn't so bad, especially from carrying twins. Breast feeding had managed to shrink my stomach back to it's original size, but my breasts....they had changed from their original shape to this. They just weren't as perky as they used to be. Fortunately, Alejandro didn't appear to mind. I found a suitable bra to wear underneath. I was tempted to go commando as I did last time, but I could not afford the thought of a child hugging my knee beneath my skirt with nothing else on. I found some black-lace underwear that matched my bra. I allowed M.J. to wear a black dress too, but something more suitable for a child. Miguel Jr. was going to wear a suit just like his father's. Bruce and Clark wore one as well. Maria wore a black dress that was very becoming on her.

"Are you ready for tonight?" asked Angie.

"I don't know," I said. "I have not seen him in so long."

"I need you to listen to me very carefully," said Angie with serious eyes. "When we go there today, I will be playing a role. Though I have never seen you, or my son that way, I was always expected to be your handler, then and now."

I felt numb. This couldn't be true.

"I know this must be hard for you to hear," she said, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her calming touch let me know where her loyalty was. It comforted me more than words ever could.

"I have always tried to give you as normal a life as I could." Her voice cracked ever so softly. It was true. She did, "but there will be people coming tonight, and they will just as soon kill us all if we don't play along the way they expect."

"What do we do?"

"I need you to be a big girl for me my darling, and keep your mask on tonight, at all costs."

I looked at my babies, playing with one another.

"Do they have to come?"

"Yes, dear. We have even been instructed to bring the animals."

"Why?"

"I think we are going to flee."

"Where? How?"

"I don't know, but my son has a plan. He always has a plan."

Maria looked like she was attempting to assure herself as much as she was me.

We boarded on the same yacht as we did before, but it had a much more different vibe now. There were no friends of ours, and I didn't see any celebrities. Everyone had a cold, calculating look when they looked our way. I hated the way they were looking at my children, like they were already making plans.

"Are you Jani Jones?" asked a man in a tux.

"Yes."

"Please come this way."

I looked at Angie. She nodded her head in encouragement. I handed her the hands of my twins.

"Alright," I said. He led me away.

"Moooommmmmyyyy!" I heard Maria trying to console them as we left them behind.

I entered a room where the man in the tux took off his jacket and put on a lab coat. There were others in their lab coats as well, except for a woman with bright red hair. Serena came directly to me with a sly smile on her face.

"Flutter by butterfly, it's time for our fun in the sun."

My resting bitch-face was on full force.

"Did you have to tell her that before we put her on the machine?"

"Was I supposed to wait?"

"The whole reason we were here was to test out this new machine and see if it was any more effective than the last."

"Well, put it on her now. She looks like she will cooperate."

"May I ask why you are even here?" asked another.

"I am switching places with her," said Serena. "I am going to be the wife of Alejandro, and she will be taking my place."

"I don't think that was part of the plan," said another.

"It was Alejandro's orders. Do what he says. You don't want to make him angry, do you?"

This put the scientists into high gear. They led me to that machine, hooked me up, and just before they were to turn it on, Alejandro, Bruce, and Clark walked in. Their faces were fierce and cold as stone. "What the hell is going on?" my Alejandro asked.

"Darling," said Serena with a fake smile, and visibly surprised. "I am so glad you are here. I am about to make it possible for us to be together again."

"You said these were Alejandro's orders," said a scientist. He looked angry at Serena, while the others looked more than a little afraid.

"I ordered what?" said Alejandro, blankly.

"You'll see," said Serena, with that damn smile that never reached her eyes. She began to seductively walk to him. "I am about to make all of your dreams come true."

"And how is that?" asked Alejandro, not looking impressed at all.

"By getting rid of her, of course."

"This is a bit elaborate, don't you think? If we wish to get rid of her, we can simply kill her."

"Perfect," said Serena. "Let's do it. Right now."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Why not? She's just a child! She's younger than our daughter! Wouldn't you much rather have a real woman?"

I hated the sound of her sickeningly sweet voice.

"Don't you mean old woman?" he asked.

"Did you just call me old?"

"I may have lost my memories, but I find this figure rather appealing," he said, looking at me. "I think I will keep her around. Tell me, how long has this young woman been my slave?"

I could tell that he was acting, and that he was only playing a role. He was saying this solely to piss her off, and very much enjoying it, but his next words felt much more different to Serena's next response:

"Long enough to lose her figure after giving birth to twins."

"Twins?" asked Alejandro. "When did I become a father again? How old are they?" He was genuinely confused.

"They just turned three, sir," answered Clark.

"They are nothing important. Just leave them all behind and come along with me," said Serena.

"Serena," said Alejandro with quiet rage. "You have been harping at me the entire trip, and that is yet to change now that we are here. Will somebody please tell me why this woman believes she can tell me what to do?" Alejandro became a little louder with each spoken word, until he was screaming at the top of his lungs at the last.

Now it was Serena's turn to look enraged. "You said that he was going to obey me!" she said to the nearest scientist.

The scientist close to me began to look very uncomfortable. "I said he could theoretically."

"You said that you could turn him into my personal slave!"

"I said that I could, not that I would." He turned to Alejandro. "I'm very sorry, sir. She gives very good blow jobs. I would have told her anything, given the circumstances."

"Kill them," said Alejandro. Bruce and Clark did. Their silenced guns sent bullets all over the room. Not a person was spared, not even Serena.

Immediately after, I heard screams outside the locked door. My children.

"Miguel! Miguel!" I heard Maria cry.

Bruce and Clark headed for the door. Alejandro headed straight to me. He took that contraption off of my head as quickly and gently as he could, and kissed me hard and hungrily.

"Never again, my darling. Never again!" He gathered me into his arms. "Let's get out of here. This boat has a bomb!"

"What?"

"They are all here. The people that run the Monarch Project are all here. They will die, tonight!"