Chapter 21: I Have You, I Have Everything

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

After Mason and I kiss, I feel like we have some things to discuss, but he pulls away with one thing on his mind...(it's not that, dirty minds!)

"Where is she?" He asks.  

Uh-oh.  He has a look on his face that I very rarely see.  I guess it's pretty obvious by now that our relationship works because I'm the hot-head and he's the one that's pretty much always even Stevens, but not today...he looks like he's out for blood...and he runs through the house until he finds what he's looking for.  It's all I can do to keep up.

He finds her in the study.  He opens his mouth and a booming, authoritative, angry, (and damn sexy) voice comes out directed at Briana, "Who are you?"

She looks frightened and cowers away, and I feel a tad sorry for her.  She's used to men being abusive to her and I can relate, but the bitch is in my body...call me shallow (if you dare) but that trumps everything that has ever happened to her.

"Ma-mason, it's m-m-me...Hadley," she stutters, "you can't tell me you believe anything she is telling you?"

He sneers (damn is he mad!), "Please, she didn't tell me a thing.  I figured it out...and I only wish I did it sooner.  It doesn't matter, look, you're going to give my wife her body back, then you're going to get the hell out of my house."

It's her turn to sneer, "Even if I agreed to that, I don't have a clue how to do it.  It's not like I did all this on purpose..."

"Don't even pretend to act innocent in this.  How long have you known you weren't my wife?"

"Um..." She looks up and looks like she's counting, "I don't know..."

"More than a few months?" he urges her on.

"Um..."

"I would take that as a yes," I chime in, "for the record, I have only known for a couple days."

I step up and start talking to her, "Look, we need to get this straightened out."

"No, there's nothing to straighten out," she says, "I'm not going back to my shitty life - no way."

"You don't have a choice," Mason says.

She raises her eyebrow and smirks, "You've got that wrong.  It seems like you're the one that doesn't have a choice.  What are you going to do?  Throw me out?  This is my house, we are together...as far as everyone else knows, I am Hadley."

Before I can stop myself, I slap her across the face.  

"Man, I've been waiting for two days to do that."  

Of course, now my hand hurts, and the slap didn't have quite the power it did in my body.  In response, she slaps me.  Ouch!  Damn!

"Careful little girl," she taunts, "I'm in the shemale body now."

My instincts are to jump her, but I'll likely get my ass kicked.

Mason tries to step in, "Look, just work with us.  We'll protect you from Trevor..."

I swear, the woman is beyond reason, "forget it.  I was a loser before.  Now I'm on top of the world.  There's no way I'm going back."

Mason grits his teeth, "It's not going to be like it was.  You're never going to have me."

"It seems to me that you don't have much choice, Mason.  What is everyone going to think if Butterfly Acres' favorite couple isn't together anymore?"

We're at a stand-still.  She's not budging, we don't know how to switch back even if she agreed.  There's only one conclusion I can think of.

Mason is glaring at her, but I put my hand on his arm, "It's okay, let me deal with it.  Briana, what do you want?"

"Your life - all of it, the house, the fame, Mason..."

"You can have it - all of it - except Mason."

Mason gives me a confused look, "Baby, we can fight this.  We can get..."

"No, no, it's not worth it.  I'm sick of fighting...I don't care about everything else - I just want you." I tell him.

"But baby, it's your body...it's your life...it's..."

"Do you love me?" I ask him, "Even looking like this?"

"Of course," he replies, "I would love you if you looked like a baboon's ass, you know that."

"Then that's all that matters." I tell him, trying my best to give him a look that means business.

"So let me get this straight..." she starts, "you're willing to give me everything - the house, the money - the fame?"

"Everyone will still think you're me - Evie knows and I'm sure our family will realize it, but I'll make sure they don't say anything.  As far as everyone else will know, you're me." I tell her.

"I don't understand..."she says.

"Neither do I," Mason chimes in.

I turn to him, "I have wasted too much of my time being away from you.  I don't care if we're living in a box as long as I'm with you."

He starts to protest, "Baby, it's too much..."

"It's really not," I tell him.

"You're giving up everything for me..." He says, looking pitiful, actually.

"Why is this surprising you?" I ask him, "All I care about is you.  Our children are grown, I don't have to worry about them, and they will know anyway...everyone that matters will know."

He sighs, "I don't know if I can let you..."

I raise my eyebrow, "Since when have you let me do anything?  You know good and well that when I decide something, that's it."

He sighs again, "What about the money?  We have worked so hard..."

"You'll still have your job, I can paint, I can farm, we'll be fine." I answer, "Anything else?"

Another sigh, "I don't guess so."

I look back to her, "Do we have a deal?"

"How would this work?" she asks.

"We would leave - you can keep the house, and it would be just like you and Mason split up." I explain.

"What about Keely?" she asks, obviously concerned for her daughter.

"She can stay with you.  I'll sign whatever I need to so that you can adopt her." I tell her.

"What about money?" She asks.

"It's yours..." I tell her.

"But what if I run out?  What will I do?  Without Mason's income..."

I glare at her, "If you can run through our savings, coming up with new money will be up to you, but you're more resourceful than you give yourself credit for.  You have that horse, enter her in contests, make appearances.  You can make enough money to live on."

"You're really willing to give up everything...for each other?" She looks bewildered, but honestly it seems the only logical solution to me, at least right now.

"I don't even have to think about it," I reply.

She looks at Mason because he has only spoken up against it thus far, but he looks at me and back at her before replying, "Not even for a minute."

She looks at me for a second, not believing it, I'm assuming.

"So when would you leave?"

"Right now," I tell her, "Tonight."

"Okay, deal."

I turn to Mason, even though I'm not in my old body and we're giving up our house, our money, our reputations, Mason's ruining his because I'm sure he will look like a cheater, being in a new relationship so soon after his "divorce", but I look at him and I know that he doesn't care.

As for me, she might have everything else, but I have all that matters.

 I have him, so I have everything.

He takes my hand and says, "Let's go."

Chapter 20: Just a Small Town Girl, Living in a Lonely World

*MASON'S POV*

Did I just hear what I think I heard?  Surely not.

"What did you say?" I ask again, just to be sure.

"Hadley, our Hadley, is really Briana - and Briana is in Hadley's body - that's why she hasn't been able to remember anything."

Suddenly, I bust out laughing.

"That has to be the craziest joke I have ever heard." I tell her, "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

Evie looks at me and she's not laughing.  I sigh.

"I wish it were a joke, Mason, it's not." she says.

"Ev, come on," I say, "listen to what you're saying...it's crazy."
Evie glares at me, "Crazier than bringing her back from the dead in the first place?  Why is it so hard to believe that her body was switched somehow?"

I can't accept this.  I have been working too hard with Hadley...
"Mason, think about it...you were saying yourself how she wasn't like herself...maybe this is why."

"Okay, even if this is true, why hasn't Hadley in Briana's body said anything to me?  She's been living in my house now for almost a month."
Evie raises her eyebrows, "Probably because of how she knew you would react.  There is no way you would have accepted that coming from some chick you didn't even know."

"I can't believe this," I just keep saying, "this is impossible..."

"Just think about it, bro," Evie starts in again, "why would you even let Briana come stay with you?  You don't normally just let strangers stay in your house.  Why have you been so drawn to her?"

"Evie, I can't accept this...I just...can't..."

"Mason, please think about it.  Hadley needs us."

"I don't know." It's all I can say...because I genuinely don't.  I know that Hadley has been different, but that doesn't mean anything...necessarily...she lost her memory...but...

She hasn't been the same...she's a lot bitchier than she was, and whiny, and all of a sudden she's in love with a horse when she was never a big animal person...her temper is gone...her sense of humor has been gone, she's fixated on being famous and how much the paparazzi loves her...and she's more flighty than she ever was...maybe...

But what if I'm wrong?

What if Briana is Hadley?  What then?  How in the hell are we going to get them back to where they belong?  Why hasn't "Real Hadley" brought this up with "Real Briana"?

Well, I guess as long as I don't know what's going on, both of them are staying in the house...

THE NEXT MORNING....

*REAL HADLEY*

Evie told me she spoke with Mason and even though he acted like he didn't believe her, he is probably thinking about it, so...I guess it's just a waiting game...and I don't want to do anything that might anger the wacko that's taken over my body.

I don't know what I'm going to do...damn, skinny bitch...I should get it really fat.
Pancakes it is!

  

As I put them down on the counter, I hear someone come up behind me.

"What the hell is this?"
Ahh, it's The Bitch.

"Pancakes, help yourself," I tell her.

"They're not poisonous, are they?" She asks, "You know, I'm a little smarter than that."

In response, I grab a fork and take a bite out of one of them.

"You could have poisoned the rest of them," she says.
"I'm hurt, you actually think I would drug you?" I can't keep my smart mouth shut.

"Actually, yeah," she replies.
"So fix a plate and take them to Mason, I hear him getting up," I say, "you know I wouldn't risk hurting him."

This seems to pacify her.

She grabs a plate and eats them standing up.

"These are really good..." she says between bites.
"Yeah...they're a secret recipe...they're m...*light bulb*...they're Mason's mom's famous recipe...his favorite."

"Nice try, I know his mom can't cook," she says.
"Aww, can't get one over on you," I say slyly, "...but it's true, they're pancakes, anyone can fix pancakes."
"I'm not an idiot," she says matter-of-factly.

Huh, matter of opinion.

"I know," I reply, "fine, don't believe me.  I'm sure Mason will realize you're not me when you never remember anything...so, fine, go ahead, give them to him...tell him I made them...that'll be sure to send him into my arms even faster."

"Whatever"

"Screw you too."

She picks up a plate and heads into the dining room calling for Mason all the way.  Now I just have to hope she takes the bait.

Her screeching sounds horrible on my voice, I have to say, "MASON!  Come downstairs, I made you something!"

*MASON'S POV*

"Baby, you made these?" I ask her.
"Yup," she replies.

Hmm, maybe it is her.

"Delicious...eating these always reminds me of being a kid." I tell her.  Is she starting to remember something?

"Uh, yeah, somehow I just knew how to make them," she says, "like I was remembering something...didn't...it's kind of fuzzy, but someone gave me the recipe."

He leans back and smiles, "That's right!  You're remembering...I used to get so excited when I would come downstairs and she would be in the kitchen making these pancakes."

Her eyes brighten and she smiles.  Oh wow, she is remembering something!  Evie is so crazy, she didn't know what she was talking about.

"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, but I remember your mom fixing these." she says.

Huh?

"Uh, I have to go to work," I say and head out.

Okay, was she confused?  Maybe she just thinks that's who it was in her memories...

See, it wasn't my mom...my grandmother would fix pancakes for us whenever she would visit...and Hadley got the recipe from her...but...if she was remembering the pancakes, wouldn't she remember that?

Damn, how did my life get so confusing?
Unfortunately, I don't have time to think about it because I have a game.

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

The bitch and Mason are at his football game, Keely is down for a nap, and I am bored...so I start exploring my house...

Ahh, my bath tub...I debate taking a nice bubble bath, but I don't want to freak Mason out, getting all Fatal Attraction on him....and I don't want the crazy bitch to try to drown me...*sigh* better not.

So I head downstairs...

I turn on the TV, but it doesn't help because there's some wedding show on and it reminds me of my wedding...
Am I ever going to be able to kiss my husband again?

This is too depressing.

Back to channel surfing...

I didn't even hear the door open and shut, but Mason comes in and he's staring at me.

"Hey," I greet him.  I'm not in the mood to try to pretend to be someone I'm not, so I hope he just leaves me alone.

"Hey," he replies, but he just stands there.

Oh-kay...
"Have a good game?" I ask him.

"Yeah, we won," he answers.

"Great," I reply...he's still standing there staring at me.  God, he's hot...ugh.  Cold shower, cold shower...

He's still standing there.  What is he waiting for?  An engraved invitation to sit on his own couch?

"Do I have something on my face?" I ask.
"No...uh...I need to talk to you..."

Exasperated, I ask him, "What is it?"

"What did you tell me the first time you saw me dressed like this?"

Wait, that's not a question for the "new" me...
I look at him and he's staring at me expectantly, then I look around for her....she's nowhere in sight...

I stand up...

"Well, first I said..it was different..." I say, walking toward him...
"Yeah?  What else?" he asks.

"...I told you you needed a purple hat with a feather and some gold teeth to go with it..."

He walks toward me slowly...too slowly...or not slow enough...

and before I know what's going on, he grabs me and kisses me...the deepest, most passionate kiss I think I have ever received from him...and we've had some good ones...

Thank God...

Chapter 19: There's No Turning Back

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

I swear, I think I'm dreaming.

"You believe me?" I ask, just to make sure I wasn't hearing things.

"Yup..." she replies.

Before she can say anything, I give her the biggest hug I can manage in this little bitty body.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

"I am so sorry I didn't believe you..." she starts.

"Ev, it's cool, trust me, I get it...this is hard to believe," I start.

"Yeah, but we've been best friends for...ever...and I treated you like an asshole."

I laugh, "If your friends can't treat you like an asshole, who can?"

She laughs too, "Leave it to you..."

"How did you figure it out?"

"I was talking to her, and I have been remembering everything that has been going on these past few months...and I just knew..."

At least someone believes me now.  One hurdle finished - now on to the next one.

Evie is right with me because she starts talking again, "What are we going to do about little Ms. Crazy?"

"I don't know," I start, "I'm so pissed off, I wish I could hit her."

She damn near falls over laughing, "You realize if you hit her, you'll be screwing your own body up, right?"

"Yeah, that's the only thing that's stopping me"

She laughs again, "If I wasn't sure before, I'm sure now."

I laugh too.  Ah, it feels good to be laughing with her again...even if it's in a different body.

"So do you have a plan?  What are we going to do?" She asks me.
"Well, my only plan thus far has been to talk to you...and that went over just great..." I start, "...and I talked to my parents last night."
"Oh no, you didn't!" She exclaims, "You know how fast crap spreads...I'm surprised Mason doesn't already know..."

"I was desperate...I didn't know what to do..." I explain myself.
"Do you think it might be a good idea to come stay with me, just in case this all blows up and Mason throws you out?"  She offers.
"No, besides, how is the family going to feel about you harboring a crazy person?"
"That's true...damn...okay, I have to talk to Mason." she decides.
Part of me doesn't see any other way, but I'm not so sure.
"I'm just worried he's not going to believe you..." I start.

"Yeah, especially not what I told him the other day," she starts.
"What did you tell him?"
"To get his head out of his ass..." she tells me about Mason coming to her and having some issues with Hadley.  Even though Evie just told him this and it would be weird, her all of a sudden having a change of heart, but maybe those doubts are still there...we just need to grab hold and pull them back out...hmmm...

"Go ahead and talk to Mason," I tell her.
"Okay," she says, "but even if everyone believes you, how are we going to get your body back?"
"I haven't thought of that yet, but let's get over this issue first.  I need my husband to realize who I am."

"Okay, I'll call him when he gets off work." she says.

With our plan of action in place, we leave.

When I get home, I pick up poor Keely.  It's a shame that her mother is crazy, although I have a feeling that Briana really does care about her, even though she's a nut job.

Of course, just as I start thinking about getting Keely some dinner, she walks in from the back yard.

"Well, look who it is," she greets.
I turn around and glare at her, "I don't have time to deal with you, I have to feed your daughter."
"I'd gladly feed her..." she starts...
What is that?  A heart?
"It would just make me look better and you look worse."
Nope.
"Nah, I'm good, I just wonder why you don't seem to have a problem with me raising your daughter." I start.

She looks at Keely and I think there might be some sadness there.
"She deserves better than me, and she's got it," she says.
"What?" I ask, "Are you saying that I'm better than you?  I'm confused."
"What are you confused about, you've raised like, a million children, you're obviously better than I am."
"If I'm so good, why are you condemning me to live in a life that isn't my own?" I ask, "There are better ways of finding your daughter a better life, ya' know."

That sets her off.
"Why am I even listening to you?  Just shut up!" She exclaims.

"Oh-kay, geez, calm down!" I tell her.

She looks at me with these wild eyes, like a hurt animal.

Of course, it doesn't last long.  She spins around as soon as she notices that I'm examining her a little closer than she would like.

"Don't get too comfortable here," she tells me as she turns around, "I'm going to get you out of here one way or another."

Yeah, don't be so sure, bitch.

*EVIE'S POV*

I meet Mason after he gets off work.  I have no idea how I'm going to get him to believe that Briana is Hadley and Hadley is Briana, but I know I have to try.

"Hey, what's up, lil' sis?" He greets me.
"Hey," I reply.
"Why so serious?" he asks.

I sigh.

"Okay," I start, "I need you to listen to me and keep an open mind."

Wow, this sounds familiar...like what Hadley said to me yesterday.

"Damn, the last time I saw you, you were telling me to get my head out of my ass, what happened to make you need to talk to me so bad? he says.

"Well," I start, "about that...I was wrong."
"About what?" he asks.
I take another deep breath and wish I had a drink, "Everything...you were right to trust your instincts." 

"What are you talking about?" He asks.

"Hadley isn't who you think she is." I just blurt out.
Mason looks confused, "Then who is she?"

"She's Briana...and Briana is Hadley."

Chapter 18: Just You Wait

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

When I get back to my house, I keep expecting Mason to run in and throw me out for what happened with Evie and my parents, but it never happens.  I know my family well enough to know that they won't keep this a secret for long.

The next morning, Mason leaves the house early for practice and I'm left with my fake daughter and the crazy bitch holding my body hostage.  I walk into my bedroom without even knocking.

I open the door and it smells like a mixture of Mason's shampoo and my perfume.  Ugh.  The bitch has been wearing my perfume?  For real?  She's standing there in one of Mason's pajama tops...oooh, keep your cool, keep your cool.

"You're still here?" she asks rhetorically, "I would have thought you would run away by now."

"That's exactly why you'll never be able to pull this off." I tell her, "You don't know me at all.  I'm not the run away from it type.  Trust me."

She smirks, "I don't know why you keep trying.  Mason and I are getting closer each day.  When he finally accepts me completely, it'll be too late for you."

My heart breaks a little bit.  What if that does happen?

She continues, "Of course, I understand why you want to keep him around, he does everything he can to keep me happy..."

If she's getting at what I think she's getting at...

"...and I mean EVERYTHING..."

I bite my lip hard and clench my fists.  Don't hit her, don't hit her, that's what she wants.

I want so badly to punch that satisfied grin off her face, but somehow I manage to keep my cool.  The main thing that is saving her at this point is that if I ever get my body back, I don't want it mangled.

"You know," I start, just thinking of something, "he's never really going to love you."

She laughs, but it's lost some confidence, "Oh, he already does."

"No, he is settling for you...just a pale version of me," I tell her, "See, you might look like me, sound like me, but you'll never be me...and I am the one he loves."

"You underestimate me.  I can ride this memory loss out for a long time." She says.

"Maybe," I tell her, "but it'll only take you so far with Mason.  I know for a fact that he hasn't slept with you."

She glares.  Yup, exactly what I thought.

"How could you possibly know that?" she asks.

"Because Mason will never sleep with you while you can't remember who you are.  He would see it as taking advantage of you.  So he might love you in a way and be there for you, but he'll be here in name only.  He could never truly love you."

She looks a little worried.  Good, but then she says something I wasn't expecting.

"Maybe that's what I want.  It's better than a man who would kill me." She says.

"Kill you?" 

She rolls her eyes.  "How do you think this happened?  The last thing I remember is being so weak I couldn't move, losing a lot of blood, laying on the ground, and seeing Trevor's foot coming down on my face, then when I came to, I was with Mason."

"So...we died?" I ask.

"Of course, you idiot.  That wasn't the first time Trevor did that to me...and he has a friend in the science lab that would bring me back for free, so I'm sure that's what he did."

Ugh, her husband was certainly a piece of shit.

"But you're free of him now," I tell her, "you never have to deal with him again."

"Yes I will.  Trevor never really goes away...trust me, you'd be better off to just leave town.  He'll find you eventually."

"So that's it?" I ask.  "You want to stay in my body just to hide from your abusive husband?"

"That's a perk," she tells me, "but there's also the house...the money...the fame...who wouldn't want your life?  For the first time in my life, I have people who care about me...everyone does...all I have to do is walk out the door and there are paparazzi wanting to take my picture."

"I'm telling you, the charade isn't always going to be enough." I say, "You aren't going to be able to keep it up for long."

"Then you'll help me remember," she says.

"Why would I do that?" I ask.

She smiles, "So I don't kick you out."

"Please, you're going to have to do better than that.  I can find other arrangements...for me and for Keely."

She looks pained.  Hmm...could she actually love her daughter?

Before I can say anything else, her phone rings.

"Hello?...Oh, hi Evie!" she answers.

I roll my eyes as she exaggerates her speech to rub it in.

When she gets off the phone, she gives me a satisfied smirk.

"I'm going to go have lunch with Evie, my bff...says she has something important to tell me..."

"That's fine, keep interacting with them...they'll wise up eventually." I tell her...and I hope I'm right.

*EVIE'S POV*

I call to meet Hadley for lunch to tell her everything that crazy bitch told me yesterday, and help her kick her ass if need be.

When I get there, she looks a little nervous.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah, everything's fine...how's my bff?" she replies.

I raise my eyebrow.  She's being nicer to me than she has been, maybe she's getting her memory back?

"OMG...you wouldn't believe how many people stopped and asked for my autograph and for me to take pictures with them!  It was awesome!" she tells me.

"Ha, they get to be a nuisance, just wait," I tell her, "but I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it?" She asks.

"It's that Briana chick..." I start.

She rolls her eyes, "Oh her, don't listen to anything she says."

"What?" I ask.

"Just ignore her, I'm dealing with her."

"Well, I did a little digging, and she was in high school with us." I tell her.

She gulps and looks a little stunned, but continues.

"How did you find that out?"

"I have my sources," I say, "apparently she was a couple years younger than us."

"Well, I guess that makes sense, it's a small town."

"Yeah," I continue, "apparently she was a little freak."

Hadley furrows her eyebrows at me.

"You know, it's not very nice to talk about people like that.  Maybe she had a hard life."

"I'm sorry, are we still talking about the person that is running around telling people she is you?"

"You know," she says, "I think I remember something...about a blonde girl...in high school...I think she was just awkward."

Huh?  Of all the things she remembers, she remembers some chick I practically had to do a background check on?

Suddenly, it dawns on me.

"I have to get going," I stand up and get ready to leave.

"Are you sure?" she asks, "We just got here..."

"Uh...yeah...talk to you later."

"'K, Bye!"

I get in my car and make a phone call.

When I get to the destination, she is waiting for me.

"Why did you call me?" she asks.

"Because I know the truth, Hadley."