Chapter 26 Pt. 2: This Ain't My First Rodeo

It was a week before anyone else knew that I was back...Mason and I literally got home and stayed in bed for days.

"I am so glad to have you back," he keeps telling me.

I laugh, "You mean you didn't like that little skinny girl body?"

"Hell now," he says between trailing kisses up and down my skin, "I missed every single inch."

And then he proves just how much.
I have to admit I missed my old body too.  It's amazing how different all of our bodies are.  I was able to make love to my husband while I was in her body, but it just wasn't the same.  Her lady parts worked differently than mine do or something, who knows.

Either way, we pretty much continue like we're a new couple for the next month.  Even though Mason does go back to work and I visit people, whenever we're together, our family knows to call before they come over.

We are just so incredibly happy that everything is back to normal.  Now we can get on with our lives, just the two of us, no complications.

Of course, as we all know, God likes to play little jokes on all of us.  Just when I say I am planning on having a quiet existence with my husband, I get a wake up call...in the form of a strong curry scent that used to always make me sick to my stomach...but it hadn't in a long time.

as I slowly lift up out of bed for fear of upchucking all over my husband next to me, I realize why curry hasn't turned my stomach in awhile...

It can't be...

Damn it...

Chapter 26 Pt. 1: Pay No Attention to The Transparent Chick Behind the Curtain

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

Before I can let out an resounding Yes!  Capital Y, Capital E, Capital S...Mason blurts out, "No!  Absolutely not!"

I look at him like he's nuts, "Why?  So I have to die again...been there...I can handle it."

"What if something goes wrong?" He brings up, "Baby, I can't lose you again..."

"I'm only going to be dead for a little bit, right?" I offer looking at Melody for some back up.

"Hadley, you know I told you there is always a risk.  I have developed a potion that has a toxic cocktail designed to kill you but I added some "reboot juice" that should move you and Briana back into the bodies you were supposed to be in the first place, then after a little bit of time, you will re-inhabit your original bodies naturally."

"All I hear is risk," Mason interjects.

"Mason, please..." I look at him desperately.

He has an extremely serious look on his face.  I would make fun of him if I weren't pleading for his support.

He shakes his head, "No...no...I can't do it...I...baby, when I thought I lost you the first time...do you realize what that did to me?  I was lost without you."

I turn and look at him sympathetically.  I understand because I would be a broken shell of a person without him too, but I trust Melody...and damn it, I want my body back.

"I have to try babe," I tell him, tears welling in my eyes, "don't you miss me?  The real me?  I hate living in this crap body..."

"So you would rather not live...at all?" He interrupts.

"I have to try, I hate living in this little twig body," I start and then come up with an idea.  It's playing dirty, but...

"I think I know what this is," I start.

He raises his eyebrows, "If it's anything but me trying to keep you in my life, you're wrong."

Shit.  He knows me.  Oh well, gone too far already...

"No, it has to be something else," Cue the hysterical jealous wife:  "I think you have gotten used to me in this blonde skinny body and you like it better than..."

He rolls his eyes and throws his hands up in the air, "You've gotta be kidding me."

I hang my head, "No, I guess I underst..."

"These games are not going to work on me, sweetie," he says, "not this time.  There's too much at stake."

I sigh.  This is getting frustrating.  "So you're being selfish.  You would rather have me here and miserable than back to myself and happy."

"I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE RISK!" He yells.  "If I'm being selfish because I'm trying to SAVE YOUR LIFE, well then I'm selfish."

Melody interjects at this point, "Whoa, guys, let's cool off, shall we?  Hadley, can I talk to Mason alone?  Briana needs to be fed something anyway.  You don't want your body to expire before we can even do the spell, do you?"

"Fine." I glare at Mason as I walk by, but of course it's not as effective as I would like it to be.

*MASON'S POV*

"Am I crazy to be concerned?  Really?" I ask Melody after Hadley heads out of the room.

"Of course not Mason.  I have told her that these types of spells are dangerous, but she has been unrelenting about wanting to get into her old body."  Melody replies.

"If these things are so dangerous, why did you agree to work on a spell?" I am confused.

"Here's the thing Mason," she starts, "there are really several ways to go about this and this way is by far the safest."

"Making her die?" I find that hard to believe.

"Well, you could always kill both women, take them back to the science lab, and hope it works itself out, but that plan is riddled with instability."

"Is there anything else?  Maybe just a switch spell?  Anything..." I plead with her.

She shakes her head, "No, I'm sorry Mason, but both of them have to become completely detached from the body they are inhabiting, then they have to make it back into their original body."

"That adds another concern...what if Briana doesn't want to go back in her body?" I ask.

"I have actually planned for that.  I'm not sure if it will work, but I have bonding spells I might be able to convert that will bond each woman to their right body."   Melody tells me.

Even knowing these things, I don't know if I can do this.  I start shaking my head, "I still don't know..."

Melody looks me in the eyes and says, "Believe me, Mason.  I don't want to lose her either.  I wouldn't be trying to do this if I thought it would kill her permanently, but as prepared as we can be, there comes a point where we just have to learn to have faith."

I sigh, "She's not going to let this go."

"No, I don't think she is," Melody agrees.

I wasn't really asking because I know my wife.  She will spend the rest of her life trying to get her body back, if it kills her or if that's all she does for the rest of her life.

Being married to Hadley is sometimes more trying than anything.  I know when she really has her mind on something there is no changing it no matter how much I fight - and we have had some major fights.

"Okay, I'm going to put my faith in you Melody." I tell her.

She gives me a friendly hug, "Don't be afraid, Mason.  If I know Hadley, she will come out of this."

I hope so.

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

When I get back inside after throwing Briana some slop, I find Mason still talking with Melody.

"So what have we decided?" I ask, almost not wanting to know.

"Melody has convinced me to let you try it," Mason tells me.

I start to argue about his use of the word "let" but I decide not to push it.

"Really?!  Oh, thank you baby!  When are we going to do this?" I ask, throwing my arms around Mason.

"I have the potions in injection form.  I figure we won't be able to get Briana to drink this.

Mason sighs deeply, "Okay, so what happens now?"

"Someone needs to administer the potions to both of them."  Melody instructs, "I suppose I will inject either Hadley or Briana and you can inject the other Mason."

"Mason needs to inject Briana," I tell them, "I know my body, he's stronger than it for sure."

So it's settled.  Mason goes down to the cubby hole and brings Briana up restrained in my body.

"What are you all doing to me?  You can't do this!  You won't get away with this!" She keeps screaming.

"Yeah, whatever, bitch." I say as I hand Melody my arm.

"Are you ready Mason?" she asks my husband.  He holds up the syringe in response.

"On my count," Melody continues, "the closest proximity we get to giving them the injections at the same time, the better."

"What is this?  What are you doing?  Stop it, look, I'll stop talking...just..." Briana is yack-yack-yacking away until all of a sudden she's not and I don't hear anything.

"Baby?  Is that you?" I can hear Mason faintly, "Which one is she?"

"Her astral form will look like her actual self - so the one that looks like Hadley." Melody is explaining.

My eyes flutter open and I look around, a bit confused, but feeling okay.  I stand up and see Mason and Melody looking at me - and a very transparent Briana - looking like her old self - or the new me...wow...

She is looking around frantically, "What did you all do to me?  Am I dead?  What the...?  Why do you look like yourself?"

"Your time inhabiting Hadley's body is over Briana," Melody tells her, "in a matter of moments, you will return to your own body and she will return to hers."

"We're going to make sure of that," Mason interjects.

Mason.  I look around and see him, standing there, looking so...gorgeous...

I walk up to him, "Hi...do I look weird?"

"No weirder than you've looked over this last year," he answers.

He stares at me grinning with his wide smile for a few minutes before looking over at Melody, "Hey Mel, how solid are they right now?"

"More solid than you would think," Melody responds.

"Good," he replies.

Before I know what's happening, he is grabbing me and wrapping his arms around me.

...and he gives me the most amazing kiss I've had all year. 

Even though I'm not completely solid at this point, this feels as close to real as I can imagine.

Melody is talking to Briana, trying to calm her down.

"Where's my daughter?  Where's Keely?  Is she alone?  Is she with her father?" Briana is asking a million questions, but they are all about her daughter, so I guess I can't get too mad about that.

Melody brings her a sleepy Keely from our bedroom, "Keely is right here, and I'm sure she misses you."

Keely grabs on to her mother and holds on tight and Briana starts crying, "You know she hasn't been as responsive to me as Hadley...and...I've missed her..."

"That's what happens when she loses her mother,:" I tell her.

"I know *sniffle*," Briana replies, "I was so *sniffle* stupid.  I had *sniffle* everything before...*sniffle, sniffle*...because I had her *sob*."

"Are you going to try and get back into Hadley's body?" Mason asks her.

"No," she replies, "I swear, I'm sorry...I was wrong...you can have your body back.  All I want is Keely."

Even though the entire time I have known her I doubt she has said even one sentence of truth, I somehow believe her.

I look over to Melody and ask, "What now?"

"I'm going to bond each of you to your own bodies." She replies.

As Melody chants and sprinkles crap around me and Briana and our respective bodies, I begin to feel a strange pull.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Don't fight it," Melody instructs, "just let it lead you to where you need to be."

Same process, I all of a sudden didn't hear anything, then start waking up and fluttering my eyes open.

I can hear Mason sign in relief, "I think it worked."

"I know it did," Melody agrees.

I feel a little heavier than I have in awhile (damn it), but I know it's my body.  All of the right joints ache a little and my hair feels the same, thick and dark like my father's.  I feel my face and feel my eyes and skin where my freckles are and for the first time in my life I wish my freckles had some relief to them so that I could feel them on my skin.

I stand up and feel so much better standing at the right height and I look over and see Briana and glare.

For the first time, I can punch the bitch and make it count because I'm not worried about messing up my face.

"Hadley," she starts begging, "I'm so sorry...for everything...I was stupid..."

"Here's the problem, Briana," I tell her, "the damage has already been done.  Mason's reputation is ruined and we have lost all this time of normalcy because of you."

"I know, and I'm sorry.  I don't know what I can do to make it up to you.  I don't have anything...other than Keely." she grovels, "but I am so sorry."

I sigh.

"Look Briana, I just don't want to see you anymore.  I'm done with dealing with you, are we clear?" I ask.

"Of course, I'm probably going to have to leave town anyway," she says, "I don't have anywhere to go..."

"No, you and Keely are going to live in this house...and you're taking that horse..." I tell her.

"What?" she's confused, hell, so am I.  I really don't like the bitch, but I just want to go home and be done with all this crap.

"I'm serious.  I don't want you running around the streets having to look for a place to live with Keely...and I quite frankly don't like horses, so you'd be doing me a favor if you took Pepper off my hands.  We'll have all her crap delivered.  There's plenty of room in the back yard."

Briana tries to hug me, but I pull away, "this doesn't mean I want to be buddies or anything.  I just want to leave.  Just tell people Mason and I got back together and now it's just you in the house."

"This is so generous...more than I deserve." Briana looks at me with awe.

"Yeah, I know, just get out of my face.  We're going home." I tell her as Mason and I walk out the door.

Getting home, I have never been so happy.  I can't believe all that crap is behind us.  Maybe now we can just work on being an old married couple.

Thank heavens for Melody.  I'm going to have to send that chick a fruit basket or something.

Chapter 24: Just As Free, Free as We'll Ever Be

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

...Over time...

Ugh...I have never been a big fan of all these rags, but now I can't stomach them at all.

Mason has really taken the majority of the heat for the "Madley Split" as the paparazzi has dubbed it.  He has been called a cheater, philanderer, a liar, a bad father, a bad person, an asshole, pretty much every name in the book.  I have been called a home-wrecker, a tramp, a slut, pretty much any derogatory name you can think of as well, but I didn't have as much notoriety, so I have been able to avoid the paparazzi - at least a little bit.

"Hadley" on the other hand has been all over the media - giving interviews, articles, television shows, she has become the jilted divorcee' turned Phoenix rising from the ashes and overcoming adversity.  After everyone got over the initial shock, of course they wanted to hear what happened, and she was so kind to oblige.  

Huh, best of luck to her is all I can say.

We might not have much, but this is what we have to look at every evening - and that's what we do.  We sit out on our back porch in the quiet, calm, serenity of nature and be together.  After all that has happened, that's really all we want.

Aunt Z found us a great little plot of land that overlooks the river and we are more than content to live in a little one bedroom, one bath house.

We have become boring over time, Mason still goes to work, thank goodness all the bad publicity has done wonders for fans in the stadium, even though they all hate him, they all want to see him and when the wives are booing, the husbands are realizing what a kick-ass football player Mason is and are secretly cheering - which is enough for me.

Even though it was shaky at first, our sex life has returned with renewed life and fire.  I'll admit it was weird for Mason being with me because I'm not in my old body anymore, but he got over it after awhile.  I would say he got over it a little too quickly, but what at least I'm the one benefiting.

I guess it's safe to say we're pretty happy in our life and we have been content to just keep going as is.

Until one day, we have a visitor...

We normally never have anyone visiting and certainly no one rings the doorbell.  Our family has a strict "walk right in" policy - even our threats of walking around the house naked haven't deterred them, so it was startling, after not hearing the doorbell in months, suddenly hearing it one afternoon.

"Who on the planet could that be?" Mason asks as he heads to the door.

I just shrug.

"Mason, it's so good to see you," I hear a familiar voice ringing like a pleasant song.

"Oh, uh, hey," he replies.

I peak out the window and see that it's Melody Sky - a challenge mother friend of mine, or of the old me.

I brace myself because we have had a couple friends of mine that didn't realize what was going on show up and clock Mason good, but nothing like that happens.

"Melody, how have you been?" He asks, obviously surprised at how not piping hot angry at him she is.

"Well, I was wonderful until I came into town, Mason," 

Her we go...

"Who is that wretched woman in Hadley's body?"

Chapter 23: What About Now?

*MASON'S POV*

Even though it feels odd cuddling up to another body, I sleep better than I have in months.  I finally have my Hadley back.  It's a different package, but it's still her.  I can definitely deal.

I wake up in the morning and run into my dad.

"Morning Pops..." I reply.

"Um, son," he looks down at my lack of shirt, "maybe you could put a shirt on around here?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm just used to..." I was going to say being in my own house when I realize that I don't have a house anymore.

"Yeah, well...when you get settled somewhere you can walk around naked for all I care, but you're making me look bad!" Dad laughs.

"Hahaha!  Sorry about that," I reply.

"Yeah, I'll bet...just wait until you get old," he jokes.

We laugh for a minute and then he gets down to seriousness, "Have you all talked about where you're going to go from here?"

"Not yet," I reply, "I can probably get a loan to make a down payment on a house..."

"Well, your mom can probably help out with that," he says, "maybe one of the places she's building on will be okay for you."

"Honestly, we don't need much," I tell him, "just a one bedroom, one bathroom house will do it."

He looks at me with a sadness in his eyes, "Damn, are you sure you all can't fight to get to keep your house, or your savings?"

"We probably could," I tell him, "especially considering we are technically divorced because of her death, but  I don't want to spend all kinds of time fighting.  I just want to be with Hadley."

*ZOEY'S POV*

I guess it's no surprise that I'm on the phone with Amy, asking her to meet me at the park.  I don't want to tell her about what went down last night over the phone...yeah, "You're daughter is in someone else's body" requires face-to-face time.

When I get there, she's standing by the pond, rubbing her neck like she does when she's stressed..

"Z, I hate getting old, every day I wake up with a new pain...I'm going to throw away my Joke of the Day Calendar and get a Pain of the Day one that reminds me what body part is going to hurt today."  

I laugh, "welcome to the club."

We laugh and trade stories about our ailments, then talk a little bit about how sad it is that whole parts of our daily conversations include complaining about our ailments.

Oh, how times change.

Either way, I have more pressing things to discuss with her today.

"I need to talk to you, maybe we should sit down..." I start.

"Oh shit, are you pregnant?" She asks.

"WHAT!?"  I screech, "Are you crazy?  And don't jinx me like that, you did that too me once already, remember?"

She shrugs, "My bad...okay, what is it?"

"Know how Briana came to you and said she was Hadley?" I start.  May as well jump right in...

"Yeah, that little girl is...wait, you're looking at me weird...what is it?" She can already tell something isn't right...well, she's calling it this time, that's for sure.

"She wasn't lying," I tell her.

"Z, I can't possibly..." but she stops to think, "are you sure?"

"If I wasn't, would I be talking to you about this right now?"

Her face falls.

"Oh...my...what have I done?" she asks.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.  I am going to love hearing how she is going to blame herself for this one, "She's at my house...she's fine...she and Mason have figured it all out..."

"No, has she been this way the whole time?" Amy asks me.

"I think so..."

She gasps, "So that was her, in the shelter?"

"Yeah...I guess..."

Melt down.  "Z, you should have seen her, she looked awful.  Her body was bruised all over...it was terrible...that was my daughter and I just let her go...then turned her away when she needed me."

"You didn't know..." I start to comfort her, even though it pains me just as much to think of Hadley in that situation.

"Hadley is a strong woman, and she got out of it, you can't blame yourself," I continue.

"I have no excuse..."

"Mom, it's okay."

We hear someone behind us and realize that Hadley has been listening to our conversation.

"It's really okay," she repeats, "you believe me now and that's all that matters."

Amy and the new Hadley hug.  We are going to get back to normal around here...somehow.

Chapter 22: Where You Lead, I Will Follow

*MASON'S POV*

We walk out of the house satisfied.  We might have lost everything we've ever worked for, but at least we have each other.  Crazy?  Yes, probably, but Hadley is right, I would give up everything for her in a heartbeat.

"Where are we going to go?" she asks me.
I sigh, "Evie's?  At least she knows about us."
"Yeah, but she already has her hands full with the twins...she doesn't really have the room." Hadley replies.

"Well, between our two parents, it's probably going to be better to go to mine," I tell her.
She looks confused, "Why?"

"Honey, you don't look like yourself...I think my parents will be easier to convince."
"Hmm, you're probably right."

So we head to my parents house.

"It might be a better idea to hang back," I tell Hadley, "at least until I talk to them."

*ZOEY'S POV*

I'm just about to settle in in front of the television when I hear a knock at the door.  Who in the hell would be here at this hour?

Peering in the side window is my son.  What in the hell?  Oh Lord, I certainly hope nothing screwed up has happened...but knowing our luck...*sigh*

Okay, deep breaths...

As I walk toward him, I look behind him and that little blonde girl that's been staying in his house.  He looks back to her and a sick feeling of foreboding enters my stomach.

He looks back at me with a worn and discouraged look on his face, "Hey Ma..."
I raise my eyebrow and reply suspiciously, "Don't 'hey' me.  What are you doing here with that crazy heifer?"

"It's a loooong story..." he replies.

I was afraid of that.

"You might want to sit down for this," He says.
I probably should, I really probably should, "No, I'm good.  Answer me."

"It's Hadley, Ma," he replies.

Wha-huh?

"What's Hadley?" I ask, hoping my suspicions aren't true.

"Briana is Hadley...and Hadley is Briana."

"What in the hell makes you think that?" I ask him, "Just because she says so?  She tried to pull the same bullshit on Amy and Andrew, but they didn't buy it."

"Mom, you know me, and you know Hadley.  Do you really think I would jump to this conclusion if I wasn't sure?"

It's true he's usually very level-headed and thinks things through before coming to any decisions, but he's had so much trouble lately that I'm not sure if he just wants this to be true.

Having heard all this, Terry walks up behind me, "Maybe he's right, Vi...she hasn't been right since she was brought back."

The blonde girl walks in behind Mason and looks at me with a face that I have never seen, but somehow I feel like I've known for years.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Z, we lost the house you built for me," she says.

I must be losing my mind, but something about the way she is looking at me reminds me of Hadley when she was really little, staring up at me with big blue eyes and complete and total trust.  I sigh.  Maybe this is really her.

"What do you mean you lost the house?" I ask.

Mason holds her hand and I fight the knee-jerk reaction to cringe, "Hadley and I gave her everything, so we wouldn't have to fight her and we could just be together."

"Why in the...?" I start, "Okay you all, come inside."

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

When Aunt Z and Uncle T-bone finally let us in, Zoey makes some coffee and we all sit around the dining room table.

"I don't understand how this even happened," Aunt Z says from the kitchen.

"Ma, I wish I knew, the only thing I can figure is that the day Hadley died, so did Briana and when there was a mix-up in the lab." Mason tries to reason.
"Huh," T laughs, "Hell of a mix-up.  You'd think they'd be better at their job.  They charge $25,000 to do it.

"Shit, I wonder if they have a return policy...I hope you kept your receipt." Zoey replies.

I can't help but bust out laughing, "I can just see Mason walking in there with me, 'This isn't the woman I asked for!'...I wonder if they'll put me in return merchandise and sell me to a consignment store."

Uncle T laughs one of his big, loud laughs that I have missed hearing, "That right there tells me you're Hadley.  That other girl wouldn't know a joke if it came with a laugh track."

"I'm confused about something else," Aunt Z starts, "why do y'all need to give her everything again?"
"To avoid having to fight over everything in court," I reply, "the house is already hers because it was in my name, but they would have to fight over the money..."
"It's just not worth it...and we don't know how to switch them back, so we figure there isn't much point in fighting with her." Mason finishes.

"There has to be some way to get you in the right bodies," Zoey.
"We were actually wondering if Aunt Amy knows anything about how we can do that, it was her idea to bring Hadley back in the first place." Mason says.

Aunt Z shakes her head, "No, we had a similar situation a long time ago, but it went just like we expected it to...

"I can't believe y'all gave her everything!" Uncle T says again.

"I can't believe she's in Hadley's body and there's just nothing that can be done..." Aunt Z starts.

"...you'd think we could just kill her again, that would solve it, wouldn't it?" Aunt Z says a little too flippantly.

Uncle T-bone clears his throat loudly, "Ahem, hello, homicide detective over here..."

Aunt Z gets a defeated look on her face, "See, this is why I didn't want to marry a cop..."

Mason spits his coffee out and I bust out laughing again. 

Our family might be twisted, but it's certainly good to be back in it.

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."