Jennifer watched the water pour into the bathtub. The police wouldn’t file a missing persons report on Jonathan until tomorrow. Lt. Grey had agreed to place a squad car in front of the house and another one in front of the gate just in case the imposters returned. Jennifer knew he was only humoring her. He didn’t believe her story about people posing as Jonathan, Jessica and Max. She decided to take a bubble bath to try and clear her head. There were so many questions in her head that she could barely see straight. When did they switch them? Where are they holding Jonathan? And the question that scared her more than anything else…why?
Jonathan winced as he tried to move his head. He had fallen asleep sitting upright against a wall with his hands and feet tied. His neck was tense and sore from the strain. He tried to massage his neck, but the way his hands were tied together made that rather difficult. He didn’t know how long he’d been in there since Jessica had escaped. He only hoped that she had been able to get away. He looked up at the bolted door when he heard someone coming. His heart was racing…what if they’d found her trying to escape? He pushed the thoughts aside when two men walked into the room. Jonathan couldn’t see their faces, it was dark in the room and he could only see the faint outlines of their bodies. One of the men reached along the wall and switched on a light. Jonathan gasped in surprise. Both men were extremely familiar to him. One looked like his mirror image while the other looked exactly like Max. Jonathan’s eyes opened wide when the men touched the base of their necks and appeared to be pulling off their own skin. They continued pulling until they revealed their true faces. They discarded the masks onto the floor.
"Hello Jonathan."
"Elliott!" Jonathan said angrily.
Jennifer and Jessica both jumped when they heard someone down at the gate. Jennifer went to the Intercom and spoke into it.
"Can I help you?" She asked nervously.
"Mrs. Hart? It’s Alexander, Jessie’s Uncle. Can I come up?"
"Oh, Alexander, of course, come on up." Jennifer said.
The policewoman at the gate gave Alexander a look of boredom as she watched him drive through the gate and up to the house.
"Uncle Alex!" Jessica exclaimed as she ran outside and met Alexander as he pulled up the driveway.
Alexander got out of the car and ran to meet Jessica. He scooped her up into his arms happily. "I’ve missed you Jessie."
"I’ve missed you too." Jessica hugged him happily.
"Hello, Alexander." Jennifer said as Alexander put Jessica back down on the ground.
"Jennifer. How’s my favorite niece behaving?"
"Oh, she’s an angel." Jennifer winked at Jessica as she invited Alexander to come inside.
When they were all inside and in the living room. Alexander spoke. "What are the police doing here?"
"We’ve been having some problems." Jennifer said.
"Problems? What kind of problems?" Alexander paused. "I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy, I just worry about Jessie too much, I suppose."
"Oh, Uncle Alex. I’m fine." Jessica smiled at him.
"And you’re not being nosy." Jennifer said. "It’s just a little unbelievable, I’m not sure I’d believe it myself."
"I have a pretty good imagination." Alexander grinned.
"I only wish it was imaginary. A few days ago everything was just fine, but then I just started to notice weird things going on."
"Weird things, like what?"
"Like Max."
"Max?" Alexander asked confused.
"Yeah, he was here…or someone pretending to be him was here."
"My gosh."
"And Jonathan was acting very strange, and we had two Jessicas running around here at one point."
"Two Jessicas?"
"Yeah, a doppelganger." Jessica said.
"I think I need a drink." Alexander said.
"That’s what I said. Especially when we brought the police here yesterday and everyone was gone. Even Freeway’s missing."
"So, the police are here in case the…the doppelgangers…come back?"
"Yeah."
"Wow." Alexander said.
"You know Uncle Alex, you have a real talent for understatement." Jessica laughed.
"What are you up to Manning?" Jonathan seethed.
"Now, now, Jonathan. You’ll find out in good time. I am just having a little fun playing house with Jennifer."
Jonathan tried to stand, but the other man reached and pushed him back down onto the floor.
"Thanks Hal." Elliott said. "Now, you be a good boy and we’ll let you out of here soon."
Elliott and Hal left the room and bolted the door behind them. They walked into another room where a young girl and an older woman sat at a table.
"You can go home now." Elliott said to the younger girl. "Just make sure you keep your mouth shut!" He commanded.
"I will, I promise." The young girl said.
"Good, and don’t try anything funny. I have eyes everywhere."
"I understand." She said as she got up and left. Hal followed her out and to his car. She got in the car and Hal took her home.
"Why are you letting her go?"
"There’s no reason to keep her here anymore. Jessica’s escaped and safe and sound in her own home."
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Aah, my dear you mean what are you going to do?" Elliott said
"Okay, what am I going to do?"
"You, my dear Chelsea are going to become Jennifer Edwards Hart."
"Is Jessie still asleep?" Alexander asked as he came downstairs and spotted Jennifer sitting in the living room.
"Yeah, she is."
Alexander was about to say something else when the front door opened.
"What in the world?" Jennifer said. She didn’t know what to say or do after she watched Jonathan walk in the door with her look-alike on his arm.
Alexander looked from Jennifer to the new Jennifer who had just walked in. Both Jennifer’s were dressed in the same outfit and had their hair combed exactly the same way. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble. The room was silent except for the sound of the clock ticking ominously. No one moved a muscle. The stillness was broken, however when the policewoman who had been stationed at the gate came into the house.
"What’s going on here?" She asked.
"That I don’t know." Jennifer said from where she stood next to Alexander.
The Jonathan and Jennifer look-a-likes walked so that they were now standing next to Jennifer and Alexander. The policewoman didn’t like the way things were going. She had to find out who the real Mrs. Hart was.
"This woman is an imposter," the Jonathan said. However, just as he spoke one of the Jennifer’s grabbed her twin and spun around in a circle. Alexander and the policewoman were stunned. They now had no idea who the real Jennifer was. Jonathan’s imposter wasn’t so sure he knew either.
"Now what?" Alexander whispered to the policewoman.
"Mrs. Hart, does this mean you no longer want to file the missing person’s report on your husband." The policewoman asked hoping the real Jennifer would answer her negatively.
"Of course, I’m standing right here." Elliott as Jonathan said before either woman could answer.
"I need to go call the station." She said and walked outside where she and the officer placed in front of the house called Lt. Grey.
Inside the house, things were very confused. Alexander didn’t know what to do. He had no idea if this was really Jonathan Hart or for that matter, who the real Jennifer Hart was.
"Hello, Mr. Hart." Alexander said as he extended his hand. Jennifer watched the exchange suspiciously.
"Hello." Elliott shook his hand and then turned to Alexander. "Could you go get some food? My wife is hungry."
Alexander nodded his head slowly and backed out of the living room and into the kitchen. Elliott grabbed the real Jennifer from behind and covered her mouth so that she couldn’t speak. He carried her upstairs and locked her in the bedroom. He was coming out of the bedroom when Jessica came out of her bedroom. When Jessica saw Jonathan standing in the hall she was ecstatic. It never occurred to her that he could be the imposter. She ran to him and hugged him tight.
"I’m so glad you’re okay." She said.
"Me too, come on your mother’s downstairs with breakfast waiting."
"Is Uncle Alex still here?"
"Yes, of course." Elliott smiled.
Elliott and Jessica went downstairs. When they reached the bottom of the steps the police officers were standing in the foyer. The Jennifer look-alike was talking with them and was showing them out.
"So, tell Hershel I’m sorry for worrying him."
"We will Mrs. Hart." The policewoman said as they left.
"Isn’t it great!" Jessica beamed.
"It certainly is."
Jessica went into the kitchen while Elliott and Jennifer waited behind.
"How’d you get rid of them?" He asked.
"I just told them I must have been dreaming."
"And they bought it?"
"Sure, I can be very persuasive when I want to be."
"Very nice, Chelsea, very nice indeed."
Hal kept a close eye on Jonathan. It wasn’t that hard of a job since Jonathan was tied up and locked in a room. He had covered the vent that had allowed Jessica’s escape. There was no way a man of Jonathan’s size could fit in there anyway. He turned his attention back to the crossword puzzle he was trying to complete and put the man, held captive in the next room, out of his mind. Meanwhile, Jonathan was furiously working the ropes around his wrists and ankles. He was not going to let Elliott hurt his wife again. He had to find a way out of this predicament. He sighed with relief when the bonds around his wrist came loose. He slid his hands out of the rope and proceeded to untie his ankles. Now all he had to do was find a way to get out of the room.
"Where’s Freeway Jr.?" Jessica asked while she sat at the kitchen table with Elliott, Chelsea and Alexander.
"Freeway?" Elliott asked. Then he caught himself. Freeway, the dog, the pest that they had to stow away so that he wouldn’t give them away. "He’s fine, I took him to the vet just to make sure he’s okay."
"When can we go pick him up?" Jessica asked excitedly. She had become very fond of the little dog.
"I think the doctor wants to keep him for a couple days, just to make sure he’s okay."
"Oh, can we go visit him?" Jessica asked.
"Sure, but don’t you have to go to school today?" Chelsea asked.
"Awl." Jessica groaned. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, you have to, now scoot." Chelsea said.
"Want me to give you a ride?" Alexander asked.
"Sure, just let me go get ready. I’ll be lightning fast." Jessica said.
"Yeah, I bet." Alexander winked at her.
Jessica giggled and went to get dressed and get her books.
After she had gone Alexander eyed Elliott and Chelsea. They looked and sounded like Jonathan and Jennifer, but something was wrong. He didn’t know what it was, but he was certain Jessica must have picked up on it too.
"No, I haven’t had a chance yet." Chelsea was talking on the phone with Hal. "Don’t worry so much, I know what I’m doing."
"If he even has an inkling of what we’re up to…"
"He doesn’t…and he won’t. We have Alexander and the little brat eating out of our hands."
"Are you sure you can handle this?"
"Of course. Alexander just took Jessica to school."
"What about Manning? Are you sure he can’t hear you talking to me?"
"I’m sure, he’s too occupied with Mrs. Hart."
"Aah, good, make sure he stays that way. I’m coming over."
"But, what about Jonathan Hart?"
"He’s tied up and locked in. He’s not going anywhere." Hal said as he hung up the phone.
"Hello Jennifer." Elliott said as he went into the bedroom. Jennifer backed away from him.
"Who are you?" She asked, frightened.
"Oh, now don’t tell me you’ve forgotten everything we are to each other."
Jennifer just looked at him. She didn’t know what to say.
Elliott changed his voice so that he was no longer imitating Jonathan.
"Dear, Sweet Jennifer. I know you still love me."
"Elliott." She gasped. She would recognize his voice anywhere. It sent shivers down her spine.
"Aah, you do remember." Elliott said as he tried to pull Jennifer to him.
"Don’t touch me!" She yelled.
"My darling…"
"I am not your darling!" Jennifer hissed through clenched teeth.
"Maybe not yet, but you will be." Elliott smirked and left the room. Jennifer sunk down on the bed and then got up and ran to the door and kicked it fiercely. However, all she got in return was a sore foot.
Jonathan stood behind the door. Hal opened it and looked inside. When he didn’t see Jonathan he opened the door wider and walked inside. Jonathan came up behind him and punched him. Hal tried to fight back but he was no match for Jonathan. After knocking Hal out Jonathan tied him up and left him in the room. He would deal with him later. Jonathan walked out of the room and outside. He had to get home.
"What’s wrong?" Alexander asked Jessica as he pulled into the schoolyard.
"I don’t know. I just, I feel weird. Like, something bad is about to happen."
"Maybe you shouldn’t go to school today."
"But…"
"It’s okay, I’m sure Jonathan and Jennifer would understand. I’ll take you back home."
Jessica was relieved, but also anxious. She wasn’t sure the feeling in the pit of her stomach would go away when she got home.
"Chelsea?" Elliott called as he went downstairs.
"In here, Elliott." Chelsea called from the living room.
"How’s Jennifer Hart?"
"Just as feisty as ever." Elliott smiled.
"Just the way you like them." Chelsea grinned.
"I suppose. What are you doing?"
Chelsea stood up and turned around so that she was facing Elliott. Elliott’s eyes opened wide when he saw the gun in her hands
"Now, Chelsea…"
"Shut-Up! You think you own me, but you don’t. Someone else does. Someone bigger than you."
"What are you talking about?"
"This!" Chelsea said as she pulled the trigger and shot Elliott. Elliott fell to the ground in a heap. Chelsea stepped over him and walked to the telephone. She tried calling Hal, but when there was no answer she gave up. She decided that she would have to get rid of Jennifer somehow. She couldn’t leave any loose ends. Chelsea held the gun tightly in her hand and headed upstairs.
Alexander and Jessica pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. They walked inside the house and into the living room.
"Oh no!" Jessica cried as she saw who she thought was Jonathan lying on the floor.
Alexander went to Elliott and felt for a pulse. There was none. "He’s dead."
"No. No. Oh no." Jessica was crying by now. Alexander went to her and tried to comfort her.
"I’ll be right back, I just want to call the police."
Jessica nodded her head. She was standing as still as possible trying not to look at her father’s body. She was about to follow Alexander to the telephone when she heard a commotion upstairs. Curious as ever Jessica headed upstairs to see what was happening. She went to Jennifer and Jonathan’s bedroom first. She opened the door and was shocked to see two Jennifers wrestling with a gun. She jumped when the gun came flying out of one of the Jennifers’ hands and fell at her feet.
"Oh no." She said. Remembering her father lying dead on the living room floor Jessica picked up the gun nervously. She held it in shaking hands and aimed it at the women. "Stop!" She yelled. Both Jennifer and Chelsea froze.
"Jessica, put that down right now." Jennifer commanded. To see her daughter holding a gun in her hand both angered her and scared her to death at the same time.
Jessica was confused. She had visions of her dead father running in her head colliding with images of her friend Cassie, who’d she’d found dead months ago. The two images coalesced with everything she had ever been taught about reverence for life. She didn’t want to shoot anyone. She didn’t even know why she had picked up the gun. It had just kind of appeared in her hand. She wanted to listen to whoever had just told her to put it down, but something made her hold onto it.
"Jessie." Chelsea said. She knew she had to find a way to get Jessica to think she was Jennifer.
Chelsea only managed to confuse Jessica even further. She didn’t know what to do so she just held the gun loosely in her hands. "You killed him!" She shouted. She wasn’t sure who she was yelling at, however and so her eyes never met theirs.
"Who Jessica? Who’s dead?" Jennifer asked while her heart beat faster and faster. There were only a select few whose deaths could cause Jessica to react like this.
"Jessie? What are you talking about?" Chelsea asked almost too calmly.
Jessica lifted the gun a little higher and began trembling. She had lost control of her own actions. She jumped slightly when she felt someone grab her from behind. The mysterious person put his hands over hers and pried the gun from her fingers. It didn’t take much prying, however since she hadn’t been holding it very tightly.
"It’s okay. It’s okay." Jessica started to cry inconsolably when she recognized the voice of the man behind her. It was Jonathan. Jonathan held Jessica in one arm and held the gun with his other hand. He was repulsed to see Jessica holding the weapon, but at the moment there was something more important at hand. He had to find out who his wife was. He needn’t have worried, however. Upon seeing Jonathan come behind Jessica, Chelsea knew she had to think fast. She ran up to him and tried to hug him. Jonathan pushed her away and held the gun on her.
"Darling, what are you doing?" Chelsea asked, too sweetly.
Jennifer was crying by now and when Jonathan pushed Chelsea away she didn’t know what to think.
"Are you really…?" Jennifer’s voice cracked as she spoke.
"Yes, my love." Jonathan said. He was still holding a sobbing and trembling Jessica in his free arm. Just then Alexander and Lt. Grey came into the room. Lt. Grey took the gun from Jonathan and ushered Chelsea out of the room.
"I think I’ll leave you guys alone. Good to have you back Jonathan." Alexander said.
Jennifer ran to Jonathan and he pulled her into a tight embrace. Jessica’s legs gave out on her and she slid to the ground. Jennifer and Jonathan sat down on the floor beside her. Jennifer hugged Jessica closely. Jessica put her head into Jennifer’s shoulder.
"I could have…I almost." Jessica stammered.
"No, you couldn’t. You are my sweet, beautiful Jessie, you would never have shot anyone."
"But, I was going to. I had the gun…"
Jennifer touched Jessica’s face gently and pulled her head up so that their eyes locked.
"You had the means yes. But, I saw it in your eyes. If Jonathan hadn’t come in when he did you would have put the gun down."
"How can you be so sure?" Jessica asked.
Jennifer wiped the tears from her face.
"I know you."
"I wouldn’t be the first teenager to do something like that ya know."
"No, but they’re different. They pick up a gun because they think it would be fun or for sport. You picked it up because you were terrified."
"Is there really a difference?"
"Yes, there really is. The difference is you would never have pulled the trigger."
Jessica laid her head back on Jennifer’s shoulder. Jonathan gently touched Jessica’s head. He leaned in and kissed Jennifer on the lips. He then pulled the two most important people in his life into his arms and they cried.
Jonathan was sitting in the police station when they brought Hal into the conference room. He had managed to get them to allow him to talk with Hal. He wanted to know what had happened in his house.
"He wanted to make her think she was crazy."
"Why?"
"He figured she would be more open to his advances that way."
"And why did Chelsea kill him?"
"She was being paid to."
"By who?"
"Someone who wanted him dead."
"Hal, stop talking in circles and tell me what your part in this is."
"Elliott robbed me a very important item. I had to make him pay."
"Well, he’s paid the final price." Jonathan said as he got up and walked out of the room.
Jonathan came in the front door to find the place ransacked. He was about to curse when Jennifer came and put her hand over his mouth. "Don’t say it!" She said with a smile.
"Say what?" Jonathan asked mischievously.
"If I don’t want you to say it, I’m certainly not going to say it!"
"What happened here?"
"We’re trying to find Freeway."
"Don’t you think you’re going about it in a rather…umm…destructive way."
"That was Alexander’s doing. He thought maybe Freeway was hiding under the couch and under the beds and under…you get the picture."
"I think so. Did anyone think to check the guest house?"
"That’s where I was headed."
"When will Jessica get home?"
"Soon. Dr. Valintyne said that she’s doing well in therapy. He thinks she’ll be able to stop going so often soon. Sarah picked her up from today’s session and they went for lunch."
"That’s great. She needs to start going out with her friends again. She hasn’t been herself since…" Jonathan’s voice trailed off.
"I know, but she’s coming back. Slowly, but surely."
"So, why did you choose today to decide that Freeway is in the house?"
"The police said they didn’t find him at the hideout and he isn’t anywhere on the grounds. Poor baby, he must be starving."
"Okay…shall we try the guest house?" Jonathan was certain they had lost Freeway Jr. forever. He didn’t want to even mention that to Jennifer, however, he was sure it would break her heart. As they were leaving, Jessica came bounding in the door.
"Mom! Dad!" She said happily.
Jonathan and Jennifer smiled to see the big smile on Jessica’s face.
"Guess who Sarah and I found?"
"Who?" Both Jonathan and Jennifer asked simultaneously.
"Send him in, Sare!" Jessica called.
Jennifer was taken completely off guard when Freeway Jr. came running in the house and ran up to her. He was barking wildly and his tail was wagging uncontrollably.
"Junior!" Jennifer exclaimed. She bent down and scooped the dog into her arms. "I think someone’s happy to be home."
"Where’d you find him?" Jonathan asked as he smiled and pet Freeway’s head lovingly.
"Guess?" Jessica said as she smiled knowingly.
"I have no idea."
"The FREEWAY!" Jessica exclaimed.
"You’re kidding?" Jennifer said.
Jessica and Sarah both started talking so quickly that their words practically over-lapped.
"Really Mrs. Hart! I thought we could get home faster taking the freeway and Jessica saw him walking along on the shoulder of the road!" Sarah said.
"I was so worried he was going to get hit. I didn’t even realize it was Freeway at first."
"She made me pull over and I was like worried that we’d get hit when we got out to get the dog."
"But, Junior must’ve recognized Sarah’s car cuz he came running right towards us."
"Jess just opened her door and bam he jumped in her lap!"
Finally, the girls took a breath.
"That’s amazing." Jonathan said.
"It’s a miracle." Jennifer smiled as she kissed Freeway Jr. on the top of his head.
Hal growled when he was thrown into his cell. He didn’t know why he had let that woman get him into this mess.
"Heads up!" One of the guards yelled as he came into the cellblock. The guard opened the gate and pushed Chelsea through the bars of the cell next to Hal’s.
"Hey, what’s going on here?" Hal demanded.
"We don’t have a big enough station to give ya each your own quarters. You’ll just have to play nicely until we can move ya." The guard announced and walked to stand at his post by the door.
"This is probably a good thing." Chelsea said.
"Why is that?" Hal asked, although he was almost afraid to hear her answer.
"It gives us a chance to get our stories straight."
"What stories? You killed Elliott, not me."
"Oh come on Haly, don’t get technical. We’re partners!"
"Maybe we were, but not anymore."
"You’re selling me out!"
Hal didn’t say a word. He was standing in front of Chelsea with iron bars in between them.
"You jerk!"
"Oh come on, Chels, can’t ya think of any bigger words than that?" Hal laughed. His laughter was caught off, however, when Chelsea reached through the bars and wrapped her hands around his throat. The guard walked slowly to come in between Hal and Chelsea. Jonathan and Jennifer Hart were good people; he was tempted to strangle both Hal and Chelsea anyway.
Jennifer was sitting at her desk in the living room. She was writing a story about teenage violence. She knew there had already been a million stories on the subject, but this was going to be different. She was writing her story to the children, not to the parents. She didn’t know if it would make any difference, but if just one child learned something from her story she would be happy.
Freeway broke her concentration by barking loudly. It wasn’t an angry loud, it was the bark of a dog that saw someone they knew coming. Jennifer smiled as she heard the sound of car doors closing. She greeted both Jonathan and Jessica with hugs as they came in the door.
"Jess, are you okay?" Jennifer asked when she saw Jessica yawn and stretch.
"Yeah, I kinda just woke up."
"What?"
"I fell asleep in History." Jessica sat down on the steps wearily.
"Oh dear. What happened?" Jennifer asked.
"Nothing, or at least, nothing that I know of. I did have the weirdest dream though."
"Was it a good dream?" Both Jennifer and Jonathan asked simultaneously. They laughed and Jennifer wrapped her arms around Jonathan.
"What’s so funny?" Jessica asked.
"All of Jennifer’s dreams are good." Jonathan said.
Jennifer laughed. "Some of my dreams are very good."
"You two are so strange." Jessica said. "Nice, but very strange." Jessica walked upstairs with her books in hand.
Jennifer and Jonathan watched Jessica walk up the stairs and then looked at each other and laughed as they remembered a time when Max said the very same thing.
"I love you, Darling." Jennifer said.
"I love you." Jonathan returned as he kissed her softly on the lips. "You know we never did make that dream of yours come true."
"That’s okay. I like real-life better anyway." Jennifer said. Jonathan and Jennifer hugged each other tightly. Jonathan kissed his wife again.
"Me too, darling, me too."
