Title: Like Mother, Like Daughter

Author: Stephanie

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Are there such things as spoilers in soap opera related fan fiction? Well, just in case, if you didn't already know, Jill is Katherine's biological daughter.

Summary: With Katherine still dealing with the aftermath of her stroke, it's up to Charlotte to tell Jill the truth about who her birth mother REALLY is before Billy and Mac make the biggest mistake of their lives!

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at writing soap opera fanfiction. I've written X-Files fanfiction before, as well as a few Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal ones. I've been watching the Y&R for about 13 years now, and after discovering that Katherine was Jill's birth mother, well, I just HAD to write about it.

Like Mother Like Daughter (Part 1)

"They're releasing her today." Jill announced as John sat down beside her in one of the waiting room's uncomfortable, yet surprisingly stylish chairs. She supposed that the chairs weren't all that uncomfortable unless you'd spent eight straight hours sitting in one, as she had been. She didn't really know why she was there anyway. She should be at Jabot dealing with the whole Satine crisis. She should be off trying to find Charlotte, making sure she hadn't gone back on her promise to quit drinking. Hell, she could even be back at the house, enjoying the fact that she finally had it all to herself. She had tried to do just that. She went home last night, intent on spending the evening and the following days alone in the Chancellor Mansion, the home that she'd been forced to share with Katherine for far too long. It was nice at first, peaceful. No Ester pestering her about eating upstairs, no Katherine lurking around every corner, just waiting for the chance to nag her about something. It was great! At first.

"It's rather soon, isn't it? Are they sure she's strong enough?" John's soft spoken question interrupted her thoughts.

"Well they wouldn't be releasing her if she wasn't." she replied, the words sounding harsher than she'd intended them to. John turned to face her, reaching out to still her hands that she had been unconsciously fiddling with in her lap. She knew he was watching her, could feel his gaze upon her face. But for some reason, the thought of looking him in the eye terrified her, so she kept her gaze to the floor.

"Jill, what's wrong? Did something happen that you're not telling me?" John asked in a soothing tone. It was comforting having him here. She wondered why he even cared. After all the things she'd done to him, all the pain she'd caused him over the years. He was just another name on the long list of people she'd managed to hurt in her lifetime.

"Nothing's wrong, John. I'll just be glad to get out of this damn hospital. I know I'm really behind at work, and I assure you that I'll get caught up just as soon as I...."

"Don't worry about that, Jill." John interrupted her. "I've informed everyone at Jabot about Katherine's situation and they assured me that they're more than capable of holding down the fort without us for a while." John reassured her. Thank God, because I really don't think I could concentrate on work right now. Not with Charlotte missing, and Katherine at death's door.

"Have you seen her?" John continued on. Now he was the one having trouble looking at her. His gaze now diverted to her hand that he still held in his.

"Who? Charlotte? No, I haven't been able to get a hold of her since that day in my office. I'm really worried about her, John. God knows what state of mind she was in after you confronted her with all those lies Katherine had fed you. Where could she be, John?" Jill had tried frantically to reach Charlotte over the last few days, but to no avail. Ever since Katherine had her stroke, Jill found herself worrying about her own mother. Charlotte was older than Katherine. What if something happened to her? She couldn't bare losing her mother so soon after finally being reunited with her.

"I don't know where she is Jill, but the sooner we find her the better. Jill, there's something you need to know." John lifted his gaze from their entwined hands and looked her straight in the eyes. He was dead serious.

"What is it now, John? More lies about how Charlotte isn't really my birth mother? Look, I know your heart's in the right place, but you've got to......"

"She was there, Jill." John announced as if that statement held the answer to every question that had ever been asked.

"She was where?" He wasn't making any sense.

"With Katherine. When she had her stroke."

"What?! Charlotte doesn't even know Katherine!" she roared as she leapt from her seat to stand in front of him. She felt like the walls were closing in on her.

"I called the cab company and asked them where they took Charlotte Ramsey after she left your office that day. They dropped her off in front of the Chancellor place."

"She was probably just looking for me. I do live there too you know!" She was starting to get defensive and she knew it.

"She had just come from your office Jill, why would she then go to your house looking for you when she knew you wouldn't be there?" He waited for her to answer, and when she didn't he continued. "And besides," he paused for effect "She told the cabbie she had an appointment with Katherine Chancellor." Jill remained silent, so John carried on. "On a hunch, I had the security guards review the tapes from that day. Jill, Charlotte was there. She was there right before Katherine had her stroke. She was the woman Ester heard Katherine arguing with. She..."

"Enough already! God, John, it just doesn't make any sense." Jill said as she collapsed back into her chair. Why would Charlotte go to see Katherine? And more importantly, what had they been arguing about that had upset Katherine enough to trigger such a massive stroke? Nothing about this made any sense. She had to find Charlotte. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this, there just had to be.

"I know it doesn't, Jill. But like I tried to tell you before, there's something going on between Charlotte and Katherine. I know that Charlotte Ramsey is the same one whose sister I dated in high school, of that much I am absolutely certain. And if that's true, then that means that she's the same Charlotte Ramsey who was friends with Katherine. Jill, I know you've formed a bond with this woman but if what I believe is true, then that means that Charlotte Ramsey is not your biological mother."

"I don't know, John. This is just all way too much for me to take in right now." Jill conceded as she slumped lower in her chair. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

"I understand. Now, back to my original question. Have you seen her?" Off of Jill's confused look, John explained. "Katherine. You've been here practically day and night for the past three days, I assume you've been in to see her?"

"No. I wouldn't want to cause her to relapse or anything seeing as how everyone seems to think I'm the one who caused her stroke in the first place." Jill said as she once again got up from her chair and began to pace around the small waiting room. "I mean, yeah, we don't get along but I'd never intentionally hurt the old bat!" Jill shouted, unaware of the fact that Billy and Mac had just entered the waiting room.

"My grandmother almost died, and you're in here calling her names?! God, Jill, how heartless are you?" Mackenzie shouted accusingly at Jill. Billy stood behind her, comforting her as usual. God, she couldn't handle this right now. Mackenzie just didn't understand, nobody did. In fact, she didn't even understand it herself.

"I don't have time for this!" Jill exclaimed as she gathered up her things and prepared to leave. "John, thank you for everything, and I'll let you know when I get a hold of Charlotte. Hopefully she'll be able to clear things up once and for all." Jill said over her shoulder as she left the waiting room. She didn't hear John's reply on account of Mackenzie slamming the door behind her back. That girl has some nerve! It'll be a cold day in hell before she accepts her as part of her family. Why couldn't Billy have chosen someone else to be with. Anybody but Mackenzie Browning, anyone but Katherine Chancellor's granddaughter! God, if this wedding actually happens, if Billy marries Mackenzie, her and Katherine will be related in some sick and twisted way. Yet another reason for Jill to do everything in her power to stop this farce of a wedding from happening.

But she'd worry about that later. Right now, she had to find out what Charlotte and Katherine had been arguing about. She refused to believe that Charlotte had been lying to her all this time, pretending to be her birth mother when she really wasn't. But if by some chance she was lying, than there had to be a good reason for it. And she'd bet good money that that reason had something to do with Charlotte's old friend, the woman Jill had spent almost all her life loathing. The woman whose hospital room Jill now stood in front of. If Charlotte was MIA, then she'd just have to go to the only other person who would be able to answer her questions.

"Ready or not, Katherine." Jill said under her breath as she gently pushed open the door to Katherine's room. "It's time for some answers."