The Shrink's Kid - written by Asera
Focus: Kat and Rachel.
Author's Note: I wrote this basically cause I needed something to explain why Kat won't be around in as many as my fics…she will be a big part but I probably won't write her in as much. Anyway leave me some feedback… does it suck, is it good? All is welcome if its honest….my opinion this one might suck a little….but don't take my word for it! LOL.
*****
"Don't worry Rachel, I'm sure Kat is fine." Phillip told Rachel as he looked out the window to see if he could spot her coming back home.
"I should've gone back out to find her with Nick." She replied standing up from her seat and beginning to pace. "God help me…" She whispered to herself…though Phillip heard her.
He comes over from the window around the couch and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Nick will find her and bring her back safely…."
"How Phillip!" She exclaimed…she didn't even know where to look. Her reaction startled Pip who jumped back a step from her. "I'm sorry Phil…but how is Nick suppose to find her when I don't even know where to look for her." She begins to cry softly as she sits back down…she stands back up and walks over to the window to look around…nothing. "Where is she…I can't do this anymore….I just can't…"
Phillip goes to her and holds her in his arms as she weeps…"Course you can Rachel…"
"No I can't…I'm too afraid I'm going to hurt her." Rachel cries in his arms as he leans his head on hers.
"You won't Rachel…" Phillip says trying to comfort her.
"Won't I?…" Rachel asks looking at Phillip…"If she hadn't run out when she did…" she pauses for a moment and then continues certain of what she says. "I would have…I swear I would have."
*****
Kat runs into the Wicca store frighten and crying. Isabel comes out of the backroom with Sam in her arms ready to close up the store. She sees Kat and walks over to her holding out her hand to her face. "Kat honey what's wrong?" She asks feeling the wetness on her face from tears.
"I…I can't Isabel…I can't go back home." She looks up at Isabel who looks sadden by her. "I just can't stand living with her anymore…I can't stand living with my mother." She cries softly leaning her head against Isabel's older but tender frame. Sam begins to cry as he sees Kat crying too.
*****
"Anything?" Phillip asks Nick as he walks in he shakes his head no and looks back at the woman lying on the couch…he had managed to calm Rachel down and convinced her to rest her eyes for a minute before Nick came in. "Where could she be?"
"I don't know…went around to all the kid's on Rachel's list…went as far in as downtown then I turned back…I don't think Kat would've gone that far." Nick says he sees Rachel move slightly.
He sits down next to her as she sits up and looks at him. "Nick…" She looks around not seeing Kat…he always managed to find her. "Where's Kat…Nick where is she…where…"
Nick shakes his head softly looking at her. "Rachel I'm sorry I couldn't find her." She looks at Phillip who bends his head to look at the crucifix in his hands he had been praying with. She begins to weep again as Nick hugs her for comfort…for her as well as himself. He hadn't known Kat to just run off without a trace…in the times she had gone before they had always known where to find her…but this was different.
*****
"Where is she?" Jacqi asked as she entered Isabel's apartment above the store.
"In there…" Isabel said pointing to the extra bedroom, Jacqi prepares to enter but Isabel holds her back. "No Jacqi…she's sleeping." Jacqi looks at her. "I know…but she was so upset…I thought it was best for her to calm down I gave her some tea and she fell asleep."
"Isabel…do you know how much trouble you can get into for harboring a minor?" Jacqi asks…Isabel shakes her head yes. "Guess there isn't much I can do now…I hate to wake her." Isabel looks in on Kat as she closes the door to the room. "Any idea why she doesn't want to go home?"
"Her mother…think they argued again…she said it was getting ugly…her mother almost…"
"Did her mother strike her?" Jacqi asks…
"No…she said she almost did but held herself back…still scared the lights out of her. She was so upset when she came in…she could barely talk." Isabel says as she sits pouring herself and Jacqi some tea. "I thought I should call you…since you and her seem to be such good friends now."
"Thanks…but I don't think there's much I can do for her asleep." Jacqi tells her sipping her tea. "Wonder….her mother is probably worried about her." Isabel nods as she knows she would be worried out of her mind if Sam ever ran away from her like Kat had done. "Think I should wake her…." Isabel shakes her head no and tells her to let her sleep for a few hours. "K, I'll let her sleep a while but I think we should find a way of letting someone know where she is." Isabel agrees.
*****
"Shouldn't we call the police or someone…they're better trained at this." Phillip asks Nick after closing the door to Rachel's room.
"Nah…they can't do anything until Kat's gone at least 48 hours." Nick tells him. "Then they can file a missing person's report…or in her case a runaway brief."
"So until then we're tied…" Phillip says upset he can't do anything to help Rachel… "What do we do with Rachel? How do we help her?" Nick sighs and shrugs as he looks at Phillip. "Are we just suppose to wait 48 hours and watch her lose her mind?!" He walks down towards the living room as Nick follows him.
"Hey Phil…I don't make the stinkin' rules cops follow…I'm just telling you…we could go down there and try to file something…but they'd tell us to come home and wait. And if she doesn't show up in 48 hours to call them. She walked out on her own Phillip she wasn't kidnapped." Nick says knowing that's the only way the police would look for her.
*****
"Is she up yet?" Jacqi asks after coming in from going to get a late dinner from one of the open all night take out places in the area.
Isabel shakes her head…"No. I'll wake her."
"No need…I'm up." Kat says after cracking open the door and walking into the small kitchen. She sees a small light in Isabel's room on and Sam sleeping soundly in his crib within. "Guess you want to take me home."
Isabel answers before Jacqi can say anything. "No Kat…not if you don't want to…"
"Isabel…" Jacqi says in a low voice and then looks over at Kat. "You know Isabel can get into a lot of trouble if she keeps you here…" Kat nods. "I can't force you to go home either…"
Kat pulls a chair out from under the table and sits down. "I can't go home…."
"Why?" Jacqi asks her as Kat takes a glass of natural juice Isabel hands her.
"I just can't…living at home with my mom…it's just different now. She's changed…I've changed…especially…." Kat wipes a tear away from her. "My mom's never tried to hit me… but she almost did tonight…and I just I can't deal with that."
Jacqi nods her head understanding. "Okay Kat…you can stay here tonight…if it's all right with Isabel." Isabel shakes her head smiling at Kat. "but you do have to call home… I know you're upset but believe me your mom must be worried out of her mind for you."
Kat nods aware that Jacqi must be right…her mom always fretted for her no matter how much they argued. "Okay."
"You can use the phone in my bedroom." Isabel tells her as Kat stands from her seat and then goes into Isabel's room.
*****
Ring…Ring…Ring…the phone rang in Rachel's house unanswered by anyone. Phillip had fallen asleep at the hard wooden table in the kitchen anxiously waiting for Kat to return. He had managed to stay up a good while sipping black coffee but finally gave in shortly before the call came in. Nick had done the same only he dosed off on the couch in the living room watching the late night news so that he could be close to the door in case she came in. And Rachel was upstairs in her bedroom tossing and turning…Phillip had given her a pill to sleep but even the heavy dosage of sedative hadn't put her completely to sleep. Ring…Ring…Ring…the phone rang some more…Ring…Ring…Ring…at about the tenth ring Rachel had been able to reach the phone to answer. "He…Hello." She said groggy.
"It's me…" Kat said quietly from the other end of the phone. "I won't talk long so just listen."
"Kat…" Rachel said fully alert now to the sound of the teenage child's voice on the other end. "Honey where are you? Tell me and I'll come get you."
"No…I just called to tell you I'm fine…but I'm not ready to come home yet." Kat says as she looks out to see Isabel and Jacqi setting up some plates for the dinner she'd brought in.
"What…honey…" Rachel mumbles.
"Don't honey me…you tried to hit me…I don't know how I should feel about that…but I don't want to come home…I don't want to be with you." She turns her back to the door as Isabel walks in to check on Sam. "Look I'll call you later mom…take care." She hangs up the phone abruptly.
"Kat…Kat…honey…Kat…" Rachel repeats into the tone ridden phone…she knows Kat's gone but keeps calling out to her in hopes she'll respond. She drops the phone covering her mouth with her hand beginning to cry as she looks up towards the ceiling as if looking directly at God asking him…."Why are you doing this to me? Isn't it enough you've taken my son…my husband…Derek…I could've…" She thinks somewhere in her subconscious Derek and her could've had something…unaware that Derek really had feelings for Alex and not for her. "And now Kat? Why are you so bent on destroying my life?"
*****
Days had gone by in which Rachel seemed to spiral downward from her usual professional manner to that of a psychotic. Kat had been gone for almost a week, and hadn't bothered to contact Rachel or anyone else since that last time. Phillip tried his best to comfort her but could barely hold up his own spirits…he didn't believe she was in any danger but he couldn't prove she wasn't. Nick used his higher position in the Legacy to start an investigation to look for Kat but even that seemed useless…for them it was as if Kat disappeared from the face of the earth…aside from the Legacy the police where also involved…but they're results were the same. No Kat.
*****
"Ahh…" Kat exclaimed as the wick of a candle jumped slightly as she lit it…"first time that's ever happened." She told Isabel who was doing something in the front part of the store.
"Just means you have a lot of energy in you." She goes on with what she's doing leaving Kat alone to continue what she's doing.
Kat takes the small crystal bowl and begins pouring wax over it as she will's her power into her words. "From land to ocean, let thy see what lies within, from heaven to hell, my words shall power you to do me well." She says hoping the spell will allow her to see Rachel and more importantly what she is thinking of doing….once she returns back home. "So mote it be." She pours a few more drops of wax as she sees Rachel's face begin to form clearly along with Nick's in the bowl. "It's working…" She says to herself she hadn't tried this since before she had discovered Miranda's true identity.
"Its' decided Nick." Rachel says as Phillip hands her some papers. "As soon as Kat comes back…I'm going to send her…" She looks at him, who in turn looks at Phillip…who then looks at Rachel.
"Rachel…aren't you rushing into this?" Nick asks thinking she might be pushing something because she's upset.
"No Nick…I really think this is best." Both men look at her…"I know I seem upset and it's because I am…but when Kat returns I really think sending her away for a while will help us get over some things…maybe then when she comes back we'll be better prepared to deal with things."
Kat listens and sees them speak but freezes when she hears Rachel of sending her away. She shakes her head no not believing Rachel would do that…but at the same time wondering. "She wouldn't…would she?"
"Kat?" Jacqi asks…Kat reacts and blows out the candle as the hot wax turns from the clear color to a cloudy white…making the adult forms disappear. Kat looks back at Jacqi who looks at her. "You ok?'
"OK…" She bites her lip. Jacqi comes to her and sees what she was doing…Kat looks down at the bowl and then at Jacqi. "I wasn't doing anything bad I swear…I just wanted to see how my mom was doing."
"It's okay Kat I believe you, you don't have to explain what you're doing every time I find you doing something…." Jacqi tells her…she knew Kat wasn't used to being trusted with her magick so she was trying her best to hold back suspicions and such things when Kat was doing something. Kat smiles thanking her for allowing her to continue her practice without trying to restrict her in any way. "So wouldn't it be easier to call her on the phone instead of using candle magick?"
"No by now Nick will have the phone tapped to track me." Kat responds.
"Let me guess his specialty is something like Surveillance and Weapons…right?" Kat nods. "Hmm...thought so only someone in that area would think of tapping a phone." Kat was still to divulge Rachel's work to Jacqi…but none of that mattered she thought so what if I tell her mom works for the Legacy…she won't use it against me. Jacqi's my friend…she only wants to help me…right. "How is she?" Jacqi asks bring Kat back from her thoughts. "Your mom Kat?"
"Fine I guess…not as heartbroken as I thought she'd be. Planning on sending me somewhere when I come back." Jacqi looks at her. "I saw her….talking to friends she said that it was best to send me away when I came home."
"Maybe it is." Jacqi says quietly.
Kat looks at her and begins to get upset…how could she think that…she's my friend…why is she agreeing with my mom! "What?" She exits the store room and begins trotting up the stairs after marching through the store to the steps in the back.
Jacqi runs up after her, Isabel watches as she dismisses a customer and thanks them. "Kat…Kat..!" Jacqi catches her half way up the stairs. "Don't take it that way." Kat asks her how she's suppose to take it when everyone's against her. "I didn't mean that I want you to be sent away…I just thought that you're mom thinks its best it must be for a reason." Kat looks at her seeing her honesty and decides to give her a moment to listen even though she's still angry. "You said you're mom almost hit you right?" Kat nods. "Well maybe you're mom is just sending you a way for a little while 'till she can get her act together…I mean don't you think that she's just as scared as you are to hit you." Kat bites her lip still listening. "I'm not saying it's the thing to do…but before you get all up in arms about it think about it. You're mom loves you…and I know you may be upset with her but you don't hate her. And you know that…you love your mom Kat. I know you want to do what's good and that she puts certain barriers on how you do it…but Kat that doesn't mean she wants to permanently block you." Kat tells her about her not being allowed to practice magick at home. "Oh Kat…that's the least important thing right now…the first and most important thing is for you to get you're relationship with you're mom back on track. Afterwards you can teach her what I've taught you…help her understand what you already do…and I bet she'll be more than happy to do so if she knows you want her too."
"Okay…I think I understand what you're saying…and I guess she does have a point. But why do I have to go away?" Kat asks still not thrilled with the idea.
"Kat…how weird would it look for your mom to send herself away and leave you to do her work?" Kat laughs thinking she'd never be able to do Rachel's job and that Rachel would look really funky in a uniform at her age. "Think you should call your mom don't you?"
Kat nods and continues up the stairs while Jacqi goes back down into the store with Isabel…"Jacqi?" Kat asks from the top Jacqi looks up at her. "does this mean I have to go home?"
Jacqi shakes her head. "No…not until you're ready but I do think you should keep the lines of communication open." She smiles and Kat nods.
*****
"So?" Isabel asks when Jacqi returns.
"Mom is sending her away…at least that's what she thinks…." Jacqi replies.
"Boarding school?" Isabel wonders.
"Maybe…we'll know when she comes back…maybe."
Upstairs Kat enters Isabel's apartment and walks into her bedroom to pick up the phone. She dials home and waits for the phone to ring a while before she receives an answer. "Mom." Rachel picks up the phone after receiving a signal from Nick…"Look mom I know Nick is tapping the phone so just listen cause I won't be on long for you to track me anyway. I know you're sending me away…and I guess I shouldn't fight it since I always end up doing what you want. That's all I wanted to say…so I guess bye."
Kat starts to hang up the phone when she hears Rachel's voice trying to keep her on the phone. "Kat…Kat…honey…wait don't hang up."
"Look mom I gotta go…tell Nick the tap ain't going to work either…you may drag me home but that doesn't mean I'm going to stay there I'll just find a way to runaway again until you let me decide where I want to be." Kat tells her…Rachel looks at Nick and tells him to pull the plug on the screening. "Tell him I'm fine too no one's hurting me or making me do things I don't want to." Kat tells her about going away for a while after she comes home to which Kat responds to with. "I don't know…I'll think about it…talk later bye." She leaves Rachel with a dial tone in her ear…as she hangs up the phone and walks back downstairs to the store.
*****
"What'd she say?" Nick says as he looks at the blank sheet of paper from the screening he hadn't waited long enough a few more seconds and he would've had the information he needed. He could've gone to find Kat himself…to talk to her…bring her home.
"She's fine…I don't know how but she knows about going away…I had to tell her." She tells him as she looks over at Phillip. Thinking maybe he's found her Phillip and Kat had always been close…it wouldn't surprise her for Kat to go to him.
"Don't look at me." Phillip says. "I haven't seen her…think I'd be like this if I knew where she was."
"You should've let me track her…we could've been on our way to get her." Nick says as he walks towards the door to the outside to get some air.
"It wouldn't have worked." She says out to him…he turns back to look at her. "she'd just run away again…."
Nick shakes his head and goes outside not understanding. Phillip responds to what she says. "She wouldn't have Rachel…"
"Yes she would. I did the same thing when I was her age…I'd run away and when I'd be dragged home again I'd repeat it." Rachel moves her jaw from side to side as she looks at Phillip. "I didn't stop doing it until I was free to come home on my own." She sits down on the couch. "I'm going to have to let Kat make her own choice to come home…or else all the boarding schools in the world won't help her."
*****
"So?" Isabel asks as she is the first to see Kat come down.
"Queen Mary's School for Girls." Kat responds looking at Jacqi who smiles a bit saddened by the news…she was starting to look at Kat a little like a younger sister.
"When?" Jacqi asks her…hoping she'll at least have some time to show her some more things.
"Friday if I come home…if not when I do." Kat tells her.
"So soon…don't schools like that take time?" Isabel asks she'd never been to boarding school but Jacqi had…
"Work…they have connections….my mom just pulled the strings." She looks at Jacqi. "Do you really think its best?"
"I think its best if you want to do it…you'll only be happy with your decision if you really want to work things out with your mom." She answers Kat's question.
"I do…but that place seems so far away." Kat had never heard of a school in California called that.
"It is…it's in Yorkshire, England I went there for a while when I was little." Jacqi tells her.
"How'd you get in?" She asks.
"Pulling strings….don't worry it's not so bad most of the people there are very nice and they try their best to make you comftorable." Jacqi tells her still remembering some of her times there. "There's a lot of room to run if you ever need to get away for a little bit or need a little privacy…of course you would have to cut back on practicing magick." Kat looks at her. "Candle magick…unless you find the abandoned abbey…if it's still there I mean." Kat asks her to tell her…Jacqi begins to do so…though it pains her that Kat will be leaving she thinks its best if she tries to help her as much as possible to deal with the transition.
*****
Days later Kat prepares to leave the Wicca store with Jacqi as she says good bye to Isabel and kisses Sam lightly on the cheek. "Bye Isabel…and thank you for letting me stay here."
"Your welcome Kat…and remember you can come back anytime you need to." Kat nods and begins to turn towards the door. "Wait Kat." She turns back to Isabel…who pulls out of a small pouch a charm. "Here…this is for you."
Kat takes the bracelet made of pretty colored rocks…"Oh it's beautiful…is it?"
"Yes…it's magickal I made it and protected it for you. It'll keep you safe and hopefully help you to remember us." Kat nods and hugs her again. "Take care…"
Kat releases her and leaves the store with Jacqi who tells Isabel will call her later. "She's gonna miss you…" Jacqi tells her.
Kat climbs into Jacqi's car as she looks at her get in through the other side. "Will you?"
"You'll be back." Kat nods…and then Jacqi nods. " Course I will." She smiles as she turns on the ignition and pulls into the street.
*****
Kat later enters her home after being gone for almost two weeks. She finds Rachel and Phillip talking in the living room calmly. "Mom I'm home." Kat steps into the room, Rachel stands and Phillip rushes over to hug her…"Hi Phillip sorry I made you worry."
"Its okay you're home now that's all that matters." Phillip says as he looks at Rachel who's happy she's home but still looks upset.
"Yeah welcome home Kat." Rachel says from where she stands.
"Um…Phillip could you leave me and my mom…" Phillip nods understanding and leaves. "I shouldn't have runaway." Kat says.
"I shouldn't have tried to hit you." Rachel replies.
"I should've called more…you must've been worried." Kat tells her as she sits down on the couch.
"I should've been listening to what you were saying all this time." Rachel sits across for her leaning towards her.
"Guess now I have to go away." Kat asks in more of a statement kind of way than a question.
"It's for the best Kat…I don't want to send you away…but we…I just think that if we're apart for a while…" Rachel says.
"We'll be able to realize how much we really need each other?" Kat asks she hadn't been living with a psychiatrist that long not to know. Rachel nods. "I know…what time does the plane leave?"
She asks as Rachel replies. "8:30…it's a long flight."
"You coming with me?"
"If you want me too…I don't have to all the paper work is done." Rachel informs her not sure if Kat would be wanting her around.
"If you want." Kat replies, Rachel tells her she'll go then knowing Kat hates to fly and would be a little frightened to be on a plane that long alone. "Guess I should pack?"
"I've done most…but you might want to pack whatever else you think you'll need. Not as much clothes…" Kat smiles a crooked smile and thinks uniforms Yay!…not. "Anyway…you should hurry it's almost 5 and we have to be at the airport at 6 or so." Kat nods and stands to leave to her room when she feels Rachel's hand touch her shoulder. She turns and Rachel hugs her…"Don't you ever run away like that again!" She says as she cries softly…Kat hugs her too still a bit upset but getting over it understanding why this is happening. "Who would of thought I'd be so screwed up." She says to Kat…wondering how she could let herself start slipping backwards after coming so far.
"Who'd a thought I'd be so screwed up." She looks up at Rachel. "I'm the shrink's kid." She says which makes Rachel laugh a little through her tears. Kat thinks the shrink's kid…guess no one can be perfect…even if you're mom wishes you were…and she thinks she is.
*****
Disclaimer: This story is written by me, solely for entertainment purposes and at nonprofit. The characters are property of MGM/UA, Trilogy and anyone else who has property rights to them, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.