The next night found all of Harmony (except for the missing Lopez-Fitzgeralds, Sheridan, Hank, and Gwen, for obvious reasons) turning out for the gala party at the Crane mansion. All of the many residents of the mansion were there, of course, as were Timmy and Tabitha, as Tabitha was certainly not about to miss being at ground zero on such a potentially explosive occasion. Sam and Grace went, eager for a chance to talk to Kay, and Jessica and Charity, and therefore Miguel, went with them. Laura was unsure about going at first, feeling strange to say the least about setting foot in the Crane mansion, but in the end could not give up the opportunity to size up for herself the girl who had taken her place. Reese jumped at the chance to see his Kay again and explain to her that he had been trying everything he could think of to get in touch with her. David and John also showed up, John because his "mother" was going to be there, and David because he was ordered by Kay to be present in case an awkward situation with Ivy arose. The Russells and Chad all attended as well, with Simone still just as furious and violent as ever, to the point that Whitney and Chad's relationship was being put under an even bigger strain than before. Upon arriving, TC ranted to anybody who'd listen about how much he hated the evil Cranes and their evil house, leaving everybody around him too afraid to ask why he had come tonight if he detested the place so much.
*****
Kay finally broke free from the endless crowd of socialites congratulating her, and stood by herself, trying to clear her mind. She had been introduced to so many people whose names she had no hope of remembering, and the reality of becoming the Crane heir was finally hitting her full force. She sipped her glass of champagne, wondering if she was really cut out for the job.
It was then that she saw them. About fifteen feet from her, Miguel and Charity were in each others arms, dancing blissfully, completely unaware that anybody else was present. She hadn't forgotten about her feelings for Miguel for a second, but in the time since she had moved into mansion, she had been so busy getting adjusted to her new home, nursing her resentment towards the Bennetts, bonding with Ivy and then trying to reverse the spell, and finally dealing with her new rank that she had not had much time to dwell on him. When she finally saw him again, though, the pain that had been with her ever since he had fallen for Charity had returned full force, becoming an almost physical ache. She couldn't bear to watch them, but couldn't bring herself to look away.
After a few minutes, the dance ended, and the couple looked around, noticing Kay. They approached her, completely oblivious to the pained expression on her face.
Miguel was the first to speak. "Well, congratulations, Kay, at getting all of this, though I can't imagine what everything that happened was like for you. I know I haven't seen you since it all came out, but I want you to know I'll always think of you as my pal, and if it wasn't for the fact that Charity has been having a lot of premonitions since getting out of the hospital, I would've definitely come to see you before now."
"Kay," Charity said earnestly. "I can't believe that you're not really my cousin. Still, you were part of the family that I found after my mom died, and I'll always think of you that way."
"That's really sweet, Kay said quickly. "Thank you both. Now, I'm sorry, but I just saw some people that I really need to talk to." Turning around, Kay walked purposefully away, leaving Miguel and Charity looking after her quizzically for a minute before resuming their usual cooing at each other. Thinking that she was going to be sick, Kay drained the rest of her drink in one gulp and began looking for something, anything, to take her mind off of Miguel and Charity.
*****
In the foyer of the mansion, Ivy had found herself deep into an argument with Rebecca Hotchkiss, who had accosted her with a plan to bring down Theresa once and for all. Ivy hadn't really seen her in her time at the mansion, and she was absolutely appalled a Rebecca's dress. Now, Ivy didn't know much about the fashion standards of the early twenty-first century, but somehow she was pretty sure that an ultra low-cut hot pink polka-dotted gown with a zebra print wrap was NOT the look du jour. I really shouldn't be surprised, Ivy reflected silently. She never did have any taste whatsoever.
"Can't you just see it, Ivy?" asked Rebecca excitedly. "We just poke her with this," Rebecca said, holding up a small syringe, "and it's adios, Evita. The best part is that it'll look like she came down with a case of e coli after eating a bad taco or something. No one will ever think to suspect us!"
"Absolutely not!" cried Ivy in shock at the horror of her old friend's suggestion. "I don't want to kill the girl!"
"And why not?" Rebecca argued. "You were perfectly willing to go through with the execution plan. I don't see why this is any different."
Ivy recoiled inwardly; she'd been holding onto the slight hope that Theresa had been wrong about her, but Rebecca's words were the final confirmation: she HAD become a murderer. Knowing that she had to give Rebecca a reasonable answer, she said, "Yes, I know I went along with that, but when I thought she was dead, I realized how immoral our scheme had been. I—I think that we should be grateful that we don't have her blood on our hands, and forget about the whole business, or at least find another way to get rid of her threat."
Ivy prayed that Rebecca would believe her excuse, and cringed when the redhead scoffed. "Oh come on, Ivy, you want me to believe that you've gone and regrown your conscience now, after everything you've done? I know why you're really saying this!"
Irrationally terrified that Rebecca had somehow discerned who she really was, Ivy nervously asked, "What, Rebecca? Why do you think I'm refusing?"
"It's completely obvious!" Rebecca exclaimed triumphantly. "Now that your daughter got herself named heir to the Crane fortune, and your lifestyle and place in this house is secured, you don't care whether or not Theresa has the title of Mrs. Crane! To a certain extant, that's good, because it means I don't have to destroy you after Theresa's out of the picture, but that doesn't mean you can grow complacent about that little tart. She and Ethan may be finished right now, but can you really be so sure that she'll keep her hooks out of your son forever? No, mark my words, one day she'll go after him and try to ruin his life again. I don't buy that sacrificial mother act she's been putting on for a minute. Oh, if only my Gwennie had listened to me and gotten back together with him as soon as he and Theresa had broken up. I wonder where she is right now," Rebecca added, her train of thought seemingly derailed. "It's like she's just vanished, and I'm getting kind of worried, though she probably just went off somewhere by herself to sulk for a while. Anyways, you'd do well not to turn your back on Theresa; we'll talk again later."
Rebecca then mercifully pranced away, leaving Ivy enormously relieved. She was thankful that she had managed not to blow her cover, though distressed about what Rebecca meant when she said they'd talk. She wasn't left alone with her thoughts for long, though, because a girl of about Kay's age with reddish brown hair spotted Ivy and made her way towards her with more than a little hesitation. "Well, hello, uh, Mrs. Crane," the girl said, with a timidity which Ivy could instantly tell was not a trait customary to her character.
"Hello," Ivy answered, slightly perplexed. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name." As she said this, she sincerely hoped that she was not supposed to know this girl.
For a minute, the girl stared at her with an open mouth, as if trying to assess whether or not Ivy had been serious. Upon realizing that she really had no idea whatsoever who she was, the girl laughed hysterically, as if trying not to break down completely. "Y-you really don't even know who I am? I know that I told you to just forget about patching things up, but I certainly thought that you'd still be able to recognize me."
Ivy had no idea what to say. "Well, uh, you see, uh, uh—," she stammered, not knowing how to address her.
"It's Laura, for your information. You know, the girl you thought was your daughter for the past eighteen years, until it turned out I'd been switched with this Kay! "
Knowing that she had made a huge slip-up, Ivy grappled for a response, but couldn't think one up.
Upon seeing that Ivy had nothing to say to her, Laura continued. "I always accepted the fact that I wasn't important to you, but it was bearable, knowing that my 'sisters' were in the same position, since it was painfully obvious that you only loved Ethan. Still, did you have to just forget about me, to the point that it's like I never existed in your mind at all? I mean, you'd probably even remember a maid who used to work here, and you can't even remember me?! I'm sorry, but I have to go now."
Laura walked off as fast as she could, leaving Ivy feeling even worse than she had before. It was much more than just partially blowing her cover that was upsetting her, though; she felt horrible at having caused Laura to think that the woman who had been her mother growing up had utterly forgotten her, and her words had shed light on another of her future self's faults. At the very least, she had comforted herself by believing that she had been a caring, if misguided mother. She had had reason to believe that she had truly acted in what she thought had been her son's best interests, and the almost instantaneous close relationship she had obtained with Kay before the spell had spoken well of her in this respect. Now, however, another picture had been painted in Ivy's mind: one of a bitter woman indulging her love child with Sam while neglecting her others for no other reason than that she despised their father. It seemed that there was no quality in which she had not become utterly monstrous!
For a second, Ivy again wished to go home again, when it hit her that, no matter what, she never would. She would either remain trapped in this body forever, or she would be replaced by this future self. At this point, she was at a complete loss as to which option was ultimately more attractive, though at the moment all she wanted was for this night to be over.
Ivy pressed the proper buttons on her wheelchair's control panel and turned around, intending to look for Kay or David, only to find Pilar standing purposefully in front of her!
"So, Mrs. Crane, you don't even recognize the girl who was raised as your daughter? Even you aren't that callous. Something very strange is going on with you, so would you like save us both some trouble and tell me what it is?"
*****
Laura practically ran through the crowded rooms, afraid that she would begin crying. No, she commanded herself, forcing herself to stop and get herself together. I am not going to break down and cry over this! Why should she care, anyway? She had already cut Ivy out of her life, and they would very possibly never even see each other again. What possible difference could Ivy's opinion of her, or lack thereof, make in her life now?
Indeed, why had she even gone over to speak to Ivy? If she was completely honest with herself, Laura had to admit that a part of her wished that she had responded that day in the hospital when Ivy had tried to reach out to her; maybe then she wouldn't have felt so alone ever since. Had she actually hoped to strike up some sort of relationship with her, jealous of the closeness that had apparently developed between her and Kay?
Well, there's no way that's going to happen now, Laura thought bitterly. Ivy had sounded so sincere in the hospital, when she said she cared and loved her. Obviously, her love couldn't have been very deep if she couldn't even remember what I look like! Laura laughed ruefully, angry with herself for having been fooled into thinking that maybe she actually did care so easily. One thing was for certain: she certainly wouldn't let THAT happen to herself again!
Laura would have liked to have been left alone with her thoughts for a while, but she was interrupted by the approach of the girl she recognized from newspapers as well as family photographs in the Bennett house as the now-famous Kay Crane. Although she was not up to a meeting with the girl who had taken her life at the moment, she couldn't find a solid escape route, so she was stuck talking with her.
"Hi, Laura," Kay greeted her. "I'm Kay. I've seen you in some snapshots I was looking through, and I just thought that with the really weird connection the two of us had, we probably should meet."
"Oh, definitely," Laura agreed, privately thinking that she would have genuinely agreed at any time but this. "I mean, we were raised in each other's families; we really should get to know each other, maybe even swap tips. Although, it seems like you've mastered being a Crane more thoroughly in two weeks than I ever did in my entire life. Getting named Crane heir, that was amazing! How'd that happen?"
"Honestly, Kay admitted, "I have no absolutely no idea! I was just as shocked as anybody when Alistair named me his heir. This is all completely insane right now."
"I can't even imagine what it must be like, and I was raised a Crane! Although, it was pretty disorienting to wake up in a hospital bed and find out I was really the daughter of my half-brother's father and his wife."
"Yeah, uh, speaking of which, how is everything for you over there?"
"It's certainly interesting," Laura said, "Tomato soup cake, my new mom and Charity getting weird visions all over the place. I can't say that I like being there or anything."
"I know exactly what you mean," Kay assured her. "I feel kinda bad. I mean, I really got the better deal out of all this."
Laura snorted, and replied, "Do you really think so? You think that being a Crane is any better?"
"Well, yeah. I'm the heir to this huge fortune, and although Julian Crane is not the man I'd choose for a father, Ivy is such a great mother! I feel sorry that you're stuck living with Grace Bennett."
"Let me get this straight. You're the Crane heir for reasons that you admit you don't fully understand, and we all know that when something like this happens in the Crane family, there's always a secret design behind it. Furthermore, you actually consider having Ivy Crane as a mother to be one of the highlights of your experience here?"
Kay shifted defensively. "Yes, of course. As soon as I got here, she did everything she could to help me adjust, and she was so warm and open and really cared about how I was doing. We hit it off instantly."
Laura couldn't believe this: how could Kay be so naïve? "Yes, well, enjoy being her little pet while you can, because it's certainly not going to last for much longer."
Kay's eyes narrowed as she looked back at Laura, disbelieving. "What do you mean? She loves me!"
"She's really got you fooled, hasn't she? Ivy Winthrop Crane doesn't really care about you at all. She's doing all of this out of a guilty conscience because she must've been feeling like a bad mother lately, which she should. Because of her guilt, she's decided to dote on you, but rest assured: as soon as this little whim of hers has passed, she'll drop you and go back to one of her schemes, and it'll be like you never existed." Laura knew that she had dug too deep, but a combination of hurt and jealousy had driven her on.
"I don't believe you," Kay said simply, too angry to add anything else.
Laura laughed harshly. "Then you're a fool. She's been your mother for, what, two, maybe three weeks now? Well, she was mine for eighteen years, and I think I know her a little better than you do. Not once in my entire life can I remember her treating me or one of her other daughters with a quarter of the affection she treated Ethan, all because he was the son of a man she's obsessed with. Someone like that doesn't have real feelings, and she's just using you to make herself feel better while she's on this mother kick. It'll be a lot easier on you if you accept it now."
"You're wrong," Kay whispered defiantly, and, clearly unwilling to continue the discussion, stormed off immediately. Laura slightly remorseful about disillusioning her, but she also felt a certain catharsis at being able to voice all of that. Shaking a bit, she willfully forced herself to appear as normal as possible, and, looking for a distraction, went to find Jessica and try to convince her to make a play for Reese.
*****
Timmy stood happily, encircled by an ever-growing crowd of pretty young debutantes who found him absolutely delightful. It was like a replay of the Valentine's Day dance at the youth center, with the girls practically fighting each other over a chance to dance with him!
"Ladies, ladies! There's no need to get violent. The night's young, and Timmy has plenty of energy to dance with all of you." He then danced with a series of girls, and would have kept it up for a good deal longer, had he not seen that Tabitha was watching him from a corner with an expectant expression on her face that could only mean that she wished to speak with him.
"Timmy's very sorry, but he has to go now. He had a wonderful time with all of you," he explained regretfully, and made his way over to his witch.
"Well, Timmy, you certainly are quite the little Casanova tonight, you little rascal," Tabitha observed, not unamused.
Timmy shrugged. "Timmy can't help the effect he has on the women, Princess. Anyway, Tabby knows Timmy's just having a little fun. His heart belongs to sweet Charity, and nothing will ever change that."
"Oh, why do you always have to bring up the brat? You know I'll eventually have to destroy her, and I don't want you getting yourself hurt trying to save her again."
The boy didn't flinch at Tabitha's words, but instead merely smiled knowingly. "Timmy's Princess isn't going to destroy Charity. Timmy knows that she'll turn good and end up helping people."
Tabitha glowered at him. "Now, will you get that silly notion out of your head once and for all?! Just because I helped the powers of goodness once, to save you, doesn't mean that I'll up and stop being evil. You can just forget about it."
Timmy just grinned once again. "Tabby can argue all she wants, but Timmy knows deep in his heart that she WILL turn good one day, and then we can help fight evil in Harmony, and Tabby can go to heaven just like all the other good people. She won't hurt Charity, or anybody else."
Tabitha laughed at his stubborn persistence. "Honestly, sometimes I think that you still have batting for brains, if you think that's going to happen. Timmy, the reason I'm here is because I'm hoping to witness pain and suffering. The combination of the complicated relationships of the guests, and wildcards like Ivy's condition and Cassandra's plotting are prime ingredients for explosions."
"Timmy's surprised that Tabby wants Cassandra to succeed in whatever it is she's doing!"
"Ultimately, Tim Tim, I don't. However, I'm always well disposed towards a good blow-up, which is precisely what will most likely happen tonight."
"What is she up to, anyway? Timmy has seen her mingling with the guests, and she has to have something in mind."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Tabitha sighed. "One thing's for certain, though; everything's being carefully engineered tonight, and it is all for Kay's 'benefit.' Somehow, Cassandra is hoping that tonight's events will set her further down the path towards fulfilling her role as Cassandra's True Heir."
*****
As Cassandra continued to make her way through the crowd of guests, she was becoming increasingly impatient, eager to set everything in motion. She had researched Kay's past meticulously: her childhood, her relationship with her family, her various accomplishments, her ongoing crush on that Lopez-Fitzgerald, her friendships, and her nearly endless schemes. Although Cassandra had not yet decided on what exactly her plan of action would be, she knew from experience that she would know the right catalyst when she saw it, and then everything else would just fall into place.
Cassandra hoped that she would see it soon, though. The throng of people gathered in such a small area were inflaming her vampiric senses and firing her bloodlust up to a nearly uncontrollable level. While she could be present around those carrying her bloodline without a desire to feed, the scent of blood in all other humans always became overpowering before long. Luckily, over the centuries she had learned to control that urge when the circumstances made a killing inconvenient; in fact, if she had been a young vampire, she might have spoiled everything tonight through recklessness.
Just as she was beginning to suffer through the first inklings of nervousness, she spotted an angry-looking young girl standing near the wall all by herself glaring murderously at nobody in particular. Cassandra instantly recognized her as Simone Russell, erstwhile best friend to Kay and current raging maniac. Hmm, she thought, yes, this could definitely work! Simone should be absolutely no trouble to manipulate, seeing as she reeked of a burning thirst for revenge, and she was definitely close enough to Kay to obtain the desired effect.
Making sure that Kay would definitely be in a position to see her, Cassandra approached Simone, saying, "Excuse me, but you look as if you're dreadfully upset about something."
Simone's faced scrunched up unattractively. "Who are you?"
Cassandra smiled secretively. "Let's just say, I'm a friend."
"Well, you're certainly not MY friend!" Simone retorted.
"Alright, let's cut right to the chase," Cassandra replied, not in the mood to listen to any more of her pathetic excuse for banter. "You want a chance to get back at them, don't you?"
"Get back at who?" Simone asked apprehensively.
"Your sister and her boyfriend, the guy who should be in love with you," the vampire answered casually.
Now Simone stared at her incredulously. "H-how do you—"
"That's not important," Cassandra cut her off. "The pain, the anger, it hasn't lessoned any, has it?"
Simone's eyes darkened over, filling with fury. "No, I mean, she was my sister, she wasn't supposed to do that to me! It was always so clear cut: she gets to be the star tennis player, and I get Chad! Now, she's got both and I've got nothing! Chad and I are meant to be together, it's fate, and she's stolen him from me! If it weren't for her he'd be mine right now!'
Cassandra put up with the girl's tiresome tirade, letting her build herself up into a virtual frenzy. "You're right; he should be yours. And he can be, if you're willing to take a little initiative."
Simone, it turned out, didn't need much manipulating. "If I could think of something that would work, I'd do it. It's just that nothing I can think of would do any good."
"Well, you know, I could help you there," she said, knowing triumphantly that she had her already. "If you let me, I could give you the power to keep Whitney away from Chad."
Simone looked at her suspiciously. "And what do I have to do? Sell you my soul?"
"No, of course not," Cassandra assured her. "That's not my style, and you don't have to do anything, except agree to let me help you."
After thinking it over for all of a second, Simone finally answered, "Fine, I'm in."
"I'm so glad you said that. "Now, look deep into my eyes for a minute." Simone complied, and gasped as Cassandra's emerald eyes changed into an eerie gold. She didn't turn away, however, and although she could not see it, her eyes became that same strange hue. After a few seconds, both sets of eyes resumed their normal color, and Cassandra broke off the gaze. "There, now you can get Chad and get revenge on your sister. You'll know what to do."
Simone smiled oddly and walked off with an abnormally assured air as Cassandra observed her, astounded at her good luck. "I certainly didn't expect it to be that easy, at any rate," she remarked to herself. "I thought I'd have to employ some degree of coercion or persuasion, but she was more than willing to accept my proposition. Oh well, all the better for me; with a little luck, this will all turn out exactly as I hope, and I can finally get started grooming my Heir."