A/N: I should have mentioned this at the start of the story, but I forgot.
Anyway, I am not including Leo in this because I have seen very little of him, and to tell you the truth, I hate his character (sorry to those who like him).
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Nine Friend's Comfort
Jack walked toward Karen's penthouse, unaware of the stares people were
giving him because of the blood on his face and shirt. He burst through the front door of the penthouse once a servant had opened the door for him. "Where is she?" he asked the startled woman.
"Sh-she is in her room," the maid stammered.
Jack strode past her and went up the stairs to Karen's room. He walked
inside and saw that Karen was sitting on the window seat of the largest window of the room.
"Poodle, what are you doing here?" Karen asked without turning.
"Do you know what you've done Karen?" Jack retorted angrily.
Karen turned around, and she immediately saw the blood on his face. "Oh Jackie, are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.
"Look at this Karen, and tell me that Kat isn't your sister," Jack said. He took out the letter from his jacket pocket and threw it at Karen.
Karen took out the letter and looked down at the signature on the bottom. It read Lois Whitley and she immediately recognized it as her mother's handwriting. Karen read over the letter quickly and then looked up at Jack. "Oh god," she murmured.
"Now look at this letter," Jack said, taking another piece of paper from his pocket and giving it to Karen.
She unfolded it and started to read.
'Dear Will, Grace and Jack,
You will have found out by now that Karen twisted the DNA results so that I am not her sister. I cannot stay here, being treated so meanly by her, and I cannot return to England. The only way out for me is the course that I have followed.
Will, I am leaving Amber in your care, please take good care of her and
see that she understands why I had to do this. You were a great friend and
very generous to allow my daughter and I to stay with you. I can never repay you for all you have done for me, but if you contact my sister-in-law, Sara Riley, then she will give you the necessary money for Amber's education, which I hope will help you.
Grace, we became fast friends after we met, and you also stayed on my side during this argument with Karen, and for that I thank you greatly. Do not hold what I have done against Karen though, she was your friend before I was, and I would not want my death to end the friendship that the two of you had.
Jack, I knew immediately that there was something special about you when I first met you. Not the fact that you were gay, but I think it was because you had the guts to go against Karen, your best friend, and believe me, a stranger. I would like you to help Will with Amber in any way that you can, and as I told Grace, do not let your friendship with Karen to break because of me.
There is one more favor that I would ask of you all. Tell Karen that she was not the main cause of my suicide, but the last straw that ended my resolve to remain on this earth. Make sure that she treats her niece better than she ever treated me.
Good bye my friends, I will be gone soon and I will never trouble you again.
Katherine Emma Riley'
Karen remained motionless after she finished reading the suicide note.
After a few moments she whispered, "How did she..."
"She was going to cut her wrists," Jack said, feeling the anger towards
Karen ebb away slowly. "Will and I managed to stop her from doing any real
damage. She was resting when I left Will's apartment."
"You blame me, don't you Jack?" Karen asked looking up at him.
Jack walked over to her and pulled her up and into a hug. "I am angry with you Kare," he said, holding her tightly. "But I know that you had your reasons for denying Kat."
Karen pulled away from Jack and said, "She's my mother's daughter."
"I thought you and your mom were getting along better a-" Jack began.
"Don't you understand Jack, I hate my mom!" Karen screamed.
"Kare, she wasn't raised by your mom, so she won't be like her," Jack pointed out quietly. "She's really nice and she cares a lot about you Karen."
The tears that Karen had tried to hold back, fell down her cheeks and she almost threw herself at Jack. She wrapped her arms around him and started crying heavily.
Jack sighed in pity and held Karen close to him, it was the only thing he could do for her at this point. After what seemed like forever, he looked over at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was time for him to get Amber at her school. "Kare?" he said softly, looking down.
"What is it?" Karen asked, looking up at him.
"I have to get Amber at school," Jack said.
"Could you... come back here after that?" Karen asked hesitatingly.
"Yes, but I'm going to have to bring Amber with me," Jack answered. "Kat doesn't want Amber to see her."
"Bring her then," Karen said, a determined look on her face. "She can stay here if she wants to tonight."
Jack smiled and then let go of Karen, turning to leave.
"Jackie, you might want to wash up," Karen said, stopping him.
"Oh, right," Jack said, looking down at his hands. "I'll just go to my
apartment. I'll be back soon."
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, smiling at him.
Jack smiled back at her and then left the room.
~~~
"Hey Kat," Grace said, walking into the room with a tray in her hands.
"Do you think you could eat something?"
"I think that I should," Katherine said softly. She sat up in bed, propping her pillow up behind her back.
"Will made some soup," Grace said. "It's cold out there."
"Yes, I know," Katherine said as Grace placed the tray on her lap. "I walked through the rain and wind coming back here from the office."
"That's a long ways from the office," Grace said.
"I barely noticed it," Katherine said, absent-mindedly rubbing the gauze on her wrist.
"Those scars Kat," Grace began to say. "Where-"
"I did those myself," Katherine said, interrupting her.
"Why?" Will asked from the doorway.
"I started doing that when I first started to look for Karen two years ago," Katherine said. "I discovered by accident, that if I cut myself, the pain from the wound would make me forget about my adopted parents who had just died, the fact that my adoptive brother kicked me out of the family manor, and that the search for my half sister was turning out to be difficult."
Grace's eyes filled with tears and she put her hand on Katherine's upper arm.
"Kat," Will said. "You know you're going to need to see a psychiatrist
right?"
"Yes, I am quite aware of that," Katherine answered. "I'll wait until I know whether Karen will accept me or not. And if not I... I..." Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears and she covered her face with her hands.
Will hurried into the room and took the tray off of Katherine's lap and
moved it onto the night stand.
Grace quickly wrapped and arm around Kat, and then Will did the same sitting on the other side of the bed.
"It'll turn out okay," Grace said. "Jack took the letter from England to Karen and I'm sure she'll come tomorrow to patch things up with you."
Katherine nodded and then smiled softly. "I've a strange request for you two," she said, blushing slightly. "I don't want to be alone tonight-"
"We'll have a little sleepover in here then," Will said quickly. "Just
as long as we agree on no hanky-panky."
Katherine laughed loudly at that one, making Will and Grace smile at one another.
"Well I'm going to get ready for the sleepover," Will said, squeezing Katherine's shoulder and getting up off the bed.
"I need to go and get some stuff from my place," Grace said. "Will you
be okay by yourself Kat?"
"I'll be fine, go on both of you!" Katherine said, waving her right hand and smiling.
~~~
Amber was clutching Jack's hand very tightly, nervous at the prospect of going to her Aunt Karen's house and spending the night there. "Is she going to be mean to me again?" Amber asked softly.
"Nope, I'll make sure that she doesn't," Jack said. They arrived at the penthouse and were let inside by another maid.
"Miss. Karen is in the media room," the maid said to them.
"This is a big house," Amber said, looking around her.
"Wait till you see the video games Karen has," Jack said, leading Amber
to the media room.
"Hi poodle," Karen said, standing up from the window seat and hugging him tightly. "Hello Amber," she said cautiously to the little girl.
"Hullo, A-auntie Karen," Amber said. "Thank you for letting me stay here tonight."
Karen smiled and then pulled the little girl to her, wrapping her in a hug.
Jack looked at the tableau in front of him and smiled, things were going to be all right from now on.
~~~
"Who's feet are those?" Grace asked. "They're freezing!"
"Can't be mine," Katherine said simply.
"Sorry Gracie," Will said.
The three of them were crowded in the bed in Amber and Katherine's room. Grace on Katherine's left and Will on the right.
Katherine yawned and said, "Thanks for doing this guys."
"No problem," Grace said.
"That's what friends are for Kat," Will said.
"You guys are the best mates I've ever had," Katherine said, smiling.
"Goodnight Kat," Will and Grace then said.
"'Night Will, Gracie," Kat replied. She closed her eyes, and found herself drifting off to sleep quickly.
~~~
"So you and Amber hit it off pretty well," Jack said.
"She's a nice kid," Karen said. She and Jack were in her bed, both of them fully clothed and burrowed under the covers as it was cold.
"Are you going to Will's tomorrow?" Jack asked, turning on his side and
facing her.
"I am," Karen said. "I just hope that she can forgive me for how mean I've been to her."
"She will," Jack said, then he yawned and said, "Goodnight Kare. I love you."
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said, turning and kissing his cheek. "Good night."
~~~
And so the two sisters slept in the comfort of having their best friends near them. But their minds were on the next day, when they would meet and have to work at fixing things up between them.
Anyway, I am not including Leo in this because I have seen very little of him, and to tell you the truth, I hate his character (sorry to those who like him).
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Nine Friend's Comfort
Jack walked toward Karen's penthouse, unaware of the stares people were
giving him because of the blood on his face and shirt. He burst through the front door of the penthouse once a servant had opened the door for him. "Where is she?" he asked the startled woman.
"Sh-she is in her room," the maid stammered.
Jack strode past her and went up the stairs to Karen's room. He walked
inside and saw that Karen was sitting on the window seat of the largest window of the room.
"Poodle, what are you doing here?" Karen asked without turning.
"Do you know what you've done Karen?" Jack retorted angrily.
Karen turned around, and she immediately saw the blood on his face. "Oh Jackie, are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.
"Look at this Karen, and tell me that Kat isn't your sister," Jack said. He took out the letter from his jacket pocket and threw it at Karen.
Karen took out the letter and looked down at the signature on the bottom. It read Lois Whitley and she immediately recognized it as her mother's handwriting. Karen read over the letter quickly and then looked up at Jack. "Oh god," she murmured.
"Now look at this letter," Jack said, taking another piece of paper from his pocket and giving it to Karen.
She unfolded it and started to read.
'Dear Will, Grace and Jack,
You will have found out by now that Karen twisted the DNA results so that I am not her sister. I cannot stay here, being treated so meanly by her, and I cannot return to England. The only way out for me is the course that I have followed.
Will, I am leaving Amber in your care, please take good care of her and
see that she understands why I had to do this. You were a great friend and
very generous to allow my daughter and I to stay with you. I can never repay you for all you have done for me, but if you contact my sister-in-law, Sara Riley, then she will give you the necessary money for Amber's education, which I hope will help you.
Grace, we became fast friends after we met, and you also stayed on my side during this argument with Karen, and for that I thank you greatly. Do not hold what I have done against Karen though, she was your friend before I was, and I would not want my death to end the friendship that the two of you had.
Jack, I knew immediately that there was something special about you when I first met you. Not the fact that you were gay, but I think it was because you had the guts to go against Karen, your best friend, and believe me, a stranger. I would like you to help Will with Amber in any way that you can, and as I told Grace, do not let your friendship with Karen to break because of me.
There is one more favor that I would ask of you all. Tell Karen that she was not the main cause of my suicide, but the last straw that ended my resolve to remain on this earth. Make sure that she treats her niece better than she ever treated me.
Good bye my friends, I will be gone soon and I will never trouble you again.
Katherine Emma Riley'
Karen remained motionless after she finished reading the suicide note.
After a few moments she whispered, "How did she..."
"She was going to cut her wrists," Jack said, feeling the anger towards
Karen ebb away slowly. "Will and I managed to stop her from doing any real
damage. She was resting when I left Will's apartment."
"You blame me, don't you Jack?" Karen asked looking up at him.
Jack walked over to her and pulled her up and into a hug. "I am angry with you Kare," he said, holding her tightly. "But I know that you had your reasons for denying Kat."
Karen pulled away from Jack and said, "She's my mother's daughter."
"I thought you and your mom were getting along better a-" Jack began.
"Don't you understand Jack, I hate my mom!" Karen screamed.
"Kare, she wasn't raised by your mom, so she won't be like her," Jack pointed out quietly. "She's really nice and she cares a lot about you Karen."
The tears that Karen had tried to hold back, fell down her cheeks and she almost threw herself at Jack. She wrapped her arms around him and started crying heavily.
Jack sighed in pity and held Karen close to him, it was the only thing he could do for her at this point. After what seemed like forever, he looked over at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was time for him to get Amber at her school. "Kare?" he said softly, looking down.
"What is it?" Karen asked, looking up at him.
"I have to get Amber at school," Jack said.
"Could you... come back here after that?" Karen asked hesitatingly.
"Yes, but I'm going to have to bring Amber with me," Jack answered. "Kat doesn't want Amber to see her."
"Bring her then," Karen said, a determined look on her face. "She can stay here if she wants to tonight."
Jack smiled and then let go of Karen, turning to leave.
"Jackie, you might want to wash up," Karen said, stopping him.
"Oh, right," Jack said, looking down at his hands. "I'll just go to my
apartment. I'll be back soon."
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, smiling at him.
Jack smiled back at her and then left the room.
~~~
"Hey Kat," Grace said, walking into the room with a tray in her hands.
"Do you think you could eat something?"
"I think that I should," Katherine said softly. She sat up in bed, propping her pillow up behind her back.
"Will made some soup," Grace said. "It's cold out there."
"Yes, I know," Katherine said as Grace placed the tray on her lap. "I walked through the rain and wind coming back here from the office."
"That's a long ways from the office," Grace said.
"I barely noticed it," Katherine said, absent-mindedly rubbing the gauze on her wrist.
"Those scars Kat," Grace began to say. "Where-"
"I did those myself," Katherine said, interrupting her.
"Why?" Will asked from the doorway.
"I started doing that when I first started to look for Karen two years ago," Katherine said. "I discovered by accident, that if I cut myself, the pain from the wound would make me forget about my adopted parents who had just died, the fact that my adoptive brother kicked me out of the family manor, and that the search for my half sister was turning out to be difficult."
Grace's eyes filled with tears and she put her hand on Katherine's upper arm.
"Kat," Will said. "You know you're going to need to see a psychiatrist
right?"
"Yes, I am quite aware of that," Katherine answered. "I'll wait until I know whether Karen will accept me or not. And if not I... I..." Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears and she covered her face with her hands.
Will hurried into the room and took the tray off of Katherine's lap and
moved it onto the night stand.
Grace quickly wrapped and arm around Kat, and then Will did the same sitting on the other side of the bed.
"It'll turn out okay," Grace said. "Jack took the letter from England to Karen and I'm sure she'll come tomorrow to patch things up with you."
Katherine nodded and then smiled softly. "I've a strange request for you two," she said, blushing slightly. "I don't want to be alone tonight-"
"We'll have a little sleepover in here then," Will said quickly. "Just
as long as we agree on no hanky-panky."
Katherine laughed loudly at that one, making Will and Grace smile at one another.
"Well I'm going to get ready for the sleepover," Will said, squeezing Katherine's shoulder and getting up off the bed.
"I need to go and get some stuff from my place," Grace said. "Will you
be okay by yourself Kat?"
"I'll be fine, go on both of you!" Katherine said, waving her right hand and smiling.
~~~
Amber was clutching Jack's hand very tightly, nervous at the prospect of going to her Aunt Karen's house and spending the night there. "Is she going to be mean to me again?" Amber asked softly.
"Nope, I'll make sure that she doesn't," Jack said. They arrived at the penthouse and were let inside by another maid.
"Miss. Karen is in the media room," the maid said to them.
"This is a big house," Amber said, looking around her.
"Wait till you see the video games Karen has," Jack said, leading Amber
to the media room.
"Hi poodle," Karen said, standing up from the window seat and hugging him tightly. "Hello Amber," she said cautiously to the little girl.
"Hullo, A-auntie Karen," Amber said. "Thank you for letting me stay here tonight."
Karen smiled and then pulled the little girl to her, wrapping her in a hug.
Jack looked at the tableau in front of him and smiled, things were going to be all right from now on.
~~~
"Who's feet are those?" Grace asked. "They're freezing!"
"Can't be mine," Katherine said simply.
"Sorry Gracie," Will said.
The three of them were crowded in the bed in Amber and Katherine's room. Grace on Katherine's left and Will on the right.
Katherine yawned and said, "Thanks for doing this guys."
"No problem," Grace said.
"That's what friends are for Kat," Will said.
"You guys are the best mates I've ever had," Katherine said, smiling.
"Goodnight Kat," Will and Grace then said.
"'Night Will, Gracie," Kat replied. She closed her eyes, and found herself drifting off to sleep quickly.
~~~
"So you and Amber hit it off pretty well," Jack said.
"She's a nice kid," Karen said. She and Jack were in her bed, both of them fully clothed and burrowed under the covers as it was cold.
"Are you going to Will's tomorrow?" Jack asked, turning on his side and
facing her.
"I am," Karen said. "I just hope that she can forgive me for how mean I've been to her."
"She will," Jack said, then he yawned and said, "Goodnight Kare. I love you."
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said, turning and kissing his cheek. "Good night."
~~~
And so the two sisters slept in the comfort of having their best friends near them. But their minds were on the next day, when they would meet and have to work at fixing things up between them.