Chapter 5: Returning Again
A/N: I'm sorry if this seems a bit boring, but this is just to provide you the reader with a little background information about what has happened in Harmony since Kay left.
Two years past since Kay last returned to Harmony. She had signed the vow in the presence of the four people (plus 2 extra) and only half had excepted the vow. Charity was still suspicious of Kay and Grace felt it was one of Kay's old stunts. Both Charity and Miguel mutually agreed to postpone the wedding a few years, claiming they wanted to settle into careers, Charity's as a teacher, Miguel's as a doctor. Kay went back to New York with a new resolve. Vincent had promised to help her, since he too was studying to be a psychologist. Grace and Sam were separated, the strain on their marriage was huge. Grace only associated with Charity, not even Jessica.
On this day, Kay and Vincent were up in Harmony (along with Pearl and Jeff, now engaged) moving into their new house/office. Theresa and Little Ethan would be moving in the following week, after Theresa was able to tie up some last ends about moving her designing company to Harmony. Theresa wanted to move back to Harmony, to help Kay teach the town its lesson. They who had branded Theresa as a manipulative, conniving little good-for-nothing, would now see the strong, independent, successful single mother. Kay was glad to have Theresa just next door, a friend in need. The next week everyone from New York would come and celebrate both home comings. The four went to a local diner later for dinner.
They sat around joking and talking, when Kay heard her name being called. Kay looked up to Simone Russell coming towards her. Kay and Simone had only talked on Christmas Eve, and everything seemed alright with the girl. Now, she approached Kay with twice as much anger as ever. "Kathleen Bennett, how dare you show up here after what you did!" Kay looked baffled, and asked what she had done. "What you did to Harmony's perfect couple. They decided to postpone the wedding only after you show up again after five years of non-existence? What did you do to Charity this time Kay?"
"Nothing. I apologized for everything I did wrong to her. Honestly. I even have the vow I signed telling her I wouldn't turn evil again." Kay didn't like where this was heading. "They're plans were going perfect. I had Charity's dresses all picked out, the place, the dj, the guests, the tables they'd be sitting at. You just ruined my career and the best thing to ever happen to Harmony. I think you should leave Harmony. You are not on everyone's favorite person list right now, nor is Theresa," Simone said. "Well, I'm moving back here, with Theresa too. Like it or not Simone, I'm back!" Kay said before Simone stomped off. "What was her problem?" Vincent asked. "I don't know. We made up the last time I was here. What could've gone wrong?"
"Simone's life has gone from glorious to horrible," a familiar voice said. "Reese?" Kay turned to the next table to see her sister and Kay's ex-"boyfriend." Jessica motioned that she would tell Kay later.
The next day, the two Bennett girls met for coffee at the Book Café. Kay wasn't too surprised to see Beth Wallace still working there. Beth gave the two women coffee before moving on. Jessica started to spill the beans on what had happened in Harmony over the past two years. "Where to begin? Well, you know about Charity and Miguel postponing their wedding for a few years and naturally you know about Mom and Dad's divorce. Who do you want to start with first?"
"Simone," Kay said, worrying about her best childhood girl friend. "Ah, Simone. Well, when Charity and Miguel started to plan their wedding, Simone started to plan hers and Chad's. Only problem was that Chad hadn't proposed, but Simone's imagination worked out all the wedding details. She once swore to me that a diamond engagement ring was on her finger. Dr. Russell and her husband really thought they would have to have her committed. But then bombshell came."
"What bombshell?"
"Chad's true paternity. He went down to a specialist in Boston during the time of Simone's wedding fantasies. When he came back he know had the knowledge of his parents and he wasn't afraid to tell them who he was."
"Jess, who were Chad's parents? And how would that affect Simone?"
"Chad's father was Julian Crane. His mother was Eve Russell," Jessica said. Kay leaned back and sighed. "So Simone had to go through three bombshells. One, her mother isn't perfect. Two, her mother's imperfection was the affair she had with Julian Crane. And three, the result of that affair was her so-called boyfriend!"
"Yes, after that Simone and Whitney fell apart. Whitney's career was gone when she hurt her shoulder in a match. It never healed. Her father went off the wall, and nearly killed Julian. He divorced Eve; she and Chad fled to California. Whitney moved to LA too, she and Chad are still recording songs together, but aren't romantically interested in each other. Simone pulled a whole show on Chad, denouncing their non-existent engagement and threw the non-existent engagement ring at him. She didn't come out for a week, and when she did, it was as a grieving widow. She insisted her husband had died. She's now prone to illusions like that, but no one in Harmony has the heart to put her away."
"But why did she take out her frustrations on me? And what about the stuff about Charity and Miguel's wedding?"
"Remember those illusions? Well, after her relationship ended with such trouble, Simone started to throw herself into her role as a bridesmaid in Charity's wedding. Then she got the illusion she was the wedding planner. She never made actual plans, like calling people and everything, but she did so in her mind. She felt the wedding was riding on her, and this was her career. She never attended college, you know, she was planning on marrying Chad right out of high school and being a stay-at-home wife and mother. So this was the career she never would have. So when Charity and Miguel postponed the wedding, another of Simone's illusions was shattered and she took it out on you. Only natural after your history with those two," Jessica said. Kay took this in. "Somehow, I'm going to need to get Simone into my office. Help her. Maybe send her to New York, I know a good psychiatrist there who would be able to prescribe something to help with these illusions. Or maybe all she needs is a job! Vincent and I will need a secretary, she certainly can do that!" Kay said. Jessica seemed a little hesitant. "Are you sure? What if she gets the illusion that she's your partner, like back in high school?"
"If she gets any more illusions, like that, then Vincent and I will send her to a psychiatrist for more help." Kay and Jessica paid for their coffees and left. "I admire you, Kay," Jessica said. "Wow. That must be the first time you ever said that to me," Kay joked. "No, I'm serious. You have the courage to face up to this town. You have the courage to change this town. I really admire you for that," Jessica told her older sister. "Well, I admire you for living in this town for your whole life and being able to rise above them all and see what this town truly is," Kay responded. "You helped with that. Once you left, I started to observe our town even more. I'll admit," Jessica said, sheepishly, "I thought everything would go back to normal after you left. But it didn't. It got worse and worse. Then you come back for Christmas five years after leaving and I realized then that you didn't bring evil to Harmony. Harmony made you evil. Harmony made Theresa lie. Harmony made everything. I realized this town and its people weren't faultless. No one is. Charity seems to be the only non-human citizen here."
"She probably isn't," Kay responded. "I used to think she was an angel. Now I'm not so sure," Jessica responded. "I never thought Charity was an angel. Charity-" Kay stopped. "Well, speak of the devil." Charity stood in front of her cousin. "So, Kay, I heard you've moved back here to Harmony," Charity said. "Yes, I did. I live on the block the Lopez-Fitzgeralds' old house used to be on," Kay responded. "Really? Oh."
"Yeah, Charity, Kay and her boyfriend are opening up a psychologist office here in Harmony. Isn't that great?" Jessica asked. "Kay. I'm going to say this once. Stay out of my business, your mother's business, and especially Miguel's business. We're going to be married by the end of next year whether you like it or not. I'll see you tomorrow Jess," Charity said before walking off, leaving a trail of lilacs in her wake. "What did she mean by that?" Kay asked. "I don't know. Listen, I better get home. Reese and I are planning our Sunday school lessons together."
"Ah, yes. I can see the Sunday school teachers now. In one classroom is Miss Jessica Bennett, in the next room is Mr. Reese Durkee. Across from Mr. Durkee is Mr. Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald and next to him is Miss Charity Standish."
"How'd you know?"
"It's a gift. Good-bye Jess." Kay made her way down to the Harmony Youth Center. She opened the door and ran into Officer Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. "Hello, Kay," the man said. "Oh, hi Luis. Listen, Luis, who do I talk to about volunteering down here?"
"You're looking at him," Luis said, extending his arms. "Great. I want to volunteer as a teen councilor. I did it back in New York." Luis looked at her. "No offense, Kay, but with your history, I don't think you would make the best councilor. Sorry." Kay suddenly found herself on the other side of the door to the Harmony Youth Center. "Thanks a lot. That's like telling a recovered alcoholic he can't speak at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting because he was an alcoholic." Kay walked home, past all the dirty looks she was getting. Maybe because of her past, maybe because of her outfit (elephant bells, a peasant blouse and her hair held by tied-died shoelaces) but they were there anyway. Kay knew she and Vincent had a lot of work to do.