Chapter Seventeen
Karen blew out a long, nervous breath as she got out of her limo. The secretary had given her the address and now here she was, standing right in front of Carter's huge home. She walked up to the door and rang the bell. It finally opened and there stood a young, Spanish woman dressed in a black and white uniform. "May I help you?" she asked, giving a warm smile. "Yes, you can. I need to speak to Carter," Karen answered, as the maid motioned her in. "Let me get her for you," she said, as Karen shook her head. "No, I'd like to surprise her," she replied. "Well, okay. Miss Carter is in her office. Go up the stairs and turn left. It's the room all the way at the end of the hallway," the maid informed her and then she walked away. "Workaholic she must be," Karen said to herself, referring to the fact that Carter had an office in her home as well. She smiled to herself and then began walking up the long, white stairs. She reached the top, turned left and now finally stood in front of the office door. She closed her eyes when she felt all her nervousness come back to her. "Sometimes you just have to take chances." she whispered to herself and then, she opened the door. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock?" Carter asked, her eyes still focused on the computer screen in front of her. Karen gave out a half-smile when she saw the brown-haired woman. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She never thought she would see her sister again, but now she realized she was wrong. "Carter," she whispered, shutting the door so the two of them could have some privacy. Carter looked up and immediately rolled her eyes. "Karen, I'm not in the mood to argue tonight," she said bitterly. "I'm not here to argue," Karen replied, as she sat herself down in one of the chairs in the room. Carter noticed that the expression on Karen's face was a sweet one and she immediately knew what was going on. "Well I'm not even in the mood to talk," she said, trying to avoid any subjects. "I know you want me here...Leeya," Karen said, as she grinned widely. "What are you talking about?" Carter asked, as Karen laughed. "Oh honey, there is no need to act like you don't know. Jack told me everything and he showed me this picture," she answered, laying the picture on the desk. Carter looked at it and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about and if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave," she said, standing up. "You have to be kidding me. Don't you want us to be like we were when we were little?" Karen asked, confused. "If I knew what you were talking about, I'd say something. But like I said, I don't know what you are talking about," Carter answered, as Karen got out of the seat. "You're going to regret this," she said, walking to the door. She opened it, but then turned around. "Hug me," she said softly, as Carter raised her eyebrows. "What?" she asked, as Karen extended out her arms. "Hug me," she repeated. "Why?" Carter asked. "I'll always remember the hug my sister gave me when we left each other. Now if you really aren't her, then you won't have a problem hugging me," Karen answered, smirking. "That's stupid," Carter hissed, as she rolled her eyes. "Just do it. You have nothing to worry about since you say you aren't my sister," Karen said, her arms still extended out. Carter looked at her and sighed. "Whatever," she said, as she walked over to her. She gently wrapped her arms around her and couldn't help but burst into tears. "Karen," she whispered, as she let her tears fall. "Oh how I've missed you," Karen said, she soon tearing up as well. They broke apart and wiped each other tears away. "You're hard image has deteriorated," Karen said, as she and Carter both began to laugh. "I don't think I ever had one," she replied, as she wrapped an arm around Karen. "Let's go downstairs," she said, as she opened the door. "Oh yeah, by the way, who let you in?" she asked, as Karen smiled. "A young girl with a black and white outfit on," she answered. "Ah, thats Sylvia. Remind me to give her a raise," Carter said, as they both of them walked out of the office laughing.
Meanwhile, Jack was at his apartment helping Ryan pack his things. "We could have had something good going," Ryan said, as he zipped his suitcase. "Sorry," Jack replied shrugging. "Did you ever love me?" Ryan asked, as Jack sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's over with, just deal with it," he answered. "Oh right, Karen is going to be home soon. It's all about Karen," Ryan said, emphasizing hatred each time he said her name. "Well it looks like you have all your bags packed...Time for you to get to steppin," Jack replied, changing the subject. Ryan rolled his eyes and walked to the door, both his bags on his shoulder. "Before I go I just want to let you in on a little secret. Karen will never love you as more than a friend," he said, walking out the door.
Meanwhile, Will and Grace were sitting in their apartment eating ice cream. "I haven't had this in forever," Will moaned out, referring to the chocolate ice cream he had. "Worried about your weight?" Grace asked tauntingly. "Yeah. I don't ever want Todd to lose interest in me," he answered. "Todd loves you. It doesn't matter what your weight is," Grace said, as Will smiled. "Guess what?" he asked, jumping off the couch. "What?" she asked back, as he ran into his bedroom and then a few seconds later came out with a small navy box. He opened it and excitedly looked at his best friend. "Oh my God!" Grace exclaimed when she saw the silver band in the box. "Yep, what you're thinking is right. I'm going to ask Todd to marry me!" he squealed, as she hugged him tightly.
Karen blew out a long, nervous breath as she got out of her limo. The secretary had given her the address and now here she was, standing right in front of Carter's huge home. She walked up to the door and rang the bell. It finally opened and there stood a young, Spanish woman dressed in a black and white uniform. "May I help you?" she asked, giving a warm smile. "Yes, you can. I need to speak to Carter," Karen answered, as the maid motioned her in. "Let me get her for you," she said, as Karen shook her head. "No, I'd like to surprise her," she replied. "Well, okay. Miss Carter is in her office. Go up the stairs and turn left. It's the room all the way at the end of the hallway," the maid informed her and then she walked away. "Workaholic she must be," Karen said to herself, referring to the fact that Carter had an office in her home as well. She smiled to herself and then began walking up the long, white stairs. She reached the top, turned left and now finally stood in front of the office door. She closed her eyes when she felt all her nervousness come back to her. "Sometimes you just have to take chances." she whispered to herself and then, she opened the door. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock?" Carter asked, her eyes still focused on the computer screen in front of her. Karen gave out a half-smile when she saw the brown-haired woman. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She never thought she would see her sister again, but now she realized she was wrong. "Carter," she whispered, shutting the door so the two of them could have some privacy. Carter looked up and immediately rolled her eyes. "Karen, I'm not in the mood to argue tonight," she said bitterly. "I'm not here to argue," Karen replied, as she sat herself down in one of the chairs in the room. Carter noticed that the expression on Karen's face was a sweet one and she immediately knew what was going on. "Well I'm not even in the mood to talk," she said, trying to avoid any subjects. "I know you want me here...Leeya," Karen said, as she grinned widely. "What are you talking about?" Carter asked, as Karen laughed. "Oh honey, there is no need to act like you don't know. Jack told me everything and he showed me this picture," she answered, laying the picture on the desk. Carter looked at it and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about and if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave," she said, standing up. "You have to be kidding me. Don't you want us to be like we were when we were little?" Karen asked, confused. "If I knew what you were talking about, I'd say something. But like I said, I don't know what you are talking about," Carter answered, as Karen got out of the seat. "You're going to regret this," she said, walking to the door. She opened it, but then turned around. "Hug me," she said softly, as Carter raised her eyebrows. "What?" she asked, as Karen extended out her arms. "Hug me," she repeated. "Why?" Carter asked. "I'll always remember the hug my sister gave me when we left each other. Now if you really aren't her, then you won't have a problem hugging me," Karen answered, smirking. "That's stupid," Carter hissed, as she rolled her eyes. "Just do it. You have nothing to worry about since you say you aren't my sister," Karen said, her arms still extended out. Carter looked at her and sighed. "Whatever," she said, as she walked over to her. She gently wrapped her arms around her and couldn't help but burst into tears. "Karen," she whispered, as she let her tears fall. "Oh how I've missed you," Karen said, she soon tearing up as well. They broke apart and wiped each other tears away. "You're hard image has deteriorated," Karen said, as she and Carter both began to laugh. "I don't think I ever had one," she replied, as she wrapped an arm around Karen. "Let's go downstairs," she said, as she opened the door. "Oh yeah, by the way, who let you in?" she asked, as Karen smiled. "A young girl with a black and white outfit on," she answered. "Ah, thats Sylvia. Remind me to give her a raise," Carter said, as they both of them walked out of the office laughing.
Meanwhile, Jack was at his apartment helping Ryan pack his things. "We could have had something good going," Ryan said, as he zipped his suitcase. "Sorry," Jack replied shrugging. "Did you ever love me?" Ryan asked, as Jack sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's over with, just deal with it," he answered. "Oh right, Karen is going to be home soon. It's all about Karen," Ryan said, emphasizing hatred each time he said her name. "Well it looks like you have all your bags packed...Time for you to get to steppin," Jack replied, changing the subject. Ryan rolled his eyes and walked to the door, both his bags on his shoulder. "Before I go I just want to let you in on a little secret. Karen will never love you as more than a friend," he said, walking out the door.
Meanwhile, Will and Grace were sitting in their apartment eating ice cream. "I haven't had this in forever," Will moaned out, referring to the chocolate ice cream he had. "Worried about your weight?" Grace asked tauntingly. "Yeah. I don't ever want Todd to lose interest in me," he answered. "Todd loves you. It doesn't matter what your weight is," Grace said, as Will smiled. "Guess what?" he asked, jumping off the couch. "What?" she asked back, as he ran into his bedroom and then a few seconds later came out with a small navy box. He opened it and excitedly looked at his best friend. "Oh my God!" Grace exclaimed when she saw the silver band in the box. "Yep, what you're thinking is right. I'm going to ask Todd to marry me!" he squealed, as she hugged him tightly.