A/N: HI EVERYONE! I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED. I
SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. ANYWAY, HERE'S CHAPTER FIFTEEN. I WAS NOT
VERY INSPIRED WHEN I WROTE THIS CHAPTER BUT I TRIED MY BEST. I HOPE IT
MEETS EVERYONE'S STANDARDS.
A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW. FIRST, THERE ISN'T REALLY ANYTHING EXCITING HERE. AT LEAST I THINK SO. SECOND, GWEN IS INTRODUCED INTO THE STORY.
WELL, HOPE YOU LIKE IT AT LEAST.
ENJOY.
~*~
The police station, although it was filled with officers, was silent as the men listened with intrigue at the yelling fest that was occurring in the chief's office. The voices were muffled but they were raised high enough to cause everyone outside to stop and listen.
John and Fox were talking to Hank about the situation. The younger Bennett man was more sympathetic to his niece.
Meanwhile, in Sam's office, Kay was in a rage.
"My apartment has just been vandalized and now I'm arrested!" Kay exclaimed angrily as she paced in front of Sam who looked rigid. She was struggling with the cuffs, making her wrists sore.
Sam sighed as he set his lips into a thin line. "You're not arrested because your apartment was ruined, Kay. You're arrested because you attacked Miguel."
"Attacked him?" She scoffed indignantly. "He was the one who barged into my office, yelling and screaming. He was the one who pushed me against the wall. Did you honestly expect me to take that?" Kay was seething.
"It was an assault, Kay. He has a right to press charges against you." Sam insisted sullenly.
She shook her head in dismay. "And you're actually going to keep me in jail."
"I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be."
"I can't believe you're going to do this to me. I am your daughter." She hissed angrily.
Sam grimaced. "I am a police officer, Kay. I have a duty to uphold the law. I can't just let you go because we share the same blood."
"Well, isn't this righteous?" She drawled sarcastically, sneering at him. "For years you've done favors for your friends, time and time again. When they should have been arrested, you looked the other way. And you even tried to use the law to get back at the Cranes."
Sam immediately rose from his seat. "Don't you dare, Kay. I am a decent cop. Dammit, I am a good cop. I've done my best."
She scoffed. "How many times did T.C. Russell beat the daylight out of Chad Harris for going out with Whitney? How many times has he gone after Julian? Did you ever arrest him? No. What about Luis? Did you ever stop him from exploiting his power as a cop? Of course not. He's like your son. You wouldn't do that to people you consider family. You may have a good heart, dad, but minds can be easily changed. So tell me, why are you so reluctant to let me go? I'm sure you have your reasons."
He glared at her. "Don't start with me, Kay. This is not the time or place to discuss our personal lives." Sam replied.
Kay gritted her teeth and looked at her father squarely. She settled on the chair in front of his desk. As elegantly as possible, she leaned back and watched him. "Sure, it is. Why don't you just tell me the truth, huh, Dad?" Kay insisted.
Sam smirked bitterly. "Don't even get me started about the truth, Kay."
"Why not? It looks like I'm going to be here for a while." When Sam remained stubbornly silent, Kay continued. "How's the family?"
He glowered at his daughter. She looked undaunted despite his scrutinizing gaze. "Ivy let me in on a little something." He began bitterly.
Kay's lips stretched into a thin smile as her gaze hardened at the mention of the former Mrs. Crane. "Oh, did she?"
Sam nodded, looking annoyed but remaining surprisingly cool. "You used me."
"Did I?"
"Tell me," He stated icily. "How long have you known about Ivy and David?"
Kay shrugged dismissively. "A little before I left."
Sam watched her with apparent resentment. "And yet you waited years to tell me the truth. Do you mind explaining that to me?"
"It wasn't the right time." She remained unbelievably cool. It was one of her greatest assets to remain remarkably unperturbed despite the immense pressure. It unnerved many people.
"In other words, you didn't see what was in it for you, until now of course." He insisted angrily. "If you just told me the truth then, you could have saved me a lot of trouble."
"And it still wouldn't have changed anything. You forgive Ivy for lying to you now. Do you honestly think that it would have made any difference had you found out the truth sooner?" Kay replied as she shook her head miserably. She watched her father and sighed sharply. "You would still have forgiven her. It's a trait that you and Ethan seem to share. No matter how much you're wronged, in the end, you'll always forgive the women you love." She paused, smirking. "Grace would still love David. Their past maybe a sham but what she feels for him isn't. So, despite what I did, your family is still in tack. You can think of what I did as a test and you all passed. You should be happy. We'll the truth is out and you're all still together."
"It doesn't mean that I forgive you for what you did, Kay. The outcome may not have been what you expected but you were wrong to do that to me and everyone else." Sam replied.
"Then so be it."
A hasty knock interrupted them and Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. "Come in." He called. Miguel strolled into his office, looking slightly shaken. Kay shot him a dirty look. "What is it Miguel?"
The younger man heaved a sigh. "I'm dropping the charges against, Kay." He declared softly.
Kay smirked triumphantly. She had no idea why Miguel was dropping the charges but she suspected Alistair just did her a favor.
Luis stormed into the office looking furious. "What are you doing?" He demanded. Miguel shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"I'm dropping the charges." He looked ashamed.
Luis's murderous gaze was suddenly directed on Kay. "What did you do, you little-"
"Luis, enough!" Sam intervened. "Everybody, calm down!"
The older Lopez-Fitzgerald was heaving in fury. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. "You're scum."
Kay looked impervious.
"Luis!" Sam shot him a warning look. "Now, Miguel, are you sure you want to drop the charges?" He asked, sounding extremely formal and professional.
Miguel nodded despite the look that Luis was shooting him. "I'm sure."
"Miguel, tell us, what made you change your mind?" Luis pressed.
The younger man sighed. "I just realized that we can't win this. There's no point." He lied.
Kay grinned evilly. "Good boy." She muttered and Luis glared at her.
"Shut up!"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't tell me to shut up-"
"Or you'll what?" He challenged her.
She scoffed at him, her smile dripping with venom. "You don't want to find out. Now, since the charges are no longer withstanding, I'd like to get out of these handcuffs." Kay gave her father a pointed look. He sighed and removed them from her wrist.
"I'll make you pay, Kay Bennett." Luis muttered.
"Let me divulge a few facts to you, Lopez-Fitzgerald. One, you and miserable bunch of a family will never make me pay. You can try but you'll never win. Two, Kay Bennett no longer exists. And lastly, you can kiss your job goodbye."
With that said, she pushed past him and out of Sam's office.
************************************************************************
Later that Day
Crane Mansion
Rebecca Hotchkiss was not entirely certain whether Kay Callaway's move into the Crane mansion was beneficial. The younger woman has proven herself as dangerous.
Two dangerous women in one house could only mean disaster.
But Fox was adamant on having Kay with them. Her apartment was completely destroyed and it was safer for her to be on Crane grounds than outside where she could be harmed again.
Alistair also approved of the decision. He had taken quite a liking to Ms. Callaway and having her in the house with his grandson was definitely a right move on all their parts. He welcomed Kay eagerly.
Julian was pleased as well, although Fox warned him to keep his dirty little paws off of Kay. Two beautiful women under the same roof; who wouldn't be happy?
Rebecca made a mental note to keep a tighter leash on Julian. Dogs tend to stray.
Pushing her thoughts away, she rapped her knuckles against the heavy wooden door leading to Kay's room. The younger girl opened it, giving Rebecca a look. "Rebecca, I wasn't expecting you." Kay quipped as she stepped aside to let the older woman in.
Rebecca sashayed into the room, her vibrant red hair bouncing at each step. "I could say the same about you. So Fox tells me that you're going to be living with us. Is this going to be permanent?" She asked.
"Maybe." Kay replied coolly. "Is there a problem?"
"No, but remember, keep your hands off my pookie."
Kay smirked, slightly amused. "He's not my type."
Rebecca nodded. "Good. I'm sorry about your apartment. The lower classes can be quite evil." She said sincerely and Kay nodded.
"They haven't reached my level yet. They don't know evil." Kay hissed dangerously.
Rebecca whimpered. "You know, you and I could make a great team." She stated as she thought of the horror that they could unleash on whoever stood in their way.
"Sorry, Rebecca, I don't need a sidekick."
The redhead gave her a hurt look. "I was thinking more of partners."
"No thanks."
"Alright but you'll be sorry." Rebecca declared with a smile and Kay arched an eyebrow.
"I doubt it. Why are you really here?"
Rebecca shrugged as she settled on the overstuffed armchair by the corner. "I thought I should just welcome you into the house."
"Don't worry, Rebecca, I'm not treading on your territory. You'll have your domain back as soon as I leave." Kay declared dismissively.
The redhead gave her a somewhat skeptical look. "Oh. You know, it was quite ingenious of Alistair to threaten to evict the Lopez-Fitzgeralds if Miguel didn't drop the charges. I wonder what other properties he owns."
Kay smirked. "So that's how he did it." She whispered. "I guess I owe him one."
"I guess so."
"How's Gwen?" Kay asked and the image of Jason came to mind. Last she heard from him was a week ago. He and Gwen were still 'not together'. Kay suspected otherwise.
Rebecca's expression brightened. "She's doing wonderfully. She has a secret man who she just won't reveal." She replied optimistically. "I hope he's not poor."
"I doubt that."
Rebecca quirked an eyebrow. "Do you know something that I should?"
Kay smiled, shaking her head. "Not really. I hardly know Gwen to begin with."
"You two will get along. Gwennie's coming home for the Harvest Ball. Maybe she'll bring him to Harmony. Anyway, I have servants to fire and orders to give. I'll see you around."
Kay smiled. "Yeah." She replied and when Rebecca was out of the room, Kay grabbed her purse and headed to the bathroom.
One minute later, she anxiously paced in the bathroom, wringing her hands as she sighed and glanced at her watch repeatedly. The timer went off and she scrambled to the pregnancy test, her hands slightly shaking as she clutched the small object.
She was not entirely sure if this was a win/win situation.
Heaving another sigh, Kay looked at the small plastic kit and whimpered. Blue if you're pregnant, pink if you're not.
It was blue.
She managed to sit on the edge of the bathtub, her limbs shaking as John's suspicions finally became reality. All that denial was useless.
A tornado of emotions shook inside of her. She was happy and petrified and excited at the same time. Kay exhaled loudly as her hand instinctively went over her stomach, feeling any sign of the child that was growing inside of her.
There was a small bump, too small for anyone to notice, even Fox. But not her. She tried to ignore it but there was no point in that now. She was no officially pregnant. A baby was growing and it solely depended on her for survival. Her fears of losing Kyla returned and Kay could feel a lump in her throat.
Her lip trembled slightly as she reassured herself. "Everything will be fine." Kay whispered as she discreetly discarded the pregnancy kit. She stepped out of the bathroom and back into her room to find Fox engrossed on some paper work.
He looked up at her and frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked as he rose and walked over to her.
Kay swallowed uncomfortably, not quite able to look him in the eye. "Nothing. I'm just tired. How was your meeting with you father and grandfather?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.
He shrugged. "Long. Grandfather is biting my head off for every single thing that is going wrong with Crane Industries." Fox replied bitterly as he ushered her to the bed. In actuality, most of what the three men discussed was about what happened in Kay's apartment. Alistair was livid that Fox hadn't found out who had done it yet.
"Is there a problem?" She asked, concerned for him.
He shook his head, giving her a smile. "Nothing that we can't handle. You should get some rest, love. You don't look very well."
She hesitated. "Fox, I have to tell-"
"Not now, Kay. You need to get some rest. You've been sick lately. Grandfather will blame me if you're not well for the Harvest Ball." He interrupted her quickly despite the gentleness in his tone. Fox really was worried about her.
Kay sighed sharply, nodding as she yielded to his request. I guess the big news will have to wait, she told herself as she slowly slipped underneath the covers. "Alright."
Fox tucked her in and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "I still have things to do. I'll be out for a while." He told her as he made a mental to-do list. His number one priority was to find the bastard who wrecked Kay's apartment.
People who hurt those who are important to the Cranes never get away with it.
Kay nodded sleepily. "Don't be too long." She whispered shifting her body to make herself comfortable.
"I'll be back for dinner." He told her before slipping out of the room.
While he was gone, Kay dreamed of their baby.
************************************************************************
Jessica sat in her dim room, her fingers tapping on the arm of the chair she had retreated to. She chuckled to herself as a sinister smile spread on her face.
Revenge was deliciously sweet.
Had she known that before, Jessica would have destroyed Kay a long time ago.
Flashes of red, wet blood filled her thoughts. She could still feel it against the latex glove that she had worn. She was smart. Jessica knew that. She knew that evidence would be her downfall and she had painstakingly made sure not to leave any.
"If only I could have seen the look on Kay's face." She whispered as her body shivered at the thought of her handiwork.
She was good. She could have flaunted her pride but that was not going to happen. True heroes were never praised. They, despite their acts of valor, were never rewarded.
Jessica was willing to settle for that. She was doing this for her family. It was the first step of ridding Harmony of Kay. She was the dark cloud that shrouded their city. She was the knife that stabbed the hearts of the people that Jessica loved dearly.
Kay was evil incarnate and Jessica was willing to do anything to destroy her.
Sister or not, there was no turning back now.
Although her actions made her slightly guilt-ridden, Jessica knew that this was the right thing to do. No one was willing to destroy Kay and despite the others' attempts, nothing was happening. She had to do something.
Fear made people weak, Jessica once heard.
If she made Kay truly afraid, then Jess knew that she stood a chance against her sister.
Given enough time, she would. Jess was certain of it.
Charity's voice pierced her thoughts and Jess bolted upright. "I didn't hear you." She mumbled and her blonde cousin nodded understandingly.
"Dinner's served. What were you just thinking about? You looked very far away." Charity asked as the two girls walked side by side down the stairs to the dining room.
Jessica flashed her best smile. "Oh, I was just thinking of how things will all get better soon. I'm almost sure of it." She replied cheerfully.
"Sure of what?" Sam asked as he and the rest of his family settled around the dinner table. There was still some bad blood between him and David Hastings but at least, they could finally stand to be in the same room. Kay's words from earlier in the day made him realize some things.
She was right.
Nothing would have changed the outcome of their lives. Somehow, no matter how despicable the truth, they were bound to end up with the people they truly loved.
Grace and Ivy were trying to tolerate each other as well.
"That everything is going to be great." Jessica explained as she took her seat.
"That's good honey. Always think positive." Grace piped up as she sat next to David.
Once everyone was finally settled, grace was said and a few uncomfortable throat clearings were done. No one wanted to mention the 'k' word but Sam finally spoke up.
"I spoke to Kay today." He stated. Ivy, who was on his right, stiffened. Grace sighed sharply while David slightly choked on his food.
Jessica smirked and Charity shifted in her seat uncomfortably.
"What did she say?" Grace asked, her heart pounding against her chest. She was sure that her wretched daughter revealed her secret.
Sam frowned slightly. "That nothing would have changed." He replied with a heavy sigh.
"If what?" Grace continued to ask.
"If the truth was let out sooner."
Ivy shook her head. "I know you don't quite forgive me Sam but that's not true. The main reason as to why I never intended on letting you find out the truth sooner or later was the fact that I knew that everything would change. Even now, we're miserable."
"But I still would have forgiven you. Even Kay knew that." He insisted softly. His blue eyes turned to Grace who didn't look very pleased. "Sorry, Grace."
"No, it's okay." She replied. "I knew that too."
Ivy wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad about it. Instead, she forked her salad and continued eating.
"Kay is still evil. Whether she was right or not, you can't forgive her, Dad." Jessica declared boldly.
He nodded grimly as he turned his head to look at his youngest daughter. "I know but I want to try to forgive her."
"You should. Maybe we all should." Grace agreed. "We all can't live hating each other." She was not just referring to their situation with Kay.
Jessica scoffed as she stared at her parents in disbelief. "You can't be serious, mom. She's hurt you the most."
But she also did me a favor I can never repay her for, Grace wanted to say. "It was just a thought."
"Well, that should be the end of that. Kay will never change and Ivy is right. We're all miserable because of my so called sister. Everything will stay this way if she stays here."
Sam's frown deepened. "Kay's apartment was found broken into and vandalized. Is there something you know about that Jess?"
Jessica gave him her most hurt look. "You can't think that I'd do something that horrible, daddy." Jessica quivered. "I'm not like her. I don't hurt people." Her voice trembled and tears were rolling down her cheeks as she abruptly stood up, pushing her seat back.
She ran to her room immediately. You'll thank me for this in the end, dad. Just don't ruin my plan, Jessica thought as she moved on to her next plan.
************************************************************************
Two Days Later
San Francisco
J. Callaway's Penthouse
Jason was not thrilled to hear the news about Kay's apartment. He wasn't any happier to find out that she was now living in the same roof as Fox.
This meant that things were definitely serious. From the excited squeal in his sister's voice and the tension in Kay's when he last spoke to them separately, it meant that he was right on the money, so to speak.
But what really irked him was the fact that Kay had made enemies bad enough that they would retaliate.
"Dammit." He cursed sharply.
Gwen Hotchkiss, who was sitting across from Jason, engrossed with her own thoughts turned her head slightly and gave him a sympathetic look. She knew instantly that it was about the infamous Kay Callaway.
She had seen two articles about Kay in the papers. One was when she and Fox were spotted in New York last week and the other was the exhaustive catastrophe that had been her apartment.
In the past few months, Gwen had learned to realize that most of Jason worries and bad moods were caused by Kay or something that happened to her. He was beginning to become quite frustrated with it that Jason was tempted to drop everything that he was doing and go to Harmony to smooth things out for Kay.
Gwen was almost jealous of how devoted and protective Jason was to the younger girl.
"She's in good hands." She declared softly. Gwen had called her mother a few times and Rebecca had more than eagerly conveyed all the good news to her. Kay was doing all of them a big favor, ruining most of their hated people. The blonde had been thrilled to see Theresa's name scandalized in the papers, as well as Ethan's.
Good job Kay, she recalled.
"Fox?" He looked dubious as he said the other man's name.
Gwen nodded sincerely. "Believe it or not, he really does care about her. As far as I know, Kay is the one lasting the longest out of all his 'relationships'." When it came to Fox, Gwen always used that term loosely but she had a feeling that his fondness for Kay ran too deep to sever now. She suspected he was in love.
He did sound like a man in love when she spoke to him almost a few weeks ago.
"That's not so reassuring to me, Gwen. I haven't seen her so attached to anyone since I've known her and now she needs more protection than ever."
She arched an eyebrow. "Not even you?"
"We're close but she's family. With Fox it's different." He replied with a heavy sigh.
"You sound jealous." Gwen whispered and Jason shot her a look. Their relationship was not an easy one. They began with loathing each other and unlike Fox and Kay's care-free laid back attachment, Gwen and Jason's was deeper if not more heartfelt. Nothing was easy for them.
Even after years of being away from Ethan, Gwen was still battling with her feelings for him. And now she was in a relationship with a man whose loyalties was to another woman.
Sometimes, she wondered why she did this to herself.
"Don't Gwen." He said curtly.
She sighed. "Don't what?"
"Don't doubt me. You know how I feel about you." Jason clarified, sounding strangely hoarse but truthful. Perhaps the one thing that attracted Jason so much to Gwen was no matter how much she tried to distance herself from him; in the end she always gave her heart out, even her soul. She was fragile in many ways and he felt the need to soothe her broken soul.
He really did love her and Jason had told her so on many occasions but as they say, once bitten, twice shy. And Gwen had been bitten too many times. Jason knew that she was wary of serious relationships. Gwen once stated that she wasn't ready nor did she want a serious relationship. The deeper it became, the bigger the possibility of being hurt and she wasn't going to let herself get hurt anymore.
Not after everything that Ethan did to her.
"I don't doubt you. It's just sometimes I can't help but feel that she's competition; that if she asked you to choose, you'd willingly pick her." She became teary as she said it.
Jason's heart went out to her. "Kay will never ask me to choose. She's a bigger person than that."
"But if she did?"
He shook his head. "I'll make her see that I love you just as much as I love her, in a different way of course. She is my family and you are my heart, Gwen Hotchkiss. I am not Ethan. I won't string you along. I am with you because I love and that's the truth." Jason knew what Kay's half- sibling did to Gwen. The minute she lost their baby, he ran straight back to the arms of Theresa who had always insisted that it was Fate.
She exhaled, her breath coming out shaky. "And I love you. God knows I tried to fight it. I've been hurt too much to get into another relationship again." The insecurity had stuck to her. If one man was willing to leave her the first time, who says another one won't follow the tradition.
"I won't break your heart. I promise." Jason rose and sat next to her.
Gwen nodded as she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Good because there's not much left of it."
~*~
A/N: I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T END IT WITH A CLIFFY OR SOMETHING INTERESTING. AT LEAST NOW WE KNOW THAT KAY IS 'OFFICIALLY' PREGNANT. NO MORE STALLING, GUESSING OR DENYING. ALSO, I NEEDED HER TO HAVE A TALK WITH HER DAD. SO, THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY EACH OTHER'S FAVORITE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. I PROMISE THAT ALL WILL BE WELL IN THE END.
I ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON GWEN AND JASON'S RELATIONSHIP. I MADE A FEW MENTIONS OF IT BUT I NEVER ELABORATED AND I THOUGHT THAT NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME.
SO, JESSICA IS OUR LITTLE PERP. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?
THANKS FOR READING.
A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW. FIRST, THERE ISN'T REALLY ANYTHING EXCITING HERE. AT LEAST I THINK SO. SECOND, GWEN IS INTRODUCED INTO THE STORY.
WELL, HOPE YOU LIKE IT AT LEAST.
ENJOY.
~*~
The police station, although it was filled with officers, was silent as the men listened with intrigue at the yelling fest that was occurring in the chief's office. The voices were muffled but they were raised high enough to cause everyone outside to stop and listen.
John and Fox were talking to Hank about the situation. The younger Bennett man was more sympathetic to his niece.
Meanwhile, in Sam's office, Kay was in a rage.
"My apartment has just been vandalized and now I'm arrested!" Kay exclaimed angrily as she paced in front of Sam who looked rigid. She was struggling with the cuffs, making her wrists sore.
Sam sighed as he set his lips into a thin line. "You're not arrested because your apartment was ruined, Kay. You're arrested because you attacked Miguel."
"Attacked him?" She scoffed indignantly. "He was the one who barged into my office, yelling and screaming. He was the one who pushed me against the wall. Did you honestly expect me to take that?" Kay was seething.
"It was an assault, Kay. He has a right to press charges against you." Sam insisted sullenly.
She shook her head in dismay. "And you're actually going to keep me in jail."
"I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be."
"I can't believe you're going to do this to me. I am your daughter." She hissed angrily.
Sam grimaced. "I am a police officer, Kay. I have a duty to uphold the law. I can't just let you go because we share the same blood."
"Well, isn't this righteous?" She drawled sarcastically, sneering at him. "For years you've done favors for your friends, time and time again. When they should have been arrested, you looked the other way. And you even tried to use the law to get back at the Cranes."
Sam immediately rose from his seat. "Don't you dare, Kay. I am a decent cop. Dammit, I am a good cop. I've done my best."
She scoffed. "How many times did T.C. Russell beat the daylight out of Chad Harris for going out with Whitney? How many times has he gone after Julian? Did you ever arrest him? No. What about Luis? Did you ever stop him from exploiting his power as a cop? Of course not. He's like your son. You wouldn't do that to people you consider family. You may have a good heart, dad, but minds can be easily changed. So tell me, why are you so reluctant to let me go? I'm sure you have your reasons."
He glared at her. "Don't start with me, Kay. This is not the time or place to discuss our personal lives." Sam replied.
Kay gritted her teeth and looked at her father squarely. She settled on the chair in front of his desk. As elegantly as possible, she leaned back and watched him. "Sure, it is. Why don't you just tell me the truth, huh, Dad?" Kay insisted.
Sam smirked bitterly. "Don't even get me started about the truth, Kay."
"Why not? It looks like I'm going to be here for a while." When Sam remained stubbornly silent, Kay continued. "How's the family?"
He glowered at his daughter. She looked undaunted despite his scrutinizing gaze. "Ivy let me in on a little something." He began bitterly.
Kay's lips stretched into a thin smile as her gaze hardened at the mention of the former Mrs. Crane. "Oh, did she?"
Sam nodded, looking annoyed but remaining surprisingly cool. "You used me."
"Did I?"
"Tell me," He stated icily. "How long have you known about Ivy and David?"
Kay shrugged dismissively. "A little before I left."
Sam watched her with apparent resentment. "And yet you waited years to tell me the truth. Do you mind explaining that to me?"
"It wasn't the right time." She remained unbelievably cool. It was one of her greatest assets to remain remarkably unperturbed despite the immense pressure. It unnerved many people.
"In other words, you didn't see what was in it for you, until now of course." He insisted angrily. "If you just told me the truth then, you could have saved me a lot of trouble."
"And it still wouldn't have changed anything. You forgive Ivy for lying to you now. Do you honestly think that it would have made any difference had you found out the truth sooner?" Kay replied as she shook her head miserably. She watched her father and sighed sharply. "You would still have forgiven her. It's a trait that you and Ethan seem to share. No matter how much you're wronged, in the end, you'll always forgive the women you love." She paused, smirking. "Grace would still love David. Their past maybe a sham but what she feels for him isn't. So, despite what I did, your family is still in tack. You can think of what I did as a test and you all passed. You should be happy. We'll the truth is out and you're all still together."
"It doesn't mean that I forgive you for what you did, Kay. The outcome may not have been what you expected but you were wrong to do that to me and everyone else." Sam replied.
"Then so be it."
A hasty knock interrupted them and Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. "Come in." He called. Miguel strolled into his office, looking slightly shaken. Kay shot him a dirty look. "What is it Miguel?"
The younger man heaved a sigh. "I'm dropping the charges against, Kay." He declared softly.
Kay smirked triumphantly. She had no idea why Miguel was dropping the charges but she suspected Alistair just did her a favor.
Luis stormed into the office looking furious. "What are you doing?" He demanded. Miguel shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"I'm dropping the charges." He looked ashamed.
Luis's murderous gaze was suddenly directed on Kay. "What did you do, you little-"
"Luis, enough!" Sam intervened. "Everybody, calm down!"
The older Lopez-Fitzgerald was heaving in fury. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. "You're scum."
Kay looked impervious.
"Luis!" Sam shot him a warning look. "Now, Miguel, are you sure you want to drop the charges?" He asked, sounding extremely formal and professional.
Miguel nodded despite the look that Luis was shooting him. "I'm sure."
"Miguel, tell us, what made you change your mind?" Luis pressed.
The younger man sighed. "I just realized that we can't win this. There's no point." He lied.
Kay grinned evilly. "Good boy." She muttered and Luis glared at her.
"Shut up!"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't tell me to shut up-"
"Or you'll what?" He challenged her.
She scoffed at him, her smile dripping with venom. "You don't want to find out. Now, since the charges are no longer withstanding, I'd like to get out of these handcuffs." Kay gave her father a pointed look. He sighed and removed them from her wrist.
"I'll make you pay, Kay Bennett." Luis muttered.
"Let me divulge a few facts to you, Lopez-Fitzgerald. One, you and miserable bunch of a family will never make me pay. You can try but you'll never win. Two, Kay Bennett no longer exists. And lastly, you can kiss your job goodbye."
With that said, she pushed past him and out of Sam's office.
************************************************************************
Later that Day
Crane Mansion
Rebecca Hotchkiss was not entirely certain whether Kay Callaway's move into the Crane mansion was beneficial. The younger woman has proven herself as dangerous.
Two dangerous women in one house could only mean disaster.
But Fox was adamant on having Kay with them. Her apartment was completely destroyed and it was safer for her to be on Crane grounds than outside where she could be harmed again.
Alistair also approved of the decision. He had taken quite a liking to Ms. Callaway and having her in the house with his grandson was definitely a right move on all their parts. He welcomed Kay eagerly.
Julian was pleased as well, although Fox warned him to keep his dirty little paws off of Kay. Two beautiful women under the same roof; who wouldn't be happy?
Rebecca made a mental note to keep a tighter leash on Julian. Dogs tend to stray.
Pushing her thoughts away, she rapped her knuckles against the heavy wooden door leading to Kay's room. The younger girl opened it, giving Rebecca a look. "Rebecca, I wasn't expecting you." Kay quipped as she stepped aside to let the older woman in.
Rebecca sashayed into the room, her vibrant red hair bouncing at each step. "I could say the same about you. So Fox tells me that you're going to be living with us. Is this going to be permanent?" She asked.
"Maybe." Kay replied coolly. "Is there a problem?"
"No, but remember, keep your hands off my pookie."
Kay smirked, slightly amused. "He's not my type."
Rebecca nodded. "Good. I'm sorry about your apartment. The lower classes can be quite evil." She said sincerely and Kay nodded.
"They haven't reached my level yet. They don't know evil." Kay hissed dangerously.
Rebecca whimpered. "You know, you and I could make a great team." She stated as she thought of the horror that they could unleash on whoever stood in their way.
"Sorry, Rebecca, I don't need a sidekick."
The redhead gave her a hurt look. "I was thinking more of partners."
"No thanks."
"Alright but you'll be sorry." Rebecca declared with a smile and Kay arched an eyebrow.
"I doubt it. Why are you really here?"
Rebecca shrugged as she settled on the overstuffed armchair by the corner. "I thought I should just welcome you into the house."
"Don't worry, Rebecca, I'm not treading on your territory. You'll have your domain back as soon as I leave." Kay declared dismissively.
The redhead gave her a somewhat skeptical look. "Oh. You know, it was quite ingenious of Alistair to threaten to evict the Lopez-Fitzgeralds if Miguel didn't drop the charges. I wonder what other properties he owns."
Kay smirked. "So that's how he did it." She whispered. "I guess I owe him one."
"I guess so."
"How's Gwen?" Kay asked and the image of Jason came to mind. Last she heard from him was a week ago. He and Gwen were still 'not together'. Kay suspected otherwise.
Rebecca's expression brightened. "She's doing wonderfully. She has a secret man who she just won't reveal." She replied optimistically. "I hope he's not poor."
"I doubt that."
Rebecca quirked an eyebrow. "Do you know something that I should?"
Kay smiled, shaking her head. "Not really. I hardly know Gwen to begin with."
"You two will get along. Gwennie's coming home for the Harvest Ball. Maybe she'll bring him to Harmony. Anyway, I have servants to fire and orders to give. I'll see you around."
Kay smiled. "Yeah." She replied and when Rebecca was out of the room, Kay grabbed her purse and headed to the bathroom.
One minute later, she anxiously paced in the bathroom, wringing her hands as she sighed and glanced at her watch repeatedly. The timer went off and she scrambled to the pregnancy test, her hands slightly shaking as she clutched the small object.
She was not entirely sure if this was a win/win situation.
Heaving another sigh, Kay looked at the small plastic kit and whimpered. Blue if you're pregnant, pink if you're not.
It was blue.
She managed to sit on the edge of the bathtub, her limbs shaking as John's suspicions finally became reality. All that denial was useless.
A tornado of emotions shook inside of her. She was happy and petrified and excited at the same time. Kay exhaled loudly as her hand instinctively went over her stomach, feeling any sign of the child that was growing inside of her.
There was a small bump, too small for anyone to notice, even Fox. But not her. She tried to ignore it but there was no point in that now. She was no officially pregnant. A baby was growing and it solely depended on her for survival. Her fears of losing Kyla returned and Kay could feel a lump in her throat.
Her lip trembled slightly as she reassured herself. "Everything will be fine." Kay whispered as she discreetly discarded the pregnancy kit. She stepped out of the bathroom and back into her room to find Fox engrossed on some paper work.
He looked up at her and frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked as he rose and walked over to her.
Kay swallowed uncomfortably, not quite able to look him in the eye. "Nothing. I'm just tired. How was your meeting with you father and grandfather?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.
He shrugged. "Long. Grandfather is biting my head off for every single thing that is going wrong with Crane Industries." Fox replied bitterly as he ushered her to the bed. In actuality, most of what the three men discussed was about what happened in Kay's apartment. Alistair was livid that Fox hadn't found out who had done it yet.
"Is there a problem?" She asked, concerned for him.
He shook his head, giving her a smile. "Nothing that we can't handle. You should get some rest, love. You don't look very well."
She hesitated. "Fox, I have to tell-"
"Not now, Kay. You need to get some rest. You've been sick lately. Grandfather will blame me if you're not well for the Harvest Ball." He interrupted her quickly despite the gentleness in his tone. Fox really was worried about her.
Kay sighed sharply, nodding as she yielded to his request. I guess the big news will have to wait, she told herself as she slowly slipped underneath the covers. "Alright."
Fox tucked her in and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "I still have things to do. I'll be out for a while." He told her as he made a mental to-do list. His number one priority was to find the bastard who wrecked Kay's apartment.
People who hurt those who are important to the Cranes never get away with it.
Kay nodded sleepily. "Don't be too long." She whispered shifting her body to make herself comfortable.
"I'll be back for dinner." He told her before slipping out of the room.
While he was gone, Kay dreamed of their baby.
************************************************************************
Jessica sat in her dim room, her fingers tapping on the arm of the chair she had retreated to. She chuckled to herself as a sinister smile spread on her face.
Revenge was deliciously sweet.
Had she known that before, Jessica would have destroyed Kay a long time ago.
Flashes of red, wet blood filled her thoughts. She could still feel it against the latex glove that she had worn. She was smart. Jessica knew that. She knew that evidence would be her downfall and she had painstakingly made sure not to leave any.
"If only I could have seen the look on Kay's face." She whispered as her body shivered at the thought of her handiwork.
She was good. She could have flaunted her pride but that was not going to happen. True heroes were never praised. They, despite their acts of valor, were never rewarded.
Jessica was willing to settle for that. She was doing this for her family. It was the first step of ridding Harmony of Kay. She was the dark cloud that shrouded their city. She was the knife that stabbed the hearts of the people that Jessica loved dearly.
Kay was evil incarnate and Jessica was willing to do anything to destroy her.
Sister or not, there was no turning back now.
Although her actions made her slightly guilt-ridden, Jessica knew that this was the right thing to do. No one was willing to destroy Kay and despite the others' attempts, nothing was happening. She had to do something.
Fear made people weak, Jessica once heard.
If she made Kay truly afraid, then Jess knew that she stood a chance against her sister.
Given enough time, she would. Jess was certain of it.
Charity's voice pierced her thoughts and Jess bolted upright. "I didn't hear you." She mumbled and her blonde cousin nodded understandingly.
"Dinner's served. What were you just thinking about? You looked very far away." Charity asked as the two girls walked side by side down the stairs to the dining room.
Jessica flashed her best smile. "Oh, I was just thinking of how things will all get better soon. I'm almost sure of it." She replied cheerfully.
"Sure of what?" Sam asked as he and the rest of his family settled around the dinner table. There was still some bad blood between him and David Hastings but at least, they could finally stand to be in the same room. Kay's words from earlier in the day made him realize some things.
She was right.
Nothing would have changed the outcome of their lives. Somehow, no matter how despicable the truth, they were bound to end up with the people they truly loved.
Grace and Ivy were trying to tolerate each other as well.
"That everything is going to be great." Jessica explained as she took her seat.
"That's good honey. Always think positive." Grace piped up as she sat next to David.
Once everyone was finally settled, grace was said and a few uncomfortable throat clearings were done. No one wanted to mention the 'k' word but Sam finally spoke up.
"I spoke to Kay today." He stated. Ivy, who was on his right, stiffened. Grace sighed sharply while David slightly choked on his food.
Jessica smirked and Charity shifted in her seat uncomfortably.
"What did she say?" Grace asked, her heart pounding against her chest. She was sure that her wretched daughter revealed her secret.
Sam frowned slightly. "That nothing would have changed." He replied with a heavy sigh.
"If what?" Grace continued to ask.
"If the truth was let out sooner."
Ivy shook her head. "I know you don't quite forgive me Sam but that's not true. The main reason as to why I never intended on letting you find out the truth sooner or later was the fact that I knew that everything would change. Even now, we're miserable."
"But I still would have forgiven you. Even Kay knew that." He insisted softly. His blue eyes turned to Grace who didn't look very pleased. "Sorry, Grace."
"No, it's okay." She replied. "I knew that too."
Ivy wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad about it. Instead, she forked her salad and continued eating.
"Kay is still evil. Whether she was right or not, you can't forgive her, Dad." Jessica declared boldly.
He nodded grimly as he turned his head to look at his youngest daughter. "I know but I want to try to forgive her."
"You should. Maybe we all should." Grace agreed. "We all can't live hating each other." She was not just referring to their situation with Kay.
Jessica scoffed as she stared at her parents in disbelief. "You can't be serious, mom. She's hurt you the most."
But she also did me a favor I can never repay her for, Grace wanted to say. "It was just a thought."
"Well, that should be the end of that. Kay will never change and Ivy is right. We're all miserable because of my so called sister. Everything will stay this way if she stays here."
Sam's frown deepened. "Kay's apartment was found broken into and vandalized. Is there something you know about that Jess?"
Jessica gave him her most hurt look. "You can't think that I'd do something that horrible, daddy." Jessica quivered. "I'm not like her. I don't hurt people." Her voice trembled and tears were rolling down her cheeks as she abruptly stood up, pushing her seat back.
She ran to her room immediately. You'll thank me for this in the end, dad. Just don't ruin my plan, Jessica thought as she moved on to her next plan.
************************************************************************
Two Days Later
San Francisco
J. Callaway's Penthouse
Jason was not thrilled to hear the news about Kay's apartment. He wasn't any happier to find out that she was now living in the same roof as Fox.
This meant that things were definitely serious. From the excited squeal in his sister's voice and the tension in Kay's when he last spoke to them separately, it meant that he was right on the money, so to speak.
But what really irked him was the fact that Kay had made enemies bad enough that they would retaliate.
"Dammit." He cursed sharply.
Gwen Hotchkiss, who was sitting across from Jason, engrossed with her own thoughts turned her head slightly and gave him a sympathetic look. She knew instantly that it was about the infamous Kay Callaway.
She had seen two articles about Kay in the papers. One was when she and Fox were spotted in New York last week and the other was the exhaustive catastrophe that had been her apartment.
In the past few months, Gwen had learned to realize that most of Jason worries and bad moods were caused by Kay or something that happened to her. He was beginning to become quite frustrated with it that Jason was tempted to drop everything that he was doing and go to Harmony to smooth things out for Kay.
Gwen was almost jealous of how devoted and protective Jason was to the younger girl.
"She's in good hands." She declared softly. Gwen had called her mother a few times and Rebecca had more than eagerly conveyed all the good news to her. Kay was doing all of them a big favor, ruining most of their hated people. The blonde had been thrilled to see Theresa's name scandalized in the papers, as well as Ethan's.
Good job Kay, she recalled.
"Fox?" He looked dubious as he said the other man's name.
Gwen nodded sincerely. "Believe it or not, he really does care about her. As far as I know, Kay is the one lasting the longest out of all his 'relationships'." When it came to Fox, Gwen always used that term loosely but she had a feeling that his fondness for Kay ran too deep to sever now. She suspected he was in love.
He did sound like a man in love when she spoke to him almost a few weeks ago.
"That's not so reassuring to me, Gwen. I haven't seen her so attached to anyone since I've known her and now she needs more protection than ever."
She arched an eyebrow. "Not even you?"
"We're close but she's family. With Fox it's different." He replied with a heavy sigh.
"You sound jealous." Gwen whispered and Jason shot her a look. Their relationship was not an easy one. They began with loathing each other and unlike Fox and Kay's care-free laid back attachment, Gwen and Jason's was deeper if not more heartfelt. Nothing was easy for them.
Even after years of being away from Ethan, Gwen was still battling with her feelings for him. And now she was in a relationship with a man whose loyalties was to another woman.
Sometimes, she wondered why she did this to herself.
"Don't Gwen." He said curtly.
She sighed. "Don't what?"
"Don't doubt me. You know how I feel about you." Jason clarified, sounding strangely hoarse but truthful. Perhaps the one thing that attracted Jason so much to Gwen was no matter how much she tried to distance herself from him; in the end she always gave her heart out, even her soul. She was fragile in many ways and he felt the need to soothe her broken soul.
He really did love her and Jason had told her so on many occasions but as they say, once bitten, twice shy. And Gwen had been bitten too many times. Jason knew that she was wary of serious relationships. Gwen once stated that she wasn't ready nor did she want a serious relationship. The deeper it became, the bigger the possibility of being hurt and she wasn't going to let herself get hurt anymore.
Not after everything that Ethan did to her.
"I don't doubt you. It's just sometimes I can't help but feel that she's competition; that if she asked you to choose, you'd willingly pick her." She became teary as she said it.
Jason's heart went out to her. "Kay will never ask me to choose. She's a bigger person than that."
"But if she did?"
He shook his head. "I'll make her see that I love you just as much as I love her, in a different way of course. She is my family and you are my heart, Gwen Hotchkiss. I am not Ethan. I won't string you along. I am with you because I love and that's the truth." Jason knew what Kay's half- sibling did to Gwen. The minute she lost their baby, he ran straight back to the arms of Theresa who had always insisted that it was Fate.
She exhaled, her breath coming out shaky. "And I love you. God knows I tried to fight it. I've been hurt too much to get into another relationship again." The insecurity had stuck to her. If one man was willing to leave her the first time, who says another one won't follow the tradition.
"I won't break your heart. I promise." Jason rose and sat next to her.
Gwen nodded as she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Good because there's not much left of it."
~*~
A/N: I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T END IT WITH A CLIFFY OR SOMETHING INTERESTING. AT LEAST NOW WE KNOW THAT KAY IS 'OFFICIALLY' PREGNANT. NO MORE STALLING, GUESSING OR DENYING. ALSO, I NEEDED HER TO HAVE A TALK WITH HER DAD. SO, THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY EACH OTHER'S FAVORITE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. I PROMISE THAT ALL WILL BE WELL IN THE END.
I ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON GWEN AND JASON'S RELATIONSHIP. I MADE A FEW MENTIONS OF IT BUT I NEVER ELABORATED AND I THOUGHT THAT NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME.
SO, JESSICA IS OUR LITTLE PERP. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?
THANKS FOR READING.
