Author's (pointless!) Note...
Yep, I'm an idiot. I procrastinate, and I get writer's block, and I end up having to split the chapter in two. So 26 chapters... Hm, 26 miles? Well, I FEEL like I've run a marathon, here. And the runner's high is setting in as I've already finished 26 and only need to edit it. (Yes, runner's high. I am actually laughing in uber glee right now. And just used the word "uber." That alone should be a warning sign.) o.O
Pardon my being so late. Thanks everyone for sticking with me on this! You have my gratitude and love.

After leaving the kitchen, Kaitlyn stopped short in the middle of the empty hallway and looked around in panic. Where am I? She would have retraced her steps to find her way back to her room, but there was a minor problem with that: she didn't know how she had found herself in the kitchen in the first place. It had just been a simple matter of wandering down hallways and opening any unlocked doors, seeing if there was any way to waste time.

Being lost in the huge home of a Luthor wasn't her only problem, though. Worries had been slowly creeping into her mind all morning and had finally grown too loud to ignore in the silent, unfamiliar hall. If she was going to go into hiding while she was pregnant, how would she get the doctors she needed? Would they have to have fake identities so that their location couldn't be traced if someone got sick and they had to check into a hospital? And then there was everything baby-related that she didn't want to decide on until she absolutely had to: having her at a hospital or at home, finding parents that wouldn't be freaked out by the kid's power or just leaving her on a doorstep. Kaitlyn sagged against the wall next to a painting and squeezed her eyes shut. Too many thoughts, not enough brain power. She had developed a headache.

Minutes later, she was in the exact same position when a maid approached her and asked if she needed anything. Kaitlyn was hesitant to answer. She needed to find her room, but she also needed to ask Lex about the doctor issue. However, she wasn't entirely comfortable approaching him. Not just because he was a Luthor, but because she knew there was something bubbling to the surface that she didn't want to acknowledge at the moment: her attraction to him. But she threw caution to the wind. "I need to speak with Mr. Luthor."

"He's in his study right now. I'll show you to him." The maid led her through a complicated maze that ended at a set of double doors. "Mr. Luthor?" she asked, cracking the door open. "Ms. Grant would like to see you." After a pause, she turned to Kaitlyn and said, "Go on, he's ready."

Kaitlyn stepped cautiously into the large room and immediately spotted Lex sitting at a desk by the wall opposite of her. He closed the open laptop he had been working on and stood to greet her. "Hello, Ms. Grant. What can I do for you?" he asked with a courteous smile.

"Uh…" She avoided eye contact by glancing around at the bookshelves, unsure of how to express her thoughts. "I need to ask you something."

"I'm listening."

She tried to organize her thoughts even though it was hard with his eyes on her, and she told herself that the only reason she couldn't think was because he intimidated her. I'm not—can't be—attracted to Lex. "When we go into hiding, what happens if one of us gets hurt and needs to go the hospital or something? Because our names will have to go in their records, and can't we be traced because of that? Or will we have fake identities?"

"Anyone who can heal themselves shouldn't have to worry about this," he said with a smirk. "But to set your mind at ease, yes, all of the Witnesses will have fake identities. There's no reason to risk discovery."

"See, I guess I'm wondering because of…" She found it hard to say the "b" word around Lex, especially since he was related to it. The whole situation felt wrong to her; she didn't want to be there, asking a Luthor anything in the first place. He was watching her intently, waiting for her to finish the sentence. "…the baby." The words left her mouth with a squeak, and she felt her face flush with embarrassment.

"You will have available to you whatever doctors you need," he told her. "Of course, that depends on your plans."

"Plans? Like, abortion?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

Now that it came down to telling him her plans, Kaitlyn felt stupid. Who in their right mind would keep the baby? But who would kill her? The baby wasn't at fault; she didn't need to be punished. "I'm actually thinking about adoption," she admitted. "So I know it's weird because of the…um, reason it even exists, but I think that maybe it's the way to go."

Another nod, not letting on if Lex questioned her decision or approved of it. "You'll have the best doctors."

"Thanks," she mumbled, eyes dropping to her feet in embarrassment. "This must be pretty weird for you… Taking care of a teenager who's pregnant with your half-sibling."

Did the usually stoic Lex look uncomfortable? The man who never let his face betray his thoughts was avoiding looking at her for too long. "I won't deny it, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring down my father. We're on the same side now."

Kaitlyn began turning back towards the door. "I guess you're right. Thanks for your time, Lex. I really should go now."

"Of course," he nodded. "Get some rest before tonight; it will be very demanding."

"Right." She really didn't want to think about the party quite yet, but couldn't help herself from worrying about seeing Lionel again as she looked for someone to ask about how to get back to her room. There were more workers around the mansion than before, all bustling to finish last-minute decorations for the party and telling each other things like, "Take this to the ballroom." She felt rude to interrupt their work but finally managed to get directions to her quarters from one of them.

--

At the quick meeting a half-hour before the party in the Luthor Mansion, Arnold Wilson, Lex Luthor's head of security, explained that if all of the Witnesses entered at one time, they would look suspicious, so the freaks would go in pairs every fifteen minutes between the arrivals of other guests. She was informed that she would join the party last; Lex would escort her. She wondered how she would manage to pull that off without tripping or making a fool of herself--Luthors made her nervous.

Before the meeting was closed, the groups and their hideout destinations were announced by Wilson. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Corben—the Gospels, as they called themselves—would head south to Arkansas. Those going to North Dakota were Kara, Nuria, Andre, and Zoe. Traveling west to Utah were Austin, Ann, Camille, and Kyra. Kaitlyn would go east to Indiana with Jason, Sam, Elle, and Nate.

In the hallway afterwards, Jason took her aside. She was having trouble adjusting to seeing him in a tuxedo instead of jeans and a Met U hoodie and at first found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying. "First, I'd like to say that you're dress is totally awesome. Don't worry; it's not flashy enough to draw attention to yourself."

"Uh, thanks," she replied hesitantly. You weren't supposed to hear my worrying about that. "You look good, too."

"I hate this tux," he laughed. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"It's not?" she asked carefully. Her guard immediately flew up. What did he want to talk about? She certainly hoped it wasn't…

"Katie, we'll be spending the next few months together, I don't think it's fair to make you believe that you have to hide any of your thoughts from me."

"Uh, what do you mean?" she asked, playing dumb. They both knew what he meant; she just didn't want to acknowledge it.

He spoke quietly, as if someone might listen in even though the hallway was empty. "I hear everything. Not that I tryto; I just do. No one can ever hide things from me for very long." He touched her arm sympathetically, and a frown crossed his face. "I already know what happened to you, why Lex asked you to join the Witnesses. I know how hard it has been for you, and I promise to never tell anyone."

Kaitlyn took a step backwards. "What?" No. No way. You didn't… She didn't want to believe it, that her only friend in the Freak Army knew. Didn't he think less of her? She didn't want anyone to know—it was too embarrassing, shameful. She had been an idiot, been hurt, and ended up in the most distressing of situations. None of it was anything she wanted someone to know.

"Hey, no! No, it's okay. You're still Katie to me; there's no need to be embarrassed. It wasn't your fault."

Are you kidding me? If you heard half of the story, you know it's my fault!

"I may not know the whole story, but I know that rape is never the victim's fault. Under any circumstances."

I don't want to talk to you about this right now. Kaitlyn turned and began walking to her room. She was thrown off simply by the fact that he knew. She didn't know how to respond, if she was supposed to be fuming or simply displeased.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time later," he called after her, the light tone starting to creep back into his voice even though the seriousness remained.

"Maybe I'll ask Lex to transfer me to a different group. Then what?" she called over her shoulder.

"You know you won't. You need me too much," he answered smugly. "I'm the only one you really know in this Freak Army, and I'm the only one who really knows you."

Believe whatever you want, but I'm going to my room.She wouldn't admit that he was right; she wouldn't go to Lex. She needed Jason, maybe more than she wanted to as she stormed down the hallway of the mansion.

--

Kaitlyn thought that she just might throw up from nervousness. She was back in her, applying the finishing touches of makeup while she waited for her cue to enter the ballroom with Lex.

Someone knocked on the door, making her jump in surprise. "Come in," she called with a nervous, quivering voice. Kaitlyn leaned forward against the dresser for support, staring at her reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall in front of her. In the glass, she saw the door open and Lex, wearing a tuxedo, walk in. Her heart quickened, but still in denial, she told herself it was only because she was still a bit wary of him. Wary of the Luthor, that's all.

"You look lovely," he commented with a smile, making eye contact in the mirror above the dresser. "Are you ready?"

She swallowed and shifted her eyes back to stare herself down. "No," she whispered. "I'm not ready." She barely recognized the face she saw, having not worn this much makeup since the spring formal last year. Dark shades of purple eye shadow. A thin application of black eyeliner. Waterproof mascara. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun. Was the girl in the mirror even Kaitlyn? Did she even know who Kaitlyn was? Did this "Kaitlyn" even exist?

He stayed at the open doorway, sending the message that he wasn't going to invade her privacy; he would leave if she wanted. "Take all the time you need."

Her breath caught in her throat, as it had formed a bad habit of doing whenever he spoke. "Then you'll be waiting all night," she replied, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "I think I'm going to throw up." She pushed off of the dresser and made for the bathroom, trying to walk without tripping over her four-inch heels. No easy task when her knees were as weak as they were. She fumbled with the light switch, turned it on, and caught herself from falling by grabbing on to the sink. Why was she so weak, so helpless? Right now, when she needed to be strong, all she could do was cower in the bathroom and try not to lose her lunch.

There was no way she could step out onto the ballroom floor when she knew Lionel would be there. She had to tell Lex that she was backing out. It was too hard, too much. "Lex?" she called uneasily.

"Yes?"

She figured that this conversation would be better held face-to-face, but he wouldn't come farther than the doorway unless she told him to. "You can come in." She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself back out into the room. She met him just outside the doorway and found herself weak in the knees once again, sensing a tension in the air as she always did when she was around Luthor. But this time, she didn't think it was from fear. "I can't go out there," she whispered in a voice that was shakier than she expected, her eyes on the ground.

"There's nothing to worry about, Kaitlyn. I'll be by your side the entire time."

Her heart raced as it had back at the Kents', the last time he had said that. She knew why, and it wasn't because she was scared.

"But.." What would happen when she saw Lionel? No, she couldn't think about that right now. Was she kidding herself? How could she not think about it? The issue was right in front of her, looming and casting a dark shadow over her world. There was no way to avoid it. "But he'llbe there," she forced out. Kaitlyn's stomach churned, and she wished she hadn't eaten lunch. She swallowed hard. There was no way she could carry on a conversation like this for much longer. She just hoped her stomach could hold onto lunch until Lex had left to attend to his guests while she cowered in the bathroom.

"My father won't touch you," he promised. "Do you need to sit down? You don't look well." His usually stoic face showed concerned.

Oh, there were so many things that she needed, and none of them included sitting. None was possible to have; a new life, a new brain, new memories. A fresh start, that was what she needed. "I'm fine. You need to go out there."

"Kaitlyn, nothing will happen to you. I will make sure of it," he promised.

She sighed and tried to focus her vision, which was blurring around the edges. "Yeah, nothing can happen. Except that when I see him, I'm going to throw up or pass out—maybe both—and ruin the entire night." The room continued to swim in an out of focus.

"You have no need to worry, Kaitlyn. All of the Witnesses will be there." His blue eyes were serious, sympathetic. He placed both hands on her shoulders, the largest display of affection she had ever seen him give.

Kaitlyn's heart rate increased at this thought. She shook her head to disagree with him and to try and shake the thought that was forming in her mind, the one where she leaned in just a bit closer and.. No! "If just thinking about going out there makes me feel sick, it doesn't matter how far away he is from me. I'm still going to make an idiot out of myself. If I step out onto that floor, I'm screwed." She wondered if she needed to worry about that floor when it seemed like the one beneath her was rising up to meet her. Stay standing, she told herself.

The thought of facing him—the devil—made her sick. Cruel smile, ice-cold eyes. Long, curly hair. All features of the disgusting Lionel Luthor. She felt bile creep up her throat and forced it back down. It would be extremely humiliating to throw up with a billionaire right in front of her.

Lex reached out to brush aside a lock of hair that had fallen out of her bun, but he didn't remove his hand from her face. Instead, he used it to keep her from looking down at the floor and avoiding eye contact. "I'll be right beside you."

She swallowed hard again as she looked into his steel orbs, finding herself imagining what it would be like to kiss him now. No! Your hormones must really be messing with you right now. Don't you remember who he is? He's a Luthor. Never, ever think about him that way, she scolded herself. He was saying something again, but she couldn't really concentrate on the words, just how his lips shaped and formed them as he spoke.

Stop it, Katie! He's Lionel's son. That brought to mind, once again, the though that Lionel would be out there, at the party, and she felt lightheaded knowing that she wouldn't be able to step into the ballroom. Oh, I'm not going to survive tonight, Kaitlyn thought, her knees giving out underneath her. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and kept her from falling.

Lex said something, but she didn't really hear it. Maybe it was, "Are you alright?" or, "You should lie down." All she could focus on was trying to get herself to breathe as he helped her stand again. He's holding me. Oh my word, he's holding me. Even when her feet had been firmly planted on the ground, his arms remained wrapped around her, holding her close enough to feel his body heat. Close. Way too close. Her heart began to race. I don't want to be this close! Losing all sense of courtesy, she shoved him away, turning her back to him quickly. Her stomach was twisted harshly in knots. "I…I need a few more minutes," she mumbled. "Not ready yet."

He regained his composure in seconds and replied in a sympathetic tone, "I understand. I'll come back in ten minutes." Then he was gone, door closing behind him to leave her with conflicting emotions.

She could have sworn she had felt sparks fly between them in that moment but wasn't sure if she liked the idea. There was no way she couldn't lie and say that she didn't have feelings for Lex. Maybe he had them for her, too, but none of that mattered when Lionel was still in the picture. And he would also be in the picture.

She had to stop thinking about Lex when she had only ten minutes to prepare herself to face her worst nightmare and the worst two hours of her life. After it was over, the Witnesses would climb into the SUVs and run away. A cowardly thing to do, really, but Kaitlyn just wanted to skip ahead to that moment. All the thinking was making her scared and weak. She tottered to the bed and let herself fall on it. How could her legs support her weight for the evening when her feet were pinched and swelling in the high-heels? Tatiana was right; she should have bought a different pair. The killer headache that was developing didn't help much, either. She didn't even want to think about the fainting problem.

And out there were a hundred, probably more, people who she didn't know. Only about twenty that she had met. Two—Lex and Jason—that she knew well enough to stay close to.

One that she knew well enough to stay far away from.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would stop the memories from coming, but they rushed in even faster. The penthouse, the satin sheets… Stomach threatening to heave, she forced herself to sit up, look around at her surroundings, and remind herself where she really was. Not a penthouse, but a mansion. Not thatbed, but this one. She was safe here with Jason and Lex. They would keep her out of harm's way. But not out of harms' sight. Her breathing quickened and refused to slow.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Help me." She had nothing she could do but worry and reapply her lipstick. Maybe fix her hair even though it looked fine. Remove the earrings that would jangle and annoy her every time she turned her head. Readjust her dress so that it didn't show cleavage; she didn't want Luthor seeing that. Most of all, she wanted to ditch the heels and just go barefoot, but that wouldn't be appropriate. No, she was confined to the shoes. If she had to run somewhere, there was no chance of escaping.

With a few minutes left, all she could do was wait and worry. I have to go out there. I have to be brave. I have to prove that I'm strong. Many times, her resolve wavered. I'm not going out there; it's scary.

When the knock on the door finally came after what seemed like hours, she carefully teetered over and opened it to reveal the bald man. "I'm ready," she announced in a shaky voice. Any idiot could tell that she was lying, could see that she was far from ready. Screwing up all of her courage and some that she didn't have, Kaitlyn added, "Now let's go before I change my mind."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Lex reminded her carefully.

"No, I will," Kaitlyn insisted.

An amused smile crossed Lex's face as he extended his arm for her to take, but the expression was gone in a flash. She wondered what he was thinking; to her, it seemed like the man never let his emotions show. But maybe that's the way men were supposed to be, strong and protective, but aloof. As they walked down the corridor towards the ball room, Kaitlyn heard the hum of people making polite conversation. Classical music was playing, probably performed live by some string quartet. She nearly jumped when Arnold Wilson, the short, old, wrinkled, and square-jawed General of the Freak Army, fell in step beside them.

Lex, however, was unfazed. "What's our status, Wilson?"

"Everything is on schedule, sir. All the other Witnesses are among the crowd. They attracted no suspicion whatsoever. Your father is scheduled to arrive in fifteen minutes."

Kaitlyn's knees gave out underneath her again at the thought of having to see Lionel Luthor. It was highly unnerving; she knew she wasn't anywhere near ready. Lex took a firmer hold of her arm to keep her from falling. "Sorry, I'm not used to these high heels," she said, trying to wave it off.

She assumed from the skeptical look on his face that Lex knew better, but he didn't press the issue. "Continue, Wilson."

The short man looked over Kaitlyn to make sure she was alright. "Dinner will begin at eight, and the toasts will begin around the same time. Jason will give his at nine o'clock sharp. All the Witnesses will be on their way by nine fifteen."

Lex nodded, satisfied. "And you have already informed Ms. Grant's parents, I presume?"

"Yes, sir." They had reached the double doors leading into the ballroom. "Mr. Luthor, I will alert you when your father's vehicle has pulled in. Enjoy yourselves at the party." He courteously opened the door for them.

Lex gave him a nod and walked into the grand room with Kaitlyn. It was tastefully decorated, with just the right amounts of red, green, and tinsel. The low lighting was supplied by candles at every table and Christmas lights strung around the room. All around, formally dressed men and women stood, talking and sipping champagne. She spotted Rebecca and Michael Bell in opposite corners of the room. Kaitlyn expressed her opinion that it wasn't a very good idea to invite both of them because of the divorce.

He gave her that knowing smile. "You may be right. Or you could just be afraid of facing them." Some people were already gathering around them, wanting to greet their host.

Her jaw dropped, and she snapped it shut. Does he know? "Why would I be afraid of them?"

"I seem to recall a certain incident with the Inquisitor…" The know-it-all smirk was still present on his face.

Kaitlyn was surprised and displeased. "How did you know about that? Did Jason tell you? He's always eavesdropping on my thoughts," she muttered angrily.

"Jason didn't tell me anything," he replied simply. "You have fifteen minutes. I suggest you make the most of that time," Lex said, hinting at something.

She blinked at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious! I'm not going to talk to them! I can't; that would be—"

"I'm not making you do anything," Lex reminded her. "I have some guests to greet. Please excuse me for a few minutes."

She didn't let go of his arm. "No," she whispered, suddenly afraid.

"I'll be back before my father arrives."

"No, not that. I can't talk to the Bells."

"Really? I thought you wanted to make things right."

"Yeah, but not here. Not right now! It's too hard!"

Sighing, he calmly placed both of his hands on her shoulders, and she felt the skin underneath them burn and tingle. "If not now, then when? Do you want to wait another month? You won't be able to contact them when you're gone. Kaitlyn, you will never have a better opportunity than this, with the two of them in the same room."

"Why do you care?" she demanded in a hiss, not wanting the gathering crowd to hear. "Why did you bother with my life at all? You couldn't gain anything by asking me to join your little Freak Army, so why did you? What do you see in me?"

Lex remained calm, his blue eyes holding her gaze. "I see someone worth protecting."

Her mouth moved; no sound came out. Am I really worth protecting? How can he see anything worthwhile when all I ever do is make mistakes?

"I'll be back in ten minutes," he promised, turning to greet his guests before she could protest. Kaitlyn sagged against a wall and considered her options. Look for Jason—which was close impossible in this mass of humanity—stand here and look like a total loser, or apologize to the Bells. She didn't want to do the last one; it was too hard.

Hey, Jase! Come find me. I've got no one to talk to! She hoped Jason heard her, but it was hard to tell. Maybe everyone's thoughts were too loud. Within fifteen seconds, she saw him weaving through the crowd to reach her. She burst into a grin, almost forgetting why she had been upset with him earlier. It didn't benefit her to be mad at him right now.

"Hey," he said, joining her against the wall. "What's up?"

I'm nervous, she admitted. "I've never been to a party like this before. Everyone's rich and dressed up. No loud music, no crazy dancing, no classmates. It's weird."

'Yeah, it is. Don't worry; we don't have to come next year." he winked but lowered his voice. "So… I remember on Tuesday that you had thought about something really weird, like a snake conscience or something? Yeah, I didn't think I needed to bring it up at the time, but I feel like I should say something now. I've heard a few people with voices like that. You're not crazy; it really is your conscience. But it's super messed up from too much abuse. Seared, or burned past recognition. It's sad, but it happens."

Great, now my problem has a name, she thought sarcastically. "This doesn't help me."

"No, a name doesn't help anything. But this is the thing: if you want it to stop hissing at you, you've gotta do what's right. Try to fix things you've screwed up. And then it'll start to heal. My boss at the gas station was like that. I just listened and observed; it was weird to hear the change. But it works."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because you have some unfinished business here," he replied, looking out into the crowd, right at Michael Bell.

Great, you heard that too? she grumbled.

"Yup, I hear everything. You know what you have to do. And me? I'm outta here. Have fun." Then Jason ran off into the crowd again.

Are you kidding me?! she demanded. But she knew he was gone. Well, thanks for nothing. She knew what she was supposed to do. But I don't want to! What am I supposed to say? How are they going to treat me afterwards? I can't.

Do it, the sear conscience commanded. A war raged on in her mind for a full minute before she gave in with a desperate, "Fine!" Kaitlyn summoned up the last of her non-existent courage and walked to where Rebecca stood chatting with some friends. "Excuse me?" she asked cautiously.

Rebecca turned, a look of surprise on her face. "Katie! I haven't seen you in a while! What are you doing here?" she greeted, hugging Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn didn't know what to say. "Well…I'm not really sure. Lex invited me, so here I am." She gave a nervous laugh.

"Really? Wow, I didn't know you knew Lex."

"Yeah, it's a long story. Is it okay if I steal you from your friends for a second?"

"Oh, sure! I'll catch up with you ladies in a little bit," Rebecca told her friends before following Kaitlyn back into the crowd. "I haven't seen you in months! How have you been?"

"Life's been strange," she admitted. "Do I still call you Mrs. Bell, or what?"

"You can call me Rebecca now," the woman responded with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," Kaitlyn was so nervous about what she had to do that she felt her pulse all through her body. One glance at her hands, and she realized she was shaking.

"Are you alright, Katie?" Rebecca asked, concerned.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." What am I supposed to say next?"We need to go find Mr. Bell." She turned to move.

"Oh, I don't think that's a very good idea," the woman said, catching her arm to keep her from going anywhere. "He's still rather bitter about the divorce." Rebecca's tone indicated that she was bitter, too.

Kaitlyn whimpered nervously. "That's exactly why we have to find him." She spotted Michael sitting at a table with a few friends. "Stay here, okay? Please? I need to talk to both of you at the same time."

Rebecca examined her face closely. "Are you okay?"

Kaitlyn waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I'm just a bit nervous right now. Please stay here until I get him?"

"Alright," the woman reluctantly agreed.

Kaitlyn swallowed her fear and left Rebecca to approach Michael's table and wait for a break in the conversation to make her presence known. "Excuse me, Mr. Bell?"

He had a similar reaction as his wife: surprise. "Why, Katie! What are you doing here?"

She laughed nervously. "You don't wanna know. Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

He glanced around at his friends for permission, who nodded. "Well, I don't see why not." He stood from the table and walked with her, soon spotting Rebecca waiting for them, arms crossed and wearing a frown. "What's this about, Kaitlyn?" he asked.

Her voice was weaker than she wanted it to be. "I need to talk to both of you."

"About what?" he asked as they reached Rebecca. "If it's about Brooke, then I have nothing to do with it. She's been staying with her mother."

"No, nothing about Brooke." Kaitlyn shook her head and swallowed hard. "Look, you guys? I'm…really sorry about the divorce."

"I appreciate your condolences, but sorry isn't necessary from you," Rebecca said.

"Yeah, though someone could take a lesson from her and apologize," Michael hinted.

Kaitlyn forced the next words out of her mouth. "Actually…it kind of is, Rebecca. No, not 'kind of'. Is necessary. Because…" Deep breath, gather courage, say it. "It's my fault."

Rebecca laughed in disbelief. "Kaitlyn, I don't see why you're blaming yourself. You had nothing to do with this."

"No, I did," Kaitlyn insisted. She had a hard time forming the next words, but when she finally did, they came spilling out of her mouth like Wal-Mart shoppers stampeding through the doorways on Black Friday. "I was the source for that article from the Inquisitor that broke you guys up, and I'm really sorry and embarrassed, and I didn't want to come talk to you and admit it, but it was the right thing to do, so I had to, and I'm really, really sorry." She hung her head in shame, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks. Beautiful, Kaitlyn. You have amazing tact, she thought sarcastically.

The two adults stood there for a second, trying to process what she had said. Then, at the same time:

"Kaitlyn, I'm not saying that what you did was okay, but that wasn't what caused our divorce. It was simply the final straw," Rebecca said.

"If it hadn't been that article, it would have been something else. That doesn't justify what you did, though," Michael reprimanded.

"Sorry," she squeaked again.

Rebecca placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kaitlyn, I forgive you. If nothing else, I should thank you because we would have had to spend a few more painful months together until something worse came along. It took a lot of courage to come and apologize."

Michael nodded, already backing away from the group. "Have to give you that much, Katie; you're brave. And you're forgiven. Now if you'll excuse me, my friends are waiting." He left quickly; Kaitlyn almost imagined him running.

Rebecca sighed. "Coward," she muttered to herself. "Always afraid of uncomfortable situations. Unlike you, Katie. You did well tonight. I'm sure your mother would be proud that you apologized." She smiled carefully. "I should get back to my friends. Do you want me to tell Brooke you said hi?"

Kaitlyn didn't know. Brooke wasn't her friend anymore, but maybe if she found out that Kaitlyn had tried to make things right, she would be less cold. "Yes. And, um, this may be weird, but can you tell her that I apologized to you?"

A look of confusion crossed the woman's face, like she was thinking, Brooke knew this and didn't tell me? "Yes, I will. Goodbye, Katie," she said, carefully holding onto a polite expression. Kaitlyn noticed the grimace that crossed her face when she turned away, though.

She can't believe that I would to that. I can't, either. What kind of idiot was I? Maybe it was a good thing that Old Kaitlyn didn't exist anymore.

Well maybe that completely sucked. Maybe it didn't. I'm not sure I care anymore; it's almost over.

Review if you feel like it and maybe even if you don't. :)