"I… It's good to see you, too," Kayla said, patting Kim on the back before pulling back when Steve's arm came to rest on the small of her back.
"It's a surprise, though. I... I'm a little surprised, too," she stammered.
"Kay-"
"I mean, just…after everything that's happened between you and…and Victor. I just never thought-"
"Well, can't the same be said for the two of you?" Kim asked, nodding to her and Steve, who voiced his agreement while Kayla shrugged and looked at her sister with concern.
"Hey, it's okay, honey. The therapist is just trying to heal herself here for a change."
"Kimberly-"
"No, you two. Now just relax, alright? Trust me, being here, getting a little closure. It's a good thing, really. If it wasn't you think this guy and I would've shown up?" she asked with a laugh, rubbing Shane on the arm before stepping closer to Kayla.
"And an even better thing is getting to see you right here, alive and well, face to face, baby sister."
"Yeah, I guess FaceTime doesn't really cut it, right?" Kayla squeaked out as Kim nodded and pulled her into another hug.
"No, it doesn't," she said, only to hear a loud sniffle.
"Kay? What-"
"I'm sorry, I just-"
"You don't have to apologize! Just wondering what's got you so verklempt over here."
Stepping back with a curious frown on her face, noticing Kayla's wobbly stance and catching a whiff of the whiskey on her breath, Kim's concerned look turned to a knowing smile.
"Never mind. I think I've got a good idea," she said as Steve nodded in confirmation. Wrapping his arm around Kayla's waist, she snuggled into his shoulder.
"Mmm, you feel nice, Mr. Johnson. You know that?" she cooed, then mumbled about resting her eyes before shutting them altogether.
"Sweetness-"
"Shh, I'm just resting 'em. Shh."
"Oh, baby," Steve laughed. Shaking his head, kissing the top of hers, he walked them over to sit on a small sofa across from some chairs in front of the lobby fireplace.
"How much did she have, anyway?" Kim asked, sitting across the way and trying not to laugh as Kayla kicked off her heels, draped her legs over Steve's, then curled up on his shoulder.
Reaching for the flask in his jacket pocket, Steve shook it to indicate the little amount of whiskey left.
"Hang on, you're saying my baby sister brought a full flask with her to a funeral mass?"
"I'm saying your sister-in-law was in a sharing kind of mood," Steve scoffed as Shane nodded in understanding.
"Ah, Kate driving all this makes a bit more sense," he said as Kayla sat up and shook her head.
"No...no, no. Kate should not drive! Don't any of you even let her think about driving!" she insisted as Steve laughed and hugged her close.
"Don't worry, baby. Roman will get her home safe soon as he gets her out from behind the bar."
"Behind the bar?" Kim scoffed. "Don't tell me she was pouring shots!"
"No, just mixed up a fun little concoction. An Irish twist on a root beer float."
"Irish twist?" Shane asked. "So, we're talking Bailey's and vanilla ice cream then?" he said as Steve smirked.
"Not exactly, buddy. Tell you what, I'll find Roman. Get him to mix up a sample pint for you."
"Steve…" Kayla whined when he gently lifted her legs off of his and placed a pillow behind her.
"I think you sampled enough already, Sweetness," Steve smirked, kissing the top of her head before getting to his feet. "At least give Gov'ner and I a chance to catch up to you."
"And catch up to me," Kim said, reaching into her purse and uncapping her own small flask as Steve cut over to the reception hall.
"Care to join me?" the redhead asked with a grin, waving the flask in front of her husband.
"It's alright, darling. Apparently I've got a sample coming," Shane laughed.
"Besides, there's something I'd like to say with a clear head," he said, looking to Kayla, who sat up and looked curiously back at him.
"What is it, Shane?" she asked as he looked down and away, let out a breath, and then met her gaze again.
"I owe you an apology, Kayla. The only reason you haven't heard one until now is it I wanted to tell you in person. Facetime, frankly, doesn't cut it for me either," he said with a soft smile as Kim reached over and squeezed his hand.
"And this is coming from the both of us, Kay. I'm at the ISA now, too so, in a way I feel responsible for-"
"Responsible for what?" Kayla asked.
"Everything that happened to you and Kate and Marlena," Shane said guiltily. "Your abduction by Orpheus, Kristen intercepting the orchid, all of that paving the way for Rolf and Megan Hathaway's twisted plans for the three of you."
"Four if you count Megan's plot for our baby brother, too," Kim sighed, sipping some whiskey.
"Is there any news about Bo?" Kayla asked, anxious to change the subject and genuinely curious. "I...I know that Hope had him transferred to a different clinic-"
"Yes, to protect him from Megan," Shane said.
"I can promise you that your brother's getting the best possible care. Hope and I have seen to that."
"But where is he in his recovery? Has there been any change in his condition?"
"Kay-"
"C'mon, Kimberly. Don't I have the right to know?"
"Kayla, it's not that simp-"
"Right, because I don't have the clearance to know, right?" Kayla snorted. "You know, if Steve was still with the ISA, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
"That's not necessarily true," Shane said as Kayla's eyes narrowed.
"You're saying my husband wouldn't be allowed to discuss my brother's treatment plan with me, a licensed physician?"
"If the information was classified or sealed, and in Bo's case..." Shane said as Kayla scoffed, shaking her head.
"Honey, there's certain protocols in place at the ISA for a reason. Even if you and Steve have no secrets-"
"Okay, okay. I hear you," Kayla snapped. "You don't need to talk down or explain it to me like I'm three."
"You sure?" Kim asked, arching a brow. "Cause I feel like I'm talking to a grandkiddo who's cranky and ready for a nap."
"Yeah, well. What's to say I'm not?" Kayla said after a beat. Sheepishly, she smiled and leaned back into the couch cushion right as Kim leaned forward and handed her the whiskey.
"Kimmie..."
"Go on. Before you hit the wall and really do fall asleep on that tiny couch. And in the middle of a hotel lobby, I think that'd be more embarrassing for you."
"You know me too well," Kayla smirked, taking the flask. "And I know you know what's best to protect Bo. I…I just wish I could consult with who's treating him. Take a look at his chart. Something! Just not being able to get any updates on him at all is so-"
"We understand, Kay. But protecting him from Megan is top priority," Kim sighed. "The fewer people who know his location and who's assigned to his case means the less chance that Megan or Rolf or their goons will track him and Hope down."
"But Steve and I aren't just people!" Kayla cried. "If Victor Kiriakis was able to visit Bo, why not me? Why not Steve?" she asked, shaking her head. "I mean an ex-crime boss had full access to his location but a doctor and a P.I-"
"Victor went outside proper channels to get access," Shane said as Kim rolled her eyes.
"It wasn't exactly a shock, all things considered," Kim scoffed as Shane nodded.
"Going to extremes, crossing lines wherever necessary to make sure Bo was receiving the best care. It's not as if we didn't anticipate it could happen."
"Happen because of who?" Kayla asked, taking Kim and Shane aback as she took a large swig of whiskey.
"Kayla, I wasn't referring to- "
"When I was going outside the proper channels?" she half scoffed, half slurred. "And not just when it came to Bo. When it came to all sorts of things."
"Hey, now," Kim frowned. Sitting forward, she reached for the flask only to see it was shaking slightly in her sister's right hand.
"Sorry, I… I'm sorry. Here," Kayla said with a sniffle, shoving the flask back into Kim's hands before clasping her left one over her right.
"Honey, you don't have to…. what's bringing all this on?"
"What's in your hand there likely played a part," Shane said as Kim shot him a look.
"Shane-"
"No…no no… he's right. I…too, too much of the good stuff's not…not always good."
"Look, what's say I take you upstairs, huh?" Kim offered. "You can freshen up in mine and Shane's room and-"
"No! No, I've already got a room here with…with Steve," Kayla sniffled, looking back over her shoulder nervously. "Where…where's Steve? I don't-"
"I can go see what's keeping him at the bar, I-"
"No need. I'm back," Steve smirked, setting a Guinness float in front of Shane and letting him know Kate mixed it herself before turning to his wife with a glass of club soda.
"Whenever you're ready to re-hydrate, Sweetness," he laughed, only to see Kayla look up at him with teary, too-wide eyes and a face that was about to crumple.
"Kayla? Baby?"
Setting the glass on the coffee table, Steve sat on the couch, stroking Kayla's hair back before pulling her tight to his chest.
"Someone wanna tell me what's going on?! When I got up- "
"We had a sisterly toast, Steven," Kim sighed, waving the flask as Steve rolled his eye.
"You telling me she wasn't toasted enough already?!" he scoffed.
"Steve…" Shane warned as Steve let out a heavy sigh, then muttered an apology.
"Hey, it's alright," Kim said with a soft smile before her face went somber. "I'm the one who offered it up to her when we got to talking about Bo."
"Bo?" Steve repeated.
"Kayla asked for an update on his condition and all the talk about him got her a little broken up. Got me a little, too."
"Well, maybe if we all knew where the hell he was in his recovery we'd be a little less broken up and-"
"Steve…," Kayla mumbled.
"Baby?"
When she let out a soft groan against his shoulder and clutched onto him tighter, Steve apologized for shouting –and for jostling her in the process of shouting– before kissing the top of her head.
"Room starting to spin on you there, Sweetness?" he murmured against her hair before offering to take her up to the room.
"Just hold me," Kayla sniffled, shaking her head before using Steve's tie as a Kleenex again. Lightly laughing, he called her on it only to hear a squeaked-out apology that melted and broke his heart.
"Hey, you were the one who bought it to replace the bolo, baby. Use it whatever way you want."
Turning back to Kim and Shane after a beat, he kept his voice low and rubbed slow circles on Kayla's upper back.
"Look, I get you keeping an ex-ISA dude with a half dozen dishonorable discharges in the dark. But if anyone here's earned access to wherever you've got Beauregard stashed-"
"Steven, it's not-"
"You think your brother would have a problem with it?
"Steve-"
"She was the only one he wanted on that goat farm with him. Even with his brain in the damn wash cycle he knew to trust Kayla. You think he'd look kindly on anyone not trusting her with his case now?"
"You think that I think Kayla can't be trusted?" Shane asked incredulously, shaking his head. "After everything that her and I-"
"Everything you and her, what, Donovan?" Steve asked as Kayla stirred, sitting up slightly against her husband's chest.