The Cemetery – The next day
Kellie stood looking at Tyler's gravestone as well as Charles's and the hole where the casket with the body they had buried instead of Charles had already been dug up.
Kellie ran her hand along Tyler's gravestone.
"I guess you've known all this time your Dad wasn't really dead," Kellie said, "You really couldn't have given me a ghostly visit to let me know. Seriously, Tyler. We could have rescued him a lot sooner."
Kellie stared up at the sky.
"He seems to be fine by the way all things considered," Kellie said, "Although you probably know that too. I'm not exactly sure why I decided stop by here today. I'm not even sure what else to tell you about your dad being back. It didn't seem to faze the kids too much. I'm not sure what that says about the number of times someone connected to Port Charles has been thought dead and turns out not to be in some convoluted plot. Charles is fazed, but still great about his outlook moving forward, knowing the right things to say. I promise to try to keep him better protected this time around. You have no idea how grateful and lucky I feel to have more time with your dad."
Kellie sat on a nearby bench.
"Right now, we've got guards on him," Kellie said, "as well as keeping him at a safe house while we make sure no one else is coming after him whether it's the WSB or Victor's people. He's meeting the WSB for questioning at the station today. Diane is representing him. I'll be walking in and out of the station with him. It's kind of a media circus. Diane's idea to make his return very public in hopes that it keeps anyone who might want to whisk him off somewhere at bay. Specifically, the WSB, but I'm rambling. I think some part of me is still afraid that all of this is too good to be true."
Kellie was quiet for a few moments before continuing.
"And you wouldn't believe what Jamie did," Kellie said, "Well, maybe you would. He tried to stowaway to help Jason and I with the rescue mission in which we stumbled upon your Dad being held captive by Victor Cassadine. Jared tried to help him pull it off. Francis figured it out pretty quickly. And Alyssa, she's in such a hurry to grow up, wanting to wear make - up already. She'll start middle school next year. I can't believe they're becoming teenagers already. You'd be so proud of them."
Kellie choked up as she heard someone approaching and took a moment to compose herself.
"Kellie," Monica said, approaching, "Do you mind if I join you?"
"No, of course not," Kellie said.
Monica sat on the bench next to Kellie, looking at the now empty grave.
"The PCPD certainly wasted no time exhuming whoever's body was buried," Monica said,
"No, they didn't," Kellie said, "I feel like I should be asking how you are but…"
Kellie shrugged.
"I doubt either one of us has an easy to that question these days," Monica said, "How is Charles? Olivia mentioned you were there when she dropped some lasagna off."
"I'm not sure I know the answer to that question either," Kellie replied, "Overall, he's alright. Doctors are giving him a green light, mentally and physically. He's still Charles, but there's an uncertainty about him wasn't there before. I'm guessing that's the right way to describe it."
"You can tell he's been through something," Monica said, "As would be expected."
"I just want to fix it for him, wave a magic wand or something," Kellie said, "But I can't."
"We just have to give him time," Monica said, "That's not something that just fixes itself unfortunately. Which I'm sure you know given how much I think you just tried to give Jason space to sort his stuff out when he returned from the Russian Clinic."
"Has Charles reached out to you at all yet?" Kellie asked.
"He sent a text message saying he'd like to talk to me," Monica said, "But he wanted to wait a few days after he'd sorted some things out with the WSB."
"He's meeting with them at the PCPD this afternoon," Kellie said, "he's more worried about that then I think he wants to let on. I don't know how much you know about his return, but the WSB is claiming that he was supposed to come on a different plane than whatever one he ended up on. One that would have had him coming back who knows how much later after they examined him at a facility."
"I heard there was some sort of mix up," Monica said, "Do you think the WSB will try to take him into custody or something."
"Who knows?" Kellie said, "But they won't have a case to. He has sought medical treatment and psychological evaluations and is willing to provide the information on that. Rumor has it the media has been tipped off to his return and expected presence at the PCPD. That should help. We'll keep guards on him for the time being."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Monica asked.
"Not that I know of," Kellie said, "I haven't really been involved in the logistics of Charles being home. Uncle Lo, Jason, and Diane have pretty much been a few steps ahead of me on all of it, the safe house, the guards, getting him here, looking into who Victor was paying off at the casino and the island."
"That had to have been quite the shock to see him standing there without any warning from what I understand," Monica said.
"It's probably going to take a while before I fully believe this is happening," Kellie said, "That's it's real."
"It takes a while to get used to," Monica said, pausing for a moment and then continuing, "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Kellie asked.
"When you reunited with Tyler and Charles after you'd faked your death," Monica asked, "How was that for you? Particularly when you knew you were going to see them again, especially Tyler since you had been engaged."
Kellie considered Monica's question for a moment.
"Whatever you're looking for Monica," Kellie said, "I don't think you'll find it by comparing my return from the dead to Charles's. First off, I chose to let everyone in my life think I was dead, including Tyler and Charles. I'd even broken up with Tyler. I had no expectation of ever reuniting with them. In fact, part of the reason I ultimately decided to use Corinthos as my last name back then was to hopefully keep them from figuring out I was the Kellie Riley they knew."
"But after you connected with Tyler, what then?" Monica asked.
"I pushed him away," Kellie said, "I didn't think he should be anywhere near my life. The only reason I saw him again was because he worked for my father's people in Miami and I was meeting with them trying to figure out what was going on with the business. I was relieved when he only thought I looked like a girl he was engaged to. Even when I finally told him the truth, I didn't think he'd be interested in me like that again."
"But you were eventually able to figure it out with Tyler," Monica said.
"With a lot of resistance on my part initially," Kellie said, "Do you know what you might want in regards to whatever your relationship with Charles looks like going forward?"
"I guess I'm trying to figure it out as well as where his thoughts might be at," Monica answered.
"I can't really tell you because he hasn't really brought it up," Kellie said, "And it's not my place to ask. You're going to have to get to know him where he's at that is if you're still interested in a relationship with him."
"I'd like to see if there's still something, a chance," Monica said, "I hadn't thought I'd find someone after Alan passed to want to spend life and time like that with."
"And after what happened, are you okay with the risks that my life poses to him," Kellie asked, "And whatever risks there with him being related to the Giambetti family. I'm only asking because I want to know you've at least thought about it. I'll do everything I can to make sure that he's not a target."
"But there's only so much you can do and that he'll let you do," Monica said.
"I don't know how long the guards will stay with him," Kellie said, "It depends on what he wants. I've always given him the option to have them, but it wasn't something he wanted. I really don't see that changing once things settle down. I tried to get him to promise not to throw himself in the line of fire again."
"Knowing Charles, he cares about you and his grandkids too much to ever make that kind of promise," Monica said.
"He wouldn't," Kellie said.
Silence fell between Kellie and Monica for several moments.
"Back when Charles and I started getting more serious," Monica said, "We did discuss the risks Sonny's profession and Jason's brings to everyone around them and the additional threats from when you were a spy as well as fighting against human trafficking. The truth is while I don't like any of it, I had to learn to live with it because Jason has stayed loyal to Sonny for so many years. After all of the things I have been through, losing Alan, Emily, and AJ, breast cancer, Helena kidnapping Jake, thinking Jason was dead, Oscar's death, if there's anything I've learned it's that life is short. I don't want to miss out on something wonderful because I'm afraid of what might happen."
"If I overstepped about considering the risks" Kellie said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"You're just looking out for Charles," Monica said, "There's nothing wrong with that."
"If I'm being honest, right now I'd try to surround him in bubble wrap if he'd let me," Kellie said, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just don't want to take him for granted. I hate that it took what happened on the island last year, Charles getting shot and believing he was dead, to understand how important he is to me. I mean, I knew he was important, I just didn't realize how much and you know what, I have no idea why I'm telling you all this."
"I would guess you have more than a little guilt over Charles being held captive in your place," Monica said, "And you being a woman of action are at a loss because there isn't anything it sounds like you need to do for him since your uncle and Jason are handling it."
"Yes, to the guilt," Kellie said, "Maybe to the rest of it. I do feel like there should be something more I can do for Charles."
"But there isn't," Monica said, "All Charles needs if for you to be well, just you. To spend time with him like you did before, to let him spoil his grandkids rotten, to let him show up for you when he wants."
"It seems like it should be more complicated than that," Kellie said.
"If Victor had been successful in taking you captive instead and were just rescued," Monica said, "Would you expect your children even if they were adults to fix the situation for you in the way you think you need to for Charles?"
"Of course not," Kellie said as it clicked what Monica was getting at, "Oh…"
"I hate to interrupt," Johnny said, approaching them before any further discussion could be had, "But Kellie, we really need to leave now if you're going to meet Charles at the police station and walk in with him for the media to see."
"Right," Kellie said, standing up, "Monica, thank you for the advice and insights."
"Anytime," Monica said, also standing up, "I take the it you're escorting Charles into the station for the media to see and increase the exposure."
"Yes," Kellie said, "Sage and Milo will be with us addition to Diane as his attorney. I can't say I'm usually a fan of parading for the media. But for this I'll make an exception."
"Do you think Charles would mind if one more person lent their support?" Monica asked, "I'd only show up long enough to see him into the station and if he's uncomfortable with me there I'd leave."
"I don't see why not," Kellie said, "It honestly wouldn't hurt to have the Quartermaine name linked to this."
"My thoughts exactly," Monica said.