Rating: PG

Summary: Kelly and Mom...what happened?

Spoilers: Nope.
 

It's pretty quiet at Chateau Langly. The old folks are gone, of course, and Miranda's still asleep.

And Kelly's up in the kitchen when I come in, she's eating some cereal and having coffee.

I help myself to the coffee-you don't have to ask if you can have stuff in this house, Ally just tells you, you know where it is, so get it yourself.

She's got her hair in braids, and I'm about to tell her she looks just like Heidi, but she might not like that.

I'm not real sure what she'll like at this point.

Wish I could figure her out better.

I think this is every male's lament, at least from what I hear from guys at large.

I don't move to kiss her, but she comes over to me and wraps her arms around my neck.

It feels good. Especially since she did it first.

And she starts to cry again.

Fuck. What do I do NOW?

Like an idiot, I just stand there and rub her back. This seems to make her a little calmer, so I don't stop.

Finally, she's just sniffing a little.

"I'm such a mess," she pushes out her lower lip a little when she says that. She always does that when she's pouting.

It's kind of cute, actually.

"I talked to Mulder," I tell her.

"And?"

"Gave me some info. Whaddya say?"

She's real quiet for a while. She keeps hugging me.

I like that.

"I guess...I have to, don't I?"

"You don't got to do anything you don't want."

"No...I have to. I can't go on like this...you know, Michael, all the times I was growing up, things would happen to my mom...and I'd be really mad and all...but it was like, I could stay in control, I could make things better...and now something happens to me...and I'm not in control...and I'm so scared."

I let her ramble on. She needs to.

"I am so sorry I hurt you last night," her blue eyes are big and sad.

"Forget it. Let's just see what we can do about this. 'Kay?"

"'Kay."

"Brought your car back."

"Thank you." She buries her face in my shoulder. I look at Ally, she's so little and Langly's so tall, she couldn't get near his shoulder if her life depended on it, at least not standing up, but Kelly's head fits right there, real snug.

She's perfect. No matter what, she's perfect for me.

"I need to finish my lab report," she says finally.

"Yeah, I got to write a program and do some calc and write an essay. Tell you what? You wanna come out and we can study in the offices?" Right now, I'm not real comfortable going back down in her room.

But I still want to be with her.

She frowns. "I thought your dad didn't like people running around out there. Miranda says he's kind of strict."

"Yeah, well, we're just doing homework, what can he say? Besides, he's not even here. Went to pay a visit to Blonde Boy."

I'm totally bad, and I know it, but this makes me just a little jealous. I mean, I had a rough night, too, but he's with Langly...

Then again, I didn't say jack about it, and neither did anybody else.

Probably just as well.
 

Nobody out there but us.

However, nobody's got anything to worry about. We're not about to pull a Byers and Juliet.

Right now, I think that's going to have to wait...at first it was she wasn't comfortable.

And now I'm not.

God, this is so weird.

I sat her down at Langly's workstation-not like he's gonna be using it today, and it's right next to mine.

And we actually get our homework done.

Amazing.
 

It's pretty late in the afternoon when we get finished, and the sun's going down, but it's kind of a pretty sunset, and I feel like watching it, even though it's cold. I ask her if she feels like walking, and she says yeah.

We stay real quiet. I just put my arm around her while we're walking, and she does the same thing-slows us down some, but keeps us warm and it feels nice.

Beats her telling me to get my ass out.

"I miss my mom."

"Huh?"

"I miss my mom."

She's got to be kidding. If it wasn't for Mom, she wouldn't have these problems in the first place...

"You wanna go see your mom?"

She stops in her tracks. "You mean, like, go over to Warrenton and see her?"

"It's not that far."

"I know...but it's like, when I call her...she either says she's busy or she can't talk to me right now...it's like she's really mad at me. I don't want her to hate me..."

"She's got no reason to hate you. She should apologize to you for letting her loser guy do what he did to you."

"She can't do that! It's not like she could control him or something!"

"No, but she could choose better...she's got no reason to be mad at you, Kel."

At least, that's the way I see it.

Kelly and Mama may see it differently.

"You really think so." She's not convinced, but she looks like she wants to believe me.

"Yeah, I do." And I do. I'm sorry. I don't think this whole mess was Kelly's fault.

So why the hell are we the ones suffering for it?

And I really don't have any overwhelming desire to see her mom...I know the boyfriend's still in jail and all-his not being able to post bail does have its advantages-but Mom may still think this is all Kelly's fault-and she's probably still mad that Kelly quit on her and everything...

Mom's a drunk and she's not too bright and she doesn't think straight.

But Kelly still loves her and she misses her mama.

"So do you wanna go see your mom?"

"Like now?"

"Like now."

"You mean it."

"Yeah, I mean it."

"You'd really do that for me?" She seems like this is amazing or something, that somebody would do something for her.

"I'd really like to see her...just say hi, you know...I really wish she'd call or something."

"Then let's go. Only one thing. We have to take your car."

"Oh, yeah, that's right."
 

ALLY:

Langly should be able to leave soon.

He's groggy as hell, and he drifts in and out of it, but he seems to know where he is and what happened.

And he should be happy as hell-he got his Demerol.

I tell him this, and this makes him smile.

He's awake again.

"Is Joanie all better?" He asks pleadingly. This is how he's been prefacing every conversation each time he wakes up.

"We don't know yet. It takes a few weeks." He asks again, I'm going to tape the answer and play it back for him each time. "But she's doing okay. She's asleep, just like you are."

"Where's Joanie?"

"She's asleep in her own room."

"Okay."

This is repeated several times throughout the afternoon.

Around 4:15, he finally gets beyond this continuous loop.

"Hi," he says.

"Hi yourself. How're you feeling?"

"I dunno. Tired."

"No big surprise there."

"Did you see Joanie yet?"

"Been up to see her, but she was out of it, just like you've been. They say she's doing okay."

I guess okay works; she's considered to be in fair condition, which isn't great, but not terrible, either.

"You couldn't talk to her?"

"No, babe, she was sleeping."

"I gotta see her."

"Tomorrow. She's pretty out of it. And so are you."

Julie's come down a few times to check on her uncle, and she makes a final appearance now.

"Hey, Uncle Ringo. You're up."

He seems to find this amusing, but then, he is drugged to the gills.

"How's Joanie?" He tries this out on his niece.

"Mom is okay. She's very tired, but she seems to be holding her own. I need to get back up there, but Chris is with her right now...I swear, I may need Valium for myself if I'm going to be working in close proximity with him..."

"Are you going to be working with him?" This worries me.

"Not directly. But he will be there. I swear, I should've majored in drama instead of physics."

"I can come by tomorrow after class and before work, but I can't stay long."

She shakes her head. "The teacher brigade arranged rotations, and Jo's taking the day off to be with her. We've got pretty good coverage the next few days. You ought to go home and make sure my uncle's okay." She looks down at him. "This is about the quietest I've ever seen you, Uncle."

"Uh-huh." He's smiling this silly smile.

"Okay, well, I need to get back to Mom. You guys take it easy, okay? And thanks for everything."

She's gone in a flash.
 

MICHAEL:

I offer to drive to Warrenton, and Kelly lets me.

She's real nervous, you can tell.

I ask if her if she wants to bail out, she says no.

God, the place is even more depressing than I remember.

We stop at the diner, and Kelly's little sister runs up to hug her.

"Kelly! Where you been?" The girl looks utterly clueless.

As Kelly says, not right in the head.

"Is Mom around?"

"Nope. Mom's over at Foote's."

The bar. Great. Just what I need tonight-a foray into a redneck bar.

Maybe I ought to take the nose stud out. And the earrings. I've only got four on, but these guys around here, they probably think I'm a fag or something.

I hate these people.

"Aren't you gonna stay?" Tracy looks at Kelly like she's not getting it. "Mom says you'll be comin' back soon, and here you are."

Kelly shakes her head, and I think I see a tear sneak into her eyes. "No. I'm not coming back, Tracy."

"But Mom says!"

"No. I can't."

"But I miss you!"

"I miss you, too, Trace." She hugs her little sister, who, if she wasn't so fucking brain dead, would be kind of cute in her own way. "Maybe someday when I can afford a place of my own, you can come and stay with me. Would you like that?"

Tracy can't figure this one out. I'm dying to know which word tripped her up.

I know, I'm a bastard. And I know she's Kelly's sister.

But she's still too stupid to live. Sorry.

Kelly hugs little brain dead sister goodbye, and we leave. Least we don't get hassled this time.

"So whaddya wanna do?" I ask her. I kind of hope she says forget it.

Not a chance. She wants to go and find her mom.

"So where's Foote's?"

"Just up the road. It's not far."

We pull up to a fifth-rate roadhouse, with a bunch of old cars and Harleys and pickups parked outside. Wondeful. My kind of crowd.

I've taken the precaution of pulling out all my jewelry. I'd like to be as invisible as possible here, thank you very much.

Place is crowded-guess there's not much to do in Warrenton on a Sunday night except drink. I don't see Kelly's mom, but it's like Kelly has radar, she zeroes in on her right away.

She's at the bar, talking to some guy, drinking.

Kelly looks pretty bummed, but she goes over to her anyway.

"Mom?" How she's ever gonna be heard over the country-western on the juke, I have no idea, but she finally gets her mom to turn around.

I'm standing right next to her.

Her mom blinks at her like she's not sure this is her kid or she's just had too much to drink.

Probably both in this case.

"Well, you finally come to your senses and come back," her mom says, dragging on a Marlboro.

"No, I...I came to talk to you." Her voice is shaky.

"Talk to me 'bout what? If you ain't comin' back, what about?"

"Mom...I just came to see why you're so mad at me...I don't want you to be mad at me..."

Mom's had enough to drink that she's gonna get nasty. I can tell.

"Mom...I just wish, you know...that we could...that you could still be my mom..."

Mom's off now, about to combust spontaneously.

Got enough fuel in her to do it.

"What you need me for, huh? You got all your fancy friends and you don't want nothin' to do with your kinfolks, and you 'spect me to talk to you? And then you go and you get Troy in jail, and I's the laughin'stock of all the folks 'round here...business is bad since you up and gone, Kelly. I ain't got nobody." She stares pathetically into her Jack Daniels-I think that's what it is, because you can smell her mom even from where I'm standing, and it's amber in her glass. "Don't come round here, Kelly. You don't want nothin' to do with us, we don't want nothin' to do with you."

"Mom...I came because I did want to see you..."

"No, you didn't. You just come to make me feel bad. Well, girl, I feel bad 'nuf already, and I don't need you makin' me feel even badder...you think it's way more 'portant that you go and make like you can be a doctor instead of bein' where you belong, thinkin' you're so much better'n all of us...you don't care 'bout me none, Kelly. You never did. You only cares 'bout
yourself, and you always did."

"That's not true!" Kelly's starting to cry now. I put my hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Yeah it is. Now git. I don't need none of this. Things is bad 'nuf." Mom turns away from her, making it clear the conversation is over.

Oh man.

This was a BAD idea.

I walk Kelly out of the bar. Fortunately, just about everyone there's pretty wasted, and we don't get noticed. Plus I suspect a lot of women walk out of this place crying.

It just reeks of misery here.
 

She's nearly hysterical the way back. I live closer, so we were gonna take me home first, but there's no way I can leave her alone right now.

Unless that's what she wants.

No, I'm not gonna leave her be. Not like she is right now.

We're at Chez Frohike, outside, and I tell her I think she ought to come in with me.

She shakes her head, saying she doesn't want my dad to see her crying, but I tell her, it won't be the first time he's seen it.

She remembers, and she finally says okay.

I was kind of hoping Dad might be out, but no chance of that. The T-bird is parked in its space.

He's home. Oh well.

He can't grudge me taking care of a crying woman, can he?
 

Kelly runs into the bathroom when we get inside, and Dad asks me what the hell happened.

"We went to see her mom."

"Let me guess. It went badly."

"Dad, you're amazing sometimes. How'd you guess?" My voice is thick with sarcasm.

He's annoyed, but he lets that one slide. "Well, let's get some dinner in her...I tried a new recipe from Emeril's on the Food Channel."

His latest craze. Watching the Food Channel.

Actually, the couple times I've been around to eat the results, they've been pretty damn good.

Maybe the NBA lockout is having some decent effects on some people.

Kelly finally pops out, and my dad asks her if she feels like eating some spinach tortellini and rosemary bread.

I don't know if she's hungry or not, but she says sure.

She's kind of nervous around my dad, even though he's good to her. Maybe she doesn't know how you're supposed to act around a dad.

Not like I knew until recently, either.

I'm still figuring it out.

I got to say, Dad is turning into a killer cook. Jo was over one time on the weekend, and since there were no professional basketball games, she flipped over to the Food Channel, which she gets into because she likes to cook-and Jo's food is pretty good, a little bland, but she does good with it-and my dad got addicted. His favorite's Julia Child, because she's real funny and she messes up a lot, like real people do, but he gets into Emeril, too.

I just wish he'd quit the "BAM!" thing when he's cooking. Drives me crazy.

This stuff is awesome, though. He could give Ally a run for her money on this. I stuff myself to the gills-I'll be back at 140 in no time if he keeps this up. And beyond.

Kelly starts out kind of slow, but she's into it pretty quick. I mean, it's good. Real good. She's on like her fifth slice of rosemary bread when she says she can't eat anymore.

"But you'll miss dessert!" My dad looks upset.

"Dessert?" We both ask, amazed.

"I made a Sacher Torte. It's an Austrian cake."

"With Italian food?"

"Think of it as an international touch." He serves us slices of cake, and it does look totally incredible...

And I've got the most unbelievable sweet tooth in the world. For me, the battle of the bulge has no beginning and no end.

I love this stuff.

And Kelly likes it, too.

"I like a young lady who will eat," my dad tells her, and she smiles a little. "And you need some meat on those bones."

Oh, Dad, don't do that.

But she takes it okay. I mean, if I said it, she'd probably get all bent, but it's just my dad, and maybe she can be cool with it.

He has his after-dinner J&B, and he says to Kelly, "I'm sorry about your mother, young lady."

She looks down. "She hates me."

Dad shakes his head. "No. She doesn't hate you. She'll come around eventually, sweetheart."

Wish he wouldn't call her that.

"I don't think so," her voice is real tiny.

"She will."

"She says if I'm not coming back, she doesn't want to see me."

"She'll change her mind." He retires to the living room. "She's angry right now, but believe me, she'll think differently soon..."

Like my mom did. Right.

Dad, I hate to tell you this...but not everybody forgives everybody else.

END OF PART 58