The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter 33
 
 

Simone Russell felt the sunlight come into Kay's room. Though they had stayed up watching movies late, for some reason, she wasn't tired when she woke up. She got out of the bed and took a shower.

She was downstairs, going through the Bennett refridgerator for muffin ingredients, which Grace always kept. She was just putting the first batch of cranberry-orange muffins into the oven, when Grace came down.

" I thought I heard someone down here. Simone, what are you doing up?"

" For some reason, Mrs. Bennett, I couldn't sleep late. Maybe it's my internal timer."

" Oh. Well, I'll put out the cereal and the bowls for everyone."

Grace and Simone worked to set up the table for breakfast. Kay and Jessica walked down into the kitchen within seconds of one another.

" Where were you?", Kay asked Simone.

" I couldn't sleep late. So, I came down for some breakfast. Complete with homemade muffins.", Simone said with a smile, proudly as she held the tin full of muffins.

" They smell great, Simone.", Jessica said.

Just then, Sam walked in the back door. Kay went over to kiss her father.  " Tough night at the station, Daddy?"

Sam looked at Kay with confusion until he saw Grace's eye signals.

" Oh yeah, honey. But, nothing I couldn't handle. "

" Well, you sit down, and you get some breakfast.", Kay insisted, leading Sam to the table.

Sam sat down and looked over to Grace, who had pleading eyes.

" You know what? This looks great. But, I forgot to leave some instructions for the office. Let me go call."

Sam gets up and goes into the living room. Grace is already in the foyer, and he gets over to her.

" Well?", she asks.

" I found TC. He's in bad shape."

" What happened?"

" I don't believe it myself. "

" What?"

" Chad Harris is EVE's son."

" What?"

" By Julian Crane."

Grace stood there, as Sam just nodded to her, telling her that she's not imagining things.

Grace was still struck dumb and looking at Sam, when Jessica makes her way over to them. Seeing the intense looks on their faces, Jessica asks, " Mom, Dad, everything ok?"

They were startled by Jessica's presence. They snapped out of it and went immediately into 'cover' mode.

" Sure honey, nothing's wrong. Right, Grace?"

Grace nods to Sam and Jessica, and then pipes up,  " Everything's fine. Why don't we go finish breakfast."

The three of them walk into the kitchen, where Charity has joined them. Charity is over Simone's muffins, when she drops her plate.

" Charity, are you ok?", Grace asks.

Charity nods. Grace goes over to her, and rubs her arms, trying to comfort her.

" I….I just had a vision."

" Of what?"

Charity is silent for a bit.." I…I see a woman, and she's crying. She's in so much pain."

" Who is it?"

" I can't tell. I can only see her from the back, and it's from a distance, but, she's on the floor crying. She's in so much pain."

" Well, honey….if you can't remember the face….I don't think we can do anything."

" No…I guess not."

" Come on. Let's finish breakfast."

They were all eating, and Simone was finished, so she got up and went to the sink to wash her dishes. Once she was finished, Simone went towards the phone in the Bennett kitchen.

" Simone, who are you calling?", Kay asks.

" My grandmother. Just to let her know I'm on my way home."

Just then, both Sam and Grace shouted, " NO!", to Simone.

Everyone else in the room looked at them with curiousity.

" Mom, Dad, why can't Simone call her grandmother?"

" Yeah, why not?"

" It's…it's because your parents are there. She's fine."

" But, I thought you said my parents were at the Harmony Hotel?", Simone asked, looking at Grace. " They wouldn't be home until the afternoon. When they do things like that, they always enjoy a room service breakfast in bed, and don't check out until the last possible moment. Why would they be at home?"

Sam looked at Grace and apologized with his eyes for not knowing the lie that she had told Simone.

" Well?", Simone asked, looking at Sam and Grace. " Why shouldn't I call my grandmother."

" Simone, you just.."

Before Sam can finish, Simone has already dialed  her house.

" Russell Residence."

" Dr. Alexopoulous? Is that you?"

" Simone…hello."

" Why are you answering the phone at my house? I'd like to speak with my grandmother."

" She's not here. "

" Ok, what about my Mom or Dad."

Maggie's looking over at George with a look of desperation, and he shrugs his shoulders.

" Your father's not here, and your mother is resting."

" RESTING? What do you mean RESTING? My mother will talk to me. GIVE HER THE PHONE!",  Simone says, yelling into the phone.

By this time, Grace has come over to phone and taken it from Simone. " Maggie, it's Grace. It's ok. We'll handle things over here.", and she hangs up the phone.

" What's wrong with my family, Mrs. Bennett? Chief Bennett?", Simone asks, looking at Sam. They are silent.

" Fine. If you won't tell me, then I'll find out for myself!" Simone is out of the kitchen door running. Sam wants to run after her, but Grace stops him.

" Sam, let her go."

" Grace, I gotta go. I have to."

Grace nods and watches Sam leave. Grace turns to the three curious faces in the kitchen. Grace doesn't say anything, but, begins to clean up the breakfast dishes. As she begins running the dishwater, Kay comes over to Grace and quietly asks,

" This is bad, isn't it?"

Grace can't even look at her daughter, so she nods. "Worse than you can imagine."

Kay hugs her mother, who holds onto her tightly.
 

Whitney is in the Lopez-Fitzgerald kitchen with Theresa and Pilar, when there is a banging on the door.

" Who could that be?", Theresa asks.

" WHITNEY!! ARE YOU IN THERE?", a screaming voice yells.

"My God, that's Simone!"

Pilar gets to the door first and opens it. Simone rushes in. She has tears streaming down her face.

" Simone, what's wrong?!", Whitney asks.

" Something's wrong at home."

" What do you mean?"

" Something's wrong, Whitney! Mrs. Bennett lied about Mom and Daddy going to a hotel, and Grandmere's not there, but, Dr. Alexopoulos is, and Daddy's gone too. And, she wouldn't let me talk to Mom. Something's wrong! Something's wrong!", Simone said, breaking down in heavy sobs.

Whitney held her sister in her arms. " Honey, I'm sure there is an explanation for everything. Why don't we go home and see?"

" Are you sure you want to do that Whitney?", Pilar asks. Whitney looks at Pilar curiously. " Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, do you know what's going on at our house? Is Simone right? Something is wrong?"

" I..I don't know what's going on at your house."

Whitney could realize an evasive answer when she heard one. She took Simone's hand, and said, " Let's go. I'll drive."

When they were gone, Theresa turned to Pilar and asked her, " IS something wrong with the Russells, Mama?"

" I'm afraid so, Theresa."
 

Whitney and Simone rushed into the house.

" Mom? Dad?", Whitney yelled.

They saw Maggie and George on the couch, and Chad in the corner.

Whitney went over to Chad. " Chad, what's wrong? Do you know what's wrong? Something wrong with our parents?"

Chad looked up at Whitney and Simone's confused and concerned faces. He couldn't say anything to them. He was in a daze.

They rushed over to George and Maggie. " Is anyone here?"

" Your mother is upstairs."

Whitney and Simone run up the stairs to their parent's bedroom. They knock on the door.

" Mom?", Whitney gingerly asks, as they push the door open. Inside, they see Eve, who hasn't changed out of her clothes for the night. Their mother is so still. They walk over to her carefully. They could tell that she had been crying.

" Mom?", Simone said, tenderly trying to wake her up. Eve awoke slowly. She opened her eyes, and thought that she was imagining things.

" Simone? Whitney?", Eve asked. " Is that really you?"

" Yes, Mom.", Whitney replied. " It's us."

Eve sat up in the bed, and looked at her daughters. She drew them close to her for a group hug. They could hear their mother's sobs as she held them.

They stayed that way for a few moments, but, Eve broke away from them.

" What's wrong, Mom?", Whitney asked.

With each of her hands, she stroked her daughters' faces. " You know, all I ever wanted was to make sure that you two were safe. I love you both so much….you know that, don't you?"

" Of course, Mom. We know you love us.", Simone said, tears in her eyes. Neither one of them had ever seen their mother like this.
" Mom, tell us what happened.", Simone prodded gently.

" I didn't know……you have to know that I didn't know. I had no idea. I….I would have told you if I had known. I love you so much."

" Mom, we know you love us. Just tell us.We can handle it.", Whitney said.

" It's….it's about Chad."

" Chad?", Simone asked, confused.

" Yes, Chad. A long time ago….well, I lied about my life. The life I had before I met your father. My life was very difficult. I…I had a relationship with a man, and as a result, I….I got pregnant."

" Pregnant? Before me?", Whitney asked confused.

" OH MY GOD! YOU ARE CHAD'S MOTHER!", Simone shouted, filling in the blanks.

The room was still as Whitney looked from her sister to mother in confusion and horror. She was waiting with baited breath to hear Eve tell Simone that it wasn't true.

" Mother?", Whitney asked quietly.

Eve had tears in her eyes, and she nodded. " Chad is my son."

Simone looked at her sister, who looked like she had just been stabbed.

" No…..No…..NO!", Whitney shouted, darting out of the room.

" Whitney!", Eve yelled after her. Simone helped her mother out of the bed, and they went after her, and by the time they got downstairs, they could already hear Whitney yelling,

" Tell me it isn't true! Tell me it isn't true! TELL ME, DAMMIT!"

When they got to the living room, they saw Whitney, on her knees, in front of Chad, pounding into his chest, yelling at him, while he said nothing, and took the beating. George came over and pulled Whitney off away from Chad, and over to the couch. Eve tried to go over to Whitney, who yanked herself away from Eve's touch.

Eve looked at all her children, in the same room, for the first time, and went over to the wall to give her the strength to stand, and began to weep all over again.

Nobody said anything, and all that could be heard were the sobs of the Russell women.

The silence was broken when they heard the door open. Everyone looked up to see TC and Madelaine standing there.