It's almost like the hard times circle round,
A couple drops, and they all start comin down
Yeah, I might feel defeated,
And I might hang my head,
I might be barely breathing,
But I'm not dead -

Bring on the Rain/Jo Dee Messina

“Taking a midnight swim?” His father’s words echoed in the room.

“Father.” He muttered. “What do you want?”

“How is that Bennett girl? She seemed quite upset today.” Julian spoke from behind Fox.

“Why do you care?” Fox snapped. “She’s a local remember?”

“Nicholas I’m not heartless, I realize that it is hard for you to believe but it is indeed true.”

“You want to know how she is?” Fox asked standing up, “Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald wants to take her daughter away from her. So to answer your question she’s doing about as well as Theresa was when you took Little Ethan from her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, I’ve never been fond of Miguel myself. He’s a smug little punk.”

”Wow something we agree on. I just hope Kay can somehow win against Miguel.” Fox frowned. “I feel terrible for her.”

Julian looked at his son and let out a sigh. He wanted to connect with the young man on some level, any level, but he knew that would be hard. “You’re going to help her fight aren’t you son?” He questioned.

“She is a good friend of mine.” Fox shrugged. “If she needs me of course I’ll be there. She doesn’t deserve to loose Maria, it’s just not fair.”

“Nicholas I think we both know why you want to help Kay Bennett fight for her child. It’s the same reason you stood behind Theresa isn’t it?”

Fox’s eyes became angry as he turned away from his father. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” He fumed. “How dare you even bring that up to me?”

“Forgive me if I overstepped.” Julian sighed.

“I’ll just add it to the list of things you need to be forgiven for.” Fox spoke with an eye roll. “I’m upset for Kay because she’s a good mother. I was upset about Theresa for the same reason. Of course you could have saved everyone a lot of trouble if you had put your foot down with Rebecca. Of course that would have meant hurting Eve Russell and that just wasn’t going to happen was it?”

“Ethan and Theresa have their son, and Gwen is going to adopt on her own, in the end things worked out.” Julian tried.

“Worked out?” Fox laughed. “You must be joking. Gwen almost lost her mind, Theresa went crazy, but none of it mattered to you because your dirty little secret stayed safely tucked away. As long as Eve Russell remains happy you don’t care who you hurt! So stop pretending to care about me or anyone else for that matter.” Fox snapped.

“Let’s not bring Eve into this, I simply came out to ask if you were ok. I realize I haven’t been a good parent, and for that I am sorry, but I simply suspected you had your own reason’s for helping Kay Bennett.”

“My reason is because Kay needs a friend.” Fox spoke. “Don’t read something more into it.” The anger in Fox’s voice seeped through as he looked over at his father.

“Nicholas, if there is anything I can do to help your friend please let me know. I do regret the pain I caused Theresa, but you must understand Rebecca, she knows everything about my past with Eve.”

“And you must protect Eve right father?” Fox asked. “Because you love her so much?”

“It’s a love I can’t explain, she changes me, makes me a different man.” Julian nodded.

“Too bad she can’t make you a better parent.” Fox mumbled. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll take a dip in the pool before I go to bed.”

“Very well.” Julian frowned, “But my offer stands, if there is anything I can do to help Kay Bennett, please let me know.”

“Be careful what you ask father, I might just take you up on it.” Fox sighed as he dived into the pool.

________________________________________

Kay Bennett stood outside staring at the swing Miguel had built for Charity. Tears rolled down her face as she sat down on the ground and stared up at it. Her life had revolved around Miguel for so long. So many things had been blurred from her vision because of him. She had been naïve and foolish about his feelings, and now she was seeing things for what they really were.

“Kay? Kay it’s after midnight.” Her father’s voice called from the back door.

“I needed air.” She whispered.

“Oh Kay.” Sam frowned walking out to where she sat. “Talk to me.”

“I want this swing down tomorrow.” She spoke, “And anything else that reminds me of Charity and Miguel’s ‘love’, I need it gone.”

“Consider it done.” Sam nodded. “But you really do need to rest.”

“I was watching Maria tonight, watching her sleep. She looked like she was smiling when I was holding her, and when I put her down she woke up and reached out for me.” She smiled. “She loves me daddy, she needs me.”

“I know baby.” Sam spoke. “And she’s not going anywhere.”

“I’m scared daddy.” Kay whispered. “I’m so scared I’m going to lose her.”

Sam dropped his head and sat down beside his daughter, tears watered his eyes as he looked at his oldest daughter. “You won’t lose her.”

Kay nodded her head and looked back at the swing. “Remember when I was younger? I taught Miguel how to pitch under this swing. Then we’d come out there and sit and talk. This was our place, and then one day Charity was here, and Miguel was making her that stupid swing. What happened Daddy? Where did everything mess up?” She asked.

His daughter was broken. Sam realized just how fragile she was as he watched her. She was rambling, going from one topic to the next, he had saw her do this before, once when Noah had been in an accident, another time when Miguel had to have surgery because of a baseball injury when they were much younger. He hated to see her so sad, so alone, she was still his baby, even if she was a mother, she was still his child.

“You know, I never thought Miguel was good enough for you.” Sam spoke. “If he’d been more like Luis it might have worked, but he wasn’t strong enough. You need someone who can match you, you’re stubborn, and head strong, it would have never worked.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” Kay asked resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’m being honest.” Sam spoke, “And you don’t have to worry Kay, Miguel isn’t going to take Maria. You have a support system, people that are going to help you fight. You may be a single mom, but you’re a single mom with a family who wants to be there for you and that beautiful little girl.”

“Remember when you used to tell me one day I’d understand why you did the things you did?” Kay asked. “I get all that now. I never got it before, but now that I have Maria, I know that a parent’s love is just so deep. I never imagined I’d feel like this, like everything I do is about her.”

“Just keep that in mind during all this. You have more fight in you then Miguel ever will.” Sam smiled. “Now I think I’ll go in and peek in at my granddaughter before I go to bed.”

“Okay daddy, I’ll be in there in a few.” Kay spoke as Sam stood up.

“I love you Kay, and I’m not going to let you go through this alone.” Sam told her as he headed in the house.

Kay dropped her head as the door slammed behind her father, “Then why do I feel so alone?” She muttered.

“Because you brought it all on yourself.” A female voice spoke from above her.

Kay knew the voice, she knew it because she hated it. “What are you doing here?" She questioned rising to her feet.

“I’m staying at the B&B.” Charity Lopez-Fitzgerald answered. “And I saw you out here, so I thought it was time we talked.”

“Trust me Charity the last thing I want to do with you is talk!” Kay growled. “In fact what I want to do to you really doesn’t take any words at all.”

“Such a temper.” Charity spoke crossing her arms. “That’s not really mother behavior is it Kay?”

“Shut up! I could choke you with my bare hands!”

“Oh I believe that.” Charity nodded taking a step back. “I know you could easily kill me. You’ve tried before, haven’t you?” She asked.

Kay became pale, “What are you talking about?”

Charity shook her head, “I’m talking about how you had me froze in ice, you do remember that right Kay? When you zapped that Zombie up so you could get your hands on Miguel? I almost died, and you wouldn’t have minded would you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Kay stuttered.

“I remember Kay, I’ve saw all the things you tried to do to me in visions. From the fish guts at prom, to locking me in the cave and leaving me to die.” Charity told her, her voice almost too calm.

“No, you’re wrong. You’re crazy Charity, you’ve always been crazy!” Kay tried crossing her arms.

“Oh you know it’s true Kay. You know that I could ruin your life.” Charity spoke with a sly smile. “So that’s why you’re going to make things much easier for my husband.”

“I’m not making anything easy for Miguel! If he wants my daughter he’ll have to pry her out of my arms.”

“How do you think your father will feel when he learns just how evil you are? What do you think he’ll say when I tell him the reason you lived with Tabitha so long was because she is a witch and agreed to help you get Miguel with evil? What about the rest of the town? What about the judge?” Charity questioned.

“The judge will think you’re insane and you know it! What are you going to say Charity? I saw it in my visions? He’ll lock you up in a padded room.”

“You know all about padded rooms don’t you Kay? After all you had me locked in one of those too.” Charity replied still calm. “I’m willing to make you an offer Kay, one that can help us both.”

“I don’t want anything from you!” Kay fumed. “Just get out of my yard right now!”

“Give Miguel his daughter Kay, let me and Miguel raise Maria without a fight, and I’ll keep quiet. If you don’t by the time I get done laying all your evil doings out for your friends and family, they won’t even think about helping you. Ethan won’t help you, your father will hate you, and you’ll still lose Maria. Think about it Kay, because either way, Miguel and I will get Maria and you know it.”

“I always knew you were a horrible person deep down.” Kay growled. “And if you don’t get out of my face right now, you’re going to look like the monster your really are.”

Charity rolled her eyes, “You’re threats don’t bother me anymore Kay. I have Miguel, and I will have your daughter.” Kay’s hand smacked against Charity’s face turning it red. “You’ll never have Maria, do you hear me? You’ll never have my daughter!”

______________________________________________

“You can’t do this!”

“Oh yes I can!”

“No, you can’t, you just cant!”

“Watch me!”

Theresa and Ethan stood face to face in his apartment her eyes huge as he declared that he would help his sister fight for Maria.

“Ethan, Miguel is my brother, you can’t fight against him.” Theresa pleaded.

“Oh yes I can Theresa, Kay is my sister, and Miguel is the one who wants to take her daughter. How can you not see why I have to do this? He’s doing to her what Julian did to you! Do you remember Theresa? Do you remember how it felt to have your son ripped from your arms? My sister doesn’t deserve this, and I will help her!” Ethan vowed.

“I don’t agree with Miguel’s actions.” Theresa finally spoke dropping her head, “But he’s my brother and mama has always taught us to stand by each other!”

“Even when one of you is dead wrong? He’s wrong Theresa! Kay was happy with joint custody, she was going to make that work, but he wants more! I want us to work Theresa, but you have to understand my family is important to me. This is the first time that I have a chance to help Kay and I have to do it. She’s a single mother just like you were, and Miguel has a high profile attorney helping him. She’s going to need me. You do understand this don’t you?”

Theresa moved away from Ethan, “I get what you’re doing, and I know what Kay is feeling, but Miguel is still my brother.”

“And Kay is my sister.” Ethan answered back quickly. “I’m going to help her Theresa. I just wish you’d look at the bigger picture here. What Miguel and Charity are doing is wrong; surely you can’t stand behind him after what Julian put you through. Now you told me today that you think you know why Miguel is doing all this, please Theresa can you give me his real motive.”

“You want me to stab my brother in the back?” Theresa asked. “Ethan I don’t know about that.”

“You’re not stabbing anyone in the back, you’re just helping me understand why he suddenly showed up and told Kay he wanted their daughter.”

Theresa dropped her head, “Well it really didn’t make much sense to me, but Miguel told me on the phone one night that he had this huge fight with Charity. She had some sort of vision of him and Kay together in a shower. He told her it wasn’t true but for some reason that vision really freaked her out. If whatever it was she saw had been true I’m not so sure she would have stayed with Miguel. I just thought maybe that was the reason, maybe Miguel feels he needs to cut all ties with Kay so he can have a happy marriage.” Theresa explained.

Ethan thought for a moment and frowned, “So Miguel is trying to take Maria because his wife is jealous? Theresa, was Miguel telling Charity the truth? Was the vision wrong?”

“He told me it was, and Miguel is a very honest person.” Theresa shrugged. “I just can’t see anything like that ever happening. Charity has had a lot of visions that turned out be wrong somehow. Miguel told me she was just worrying for no reason.”

“Thank you for being honest with me Theresa.” Ethan smiled. “It’s really good to know I can trust you.”

“I love you Ethan, and I don’t want to ever lose you again.” Theresa nodded. “But Miguel is still my brother and I don’t want to see him lose Maria either.”

“I’m really sorry it’s came down to all of this Theresa.” Ethan frowned. “I really am.”