Topic: Heart

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2015-11-07 17:37 EST
Maple Grove Manor was the beating heart of the Granger estate outside the city. You couldn't go far within its walls without hearing the voice of the patriarch, Humphrey, or the squeal of the next generation at play. But there was one voice that had been silent for a very long time.

It did not belong to a throat, nor even to a single person, shut away in a special room that had not been used for several years. Once, it had been the much beloved sanctuary of a confused teen, becoming the quiet place for the young adult that teen had become, and in memory of that young person, Humphrey had made sure to keep that silent voice well tuned. So many memories, in a single place.

Kaylee paused in the doorway of the music room, unnoticed by the inhabitants of the manor as she entered. There were the tall windows, bright with afternoon sunlight; there were the racks of instruments, of woodwind and brass and strings, each one a childhood memory of someone in the family. The sheafs of music, original and bought, lay undisturbed in their pigeonholes. She smiled faintly, knowing that her own first scribblings held pride of place in those untouched piles. But there, illuminated by the shaft of sunlight, was her oldest and dearest friend.

Shining black, kept polished and loved even though it had fallen silent, lay the grand piano on which she had learned to play. She knew the sound of each key by heart, the unique sound that only this piano could produce. She had missed it terribly, but only now had she gathered the courage to come back to it. Long fingers stroked over the ivory keys as she took a seat on the wide, long bench, her feet finding their accustomed place on the stops below. And slowly, quietly, she began to play with light fingers the lullaby Humphrey had sung to her, and to so many others, when they were barely more than infants, letting the notes come forth without the need for thought, to haunt these much loved halls once again.

It was the sound of music that drew him - like music had soothed the savage beast, drawing him forth from the study where he'd been contemplating a game of chess with Humphrey, to see who it was that was making music on a piano that had mostly been forgotten. Jon came to a halt in the doorway, surprised to find it was Kaylee there - the one cousin he hadn't quite reconciled with, the one cousin he still felt a little awkward with - though he remembered nothing of what had happened between them before his memory had been stolen. He frowned a little, knowing they'd once been close, but that was before. So much had happened, so much had changed. And suddenly, he felt guilty, like he was seeing something he shouldn't see, watching her quietly there, the music flowing over and through him, touching his heart with some inexplicable bittersweet sadness. She had been there with them when they'd rescued Tiernan and Faolan, and they had barely said two words to each other.

As the music grew in strength, her voice rose to meet it, the words coming so easily to her tongue as she smiled at the memory of Humphrey holding her little brother as he sang it to them both. "....come, let me love you; come love me again ..." Unaware of her audience, Kaylee let the music find its feet, let the piano teach her all over again how to play it the way it had not been played for too many years, and felt a bright smile touch her lips as the song drew to its close. "....like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean; you fill up my senses, come fill me again ..."

The song touched something inside him - a long, lost memory perhaps - as insubstantial as gossamer, buried so deep inside him, he couldn't put his finger on the familiarity of it. It was a memory, of that he was sure, but of what or who, he couldn't be sure. Something from childhood, perhaps - some lost, fragment of memory that belonged to him but would never be wholly his again. He found himself tearing up, a lump forming in his throat, though he wasn't quite sure why, except that it was sad and lovely. He recognized the song, of course, but not why it held such profound meaning for those who'd lived at Maple Grove.

As the last notes died away, Kaylee fell silent, her fingers still stroking against the keys with fondness. Perhaps it was the quality of the silence; perhaps it was simply a learned understanding of when an audience was listening; but she knew she wasn't alone any longer. There was only one person who would stand quiet and not interrupt that quiet spell with applause or cheers in this house. "This seat is big enough for two, you know, Jonny."

Startled that she knew he was there without missing a note or even looking his way, he only stood there silently a moment, unsure whether to stay or go. Nothing was pressing on him at that moment. Emily and Ben were napping, and the house would remain quiet for a few hours yet. And still, he lingered in the doorway. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," he apologized quietly.

She turned where she sat, offering her cousin her smile - not the smile everyone remembered from the carefree Kaylee she had been in her youth, but something older and somehow more liberated. "You're not interrupting," she assure him, patting the seat beside her in invitation. "I figured it'd draw you out if I started playing. Not that I don't love your family, but I wanted to talk to you."

"No one plays anymore," he said, though that wasn't quite true. The piano got a little use at holidays and parties sometimes, but nothing quite so intimate as this. The confession that it was him she'd wanted to draw out with her playing surprised him, though he supposed they had to talk sooner or later. He crossed over to the piano, a small frown on his face. "How did things get so weird between us, Kaylee" Humphrey says we used to be close." Oh, he knew what he'd been told, and he knew he was at least partially to blame, but why had it taken so long to get to this moment"

Her smile faded as she considered the answer to that question. A kind lie would have been easier, but this was Jon, and she had always been honest with him. "You and Correy broke my heart," she said softly, "and I was too young and too selfish to be able to accept that with any kind of grace. First love, Jonny; I thought it would last forever, and it barely even lasted a week. I wasn't very kind to either of you for a long time afterward, and I ran away. It's hard to accept that your own brother thinks so little of you that he'd do that." She frowned, sighing softly as she looked down at the keys. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to forgive Correy for what happened. Some things don't "just happen", they have to be at least hoped for in advance. But if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have Taylor."

Jon wasn't so stupid or ignorant of his past not to know what had happened, though he didn't remember it. Correy had been there when he'd awoken, after all, and Kaylee had not. He knew they had both loved him in their own way, and he had betrayed their love, but that wasn't who he was anymore. It wasn't just his life that had been changed by a bullet. "I know apologies will never make up for what happened, and I know you don't have to forgive me, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure the man I was then never meant to hurt you, and the man I am now ..."

He shrugged his shoulders, knowing words were just words, no matter how much he meant them. "When I woke up in that hospital room, everyone was a stranger to me. I was a stranger to myself. I don't remember any of it, but that doesn't mean I don't care. I think some part of me has always cared about you, Kaylee, even if I wasn't sure how to express it. I think I was searching, even then. Just looking for someone to understand me when I couldn't even understand myself."

"Jon, I forgave you a long time ago," she told him. "I watched you struggling with yourself when you came around, and the way you tried so hard not to disappoint everyone who was expecting you to be the same. I'm glad you found Vicki. She's good for you, much better than I would ever have been. And I understand, a little bit, about searching, about suddenly being a stranger." She touched his hand gently. "I'm not here to make you feel bad, Jon, or to go over old ground. You're always going to be my Jonny, the big brother I never had. Even if you don't remember my childhood and the influence you had on me, I do, and I will always love you for being there for me. I'm just not in love with you. You don't compare to Taylor." She smiled teasingly, daring him to take offense.

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2015-11-07 17:37 EST
It took him a moment to respond, to find his voice, and even when he did, he didn't trust his own voice not to betray his feelings, but she deserved to know the truth. "I felt like I lost everyone for a while there. You, Correy, Lena, everyone." The rift with Lena had been hard, but they were closer now than ever before, even if she wasn't living at the Grove. "Vicki saved me, just like Taylor saved you. And ..." He paused a moment again to gather his words or the courage to say them. "I'm not the same person I was then, Kaylee, and it's not just because of ....because of what happened, but I want us to be close. I want us to be a family again. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like my life is a puzzle and you're one of the pieces that's been missing." He reached for her hand to wrap his fingers around hers. "I want you to be part of my life again, Kay. I miss you."

She let him wrap her fingers in his, smiling at the contact. "I've been lost for a while myself," she admitted. "Even after we dealt with ....the thing that was responsible for my problems, it took me a while to find my feet again, and I'm still stumbling sometimes, Jonny. Without Taylor, I wouldn't even be sane. But I'm me again. Not the me most people remember, but I think I'm better for it. Tay and I, we're thinking about getting a house, and ....we think we're gonna take a look around the Grove and see if there's anywhere that'll suit us. We're coming home, Jonny."

Jon smiled back, his eyes suspiciously wet. They had both faced their own demons and not only survived, but become better people because of it. A trial by fire, perhaps, but they had been strong enough to survive. "I'm glad, Kay," he told her, sniffling like an idiot and laughing at himself for it. "We can always use another babysitter around here," he teased, bumping her shoulder with his own.

She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "One of these days, I'm gonna call in all these babysitting favors I've been handing out, you know," she threatened cheerfully. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Well, to get your opinion on it, anyway."

"Me?" he asked, brows arching in astonishment. Whatever could she be asking for his opinion on' She was a musician; he was an actor. Now that they were both teaching at the Shanachie, they crossed paths more often than ever before, but he had a feeling whatever it was she wanted to ask him was more of a personal than professional nature. "I think you already know what I think of your music," he said, though he was only guessing what all this might be about.

Kaylee smiled, shaking her head. "It's not that," she assured him. "At least, not completely. I mean, I've done the performing thing, and I still write. I don't think I'm ever going to stop writing. But I have all this knowledge - I can play all these instruments, and I know about voice technique and performance, and ..." She sighed, trying to pull her thoughts together. "How do you think I'm doing at the teaching thing?"

"How do I think you're doing?" he echoed, brows furrowing curiously. "I'm not sure it matters what I think, but so far, I think you're doing fine. Why?" He could have asked her the same thing of himself. He had no credentials to teach; he could only share what he already knew himself and hoped some of it rubbed off on his students, but so far, he'd heard no complaints, and he was trying to make his classes fun. There wasn't much point in teaching them if they weren't enjoying themselves.

"Because ....I've been thinking about becoming a singing teacher," she admitted shyly. "I have my own keyboard, I can travel to people's houses. Or I could sign on with a school. Obviously, I'd be better one on one, but I can handle small groups, too. And with auditions at the Shanachie, there's gotta be people who'll want to take lessons to get themselves up to a certain level. I could get people onto the grades they use on Earth, or help them reach performance level. And get paid for it, that's the main thing." She chuckled. "As much as I love keeping house, I feel bad about not contributing as much as Taylor does. Living off my allowance is kind of a cop out, you know?"

He considered her question a moment, wanting to give her not only an honest reply, but a well thought-out one. "Honestly' I think you should follow your heart, and your heart has always been in music. Do you enjoy teaching?" he countered with a question of his own, and one he thought more relevant even than whether she was doing it well. Anything could be learned, but if you weren't enjoying what you were doing, there wasn't much point in pursuing it, he thought.

"I ....I don't know," she confessed uncertainly. "I mean, with the STARS kids, there's a clearly defined goal. We are working toward the performance at the end of the semester, and I can work with them and polish them, and they're learning technique slowly. Some of them are never gonna be singers, but there are a couple ..." Her smile suddenly turned secretive. "Let's just say I'm looking forward to seeing the looks on people's faces when they open their mouths."

"Okay, have you approached them or their parents to ask if they'd like private lessons?" he asked further. He knew she wouldn't want to play favorites, but if some of them had real talent, she might be able to help them hone that talent.

"Well, no," she shrugged. "People, you know" I'm kind of wary of people. Not that I think any of those kids' parents would try and hurt me, not at all, I just ....I have issues. That, and one of those families is anticipating something pretty huge very soon and I don't want to add to the stress."

Jon smirked, knowing exactly who she was talking about just from the tiny hints she was giving him. "If you're talking about who I think you're talking about, you don't have to worry." After all, he knew that particular family very well - better than some of his own family members - and he knew she had no reason to worry what they might think.

Kaylee smirked back at him. "You think I should talk to them?" she asked him. "I was gonna wait until things settle a little, but ....that kid has talent, Jon. Seriously, it would be a crime for it to go untrained. Even if she never does anything with it, she should learn all the things her voice can do."

"Yeah, I think you should," he replied. "And I can guarantee they won't react the wrong way. In fact, I'm pretty sure they'd be thrilled, but in the end, it's up to Fliss." Oops, he'd spilled the beans, but he needed to know he was on the right page. "Liv is on maternity leave right now," he continued, though she likely already knew that. It was hard to miss Sol taking care of business in Liv's absence. "Honestly, I think it might be a relief. Fliss has had it pretty rough."

"She keeps pretty quiet during the sessions on Saturdays," Kaylee nodded. "I don't think she realizes how pure her tone is. It would carry through a crowd of screaming zombies; it carries the melody line of whatever that group sings. And she just doesn't seem to realize it's her. There's a lot more to her than a kid who occasionally sets off sparks." She nodded. "Okay, so ....maybe I should hold off on making any sweeping decisions with my life, but offer private tutoring to the kids who catch my ear?"

"It's a start," he agreed, thinking it was better to start out small than take on more than she could handle all at once. He would have suggested talking to Fliss or Liv and Johnny himself, but he thought this was really something Kaylee needed to do herself. "And you know, I really don't think Taylor cares whether you're contributing to the household income or not. He seems like a good man. I'm happy for you, Kay." He slipped an arm around her shoulders to give her a brotherly hug.

"He's a very good man," she nodded, leaning into Jon's embrace with a warm smile. "And he's seen more than his share of tragedy. I ....I just hope I can bring a bit of that sunshine Humphrey's always saying I have into Taylor's life. He needs it, more than anyone I've ever known."

"It sounds like he brings sunshine into your life, too," Jon remarked. Though he might have been a little aloof when it came to Kaylee, he had at least been observant, and he couldn't help noticing how much the pair doted on each other. "I've been there, Kay. I know what it's like to be ....to be afraid of your own shadow. Rufus and Lei taught me how to fight back. I'm sorry I wasn't able to repay that debt," he told her with a sad frown. Lei's death had hit him hard, though he had hardly said a word of it to anyone but Vicki. "But it was Vicki who brought me out of the darkness. If it wasn't for her, I'm not sure even sure I'd be here right now." He knew that for certain.

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2015-11-07 17:38 EST
The mention of the Slayer brought the prickle of tears to Kaylee's eyes. It had been during those first difficult months after Lei's death that she herself had been embraced by Taylor's family - by Rufus and Bethany, by Jason and the twins. Miranda had always been there, but it was a different feeling now. But it hurt, to know that this sense of family had come from such tragedy. "From what I know of her, she wouldn't have let you pay her back," she told Jon quietly. "She loved the fight, it was in her blood. And for her sake, we'll make sure her daughter never hears that call." She squeezed Jon's hand, smiling as he talked about his wife. "Well, one thing Vicki is good at is making you shut up and stop angsting. That's an education to watch, let me tell you. Did you know the end of your nose blushes when she pinches your ass?"

That could have turned into one of those angsty moments, if it hadn't been for the mention of Vicki's uncanny ability to distract him away from that angst. It seemed maybe Kaylee had a little of that talent, too, as evidenced by his laughter. "I know now, but I doubt there's anything I can do about it. What can I say' She likes my ass," he added with a smirk. He didn't really want to talk about Lei right now, but he was glad her daughter would have a good, loving home with Miranda and Rufus.

"Oh, I think there are a few places on you she likes better than your ass," Kaylee teased him fondly, leaning back to look her cousin over. "I didn't get a chance to say, last time I saw you ....You did good, you know" It isn't easy, facing something that doesn't look like you should be afraid of it. Someone should teach you how to reload that rifle in a hurry, though, if you're gonna be leaping out of bed to join in every time a call goes out."

"I wasn't exactly leaping," Jon admitted with a frown. "I don't really belong out there, Kaylee. I'm just an actor playing a part, but Des and Piper and Lyneth are family. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to them and I had done nothing to help. That's what family is for, right?" He wondered how much she knew about the darkness he'd faced over the last few years - the darkness that had coming calling at the door and almost cost him his wife and daughter.

"Exactly," she said gently. "So you should let your family look after you sometimes too, okay?" She reached over to hug him. "I wouldn't have let anything happen to you, Jonny, if it had come to a fight. Rufus says I'm downright scary when I have a weapon in my hands, but he could be talking about the fact that I nearly gave him a really close shave a while back. I maintain that he shouldn't have given me sharpened knives."

"Kay, I'm not a complete slouch when it comes to fighting. I learned from the best," he reminded her, though he didn't go into they whys and wherefores of that experience. It was likely Rufus had already told her what had happened while she was away, and he didn't really want to relive it by explaining further. He just wanted her to know he could take care of himself and his family, if he had to. "How'd we become such badasses anyway?" he asked, with a chuckle.

"We're just naturally awesome," she giggled, squeezing him once again. "Okay, so ....I guess I should go and chat up the Storms before their kids get home from school. How are you guys doing with a werewolf in the house?"

"So long as she doesn't decide to have a Benji or Emily sandwich, just fine," he replied with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure she's harmless so long as no one tries to hurt Tiernan. She seems pretty attached to him. I'm no fortune teller, but I'm predicting another Granger wedding in the near future." Though neither Tiernan nor Faolan were technically Grangers.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Kaylee nodded. "Not, you know, about the mating wolf thing, although that's pretty sweet. The whole no biting thing, that's the goodest part of this." She paused, reviewing that last sentence in her mind. "I think Lyneth is spending way too much time with me."

"Goodest?" he echoed, chuckling. "Yeah, she tends to rub off on you, doesn't she?" The smile faded a moment as he turned serious. "I've never seen her all grown up before. I didn't even know she could do that. I mean, Des told me a little, but he has his own secrets to keep. You two are pretty close, huh?"

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Kaylee chuckled. "First time she did it, she went AWOL on me when I was babysitting to save him when he got stabbed." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smile for that particular memory. Jon's mention of Des, however, made her smile fade as she considered him. "We're not as close as we seem," she told him quietly. "Not any closer than I am with you. It's a different relationship, you know" You're my big brother that isn't, you're a big part of the memories that make me who I am. With Des, I was the babysitter of choice with Lyneth when he and Piper were just starting out, and then a couple of years ago, Rufus started training me, and we've sparred a lot. It's a very different relationship with him, to the one I have with you, Jonny."

"I'm not jealous. A little envious, maybe," he was quick to point out, a little ashamed of himself for feeling that way. "I always thought I was the eldest. I guess I was wrong, huh?" He chuckled, but there wasn't a lot of humor in it. "I wasn't too sure what to make of him when he first got here. I don't think he was too sure what to make of us either, but things have worked out well, and he and Piper are happy together." There was that thoughtful pause again. "After, you know ..." He didn't put a name to what had happened between Piper and Ollie, assuming she'd be able to fill in the blanks. There were a few family members who'd disappeared over the years, lost to time maybe. People came and went, and Grangers were no different than the rest of them.

"Just because he's older than you, it doesn't negate the fact that you've been a big brother to more than just Lena for twenty years," she pointed out with a faint smile, leaning into him. Absent family made her sigh quietly. "Caroline's still looking, you know" She won't give up, not until they come home, or we know for sure why they won't. Might never find anything, but she'll keep looking."

"I think Lena was mad at me for a long time," he admitted regretfully, though it was more likely she was worried about him more than anything else. "We're okay now, though. And she's really happy with Tommy." The talk of absent family made him frown further. "Yeah," he replied, unsure what to say about that or about Ollie's disappearance. "We may never know for sure." But then, there were those lost sheep who'd returned to the flock, like Kaylee and Edward and a few others.

"All we can do is protect the nest, you know?" Kaylee shrugged. "No matter who decides to live in it. Some things are out of our control, and that includes family." She hugged Jon gently. "C'mon, show me your sleeping midgets, and then I gotta get moving. I want to be home before dark."

"Okay," he replied, hugging her back before getting to his feet. He paused a moment to look around the room, that frown in place on his face again. "You know, maybe we should try and make use of this room again. You could give lessons here, if you want. It would make Humphrey happy to hear music in the house again."

"Well, you gotta have more kids if you want a Granger choir, dude," she teased him laughingly, rising to her feet. "I'll come back," she promised, shaking her hair out of her eyes. "Maybe I'll give lessons here, we'll see what the Storms have to say about it.."

"I'm sure Fliss will be happy to know she's your first test subject," Jon teased back. "By the way, Lilac Cottage is empty. It needs a little work, but I think it might suit you and Taylor," he suggested as he led the way to the door.

"Lilac" Where's that - is it out on the edge, or closer in?" she asked, not able to place the cottage he had suggested for them. "I was kind of hoping to find somewhere pretty close to Miranda and Rufus, for Taylor's sake. He keeps leaving the decisions to me."

"It's not far. Between here and Rose Cottage. A short walk." He smirked as another thought came to mind, and he bumped her shoulder again. "You know, if you treat me right, I might let you drive the Bentley to STARS classes sometime," he teased. "So long as you promise not to drive like a maniac."

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2015-11-07 17:39 EST
"Uh-huh. I'll swing by on my way home, then." She glanced at him as he bumped her, laughing at the offer. "Well, in that case, if you're very good, I'll let you ride my Vespa sometime, too." She flashed him a bright grin, one hand suddenly reaching out to still him where they stood in the hallway. Laying a finger against her lips, she smiled. "Listen."

A rough voice, hoarse with disuse, was singing, soft and low, the same lullaby that had drawn Jon to the music room in the first place. Humphrey's lullaby, Annie's Song.

"Your Vespa?" Jon echoed with a laugh. "I'm sure that will be a treat!" His laughter was cut off by Kaylee's gesture warning him to be quiet, and he fell silent, ears perking to the unmistakable voice of Old Man Granger's singing. Jon had heard it before, singing quietly to his own children, but it was a rare treat. "He's happy these days," Jon told her, his voice a hushed whisper. It was no big secret that Jon was fond of Humphrey, as fond as one might be of a father or a uncle. Jon had desperately needed a father figure, and Humphrey had longed for another son. It was a perfect arrangement, but Jon knew Humphrey wasn't getting any younger.

"I haven't heard him sing that in years," Kaylee murmured softly, more than happy to stand perfectly still and listen until Humphrey was done. His wasn't the smoothest or handsomest voice in the world, but it was his. "Not since Correy was tiny."

"He sometimes sings to Benji and Emily, but I don't think I've ever heard him sing that," Jon replied, thoughtfully, and his memory didn't go back far enough to recall having heard him sing it as a child either.

"He sang it to all of us, when we were tiny," she told him gently. "Some part of you remembers it, or you wouldn't have come looking when I was playing it before. He sings it for his daughter, who died when she was a baby. That's why we all know Annie's Song."

"Oh," Jon replied quietly, sadly even. Sad not only for the memories he no longer had, but the grief Humphrey had suffered. Jon could not imagine ever losing one of his children - it was probably a parent's worst nightmare, and one Humphrey had suffered through. It was all the more reason to try and make the Old Man happy while they still could. "I wish there was some way I could make it better," he mused aloud, not quite realizing he was already doing that.

Kaylee nudged him with one elbow. "You do make it better," she pointed out to him. "You brought family back into his home. Even better, you brought your wife, and you've given him children to play with. You made the manor the heart of Maple Grove again. You shouldn't discount yourself so easily, Jonny."

"I-I just wanted us all to be a family again," he said, as if making light of what he'd done to help make that happen. She was right about one thing, though - the manor was the heart of Maple Grove again, and it felt good to be surrounded by family and friends and know they all had a place and a family to come home to. "Promise me something, Kay?" he asked, reluctant to let her go until he heard something else from her lips.

She eyed him, the mischievous child she had always been teasing him without words for a moment. "That depends on the promise," she warned. "I'm not in the market to rent my womb out for anyone, not even my favorite cousin."

He laughed at her remark, glad to see her in such good spirits, despite everything she'd gone through. It made him feel hopeful. "I don't think we need any help there," he replied with a smirk. Knowing Vicki, she was already tracking her cycle and sorting out when would be a good time to get pregnant again. "Just ....Don't go away again without saying good-bye, okay' And don't be a stranger. Now that I have you back, I don't want to lose you again."

"Oh, Jonny ..." She reached up, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm home again, and I have something here that I wouldn't find anywhere else in the multiverse. So I want the same promise back from you."

He wrapped his arms around her to return that hug, blinking back the tears that were threatening again. "You have my word, Kay. I feel like I've finally found what I've always been looking for." And what was that elusive something he had spent most of his life searching for? Just family. That was all. And it had been here all along.

Here, at the heart of Maple Grove, where he had made his home, was everything he had been searching for. Home, hearth, family, and love. Their family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to - was held safe and sound at the heart of the Grove. Right under his nose.