2020-03-02 - Reunited

Katy had been burying herself in work for weeks. While she'd allowed herself to take the time off to have a romantic getaway to Vancouver with Jonathan, for the most part, she'd kept herself busy, despite her lack of a good night's sleep over the last little bit. She decided to invite her favourite cousin to catch up with her, maybe have her sample some of Jonathan's cooking. Erin for the most part had gotten updates to their love story via text while she'd been busy, the only person to have ever gotten those updates. She felt this need to be surrounded by people she's closest to. So she reaches out to Erin and invites her over one evening for dinner and catching up.

Erin rather enjoyed the updates, living vicariously through her cousin for one. Having kept to herself for the most part since Christmas, she's come over after being invited for a meal and conversation. There's a knock at the door of her old apartment but she does look a little hesitant to step inside.

Inviting someone for dinner means having to come up with a good meal. And that's something Jonathan enjoys. So for now, he's in the kitchen, making sure everything is looking okay. Something that makes him quite relaxed.

More often than not, Katy finds herself drifting off on the couch late into her day, and it's not until she hears Jonathan in the kitchen getting ready that she sits up quickly, realising what had happened. Just in time to hear the knock on the door, she bolts to respond to it. Opening the door, Katy wraps her arms around Erin before she can even step into the apartment, quickly saying "I know this is totally uncomfortable and weird and just not a good spot for you, but I needed a place to stay. I love Uncle Patrick but I was sure as hell not staying with him forever." She blurts everything out quickly in typical Katy fashion, at least typical when she was a teenager. She's a bit more subdued these days.

Erin allows herself to get wrapped in the hug and she smiles to herself, comforted by that very gesture. Comforted enough to step inside. "It's fine, Katy, really. Things feel different here than they did before. Especially with Uncle Thomas missing and Gohl buried now. I'm not so afraid that he will come here and hurt anyone anymore." Another squeeze to her cousin before she separates. "If you guys ever want to come over, you're more than welcome, since it's just down the road." Bayside also, but likely they both are aware where it is. Giving Katy an indulgent smile, she nods. "I am glad you got the place. It's a very lovely apartment."

Jonathan smiles as he watches Katy head to the door, smile widening a bit as he hears the blurting everything out. Taking a few moments to make sure everything is okay with the food, he steps away from the kitchen to greet their guest. "It is a fantastic apartment," he says, agreeing with a nod.

Stepping aside to allow Erin to enter the apartment, Katy says, "I know we have things to discuss. Don't worry about Jonathan, he already knows everything, even though I was told to keep it within the family. Jon's more family to me than most Addingtons are. So you can speak freely around him, he won't tell anyone." Leading her cousin towards the kitchen, she offers, "Do you want something to drink? Water? Juice? Soda?"

"Juice would be amazing. Any flavor." Erin smiles at the two of them. "Hi Jonathan, it's good to see you again. It's been awhile." There's a quiet look to Katy before she nods easily enough. "Okay, I know that you and he have always been close. I'm so happy to see you are together again. So very happy. One day he'll make an honest woman of you." A wink to the two of them. "Then he'll be Mr. Addington." A little joke about him taking the Addington name, just teasing if her smile is read right. "Something smells so good. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"Hello," Jonathan replies, before he adds, "Glad you could come." As for the joke about the name, he grins, "Well, it was someone else using a different last name while booking a hotel room recently," he offers, a bit lightly.

Katy places both a carton of orange juice and apple juice as well as a glass on the countertop for Erin to choose a drink as Jonathan explains what she had done previously. "I just wanted to see how it would fit. You gotta admit, Katherine Wallgren has a nice ring to it." She smirks. Turning to Erin, she simply says, "I'll let those comments slide because you're you and I missed you." She adds, "You are in for a treat, because Jonathan is a total magician in the kitchen. You will love what he's doing."

"Katy Wallgren. Katy Addington-Wallgren. Either will be good. I think you'd make a perfect married couple." Erin isn't teasing about that though, she means it. There's a grin to Jonathan at his comment and she laughs as she looks between them. "I missed you too, Katy, so much. I'm hungrier than I thought now that I can smell what's cooking. I didn't know he could cook.. I wonder if Ryan can. Something to ask him next time." She walks over to the counter and opts for orange juice, one of her favorites. "August, you've met him haven't you? He introduced me to a local bottled beverage company that sells pear cider. Pretty green bottles. I usually keep loads of that in my refrigerator lately. It's so good. Should try it sometime."

Jonathan smiles as he listens, "It sounded rather nice," he agrees with Katy's words about the name. As he hears Erin's words, he nods a bit . "You think so?" It's asked with a smile, before he shrugs a little at the mention of his cooking skills. "There are better cooks than me, but I enjoy doing things in the kitchen," he replies, a bit more quietly, before he pauses, "I don't think I've been to that bottled beverage company."

Katy was never much of a drinker, but she had been considering picking up a new vice. "I'll check it out sometime, Erin." She grins at Jonathan then tells Erin, "He's just being modest. He's great right now, could you imagine how awesome he would be with some training?" She chuckles softly. From the current interaction, Katy seems to be keeping up her usual energy, but Jonathan knows that she hasn't been sleeping well. The one telltale sign that remains from it is that because Katy isn't wearing makeup, the bags under her eyes are a bit more visible. Still she keeps up the charade.

"Oh yeah I think so. It's so good to see you both happy." Erin lifts her hands in playful surrender. "I'm definitely no cook at all. I can reheat things or follow directions on a box, but that's about it." She gladly talks about the drink. "It's pear cider, they even have apple cider in bottles. So good." Alcohol free. "I bet he is being modest, but it works for him." Another smile for the both of them, despite there being concern for her cousin. Erin has been kept awake as well but makeup does wonders! So does her expensive wardrobe!

"I must say it's quite nice to be happy like this," Jonathan replies, with a smile, before he pauses at the mention of training, but all he says is "Well, it makes me relax, which is good," he offers, before he smiles at the mention of the cider as well. "That sounds quite lovely," he offers.

With a sigh, Katy admits, "We have a lot of catching up to do, Erin. It's been a weird month. February really did a number on me. I guess the biggest part of all of this is that dream about the sawmill. It's been bothering me for a while and with Uncle Thomas being gone...I don't know, I feel like I have to do something, investigate, look into the old sawmill, like I need to know what this all means. I'm tired of being a bystander to all of this. But at the same time, it's dangerous, and I've been told not to do it. And a part of me wants to forget about the old sawmill and just move on. But there's also a part of me that wants to know."

Guilt flashes over her features even if it's brief. "I can't believe Uncle Thomas is gone.. whatever we do, we can do together. Grandmother won't even see me and she's disowned me completely. I cut the ties of William Gohl from Uncle Thomas which cause his downward spiral. It was just awful. I understand you wanting to explore it more and to investigate. Maybe we can all get together and try and find out. Or you and I could go to the sawmill. It's dangerous there though. Maybe there is safety in numbers. I have some friends. Isabella and Alexander would possibly help. Hya too, and her friends." Erin gives Jonathan an apologetic look. "I am sorry for dumping all this on you guys too."

"Such things usually need a bit of planning and research to be able to get done safely," Jonathan offers, before he pauses at Erin's words, "She's disowned you completely?" Pausing for a few moments as he hears that. "Sorry to hear that."

"Well...there are plans already in place. At least, we had a conversation about it at Addington House last week. Enzo, Kyle and I have agreed to go. I'm sure Enzo's already recruited others. And Hyacinth too." There was a pause. "I spoke to Isabella about the trip. She's one of the people who advised me not to go. I'm not sure she'd be interested in helping, just from the vibe I got talking to her." She shrugs, turning to Jonathan, as she added, "There's little information I could get. Aside from Isabella, well, it doesn't seem like talking to the family helped any."

"Thank you. I was sorry to hear it also, Christmas alone was awful, but it's been good just getting to know me again without her hovering over me. I miss family but I still have everyone else." Erin nods to Katy, "Please let them know I would be interested in helping." There's a hesitation before she murmurs. "I understand Isabella not wanting to go and I won't bother her with it then."

"Come with me, you don't need permission from anyone if you want to help. I would feel a lot better if you came along. It's not like I'm particularly close to Hyacinth or Enzo. I would have just shown up anyway if the meeting hadn't happened. It was actually Kyle who mentioned going first then all of a sudden, Enzo was organising things. It got me a little confused." Katy shrugs. "I'm sorry things have been so rough, Erin. If it helps, I didn't get a chance to spend Christmas with you or with Jonathan because of deadlines and tying up loose ends before moving. I can understand how lonely it can get."

"Never easy when you lose what's been the normal life for you." After all, Jonathan knows that quite well. He nods as he hears the rest of the conversation. "Maybe she will join once she knows it's not just one person going there alone, but a larger group?" he suggests, before he nods at what's being spoken.

"Well, it's three of us so far, and one maybe. As far as the family goes anyway," Katy is quick to report.

"I agree, Jonathan and I understand. I know you miss your career." Erin considers it before shaking her head. "It's really a family issue, I'd definitely go and help. I get along well with Hyacinth, she's very powerful. She helped so much with the Gohl situation. So did August, Isabella, Byron Thorne, Itzhak and so many others. Too many to name." Leaning in she gives Katy another brief hug. "Neither one of us have to be alone anymore. We'll have each others back."

Katy shuts her eyes for a moment, the world feeling like it's spinning. "I think I need to go something for this headache," she says quietly, "I'll be back in a few minutes." She quietly steps away and heads to the master bedroom.

Jonathan looks about to say something, but when Katy heads off towards the master bedroom, his gaze follows him, concern on his features. Letting out a bit of a breath, he looks back to Erin. "She's had trouble sleeping lately," he says, before he adds, "It worries me quite a bit." There's a pause again, before he offers a smile to Erin, although it might be a little distracted. "I'll always miss my career, but lately, I've come to terms with it being gone," he offers, a bit quietly.

Erin watches her with the same concern, tilting her head a little. "I'm a healer," she tells Jonathan absently. "I wish I could help her. I wish I could help her with far more than her headache. I wish I could protect her from the evils of this town. As happy as I am to see her back and to know you both are back together, this place is so dangerous." She watches where Katy went for a moment longer before turning her attention fully on Jonathan. There's a more tentative smile there. "I think having Katy is distracting you from the loss perhaps?" Reaching for her orange juice, she takes a drink and holds the glass to nurse it for now. "Has she seen a doctor or anything?"

"We all know the danger in town," Jonathan replies, before he nods a bit. "But I wish I could protect her from all the dangers and evils as well. I mean, I can probably do a lot, probably most of it indirectly, but still, I wish I could do far more." As he hears the part about her distracting him from the loss, he smiles, "She's become the light that makes me able to get out of the darkness of my mind," he replies, quietly. For the part about a doctor, he sighs. "Not about the headache, I think. Unless she spoke with my mother about that."

"I know we all know, but sometimes it seems worse than other times." Erin considers things, even the headache and his darkness. For several moments she is silent. "I know you missed her when she was gone and I'm sorry we sort of lost contact except running into each other now and then in the Waffle Shoppe. Especially after you returned and I knew you weren't doing so well. I'm glad you're together again though. So glad."

Katy returns a few moments later, with something to help with her headache. Advil. She helped herself to a glass of water and took the Advil to help dull the ache in her head. She can feel the concern from both Jonathan and Erin, but she keeps to herself for a moment. "Sorry about that. I guess the insomnia lately hasn't really helped with the stress headaches."

Jonathan smiles. "What's done is done. And losing contact was probably just as much my fault. After all I were keeping away from people every now and then." He nods a bit as he hears Katy's words, smiling to her. "It's okay," he offers.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I'm all degreed up now and officially a nurse! I've been considering working in the hospital and not just Joey's Gym. I can heal both physically and with my.. glimmer powers." Erin nods to Jonathan, "I understand keeping to yourself. I've been doing the same."

"Only in case of emergencies, okay?" Katy acquiesces after a moment, "I would be stupid to deny the help you can provide, but I've heard stories about what you've been through...you don't need to take on any more than that, Erin. You deserve a break. You deserve to some taste of a happy normal life." Katy is passionate and sincere when she says this, tears building up in her eyes. She has a lot of anxiety built up and so many things she's afraid to say.

Jonathan smiles as he looks between the two of them. "Congratulations, on being all degreed up," he offers to Erin, before he smiles at Katy. "I've wondered if we should get you some kind of sleeping pills or something, just so you'd get a good night's rest," he says, after a few moments of pause.

"Oh Katy, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Or so the song says. We Addington's should be really strong by now." Erin goes for a reassuring tone. As dinner gets finished, she moves to have a seat, placing her orange juice on the table or island, wherever people sit. "Just know I'm here if you ever need." A word of thanks is also offered to Jonathan for his congratulations.