You're Scaring Me

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kaylee2_icon.gif

Scene Title You're Scaring Me
Synopsis Worried about her family back in Kentucky, Kaylee makes a call home.
Date July 12, 2011

Phone Booth… somewhere in the city


She tries to ignore the sound of cars passing, the honk of upset drivers. The sound muffled a little by the payphone booth she's standing in. The graffiti that decorates the windowed walls isn't even glances at. Kaylee is focus is on the phone itself. She's scared. It's not hard for her to admit.

The news reports. The papers. The death toll.

As far as she knows her mother and grandmother are just as normal as the rest, just as vulnerable to this new strain. A flu that a man from their future started early, bent on wiping out anyone that isn't special. What if she calls and there is bad news? She already feels the guilt of staying so out of touch. What if…. So many what ifs… Best to stop with them and just do it.

Taking a deep breath, Kaylee finally gets to dialing. No reason to keep putting this off.

One ring…

Two… Three…

Fo…

"Hello! You have reached the Thatcher residence." That bright sing songy voice of her grandmother makes Kaylee sag against the side of the phone booth. She presses a hand to her forehead and sighs heavily, trying not to let the tears start up. Her eyes prickle with the threat of them. It surprises her just how worried she was.

"Hey Granny," Kaylee says as brightly as she can manage, the words hitching just a little.

"Kaylee Anne Thatcher!" The tone of her Granny's voice has Kaylee winces, the woman rarely raises that voice, but when she did you knew you were in trouble. "You keep droppin' off the face of the earth. Do you know your phone don't work anymore? How are we goin' to get in touch if somethin' bad happens? Hmm?" The younger woman endures the verbal smack down. "I hope you have a good explanation for all this."

"I wish I could tell you I did."At least something she could tell her Granny. The woman deserves one, but Kaylee had to keep certain aspects of her life secret. Even to her family. " Look… How… how are you and mom? Y'all keepin' healthy?" Tho' she had tried to keep the twang out of her voice when she lived in New York, when she talked to her Granny it always peaked through. "I see that stuff on the news about sickness and I get worried."

"Oh we're good, baby doll." Sounding like she's dismissing it. Probably with a flick of her hand and an aloof lift of her chin. "Doctor says I'm fit as a fiddle for my age." There is pride in that admission. Not surprising since the old woman had a love for life, despite all the comments about not having much time left. "Says I'll outlive the lot of you and I am inclined to believe him. What about you, honey? Like you said, there is that awful flu going on. "

"I'm safe from that, Granny." Of course, as soon as she says it, Kaylee regrets her wording. She hasn't really told her family what she is, especially the fact she's a telepath. It's one of those abilities that put people off, make them suspicious and avoid you. She doesn't want to see that sort of look in her own family.

And her grandmother picks right up on that wording. Suspicious now, she starts slowly,"I don't know how…?" She somehow makes a statement end up sounding more like a question.

In that phone booth, Kaylee's eyes roll upward at herself and she sighs heavily. "It's complicate and I'd rather not talk about it over the phone, Granny." Didn't see right that she tell her BIG secret over the phone.

The older woman is quiet for a moment. "Well, if that ain't all suspicious." There is a heavy amount of concern there.

"I know."

"Clearly you need to make a visit home and come explain." Granny is always wanting her to come home. She never liked Kaylee leaving in the first place. Protested her granddaughter's decision to move to New York. Too far away!

"I know." It's tempting. A part of her wants to flee home and cling to her family. To tuck them away and keep them protected from this virus. There was too much here that needed her, at least in her mind. Someone special in her life. Or maybe she was making excuses.

Kaylee gets pulled from those thoughts, by the sharp voice of her grandma. "Don't 'I know' me. Do it. You're scaring me. Your momma and I are tired of being all in the dark all the time. For a bit there I really thought we were makin' progress." Every time. Every time she brings that up. Then her Granny says something that sucks all the tension out of the air. It sounds more like a demand, but it still cuts that tension like a knife. "When you do come home bring that man of yours."

There is a huff from the telepath who was starting to tear up, feeling shame even tho' her grandmother couldn't know the truth and frustration cause she couldn't know. The comment about Joseph, makes her relax a little. "I'll see what I can do Granny, but he's been awfully busy. You know how those Pastor can get busy." Course, it ain't church stuff that has got him busy.

"Well, I would like to meet the gentleman who is wooin' my granbaby." Vivian sounds rather resigned to the fact, that it might not happen. Disappointed too. "It's only proper anyhow if he's serious about anything."

"Granny. Times are different," is Kaylee's bland reply.

"Don't tell me you dun gone and got married on us!"

The exclaim is loud, making her pull the phone away from her head with a wince. "No no!" Kaylee exclaims back, feeling the need to correct her rather quickly. "Not yet, anyhow. He's a divorcee. I'm not hurrying anything along. Time heals and he might need it. He ever wants to marry me, he'll ask when he's good and ready. If he does, I'm not waiting around for 'proper'. Life is too short for things like that." Dreams made her see that. To hell with proper.

Silence.

Then she hears a slightly whispered, "I can not believe you just said that to me," from her grandmother. There is a lot of hurt in that voice, making Kaylee feel much like crap under someone's foot. Vivian was a master at that.

But Kaylee forces herself to not back down on it, adding, "You and Grandaddy didn't wait." They got married quickly at that. "Started a family rather quickly after that I think I remember momma tellin' me." It's hard. Telling off your elder like that, but this wasn't something she was gonna let that old woman win.

"Touche, my darlin' grandbaby." Kaylee expected anger, not amusement. Her Granny sounded like she was holding back a chuckle. "Still I'd like to meet him. The fact you have kept this one so long is a miracle. Or should I say… It's a miracle you found a man that can handle your wild ways. "

"One day."

"Soon."

"I can't make that promise anymore," Kaylee growls out in irritation, suddenly ready for the conversation to end.

"What have you gotten yourself into child." The question is gentle, concerned.

Kaylee knows she should go. Soon. Could be the last time she gets to see her mother and grandmother. With the talk of sending people out to other countries. What if… there she goes again with those. She needs to stop. Either way, Kaylee knows if her and Joseph continue on their path, she'll go where ever he goes. That is where her life is now.

"Honestly, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Kaylee's life is more like something you read in books anymore. Tho if sparkly vampires start wandering the streets, she might have to check herself into a mental hospital.

"Mmmm" is the reponse from her Granny. It's a sound that says, 'I don't believe that' or maybe even 'try me'. "I want a great-granbaby one day so keep safe out there."

"I know." The telepath doesn't say 'You'll never live to see him.' No way she's gonna tell her grandmother her a time traveling step-daughter from the future told her about a child. Well… told Joseph anyhow. Even just thinking it she feels like she's crazy. "My life doesn't allow for it right now… plus I am not going to scare away the best thing that's happened to me, just cause your great- granny clock is ticking," she teases gently. "You can't hurry these things."

It always amuses her that they have this conversation every time. It's almost traditional… and she doesn't always know if the old woman is joking or not. "I gotta get going, boyfriend is waiting for me." Could be true, or she could be saying it just to get off the phone. "Keep safe with that flu everywhere. It's spreading and I'd like you to be able to see your great-granbaby someday. Tell momma to keep healthy too."

"Alright baby girl." Vivian long ago gave up trying to get Kaylee to talk to her momma. "You stay safe and if you ain't gonna come out and visit me, call me more then once in a blue moon, hmm?"

"I'll try," Kaylee promises, smiling a little. Sad really. She misses them so much.

"Good girl. I love you, babygirl."

That moment right there. Kaylee suddenly gets the urge to jump in a car and leave. To go home, just so she can hug the old woman. Hold her tight. It makes it hard for her to talk without choking up.

"Love you too, Granny."


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