Disclaimers: Remember WENN and its characters are copyright Rupert Holmes,
Howard Meltzer Prods and AMC. No infringement is intended. Original
characters and the story is copyright Michele Savage

Comments: I finished a story! I took certain dramatic liberties with this
story, but made sure to make it seem as logical as I was able to make it.
Hope you enjoy it and feedback is as usual always very welcome. In fact.. I
crave it! Feed Me! :-)

Reunion

By Michele Savage (11/00)

Gertie glanced up as the front door opened and a young woman walked in. She was dressed in a comfortable looking brown suit, one that looked as though it was hand made. Her mid-back lengthed auburn hair was neatly pulled in to side barrettes and a small brown hat perched smartly on her head. She looked around the station and fingered the book and handbag that she carried nervously as if she wasn't quite sure of being there.

"Can I help you?" Gertie finally asked.

"Oh," The girl, who looked no older than twenty-five, answered, "I'm ... I'm looking for a Miss Hilary Booth? I've heard she works here."

Gertie smiled, "She's on the air at the moment," and turned the radio volume up enough to be heard, "but if you have a seat right behind you, I'll let her know you are here as soon as she's available."

"Thank you."

"What's your name, honey?" Gertie asked.

"Janet. It's Janet Milford."

"Lovely name." Gertie looked at her watch. "The show still has about ten minutes, would you like something to drink while you wait?"

"No thanks. I had plenty to eat on the train."

"You just get into town?" Gertie asked, "where did you come in from?"

"Saint Louis."

"My such a long trip. " Gertie's curiosity was on edge. "Did you see Hilary in a show there or something?"

Janet smiled, "My need to see Miss Booth is personal." She liked the receptionist, but was a little off put by her questions. She had enough questions, and didn't want to answer anyone else's, until she had her own answered. She settled back and listened to the radio. She tried to distinguish the voices, wondering which one was Hilary Booth. Janet took a deep breath, she couldn't believe she was actually here. "Which is Miss Booth?" she asked.

Gertie named each different voice as she heard them, Maple, Hilary, Jeff and Mackie.

Now that she knew what Hilary sounded like, Janet listened carefully, wanting to become familiar with the voice. Soon it became apparent that Hilary was fighting with the man Gertie identified as Jeff Singer and that the argument had nothing to do with the program, which Gertie identified as 'The Hands Of Time'.

Gertie laughed, "If Hilary doesn't storm out of the studio first, they'll be kissing and making up in about five minutes, mark my words."

Janet smiled, "are they married?"

"Depends on the time of day that you ask." Gertie replied.

Moments later, Gertie heard a commotion near the studio and glanced up to see Hilary storm into the green room. With an "excuse me" she cautiously crept into the room.

"Hilary, if you could put the loathing of your husband aside for just five minutes, there's a young lady in the lobby who wishes to speak to you."

"Oh? A fan?" Hilary asked, her mood beginning to brighten.

"She's from Saint Louis, we don't transmit that far. She did say it was personal." Gertie explained as she left the room.

Hilary followed with a glance into the studio. Catching Jeff's eye, she quickly turned away, letting him know she was still angry.

As the two women rounded the corner Janet looked up. She realized the woman behind the receptionist was Hilary and stood, her hand subconsciously going to her hair to make sure it looked all right. The moment she saw her, Janet knew that her search would in fact end here. She was beautiful. More beautiful than she'd ever imagined. And she was speaking to her.

Janet shook the moment off, "I ...," her stomach suddenly knotted and she had no idea what to say, so she retreated. "I shouldn't have come, I'm sorry." Janet turned on her heels and fled the station.

Confused, Hilary followed. "Wait!" When the girl stopped near the elevators, Hilary walked to her. "You came all this way, surely you had a good reason."

Janet turned. "I think you're my mother," she blurted. The moment she said it, she regretted it. That wasn't how she'd planned to approach the subject.

Hilary was taken aback. "I don't ..."

"I knew I shouldn't have come." Janet said wistfully, then turned again to the elevator.

"No!" Hilary said quickly, stopping the young woman as she reached for the elevator button. "I mean...stay, you've had a long trip. Surely you are hungry."

Janet turned and smiled slightly, "I am a little."

Hilary approached the girl again, "Let me just grab my purse, we can run down the The Buttery and have lunch." Hilary left the girl in the hall, saying she'd be right back and walked into the station.

"Well, who is she?" Gertie asked, her curiosity overtaking her common sense.

Hilary leaned against the desk and quipped matter-of-factly, "she's the love child I had with John Barrymore."

Gertie huffed, "Oh, Hilary when are you going to stop over-dramatizing things?"

"The day you stop spreading gossip and rumors about me, Gertie, dear." Hilary smiled brightly and walked into the green room. She found Jeff sitting at the table.

"Jeffrey, I'm going to dash down to the Buttery for some lunch with a fan."

"You want me to go with you?" he asked, noting the recent argument had apparently been forgotten.

"No, darling, but I may call you in a little while to join us." She grabbed her purse and with a pat on her now confused husband's shoulder, left the room.

Hilary left the station, collected Janet and together they walked to the Buttery. They were quickly shown a table and given menus. Once their orders were taken the two women lapsed into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Hilary looked for any trace of resemblance in Janet. She'd be twenty-one now, Hilary thought. If indeed this girl is...oh, stop it Hilary it can't be her.

"Where did you say you were from?" Hilary asked after her few moments of reflective silence.

Janet replied, "Saint Louis. Well, Belleville, Illinois, actually, but I was born in Saint Louis." Janet opened the book she carried and pulled something out of it. "Would you like to see a picture of me as a baby?"

Hilary started, surprised at the question, "Oh, no. That's pers--" her refusal was interrupted when Janet handed her the picture and she had no choice but to look. She swallowed hard as she recognized the baby in the picture. It couldn't be. Hilary looked Janet over and flustered, trying not to admit she'd recognized the infant, "you certainly grew into a lovely young woman."

"Thank you." Janet smiled.

Hilary watched Janet for a second, then came to a decision. She picked up her purse and pulled a picture of she and a baby out of her wallet. A baby that she'd always passed off as a cousin. "You were born in a dingy hotel room near LaClede's Landing assisted by a midwife who had the coldest hands I've ever felt."

Janet noticed the much younger Hilary in the picture seemed happy to be holding her. "Can I ask you something, Miss Booth?"

"You know my darkest secret," Hilary said dramatically, then softened her expression, "ask away. And please call me Hilary."

"Why? I mean, you look happy in this picture."

"Sweetie, that's such a long story and if I tell it, someone else needs to hear it too."

"Your husband?"

"Yes, Jeffrey should know. It's really the only thing I've ever kept from him." Hilary was thankful that the waitress interrupted their conversation to bring the meal. She'd noticed the disappointed look that crossed Janet's eyes when she'd admitted keeping the girl's birth a secret. "Ahh," Hilary brightened, trying to cheer up the mood, "these French Fries look wonderful. Pass the catsup would you dear?"

"So tell me about yourself?" Hilary asked, just before biting into her burger.

"Well, there's not much to tell, really." Janet said, "I grew up in Belleville, Illinois. I have two older brothers and a sister." she continued with a jovial voice, "mom always said she adopted me, so my sister could have a fighting chance with the boys."

Hilary smiled to hide the unexpected pang of jealousy when she heard Janet refer to her mother. "sounds like quite the housefull."

"Oh, we had our moments." Janet laughed, then turned a little pensive, "seems like the family is breaking up now. Both my brothers enlisted as soon as they heard we were in the war, my sister is married and I left to pursue my dream of finding my mother."

"I hope you had no big expectations." Hilary said, suddenly nervous about just why Janet was looking for her. "it sounds to me as though you had a wonderful family. I can't really compete with that."

"I'm not trying to replace my family. I just had this need to know. I've always felt different, somehow." Janet explained, "when I was sixteen, my mother told me I was adopted. From that day, something inside me needed to find you. I wanted nothing more than to know who my real mother was, and now that I've found you, I'd like to get to know you. No strings, really. I just want to know where I came from."

Hilary glanced at her watch, "it's time for me to get back to work. I have a radio show to do in ten minutes. Are you staying at a hotel?"

"Yes, just down the street here."

"I'll tell you what. You pack your bags and check out of the hotel." Hilary told her, "I'll swing a few things with Betty and see if I can't get Jeffrey and I free for dinner. We'll go to dinner and come back here for the evenings shows and you can stay with us. How long did you plan to stay in town?"

"Well, I was renting the room by the day, in case my hunch was wrong. My train ticket is open ended, I can leave whenever I need to."

"Could you stay a couple days?" Hilary asked, "just a couple? I'd love to get to know you, too."

Janet smiled, "what time should I meet you for dinner and where?"

"We'll go to Winston's about seven." Hilary paid the bill and left the tip on the table. "You have enough for the taxi?"

"Oh, I'll take the trolley, it's no problem. I'll see you at seven then." Janet said goodbye and left the restaurant.

Hilary watched her leave and wondered what her life would have been like had she been able to keep her daughter. She shook herself out of the illusion and turned to the more pressing thought of what she was going to tell Jeffrey.

The rest of the day advanced, but Hilary barely noticed. She did everything by rote, her mind on Janet. Since the girl had unexpectedly reentered her life; a thought, that she'd had long buried, now awoke. She had somehow deluded herself that the baby had ceased to exist the moment she left her in that orphanage. Now the age old question would not leave her be; could I have kept my daughter?

Unwittingly her mind was again going over the many possibilities and as usual that small selfish voice kept saying that it was better that she'd left the baby. She'd have been in the way. In the way. Hilary hated that voice. She had then and she did now. With a jolt, she realized that small voice had won.

Catching the sob before it left her throat, Hilary suddenly realized where she was. She was in the studio of a radio station and it's occupants where staring at her expectantly. She suddenly felt very out of place. She looked at her script and a tear fell onto it. It dropped to the floor, she looked at the people around her, then silently left the studio.

She retrieved her purse from the green room and walked past reception and Gertie's questionable glance. She could hear those in the studio trying to regain control in her absence. She'd apologize later, she dimly thought as she left WENN and walked to her one place of refuge. The ladies room of the abandoned office next door to the station.

Hilary sat in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. She saw herself again as she had so many years ago. Through the eyes of someone who'd done the same thing her mother had done to her. Selfishly abandoned the one person who would have never stopped loving her. And she cried. Long forgotten tears of an old pain that was new again.

Once she'd cried until she could no more, Hilary looked at her reflection with new eyes. That selfish voice had taken control and she'd let it. It had covered the pain and the grief, but it had also covered her life. She closed her eyes and mentally locked that voice in a box in her mind.

Her reflection now seemed wrong. She reached up and pulled her hat off. She removed the pins from her hair and finger-combed through so it fell naturally to her shoulders. Her reflection now looked more comfortable. More real. She was seeing herself, her true self, for the first time in years. Hilary pulled the sides of her hair back, tucked them into a soft roll and pinned them. She liked this style, it suited her.

She sat and took stock of her life. She had a wonderful job, friends who felt more like family and a husband who adored her. The daughter she'd abandoned all those years ago was back in her life. All told, she was very happy. She thanked the selfish voice for giving it to her and reminded it that it was no longer needed. She could, no she would, be fine now. Hilary smiled at her reflection as she saw Hilary Booth...Singer, smile back. She stood with new strength, and old strength she'd forgotten, grabbed her hat and left the room a new woman.

Hilary walked into the station, saw the clock, and realized they had just over an hour before they needed to be at Winston's. Noticing Jeff was on the air, she walked back to the writer's room to let Betty know they were leaving.

"Betty, as soon as Jeffrey is finished with his show, would you mind if we left to get ready for dinner?" Hilary asked from the doorway.

Betty looked up from her typewriter, "Sure. I've got you both covered for the evening. If you'd like, you can take the rest of the evening off, you'll just owe Maple and Scott an evening of coverage at some point." Betty smiled, knowing Hilary would balk at that part of the deal she'd made with the other two.

"All right, thank you Betty." Hilary turned to leave, then hesitated, "and thank Scott and Maple for me would you?"

"Umm, sure." Betty answered, waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't she shrugged and went back to her "Amazon Andy" script.

Jeff paid the taxi driver as he dropped them off in front of their house. He turned to his wife, "care to tell me why you left in the middle of Valiant Journey today?"

"I should apologize to Mackie for that." Hilary answered, "and Betty."

"What about me?" Jeff needled her, "I had to read a couple of Daphne's lines." He opened the front door and held it as she walked into the house.

She smiled, "I'm sure you did a credible imitation of me."

"You haven't answered my question yet," he reminded.

She looked at the clock on the phone stand, "We haven't much time to get dressed for dinner."

With a frustrated sigh, Jeff took Hilary by the arm and sat her on the couch. "You are stalling."

After a moment's hesitation, Hilary opened her purse and took out the picture she'd shown Janet that afternoon. She pointed at the baby in her arms, "this is who I met this afternoon."

"Your cousin?" Jeff asked, confusion evident in his voice, "why is that such a big--"

"She isn't my cousin," Hilary interrupted, then continued quietly, "she's my daughter."

"But you don't have any children." Jeff said, confusion evident in his voice. "At least I didn't . . . Hilary, why didn't you tell me?"

She took a deep breath, "It was long before we met, Pumpkin. I didn't tell you because I've always been ashamed at myself for leaving her in that orphanage in Saint Louis."

"Why did you leave her there?" Jeff wondered.

"It's a story that is still hard to tell. I only want to tell it once, so I'll give you the brief version." Hilary explained, "I was unmarried, twenty-two and I didn't have enough money to support both of us. I needed to be able to get another acting job. In Saint Louis, even the theatre people wouldn't have hired me with a fatherless baby."

"Who is her father?" Jeff wondered almost angrily, not strictly for curiosity, but for the protective urge that he always felt when someone hurt Hilary.

"John Barrymore." She admitted, then laughed as something occurred to her. "You know, Gertie has no idea I handed her the biggest gossip story to hit WENN since "Pinky" Foxx admitted that Maple was his extra helping on the side."

"You had a child with John Barrymore? Did he know?" Jeff asked.

"Oh yes." Hilary replied bitterly, "he knew."

"But why--"

"That part of the story, I'm only telling once." Hilary stood, "we need to get changed for dinner. I don't want Janet to have to wait for us."

The restaurant was crowded with it's usual dinner crowd. The band could be heard playing from the ballroom. Hilary sat nervously wringing the napkin through her hands.

"Darling, relax. It isn't as if you're meeting her for the first time." Jeff lay his hand over hers, hoping to calm her.

"I know, Pumpkin, it's just that...what if she changed her mind? What if she left this afternoon to go back to Illinois?"

He smiled, "Mittens, I doubt she'd have spent all this time searching for you, only to turn back once she'd found you."

"I'm being silly." she demurred.

"Yes," Jeff tapped her on the tip of the nose, "you're being silly."

Suddenly Hilary straightened, "there she is." She waved slightly to catch Janet's attention.

The maitre'd led Janet to the table and she sat. "Gosh, I hope this dress is Ok, I feel underdressed."

"You look lovely, dear." Hilary assured. The blue dinner dress did suit her well.

"Thank you," Janet replied, "you look beautiful as well. I wish I could look as good in something sleeveless."

Hilary smiled, "Janet this is my husband Jeffrey." She gestured toward Jeff.

Janet offered her hand, "it's nice to meet you Mr. ... Singer, is it?"

"Yes," Jeff politely kissed the back of her hand, "but you must call me, Jeff."

"I will remember that." Janet replied with a warm smile. She picked up the menu and glanced over it. She couldn't help but feel like she was being evaluated. Janet attributed that to her nervousness and broke the uncomfortable silence, "gosh, everything looks so good."

Hilary smiled, "have anything you like, dear."

The waiter came by and took their orders and soon their dinner was served.

"How was your train trip in?" Jeff asked, making small talk while they ate.

"It was lovely." Janet smiled, "there were a lot of boys going off to their training camps. They sure fawned over me." She chuckled, "guess I was the last girl traveling alone that they'd see for a while."

"Any special person in your life?" Hilary asked.

"Yes, Frank Jones. We're engaged." Janet smiled and showed off her small diamond ring. "He's fighting in Europe right now." her eyes fell slightly, but she caught herself and boasted, "but he's promised that we'll get married soon as he comes back."

Hilary lay her hand encouragingly over Janet's, "you hold him to that promise."

"Oh, I certainly will," Janet assured with a grin. Her smile faded as she realized something behind Hilary's suggestion. "Did someone dishonor a promise to you?"

Hilary pulled her hand away and glanced at Jeff, then down to the table.

"Was it my father?" Janet asked.

"Among many," Hilary wryly replied.

"What happened with my father?"

"Oh, boy," Hilary sighed and straightened. "Hmmm, where do I begin? I wanted you both to hear this, now I don't know where to start."

Jeff leaned forward and took Hilary's hand, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, darling."

"Want and need are two different things, Jeffrey." She softly smiled, "I don't want to," and turned to lay a hand on Janet's, "but I need to."

She squeezed Janet's hand before letting go to take a sip of her wine. "When I was twenty-one, I was touring with John Barrymore as his Ophelia, in Hamlet. I guess you could say, I was his Ophelia off-stage as well as on. He took me under his wing and made me his protege. It wasn't long before a relationship developed."

Hilary chuckled, "how naive I was then. I was in heaven, right where I thought I wanted to be. Headlining in John Barrymore's Hamlet, and in his arms." She glanced at Jeff, "I loved him and he loved me; at least, that's what he told me. Wasn't long after my twenty-second birthday, that I realized I was pregnant."

"John Barrymore was my father?" Janet asked with surprise.

"I'm afraid so." Hilary smiled. "But don't you give him a second thought, it would be much more than what he gave to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the moment I told him he re-cast Ophelia with a woman younger than I was, " Hilary sneered. "He wouldn't let me leave my hotel room. Oh, he waited on me hand and foot and played the dutiful father to be. What I didn't realize then was that he was just hiding me from any public eye and his wife."

Hilary took a deep breath and sighed, "the more obvious it was that I was pregnant, the less he'd let me venture out. When I was nine months pregnant, we were in St. Louis. On the last day there, he pressed an envelope of money into my hands, gave me the name of a midwife and sent me packing."

"How could he do such a thing?" Jeff spat.

Hilary smiled wistfully and drifted her fingers across Jeff's hand, "he offered me so much; that I was too young and naive to realize that he couldn't give."

"I was in a strange city, bound to give birth at any moment and I had no place to go. That was the moment that Hilary Booth stopped thinking of anyone but herself ... and the baby." Hilary turned to Janet, "I was going to keep you; in fact, I did keep you for about a month."

Hilary smiled when Janet did, "I spent many a day and night at the theatre looking for any kind of acting job, but to no avail. Even the theatre community in St Louis wouldn't hire an unmarried woman with an infant. I was too much a potential press pariah." She took a deep breath. "I had to do something. The money John gave me was quickly dwindling, I was starving and I knew you were too. So the woman from whom I was renting a room gave me the name of an orphanage." Hilary picked up her wine glass, "and you know the rest." and took a drink.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Janet asked, "did you give me a name?"

Hilary nodded softly, "you were my little Isabela."

Janet smiled and wiped away a tear that unwittingly had fallen down her cheek, "that's my middle name. I guess my mother liked it too."

"I'm glad that you were brought up in a good home." Hilary brushed her fingers through Janet's hair, "it was much better than what I could have given you."

Janet grasped Hilary's hand, "Thank you ... for telling me this."

Hilary smiled in response and watched Janet's face. "You know, you have my eyes." She said softly.

Jeff stood and lay a hand on his wife's shoulder, "darling," he whispered interrupting the moment, "I think they're playing our song.

"Oh," Hilary turned to look at her husband, "sure." She let him take her hand and lead her to the dance floor.

"Are you OK?" Jeff asked as she swung into his arms for the slow tempo.

"I can't believe how beautiful she is." Hilary commented.

He smiled, "of course she's beautiful."

"I keep thinking, 'did I do the right thing?' and I'm not sure anymore. Could I have kept her?"

"Darling, for what it's worth, I think you did." Jeff reassured, "she was raised in a good home with good parents. Being carted all over the country with a stage show is not the best place to raise children."

She smiled, "I know." She silenced for a moment then asked, "Jeffrey, do you regret not having children? I mean us not having children."

"Certainly not." The song ended and the band stepped immediately into an up beat song. Jeff pushed Hilary away, then pulled her into a spin towards and behind him, "besides, I doubt we'd have kids who could keep up with us."

Janet watched with a smile. She was glad to have finally found her mother and learn the story of why she was left at the orphanage. It made her feel a lot better about herself and who she was. Her thoughts were interrupted as a man in an army uniform asked her to dance. She agreed and was soon on the dance floor happily kicking up her heels.

Three days later

The train station was loud as the three made their way through the crowd. Janet's stay had been enjoyable and Hilary was sorry to see her go. They'd learned much about each other and vowed to stay in touch.

"Janet, darling," Hilary stopped the girl and reached into her purse, "before you go, I'd love for you to have this."

Janet took the picture that she was offered, the picture Hilary had kept all the years. "oh, Hilary, I can't take this. I know how much it means to you."

"I want you to have it. So you can look at it and know that I did love you."

"Thank you," Janet hugged her new found mother, "I'll treasure this always." When they separated, Janet reached into her own handbag, "please, take this then. I can't leave you without a picture." She handed Hilary a picture of her that had been taken at her high school. "it's the most recent one I have. I can send you a newer one when I get home."

"Thank you sweetheart. I'd love that." Hilary hugged Janet again, "I'm so glad you found me. I gave you both our home address and the address at WENN, please feel free to write me."

The "all aboard" was heard for Janet's train and the three exchanged their good byes.

"Now remember, you both promised me you'd come to my wedding when Frank gets home." Janet reminded, "and please keep in touch!" With a final wave she stepped onto her train.

"I'm going to miss her." Hilary said as Jeff wrapped a supportive arm around her waist.

"I know, but you were able to get to know her and I know you'll keep in touch." He leaned slightly and kissed her on the forehead, "and you did do the right thing."

"I did, didn't I?" Hilary smiled. They turned to walk back to catch a taxi, "you know, I'm glad she found me. I may not have known the child she was, but I'm thrilled to be able to get to know the woman she became.

"And she's quite a lady," Jeff commented.

"Of course!" Hilary said with her usual panache, "she's a Booth and a Barrymore."

Jeff laughed, "that my darling is a dangerous combination."

With a giggle, Hilary agreed. "you're right, it is."

The End

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