The next day...

17th of October, 1968

A day wasn't enough to halt its passing time. Another rainy day in Boston as well.

Timothy have already informed his boss about leaving his job as he prefers to spend more time with his family and children though he can keep in touch with his now former boss Angela Lynch. After he left his position as a kindergarden teacher, he commenced driving to New York as it took him four up to five hours with a car. He promised Jude he will be right at home tonight with the new book of Lana, besides he has the opportunity to see the aspiring journalist as she believed Jude was still locked up by the former monsignor in the madhouse.

Rain drops cascaded from the weeping sky as it has rained for hours. The dark, spatial clouds cloacked the sky.

Timothy was driving carefully as his focus was entirely on propulsion only. He was disappointed ofor spending hours without his children, his wife and being nigh the home space. In spite of his constant thoughts of Judy and the twins including in this number Agnes Jude, he must pay attention to his driving as he doesn't wants to end up in a car accident or even something as atrocious as the car accident itself. To smash a hit-and-run victim by an accident. He had never experienced any car crashes or similar tragedies on the road. He was peculiarly responsible, wise driver.

***

The weather in New York wasn't rainy at all. It was rather moderate.

As Kit was walking down the large, spacious New York streets, something instantaneously caught his attention in this time. He beheld an older woman with ideally recognizable appearance. She was signing some autographs for her fans near one local cafe.

He recalled the time when they were both inmates, falsely committed to Briarcliff as they were deliriously innocent. It was Lana.

"Lana?" He whispered to himself as he gaped continuously at the slightly older woman than him as he approached her as she overlooked him, holding a pen in her hand.

"Thank you so much for this autograph, Ms. Winters!" One of her fans said with beyond euphoric voice as her fan was a teenager sixteen years old.

"You are welcome, ma'am!" Lana stated graciously as she handed the fan's photo, therafter her fans fled away as they went in another direction.

In the interim, Kit was too concetrated to stare at the brunette as he bumped into Lana accidentally.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Lana. It was just an accident." He justified nervously himself for the caused incident as a hand of his managed to scratch his head bashfully, offering her a coy smile.

"It's okay." She forgave him as her chocolate brown eyes fixed on him, recognizing the younger man that stood before her as seconds passed, scrutinizing his facial features including his full figure. "Kit, you are back?" Ms.Winters questioned self-consciously as she slightly struggled to utter a word.

"Yes, I am. Not only because of your book, but also I found my chance to come speak to you as we haven't seen each other for years." Kit clarified joyfully as he caught Lana in an amiable, warm embrace. A friendly embrace he haven't given to her for years since they escaped the madness from Briarcliff.

"Oh, that's nice." She chuckled nervously. "It's been years since we have seen one another."

"Yeah, exactly. Do you have spare time to drink a coffee and have a talk?" Kit suggested.

"Of course, I do. With huge pleasure, Kit." Lana didn't reject his suggestion with a broad, smug smile curling up in the corner of her bloody red lips.

***

Once the both adults went inside the local cafe as they seated in the middle of the facility, they ordered regular coffees with a little amount of sugar. Whilst they were awaiting for their ordered caffeine beverages, they started talking about their lives as what happened with them in the last years. They were not only enthusiastic about discovering more facts about one another, moreover they relished their deep, personal conversations as well.

As soon as the waiter served their coffees, suddenly Lana raised the topic about Jude.

"So what happened with Jude?" The young journalist questioned as she sipped her hot coffee, expecting a response.

"She has a great life. She's already married with children, a loving, understanding and caring husband she can cry on his shoulder." Kit stated optimistically.

"Oh." The journalist sighed pretty amused.

Initially, Lana didn't believe Kit as she would be tremendously astonished to behold her old friend especially a keeper and savior in such light. Especially married to a wonderful, loving and sincere man, having his children and sharing a harmonic, rejoicing family home together. She was certain with the fact as she remembered who was actually the love of her life though Lana was indisputably disgusted to ponder about Timothy as he was the person, who locked Jude due to his pure, undeniable naivety. Little did she know about his and Jude's nowadays life. Out of the church. Out of the asylum's grayish, dull walls that bordered them.

"Timothy was actually the person who rescued her and left the church along." The young man carried on as he sipped his hot coffee, sensing its caffeine beverage's liquor moistening his plump lips.

Lana was overwhelmingly dazzled by what she was listening to with utter attention.

"Good for them! I didn't know they have marvelous life together. Until you tell me and I learnt one more thing."

"You believe it right now." Kit paused as he inhaled. "What is it, Lana?"

"I was in Briarcliff a few days ago and I encountered somebody much worse than Timothy as a monsignor."

"Father McKenzie?"

"Yes. It's him." Lana hissed when she heard about the twenty-five year old young man who was famous as the manipulative, notorious, hated and obnoxiously cunning priest.

Flashback

A few days ago...

A slight door tap interrupted Father McKenzie's work as he checked some recently committed inmates to Briarcliff as he seated on his desk, sun rays illuminating his face as it bathed his office in bright sun light.

"Who is it?" The young priest's aloof, sceptic voice hissed when he flinged down the documents' sheets on his wooden desk, wearing a mischievous smile on his shining, youthful face.

All of a sudden the door opened abruptly as Lana arrived with two more colleagues of her, assisting her as she held a special court order document that gave her an access to visit the dilapidated facade.

"It's Ms. Winters and I am looking for one patient." She approached the young man's desk as she didn't take her glaring chocolate eyes off him, observing his facial expression.

"Oh. A patient? Well, tell me its name."

"Judy Martin is her name." Lana said frustrated as she has a crystal sagacity to expose liars and hypocrites just like Father McKenzie.

"Judy Martin?" He inquired uncertain as he played with his fingers. "Uhum, there isn't such a patient anymore." Father McKenzie responded swiftly.

"You are a liar, Monsignor. What do you know about her?"

"I am not lying, Ms. Winters. I am serious. Have a seat." The twenty-five-year-old priest gestured the young journalist to sit.

Instead of arguing blandly with the monsignor, she just sat obediently, quietly as he ordered. She emitted an exasperated sigh from the top of her lungs.

"What do you actually say? She isn't part of sanitarians and nurses' business anymore, right?"

"Definitely. She is no longer part of Briarcliff since she fled out with the former monsignor." Although Father McKenzie was speaking the truth, Lana thought he was still lying and hiding the real truth behind Judy Martin and Monsignor Howard. His sly like a serpent smile shone on his face.

"Oh. Perhaps I have delayed."

"But it's never late to sue them for leaving the institution without signing Jude's documents for being rescued." Father McKenzie haughtily snapped at the older woman.

"Excuse me?" Ms. Winters was livid to hear his voice. To behold his face. His identity. She detested the young priest since the beginning as she heard plenty of negative comments about him.

In the meantime, the younger man delved in one of the drawers, rummaging for Jude's document as in matter of seconds he found it at last. He slammed the sheet on his desk reluctantly, without conforming with his physical strength that he demonstrated.

"Here is the proof, Miss Winters." The priest showed to Lana and her colleagues the unsigned documents of Jude's release.

"You can't do this to her."

"I can. It's part of my obligation."  A malicious smirk spread across his lips as he supervised Lana's astonished reaction, gaining more confidence as he placed her in his vicious circle.

***

"He told me exactly the same thing as you though he speculated." Lana exclaimed bittersweetly as she sipped her warm coffee.

"Oh. Anything else about Jude?"

"He said he will sue them for unsigned documents of Jude's file. I mean Jude and Timothy."

"That's not okay." The younger man said beyond irritated.

"I know. It's unfair. I want to help her."

"To help her now? Why do you even care about her?"

"Oh, not now Kit." Lana wanted to avoid the drama as she sighed as she protested calmly. "I care about her." The older woman kept on as Kit didn't believe any word of her. 

"Not only you don't care about her, but also you became a cheap celebrity by writing lies in your book. What's for all that? To disguse yourself as the sympathetic journalist who actually seeks fame. Nothing more than fame." Kit stated firmly as he clutched his fists.

After sipping a few more sips her cooling down coffee, she left almost empty the small porcelain mug. She didn't want to argue with Kit as he was a true, benevolent friend who has been through a lot of impedients which didn't render him bad and lame person. He became even stronger, besides keeping his goodwill. The young man was pretty disappointed and resentful not only by Lana herself, furthermore their coffee time along didn't pass well. He noted a significant change in Lana. He remembered her as the sweet, kind, selfless and strong woman when they were both preposterously locked in a mental institution. But now he saw her in a much different light. It was actually the selfish, yearning for fame and vain journalist and author, whose fame matters more than other people's lives.

Lana found a better alternative to get away from Kit's accusal.

"I am so sorry, Kit. But fans are waiting for me. We can see another time, okay?" She gave him a mincing, insincere smile as she grabbed her purse and getting from the chair.

"We need to talk but fine."

Meanwhile, Lana left the cafe as she had an important meeting with fans, signing them autographs and speaking to her for a few minutes only.

***

After Timothy bought Lana's new book Maniac, he wandered around New York's streets, despite he didn't like the city at all. He felt remorses for leaving his wife, his children at home without him. Nevertheless, they were lucky to have Frank's company as he was an old friend. However, not filling yet the missing fragments of Howards' mansion.

As the former priest went to the parking lot, walking up to his car until he saw a similar woman with medium straight flossy chestnut hair unlocking her car. She wore her royal blue pencil skirt, knee length, a royal blue cotton blazer and black high heels. She looked so fabulous as well. 

Timothy sped up to her, approaching her as his footsteps were silent almost like tiptoeing. He exclaimed her name as they were the sole people in the parking lot. 

"Lana?" 

Afterward the young journalist heart pounded hart in her chest as she turned to face the person who addressed her name as she was mesmerized how he remembered her name yet as years have passed since the last time they have seen one another. 

"Monsignor?" She inquired bashfully as their eyes met, two pair of chocolate eyes met another chocolate ones.

"I am not a monsignor anymore. It's just Timothy, okay?" He extended his arm as he awaited for her hand to shake it in solidarity, due to their reunion four years later though she didn't like Timothy at all. After she locked up Jude and keeping her in the madhouse for a handful of weeks. She heard Kit and Father McKenzie's stories though she wanted the entire truth from Timothy and Judy.

"Fine." Then she managed her hand to move up to his, shaking one another's hands. He offered her an amiable smile. "I heard from Kit and Father McKenzie that you aren't part of the church with Jude anymore and you fled out together from Briarcliff." Lana started to speak seriously.

"It's true, Lana. I left the church and Briarcliff with Jude because I figured out what a fool I was when I believed in Mary Eunice and Dr.Arden's nonsence as they conspired against her." He paused as he attempted to catch his own breath. "I love Jude. We wanted a much different life out of the church as we fled, therefore moving in my expensive two story house, located in Boston's countryside where we made our own family and we have three lovely children. Mainly I did that not because for me. I did it for Jude. She helped me in these years to take the forward step to my holy Rome wish until I thought about it one day, pondering about it. I thought about it so much and I realised an unmarried, childless, vulnerable Cardinal even Pope won't have a happy life as much as an ordinary man with a loving woman and adorable children."

"Oh, I like the way you have changed your worldview, Timothy. Because, in the contrary, it's so difficult to see you in different spot. I mean I have never imagined you as a man who would leave the church, dismissing his hallowed miracles, just for one woman who helped you so much in the years and have always been after you, supporting and respecting your decisions." Ms.Winters spoke her mind with a warm, hospitable smile as it lit up her face instantly after hearing those heartwarming words. 

She has never heard Timothy to speak such golden words especially after his remarkable change. She saw the man who wore a Catholic cloth of the church with the great, sacred ambitions, ego-centrism and false promises, as the loving, charitable man. A new man's spirit, living in Timothy's body. She hoped everything he has said is true until this time. 

"Thank you a lot, Lana!" He smiled broadly, politely to her. 

"No problem. What brings you here in New York, Timothy?" The younger lady posed the question as she arched an eyebrow, surprised by his expressed gratitude and velvety, tranquil voice.

"Well, I came here not only because of your book, likewise I am here to speak in person with you."

"That's wonderful. Do you have actually bought my book Maniac?" 

"Yes, of course." He delved in his large, black coat unless he found the red book. "Here is it." A sheepish smile shaped in the corner of his lips.

"Great! Do you want an autograph by me?"

"Yes, I do." 

"Alright. Hang on for a second." 

To be continued...