SIX the Musical One Shots (Discontinued)

Discovery part 2

A/N: QuinnJacksonChase suggests this story idea. I hope you enjoy it. What I decided to diagnose Katheryn with is purely for entertainment purposes and how the therapist explains it isn't how all people with the diagnosis live. Here is the continuation of discovery.

Jane doesn't want to take Katheryn to the therapist. She would cry, scream, do whatever she can to get out of the meeting. Pulling her phone out, Jane texts Anne about her worries. She never saw eye to eye with her predecessor about anything that didn't concern Katheryn. After essentially adopting Katheryn, Jane wanted to make life as easy as possible for the pink-haired girl. But looking out for her is more straightforward than she imagined.

Kitty, as Anne liked to call her, wouldn't join in with group activities unless she had to; the show is one of them. She would practice with the others but would retreat to her part of the dressing room she shares as soon as the rehearsal or show ends. She usually plays on her phone, answering questions on her Instagram, things like that. Worrying for her, Jane initially helped Katheryn get out of the house. After the event ended, Katheryn retreated to her room, leaving one of the alternates to cover for her.

Today, they must return to the therapist. They would have a diagnosis, possibly. Jane hopes that whatever they say, Katheryn will finally have an explanation as to what is going on. "It's more than not wanting to socialise with boys," Anne explains to her at breakfast. Jane shares her worries with Anne, the only other person who looks out for Kitty at almost all times. "She might not want to socialise with anyone. There is also the fact of the routines that we can't rule out."
"What if they diagnose her with-"
"I know you worry about her, Jane, but Katheryn is her own person. You need to let her be independent when she wants to be." Standing to leave, Anne glances back at Jane. "Everything will be all right."

Jane feels the exact opposite as they drive up to the white building. Katheryn uses her hands to cover her eyes. "Katheryn?" Katheryn whimpers. "Listen, it will be fine. Come on." Jane walks out of the car but notices that the younger woman doesn't follow. Opening the car door, Jane kneels to Katheryn's level. "Katheryn, the longer you stay here, the longer it will drag on."
"Let's get it done." Katheryn follows her adopted mother into the building. Concerned, Jane glances back as they enter the reception. The receptionist glances up.
"Katheryn Seymour to see Dr Benjamin Brandon."
"Take a seat. Dr Brandon will be out shortly." Obediently, Katheryn sits down. Jane slowly joins her as Katheryn pulls out her phone, opens a game and quietly plays until Doctor Brandon calls her name. Watching her mother, Katheryn tries to copy her movements, following the doctor until they reach their destination.

"The results have come back," Dr Brandon glances at the papers in his hand before looking at the mother and daughter duo. "It is autism."
"Are you sure?" Jane asks, leaning forward a little.
"There isn't much I can do now. Does Katheryn live a life she is content with?" Jane glances at Katheryn, who nods. "People with autism need to live lives that they want to, and they can have social boundaries, but each person is different."
"I see." Jane doesn't see what the diagnosis means. She grips the edge of her seat, her knuckles turning white. Her eyes dart to Katheryn, who glances back at her mother.
"You and Katheryn will need to talk, make sure that she is happy with what she's doing. Does she have something she is attached to?"
"A stress toy," Katheryn says for the first time. Surprised, Jane stares at her. Katheryn hardly says anything to Doctor Brandon, usually a two-word answer at best. "It's a monkey string ball."
"Do you always have it on you?"
"No. People laughed at me, so I only use it at home."
"Does having too many sensory inputs affect you?" Katheryn nods, trying to think of her answer carefully. She finds the shows sometimes exhausting, usually finding herself running on autopilot afterwards. Sometimes Katheryn runs on adrenaline, finding that the shows are incredible, and have enough energy to stage door later. Other times, she can't even get to the theatre, usually if she has a bad day.
"Sometimes. It doesn't always affect me."

On the drive home, the two women barely talk to each other. Jane is focusing on the outcome of what happened, while Katheryn stares out of the window. This time, she looks forward to the performance that evening. Having taken the afternoon out to recover, Katheryn finds that singing and dancing sometimes helps her. She will do the show that evening, will not flinch whenever the queens touch her during 'All You Wanna Do', even if she thought that it wasn't necessary. When Kitty brings the topic up, Catherine says that it enforces the point of what the younger woman went through. Anna sympathises with Katheryn but knowing that Katheryn likes people being firm with her when she is touched, she tries to act as a protective net as with Jane. Anne hardly touches her throughout the show, making it more comfortable.

Upon arrival, Katheryn almost shoots out of the car, saying that she wants to practice singing before the show and that she now wants to do the afternoon performance. "Katheryn? How did it go?" Anne asks. Shaking her head, Katheryn says she'd rather not talk about it, preferring to practice rather than talk. Understanding, Anne takes Katheryn to her room to practice part of 'Ex-Wives'.

"Did it go well?" She asks as they pause for a break.
"Doctor Brandon says I have autism."
"At least you have a name for it now. Autism is a broad term; it can almost mean anything. Everyone with autism defines the term for themselves, sometimes in a positive light, sometimes not. It's your choice as to what way you see it, and only you can influence that." Sitting on the floor, crossing her legs, Katheryn thinks about it. Realising that she now has a choice with two different outcomes, she knows that whatever she chooses now will change her life.

Jane doesn't turn up for the afternoon performance, and Katheryn asks an alternate to cover for her. Hiding in her dressing room might not be the best of ideas, but it's the best that Katheryn has. Autism, what was she meant to do with that word? What does it mean? Unlocking her phone, Katheryn begins to research autism and different support groups. Jane would need all the help she can get. Supporting five people is already hard for her. Katheryn remembers from a conversation they had previously about what Jane did for the queens. Now having to look after five people, one of whom has autism, must be more challenging.

After the afternoon show, Jane appears, and she and Anne offer to take Katheryn to her favourite place, the play fort at the bottom of the garden. It looks more like a castle than a fortress, as that was how one of the family friends designed it. Anne asked him to make it, so Katheryn has a safe outdoor space to go to whenever she needed it. One part of the structure, the tower, was Katheryn's favourite place to hide.

The three women sit down in the room. Anne and Jane smile at Katheryn, who comfortably smiles back. No one expects her to be someone she's not there. "If you don't want to do the evening show we'll understand," Anne says.
"I'll do it," Katheryn replies. "Performing feels like my therapy. It's all the therapy I need. I'll even make friends with some of the alternates."
"I got something for you," Jane says, holding out a paper bag for Katheryn, something she didn't notice before. Taking the bag, gratefully, Katheryn pulls the tissue paper out.

Smiling at what she discovers inside, Katheryn pulls Jane into a tight hug. "Thank you, Mum." The name shocks Jane into silence, but she quickly gathers herself together.
"That's all right, darling."
"What is it?" Anne asks. Katheryn pulls the t-shirt on over her clothes, and Anne reads the words 'Always Unique Totally Interesting Sometimes Mysterious', and when she reads it down, Anne realises that it spells 'Autism', a fitting choice for Katheryn.

"There's something else I should tell you," Katheryn says. She pulls her fidget toy out of her pocket, passing it between her hands. "I hope you don't hate me even more now."
"Hate you? What makes you think that?" Anne almost explodes in Kitty's face before remembering about Kitty.
"Boleyn, focus!" Jane says. "We'll never hate you, Kitty. You're our family."

Kitty begins thinking that the thing she wanted to talk about began before she arrived in the 21st century. But now isn't the time to talk about it. Katheryn asks to have some more time to think about what to say. "There's no pressure," Jane assures her daughter. "Tell us when you're ready." Katheryn nods, deciding that is for the best.

A/N: So, this is the full story for Discovery. I have a question for you that can affect the rest of the one-shots. Should Katheryn Howard remain autistic or do you want a variety of stories? I will be happy to write either. Please comment below on your opinions and if any parts of my writing need improving. Thank you for reading.