A/N: Hi again. It's been awhile. Sorry about that. Real life got messy and complicated as it is wont to do at times and took away my interest in writing. But, the AMC reboot news brought it back. Since we still have yet to receive any information about our favorite girls, I'm submitting this as an offering to the AMC/PP/Minx gods that Bianca and Marissa survive and show up on our screens again. So here's the first chapter of my "what's happened since" story. It's a little light on Minx as it's written from JR's point of view, but I promise the next ones will make up for it. Enjoy. :-)
Disclaimer: The characters are not my property. They belong to other people who I hope know how to treat them properly.
September 2011
A jovial atmosphere permeated the Chandler Mansion. The rooms which had recently been filled by that particular brand of silence that accompanies emptiness were now alive with the clinking of glasses and animated chatter of friends. The last few weeks had been extremely stressful for some of Pine Valley's most prominent citizens. Many questions still lingered, ones that only David Hayward could answer and no one was sure that he would. But there would be time enough for that tomorrow. Tonight they reveled in the freely flowing champagne, the laughter of friends old and new, and the return of loved ones who had been thought long gone. No one noticed the slight opening of the wall panel or the angry blue eyes, bleared by too much bourbon, that watched the festivities from behind it - watched and waited.
"We want to welcome all of you," Brooke announced as their guests gathered around. "Adam and I are thrilled to have such wonderful things to celebrate and to be back home."
JR listened from his hiding place and felt the simmering anger begin to ignite again. How dare she! This was his home. If they'd just given him a little more time, he could have gotten it out of foreclosure. But, no. No one gave him a chance to fix it. Then Brooke swooped in and bought the place just to impress his father, probably thinking it would get her a ring again. He let out a disgusted sigh. Now she was acting all Lady of the Manor in his house.
And his father stood there next to her, letting her do it. He always talked about family loyalty. Where was his now? JR remembered their earlier conversation. "I've decided that in the event of my demise, I'm going to leave Chandler Enterprises to Scott," Adam had told him. He skipped over his own son and chose his nephew as his heir. Everyone knew Scott wasn't fit to run the business. But he had to hand it to his cousin. People might think that Scott was kind and good natured like Stuart, but JR knew better. He played it cool, flying under the radar until JR made one tiny mistake and then he took advantage. He must have convinced Adam that Chandler Enterprises would be better off in his hands. It's exactly what JR would have done had their positions been reversed. He felt his anger rising further. How could he have been so stupid to let himself be outplayed by his cousin?
On the other side of the wall, Adam raised a toast. "To Pine Valley!"
"To Pine Valley," JR whispered derisively and took another swig from a nearly empty bottle.
He didn't believe people who said alcohol dulled the ability to think clearly. Maybe it did for others, but not him. His mind was as sharp and focused as it ever had been when he was sober. JR looked down at the revolver in his hand. He had a plan and when the night was over, he'd have his life back. Opening the cylinder, he rotated it around slowly, ensuring it was fully loaded. Six chambers. Six bullets. A six step plan. Six steps and it would be done. And they would pay. They would all pay for ruining his life.
JR peered out from his hiding place again, scanning the crowd. Everything was nearly in place, but "step one" couldn't begin until the guests of honor had arrived. Where were they? It would be just like them to mess up everything for him. Why should tonight be any different than the last three months? They were probably too busy playing horizontal aerobics to show up at the party. Liza should never have stopped him from uploading that sex tape. If she had just minded her own business everything would be different now.
A few moments later, he spied Bianca and Marissa rushing into the room. Blue eyes roamed over the lawyer, admiring how good she looked in the one shouldered dress that hugged her in all the right places. Those blue eyes turned steely when he saw Bianca's arm slide around the redhead's waist as she stood behind her, their fingers intertwining. God! Did they have to flaunt it everywhere? They couldn't even give him the respect of keeping their hands off each other in public. Bianca had to show everyone that his wife preferred to have her in bed instead of him. His anger boiled over into full blown rage when he saw Bianca drop a light kiss on the other woman's bare shoulder. That was his wife. He looked down at the gun again. It would be so easy. They were directly in his line of sight. All he would have to do is raise the revolver, aim, and….
Then Tad began to talk. Frustrated, JR pulled away from the opening and listened as Tad talked about Pine Valley, a place full of love and goodwill. Sure it was, if you were perfect; if you were a saint like Bianca Montgomery, then Pine Valley welcomed you with open arms, no matter how unnatural you were. But make a couple of missteps and they couldn't buy you a ticket out of town fast enough.
His impatience was reaching the same level as his anger. Since when did Tad talk this much? "This is something to remember, folks. We'll be talking about this for a long time."
JR smirked at the PI's words. "But not for the reasons you think," he muttered.
Once Tad finished speaking, JR drained the last of the bourbon and opened the panel a little wider just as Erica ran in from the other room, calling after Jackson. Blue eyes rolled. The woman was infuriating. Always interfering in his plans. Sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Ordering his son around. Keeping him from his father. Let her have her moment. It won't last long.
While the group was distracted by Erica and Jackson's Gone With the Wind revival, JR seized his chance before there could be any more interruptions. The sound of the gunshot was louder than he had expected. Step one.
