Chapter 2: Robinson Industries International

Summary: Happily married for 14 years, Cornelius and Franny were bound to be together forever. But the expansion of Robinson Industries puts their marriage to the test. Can they make it? Or do all good things come to an end?

Author's Note: Yep, it's chapter 2...and Cornelius becomes more and more of a jackass, as much as I hate it, it's fun :P. But in all fairness, Franny could lose the attitude hehe... Enjoy & review people!

Disclaimer: I am not clever enough to own Meet the Robinsons, Disney, evidently, is.

Franny woke with a start the morning after, rubbing her swollen pink eyes. They stung with every prod, until she eventually became accustomed to the light. She examined the bedroom carefully, noticing the bedside clock which read 7:30, the messy bed sheets and missing pillow, reminding her of what happened. She groaned and slapped her forehead in frustration. What am I going to do? We've never left a fight unresolved overnight. Oh, this is a nightmare.

She made her way out of bed and into the bathroom where she unbuttoned her pyjama top and matching trousers and hit the shower. Several minutes later, she came out of the bathroom robed with her hair coiled in a towel. She looked at her slender reflection in the full length mirror. Franny always maintained a perfect size 6, even after having Wilbur. Moreover, she had always remained elegant with her fashion sense; her wardrobe inundated with bubble dresses, semi-formal suits and anything couture. She was Mrs. Robinson after all; she could never have a black strand of hair out of place. Besides, Cornelius liked her feminine dresses and delicate fabrics. After rethinking her strategy, Franny had finally decided what she would do.

'Lewis would be at work now,' she told herself. 'So I'll just go there...talk things through...and he will see that I was right, and he'll...apologize.'

She smiled to reassure herself of this plan before getting dressed in a red and black knee-length bubble dress and heading for Robinson Industries.

'It's the classic power play Cornelius, I'm telling you!' Jerry exclaimed with his hands thrown in the air. Jerry Michelet was a long time friend of Cornelius from college who had been working for Robinson Industries since its inception as the head of the Accounting sector. His hair was a mousy brown colour and looked like a small afro over his dark brown eyes which were almost covered by some of his messy ringlets. His face was long and pale, and at 37 and still single, Jerry could be described as 'not the relationship type'. Cornelius covered his face and groaned in frustration as he listened to his colleague's advice.

'Are you sure?' Cornelius asked with an eyebrow raised. 'I'd like to think that the power is shared between Franny and I.'

'Aha!' Jerry exclaimed, pointing at Cornelius. 'That is what they want you to think! Women are manipulative creatures Romeo, and are so deceptive, they can make fruit cake look like brownies!'

'Huh?' Cornelius asked with a bamboozled expression on his face. 'What do brownies have anything to do with...look, forget it, I'm going to call her right now and apologize.'

'No, no, NO!' Jerry exclaimed. 'You have to stand your ground! That's what she wants you to do! C'mon Cornelius, women live for our sympathy! That's how they maintain their power! Just listen to me!' Cornelius opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a buzzing sound. Both turned their heads to the intercom on Cornelius' desk which produced a transparent image of a young woman, who alerted,

'Mr. Robinson, your wife is waiting to see you in the lobby. Shall I send her up?'

For some reason, Cornelius' heart sank as Franny's cruel words from the night before reiterated in his mind.

Did you know it'd work...You knew it'd score well huh? ...Who sat there and loved you anyway...Who listened to your bullshit and took it seriously?

'Anita...' Cornelius began, and then continued to her and Jerry's surprise, 'Tell her... I can't talk right now.'

Cornelius looked away as his colleague and the receptionist gave each other questioning glances and uncertain shrugs.

'What do you mean he can't talk right now?' Franny demanded, hands on hips. Anita the receptionist winced and shrugged.

'He's probably busy right now with...uh...Accounting, I mean I saw Mr. Michelet in there as well...' Franny's face turned red in fury as she began taking heavy breaths to vent her anger. Anita leaned back in her chair, as if in fear of being attacked by Mrs. Robinson who was now exerting a clearly fake laugh. Her black shapely eyebrows joined into an enraged frown and her red lips formed a tight pout as she turned on her heel and muttered,

'Too busy are we? We'll see about that...' She walked over to a nearby pad on which she waited under the travel tube labelled: To Staff Floor. It transported her up within seconds, leaving Anita quite taken aback.

As Franny approached a tall wooden door with the label CEO: Cornelius Robinson, she violently twisted the brass doorknob and wrenched it open. Cornelius and Jerry jumped in shock as Franny bolted inside and threw her handbag on the floor. Still fuming, she examined the coffee and half eaten refreshments on the desk before managing to ask in a low voice,

'Busy are we Cornelius?' Their eyes were locked together for a moment as Jerry surreptitiously tiptoed out of the room; departing and mouthing something like Do it man! The hurt was still visible on Cornelius' face, but Franny didn't keep her guard down.

'Franny,' he began. 'I don't like you sneaking up on me at work.'

'Oh? Is that right?' Franny hissed back. 'Is that something you told me before or is it an inexplicable time space continuum thing?!' Cornelius frowned and looked away before muttering,

'Well you're the one who hates putting up with my nonsense!'

Franny's mouth dropped.

'And what's more...' he continued angrily. 'I've decided I won't bother to tell you anything, I'm going to... honour the commitment.'

Hot tears of hurt and rage twinkled in Franny's eyes as she clenched her fists. 'This is bullshit Cornelius and you know it!' she hissed.

'Get out,' he coughed, hiding his tears. Franny scowled at him for a minute or so before grabbing her bag and bolting out the door. Cornelius didn't stop her this time.

Flashback

'Honey, are you serious?' Franny shrieked, the cheque in her hand wavering. Cornelius grinned and scooped her into his arms and held her there. His wife was lost in his azure eyes as she listened intently for his reply.

'Yep, our marketing team is fantastic...in fact the whole team is great,' he explained. 'For a new corporation we're stacking up great revenue! Jerry says it's phenomenal and we'll become a household name soon!' Franny giggled excitedly before adding,

'Great revenue? Are there that many zeros on that one pay cheque? You're doing one heck of a job honey, I'm so happy for you!' Cornelius beamed and cupped her face in his palms.

'But Franny, I want you to know that this is our company okay?' he said sternly. 'I wouldn't be here without you, and you will always be the first to know.'

Back to the Present

'That's fantastic Jerry,' Cornelius exclaimed. 'I knew the figures would add up. Okay, board meeting right now. I want everyone in accounting, legal, labs there now.'

Cornelius turned off the visual intercom and straightened his tie. His white blonde hair was slicked back and he had rejected his dark rimmed glasses for contact lenses. There were many changes to Cornelius in the last six month since the fight: he had numbed himself from his issues with Franny and become more and more obsessed with his work. He loved being the first one at the labs in the mornings and the last to leave. It exhilarated him to be devoted to a team of professionals at Robinson Industries who didn't snap at him for trying to ensure the natural process of time. Besides, he had no one to answer to when he returned home as the only form of communication that he and his wife shared was really in relation to their son. Franny had also grown further and further away from the norms of 'Mrs. Robinson' that she had so strictly adhered to before. She was hardly at home herself because she was either out with her talented musical friends or working as the Editor in Chief of the journal Swingin' with Amphibia. And what's more, on the weekends she would be at major Broadway productions in which Frankie and the boys would perform. Her appearance had changed completely as well. Never again did she wear her couture and feminine attire, but dressed mostly in jeans (usually dark in colour) and boyish tank tops. On occasion, she would glam up this new style but with her new bob cut hairdo and violet streaks, she looked nothing like the Franny that married Cornelius fourteen years ago.

Within twenty minutes, the Robinson Industries staff made their way into the meeting room through various travel tubes. The carpet was a shagpile material with a navy backdrop, sporting the Robinson Industries emblem. The grey meeting desk was vast and elliptical in shape. As the team quieted down, Cornelius cleared his voice and assembled the visual projector which read The Future of Robinson Industries.

'Okay team,' he began in a clear voice. 'The reason I called you up here today, is because I want you, my team, to be the first to know about the big plan I have for this corporation.' The staff looked around at one another in awe. Cornelius took a deep breath before continuing.

'I want to take Robinson Industries global,' he announced, as the visual projection behind him simulated images of international branches in major cities of the continents. Cornelius explained that the international branches would be just as efficient and sophisticated as the current, but that this one would be the head office for all invention mass production. He furthered that with help of the Insta-Building sector, all of the new branches would be based in 5 cities: London, Sydney, Dubai, Johannesburg, and Tokyo, and would therefore be completed within two weeks.

After the Meeting

Cornelius grinned and promptly shook hands with Jerry and the rest of accounting before making his way back to his office. Jerry followed him in and congratulated the CEO on the prospective plans.

'Cornelius, it looks like it's all working out,' he began. 'Franny must have been ecstatic when you told her, right?' Cornelius busied himself at his desk and replied without looking at his colleague,

'Uh...she doesn't know, I didn't tell her.' Jerry's eyes widened as Cornelius continued, 'When I said the team was the first to know, I meant it.'

'But Cornelius'—

'She'll find out soon enough,' Cornelius interrupted bitterly with a scowl on his face. 'There's a thing called media, Jerry. She can read about it in the papers...'

Author's Note: Sorry, I know that was longer than the first chapter but there was a lot to do for this one. R&R!