Disclaimer: not Melissa de la Cruz it's just that simple. And for this chapter, not the screenwriter of Star Wars the quote does not belong to me, nope nope nope.
A/N: sorry for the slight delay, I had the hardest time finding music to listen to for the ending scene of this chapter. But finally found the amazing Sara Bareilles and Ludo tracks on my MP3 player and it's pure amazingness. Alright enjoy and remember reviewing is just a sign to show that you care.
After Schuyler dropped her daughter off at home, she directed her driver to take her to the office. She needed to pick up some paper work and such before the meeting with FNN later that afternoon.
"Mrs. Perry," her assistant said as Schuyler walked into her office. "I called FNN and told them we were switching times, and I got your message and had your suit brought here, and I checked the stocks and we're steadily gaining. And I received a call from your Grandfather, he wanted me to ask if you and your family were free for dinner tonight." The assistant finished her long spiel and waited for Schuyler to give her a new set of orders.
"Thanks Kristen that will be all, oh and I just received a text from my daughter so tell Lawrence that I would be happy to come to dinner however it will be Oliver and I only. Make sure we have copies of the reports for the meeting and thank you for the suit. That will be all." Schuyler waited for Kristen to exit before checking the final levels of FNN stock on her computer. Clique Pointe was still gaining FNN stock steadily, but she wished it was more. It would be better if she could go into this next meeting and offer them no choice but to surrender.
She fingered the suit; it was one of her normal so called power suits. They had become a staple in her wardrobe, oh how far she had come from her super size sweaters. It was a good change she thought, but Schuyler couldn't help feeling like she had lost the girl she used to be.
"It happens," she said to herself taking her suit with her to change. She came back looking more like the powerful CEO than she felt. She straightened her hair and checked the stock stats again. She could do this, she was not twenty-two nor was she sixteen. The Force's were nothing to be afraid of, she was not that girl.
"Mrs. Perry your car is here to take you over, and I called Mr. Van Alen and he said he would be happy to entertain both you and your husband this evening so I told him to expect you around seven."
"That's wonderful Kristen thank-you." The assistant beamed with pride at having done something right for her boss.
Schuyler crossed the entrance to Force Towers quickly the trip from her office to theirs had run a little long and now she was running late. She hit the elevator button and waited patiently as the box carried her up the tower.
"Ah Mrs. Perry um right this way," another assistant mumbled directing Schuyler into a small conference room. She set her bag on the table and walked to the window staring out at the New York sky line.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Mr. Force asked.
"Breath taking as always," Schuyler replied coolly. She turned around facing Mr. Force directly, he had not changed much in the past sixteen years, he was still imposing with his steel grey hair and strong build. "Shall we dispense with the pleasantries?"
"So quick to get going?"
"The faster to be done with it."
"I do not appreciate you speaking of my company in such a manor."
"Soon it will be mine," Schuyler responded flatly turning from the window.
"Not if I have anything to say about it, as a Blue Blood we should not even be—"
"Fighting over this? Well I think your daughter made it pretty clear where I stand in that matter, isn't that right Mimi?" Schuyler asked seeing the older Mimi Force-Caron enter the room.
"Schuyler we both know half blood or not your veins are still blue," the woman replied begrudgingly.
"Very well, is this all?"
"One more," Jack said shutting the door behind him he nodded at Schuyler and took a seat. Normally Schuyler would never have considered coming to this meeting alone and still meeting with the Forces. As far as she figured it, she had the upper hand to play.
"Schuyler what is it going to take to get you to back down?" Charles started layering on the sweetness. It was the same voice she had heard for two years when she had lived in his house and she hated it.
"Back down? Clique Pointe does not intend to back away from this venture; we mean to take a bite out of the American Market so to speak."
"So find something else," Mimi interjected. "take a look at JCB they've been floundering for years."
"Yes they have, but you seem to have missed the fact Mimi that they have ultimately failed as a business. Why take over a company that has no value and ultimately no prospects? When FNN is just beginning to fail and we can still profit from either selling it off in small chunks or incorporating the bulk of it into CP."
"You wouldn't dare sell this company off piece by piece?"
"Yes Mr. Force, I would dare. That's how I was taught, check your emotions at the door and bring in only what will make you stronger." Charles Force was silent he knew that idea was the founding principle of FNN that Schuyler would have been taught when she was here. "So I will give you these," she handed them the packets of information on Clique Pointe and how much stock they owned. It also contained a contract that FNN could sign if they wished, "contracts and where Clique Pointe is supposed to go in the next few months and you can decide do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way? I'll expect an answer by the end of next week."
Bliss was walking into Clique Pointe's main office just as Schuyler returned from her meeting.
"Bliss?" Schuyler called from the front door.
"Just the girl I came to see," the red head replied spinning around. "I heard you were back in town and I thought I would come see what all of the hubbub was about."
"Just the usual." Schuyler shrugged. Bliss felt the tension between them build this was their friendship, a few trite phrases and they were done with what they had to say to each other.
"Well I wanted to know what you are doing for dinner."
"I am afraid I already have plans, I am going out with Oliver tonight, maybe another time."
"Of course," Bliss replied smiling. Mentally she was thanking the heavens that she would not have to spend at least an hour making stiff conversation with her old friend. "You must send me that darling daughter of yours, I am sure I could book her on at least half a dozen ads sight unseen."
"Well you would have to take that up with Ara, she's in charge of what she does."
"I will."
"Where were you yesterday I didn't see you at the meeting?"
"Oh that," Bliss said with a wave of her hand, "I got so side tracked with work and everything you know how it is I'm sure. I just lost track of the time."
"Then I'll see you at the next meeting? I don't think I could make it through another long session with them."
"Definitely I will make sure to have my secretary remind me."
"Good, Bliss it's great to see you again, really, it's been a long time."
"Ah Sky please, don't go all mushy on me now. But I agree it has been too long." Bliss smiled and sent her friend on her way. Yes she would be back to the committee meeting now that Schuyler had returned, it could after all ruin her entire plan.
Madison had one more stop to make before she could fully call it a day. Well two if you counted her spa treatment later. She flew into Café Diem and took a seat at the back table where a dark haired girl was sitting sipping a latte.
"Jazz right?" Madison asked taking a seat opposite the dark haired girl.
"Madison Attwater so nice to meet you."
"Likewise." She beamed.
"Thanks for the call earlier I think Matt will be great for Ara."
"I know right? So she likes lacrosse boys? Like the pretty athletic type?"
"I don't think Ara really has a type, as long as they're smart and can hold their own in a conversation with her I think it'll work."
"If not I've got hoards of Red Bloods lying around, not to worry most are still unbitten."
"You put on a good act for the public you know that right?"
"What are we Jazz but an act?"
"Can you tell me does Cam—" Madison shook her head yes and then rolled her eyes. The barista came over to take Madison's order and she ordered the latest iced coffee drink and Jazz just ordered another one of what she had. "So should I—"
"Be prepared for your BFF to be supremely angry with my BFF most likely." Madison surveyed the crowd that had gathered at the Café in the late afternoon. She saw Matt take a seat on a couch by the front windows. Matt was a lacrosse player at Duchesne, he was tall good looking at from what Jazz had told her over the phone Ara was going to fall head over heels for him, at least for the time being. Madison checked her phone it was almost time. She watched as Ara entered the shop totally oblivious to Jazz and Madison at the back. Ara walked over to Matt and they exchanged awkward hellos. "This should be interesting," Madison said taking her drink from the barista.
"I have one question, why does Cam?"
"Just because I happen to be his BFF does not mean that I know what goes on in that boy's head. But from what I have gathered, which thanks to Sasha is growing steadily. Cam has never found his twin on earth, and I think he's gotten it into his head, don't ask me how, that your friend there is you know."
"Ara doesn't believe in bonds."
"Really? Curiouser and curiouser." They sat in silence for a few minutes and then Madison decided it was time to make her move. She left her partially finished drink and gracefully made her way to the door waving goodbye to Jazz as she went.
"Madison," Matt called as she exited.
"Mathew I didn't even see you," she replied walking over to the couch where the pair was seated. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just meeting Ara here, we,"
"Oh you're Ara I've heard so much about." The girl blushed at Madison's comments, "I'm Madison by the way. We should hang out some time I can introduce you to all of the must know people at Duchesne."
"Sure," Ara replied smoothly.
"Well I need to get going, facial appointment and all, I'll get your number from Matt later and give you a call Ara." Madison flashed her well known and photographed hundred watt smile and dashed out of the café in a flash brushing past a dark haired man who was entering the cafe and sprinted up the streets of New York just as fast.
Schuyler was twitchy in the car over to her old home. She toyed with her old string of pearls that she had selected to go with her slim black dress. She twisted them round and round her fingers. Oliver put a hand over her other hand Schuyler looked at the gesture.
"Sky if you don't stop you're going to break that strand."
"What oh sorry, I guess I am just nervous." She dropped the strand and stared out the window. The busy streets of New York were giving way to the more spacious areas were her grandfather's house was located. It was only dinner, though she and Lawrence had exchanged only a few words every now and then. After her outburst and leaving New York in a hurry they had not spoken for months not even the faintest whisper of a sending had past between them. It had been Oliver's coming and constant badgering that had made her reach out to Lawrence. They were not back to where they had been before she left but it was close.
"Normal," Oliver replied gently.
Schuyler looked back at him, how lucky was she that she got to keep her best friend and even better that she was able to marry him. Contrary to the belief that she had done it to show a client that she had good family values, because a single unmarried mother just did not present a good picture. She had married Oliver because she wanted to. As much as the memories of Jack still haunted her past, Oliver filled her present with so much that she was sometimes amazed how long she could go without thinking of the blond Blue Blood. "How do you do this?"
"What?" Oliver asked looking at her curiously his brown hair falling in his face.
"Put me at ease with a single phrase?"
"Easy I know you too well." He brushed his lips over her knuckles. Schuyler smiled, it was nice to come home to this day after day. To someone that she could love in private and in public that was what she had always wanted. To have a family that cared about each other.
"Should I be afraid that you might sell my secrets to the plot bunnies that run rampant in your mind."
"Schuyler you would be amazed at the number of times you and Ara have not wound up in one of my novels."
"I loved the last one, I finished late last night, before…" her voice died, of course before she had received a snappish phone call from Mimi Caron explaining to her that her daughter was passed out in Mimi's living room.
"Ara's going to be fine, from all accounts she has a new familiar already."
"I guess I feel responsible."
"Sky not your fault—"
"But if—"
"And if you didn't you wouldn't have an amazing daughter, stop beating yourself up about it. The past is in the past, leave it there." She knew he was referring to more than just her affair. It was her business deal, had she really only taken the job in New York to get even? To prove to the Forces that she could live without them? If she was honest with herself she took the job to get even with Jack, but for some reason seeing him in and the pain that she was putting him through felt like she was slowly slicing into her own skin.
"You have too much common sense for your own good."
"I am supposed to be the one guiding you," Oliver pointed out.
"I love you."
"I know." Schuyler grinned at the remark, it was expected as the Star Wars trilogy was one of Ollie's favorites.
The Silver Bullet: thanks for the review so nice as always to hear from you.
xo-tink-xo: wellllll I can't tell you who ends up with who, mostly because that would ruin some really sweet moments we'll see before the end. Thanks for the review.
cutiekarina14: It is very ironic that they have fallen in love, I agree. Yes eventually we will find out who Ara's biological father is. Thanks for the review.
Josie: I think Ara would love to take your advice but there are reasons she can't and I'll leave it at that for now. That is the other nagging question isn't it? Who will sky end up with. Again it's one of those things you will have to keep reading to figure it out. I love Ara/Cam as well they're so funny. Thanks for the review.
Dark Melody: wellllll maybe I don't want to ruin the cliffie of future chapters. That's all I am going to say. Thanks for the review.
