Best of You
By Didi
Disclaimer: Same as before… The Young and the Restless is owned by CBS Broadcasting Inc., CBS Corporation and Bell Dramatic Serial Inc. and probably a host of other companies but definitely not by me. No malice or infringement of copyrights are intended by this writing and I will stop if someone just tells me to. Suing me isn't going to get you anything except maybe a chuckle or two and my new sleep shorts from Marvyn's going-out-of-business sale.
Summery: Adam and Cane become unexpected rivals, Kay shares a little news and Amber's doctor visit does not go unnoticed.
Author's Note: Holidays makes it difficult to write… especially when you're so full of food that you can't stand the thought of sitting in front of a monitor for any length of time. Next update will be late… very late. Sorry!
By the way, can anyone tell me what the hell is going on the show now? I totally stop watching it and have lost track of who's with who and what's what. It's sad… but I really couldn't stand it anymore.
Chapter 9
Victoria Newman Hellstrom tapped her five hundred dollar pumps impatiently as she glanced at her diamond studded watch. She was dressed in a suit that would cost an average person about a week's worth of honest labor to even contemplate and carried a purse that would have left that self same average joe gasping for air. Her mobile phone was the latest thing off the market and her PDA was something from her tech-savvy husband (and took her a week to learn to use). She wore diamonds like they were pastes and thought nothing of tossing the eight dollar cup of garment coffee she had gotten on a whim.
And she was annoyed.
She was annoyed because her brother was late; and it's not even the brother she wouldn't mind spending Saturday morning with instead of cuddling in a warm bed with her adorable husband and son. But… Nick (the brother of choice) had asked her to be nice and Adam had called her at a decent hour with the sweetly-worded request. Plus her husband had convinced her that she should at least try to make an effort to connect since Adam had gone out of his way forge a relationship. And… he was family.
"Bagel?" Adam offered from a warm white paper bag. "I've got strawberry cream cheese somewhere in there too."
Glaring at him then plucking a bagel out, she reprimanded him with a sharp, "You're late!"
"Sorry, traffic was heavier than expected from the East side."
That confused her. Last she heard, he was living not ten minutes from here. "What were you doing all the way over there?"
"Delivering breakfast," shaking the bag with good cheer.
Blinking in incomprehension, she frowned. She knew he was deliberately trying to leave her in the dark and decided that she didn't want to know. She wanted him to get to the point so she can go home. "Why did you ask me to come out here, today?"
"Nick didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" not exactly sure if she was comfortable with that fact that her brothers appear to be getting along a great deal better than expected and were obviously having conversations that she was unaware of. It left her feeling slightly put out.
Silently impressed with Nick's self control and humbled by the fact that despite his asking Nick not to say anything else yet, he had been fully expected Nick to spill it all to at least Victoria. "Let's walk, I'll catch you up on the way. Oh, and be aware that dear old dad isn't going to be happy with me when he hears all this… which he eventually will."
"Oh…" surprised by his candidness, she was resolved to stay silent and hear him out. Fifteen minutes later, she found herself completely and utterly unable to speak anyways much less make snide remarks. It took her almost three attempts to utter the words, "Oh my god. You've been… busy," for lack of a better term.
"Yeah," Adam muttered and smiled as he continued to lead the slightly blinded Victoria through the shopping area. "Though last night's dinner was good. We talked about everything else under the sun except for the baby." A feat he didn't think he could pull off. "A minor hiccup during dessert but that was okay. Apparently, she hasn't been able to have ice cream since she got pregnant. Didn't know that."
"It's the dairy," she explained absentmindedly as she mentally reviewed what she knew about Amber, "Your body does this weird switching back and forth about tolerating it or not. Most women just go with soy milk and be done with it." She shook her head and looked at him again, "So… Nick knows about this?"
"I had to talk to him about cutting back on Amber's work. The doctors are concerned about her stress level, too many factors are rushing to the conclusion of her not doing well. Amber hasn't had it easy when it comes to pregnancies so… I thought maybe Nick could help out a little."
"Well, you did the right thing. You shouldn't take any risks where the baby is concerned," she made a face and glanced at Adam out of the corner of her eyes. "So Dad…"
"Oh, he is going to be less than thrilled with the prospects of having Amber in the family."
"Having Amber in the family?" She gave him a look, more curious than anything. "You don't have to marry her just because you knocked her up."
"I know," he replied easily as he stopped and opened a door for her, "But it's important to me that my child grows up with two parents. Plus I like Amber… she's different. No guarantee that she'll say yes if I ask but a nice ring wouldn't hurt."
Victoria glanced up at the door name, "You asked me out here to help you pick a ring?"
"I still need a house and stuff but I figure this would be a nice place to start," ushering her in. "And you, dear sister, have very good taste. So yeah, I want your opinion on a ring."
"Don't you think you're jumping the gun a little?" she murmured as the manager rushed to greet them. "Hello Phil, it's been a while. Adam here is looking for an engagement ring. Something delicate, his intended is a slight woman. Platinum or white gold, nothing yellow; I don't see her as a yellow kind of girl… will probably clash with her hair. Can you arrange for a selection?"
"Certainly, Ms. Newman… um…. Mrs. Hellstrom." Smiling beauteously, Victoria took a seat in a private area and motioned for Adam to sit with her as Phil ran off, gesturing madly to his assistants.
Adam grinned and sat down, accepting the champagne from a clerk and watched as Victoria graciously declined but tilted her head to the coffee by the side. "Smooth. I take it you've been here before."
"A few times," she replied casually as she glanced around for new purchases to add to her collection. Jewels are good investments. "We're Newmans, Adam; we expect more."
"Right," he sighed as he swirled the champagne then thought about it and added orange juice. It was kind of early for alcohol but mimosas are good at any time.
"I hope you don't expect a rock to convince someone to marry you."
"It would work on some women…"
"Amber included from what I heard."
"Not the Amber I've come to know," Adam pointed out with quiet assurance that wasn't going to allow for arguments. "Amber is… stubborn. She's a fighter, with good reasons I'm sure. Once upon a time, I'm sure a nice house, money in the bank and a big ass diamond ring would convince her to marry me. But I don't think it's going to cut it now. I'm going to have to step up my game." He sighed and glanced at his PDA; his real estate agent found a place that looked promising but they're waiting for word on viewing the property. "But a ring doesn't hurt in the long run."
"A good ring never hurts in the long run," Victoria agreed with a nod as the manager came back with as two trays of their exclusives. "And yes, it does help. But just make sure you know what you're doing before you do anything rash."
"Is that a vote of support I hear?" he glanced at the tray with some vague interest. He was going to let Victoria take the reins on this expedition, he knew next to nothing about jewelry except that some looked pretty and some were just god awful.
"Don't put words in my mouth," Victoria replied and picked up a ring, "What is this, one point five… two carets?" She made a face and put it back down, running her fingers along the first roll of selection and dismissing them with a wrinkle. "We can do better, Phil. Hum… Add something with a little color… sapphire, I think. She's got blue eyes, right?""
"Nothing less than three carets, please; and I want the highest clarity you've got. And yes, she has blue eyes; sapphires would be an excellent counter piece." Adam smirked and watched as Phil, the manager hurried away for more pieces before he offend his deep-wallet customers. Victoria shook her head and had more coffee. "I knew bringing you was the right decision."
"I'm good for some things," Victoria grinned.
"I'm sorry, I must not be understanding this," Cane replied and threw the pen he had been using across the way; it was the third one. His frustration was mounting by each passing minute. "You've spent the last two days raving about this house; how great it is, how perfect it would suit me. Now you're telling me that we can't even see it? What is the problem? What's the asking price?"
"The price isn't the issue," Stella Warren replied as she shifted in her chair. The lists and lists of properties on her desk isn't going to do her any good right now. "Someone put in an offer this morning. They won't let us see the place now."
"What?" Cane frowned and shook his head. "That's ridiculous."
"That's exactly what I said," Stella replied. "But the seller is saying that they like the offering price and that the buyer has been more than generous."
"What was the offer?"
"One point two."
"Million?" Surprised, Cane frowned. "Honest opinion here, Stella. How good is this house?"
"It's perfect," Stella answered with no hesitation. "4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, kitchen, family room, extra playroom in the back, pool, yard… the works. Walking distances from the park and a very exclusive private school. Upper Westside, three blocks from the Chancellor estates. Move in ready and it was completely redone not six years ago; everything is updated and retro fitted. Owners were foreigners, moving back to their country so they want to dump the house on a wide open market."
Considering it carefully, "Any other prospects even close?"
"Not really, not to your specifications," and there had been plenty of musts that she had to wade though.
He thought long and hard. With his grandmother's blessings and his own credentials with Chancellor, "Offer one point two-five and see if they bite."
"I'll put in the offer but I don't think they will," Stella answered honestly.
"Why not?"
"Margie, that's the other agent, said that the bidder has an expanding family and money is not really an object of contention here. They'll probably put up another offer for it."
"Well, I seem to fit into that category as well," Cane pointed out. "I want the best for my child. Make the offer."
"May I just point out, Mr. Ashby, that you may end up starting a bidding war if you do this. The seller may go to the other buyer with this."
"So? You said this place is ideal, right? I want it," Cane replied very plainly and very easily and very stubbornly, something he would have never done a year ago. Then had a nagging thought hit him, "Hey Stella, you know the area pretty good right? Who else besides my grandmother and mother might have the kind of cash and pull to offer for something like this?"
Stella was silent for a moment. "Well…. the Abbots might have."
"I'd hear about it if they were looking," he countered with confidence. His mother may not be the most popular former Abbot but she certainly would hears enough to get by. "Who else?"
"The Hodges, the Maybournes, the Phillips and, of course, the Newmans."
The name switched on an alarm in his head. "The Newmans?"
"Sure, they can more than afford it," Stella said negligently and shifted through one of her notes. "I did hear that Victor Newman's youngest son had moved off their ranch estate. He's probably also looking for a place. This property is nice but it's not exactly a bachelor pad."
The scene at the night club forced itself unbidden to the forefront of Cane's mind. Adam Wilson had been just a tad too friendly with Amber… and Amber had resisted, kind of. And now it would seem that he's moved out of his father's estate and is looking for a nest to… to what? He didn't like the way things are beginning to stack up in his overly imaginative mind. No, no… let's stick with facts. "Stella, put in the offer and see if you can find out who the other bidder is. Maybe we can work out am estimate as to how far we want to take this if we knew how deep the other guy's pocket is."
"Hey, you're the boss," Stella said dropping everything else on her plate for what she felt was an involved project. Stella normally would never think to put so much effort into what could probably be a hopeless case, but Mr. Ashby is the son of the formidable Mrs. Abbott and the esteemed Mrs. Chancellor, those were not two names you want to cross in this town. Combined they were worse than the Newmans. "Let's just hope you're not going to pay through the nose for a place you haven't even gotten to see yet."
"You'll let me know when the offering price exceeds the value of the property, won't you?"
"Of course," a little offended that he was calling her integrity to question.
"Thanks Stella, you're the best."
"That's right," then hung up and got cracking.
Cane placed the receiver down slowly and turned to stare out the window for a moment. If it was Adam Wilson on the other end of this transaction, he was looking a bidding war of unprecedented magnitude. The Newmans were known to play hardball for what they want and he had a nasty suspicion that it meant on all fields. But if Adam thought that Cane was going to just sit back and let him have the house, Amber and the baby… well, he's got another thing coming to him.
"Offer another half a million, see if the seller bites," Adam instructed with a frown. "And find out who's fighting me for this house."
"Another half million?" Nick made a face and spread jelly on bread. "That's a lot of money."
"The house is perfect," Adam pointed out. "You said so yourself."
"I said it's an excellent investment," Nick pointed out, "if you can afford it."
"I've got the money," Adam replied easily.
"Seriously?"
"Mom left me a good chunk of change with the insurance and the selling of the farm. Charlie too after his accident," he shrugged and pushed the sad thoughts of the parents that raise him. "I think she would have approved of me trying to provide well for Amber and the baby."
"Hope was that kind of person so yes, I think she would too. Just don't bankrupt yourself trying to buy a house that you can't get any equity on."
"I use to be an investment broker, I think I know how to manage money."
"That wasn't an criticism, little brother, relax. That was just an friendly advise and reminder," Nick passed him the simple, childhood favorite sandwich and kept going. "Phyllis and I should probably think about moving off the ranch too at some point. Get a place of our own."
"Why? Victor seems completely okay with you guys living here. He's probably happy that you guys are so close by."
He laughed. "Is Dad still pissed that you moved off the ranch without consulting him first?" Nick got an earful just the other day.
"Not exactly thrilled," Adam admitted with a deprecating grin. There had been a long cold war over it at the office. Everyone is avoiding the subject as much as physically possible. Sabrina had spent several times now trying to talk Adam into moving back in; which only made Adam more determined to stay away. His inability to give Victor a full and decent explanation without revealing too much didn't help a bit.
"Vicky and I will talk to Dad, see if we can get him to back off a little."
"I would greatly appreciate it if you did," Adam laughed and then sighed. "Hey, let me ask you something."
"What?"
"You know anyone around that would have close to 2 million to buy a house?"
Frowning while he considered the question, Nick wondered where this was going toward. "A few… probably. Why?"
"Anyone you know looking for a place in a hurry?"
"Besides you?"
Adam gave him a look of annoyance for that unnecessary question, "Besides me."
He gave the thought some seriously consideration, shifting through the usual gossips and rumors that float through his spheres and through the magazine's gossip columns. "I haven't heard anything that perked my interest but if you're really curious…"
"I am."
"I can make some inquiries."
"I'd appreciate it actually," Adam admitted as he poured juice for the both of them. "But try to keep it quiet. I don't really want anyone to know about me and Amber yet."
Grinning, "Will do. By the way, how did dinner go the other night?"
"Good," Adam answered a little too quickly.
"Really?" the disbelief clearly written on his face.
"Yeah… I guess," Adam divulged with a sigh. "I don't know… it was hard to tell. And I definitely didn't want to stick my foot in my mouth and get my ass kicked out of her apartment. Plus I keep reading about how pregnant women can be really out there with their logic sometimes so…"
"You tip-toed through the whole night, didn't you?"
"Hell yes."
Nick really hadn't meant to laugh but he did. Adam didn't blame him, couldn't really. It was pretty ridiculous. "Sorry, sorry," Nick chuckled and got a hold of himself.
"Why? If it wasn't happening to me, I'd be laughing too. The irony of it has not escaped me." It was more than just frustrating for his normally confrontational manner of dealing with any conflict that arises. "What the hell am I going to do?"
"Roll with it," Nick suggested in a not-so-helpful manner. "I'm not saying you're going to like it and I'm not saying that it's going to be easy, but you said so yourself that Amber is facing an uphill battle with this. You don't want to do something that's going to cause her to bolt or do something ridiculously stupid."
"Like?"
"Like take a fall? Don't upset her. Beach balls don't run very fast or with a great deal of balance on their side."
"You're not helping."
"Oh yeah I am. Trust me, you want to keep her around, you better be willing to do whatever it is she needs you to do. That includes giving her the kind of security and peace that you're presence may not be the key to bringing about. Can you do that? Not be in her face when she doesn't want you there?"
Adam made a face of utter disgust. "How can I help if I'm not round?"
"So stay on her good side; however and whatever it takes." Nick snickered a little, more than just a little amused by this. This was a game he hadn't been expected to participate it but it was kind of a strangely fun game. "Soy milk and tuna."
"What?"
"Soy milk is good for her bone density, I'm sure her doctor has probably told her that. And tuna is good for easily digestible iron supplement. Get the good stuff though but don't ask me what the good stuff is; I never did figure that part out."
"If this is your way of helping…"
"I made your dinner the other night, what else do you want from me?"
That shut Adam up nicely. "Man I want that house."
"Are we back on that again?"
"I didn't think we were ever off that topic."
Nick gave him a look. "We were talking about Amber."
"And the baby and the house. See… it makes perfect sense to me. Keep up old man."
The kitchen towel hit Adam smack in the face. "Get out of my house!"
"This looks fantastic, Nikki," Kay complimented with a smile as she closed the portfolio. "This next quarters looks good and covered in black."
"We're not out of the woods yet," Nikki cautioned as she sorted through the paperwork littered in front of her. "The amount of time and effort in putting these programs into place will be worthwhile in the long run but we're going to looking at a dip in the next few months. I don't like it but it's got to be."
"In other words, Jill is going to be having little kittens when she sees that balance sheets," Kay wisely predicted with a chuckle. "Make sure Berry in accounting gets a spec report before you show the latest figures to Jill and the board."
"Yes, this should be a interesting showdown," she smiled and then sighed. "By the way, I've been meaning to talk to you lately about the whole Jabot suit with Newman."
"Think nothing of it," waving it away with a negligent hand, "It's over and done with. Let's get on with business."
"Kay, I let my emotions ruled that time and I…"
"We all do at one point or other, my dear; let's not forget that we're all but humans with human frailties. Forgive and forget, that's my thought right now."
"Really?" Nikki asked curiously. "And when did you become so philosophical about life."
"When life gives you beautiful flowers."
"Well," surprised by the smile of absolute joy that bloomed upon her old friend's face. "I take it there's some good news on the horizon?"
"Very good news," she replied excitedly, happy to share her joy with a friend. "Jill will have conniptions when she finds out but Esther and I are beside ourselves with anticipation."
"Really? This must be exciting then." It was the first time Nikki has seen Kay this full of life since Cane's arrival. It was always a little touch of family that brought a smile to the grand dame's face. "What is it?"
"A new addition to the family," she confessed, "Cane's."
Nikki's shock was evidenced upon her face. "Lily is with child again? So soon?" They had all been shocked by Lily Winter's expected pregnancy and then consequent miscarriage.
Clearing her throat delicately, "It's not Lily's."
That was certainly an even greater shock. "Oh."
"Fear not," Kay assured her, "It's not nearly as terrible as you may think."
"It's not?" Nikki asked, her doubts written in her eyes.
"No darling," Kay laughed, "It's not. I'm very much looking forward to all this."
"So… who's the mother?"
Kay paused for a moment for dramatics. "Amber."
For a moment, Nikki thought she had heard wrong but the grin on Kay's face convinced her otherwise. "Amber? Amber Moore?" If her eyes got any wider, it might have fallen out of her head. "Are we talking about the same girl that scandalized your family by faking a marriage to your grandson?"
"Yes, that same girl that also stayed by my side when that parking structure collapsed upon us. That Amber Moore. Thank goodness for that child."
Nikki had almost forgotten about that. Of course, she would most assuredly like to forget most of that horrible night and all the terrible things that happened afterwards; there are moments when she still had nightmares of what might have been. "But Amber? Why would Cane even…"
"He's a man," Kay shrugged with a laugh. "Plus he loved her once. There's nothing in the books that says a man can't regret the past. Goodness knows that you and Victor…"
"We're not talking about me and Victor," Nikki cut in quickly. That was a subject she didn't want to rehash for the millionth time. And there wasn't going to be any more back and forth this time; not ever again. "But Cane… I just didn't see him as someone that could…"
"All in the past now," Kay predicted with a bright smile. "Now we all have a future and a baby to look forward to. Isn't it lovely?"
Smiling, Nikki nodded in agreement, "Yes, a baby is lovely. I'm so happy for you, Katherine." And she also wished them the best of luck with Amber… and Jill. (She could already hear the screaming.) They will most assuredly need it.
"Are you getting enough sleep? Your blood pressure is higher than it was last time."
"I kind of had to hurry here," Amber smiled and shrugged her shoulder. "The car is in the shop so I had to take the bus and the bus was late and I know how tight your normal schedule is and I didn't want to miss my appointment…"
"It's okay if you're a few minutes late," the doctor made a note and nodded his head. "The important thing is that you and your baby are healthy. Trying to get more rest and cut back some more on the salt. Though despite your blood pressure climbing, you seem to be doing well; everything else looks normal."
"So I can have cream cheese again?" rubbing the tiny baby bump she was now sporting. It was tiny… tiny compared to everyone else in the doctor's waiting room but it was there.
"Bagels?"
"Bagels without cream cheese just isn't bagels."
"Try it with light butter."
"Not the same," Amber groaned and swing her legs off the table. "I'm hungry all the time and there's like a list two miles long of things I can't have. It's killing me!" She reached for the jacket by her purse. The jacket did an excellent job concealing the bump and looks great with her outfit. "And worse yet, they won't stop making coffee at work. It always makes me drool. The tea just isn't cutting it."
The doctor laughed and wrote out a prescription. "I want you to continue that routine we talked about. I don't want to see any changes in your reports next month unless they're good ones."
"Oh doctor, do you think I'll be able to travel soon?"
"Car or plane?"
"Plane. New York."
He winced. "I would highly advise against the idea. Blood clots are known to acquire when you sit in a plane for too long. With your risk factors already high, I don't want to chance a clot going to your lungs."
"Aren't the baby aspirins suppose to help with that?"
"Yes but…"
"But no flights," she concluded in complete and utter disappointment.
"I won't even recommend long car rides," he added with a grime smile. Amber looked like a lively girl who probably doesn't like having so much restrictions on her life in this manner but so far, she's been unbelievably cooperative with every instruction he's given her.
"Okay, no traveling then." She sighed and gave up the idea of seeing C.J. It was wishful thinking on her part anyways. "Anything else?"
"Three a day," handing over the prescription, "And try to eat more. Your underweight as it is, I don't want to suddenly find you malnourished too."
"I'm eating, I'm eating. Sheesh, everyone seem to be trying to feed me lately, it's almost embarrassing." Amber groused as she headed out. "See you in a month!"
"Be good," was the only reply as he moved onto the next patient.
Amber rolled her eyes and headed for the front desk. She hadn't paid her co-payment yet and though she hated to part with the money, she knew that it was due. Handing over the check and grabbing the receipt, she considered her options for pharmacies. She should pick one closer to work or closer to home… though it really made no difference either way. What she really needed was one that was away from the prying eyes of everyone she knew. After all, she still hadn't told… The solid block of muscles that came around the corner almost knocked her on her butt. "Ouch!"
"Excuse me," was the rumbling response.
"Sorry, sorry," Amber replied quickly, catching herself against the wall.
"Are you all right?"
Rubbing the shoulder that that been knocked into, Amber gave herself a moment to collect what's left of her wits once she actually looked up. Victor Newman stood before, bigger than life and as scary as she had always imagined him to be. Not who she had expected to be running into… at all. "Fine, fine, just dandy," then winced at how that sounded. Really, there should be laws against her opening her big mouth when she's nervous.
"Are you all right?" was the softly repeated question from just behind the scary unofficial Emperor of Genoa City. Sabrina, Victor'a young bride-to-be, peeped around Victor's broad shoulders and smiled encouraging at Amber. "I hope you're not hurt," glancing Amber over quickly then at the sign on the wall pointing toward the OB department. She didn't say anything but her eyes strayed to Amber's hidden tummy for a moment then back at Amber.
Shaking her head quickly, Amber offered a quick smile back and prayed that Sabrina didn't leap to the correct conclusion. "I um… what are you doing here?" Sabrina smiled, glanced at the sign again and blushed a pretty shade of pink. The answer was pretty obvious, even to someone that wasn't normally observant as most. "Oh. Well… um… good luck… um... have fun…." She made a face and gave up. "Bye!" and made a dash for the exit. She so did not want to be there.
Victor stared after Amber for a moment, a quizzical frown on his face. "What a particular child."
"She seems nervous," Sabrina observed with a kind of strange serenity. "I wonder why?"
Shrugging, Victor dismissed the incident as unimportant and turned back toward his latest blushing bride and the soon-to-be mother of his child. "Come. We have an appointment to get to. Mustn't be late."
"Yes," Sabrina agreed but glanced back at the exit once more. There was something strange going on. Even with Victor's reputation around town, that girl should not have had that kind of reaction. At least no reason that she could think of.
This bears some watching.
To be continued…
2nd Author's Note: Oh god… why did I just paint myself into another corner??? WHY??? (sigh)
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