A/N Sorry about the length between chapters. No excuse this time other then writers block. This chapter was so hard to write I've spent 2 months fighting trying to write it. Everytime I started I didn't like it so I'd delete everything. I literally had to force myself to write it today. I thought about just skipping it and going to the next part but felt that this chapter was needed to get us from where the last chapter ended to what happens next. I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not but here it is I hope its ok.
Their glasses were held up high as the women prepared to celebrate their most recent success. Business had changed over the last year. Their goals had never changed but, they had. The strain between Greenlee and Kendall could be felt throughout the company.
Tonight though, tonight they stood as one. For one brief moment Fusion felt normal again. Greenlee's new brain child, "Pink", had bonded their small company into a family. This newest line had given them the sense of pride and accomplishment they had been searching for. The line pushed their internal compass back north pointing them in the right direction.
Greenlee stood proudly in front of her former friends and coworkers, she felt taller than her barely five foot frame stood. Tonight the never ending nights of worry and stress were seeing the fruits of their labor. Tonight the world would be introduced to "Pink", and tonight the sleepless nights, that weren't just attributed to the time it takes creating a new line, were going to make a difference, not just in the lives of Greenlee and the women who stood in front of her, but also in the countless lives that this line would make an impact on.
From the moment Angie had said those life altering words, "You have Cancer", Greenlee had felt helpless. For the last eight months she was a prisoner to that one word. She spent countless nights alone in a hospital room, wondering if she would wake up to see the next day. She sat by helpless as she watched a little girl succumb to her own disease that took so many before her. This disease knew no borders, young or old, male or female, innocent or guilty, it was blind to all that. Watching Sadie go to sleep that last time forced Greenlee to face the reality, that this disease could take her life just as easily as it took that innocent child's.
"Pink" had finally given her a purpose, a reason for why all this hurt had happened. She could accept the pain, she could handle the heartbreak of watching a child leave this world all too soon, if only she could find a silver lining in all the darkness that was associated with Cancer. "Pink" was her silver lining. And now the world would see the hope that it had given her during those late nights, when all she wanted to do was give up and give in.
While things at Fusion had changed drastically over the last year, some traditions never left. Greenlee stood in front of the people that made this night possible, she raised her glass ready to thank each of them.
First she turned to her former best friend. She smiled as she looked at the woman that had been her sister, maybe not by blood but in every other sense of the word. She thought back to all those nights she wanted to call Kendall and tell her about the newest idea she had for the line, or the nights she wanted to run over to the Slater residence,to tell her friend she was sick, just to have Kendall hold her one more time and tell her it was going to be ok.
"Kendall, this night wouldn't be possible without you," Greenlee started, "As everyone knows by now, the day I was going to present this line to the board, I lost a little girl I had been very close to. She lost her life to the same disease 'Pink' is dedicated to helping eradicate.
Kendall I know you and I haven't been on the best of terms, and I won't even pretend I don't know why that is. When I came to you and begged you to look at the proposal and present it for me you didn't have to. You could have swept this under the rug and let your own line take center stage. Without your support and love for this line made tonight possible, so thank you."
Madison stood towards the back of the crowd listening as Greenlee thanked person after person. Madison had been bitter about this line from the moment the board shot down all of her own ideas in place of letting Greenlee's go into production. Kendall didn't help Madison's hatred for the line, and by extension her further hatred of Greenlee, when the cosmetics diva had forced Madison to put the 'Mommy and Me' line on the back burner so all her devotion could be put into Greenlee's line.
"If that bitch doesn't thank me for all the time I had to spend on her stupid line I swear to God…." Madison was consumed in her own thoughts. She had hated this line from the moment it had Greenlee's name on it. In Madison's mind this line was just another thing that Greenlee created to ruin her life. Greenlee had come between her and Ryan before only to break his heart and now she was using this so called line to get between them again, and in Madison's mind that was exactly what Greenlee's plan was.
"Madison…hey Madison" Randi tried to get her friends attention, seeing the odd look on her face.
"What? Uh?" Madison shook the thoughts of hatred out of her mind. She noticed Randi looking at her strangely.
"Are you ok?" Randi asked her friend.
"Yeah of course, why did I miss something important the princess was saying?" Madison hissed out.
Randi was taken aback. She knew how much Madison disliked Greenlee but surely she wouldn't let that hatred get in the way of a line that was going to help so many women. "No, Greenlee was just thanking the design department." Randi finally answered.
"Of course she was, she won't thank the people who actually had to give up their lives for her stupid line though will she?" Madison muttered under her breath.
Randi could only shake her head and turn her attention back to their boss.
"The press and all our guest will be here soon so I don't want to keep you guys much longer, I know everyone wants to go change before the party, I don't think the press is expecting the Women of Fusion to show up in old jeans and t-shirts." They all laughed as they looked at the grubby clothing they had worn to transform ConFusion from a simple bar to their lines coming out party.
"There's just one more person I need to thank. Without this person I don't think this line would have ever made it to the deadline. This person spent many hours of her own time, sacrificing time with her children and family, making sure the packaging was right, the press releases went out, that everything was perfect, and you all know when I want perfect it's never easy for anyone." The last sentence received giggles all around, everyone knew just how much of a hard ass Greenlee could be on a normal day, but when it came to Fusion, well you didn't mess with Greenlee's vision.
Madison smiled to herself, "Maybe the bitch does have a heart."
Greenlee turned and looked at the brunette woman, someone she never believed she would trust so much in this world. She smiled at Amanda knowing that there were so many more things she wanted to thank her for then just her help with this line. She remembered the morning after Jack and Erica's wedding. Greenlee was impatiently waiting for Angie to let her go home when there was a soft knock on her door. She had held her breath as Amanda found the chair and sat across from her former friend and boss. Greenlee waited for Amanda to be the one to break down the wall she had so carefully put up to the people in Pine Valley. Amanda's innocent gesture to bring an unknown Cancer patient a moment of joy was going be the thing that forced Greenlee's secret to come out.
It was with surprise that Greenlee listened as Amanda had promised she wouldn't tell anyone the secret battle Greenlee was fighting. She promised her former friend that she wouldn't tell anyone but, she also wouldn't lie to Jake, so unless he came out and asked his wife if Greenlee had cancer, then her secret was safe.
It was in that moment of solidarity that Greenlee found another person in their small town that she was able to trust implicitly. Her small circle of friends had gone from two to three people. Letting Amanda in to her inner circle, even if she never intended to do so, ended up being more of a blessing the Greenlee ever realized. Amanda had offered to come back to Fusion as Greenlee's assistant. When Greenlee was too sick to go into Fusion and work on the line Amanda was there for her. Amanda made sure every time someone tried to change something with the line she was there to speak up for Greenlee's vision.
In the few short months from August when Amanda had learned of her secret to now, just a mere weeks to thanksgiving Greenlee had another member of the small family she was building around her.
"So Amanda thank you for everything you did for me, for Fusion, and for 'Pink' without you tonight wouldn't be possible." Greenlee held her glass of cider up one last time and toasted her friend.
Madison refused to raise her glass and refused to drink to this joke of a line. She scowled watching as Greenlee and Amanda hugged as if they were best friends. With the sappy part of their day over Madison stormed off ready to go back to Ryan. She couldn't wait till she walked back into this place with him on her arm ready to flaunt their love in Greenlee's face.
JR looked at himself in the hallway mirror making sure his tie was straight just as Greenlee's doorbell rang.
"I'll get it Greenlee!" He shouted out knowing she was nowhere near ready, even though the limo would be there any minute.
He opened the door to a smiling Amanda and an ever confused Jake Martin. "Hey guys, come on in. Greenlee's not ready yet." He gave Amanda a brief hug and kissed her cheek as she walked into Greenlee's penthouse. "You look beautiful Amanda," he said sincerely and reached over to shake Jake's hand.
Jake walked into Greenlee's penthouse still confused as to why Amanda wanted to go to the party with Greenlee and JR. He had been surprised when Amanda came home saying she wanted to go back to work at Fusion, she promised it wouldn't interfere with their family but she claimed she missed working. He, being the ever supportive husband, of course stood by her and made sure she knew he supported whatever she wanted to do. He had been more surprised by the amount of time his wife began spending with Greenlee, his former friend. Now as he found himself sitting across from JR Chandler in Greenlee's penthouse he could only hope that now that the line was out his wife would stop spending time with the woman that hurt so many people he cared about.
"So JR….how are you" Jake asked uncomfortably.
"Good. You?" JR answered shortly.
Amanda looked between her husband and former boyfriend. "Well as exciting as this is I'm going to check on Greenlee." She turned and left the guys alone. As she approached Greenlee's room she heard the TV turn on and could hear the football game Jake had been watching before they left.
She knocked softly on the door and waited for her friend to say it was ok to come in. When she finally got permission to enter she found herself stuck as she stared at her friend. "Wow, Greenlee, you look beautiful."
Greenlee stood in front of the full length mirror, scrutinizing every imperfection she could find. "Really? I don't think I should go. You can handle the launch party."
"Oh no, you're going. Don't you see how beautiful you are?" Amanda tried to convince her friend.
While Amanda saw the beautiful woman who was wearing a perfectly styled wig and a perfectly form fitting pink dress that hugged what curves she still had perfectly, Greenlee saw her thin frame, the fact that she the size 0 dress was still loose on her. She saw the unnoticeable outline of the shunt they had put in when she first went into the hospital. She saw beneath the makeup she so carefully put on and could see her pale skin, the slowly healing sores around her mouth, the dark circles on her eyes.
The makeup had concealed all the scars that Cancer was leaving her with, but she could still see them. No one else would be able to see them, but she knew they were there and that's all she could think of.
"Greenlee," Amanda walked over to her friend and pulled her into a tight embrace, "You could walk out of this room without concealing the imperfections you see and you would still be beautiful." Amanda remembered how she felt after the hysterectomy, sure she didn't have to face the harsh effects of chemo, but she was still left feeling like less of a woman, and feeling unworthy. "When I look at you, when JR looks at you, we don't see the bags under your eyes or that you've lost too much weight, we see our friend, the beautiful woman I'm honored to have a part of my life. All of this," She motioned to the dress and make up, "Only helps accentuate the woman you are, the woman that cancer could never take a way."
Greenlee looked into Amanda's soft brown eyes seeing the honesty in them, she wiped a tear that slowly moved down her soft cheeks, "Great now see what you made me do!" she choked back as another tear found its way from her eyes.
Amanda laughed with her friend as she wiped her friends tear away. "Come one Greenlee, let's go shock the world with everything you've accomplished." She hugged her one more time before turning to leave.
Greenlee quickly grabbed her friends hand, "You mean what we've accomplished, I meant what I said earlier, I couldn't have done this without you."
Amanda squeezed her friends hand and smiled at her before leaving Greenlee alone to fix the makeup that her tears had removed. She walked back into the bath room and looked at herself one last time after fixing her makeup, this time she didn't see the imperfections she saw the woman that Amanda saw.
Before leaving she grabbed the bag from the pharmacy she stopped at one her way home. She pulled the cold medicine out of the bag knowing she should have talked to Angie before she self-medicated. But, she needed to be there tonight, for herself and for Sadie, and she knew if she told Angie she was experiencing the first signs of a cold there was no way the doctor would let her go out.
Greenlee held tight to JR's hand as they walked in to ConFusion, Amanda and Jake close behind. She had seen it when they finished decorating but now as they walked in seeing everyone dressed up and all the press there her sense of pride and accomplishment welled.
"We did it!" Amanda whispered in her ear and squeezed her other hand.
Greenlee looked between the blond man smiling to her left and her friend on the right and knew truer words had never been spoken. Tonight the world would be introduced not just to 'Pink' but to Sadie and the countless other women and children who had cancer. This line was for them to help them feel for even just a few short hours that they were normal again.
The next few hours went by in a blur, reporter after reporter wanted to talk to the Cosmetics maven who finally created a line that catered to women often forgotten in the cosmetics world. They wanted pictures of Greenlee and Kendall smiling with their arms wrapped around each other, and even though their friendship had ended, tonight the smiles they shared were genuine for the first time. This line had closed just a few inches of the gap that found its way between them.
Angie had watched Greenlee from afar the whole night proud of the woman she saw in front of her. She had been worried about what this line might do to her patient but had found that it had done more than good in the young woman's life. The cancer hadn't found a new home it was still there, but tonight it wasn't the focus of her life. The light that cancer had taken from the girls eyes was back for the first time in months.
When the last reporter finally ended their interview with Greenlee the doctor left her husband with Jake and Tad. She made her way over to the woman of the hour and pulled her in to a hug, "I'm so proud of you Greenlee." Angie beamed with the same pride a mother felt for their child when they accomplished something.
They talked for a few moments, not about how she was feeling or if the medication was helping with the side effects. It was just a normal conversation between two women, who for a moment ignored the elephant in the corner.
As the night unwinded and people began leaving JR found his way back over to the woman who everyday found new ways to amaze him.
"Excuse me ladies, I'm going to borrow this one for just a moment." JR led Greenlee away from Angie and Amanda, who nodded as they went to find their husbands.
"You have never looked more radiant then you have tonight Greenlee." He smiled down at her.
"It's the lighting, we picked it because it accentuates the soft tones that 'Pink' offers," she scientifically explained, smiling at him wishing she could tell him how when he touched her, her hear beat just a little faster. Or, that when he looked at her the way he was right now, she didn't need blush, her cheeks could be this rosy on their own.
The DJ changed the song and invited all the couples to enjoy one last dance together before the night ended. The music moved slowly as JR pulled her just a little closer.
"It has nothing to do with the lighting, it's all you." It was the closest he had allowed himself to come to admitting what was in his heart.
Their eyes locked on each other's as he they swayed back and forth in time with the music playing in the background. There together everything and everyone around them seemed to melt away. In this brief moment it was just JR and Greenlee, no one else existed and nothing else mattered.
She pulled herself closer to him and rested her again against the soft cotton of his dress shirt, his jacket long ago discarded. She listened to the soft beating of his heart as they held on to each other neither wanting this moment to end.
Through the short four minute love song, she wasn't a Cancer patient, he wasn't a survivor. She had never betrayed her family and he hadn't stood alone in a tunnel ready to put a bullet through his ex-wife's body. The things they had or could have done to hurt others didn't matter. All that mattered was in that moment they were together, this moment would get them through whatever was going to come next.