Author's Note: It's important to know that in this story, the whole
Fusion/Enchantment takeover storyline and any storylines that branched off
of it, never took place. No phony lawsuits, no plotting among Kendall and
Erica, no attack on Kendall, Erica or Bianca. Just axe all of that.
Confused? That's OK. It'll make more sense soon. Still confused? Drop me an
e-mail at tad_n_dixie@hotmail.com with your question and I'll try to help
you out without giving away too much of the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adam stormed into Chandler Enterprises, passed a number of employees without giving any of them a glance as he headed to his office.
"I don't want to see... or speak with anyone. Is that clear?" Adam said to his secretary before entering.
"Yes, Mr. Chandler," she said. "But..."
Adam pushed his office door open and stopped, seeing Michael Cambias sitting at his desk. "What the hell are you doing in my office?"
"Adam," Michael said. "I don't think anyone was expecting to see you today. With the news hitting the airwaves about your son..."
"Do not say a word about my son, or you'll be out of a job." Adam walked behind his desk as Michael stood. "And get out of my office. You have your own. Use it."
"Don't you think that you should be home working with the police or..."
"Get out of my office, Cambias."
There was a knock at the door. It swung open slowly and Adam's secretary popped her head in.
"Mr. Chandler?" she said. "I know you said you didn't want to speak to anyone, sir, but... Dixie Martin is here."
Adam took a deep breath. "Fine," he said, sitting. "Send her in."
The secretary left and a moment later, Dixie entered. "How are you working?!" Dixie exclaimed. "How on Earth can you just sit behind your desk like everything's OK?" She looked over at Michael. "Excuse me," she said, before turning back to Adam. " Tell me, Adam."
Adam looked over at Michael. "Do you mind? I know that you'd like to remain employed. I believe I told you to leave my office."
"Of course," Michael said, almost smugly. He nodded in Dixie's direction and paused a moment before leaving the office.
Dixie stared at Adam silently, her arms folded across her chest. "Well?" she said. Adam remained silent. "Do you even care? Has this even registered in your mind?"
"What do you want me to do, Dixie?" Adam asked, standing from behind his desk and approaching her. "We collected the ransom money. It was delivered." He paused. "It was never picked up."
Dixie chuckled, protecting herself from the pain. "Don't you see?" she said, her eyes beginning to tear. "Your money isn't going to make this disappear. All your mega millions are worth nothing! They aren't going to bring Junior back." She paused. "And instead of going home... and letting the police work with you to help find our son... you're here, afraid that the great Chandler empire is going to crumble if you're away for more than five minutes." Dixie shook her head. "I'm glad to see you have your priorities in order, Adam." she said sarcastically.
"I'm not the one who lost him," Adam shot back.
"Well maybe if you even tried to be half the father to him that Tad is..."
"Don't bring Tad into this conversation."
"Why not? Tad's just as much a part of Junior's life as you are. Maybe even more."
"We see how that went for keeping our son safe. Maybe if Tad could keep his mind on parenting instead of his hands on..."
Dixie lifted her hand, slapping Adam across the face. Adam cradled his cheek, soothing the stinging sensation. "How dare you," she said. Dixie stood there, silently for a moment. "I don't know why I came here."
Dixie turned, starting out of the office. She continued down the hall to the elevator, stepping on and pressing the button for the bottom floor.
"Hold the elevator." She heard. Dixie stuck her hand out, stopping the elevator. Michael stepped on, standing beside her. The elevator doors closed. "Dixie Martin, right?" he said. Dixie looked over at him. "Michael Cambias." he raised his eyebrow, practically unnoticed. "I'm sorry about your son."
"Thank you," Dixie said with a sniffle.
"Perhaps what you need right now is a steady shoulder." He paused. "Maybe you'd allow me to buy you a drink... maybe lunch."
"I..." Dixie began, looking up at Michael as she paused. He seemed sincere enough. Somebody to unburden herself on. She nodded slowly. "I would like that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adam stormed into Chandler Enterprises, passed a number of employees without giving any of them a glance as he headed to his office.
"I don't want to see... or speak with anyone. Is that clear?" Adam said to his secretary before entering.
"Yes, Mr. Chandler," she said. "But..."
Adam pushed his office door open and stopped, seeing Michael Cambias sitting at his desk. "What the hell are you doing in my office?"
"Adam," Michael said. "I don't think anyone was expecting to see you today. With the news hitting the airwaves about your son..."
"Do not say a word about my son, or you'll be out of a job." Adam walked behind his desk as Michael stood. "And get out of my office. You have your own. Use it."
"Don't you think that you should be home working with the police or..."
"Get out of my office, Cambias."
There was a knock at the door. It swung open slowly and Adam's secretary popped her head in.
"Mr. Chandler?" she said. "I know you said you didn't want to speak to anyone, sir, but... Dixie Martin is here."
Adam took a deep breath. "Fine," he said, sitting. "Send her in."
The secretary left and a moment later, Dixie entered. "How are you working?!" Dixie exclaimed. "How on Earth can you just sit behind your desk like everything's OK?" She looked over at Michael. "Excuse me," she said, before turning back to Adam. " Tell me, Adam."
Adam looked over at Michael. "Do you mind? I know that you'd like to remain employed. I believe I told you to leave my office."
"Of course," Michael said, almost smugly. He nodded in Dixie's direction and paused a moment before leaving the office.
Dixie stared at Adam silently, her arms folded across her chest. "Well?" she said. Adam remained silent. "Do you even care? Has this even registered in your mind?"
"What do you want me to do, Dixie?" Adam asked, standing from behind his desk and approaching her. "We collected the ransom money. It was delivered." He paused. "It was never picked up."
Dixie chuckled, protecting herself from the pain. "Don't you see?" she said, her eyes beginning to tear. "Your money isn't going to make this disappear. All your mega millions are worth nothing! They aren't going to bring Junior back." She paused. "And instead of going home... and letting the police work with you to help find our son... you're here, afraid that the great Chandler empire is going to crumble if you're away for more than five minutes." Dixie shook her head. "I'm glad to see you have your priorities in order, Adam." she said sarcastically.
"I'm not the one who lost him," Adam shot back.
"Well maybe if you even tried to be half the father to him that Tad is..."
"Don't bring Tad into this conversation."
"Why not? Tad's just as much a part of Junior's life as you are. Maybe even more."
"We see how that went for keeping our son safe. Maybe if Tad could keep his mind on parenting instead of his hands on..."
Dixie lifted her hand, slapping Adam across the face. Adam cradled his cheek, soothing the stinging sensation. "How dare you," she said. Dixie stood there, silently for a moment. "I don't know why I came here."
Dixie turned, starting out of the office. She continued down the hall to the elevator, stepping on and pressing the button for the bottom floor.
"Hold the elevator." She heard. Dixie stuck her hand out, stopping the elevator. Michael stepped on, standing beside her. The elevator doors closed. "Dixie Martin, right?" he said. Dixie looked over at him. "Michael Cambias." he raised his eyebrow, practically unnoticed. "I'm sorry about your son."
"Thank you," Dixie said with a sniffle.
"Perhaps what you need right now is a steady shoulder." He paused. "Maybe you'd allow me to buy you a drink... maybe lunch."
"I..." Dixie began, looking up at Michael as she paused. He seemed sincere enough. Somebody to unburden herself on. She nodded slowly. "I would like that."