Chapter 11

Coop was just about finished working for the day. The restaurant was going to be closing in about ten minutes and there was no one eating at the moment so he figured he would just close up early. He was going to see Lizzie anyway and that way he could go sooner.

He took off his apron and threw it on an empty table and walked over to open the door so he could put the closed sign out and when he did, Alan was standing right there.

" Alan, what are you doing here?" Coop asked, a little irritated that he was here again, trying to ruin his evening.

" That is Mr. Spaulding to you, Coop" Alan said smirking, making his way into the restaurant.

Coop looked at him in disbelief. " I guess you can't read because the sign on the door says CLOSED" Coop said, very sure of himself.

" My granddaughter owns this restaurant, Mr. Bradshaw. I can come in this place anytime I like and stay as long as I like," Alan said, now standing directly in front of Coop.

It was taking all Coop had not to punch him right in the face. " Okay, Alan, just cut to the chase. Why are you here and what the hell do you want?" Coop said, getting a little angry.

" Well, I am here to offer you a little deal, Mr. Bradshaw." Alan said, smirking.

Coop was curious at what he could want to offer him, so he took the bone. " What would that be?" Coop asked.

" I want you to stay away from my granddaughter," Alan said, his facial expression changing very rapidly.

" Well, what's new with that, Alan?" Coop said. " You haven't wanted me around her since like, EVER" Coop finished.

" You better watch your smart mouth, young man." Alan said.

" Look, Alan, I don't mean you any disrespect, really I don't, but I am not going to stop seeing Lizzie," Coop finished.

Alan was getting madder and madder at every word that was coming out of his mouth. " Mr. Bradshaw, that wasn't a request, it was a demand. And if you don't listen to me, than you will pay a heavy price." Alan finished, waiting to see Coop's expression.

" So what's the so called deal? All that you are throwing at me is an ultimatum," Coop said.

" I am getting to that. If you stop seeing my granddaughter than I will give you a very big chunk of money." Alan said.

Coop could not believe this. " Let me get this straight, Alan. You are going to pay me off so that I will leave Lizzie alone?" Coop said.

Alan reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, getting to his checkbook. " How does, $100,000 sound?" Alan asked, getting out his pen and preparing to write the check.

" Alan you are totally crazy. I am not taking a penny from you, and like I said before, I am not going to stop seeing Lizzie." Coop said, telling Alan exactly what he could do with his money.

Alan was a little taken back. " You are going to give up $100,000?" Alan said, getting a little angry.

Coop could not believe how desperate he was to get Lizzie away from him.

" Fine then, Mr. Bradshaw, forget the money, but you WILL stay away from my granddaughter, and that is a demand!" Alan said throwing his checkbook down on the table next to Coop's apron.

" No, I am not. I care about her and I am going to continue to see her," Coop said, yelling back at him.

" Coop, I am late for a dinner meeting tonight, in which Lizzie was supposed to attend with me," Alan said.

" Okay, why are you telling me this?" Coop asked, still angry.

" Because Lizzie was supposed to go with me tonight. And she refused because of you." Alan said, using his hands to express how angry he was.

Coop was confused. " Why would she refuse? She can go to dinner with you and your friend anytime she wants too." Coop said.

" She refused because I wanted her to go with my friend's son, and she has some kind of obligation towards you. She has betrayed me and it is all because of you." Alan said.

" Alan, you can't force her to go out on a date if she doesn't want to," Coop said.

Lizzie was walking up the sidewalk to Company. She was going to see Coop. After last night, she wanted to see him again and every night from now on. Despite her Leukemia, this was the happiest she had felt ever since her father had been killed.

When she got to the window she looked in, expecting the place to be closed. When she looked in she saw her grandfather and Coop in what looked like a heated argument.

She walked over to the door and opened it, preparing to listen to what was going on. She opened the door very quietly so they wouldn't see her.

" Listen to me, Mr. Bradshaw, you are not to see my granddaughter EVER again, I mean it. You are not fit to walk the same earth as her," Alan said.

Lizzie was speechless and angry. How dare her grandfather come in here and say that to him. She was not going to allow this. Not after everything he had done for her last night. She knew she had to interfere.

" Mr. Spaulding, Lizzie.." Coop was interrupted by Alan.

" You are not even fit to speak her name," Alan yelled, walking closer to Coop, when Lizzie burst into the room.

" Granddad, leave him alone. STOP IT!" Lizzie said.

Alan turned around and saw his granddaughter practically in tears. He had not meant to upset her.

" Elizabeth, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just talking to Mr. Bradshaw, here" Alan said.

Lizzie was wiping her tears away. " You were NOT talking, you were threatening him and demanding that he stay away from me. That is not your call to make, granddad." Lizzie said, standing up to him.

Coop was watching Lizzie stand up to her grandfather again. Considering all that she was going through, she was handling Alan pretty good.

" Lizzie, you don't really have to defend me," Coop said, trying to make her calm down.

" You don't say another word, Mr. Bradshaw," Alan said, turning back to Lizzie.

" Don't talk to him like that, granddad." Lizzie said, yelling, getting really worked up.

" Elizabeth, you are way to good for this boy, and you are not to see him again," Alan yelled, not noticing that his granddaughter was getting very pale.

" Lizzie, I think you need to calm down, it's okay." Coop said.

" No, Coop, it is not okay. You do not deserve to be talked to that way. I am going to continue to see him, and there is nothing you can do about it!" Lizzie yelled, looking at her grandfather.

" NO, you are NOT!" Alan yelled back, getting in Lizzie's face.

Lizzie felt very weak all of a sudden. Her face was getting paler and paler. Then her knees just buckled and she fell to the floor.

"Lizzie!" Coop yelled, running over to her on the floor.

Alan ran over to Lizzie as well, " Get away from her, Coop" Alan said trying to push him away, but Coop wouldn't budge.

Almost as quickly as Lizzie had fainted, she had woken back up. She opened her eyes, and looked around trying to remember where she was. All she remembered was her grandfather and Coop fighting.

" Coop?" Lizzie managed to get out, but she was too weak to pick her head up, to look for him.

" I'm right here, Lizzie," Coop said, sitting beside of her.

" What happened?" Lizzie asked.

" You just fainted after a fight with your grandfather. But I am sure that is because you haven't had very much sleep these last couple days." Coop said, trying to avoid having to explain anything to Alan.

" Yeah, that must be it, Coop" Lizzie said, catching on to what he was doing. She finally sat up a little bit.

"Elizabeth, are you sure you are alright?" Alan said.

" Yeah, I am fine. You can go home now, granddad. I am through talking to you for tonight." Lizzie said, making it clear to him that she was still mad.

" Elizabeth, I am sorry for what happened. But I am not leaving you here, alone with HIM," Alan said.

" Granddad, if you don't stop this, then I am going to move out of the mansion, and try and find a place where you can't bother me," Lizzie said.

Alan finally took that seriously. " Fine, Elizabeth. But don't say I didn't warn you." Alan said, walking out the door, and shutting it.

Lizzie turned to Coop and said in a very low voice, " Thank you for not telling him."

" I would never tell anyone and especially not him," Coop said, running his hand through her hair.

" I think this is the start of all the symptoms of Leukemia, and it just gets worse. Are you sure you want to be a part of this?" Lizzie said, wanting to make sure he knew what he was up for.

" Are you kidding me, I am not leaving you alone with all of this." Coop said.

" Thank you." Lizzie said. They leaned their foreheads together and shared another kiss.

Alan was reeling. How dare Lizzie betray him like that. If he had to make Henry Cooper Bradshaw disappear the way he made Phillip disappear he would. He would not take his granddaughter away from him. That was a promise.

Spoilers For Chapter 12

Coop and Lizzie make another date

Alan locks Lizzie in her room, so she cannot get out to see Coop

Lizzie climbs out the window and meets Coop anyway

Alan Michael continues to deceive Alan, while Lucy comes close to spilling the beans to Buzz

Whitney