Dorian Lord tapped her foot, waiting for someone to finally acknowledge her. Dorian was not a patient woman- someone certainly would hear about this. Surely Renee could afford better employees.
"Ms. Lord," a girl said, "I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting."
"Yes, well," Dorian sniffed, "I'm not really looking for apologies."
"What can I do for you?" the girl asked, brushing aside Dorian's snide comment.
"I would like a room for tonight," she told the girl.
"Okay," she said, typing at the computer, "any particular room?"
"The honeymoon suite," Dorian said. The girl eyed her. Dorian raised her eyebrow.
"Yes, that suite is available," the girl told her.
"Perfect," Dorian exclaimed. "We'll be here at seven. Have champagne and strawberries ready, will you?" Then she turned to leave. She needed to pick out the perfect outfit.
"Eloping Dorian?" a voice behind her asked. She froze. She knew that voice.
"Viki," she greeted frostily, turning around.
"I would think you would want a lavish wedding," Viki commented.
"I do," Dorian retorted. "We're not eloping."
"Then why the honeymoon suite?"
"Why not have the best when it's available?" Dorian asked her. Viki nodded, as if in agreement. "You know Viki, you have a lot of nerve talking to me after all your family has done to mine."
"All my family has done?" Viki asked in disbelief.
"Yes, your horrible son keeps tormenting my Kelly," Dorian told her.
"Do not insult Kevin, Dorian," Viki snapped. "Not today, not to me." Dorian was taken aback. Viki had never looked so fierce. "I thought you were on Kelly's side?" she asked suspiciously.
Viki sighed. "Can't I be on both their sides? Why do there have to be sides anyway?"
"Yes well, between what Kelly's going through, and what your despicable brother did to Blair-"
"Oh yes," Viki snarked," remind me to chastise Todd later for getting kidnapped."
"Yes, well my niece and her daughter went through a terrible ordeal," Dorian snapped.
"So did my brother," Viki said, through clenched teeth. "And in case you've forgotten, Starr is my niece as well. Which is actually why I came over here to speak with you."
"Starr?" Dorian asked.
"Yes, she and Todd stopped by yesterday," Viki told her. "And she does not seem to be handling the kidnapping well at all."
"Well of course not," Dorian told her. "For some unfathomable reason, she loves that brother of yours."
"Yes," Viki said. "And I just thought it might be nice, if her family could get along for a little bit. Have a dinner together sometime. Getting Kevin and Kelly in the same room civilly might be hard right now, but I'm sure the rest of us, you and Todd included, could manage it."
"Of course I can manage it," Dorian told her.
"Good," Viki said. "I've talked to Blair, and she's all for it. If you could mention it to Adriana and Kelly, that would be appreciated."
"Sure," Dorian said.
"You better go," Viki remarked. "Tonight's a big night."
Dorian grinned. "Yes, it is."
----------------------------
"Mom! Mom!" Starr cried, racing down the stairs of the penthouse.
"Starr, baby what is it?" Blair asked, rushing out of the kitchen to meet her.
"Where's dad?" Starr asked frantically. "I can't find him anywhere! I checked your room and the bathroom and his office and-"
"Starr honey," Blair shushed her, enveloping her in a hug, "your daddy's fine. He wanted to go to the office today. Something about The Sun becoming too nice in his absence."
"Are you sure?" Starr whispered, tears in her eyes. Blair brushed them away.
"Yeah baby, I'm sure," Blair told her, leading Starr over to the couch. "We can call him if you want."
"No way," Starr declared. "I'm not a little kid."
"I know honey," Blair said. "But you have to know this Starr- your daddy is not goin anywhere ever again. Even if he wanted to, which he doesn't. And you know why?"
"Because we're Cramer Women?" Starr answered.
"That's right," Blair told her. "And Cramer women always get what they want."
"What about Ace?" Starr asked.
"What about him?" Blair asked delicately.
"I read the paper mom," Starr told her. "Kelly stole Ace. And she had to give him back."
"It's complicated Starr," Blair told her.
"Kelly stole Ace just like Margaret stole dad," Starr fumed. "How could she do that?"
"It wasn't exactly the same," Blair told her. "Margaret's a crazy, dangerous psycho who was trying to hurt us. Kelly was mourning the loss of her baby, and honestly didn't know Ace was stolen. And she did the right thing in the end. She gave him back."
"I guess," Starr muttered.
"Besides honey," Blair said. "Kelly's hurting right now. So we gotta stand by her." Starr nodded.
"Mom?" she asked.
"Yeah baby?"
"I think maybe Jack wants to call dad," she told her. Blair squeezed Starr tight, and reached for the phone.
------------------------------
Kelly peered inside Capricorn before heading inside. She really needed a drink, and she was tired of Dorian fawning all over her. She needed space. She went up to the bar.
"Martini," she ordered. The bartender nodded, and made her drink. She started to gulp it down.
"You're really going at it," the man next to her said. She looked over. Kevin. How had she not noticed him?
"Hi," she said delicately. He downed his shot, and motioned for another one.
"That's all you can say to me?" Kevin asked her.
"What am I supposed to say?" Kelly whispered.
"I don't know," Kevin told her. "I guess you could gloat."
"About what?" she asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Getting away with murder," Kevin told her. "Well, I guess that's a little strong. But wait no- here I am mourning two kids because of you, so maybe murder is the perfect word."
"Shut up," Kelly warned him. Kevin laughed bitterly.
"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore," he told her. "So how'd you do it? Did you pay off that baby stealing slut? Or maybe she just recognized herself in you, and felt bad?"
"Shut up," Kelly whispered. "You're drunk."
"Yeah I am," Kevin roared. "But that's not why I'm saying these things. Precious princess Kelly here has to learn some hard truths."
"Don't," she begged.
"You ruined my life," he retorted. "You don't get a say in this conversation. You are a spoiled brat. You've gotten everything you've ever wanted. You're Dorian's favorite. You get away with horrible things, and people think you are some kind of saint. I don't understand how you people do it. You and Manning and- how do people not see through you?"
"You comparing me to Todd?" Kelly asked.
"No," Kevin told her. "You're worse than Todd. Because he at least doesn't pretend his nefarious deeds are for noble purposes like love or morality. He embraces the fact that he's a selfish, amoral criminal."
"Please Kevin," Kelly whispered.
"No," he told her. "You are not getting out of this. You are a horrible bitch! And you deserve for someone to finally tell you that. Because you have caused more pain in so many people's lives than-"
"You think I don't know that?" Kelly screamed. "You think I don't hate myself more than you do? More than everyone? Because I do Kevin! I hate me! And I wish I could be anyone else right now, but I can't! You think I don't know how terrible I am?"
Kevin stared at her. "I really don't think you do." He paused. "I hate you. You've ruined me. I will never forgive you." He threw some money on the bar, and turned to walk away. He stopped suddenly, and whipped around, when he heard a thud.
"Kelly!" Kevin cried, looking down at her. He ran towards her, and kneeled beside her unconscious body. He looked up. "Someone call 911!"