Chapter 4

Co Written by Samhainix

Characters belong to NBC

Roughly seven hours later and fits of restless sleep on the plane. Karen arrived in New York. She left the airport and got into a cab and headed straight for the apartment.

Sam the doorman was there to greet her. It was only then she realised that she hadn't the key.

"Hello Mrs Wills great to see you again." "Hi Sam. Sam is there any way you could let me in? I seem to have forgotten my key. "Or course Mrs Wills, right this way."

Sam brought her up in the private elevator that lead into the apartment. "Anything else Mrs Wills?" "No thank you Sam. See you later."

Karen walked over from the elevator and flopped into the sofa. She saw the light flashing on the answer machine. She heard what Derek had said. She started to cry knowing that Derek was on his way.

A little while later she heard the elevator. She jumped up thinking it was Derek. But to her surprise it was Eileen.

"Eileen. What are you doing here?" Eileen saw Karen's tear streaked face and how tired she looked. She came and sat down beside her. "Derek called; he didn't want you on your own while he was on his way here. Karen I am not going to let Jerry and the others get their hands on Bombshell. You have my word."

Karen's head was spinning. "Why now? Why Bombshell? Surely being Tinsel town's sweetheart would be enough for Ivy. Dev? A one night stand years ago during tech, and now their married? Nothing makes sense anymore." Karen said exasperated.

"Darling I don't know any more than you. But we always knew Jerry was a money grabbing twit. To be polite about it."

"Derek and I are happy we got the family we both wanted. I just wish I could go back to the wardrobe in the theater in Boston to hide. Silly I know, but at least I knew what was going on."

"Karen looking back through rose tinted glasses never works believe me. Derek chose you over Ivy because you are Marilyn. You have her spirit. Don't forget that. Go and get some rest and I'll let you know when Derek's here."

Karen didn't argue. She went up to the bedroom and fell asleep at once.

A few more hours passed. Eventually Derek arrived from the elevator. Eileen didn't notice at first, she was on phone with Macintosh and Webber seeing what they had heard about Jerry.

Jerry was broke. After the flop of the Les Miz sequel he had pumped all his own money into it. He had nothing left. So that's where Ivy came into it. He had found her weakness. She wanted back to Broadway. Tinsel town had sent her packing. She was only getting cast for the parts nobody wanted. Her diva behaviour didn't help either. And Jerry promised top billing again with "Tony award winner" she was hooked!

Derek sat down. "Well what's the news Eileen?" Eileen put her phone away. "Jerry is broke and Hollywood doesn't want Ivy anymore. So Jerry promised Ivy he would get her back into Bombshell with the title Tony award winner."

"Tony award winner? She wouldn't have got that Tony, if Karen hadn't have stepped down. Oh my giddy aunt. There's something wrong with all this. Something isn't right. Doesn't make sense. Where's Karen?" "Upstairs sleeping. Let her be for a while she needs it. Let's get Julia and Tom on the phone." Said Eileen.

Tom's phone rang; Julia was still at Tom's house. "Derek? Tom answered. "Tom, we've found out Jerry is broke and Hollywood doesn't want Ivy anymore and that's the reason they're coming after Bombshell."

Tom replied, "I knew something was up, Ivy sent me a weird text about Bombshell and I couldn't work it out. She said to pass on a birthday message for Julia-who was sitting right beside me. And I knew Ivy had Julia's number. Though she was wondering if Bombshell was still making money and were audiences still going. I text back "Yes. London numbers are the highest they've ever been." Her only reply after that was "Okay. That's good to hear. Bye." And that was it."

Julia continued "Ivy was always hungry for her time in the sun. But she's now married to Dev? I don't believe it. Last I heard he was married to a politician's daughter. So I'm think this is a sham. I think there's someone even pulling Jerry's strings."

...

Derek snuggled into bed with Karen, she felt so warm and immediately he was welcomed by her beautiful brown eyes.

"You're here" she breathed

"I said I would be, didn't I?"

"Yeah" she just smiled; he must've woken her from one hell of a dream

After a moment her expression turned more serious.

"I'm sorry I ran" she said, a little sadly

"Hey you have nothing to be sorry about, you scared me but I know you were just overwhelmed by this whole mess"

Karen relaxed into his arms for a minute, even after all this time, holding her felt like being complete. Like he was home. She was his home.

"Derek?" she asked

"Yes dear?"

"Do you love me because I remind you of Marilyn?"

"Of course not, why on earth would you think that?"

Karen shook her head, seemingly banishing the thought.

"Just something Eileen said"

Derek took her hand in his and stroked it fondly.

"Before I met you, every relationship I'd ever had was conditional, no matter how many girlfriends or even boyfriends I had, they all wanted to change me, to make me more palatable to what they wanted in a partner"

Derek took a breath before continuing.

"Karen you accepted me for who I am, you are the kindest, smartest, most passionate soul I've ever met and every day I have with you is the best"

Derek had more to say but Karen pulled him into a kiss before he could continue. When they parted Derek had a question for her.

"Ready to face the world, Mrs Wills?"

Karen feigned a long thoughtful look before finally giving him an adorable smile and a nod.

Derek and Karen took Eileen out for a meal to thank her for being there for them, drama and all. They found a sushi restaurant and talked for hours about the craziest, newest shows coming to Broadway. None of the mentioned Bombshell's troubles, it was the unspoken rule of the table, there would be time enough for that later.

After they finished off a bottle of saké, Derek and Karen escorted Eileen back to her office, only to find Tilda Winters crying in the hallway outside.

"What's wrong, dear" Eileen asked

"I'm sorry" Tilda blubbed "I didn't want to leave but she said that if I didn't she'd have me arrested for trespassing"

"What are you talking about, who?"

The answers weren't very good and upon hearing it, Eileen threw open the door and strode inside on a warpath. Derek squeezed Karen's hand and they followed her together.

Inside the office Ivy and Jerry were in the middle of smoking cigars and toasting champagne with Dev.

"Eileen! You look ravishing!" Jerry gave his sleaziest smile

"Beat feet you white livered weakling" she snapped back

"Well I would but as it happens, I'm the new owner of this dump"

Silence filled the room for a few moments until Dev and Ivy's giggling cut through it.

"Bull!" Derek yelled "This is another one of your cheap scams, we know you're broke"

Jerry shrugged modestly.

"How true but so is your friend"

Eileen looked as pale as a ghost, which worried Derek greatly.

"What's he talking about Eileen?" Karen asked

Jerry took a contract out of his jacket and waved it tauntingly at Karen.

"This is what I'm talking about woman; you see Eileen has developed a little gambling problem over the past several years, something which came to a head last week when she had to sell this place and all its intellectual property"

Derek couldn't believe his ears; Eileen was one of the strongest people he knew. There's no way in hell she'd do something like that and definitely not without talking to them about it.

"I didn't sell it to you" Eileen whispered

"No, you didn't" Jerry admitted "You sold it to our old friends at Victon Media; I still golf with Bill by the way"

Eileen's eyes flared with shock at that, Karen made a fist, she obviously wanted to punch Jerry but Derek put his hand gently on her shoulder.

"I was shocked to hear that my ex-wife had fallen on such hard times and so I bought the company from Bill... to give back to you"

Eileen reached for the deed but Jerry pulled it out of her grasp.

"But then I found these people" he continued, nodding to Ivy and Dev "And they convinced me that my sentimentality was a crutch, that I needed to take this opportunity by the horns, use this company and the little funds I have remaining to get back in the game"

"You won't spoil my legacy" Eileen told him

Jerry laughed that fake Hollywood laugh of his "Please save your speeches for someone who cares and a premises you currently own"

Eileen stormed out of the office, looking even more furious than when she had arrived

"Dev, what the hell are you even doing here?" Karen exasperatingly asked

Dev didn't take his eyes off Ivy "I think that old lady wants my attention"

"Too bad it's all mine" Ivy smirked

Karen was about to lunge at Dev and Ivy, thankfully Derek grabbed her arm before she could; the last thing they needed was Karen arrested.

Karen relented, calming enough to turn away from the terrible trio and look into Derek's eyes.

"I'm going to check on Eileen" she told him before leaving

Derek glared at Jerry, towering over the smaller man; there was still something that didn't make sense to him.

"Why Bombshell? Why sabotage something that you now have a stake in?"

Jerry's face dropped and his cigar almost fell out of his mouth.

"What the hell are you talking about, someone's sabotaging Bombshell?"

Derek wasn't sure if Jerry's reaction was real or just another part of his pantomime, either way he realised he didn't have time to waste on that ding-dong.

"This isn't over" Derek promised, making his own departure.