April 21, 2019

Agh! Okay, first of all – what in the WORLD. Have y'all seen the episode from Friday? I mean, come on – that Alexis thing is crazy! I'm sure the new actress (avoiding saying spoilers here) will be great, but woowwwwww haha.

Also, I'm low-key frustrated by something else in that episode. Again, no spoilers for this story or for that episode, but something that one of the characters did is something I had planned for this story and I'm so bummed that it isn't as clever as I thought it was. Or maybe it is, since the writers thought of it? I don't know! I wrote what I intend to be part of the final chapter maybe a week ago, and that was the thing I wrote down. Excuse me while I pout but absolutely refuse to change it because it works so well for this story. Haha.

Monday morning before their flight, Liam packed up the last thing from his office at CA, setting it in the box on top of his desk. Fallon walked over to drop a stapler in, smiling softly at the picture in the frame he'd just put in. "I took that, didn't I?" She asked, looking between it and him.

"One of the few that weren't of you," he teased.

Fallon shrugged, nudging his shoulder with hers. "That look on your face was because of me," she reminded him, gesturing towards the joy and amusement on his face in the image. "So I'd stay it technically still doesn't count as one of those few."

"Uh-uh," he offered placatingly, leaning in with the intention of kissing her.

The office door opened and the pair looked up in surprise, unsure who to expect. It was Laura, who was clearly in a foul mood. As ever, it seemed. But she looked between the newly-reestablished couple suspiciously. "So," Laura started sharply, closing the door behind her. "You two both quit on the same day? Why might that be?"

Fallon's eyebrows lifted, clearly ready to take the defensive, but Liam held up a hand to try and placate both of them. "Mom, you knew neither of us planned to be here long-term. I've helped out here for weeks, and Fallon got us off the ground for Sales. We'll still be working on things during the notice we gave, but you should have plenty of time to fill the gaps while we're gone."

"Gone where?"

Disappointment tugged at Fallon's gut. Had he not told Laura about the meetings with his editor? Or did she just forget for lack of caring? Neither were really very good, given the circumstances. But Fallon was proud of him, and if he wasn't going to broach the subject, she sure as hell would. "Liam's meeting his editor in New York this week," she explained, her chin lifting as if to dare Laura's judgment to come out.

It did, predictably. "You said you both would be gone."

Liam sighed, looking down for a moment before stepping closer to Fallon and wrapping his arm around her waist. She turned her chin slightly towards him, a show of approval and deference as she waited for him to decide how he wanted to say it.

"Mom, Fallon and I are back together."

Right, Fallon reminded herself. Laura didn't know it was all a lie. While it wasn't a secret kept to just the pair of them, she sort of liked that it wasn't a large number of people who knew the truth.

Laura, openly taken aback, just stared for a moment. But then she shocked both of them beyond belief. "Well, finally."

"W-what?" Fallon asked, unable to fight the stuttering reaction.

"You heard what I said on the tennis court. My son always does the wrong thing. No matter what. Including letting you go. Clearly you got him back in line."

Liam ran his tongue along the bottom of his top teeth, managing to keep quiet. Fallon, of course, was back to her usual, aggressive self. At least he saw it coming, now.

"First off," Fallon started, attempting to step forward until Liam tugged her back against his side. "He came to me. And second, I'm the one that messed it up the first time. Every time we fought, it was because of me."

"Fal," he murmured, trying to counter her claims even though he knew she wouldn't let him.

She shook her head – at both him and his mother. "No, Liam. I mean it." She pointed her forefinger at Laura in a sort of warning. "You may have convinced him that you've changed, but you haven't convinced me. You need to learn to be supportive of your son. He loves you. And you full well know it."

A reluctant, amused smile slowly grew across Laura's face, suggesting that she indeed agreed with Fallon's assessment. And that just pissed the brunette off even more.

Fallon pulled away from Liam's hold, ignoring his sound of warning, and walked straight up to Laura. "You are so terrified that he'll be weak. Because you were weak." She lifted her chin at Laura's furious, narrowed eyes. "If you think treating him this way has made him strong, you're only half right. He's strong in spite of you, not because of you."

"Fallon-" Liam attempted. But she held a hand up, refusing to back down until she'd gotten her point across.

"You couldn't handle things well enough and you know it. You sent this- this incredible man away, and you're surprised when he stays away?" Fallon's tone cooled off enough to show a touch of weakness, hoping it would really get through to Laura. "I just gave up on my father. Don't push him hard enough that he has to give up on you."

Laura turned her head away, but Fallon couldn't tell if it was out of anger, or pain, or something else entirely. Behind her, Fallon heard Liam pick up the box and tuck it under his arm, coming up to take her hand.

"We should go, Fal."

He gave her hand a squeeze to make sure she came with him as he started to step around his mother and head to the door. Liam didn't look back, but Fallon did, shooting Laura a serious warning look.

That afternoon, Fallon was sitting in her window seat, her fingers toying with the hand Liam had dropped into hers. Their first meeting was the next morning, with his editor about the potential of doing an audiobook for Liam's novel. It sounded exciting, and Fallon suspected that it wouldn't even be an option if they didn't expect his book to sell really well. Otherwise why hire the voice actor, do the editing, and whatever else it took to get that sort of thing done. But she wanted the editor to voice that, not her.

Particularly since he wouldn't let her read it.

It did make her wonder if he would really want her to be there for all of the meetings. Fallon supposed she could find other things to do. As she glanced over at Liam, she wondered if maybe she'd find her way to the Met, since he liked it so much. But actually she thought it would be much more interesting to go see it with him, instead. Fallon was quite convinced that, with that much adoration for the place, he could probably give her a pretty fantastic tour.

"Liam?" she asked, leaning towards the window so she could shift enough to sort of face him.

He lowered his right hand and the mass market paperback mystery novel he was holding with that hand. "Hmm?"

"We had a couple of... poor attempts at dates, before. I was thinking maybe I'd plan something for while we're here."

He lifted an eyebrow, impressed. "You think you can top a nearly-eaten multi-course meal and a blow-up at a fashion show?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, though it was with affection that she shook her head before replying, "I have some ideas."

He smiled, drawing her hand up to his lips. "Okay," he agreed easily. "Do your worst."

So he went back to his book, and Fallon pulled out her phone to tap into the in-flight wifi and start planning a surprise for him. After they landed and had dinner on the way to the hotel Liam had booked, Fallon got back to work on her date prep, trying to work a schedule around his obligations to his editor. Liam tried to peek every now and then, but she swatted him away, determined to see this done the right way. And by the time he gave up and climbed into bed, she'd figured it all out.

So she bid him a soft goodnight as they drifted off next to each other.

Fallon waited until they were in the elevator up to meet with Liam's editor, and only then did she raise her concerns. "I thought you didn't want me knowing about your book until it was... ready."

"I know. I sent Dana an email. When it comes to recording the audiobook, you won't be invited for that part," he admitted, "but we won't be handing out any spoilers, don't worry."

She shrugged, smoothing down the skirt he'd made fun of her for wearing. It was too dressed up for a meeting when she wasn't even the author, and had no stake in the outcome. She'd waved a hand dismissively; when had Fallon Carrington ever dressed down for a meeting? She wasn't going to start today.

They made it up to the appropriate floor and checked in at the desk, then Liam began pointing out different parts of the office as they sank into chairs to wait in the lobby. But they didn't have to wait long, as his editor appeared from down the hall, he stood to greet her with one of the brightest smiles Fallon had ever seen on his face. She would've been jealous, perhaps, if she weren't so proud and happy for him.

Dana looked over after shaking Liam's hand, offering one to Fallon as well. "So you're Fallon," she said, earning Liam a questioning look from his girlfriend. Dana just laughed. "It's not a bad thing. He told me you were coming."

Liam nodded, but Fallon could see right through him. For some reason, his editor had heard a great deal about her. And that was both confusing and interesting. He caught her penetrating gaze, and she saw his ears turn a bit red before Dana started to lead them to her office. Liam held a hand out to Fallon.

"All good things, I promise," he told her quietly. She didn't seem fully convinced.

As they walked down the hallway, Fallon's phone rang. She didn't even check to see who it was before silencing it. This was too important for Liam, and it was likely that whoever it was, she didn't want to hear from them anyway. Anyone with something important to say would leave a voicemail or call her again later, too, so she just stepped aside, refusing to let him be all gentlemanly when he gestured for her to walk in first.

Liam smiled a little and walked in to take one of the two seats across from his editor. Fallon was sitting down when she felt her phone vibrating because of another call. Her brow furrowed slightly as she started to wonder who could be bothered enough to try again so quickly. But when Liam looked her way, she just smiled encouragingly.

The meeting, it turned out, was scheduled in part to talk about his other meetings, but also to schedule his press tour, as doing so in person for someone whose life was as complicated as Liam, seemed easier than emailing back and forth. As interested as Fallon was in knowing where they were sending him and why, and especially for how long, she kept getting distracted by her phone.

By the fifth call, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, standing up. "There's a call I really need to take." Fallon drew out her phone to show them briefly before hitting the answer button and stepping out without so much as checking who it was.

"What?" Fallon asked out in the hall, somewhere between scared and annoyed.

"Adam's been released."

It was Culhane. So Fallon felt like she'd been blindsided twice-over. "Excuse me?"

"Blake bailed him out. And Adam's pissed. Where are you?"

She hesitated. He'd helped her. He shouldn't – couldn't? – be working with that monster anymore. Right? But she still hesitated long enough for him to practically growl her name in impatience. "I'm in New York," she breathed finally, shaking her head at herself.

"And where's Kirby?" He urged.

"Michael, if I tell you and something happens to her because Adam follows you there, or is listening in, or- or who knows what-"

"Fallon. You need to tell me now. He knows she was staying with you, and if he finds out where she is before I do, you know full well I can't stop whatever he's up to."

Fallon shifted her weight, considering, but she already knew he was right. "She's at Jeff's."

"Okay," he said, clearly relieved. "I'll go get her."

"Tell Jeff what's going on," Fallon told him quickly, thinking he'd hang up on her in his rush. If she had to guess, he was already getting into his car to head over there. "He'll fly you two out if you ask him to."

Michael agreed easily. "Does he have a place in New York?"

"I'd count on it."

Indeed, she heard the sound of an engine starting up. "I'll let you know when we land."

Fallon sighed heavily when he hung up. Of course they would only get a day or two of calm before something insane happened. What was the point, she asked herself, in even trying to be normal? Carringtons most certainly did not do normal.