Chapter 3

Holly pulled the blonde who had accompanied her upstairs into the bathroom of the room she was 'sharing' with Jeff and turned on the water. "Now honey, you really need me to help you that much?" the blonde laughed.

"Shut up, Tiffany!" Holly shot back. "And it's not like I don't sweep the house with those little appliances you make sure I get, but I can't be too careful."

"So is that why you're in that dreadful getup?" she asked as she sat on the top of the toilet.

"One I have to get my fun where I can get it, and two, I needed to get you up here somehow. So dressing like. . . well, it doesn't matter," she shrugged as she turned for Tiffany to unzip her dress. "You find out anything?"

Tiffany laughed: "Now sugar how can I do that? It's not like Sean and I go back to town all that much. But we did have a nice visit with Robert and Ana in. . ." she paused at Holly's groan at the other woman's name and then continued over her, "at the hospital while we were in Europe. She makes sure that Holly can't even talk to him. Robin can't even bring up her name."

"Gee I wonder why," Holly sighed as she started to pull on the skirt of the suit that Krystal had picked out for her. "He find out anything else?"

"No. Honestly, hun, if I knew I would tell you."

"Not afraid I'd go off and on my own?"

Tiffany glared: "Not with those kids' lives in your hands. And especially not with my daughter's. Because you know damned good and well if Annie was with Lauren when something happened, and we both know that Helena would make sure she was just to prove a point, I'd kill you myself."

"Yeah. I know," Holly exhaled as she started tucking in her shirt and then looked at herself in the mirror: "god, why the hell didn't I go shopping with Kirby or Alexis instead?"

Tiffany laughed: "Come on sugar, let me help you fix your hair and make up and find some jewelry to wear, the right accessories can help any outfit, even this one."

Twenty minutes later Miles Colby rolled his eyes as he slid pass the woman playing at being his brother's wife. "Meet me in the library," he told the slightly older man.

"And why would I want to?" Jeff asked tensely.

"For once, could you just act like a grownup, big brother?" Miles shot back, unamused.

"Maybe I want to make sure she doesn't ruin this for Lauren," Jeff replied, indicating Holly with the glass in his hand.

"Sammy Jo, Krystal, Kirby, my mom, your mom, Alexis, Krystal, and Monica will all take her down if she tries. The library or what?"

Shaking his head, Jeff followed him into the room where Steven was already waiting, "OK, you want to tell me what's going on?" he demanded, growing suspicious.

"Take a look at the pages I marked," Miles said tossing him a copy of the magazine Crimson.

"You pulled me away from my daughter's graduation party to look at a fashion magazine?!?!?"

"Miles, you looking to be floored?" Steven wondered.

"Crimson is published in the same little town that little sister doesn't want the family to use pull to get her but back into a nice desk job where she could be crunching numbers and hacking computers safely. From the pictures I saw in there I think I've figured out why," Miles said unphased by the threat. "Now normally, it's not my reading taste, but one of the girls left it by the pool and I started flipping through it out of share boredom one morning. Look at the pages I marked and see if you have the same reaction that I did."

"Just do it to shut him up," Steven commented.

Shaking his head, Jeff flipped opened the magazine to the pages Miles had marked and started scanning them, growing angry: "Miles, if this is some sort of joke. . ."

"Background, not foreground," Mile put in quickly.

Raising an eyebrow Jeff started focusing more intently: "Shit!"

"What?" Steven asked as he took the magazine from his brother-in-law and started scanning the pictures, then realized what he was seeing: "My god it's all three of them!"

"So now what? We can't endanger them," Jeff remarked as he sunk onto a nearby chair, surprised at how weak his legs felt.

"But we can lend backup," Miles commented.

"Oh, really? How the hell do you suggest we do that without getting them all killed and keeping it from the rest of the family?" Jeff wondered.

"Two words: Kate Howard."

"The magazine editor?" Steven asked.

"Why am I not surprised that you would know who she is?" Miles wondered with a roll of his eyes.

"Miles, you apparently know who she is too. And you're the one who was 'flipping through' her work," the other man shot back in annoyance.

"Kate was friends with Channing. She's having financial problems. Now if a charming, handsome, old friend, should drop in to bail her out of trouble. . ." Miles shrugged with a Cheshire cat grin.

"You get them killed. . ." Jeff started to threaten.

"Yeah, I know. You guys get to kill me. Heard it before. Know the score. And you know how I feel about Fallon and those kids.
I won't let anything happen to them if I can help it!"

Liz Webber smirked as she watched Ethan come out of Rebecca's room and the hug they shared. Even though it appeared innocent she knew it wasn't. As soon as the other woman closed the door, Elizabeth sauntered down the hall and banged on the door: "what?" Rebecca asked as she pulled opened the door and raised an eyebrow in recognition of the insipid nurse. "Well, Nikolas isn't here, so do you have a reason for banging on my door or what?"

"Well, apparently your door wasn't the only thing getting banged tonight," Liz said, trying to be witty as she pushed her way into Rebecca's room.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean and who invited you in?"

"I saw Ethan Lovett leaving," Liz said in a condescending tone.

'Rebecca' rolled her eyes: "Ummm yeah… he's a friend."

"With benefits, I'm sure."

"Saids the one who couldn't put the proper name on her son's birth certificate," Rebecca remarked in a tone that would have done her grandmother proud.

"I had my reasons," Liz huffed.

"Yeah. I'm sure my twin would've been so much more understanding than I am of that, But see, where I come from we have names for girls like you.
Multiple actually.
Slut, whore, kinda come to mind.
You know where the door is, don't let it hit you."

"At least I'm not using my looks to string a guy along," Liz shot back weakly as she threw back her hair.

"No. You use your kids to. Personally, I think that's worse. I mean, who are Cam and Jakie gonna call Daddy next month? Or the next baby?

Pick your next meal ticket yet, Lizabitch, or is that your real problem with me and Nikolas? Or my friendship with Ethan?" Rebecca said coming to stand toe to toe with Liz and using her height to her advantage. "What did I move in on your territory?
You figured you'd get Nik or do you find the same traits that Luke did in Ethan? Think he's like an old school Lucky and you're after him? Oh, but wait, Lucky had a thing for Emily before you ever entered the picture didn't he?"

"You. Know. Nothing. About. Me." Liz bit out.

"Like you know so much about me?" Rebecca wondered with a masterful hair flip that Liz could never come close to.

"YOU'RE a CON ARTIST!" Liz half accused/half pouted.

Pursing her lips, Rebecca tried not to laugh, as she replied traditionally: "Well, Lizzie pooh, you know what they say, it takes one to know one. Now get out!"

"You will not hurt Nikolas!"

"Like you hurt Jason? Oh, and Ric? And Jax? And Zander? And Lucky? And. . . well, I'm sure I'm leaving someone out. You know hospital grapevines are a wonderful thing! I mean even I wouldn't have stooped to accusing a teacher of rape," she continued putting a hand over her heart and fringing shock.

"I really was raped!" Liz screamed at her.

"Hmmmm…. Yeah, well, I'm sure you've played that card well. And I'm sure you've helped a lot of other victims at the center… oh, wait, you don't volunteer at the center now do you?
Oh, well.
Find your way out. I need a shower to wash off the filth you tracked in here," she finished as she headed to the bathroom, thinking how if she was dealing with wittle Wizzie Webber on her own tuff she and her cousins would've more than taken her down the minute she started with one of them. "Well there is more than one way to handle a skank," She muttered as the door to her room slammed and she quickly grabbed for her cell phone.

One thing she knew about Liz was that she'd going running to Nikolas about this little tiff. And the truth was, she would go running. That gave her enough time to call him, putting on the tears that her aunt Krystina had taught her years before would help her get her way with any man in her family and now would help her with Nikolas. Hitting speed dial, she waited for him to pick up as the tears started to fall: "Nikolas. . .Nikolas. . .I'm so glad I caught you. . .. no. . . no. . . it's. . . . Liz showed up at my apartment she started throwing all these accusations around. . .. NO. . .. Ethan stopped by. . . she insinuated we were sleeping together. . . NO of course not! How can you think. . . . No. . .. I don't know. . . Something happened with Holly and Luke. . . I don't really know and it didn't really make sense but he needed someone to talk to and it's not like either of us have many friends. . . . I gave him a hug when he left and it didn't mean anything. . .. and she said things. . . so I threw these rumors back in her face. . .. .I just. . . I was up since five and I pulled a double and I was tired of her accusations and just plain tired in general. . . I thought maybe if I stopped playing nice. . . if I threw similar words back in her face. . . but. . . she's going to use it against me with you isn't she?

I mean, if I'm nice and sweet I'm too much like Emily and if I'm mean I'm too unlike her for you to be with because even though I may look like her I'm just not her," she continuing in a babbling cadence while she let the tears flow: "and I don't know what to do… who you want me to be…. That's what you say, but deep down is that what you really want?... No, I'm gonna take a shower and go to sleep…. I have an early shift tomorrow… yeah, lunch would be great, that is if I don't have to pull a double, which Liz will probably make sure I do after the horrible things I said to her, and I'll admit what I said to her really was horrible. I just don't want you to hate me because of it… because I just couldn't take Liz and her accusations anymore!.. OK, then if not lunch dinner…. Not that won't. . . no… no… why don't we have it with Spencer? You need to spend more time with him and he's just so sweet. . . I really don't mind. . ." she paused as she forced a laugh and rolled her eyes: "well, I'm the one who brought it up, aren't I?
Nikolas, you do know that I care for you. . . well, you both, don't you?
That I could. . . well, I could fall for. . ." she purposely stopped short of finishing the sentence as she hurried to cover: "Good night Nikolas. . . Kiss Spencer for me. . ." she laughed honestly at his next words: "well then have him give you a kiss from me," she finished and then disconnecting the call. And that is how a Carrington does it she thought to herself as she striped and stepped into the shower.

Wrapped in a silk robe and with her hair cascading down her back, Winnie unthinkingly went to answer her door, half expecting Rayner to be on the other side, instead she found someone totally unexpected: "Spinnelli, what are you doing here?" she asked, stepping back as his jaw dropped and she quickly pulled him into her room while tightening her robe self consciously.

"Ummm. . . I mean. . ." he sputtered.

"Spit it out Jackal."

"You look. . . I mean. . ."

"They were taking some pictures for a possible assignment. . . to see if there was any way I could fit the role they wanted me to, I haven't had time to change back into my own clothes since they left," she quickly covered as she dragged him to her couch. "So what's going on?"

"I looked through those old files you sent me. . ."

"And?"

"Nothing that makes sense. Nazis treasure and Russian Art mostly."

"Russian art?" Winnie asked.

"Yeah, one or two of the pieces might even trace back to the Czar."

"Cool," she answered trying to sound as if lives weren't resting on this revelation.

"Yeah… weird though. Pretty much all the jewelry seems to be untraceable. But you had better be careful."

"Oh? Why?"

"One of those necklaces?"

"Yeah?"

"Sam recognized it."

"You let Sam see one of my files! You know how much trouble I can. . ."

"She looked at the image over my shoulder and I closed it right away. Anyway. Her mother has the necklace, so. . ."

Winnie looked at him as she tried to process the information: "Either Alexis has the real thing or a copy," she mused aloud.

"I could ask the Fair Samantha to borrow it and we could get it appraised if you would like!" he suggested happily as he bounced on the cousins.

"No. . . no… I need more evidence," Winnie dodged quickly. "I mean, this is real preliminary. That's the only reason I can even ask the Jackal for his excellent expertise in this area. And you can't tell anyone that you're helping me. . . I mean if Sam were to ask, can you say you were just, I don't know playing around with images for a game you're creating?"

"But of course. You know you have but to ask and your wish is my command."

"That's sweet, and the truth is right now I need you to leave. My boss is heading over and I really do have to change," she said rising to her feet to show him out. "But thank you.

You don't know how much this means!" she continued kissing him on the cheek as they reached the door and watching with slight amusement as he blushed.

A part of her felt guilty for using him, but she had a family that came first. And if she was right, Spinnelli would eventually end up a very trusted employee of Colby Industries, Colby Co., or Denver Carrington, even if he did have an undiagnosed case of Asperger's Syndrome.

Watching him leave, she smiled as she closed the door. An office at Denver Carrington away from people where he could work on his computer or a beach front home down the road from her Uncle Jason where he could be well looked after while saving the companies and having the C girls to fawn over him. Not a bad deal for him in the end.

Maybe when all this was over they would even be able to find someone for him to be happy with and would love him despite his quirks. After all, if she hadn't of already been involved with Danny when she had met him--- well, that could've been something. But she was sure her cousins could find him someone.

Someone other then Lulu Spencer who was too into herself to really notice him.

And definitely someone other then Maxie Jones who had put a special spark in LB's eyes…