Chapter 11

This chapter was written by the amazing Samhainix!

Karen Wills wrapped her coat around herself and braved the freezing weather outside. It had been three months since she and Derek returned to England, three months since she took up the role of Marilyn Monroe in Bombshell after so many years. The first few weeks were amazing, the interviews with the British morning shows were far more polite than anything she had received back home, she'd even been given a cameo on a British soap opera set in Yorkshire.

After that honeymoon period ended though, things had been getting rather tense. The BackStage Saboteur was stepping up their game, dancers leaving in droves due to threats, props going missing, never to be found again, graffiti sprayed all over her dressing room, two fires, three shutdowns from the police because of bogus calls, ugh... it's been a long three months.

Karen's taxi waited patiently for her, the driver greeted her with a warm smile, a little cabbie hat barely hiding her curly brown hair.

"Karen Cartwright?" she asked

"Wills" Karen corrected as she got in

"Awful night for it" the cabbie complained "You watching one of the shows?"

"Heh, yeah, Bombshell" Karen smirked, this driver didn't recognize her, well that was refreshing

"Oh that show" The Cabbie pulled a face

"You're not a fan?"

"Didn't think anyone was a fan of that rubbish, I mean, really, more like Nepotism the Musical, am I right?" she chortled

"What do you mean?"

"The director took his daughter's job, made her his advisor, hired his wife to play the lead, hell, I hear their son might even be playing a bit part... It's rather stale, innit?"

The cabbie was right, they did want Ben to come and audition for one of the smaller parts, so many people were leaving that they practically had no choice... But they hadn't gone public with that decision, and it was only agreed upon tonight, so who blabbed.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"That it's stale? Oh everyone in the back of my taxi says so"

"No, no, that the son is going to play a bit role"

The taxi driver giggled, softly. "I'm sorry, love, I can't go telling nobody about my little theater snitches''

"How about I tip you a hundred" Karen needed to know who leaked this, maybe it would lead them right to the saboteur

"Look I'm sorry, Mrs. Wills..." The cabbie sighed "I don't want to get anyone fired"

Wait. What?

"Why would anyone get fired? I'm just a girl on a date with herself, I'm not gonna tell anyone"

The taxi sped up a little as it maneuvered past traffic.

"I think Mister Wills would probably hear about it"

"Mister Wills is a banker, darling" Karen tried, one last time

The cabbie's laugh sent a shiver down Karen's spine. That cold, cruel laugh immediately told her one very important thing, this cabbie, despite her sweet face and companionable demeanor, was not someone she wanted to get close to. Worse, it sounded like they were speeding up again.

"I can't remember the last time Derek Wills cared about finances"

The Cabbie spoke like she knew Derek personally, was she a fan, pretending not to know Karen? Well from the gossip probably not a fan... Maybe a stalker?

"Could I get out here, I'd like to stop at Mega-Xtravision and pick up that new A-Team reboot for my kids"

"Oh yeah I've seen that one, B A Baracus going to space was my favorite, shame about Hannibal though, I guess not everyone can make it out alive"

The car sped up even more, they must've been pushing seventy miles per hour. This was bad, this was really bad.

"It's you isn't it?" Karen gambled

The Cabbie giggled again, but it wasn't as sweet as the last time she giggled, this felt taunting, and Karen knew that she had found Bombshell's Saboteur.

"Who are you?" Karen asked "Why are you doing this to us?"

The Cabbie turned briefly, allowing Karen to see the Mileometer, eighty miles an hour. They were going to crash, Karen just knew it but she found her gaze immediately drawn to the wild eyes of the Cabbie, they shone a beautiful greenish brown.

Karen woke up to those exact same eyes this morning. They were the eyes of her husband, Derek.

"I suppose I should call you Step mum?" the Cabbie mocked. "I couldn't believe my luck when I heard dear old dad's greatest production was starting up this side of the pond, I just couldn't help myself... Especially after everything my mother told me about him"

"You're his..." Karen rambled

"They were college sweethearts back in the day, him, my mum, and Irving della Passiglia, they loved each other, you know, I'm surprised he didn't mention them"

"He didn't know about you"

"Huh, that's weird, he signed my child support checks, even bought me a car when he landed Bombshell... Always loved from afar, that's what my mum said"

Karen felt betrayed, there was no doubt in her mind that this young lady was Derek's daughter, she had his eyes, Audrey's cheekbones, and Ben's nose. She was like a full on betrayal jigsaw puzzle. Why hadn't Derek told her that he had a daughter, it wasn't like he didn't have a chance, they were married for years. Pushing that aside and thinking purely of her own survival, they were going to crash. Karen checked her seat belt, protected her head and waited as the car passed one hundred miles an hour.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Tom Levitt was very annoyed, he shouldn't be in a meeting with the producers of Bombshell, he should be in Italy, drinking Campari and being fed olives by six very handsome young men. Unfortunately he was recalled by Derek Wills. Apparently he had gathered a team together to find a way to keep Bombshell ticking over while facing the threat of a saboteur and declining ticket sales due to the entire building going up in smoke not too long ago.

Tilda Winters and Julia had gone over possible Canary traps to find the saboteur, while Richard Lynn yawned and boredly suggested that they could use the props from his recently canned film version of SMASH. Tom didn't know what was worse, that props were all he could offer or that Derek genuinely looked like they could help.

Tom nursed a hangover as he considered phoning up an old friend from Channel 4 and calling in a favor.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Visitors at the office, around three in the morning. Ugh, that couldn't be good.

Derek opened the door to find two police officers on the other side. Their faces were grim.

"Derek Wills?"

"Depends what he's done"

"His wife has been involved in a serious car accident, Sir, she's badly injured and concussed"

"What hospital is she at?" Derek gasped

"Saint Charlotte's"

Derek didn't even look back, he stepped around the officers and went out the back door, barely holding himself together.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Derek Wills couldn't stop crying as he made his way to his car. He had to get to her. He had to be there for her.

One of the police officers finally caught up to him.

"You're pretty spry for an older fella... Look, I don't think you should be driving right now, let me and my partner take you... Maybe you could clear somethings up for us"

"Such as?"

"Such as who Jamie is, your wife keeps saying the name, over and over... Aggressively"

"Jamie" Derek breathed, Karen didn't know about Jamie... She couldn't. Could she?

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

7th October, 1996

Derek's insistence on a DNA test had ruined his relationship with Victoria Sakamoto. It came back that he was the father, of course, one look at the baby could've told him that... He had been such a fool. He didn't deserve Vic or Irving, they'd make better parents to the baby than he could. He'd support her with money, he'd make sure that she'd want for nothing... But he couldn't be a father, he wasn't ready... Maybe he'd never be ready... Maybe one day he could sit down with their little Jamie and apologize... Maybe she would forgive him.