Thank you to everybody who read or left kudos on the last section. You are all lovely.

Chapter 102: Monday Chaos Management

Morning in New York, September 27, 2010

Andie was not surprised to return to her borrowed apartment, only to find the owners sitting in the breakfast nook attempting to have breakfast. However, baby Alexis was more interested in making a bagel tower than eating the bagels. Of course, that's because both her boyfriend and his sister messaged her about the situation.

"Don't touch food you're not actually going to eat. Those are for Aunt Andie." She heard Breanna tell her daughter. She was now officially christened Aunt Andie, and she liked it.

"I'm just happy to have breakfast waiting for me after a 16-hour shift." Andie slid in next to Alexis Junior.

"I really don't know how you pull that off."

"Practice and insanity," Andie chuckled. "Thankfully, it was a relatively peaceful night by ER standards." Which, of course, means only one car accident and a stabbing. Along with the regular crazy things like someone using a tchotchke as a sex toy and getting it stuck up there. Andie has lost count of how many situations like that she's dealt with. Probably because there were two last night. Again, it was quiet by ER standards, but now she just wants to sit at this table and eat a bagel. "Although the food does help."

"I'm sure it does. I don't know if offering coffee right now is appropriate since you'll crash the moment we step out of the apartment," Brianna remarked.

"Possibly before then," Andie said as she reached for the juice on the table. "This is good for now."

"Lovely. We'll be leaving in about 20 minutes. I am just trying to get Alexis fed before Matt and babysitter Skye arrive," Breanna explained.

"Why can't I come with you?" Alexis Junior asked, annoyed.

"Mommy is going to have to fire some people for doing things that were possibly illegal. People get mad when they're fired, and I don't want anybody to try to hurt you. That's why Miss Skye offered to come get you and take you to play with baby Jamie and Jade for the day," Brianna explained.

"I get to play with the babies all day?" The kindergartner asked.

"Yep. Isn't that better than being in boring meetings all day?" Her mother asked.

"Maybe," The child acknowledged reluctantly, but she was still cranky about it.

"I wish I could play with babies all day," Andie said.

"You could come with us. I wanna play with you too."

"I'm too tired right now to be any good to you. We can play when you get back home. I don't work tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of time to play." Andie explained.

"OK, you're just getting to the point where you're just making cream cheese smiley faces on your plate." Andie looked down to see that most of Alexis's bagel was gone, and there was now a :-) made with crumbs and strawberry tops. "Go wash up."

"Yes, mommy." Alexis Junior said as she got up from the table and went to her bathroom. During her week at Casa Brianna, she discovered a kid-sized bathroom connected to Alexis' suite of rooms.

"You don't have to play with her when we get back. I'm sorry we're completely throwing off your schedule by being here. I said we wouldn't be back until December, yet we're here a week later. Maybe we should stay at a hotel," Brianna lamented.

"It's OK. I appreciate the company. Also, this is your house. I wouldn't want to kick you out."

"I'm grateful for that. It is easier to have security here. Although, the hotel where Monique is currently living is adequately secured, but she's hoping that the renovations with her apartment will be done soon," Andie raised an eyebrow.

"Breanna's mom took over and secretly bought the apartment next door and below as a wedding present. Thanks to the surprise adoption, additional renovations were needed for the nursery. The family might be able to move back in by Christmas. Until then, they're living at one of the hotels that belong to Monique's mother," Breanna explained.

"That was really nice of her mom. I'm not used to being around this level of wealth. I'll never get used to it. I still have student loans I'm paying off."

"Considering I am here because your boyfriend's ex-wife was embezzling money from our charity to pay for her evil lifestyle, I feel like that's a good thing. Not the student loans but that you're not used to this world of wealth. I am terrified I am going to raise a rich, spoiled brat. She has a whole suite and a playroom with an indoor slide that your boyfriend paid for," Breanna tells her.

"I wasn't going to say anything. But I'm not surprised. My boyfriend has a spoiling people problem." Andie smiles at her.

"He got me this apartment because he wanted me in New York more often. Not that he would say that. He says I love you with things." Breanna explained.

"And apologizes in cookie baskets," Andie added.

"Have you gotten one yet?" Breanna asked.

"Not the cookie basket, but other things," Andie answered. "Although I did hear about the one he sent Claire last week. Which is how she found out about the twins."

"He told you?" Breanna looked surprised that she knew. Cal probably shouldn't have told her. They were keeping this close hold for a reason.

"Yes, but I'm going to keep quiet just like I do any thing regarding my patients," Andie promised.

"Thank you for that. I am glad Cal is telling you stuff. You might just make it." Brianna smiled at her.

"I hope so, but I prefer to avoid these long business trips. Video calls can only do so much," Andie lamented.

"At least you have video calls," Breanna pointed out. "That's an improvement on my childhood."

"This is true," Andie takes a sip of her juice.

"I always hated the long trips growing up because it meant more time alone with Victoria," Breanna explained. "That was always when she was her nastiest. As an adult, I see her treatment even worse now because I've seen her be kind to Junior but never to me and Matt. Now I'm here cleaning up her mess." Brianna sounded exhausted as she spoke.

"I hope you will no longer have to deal with her someday." Andie raises her glass up to toast.

"I hope so, too," Breanna clinked their glasses together.

XXXX

Connor shouldn't be surprised to see Vivian Windham West sitting across from him. It wasn't the first time he met the woman. That would be several years ago when Molly took him to meet her best friend at her annual not-a-Christmas party/memorial service for her first husband. Connor was unaware that his new girlfriend's best friend was one of those Wyndham-West until he saw tighten of business Vivian Wyndham-West passing out extremely spiked eggnog and complaining about her senator fiancé missing the event for fundraising activities. (A ridiculous excuse since it was December, just after election season.) In hindsight he realized the woman was engaged to his current wife's asshole father.

The last time he saw Vivian Wyndham West was the summer before the demise of his relationship with Molly. So Connor is concerned about her presence before him after being told he is meeting his foster mother.

"Foster mother?" Connor asked as he took a seat in front of her.

"Monique refers to herself as your sister, so I thought foster mother would be appropriate. It's also public knowledge that I've fostered many people over the last 30 years. It got me to see you despite my ex limiting all your visitors to punish your wife for going public with the fact that he and wife number two covered up her rape by forcing her to pass off her daughter as her sister." One thing Connor always liked about Vivian was she was direct.

"Which means there's a reason that you're here. Is Wilhelmina OK?" Connor asked, concerned. He could see the Wyndham-West family matriarch coming to see him if something happened to Wilhelmina. They were business partners after all.

"Wilhelmina is fine. She is currently spending the morning with her granddaughter, Jade, at my apartment. There was a little unpleasantness with Marc's mother requiring Cliff and Jade to stay with me."

"Last time I spoke to Wilhelmina, she said that the woman was trying to sue them for full custody, and Wilhelmina was trying to convince Marc to get a restraining order." Victoria Hartley was a big witch and tried to keep everybody distracted from the possibility that she may have been responsible for the disappearance of the biological mother of Vivian's latest foster child.

"She was. Then Breanna West-Hartley discovered that her former sister-in-law, Victoria Hartley, was embezzling funds from the Hartley Foundation to pay for her attorney. Breanna cut her off last week, which resulted in Mrs. Weiner showing up in person to plead her case. Of course, Victoria Hartley also had the apartment of her ex-husband's new girlfriend ransacked the week before, so I had concerns." Vivian explained. He could read through the lines.

"Of course she did," Connor sighed. "What do you need from me?" And Vivian was there for a reason.

"Are you aware I have a new foster child?" Vivian asked.

"Monique mentioned Austin a few times. She writes occasionally. I've even received pictures of Jamie."

"Did she also mention that his mother was missing?" Vivian asked.

"Wilhelmina did. Did you find her?"

"No, but we did find her asshole husband's body in a burnt-out van near Harrisburg," Vivian explained.

"You want me to keep an ear out for anything about who did it?" This type of request he understood. Wilhelmina asked him to do something similar.

"Oh, I know who did it. The same person who gave George a suitcase of cash, most likely to get him to take out his wife." Vivian said darkly.

"Obviously, it backfired," Connor commented.

"It did, but many of her schemes have been backfiring recently, such as her child custody distraction." That told Connor that Vivian absolutely suspects Victoria Hartley was responsible. Neither was going to say that out loud with the guards watching.

"I am already helping various federal agencies to get out of here sooner," Connor replied.

"Yes, to get to Australia sooner. But I can help you stay here once you get out." Considering everything he knows about Vivian Wyndham West, that's a possibility. The senator was powerful but Vivian was so much more.

"I am listening."

"The agent in charge of Tiffany's disappearance will reach out to you soon on my recommendation. Suppose you can connect the dots between the looting of Breanna's foundation and George getting a suitcase of money. In that case, my business partner will not spend next spring looking for a house near our Melbourne offices." Of course, Vivian would give him the perfect incentive. Obviously, she wanted to keep Wilhelmina in the country.

"Will I get to see my wife before Christmas?"

"After a few strategic campaign donations, Wilhelmina is now on a biweekly schedule. You'll see her at the end of the week."

"That's good for now, but will the senator change that."

"Not without causing a campaign scandal, and his election is less than two months away. Personally, I hope the senator loses his seat. If not, I will have to run against him myself next time." Vivian hated the senator as much as Connor did. He knew he would be helping her at that moment.

"I would like to see that."

Xxx

#2 EIC: How is Dad life going?

Daniel: [12 images attached]

Daniel: Good. But I expect the sleep deprivation to begin as soon as we actually get the twins home.

#2 EIC: Yes, but there will be three of you, so that should help. I would've loved a third set of hands with both of my kids. Unfortunately, my mother is gone, and my husband's mom is still in Pakistan.

Daniel: Yes, but you didn't have two newborns at the same time. I am afraid of when we actually bring them home and no longer have an army of nurses helping us.

#2 EIC: It will be OK. Just remember to sleep when they sleep.

Daniel: Does that actually happen?

#2 EIC: Sometimes. Maybe you can sleep in shifts.

#2 EIC: When are you actually bringing the twins home?

Daniel: Tomorrow, hopefully. I already have the car seats in the car.

#2 EIC: Of course you do.

Daniel: Any work stuff I should know about?

#2 EIC: You're on paternity leave. I was only checking in for baby pictures.

Daniel: [Skeptical emoji]

#2 EIC: OK, I just had coffee with Diana.

#2 EIC: She deeply regrets going to the other magazine, but she didn't want to stay here after Pratt fucked everything up.

Daniel: I've been told that was a reasonable reaction under the circumstances and that I can't hold that against her when considering her for future reemployment.

#2 EIC: Plus, she wanted to work in the same building as her girlfriend/life partner.

Daniel: That I understand. I moved to a new country for just the chance of getting with Betty.

#2 EIC: Actually, the girlfriend is now Diana's ex-girlfriend. They broke up two weeks ago after five years together. They have a son together. Diana refuses to explain why it fell apart, although she really needs a new job to pay for a custody lawyer.

Daniel: Oh, that's not good.

#2 EIC: Not at all.

Daniel: It does explain why she refused to go to New York though.

#2 EIC: I wouldn't be surprised if the ex put her name forward to make the custody fight easier on her. Diana told me she was also convinced by outside forces that you wouldn't give her the creative Director job, so she went to the competition.

Daniel: She was the top candidate until we were forced to look elsewhere because she left.

#2 EIC: Her then-girlfriend's friend in our HR department told her otherwise.

Daniel: Is that person still working in HR?

#2 EIC: No, they are not. They work for Lindsay now. She may also now be dating Diana's ex-girlfriend per my contacts. Your kid has way too much access to the gossip over there.

Daniel: I am not surprised at all. When are you doing the interview with her?

#2 EIC: I'm not. HR says there is a conflict of interest since were actual friends and not just former colleagues.

Daniel: Of course, they would say that.

#2 EIC: Charlotte and Nat agreed to be on the hiring panel.

Daniel: Tell them thank you.

#2 EIC: HR found a few other possible candidates, mainly because Lindsey keeps picking the wrong people to send to New York to save Isabella Press. Technically, I can be on the panel for those interviews, but it should be the same three people.

Daniel: That's true. Who's going to be the third person on the panel?

#2 EIC: That's the problem. It needs to be an EIC or higher.

Daniel: And you can't do it if Diana is an applicant.

#2 EIC: No. Unfortunately, none of the other EICs will agree to do it.

Daniel: None?

#2 EIC: I will not give names, but at least three do not understand why you're taking time off.

Daniel: Because my ex-girlfriend just gave birth to our twins. I am not going to leave everything to Amanda and Betty. I'm half tempted to have you provide those names to HR so they can start looking for replacements.

#2 EIC: You know, at least half of Meade Publishing UK just assumes Amanda is your third.

#2 EIC: Amanda just sent me a text message that said you would be a triad if Betty wasn't the token heterosexual of the trio.

#2 EIC: She also says that DJ's stepmom is trying to convince Claire to visit the twins this weekend, but she keeps saying no for work reasons. They almost convinced her Saturday night, but she backed out of it when she found out that her ex was in the UK.

Daniel: Amanda can tell me this herself since we're in the same room and she's obviously reading these messages over my shoulder.

#2 EIC: She says yes, but this is more fun. I should've just group-texted you both.

Daniel: You should have. I'll text my mom to see if she can do the panel. Maybe that will actually get her here.

#2 EIC: I would appreciate that. Thank you for doing something work-related during your time off.

Xxx

Daniel other phone: [13 images attached]

Claire: Thank you for my morning update of baby pictures. They're adorable. Are they doing OK?

Daniel other phone: Yep. They're already at their target weight. The doctor is going to let them leave tomorrow if everything goes OK tonight.

Claire: That's good.

Daniel other phone: Have you decided if you're going to take Brianna up on her offer? I would love to see you. Also, things would go better with Tyler if you were there.

Claire: I have so much work, this is the wrong time to leave the country.

Daniel other phone: A lot of it can wait until you get back Monday. You would only be gone Thursday and Friday.

Daniel other phone: Besides, there's actually something work related here I could use your help with.

Claire: ?

Daniel other phone: We need to hire a new EIC for Diversity Business UK.

Claire: I personally think it should be your fiancé.

Daniel other phone: Betty doesn't want to work for me anymore, even if we didn't have to deal with her no-compete clause. She's actually working with Brianna.

Claire: I heard about that over the weekend.

Daniel other phone: Anyway, we have several candidates ready to interview on Friday. The problem is we need a third member for the panel. My co-EIC can't do it because a friend is applying, and HR flagged it as a conflict of interest. My number two is also unable to find other volunteers among her fellow EICs, which means we might be hiring for other positions.

Daniel other phone: I am actually surprised they're letting Charlotte be on the panels since she knew Diana as well.

Daniel's other phone: Amanda just informed me that Charlotte joined about two months before I did and, in fact, did not know Diana that well. HR was OK with it.

Claire: Do you want me to come to London to be on an interview panel for the new EIC position at Diversity Business UK?

Daniel other phone: I want you to come visit your grandchildren, but I feel you might actually say yes if there is a work need for you to be here, and there is. We need to fill this position, so Monique is not doing double duty.

Claire: Isn't Marc already there? Can't he do the panel?

Daniel other phone: The third member must be an EIC equivalent or higher. Apparently I'm not allowed to make Marc an acting EIC again just to do so. Amanda checked.

Claire: And I am definitely "or higher."

Daniel other phone: Yes.

Claire: I've barely visited the UK offices since I've taken over. I feel they need a visit from me since nobody was willing to do the panel. That's unacceptable.

Daniel other phone: I suggest you stay a little longer than Monday.

Claire: I'll consider it.

Daniel other phone: [18 images attached]

Daniel other phone: Come cuddle your grandchildren.

Claire: Fine I will agree to Brianna's offer. I just hope I don't run into Cal. I know he's in London right now.

How do you know that?

Claire: Your niece is very talkative. Although Brianna assures me that he'll be gone before I am in the country.

Daniel other phone: Or, more likely, departing after you arrive in the country once the flight crew changes.

Claire: Probably.

Xxx

"Mom is coming with everybody else on Thursday," Daniel told Amanda and Betty. They were back in the hotel suite, eating a late lunch after spending the morning with the twins.

"Good. I am glad we finally convinced her to come. Betty said before leaning over to kiss Daniel.

"I'm glad Brianna was able to do what I asked. It wasn't fair that my dads were here and your mom wasn't." Of course, Amanda arranged for this. It's something she would do.

"Spencer is here for work, and your dad is retired. Mom runs a company. I understood why she was taking her time." Daniel explained.

"At least she now has a business reason to come early, which makes her feel better," Betty added. "I'm glad she's coming though."

"Me too."

Xxx

The boyfriend: How's the meeting going?

Matt #2: OK. We just got here.

Matt #2: But we brought bagels from Gio's, so things are already going better than they could have been.

The boyfriend: I am sure that will make the firing easier.

Matt #2: We're announcing about me taking over first.

The boyfriend: Sound

Matt #2: Everybody is cheering that my mom is no longer part of the organization outside of the accountant team. They look nauseous.

The boyfriend: They should. She was robbing it blind behind your aunt's back, and they were helping Vicki do it.

Matt #2: More like taking 10% off the top.

Matt #2: She tried to sell the Harlan property to a competing developer who may or may not have been Monique's dad.

The boyfriend: Oh, that would've pissed the whole foundation off.

Matt #2: As well as the Hartley Group Board of Directors. Our property should only be developed by us.

Matt #2: People are less excited about me taking over her job. Only one person clapped.

The boyfriend: Dir. Ramos or someone else from the Harlem offices?

Matt: It was Alana. No one else from the Harlem offices was there.

The boyfriend: See people who actually know you know you'll do a good job.

Matt #2: I hope you're right. I have to reassure everybody that I'm not my mother.

The boyfriend: Good luck. You are definitely going to need it.f

The boyfriend: what the hell did your mom due to your aunt? Are you okay? I should have pressed charges.

To be continued