Being (Read 26,294 times)

[fluffysmom]

Philip must be so frustrated between his injuries and Kate's health. He shouldn't take it all out on Chloe though. I liked the conversation between Billie and Philip. Thanks for the chapters FF.

[felineflash]

Chapter 77 - Black Friday

Now this is an event. I’m up before Philip. I’m showered, dressed, and ready to go, and he’s still asleep. OK, granted, it’s 5:45 a.m. and it’s Black Friday, but still. She felt a little guilty about waking him, but she was craving a little revenge for his attitude last night and the multitude of times he’d awakened her, so she leaned over and kissed his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and stared at her drowsily. “Good morning!”

“It’s still dark outside,” he grumbled.

“I know, but Barron’s opens at seven, and we have to get in line,” she explained.

“Uh huh. You have fun,” he closed his eyes again.

“Philip, what do you want for Christmas?” She teased.

“Don’t get me started,” he replied, eyes closed. Let’s see…I want Mom to be well. Completely well. I want this damn cast off. I want to see Claire open her presents Christmas morning. I want peace of mind. I want the economy to not suck. I don’t ever want to have a nightmare ever again. “World peace,” he said. “Make it happen.”

“Wish I could. Seriously, Philip, what do you want? What about Victor? I suppose I should get him something other than a lump of coal…”

“Chloe, go shopping. I’m sleeping,” he muttered.

“Well, I see you didn’t ditch your alter ego Mr. Grouchy Pants overnight,” she taunted.

He opened his eyes again and looked at her, trying not to smile, “It’s not even six in the morning, and you’re bugging me about Christmas. I’m in recovery here! I need my rest! Go shopping, woman!”

She giggled and leaned in to kiss him, “I’ll see you later. Go back to sleep.”

“As if I could now,” he laughed as he threw a pillow at her retreating figure. Oddly enough, though, he did just that.

Several hours later he was back from the office and the video conference, pouring a cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. Mimi came into the room and looked at him uncertainly, “Are you coming or going? I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time, it’s just that Max said you were working from home, so I thought I’d catch you…”

“Coming. I just had to go in for a video conference. What’s up? Want some coffee?”

“No, thanks,” she eyed his dress shirt, suit jacket, tie, track pants and cross trainers. “Very fashion forward. I like the business on top, gym on the bottom look,” she commented.

He chuckled, “I can’t get regular pants over the cast. They couldn’t see me from the waist down, anyway,” he shrugged, “couldn’t decide whether to match the shoes with the top or the bottom…how about it? Wise decision?” He asked as he loosened his tie.

“Very wise. You’re a fashion icon, Philip,” she joked.

“So what’s up?”

“Just came to say goodbye. My flight leaves tonight,” she told him.

“Really? It’s been two weeks already? Are you going to sit down or not? You’re making me nervous,” he gestured towards the couch.

She smiled and sat, saying, “Yep, it’s been two weeks. You’ve been a little…indisposed. Not your fault. But I have to get back, Connor’s coming back from his girlfriend’s tomorrow afternoon and I have to get the refrigerator ready for that, and I’m starting my new job Monday, so…”

“So I guess you won’t be back for awhile,” he added.

“Probably not. Maybe this summer, depending on what’s going on with my mom and Connor. We’ll see. You and Chloe could always come out to Phoenix and see me, though. The apartment’s small, but we could make room…oh, jeez. Look who I’m talking to. It’s not like you couldn’t afford a hotel room!” She laughed.

“We’ll do that,” he nodded. “So, uh…what about Max?”

“Max? Wait…you mean…you think we’re back together?” She asked, amazed.

“Aren’t you?”

“No! No, I mean, it was fun hanging out with him, and we, you know, we talked and stuff, but no, we’re not back together! No wonder Stephanie seems to hate me…God, I had no idea that’s what everybody thought. No wonder!”

“Oh, hello, Mimi,” Victor interrupted. “Philip, when you have a moment, I need to talk to you.”

“Hi, Mr. Kiriakis. Nice to see you,” Mimi replied, and Victor nodded and left the room. “I won’t keep you,” she said to Philip. “take care of yourself, OK? Try and stay out of the hospital and stuff,” she rose and came over to him, giving him a hug.

“Oh, I plan on that. So, uh, you gonna answer my emails from now on?” He teased.

“Absolutely. It was good to see you and hang out again. It was good putting all of that…stuff that happened behind us. It’s good to be friends again, I really missed you.”

“I missed you too. We’ll try and figure out a visit,” he told her as they went to the door. “Have a safe flight,” he called out as she left.

He joined Victor in his office and asked, “Dad, what’s up?”

“That girl’s attorney, Berman, wants a meeting with us. Gene recommended it be held here, since you’re still incapacitated…” Victor began.

“Dad, I’m not incapacitated, I’m perfectly capable of…”

“Philip, the girl put you in the hospital. You will act as incapacitated as you possibly can, if for no other purpose than to make the vicious little wench miserable. The meeting’s scheduled for 4:00 this afternoon, but I wanted to go over the details with you and Gene before she and Berman get here.”

Great. It just keeps getting better. When the hell is that kid going to get out of my life?

[MrsM]

Glad Philip and Mimi had a nice goodbye. Great chapter!!

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad that Philip and Mimi are friends again. I liked Chloe thinking that maybe she should get Victor a Christmas present...besides coal.

[Kpatch]

Poor Philip. It was so sad when Chloe asked what he wants for Christmas. His real wish list is huge and nothing Chloe can give him, except to be there with him on Christmas morning.

The dialogue throughout this chapter was fantastic. You nailed Mimi to a T. Thanks Fifi. Looking forward to more.

[felineflash]

Again, I got help from Paxton for the legal stuff. Me, I have no clue.

Chapter 78 - The Meeting

After going over things with Gene, Victor suggested that the three of them move to the sitting room for a drink before Melanie and her attorney arrived. Philip eyed his father pouring drinks, wondering what the hell he was up to. “Philip, Henderson will bring you in after they arrive,” Victor announced, and Henderson nodded.

“No, Henderson will not bring me in, I will come in on my own, Dad,” Philip countered.

“That defeats the purpose, son.”

“I don’t care if it defeats the purpose, I’ll come in on my own. I’m not taking part in some dog and pony show,” Philip declared.

“Philip, the point is to make the girl as miserable as possible,” Victor argued.

“And I have no qualms about making her miserable, but I’d prefer that I not be made miserable in the process, Dad.”

“Fine,” Victor huffed, cocking his head in thought, “perhaps you should have changed clothes--”

“Into what? A hospital gown?” Philip asked irately. Like it’s not enough that I’m wearing track pants and one shoe…and the shoe’s not even on my real foot! Dad’s really going for the height of ridiculousness here.

Gene cleared his throat and said, “Victor, they should be here any moment…”

“Yes,” Victor nodded. “You will at least wait until they’re here to come in, won’t you? Your entrance should have maximum impact,” Victor asked Philip.

Like it did during the custody hearing. Philip almost cringed, but the thought of making Melanie uncomfortable did bring him a bit of wicked pleasure. “Five minutes OK?”

“That will be fine,” Victor smiled darkly as he and Gene left the room.

Philip went into his office and fiddled around checking email until he heard the doorbell ring. He made quite a production out of making sure all of his SPAM was truly SPAM, then deleted it. Five minutes was up. Time for his grand entrance.

He wheeled himself to Victor’s door and put his ear against it. “He should be here any moment,” he heard Victor saying, “perhaps he needs some help. Henderson…”

Damn it, he’s going to try to pull the dog and pony show anyway. No way. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, nearly bowling Henderson over. “Sorry,” he whispered to Henderson out of the corner of his mouth. “Sorry I’m late,” he announced, wheeling himself in, and catching Victor’s look he added, rather theatrically, he thought, “I’m a little slowed down.” Happy now? Pity poor Philip.

“Now, as I was saying, Mr. Berman,” Victor began, and Philip quickly tuned out. Aha, so this was the reason we all went to the sitting room. Victor had made sure that Melanie and Berman would not be comfortable during this little tête-à-tête. He’d swapped out the comfortable chairs across from his desk for straight backed, uncomfortable ones. He’d also lowered the temperature in the room considerably, probably by opening the windows. Melanie was nearly shivering. And her eyes were boring into the Philip, he could feel them. He took his eyes off of his father for a moment and returned her gaze with a steely look that clearly took her aback. This could actually turn out to be quite fun.

“My client is seeking psychiatric counseling,” Berman was saying.

“Well, goody for her. I don’t give a damn what she’s seeking. She set fire to my house. She put my son in the hospital, and in a wheelchair for a month. She injured Ms. Lane. A trip to the psychiatrist isn’t going to make this go away. What she did was clearly intentional --”

Philip zoned out again, thinking about Kate. At least I look properly somber. When are those test results going to come in? I thought Daniel would have called by now. I didn’t like the tone of his voice this morning, he’s worried about something. Damn. Damn.

“…and his mental anguish, not to mention Ms. Lane’s and Mr. Henderson’s,” Victor finished.

“I feel good about our chances in front of a jury. You think they're going to see a sweet young girl, I think they're going to see an arsonist. You know as well as I do Melanie has no privilege against self-incrimination in a civil case; I hope you've warned her about how she's going to have to give her deposition and she's going to be asked a lot of very uncomfortable questions,” Gene added.

“And you'll look like the rich bastard's well-paid but heartless attorney who enjoys beating up on kids if it gets him a buck. Not to mention your client, who's just going to look vindictive,” Berman countered.

Philip massaged his temple. What the hell is going on with Mom? What isn’t she telling me? He tuned back into the conversation.

“I'll plead any and all causes of action I can think of, and then add some more. You might be able to get out on summary judgment on some of them, but not all,” Gene said as Victor nodded.

“And I'll ask for sanctions for frivolous pleadings, and I'll get them. And then you'll look bad to the judge, and you're not going to get the rulings you want if you overplay your hand. Which I know you will. Your client will make you,” Berman replied icily.

Why am I even here? Oh, right. The dog and pony show. He shifted a little in the chair and winced theatrically, feeling Melanie’s eyes on him. This is ridiculous. Sue her or don’t sue her. Decide something, for God’s sake, but get her the hell out of our house. Finally. They’re talking damages. Victor named a sum.

Melanie burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? I have like, fifteen dollars to my name!” Her lawyer tried to shush her, but she continued giggling, looking at Philip. “Come on, he’s not that hurt!” Her lawyer grabbed her shoulder.

Philip stared at her, amazed. She really seemed to not care. She honestly thought that she’d get away with this with a slap on the wrist. Wow. “I beg to differ,” he growled angrily as Gene put his hand on his shoulder.

“You people are crazy!” She exclaimed. “I never intended to hurt anyone…it was just a mistake…“ Berman whispered something harshly in her ear and she frowned.

“Could I speak to my client alone for a moment? Perhaps we could step out into the hall?” Berman asked.

Victor nodded, and Berman took Melanie by the arm and led her out. As she passed Philip, she looked down at him with pleading eyes. He looked up at her coldly. Oh, no, not this time. Your sad eyes and Little Orphan Annie routine isn’t going to work this time.

A few moments later, they came back in. “Mr. Briscoe, Mr. Kiriakis, we agree to your demands, She’ll pay the damages. No need to take this to Civil Court,” Berman announced, as Melanie looked imploringly at Victor.

“Mr. Kiriakis, I…” she started, but Berman cut her off.

“Shall we discuss the details?” Berman asked.

Philip’s phone rang, and he saw Daniel’s number on the caller ID. “If there’s nothing more you need from me, I really need to take this,” when the others had agreed they no longer needed him, he muttered a curt “excuse me” and left the room to take the call.

[Kpatch]

Excellent chapter. I loved the fact that Philip wasn't even engaged in the conversation. He was just there for appearances, but his mind wandered the whole time.

I wonder what Daniel is going to tell Philip about Kate.

Thanks for the chapter Fifi.

[fluffysmom]

Thanks for the chapter FF. I can't believe Melanie could have the audacity to say Philip wasn't that hurt. He could have died and she has no remorse. I liked Philip ignoring almost the entire meeting.

[felineflash]

I know. It's going to be very hard for me to figure out how to redeem Melanie. If I manage to do it, y'all let me know, and I will consider myself pretty darned good!

[MrsM]

I wouldn't worry about redeeming her. This Melanie doesn't seem worth it. Great chapter!!

[fluffysmom]

Jan 24, 2012 7:54:07 GMT -5 MrsM said:

I wouldn't worry about redeeming her. This Melanie doesn't seem worth it. Great chapter!!

I have to agree with Mrs. M. I feel no need to see her redeemed.

[felineflash]

Ah, but see, I've got plans for her now. Nothing to worry about, it's a Phloe story and will stay a Phloe story. The thing is, I wanted to portray her as vulnerable and a person who acts on impulse, but not necessarily bad. I was persuaded by someone to go too far with her. Now I want to bring her back to my vision...I really, really need to not let others persuade me to change what I want to do with characters. I just get too eager to please others.

[fluffysmom]

Thanks for the background info FF. Looking forward to more Phloe heat!

[felineflash]

Chapter 79 - Bad Mood

Philip was nursing a drink when Chloe finally came in laden with packages. “Hi,” she bent to give him a kiss. “God, what a day. I don’t think I’ve shopped that much in ages. I got some great stuff, I can’t wait to show you…we probably would have been longer, but it started to sleet…what are you drinking?”

“Scotch,” he answered distractedly.

“Is that a good idea?” She asked worriedly.

He shrugged, “Who cares? No, seriously, I didn’t take any pain medication today. You need help with anything? If not, I’m going to change.”

“No, no, Henderson’s getting the rest out of the car,” she assured him.

“Of course he is,” he replied as he left the room. Because I’m totally useless. He changed into a sweater and rejoined Chloe, who had poured herself a drink.

“We saw Mimi at the pub, she said she was going to stop by and say goodbye,” Chloe told him.

“She did.”

OK. I guess his mood hasn’t improved much, but he was laughing this morning when I left, and now he’s Mr. Monosyllable. Great. “How’d your video conference go?”

“It went.”

“My, we are talkative this evening, aren’t we?” She teased gently, but regretted it almost immediately. “Sorry. So, anything else going on?”

“Melanie and her lawyer came by to try and talk my father out of suing,” he told her.

“And?”

“We settled,” he shrugged, and went on to tell her the details. “That’s about it,” he finished, going to the window and looking out at the sleet.

“Did Daniel call with the results?” The one question I really don’t want to have to ask. The one answer I’m most afraid of.

“Oh, he called,” Philip snarled, “but he didn’t have results. So he called to tell me nothing. A pre-emptive measure, he said, because he knew I’d call him. Nothing until tomorrow.”

“Is that what’s got you in such a bad mood?” She asked gently as she walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

“Imagine that,” he spat as he moved away from her, “my mother is dying. I know you don’t like her, but I happen to love her, so yeah, I guess it might just be affecting my social skills.”

Woah. That was out of left field, and it hurt. She took a deep breath before saying, “Philip, that was a low blow, and completely uncalled for.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, hanging his head.

“Philip,” she went to him and took his hand, “talk to me. You don’t have to go through this alone. You don’t have to go through any of this alone, you know that. We haven’t even talked about the fire, you’ve been having nightmares ever since…the night of the fire, that nightmare you had when you woke up and couldn’t breathe…I’ve never seen anyone look so terrified. Just talk to me, Philip, please.”

“I don’t want to talk. OK? I just don’t want to talk,” he replied.

“The fire brought back the war, didn’t it? It…”

“The war never goes away, Chloe, it’s always there,” he told her. “I just don’t want to talk. Not about my mom, not about the fire, and not about the damn war. Can we do that?”

“I just don’t want you to…to retreat into yourself, Philip. I’m here for you, always. You can tell me anything, you have to know that by now,” she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it gently.

“There’s nothing to tell. I had a bad day. That’s all. Let’s go eat,” he started for the door, and felt her behind him, grasping the handles of the chair. “Please don’t do that.”

“Do what?” She asked, unaware.

“Push. Please don’t push me,” he answered icily.

“I wasn’t…I wasn’t pushing, I was just…”

“Don’t,” he said as he moved quickly away from her and into the dining room.

“Where’s your father?” She asked as she seated herself at the table, noticing that only two places were laid out.

“Dinner with Gene,” he replied, and that was the last he said for all of dinner.

After the meal, he went into his office and shut the door, and she sat glumly, first watching television, then reading a bit. She heard Victor come in and his and Philip’s muffled voices. She read a bit more, and finally, at ten o’clock, she decided to try again. She knocked softly on his office door and poked her head in when she heard him call out “Yeah?”

“I’m going to bed,” she told him.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at her, “Yeah. Me too,” he closed his laptop and switched off the light before joining her at the door. “I’m in a bad mood,” he stated.

“I never would have guessed. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take it on me, though,” she responded as they made their way down the hall together.

“I just…” he pursed his lips, “I don’t know,” he mumbled as she stopped at the bedroom door and he continued down the hall to the Grey Room to get ready for bed.

I hate even thinking of him in that room in the mood he’s in. And he sure was taking a long time tonight. She was beginning to worry that maybe he’d fallen when he finally came into the bedroom. She watched as he got into bed, waiting for him to say something, anything, but he didn’t. He didn’t kiss her goodnight, didn’t even look at her, only turned off the light.

“Goodnight, Philip,” she whispered in the darkness.

“’Night,” he replied.

He lay there staring at the ceiling until he could hear her steady breathing, wondering why he’d been so cold to her. Because I was. There’s no real answer to it. And it’s not like I didn’t call a spade a spade. She hates Mom. She hates Dad. The feelings are mutual, but I don’t have to like it. And Mom’s…stop. Don’t go there. She’ll make it, she has to. I just can’t believe it’s almost Christmas, and my mom’s…this could be her last one. And I have to really make it count if it is, because I didn’t make my last Christmas with Claire count. I just thought she’d always be here. I mean, who would have thought Shawn and Belle would just leave Salem for good?

It was no use, he couldn’t sleep. Hell, I can’t even toss and turn. He got out of bed as carefully as possible to not wake Chloe, and headed to the kitchen. As he pushed the swinging door open, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Just the person he needed to see. “Hey, Henderson,” he smiled.

[Kpatch]

Wow, Philip really has a heavy load he's carrying. You do a great job of portraying his tristesse. I'm glad Chloe spoke up for herself, but it's sad to see Philip retreating this way.

Thank you for the chapter Fifi. Looking forward to the chat with Henderson.