Being (Read 25,450 times)

[fluffysmom]

I hope the rehab will get her back on her feet soon.

I have a calico named Pickle. My daughter who was 4 at the time named her. My Mom and my sister-in-law each have 3 cats. We are a cat friendly family.

I hope the photo shoot goes well.

[Kpatch]

Another great chapter. I love how Philip treats Henderson like he's family/friend. And I love how everyone encourages Philip not to give up on Chloe. Wonderful! Thank you.

[jaysdelina]

Great story so far FelineFlash.Love the way everyone realizes Philip isn't over Chloe and urges him to fight for her.Also love the relationship between Philip and Henderson.

[MrsM]

I love the relationship between Phillip and Henderson! Great chapter FF!!

[gapeach]

I like seeing this side of Henderson. It makes him more real, I just wish they would do more of a background story on him on the show. Everyone knows that Phillip and Chloe belong together, I hope Phillip takes Henderson's advise and fights for her!!

[felineflash]

Chapter Six - Breakfast with Kate and Sons

Stop ringing. Stop ringing. Please stop ringing. OK, it stopped ringing. Ah, silence. Philip lay in his bed, wrapping his head in his pillow. Argh! That’s even worse! Stop!!! The melodic voicemail alert on his cell phone finally stopped, and he sighed deeply. I know I’ll drink again, but God, right now…I don’t want to ever drink--

The ringing resumed. It’s Saturday. Doesn’t anyone believe in Saturdays anymore? He reached over and grabbed the phone, looking at the caller ID. Mom? What the hell? Why would his mother, who was still staying in this very house, call him incessantly as if she couldn’t just barge right in to his room as everyone else on this planet did? Dad…Oh, God. It must be something with Dad. His hand shook as he pressed “Talk”. “Mom? What’s wrong?” he asked frantically.

“Nothing, honey! I’ve been trying to call you for an hour,” Kate rasped into the phone.

“Nothing? Nothing’s wrong with Dad?”

“I wouldn’t think so, no one’s called me. I did come back home yesterday, you know--”

That’s right, she’d left before he’d gone to dinner with Morgan. Damn, he’d gotten pretty drunk. “Nothing’s wrong? Good. Talk to you later,” he pulled the phone away from his ear.

“PHILIP! PHILIP!!! Don’t hang up on me!”

Damn. “Kidding, Mom. I’m still here,” he sat up. “What’s up?”

“Well, I was thinking of having breakfast with my sons this morning,” she told him.

“Oh, yeah? Austin’s in town?”

“I was referring to you and Lucas, Philip,” she said dryly.

“Oh. I thought Lucas disowned you again,” he chuckled, but the silence on the other line made him feel guilty about the joke. “Sorry, Mom. I’m still waking up. What time?”

“In an hour at the Brady Pub? Lucas called me, and I thought it would be nice for all of us.”

“OK, an hour. See you then,” he dragged himself out of bed and onto his feet. So to speak. Only to be on one as soon as he got in the shower. Kind of ridiculous to put the leg on to take it off, but crutches were even more cumbersome.

The cold water in his face brought him about a quarter out of his hangover. He fixed his hair and brushed his teeth, noting that his reflection literally reflected…a hangover. He could barely see his own face in the mirror for the visions of hash browns dancing before his eyes. Breakfast with Mom. And Lucas. How fun. Thank God the Brady’s knew how to make good coffee.

When he arrived at the pub, Kate and Lucas were already seated. He made his way to their booth and said hello to Caroline, who seemed to instinctively know to pour him a coffee immediately. She took his order and he smiled at his mother.

“Good morning Mom,” he glanced at Lucas and tried not to clench his jaw as he extended the greeting to him.

“Yeah, great, isn’t it?” Lucas glared at him.

The Cleavers at breakfast. Just your every day family, enjoying a meal together. A real love fest. “So, what’s up?”

“Does something have to be ‘up’”, Kate hooked her fingers in quotation marks in the air, “for a mother to want to enjoy the company of her wonderful sons?” Lucas and Philip slid glances at each other.

“I’m the one who suggested breakfast, Mom decided to invite you,” Lucas informed him. “How ya doin’?”

“Just fine,” Philip replied between clenched teeth.

“Well, anyway, Lucas and I were just talking about Allie and how happy she is with him. And of course, away from her psychotic mother,” Kate said as she sipped her coffee.

“I’m sure she is happy. Glad you got joint custody,” Philip said sincerely. But you’re still a jerk.

“Yeah, in fact, she gives Chloe something to do. She loves Chloe’s voice,” Lucas agreed. This is so not how this was supposed to go. I’m not supposed to bash Chloe in front of Philip…I’ll get a worse beat down than I did in prison. Maybe if I give him some kind of signal… He kicked Philip under the table. Well, that wasn’t going to work if he was going to kick the wrong leg. He tried again, and Philip leveled his eyes at him.

“You got a problem, Lucas? Happy feet?” Philip growled.

It seems he’s still a little peeved about the elevator. “Sorry man,” he apologized, giving Philip a look that tried to let him in on the game, but Kate distracted him.

“You look horrible. Did you sleep at all?”

“I’m fine,” Philip replied as his breakfast arrived, “I’ve been a little stressed about work,” he dug in. What the hell is Lucas looking at me like that for? Does he really want what’s left of his face rearranged?

“Lucas, what did you mean about Allie keeping Chloe busy? You didn’t leave her with that…woman, did you?” Kate asked with venom.

“No, no, she’s with Aunt Maggie this morning. Alice wanted to see her. Nah, I just mean,” Oh, boy, here I go. Heaven help me. He kicked Philip again, hoping he’d catch on, “that Chloe’s really…down on her luck. She doesn’t have a job, doesn’t have any money…I mean, that’s really the only reason she’s there…I can’t just cut someone loose if they’ve got nowhere to go.” That kick definitely did not work. Philip glared at him, and he felt himself squirming in his seat a little. I’m so dead. “I mean, she had an audition with the Salem Opera, but they didn’t want her because of the Brady thing. So, she’s just…”

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Kate declared. “If the woman needs a job to get out of your hair,” at least that deflected Philip’s glare from Lucas to Kate, “I’ll talk to the director. We’re very close. I assume he has her phone number. Just make sure she doesn’t leave her phone somewhere, as I’m sure she’s prone to do,” she huffed.

Philip was clearly seething now, and Lucas couldn’t tell who he was more likely to kill. Me, probably, he has more loyalty to his mother. “That’d be great, Mom. It’s hard for me to just kick her out.”

“Don’t even worry about it, sweetie. She’ll be gainfully employed by the end of the week. Philip, what are you doing?”

Philip was making a big production of staring at his phone. “I’m sorry, Mom, unexpected business. I’ve got to run.”

“I didn’t hear your phone ring,” she commented.

“Vibrate.” He locked eyes on Lucas. You have explaining to do, you bastard. “Lucas…in private, for a minute, bro?”

That sounded ominous. Oh, boy. Lucas steeled himself. “Be right back,” he said over his shoulder as Philip kissed Kate goodbye and followed him out.

“What the hell kinda game are you playing with Chloe?” Philip spat.

“Just chill out a minute, OK?” Lucas kept his feet moving, hoping to prevent a clear shot until he explained.

“Chill out? Are you kidding me? First you have sex with her in an elevator, and now you’re going to insult her in front of Mom? And now you’re going to claim you care about her, aren’t you?” If your lips still work after I’m done.

“I do care about her, that’s why I just did that,” but that fist was coming, and he dodged out of the way. “Look, talk to her, OK? I did this for her. Just talk to her,” Lucas told him, heading back into the pub, “you don’t want to get into a fight in the pub, do you? Put Caroline through that? Just…talk to Chloe. Trust me, Philip, trust me,” he ducked into the safety of the pub.

Trust you. How can I? How can I trust anyone?

[Kpatch]

Loved this chapter. So funny that Lucas was trying to do the right thing for Chloe but it was coming out all wrong because Philip was there. I love it that Philip is so quick to want to defend Chloe. Thanks for another thoroughly enjoyable installment.

[fluffysmom]

I enjoyed this chapter. Poor Lucas is trying to do the right thing and avoid getting beat up by Philip. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[felineflash]

Thanks, y'all! I don't always remember to thank for feedback, but know that I read it all and it ALWAYS makes me smile! So glad you're all enjoying this, it was so fun to write and try to think of what other characters, some that I don't even care for, would do.

[felineflash]

Chapter Seven - Fantasies Die Hard

It was afternoon and Philip had finished running whatever errands he needed to run for the weekend. Time to celebrate with a much needed mocha. Of all the gin joints…

“Philip!” Morgan was at his side in the speed of light. “I’ve been sitting here, trying to get up the nerve to call you--”

“And now I’m here,” he sighed. All I wanted was a mocha. Just a mocha. Can’t a man get a mocha without--

“I want to apologize for last night. I was so…cruel,” she simpered.

He shrugged, “You were just being honest, like I was,” he said hello as Evan prepared his drink, knowing just what he wanted. The Kiriakis name goes far. You never have to order your mocha. I should spice things up one day and order something different.

“I was hurtful, and I know you said those things to me because of that. And I just want you to know that you have every reason to be angry with me. I can’t apologize enough. I just…God, Philip, everything just snowballed and I found myself saying things that were just…disgusting. I know you did too. I just want us to start over, slowly, you know? Just give me time to digest it all…”

Again, he sighed. Man, this is going to be harder than I thought. “Morgan,” she started to speak, but he stopped her, “Morgan, slow down. Let’s sit. We need to talk. Nothing’s changed since last night…just…sit,” he gestured to a chair.

“OK,” she said slowly, “at what point of last night are we talking about?” She looked at him warily.

“Where we left off,” he took a sip of his coffee. Perfect, as always. He imagined the caffeine working its way through his bloodstream, duking it out with the leftover alcohol. “The things I said to you last night…I didn’t mean to be so harsh, but Morgan, those things are true. I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m not trying to hurt you…”

“But you told me you loved me,” she mumbled.

“I told you I thought I was falling in love with you. And I guess I did, at the time. I mean, I was kinda drugged up, just regaining consciousness, I’d heard you say that to me…”

“So you did use me, and you hate me?” She was calm and collected, processing things, but still, the reasoning sounded childish.

“No, I don’t hate you. I like you…as a friend. You’re sweet, you’re pretty…you’re just…do you really want me to lie to you and tell you that I’m head over heels? I mean, come on…you are the one who actually believed I could have killed your father.”

“Because of who you are. Because you’re a Kiriakis,” she was getting a little feisty now, that accent getting more pronounced. And more annoying, as if she turned it on, unlike most Southerners he’d known.

“And so is Bo. Would you have thought he could kill your father? Chelsea’s a Kiriakis too. What about her? Did you include her in your list of suspects? Hey, I’ve got a two year old son, how about him?”

“You have a son?”

“Lots of things you don’t know about me, huh? Well, what about it? What about the rest of my family? Are they monsters too?”

“Philip…”

“Morgan. I’m trying to make a point, I am not my father. Regardless, I told you the truth last night. There’s nothing between us, and there isn’t going to be. I wish you’d understand that, because you’re really starting to scare me,” he looked into her eyes, trying to see if he could find that crazed obsession that had driven him to Tinda Lau in search of Belle and Claire. He couldn’t find it, and that was a relief.

“I’m sorry. I just…fantasies die hard. I really, really meant what I said, Philip. I really did fall in love with you. You can’t expect me to switch that off.”

“Morgan, you don’t even know me. You made up some great superhero guy, and that’s not me. Ask Chloe, it’s never been me. I’ve never, ever been the amazing guy you dreamed up. Never. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, a lot of bad ones. And I’ve hurt a lot of people, intentionally. And, Morgan, I have to tell you, honestly, that that’s never going to stop. I’m a businessman. I have to make some hard choices. I have to hurt people and use people and do what I have to for my family and for Titan--”

“'Ask Chloe'. So you really do love her?” she asked quietly.

Oh, yes. I never stopped. But she did. “How I feel about Chloe is irrelevant. I’m saying I am who I am, and I used you, and I was wrong, but I’d do it again. I know that’s heartless, but it’s true.”

“It’s honest, at least. You’re right, though…you’re not the man I imagined.”

“Obviously.”

“Well, thank you for that. For being honest. And thank you for taking the time to talk to me, as adults, rationally. I’ve got some things to do,” she rose.

“I am sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. But I’m not sorry that this is over, it wasn’t fair to either one of us,” he looked up at her.

“You’re right. And I’m sorry that I flipped out about your leg, and that I was so shallow.”

“It was bound to happen one day,” he sipped his coffee. I was waiting for it. I was ready for it. I was afraid of it. But Chloe didn’t flinch, never once. Even after the plane crash. Chloe never would.

“I guess I just happened to be the lucky shallow girl, huh?” He didn’t answer, so she continued, “I think I need to let you know…I think my father is out for revenge. And that’s the last thing I do for my fantasy guy. Good luck,” she turned and left.

Out for revenge?

[MrsM]

Uh oh! Danger is ahead for Phillip!!

[Kpatch]

Love this! Great characterizations of both Morgan and Philip and Morgan's accent and Morgan's childishness. She is like a gnat and I really wanted to swat her away as much as Philip did. Leave him in peace to drink his latte.

Thanks for the great chapter FelineFlash. I really look forward to your Saturday night installments!

[fluffysmom]

I enjoyed the chapter FF. I hope Morgan leaves Philip alone now. You captured the annoying girl that she was perfectly.

[felineflash]

Thank you for the lovely feedback! Hey, just an idea I had...would y'all like cryptic spoilers say, midweek for the next chapter?

[fluffysmom]

Yes!! That would be great FF.