Written Sept. 19th - Dec. 23rd 08 (Parts 11 - 15)

Part Eleven!!

You know how sometimes things unexpectedly fall into your lap, like for some reason you are in exactly the right place at exactly the right time? Well here are three different examples of exactly that...

Cane sighed and rubbed a hand over his beleaguered expression. Leaning against the bar at Indigo, he knew that he should have left right after Lily but she had made it quite clear that she did not want him to follow. Luckily it was Neil's night off or he was sure that he would have been thrown out on his ass already...

"What can I get for you this evening?"

The promise that Cane had made to Lily to never drink again flashed in his mind. Although he was tempted to try and numb his misery, Cane also had to many memories of another night swirling around his head. A night that had changed his life forever...

"Could I grab an ice tea, please?"

"Sure no problem." The bartender said as he went to grab it for Cane.

Setting it down in front of him the bartender asked, "taking it easy tonight?"

Cane gave him a small smile before he answered, "yeah, I guess you could say something like that."

"Well I guess it's better than the last time I saw you. If it wasn't for that girl and guy you were with, I probably would have been asked to carry you out of here." The bartender turned to go.

"Wait! You remember me from that night? That was like almost three months ago."

"Yeah, well when you see a guy shouting rugby cheers and something about needing more cow bell and on top of it all this little five foot nothing of a girl half carrying you out of here - well you tend to remember things like that or at least I do anyways."

"So I was really wasted, huh?"

"Hey man if you still can't remember it, what do you think? I'm just glad that girl was able to drive you home. Wouldn't have wanted you behind the wheel or anything."

Something popped into Cane's head...

"Don't freak out but we were seriously drunk..."

Cane took a couple of large bills from his wallet and slid them over to the bartender. "Thanks mate, you've given me lots to think about." Cane got up off the stool to leave.

The bartender looked at the money in his hands, it was twice the amount that girl had given him that night for giving her non-alcoholic drinks and there was something about the despondent look in the guys eyes that made him say this, "listen. I know that girl seemed pretty loud and crazy that night but it was all of her own accord."

"What do you mean?"

"She called ahead and asked that whatever was ordered for her that night be non-alcoholic. That's something else you don't forget. Thanks by the way."

Cane pulled out another bill and threw it on the bar. "No, thank you..."

Meanwhile...

Chloe sat on the couch in Cane's living room searching for some more baby stuff online that would be paid for by the Chancellor heir, only the best for her child...

She put a hand over her baby bump and remembered the first time she ran into Billy after all those years...

Chloe had contacts all over the fashion world. She had kissed a lot of asses for those. It was those contacts at Jabot that had gotten her exactly the right position there and it was her contacts at the House of Kim in Hong Kong that had told her when Billy had made his way State side to New York City. She had known where he was staying and it wasn't hard to take a trip there on supposed Jabot business...

It was her third day in the city when she saw her opportunity to make her first move. She had watched Billy come out of his hotel and head over to the news stand. He had just picked up the last copy of 'Sophisticate' when she made her move...

Walking briskly up the side walk she went right up to Billy and snatched the copy of the magazine right out of his hand...

"What the -?" Billy was shocked at the boldness of this tiny little woman standing smugly in front of him.

"Buy me a drink and I just might let you flip through my magazine."

"Your magazine? I was just about to buy it when you ripped it out of my hands."

"Well, I guess you should be a little quicker next time." She said as she handed the guy behind the counter the money for it. "So are you coming because I am one thirsty girl."

Chloe turned and started walking and wouldn't you know it Billy was right behind her...

Chloe looked down at the hand that covered her stomach and said, "yes I planned it out how I would meet your father but when I found out how he would end up treating me, my plans needed to change. And when I saw how your uncle treated little miss perfect, I knew what I had to do..."

The next day...

Lily was going through the last of the boxes that she had yet to unpack. Mostly they were school papers, old tests and what not. There was a knock on the door...

Opening it she was pleasantly shocked to find her Aunt Olivia standing on the other side. "Aunt Olivia!" Lily exclaimed and they both wrapped their arms around one another in a warm embrace.

Pulling back Olivia said, "Lily it is so wonderful to see you. You are as beautiful as always, so very much like your mother."

Lily smiled warmly at the compliment. "Thank you. Come in, come in. Dad said that you were coming back to town for a bit but he didn't tell me that it would be this soon."

"Yes, well it turns out that a doctor at the hospital had an emergency and it was perfect timing that they asked me to fill in for him while he was away."

"Well I am just so glad that you are back and I hope that you can stay for a while, I've really missed you. We have to have a nice family dinner while you are here."

"Definately. Sweetie, your Dad told me that you haven't been having the best time of things lately, I was hoping that you would maybe want to tell me about it."

"Did Dad tell you what's been going on?"

"No, he thought since I was coming for a visit that you might want to tell me yourself. That you might need a woman's point of view."

"Funny how Dad just seems to know what I need and I am glad that he didn't tell you. He was pretty mad so his version might have been majorly different then mine. Do you want something to drink?"

"That would be great. How about a glass of juice, please?"

Lily got up and when she did her knee hit the box of papers she was going through and knocked them to the floor. "Oh, shoot!" She said as she bent to pick them up.

"Don't worry about these. You just go grab us our drinks and I'll pick them up for you."

"Thanks Aunt Liv." Lily went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of glasses and the juice from the fridge.

Olivia gathered up the papers and started putting them back in the box when one with a medical labs heading caught her eye. Pulling it out she started to read it. Lily returned with the drinks when she saw Olivia reading a paper she thought she would never lay eyes on again.

Turning Olivia said, "Lily why do you have a DNA report belonging to Cane Ashby and Chloe Mitchell?" ...

Part Twelve!!

"Well?" Olivia asked holding the paper in front of Lily.

Lily's throat closed up over the sight of that piece of paper so her voice came out in a hoarse whisper when she responded, "I - I didn't know I had it. I never wanted to see that piece of paper again. That piece of paper changed my life forever. I - I must have accidentally grabbed it when I was hastily packing all of my things."

"Hmmm... I see. Well maybe you were meant to grab it and maybe I was meant to see it. Before I tell you what I think why don't you tell me the whole story including how this came to be." Olivia set the paper down in front of her on the table and picked up the glass of juice that Lily had brought she took a sip and waited for Lily to begin...

Lily sighed and sat down beside her Aunt and told her everything from the beginning...

Meanwhile...

Cane had barely slept a wink the night before, so many thoughts kept running through his head. The conversation with the bartender, the cryptic words the doctor had said, the last bit of conversation he had caught between Billy and Chloe...

Separately they made know sense but putting them all together, pieces started falling into place. He needed to talk to Lily, so as quietly as he could he got dressed and left his house without disturbing Chloe. He needed proof before he saw her again even if that meant he slept in his office, he would because God help Chloe when he figured all of this mess out...

Meanwhile...

Lily had just finished telling Olivia everything, somehow she had managed to get through it with only a few tears shed.

Olivia looked at her niece with sympathy and with a comforting squeeze to Lily's hand she said, "that is truly horrible that someone would do that to you Lily. I can only hope that what I am going to tell you will help fix things. Just out of curiosity, did you have a technician read you these results?"

"Uh, no. Like I said an envelope arrived at our house."

"Well then perhaps you were too upset to fully understand what they said. Now technically this is a tricky spot for me because of doctor/pati-" Just then there was a knock at the door.

Lily got up to answer it to find Cane on the other side.

"Lily, I know your mad at me but we have to talk. Your not going to believe what I found out last night." Stepping passed a stunned Lily he saw the doctor that he had seen at the hospital only the day before. "Oh, ummm... why is a doctor here? Lily are you sick?"

"No, Mr. Ashby," Olivia said as she came forward her hand outstretched. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself yesterday. I'm Dr. Olivia Hastings, Drucilla Winters' sister. Nice to officially meet you."

"Your Lily's Aunt?!"

"Yes, I am. We were just having a very revealing conversation but I believe this conversation includes you too. Won't you sit down..."

Part Thirteen!!

Cane looked between the two women. "Lily what is going on?"

Cane stepped into the room and made his way over to the couch when he saw the paper that had changed his life sitting on the coffee table. Snatching it up he demanded, "where did you get this? Can someone please tell me what is going on?"

Olivia, with her ever present calmness smiled at him with understanding. "Lily was unpacking the last of the boxes from your house when she knocked it over, I picked it up and saw that paper. Lily didn't even know she had packed it up with her things. In fact she just finished telling me how all this came to be, about all of the wonderful things you shared and more recently the not so wonderful things..."

Cane and Lily shared a glance as Olivia continued...

"I was just about to tell Lily what I thought when you arrived. But I believe you had something to tell Lily that you just found out? Does it have to do with this current situation that you find yourselves in?" At Canes nod she continued, "well perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing it with me also because I think you will find that I may help you see things more clearly."

Cane once again looked to Lily and as she gave a slight nod in agreement he told them what he had learned over the last couple of days...

"Well that makes what I am about to say even more profound. May I have those DNA results?"

Cane looked down to find that he still clutched the now crumpled piece of paper in his hands, straightening it out he handed it to Olivia.

"Lily told me that you did not have a technician read these results for you and the way that it was worded and your emotions running as high as they were it is very understandable that you would read them incorrectly."

"But Aunt Olivia, it says Cane matched."

"Ah yes, it says he is in the matching group but what it does not say with 99.9% accuracy is that Cane is the father of Chloe's baby."

"I - I'm not the father of her child?"

Olivia leaned over and said, "no you're not but the matching markers would indicate that you are related to whom ever is."

Cane and Lily were both to stunned to speak.

"Cane you wouldn't happen to have a copy of the ultra sound with you?"

Cane glanced at Lily under his lashes before he nodded and reached into his inside pocket and retrieved it.

Olivia took it and studied it for a moment, she looked at Cane and said, "what I am about to say can never come back to me. As you know, I saw Ms. Mitchell as a patient yesterday so I am breaking doctor/patient confidentiality to do this but on the other hand I can't in good conscience allow this woman to continue to destroy your lives. When I was going over her chart yesterday I noticed that the measurements of the fetus and the conception and due dates didn't add up. When I suggested that we do another ultra sound to confirm she became very agitated. This picture is of a fetus that is 15 - 16 weeks gestation not the 8 - 10 weeks that is indicated by the conception and due dates."

"So that night that she said we conceived the baby she was already pregnant. No wonder she made sure to get non-alcoholic drinks - she already knew."

"In my professional opinion I would have to say yes. Unfortunately you will have to find your proof elsewhere, again what I told you here today can never be repeated."

This was all so overwhelming. All this time that he and Lily had been separated was for nothing, they had lost so much. And with these thoughts running through his mind Cane slid to his knees in front of Lily, his eyes glimmered with held emotion. Lily saw her own pain reflected there. She cupped his cheek in her palm.

Cane turned his head and placed the softest of kisses there. Placing his hand over hers he said, "I always knew in my heart of hearts that I could never betray you no matter how drunk I was. All this time I was trying to form a bond with this child and I could never quite get there. At first I thought it was my guilt over what I had done to you that prevented me from doing it but now I realize that deep down there was always something more."

Cane stood up and taking Lily's hand brought her to stand beside him, facing Olivia he said, "thank you for the gift you have given us today. Words can never express how much this means."

Olivia stepped forward and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Seeing the life return to my niece's eyes is thanks enough. I can only hope that you find the proof that you need to remove this woman from your lives once and for all."

"We'll find the proof together. Thank you Aunt Olivia. I'm just going to walk Cane out." Together they walked to the door and stepped outside. Lily closed the door behind them.

Cane turned to face her and they stared at one another for a moment and in the next they were in each others arms, their mouths fused together, they clung to one another and let all their pent up emotion and passion flow...

When they finally pulled their mouths apart Cane pressed his forehead to hers and he said, "Lily I swear to you, together we will find the proof we need to remove that conniving bitch from our lives and when that happens never again will I be separated from you."

Lily gave him one last lingering kiss then stepped back inside.

Cane turned and let the rage that had been bubbling under the surface flow free. Clenching his fists he growled one word, "Billy..."

Meanwhile...

Amber was coming down the stairs of her loft when she heard Billy on the phone, stopping she listened...

"Jack now that I am on the inside it is only a matter of time before Jabot is back where it belongs... Do I have a plan of action? You bet I do. Cane's personal life is all over the place, he is going to have no idea what hit him until it's to late... I have already figured out exactly what button to push and that button is Lily...

Amber let out a silent gasp as she continued to listen at the top of the stairs...

Part Fourteen!!

What should she do? Should she go to Cane and Lily with what she just heard? If Amber were honest with herself she would admit that she was only using Billy as a convenient liaison to make Daniel jealous but here was another guy who was throwing himself at Saint Lily - shouldn't she be mad? But to be honest, she wasn't. She wanted Daniel back... Maybe, just maybe if she told them the truth about Billy and helped Lily get back with Cane, Daniel would finally see that she had changed and would take her back...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the closing door, Billy had left. Cautiously, Amber crept down the stairs, grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She needed to clear her head and decide what to do...

Later...

Billy found her at Crimson Lights. He watched Chloe from across the room as she stuffed her face with a cranberry scone. She adjusted herself in her chair and Billy got an eyeful of her now suddenly very rounded stomach, it was like it had ballooned overnight or perhaps as he suspected it was something else. He made his way over to her table...

"Funny, isn't it?"

"What is?" Chloe asked around a mouthful of scone.

"Oh, just how we keep running into each other like this. Reminds me of the good old days of you stalking me..."

"Look, how many times do I have to tell you? I am not a stalker. I just know what I want and I go after it."

"Just like you went after my brother? How very thorough of you."

Chloe glared at Billy but said nothing to contradict his statement.

Billy was about to say something else when his blackberry buzzed. He excused himself and pulled it out and read the text message:

'What makes you think my story would be interesting?'

Billy chuckled to himself as he typed back:

'Well for one you stole my screen name. I may have to sue.'

Chloe tried to read what he was typing but couldn't so she asked, "texting your latest conquest?"

Billy looked up and said, "no for your information it is just an update on some investments I have, they are doing very well. But what if it was a girl, would you be jealous?"

Chloe wiped her fingers on her napkin and replied, "not in the least. I already have everything I could possibly want."

Billy set his blackberry face down on the table and looked right at Chloe. "You want to keep him? Then start working a little harder."

Chloe gave a little smirk before she replied, "I have his ring. I'm having his kid. I don't need to work at anything."

"Listen to me smart girl. When I left you at the GCAC, I went over to Indigo and got an eye full of the two of them kissing. So if you want to keep up this little charade that we both know you're playing I suggest you step up your game."

Chloe huffed and said, "you know I'm not that hungry anymore. I think I'll head home - to my husband!"

"You do that." Billy said as he watched her stalk out the back door. Once again his blackberry vibrated. He picked it up and read:

From: Fall Out Girl
To: Sonny Crawford

'I'll see you in court...'

Billy smiled with satisfaction as he turned his phone off...

A few days later...

Lily sat at her computer trying to finish a report for her Economics class but she continued to be distracted. She hadn't heard from Cane in three days - not a phone call, email or note. Lily desperately wanted to hear from him, to see if he had made any progress on the proof they needed. But she knew that they had to keep up the act of everything was still as Chloe thought it should be.

Lily sighed and minimized her report and brought up her messages from that stupid dating site that Colleen had convinced her join and again they were mostly from 'Sonny Crawford'. The thing was she had found his profile very interesting and very familiar. Two could play at this game. There was a reason for Cane not bringing up what Aunt Olivia had said about him being related to the man that actually fathered Chloe's child - he thought he was protecting her but he needed to realize that he didn't have to protect her from everything. Lily was a smart girl and she had figured it out that Billy was most likely the father of Chloe's child. She had also figured out that Billy was 'Sonny Crawford' and she had every intention of doing her part to bring this mess to an end...

Meanwhile...

Cane was stressed. After thinking about it and staying away for a day, he had decided to return home. The less suspicious Chloe was the better it would be to nail her and his good for nothing brother to the wall. To think he had welcomed that man with open arms...

Patience was a virtue - wasn't it? After he had left Lily's place he contacted Paul Williams and told him everything - except Olivia's involvement of course, he had no intention of breaking his word to the woman who had finally given him hope. So Paul was doing some backround checks on the hospital staff looking after Chloe's medical needs. He was also looking into Billy and seeing if he could find a link to Chloe and some proof that they knew one another. He was expecting a call from Paul anytime for an update of what he had discovered so far when there was a knock on the door...

"Come in."

The door opened and the last person he expected was standing in the doorway clutching her purse.

"Cane?" Amber asked nervously. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about Billy..."

Part Fifteen!!

Amber shut Cane's door and stepped into his office.

Cane let out a sigh and stood, he did not have time for this. "Listen, Amber if you are here to tell me about how you and my brother are dating you can save it. I already know, Chloe told me."

"Well no, I mean we are hanging out - I wouldn't call it dating. I mean I still love Daniel but it's complicated."

"Amber, I am really busy and I don't have time to listen to the trials and tribulations of your love life no matt-"

"Cane! Seriously listen to me. It's not about my love life." Amber stared at Cane for a moment and saw that he had finally stopped to listen to her.

"Ok. What is it about then?"

Amber started to pace and ring her hands as she told Cane what she heard. "I was coming down the stairs a couple of days ago and I over heard Billy talking to Jack."

"So? He is his brother."

Amber let out a frustrated sound and turning with her hands on her hips she nearly shouted at Cane. "If you would just keep your mouth shut for two seconds instead of interupting me I could tell you that Jack is planing a take over of Jabot and Billy is his inside man."

Cane paled and his mouth slid open. "What?"

"From what I overheard the Abbott's have some sort of plan to get Jabot back and Billy is working here to get inside information and to - and to undermind you."

Cane began pacing back and forth and you could literally see the anger rolling off of him in waves. He growled one word again, "Billy..."

Amber rung her hands again. "There is something else. He is going to get to you through Lily."

"Lily?" His fists began to clench and unclench.

"Yeah, I believe the direct quote was 'the key to your downfall was through Lily'"

Cane stopped pacing and stood facing Amber. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I - how can -" Cane brought her to him in a ruff embrace. "I won't forget this Amber."

"Umm...ok."

"I have to go. Things must be set in motion."

Cane left a stunned Amber standing in the middle of his office. He was pulling out his phone to make a call when he nearly ran right into Paul.

"Cane! I was just coming to see you. We need to talk. I found some things that should really interest you."

Cane looked around at the staff miling about, nodded and brought Paul into the empty boardroom closest to them. "What do you have for me?"

"Well how is this for starters?" Paul asked as he pulled a security still photo from out of the file in his hand.

Cane looked at the image of Billy and Chloe leaving a hotel loby hand in hand.

"And here is another one of the two of them coinsiding with the dates you were looking at. Also the technician that took care of Chloe's lab work talked. Apparently the threat of jail time for committing fraud got her to fess up. I have her signed statement that she, at Ms. Mitchell's request altered dates on her ultra sound. She also received payments from Ms. Mitchell for doing so."

Cane nodded. "So you sent a copy of all this over to Michael Baldwin?"

"As you requested everything I found out has been sent to him, he is waiting for your call."

"Perfect. Thank you Paul you have hel-"

"There is one more thing. When I was going through the recent Jabot stock sails as you asked, I came across a company that has purchased a large amount in the last couple of months. A company called 'Agreeing Lovers' I traced it to the Cayman Islands but that is where the trail ends."

Cane shook Paul's hand. "Thank you Paul. Do you mind if I take this file?"

"Certainly. That is your copy and I will continue to see what I can dig up on that company."

"Please do. I need every bit of information I can get my hands on. I will check in with you later."

Cane left the boardroom. He grabbed his phone again. There were calls he needed to make. Michael Baldwin, to finalize those papers. Katherine and Jill, to set up a private meeting to figure out how they could keep Jabot safe. And Lily...he needed to hear her voice and he needed to bring her up to date so that they could put a plan into action and get Chloe out of their lives once and for all...