Ivy tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails impatiently. TC's phone was not picking up, and she was growing angrier by the second.

"What a blithering idiot," she seethed as her call was picked up by his voice mail. "Is it too much to ask that that Neanderthal answer his phone?"

She hoped that TC had not gone to the Crane estate to confront Julian and Eve, not without her there to twist Julian to her mercy!

"If Julian knows what is good for him, he'll ante up my alimony, or I'll make sure that Eve Johnson bitch and her bastard child pay dearly!" Ivy vowed, as she disconnected the call. "TC Russell may be a brainless idiot, but he will most certainly take the bait if I tell him that Julian raped his wife and has 'questionable' feelings about Whitney, the daughter he raised as his own!"

A cruel smile played across her face, turning features that were beautiful into an almost hideous, subhuman caricature.

"It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature....or Ivy Winthrop Crane."
 

TC held up Kathy's cell phone, a mocking grin on his face.

"Well, little Miss Kathy, do you think we should give Crane a call?" He shook the phone slightly, enjoying the look of horror that Kathy gave him. "I don't know what you are to him, but I'm sure if you have his cell number, you have to be pretty important."

"Give me that back!" Kathy had had enough of this monster. A growing anger was filling her with bravado. "I don't know what you want with Mr. Crane, but it has nothing to do with me! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled, hoping to distract him as her fingers found her pepper spray again.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, missy--you're not a theat to anyone. Give it up!"

"No..." Kathy hissed, "YOU give it up!" She palmed the small cannister and discreetly moved her hand into position.

"You know, you've got a mouth on you--maybe you need someone to shut it!" TC slowly put the phone down as he glared at her. His fists clenched as he leaned towards her.

"Go ahead--make my day!" Kathy quoted one of her favorite movies as she quickly aimed the pepper spray directly in his eyes. TC cried out in agony as his hands flew up to his eyes, which immediately began tearing.

"Serves you right," she told him. TC tried to grab her arm, but his eyes were still blinded by the spray, and she easily managed to avoid him. Kathy opened the door and ran towards the mansion, praying that the man who abducted her was still incapacitated by the spay.

"Thank God," she panted as she ran to the guard shack, which was to the left of the main house. "Please let Captain Wilkes be here!"

Karen Wilkes frowned at her partner. The tire tracks that they had seen earlier hadn't matched any of the cars that normally would be on the grounds of the Crane estate--she had managed to do some checking with the Crane staff security.

"Looks like we have an intruder," Karen sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Too bad we can't finger who it is. Whoever it is, is going to answer to me--I promise you that."

"Whoever it is, hasn't done anything other than destroy some of Julian Crane's Bermuda grass, Karen. We need more than that if we're going to do anything about it." Ally Morgan shook her head. "I know you want to help Julian, but don't let your personal feelings start to cloud your judgement."

"Will you shut up about that already?" Karen loved Ally dearly as a friend and coworker, but right now she was irritating the heck out of her. "I'm not letting anything cloud my judgement, I am doing what I am supposed to do--my job," she huffed, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

Ally held up her hands in surrender.

"Look, I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers, I really didn't. It's just that in all of the time that I've known you, Karen,
you've always been level headed, the epitome of being 'by-the-book'."

"And now?"

"Now, you're assuming, and jumping to conclusions. That's not like you at all, Karen. And I can't help thinking this all has to do with the fact that it's Julian Crane that we're working for."

"Your point?"

"Enough of the monosyllable answers, Karen. Are you able to do this job, with your past history with him?" Ally looked at her, an almost pleading expression on her face. "If the higher-ups knew that you had been with him, they would take you off of the case, and I don't want to work without you. Please say that you can do this."

Karen slowly nodded her head.

"Maybe you're right, Ally. Maybe I am getting a little too personal when it comes to Julian--but don't worry," she smiled, "I can still do my job, as a professional. Besides, someone's got to keep their eye on you," she winked.

"Thank goodness." Ally sighed with relief. "I swear to you though, if your paranoia ever pays off, I'll be the first to admit it."

"You remember that."

"Like you'll ever let me forget it. Why don't we-" Ally was interrupted by a pounding on the door of the guard shack. "What the heck is that?"

"Let's go, Ally!" Karen leapt up from her chair, and drew her gun, her partner drawing hers as well. Karen was about to open the door, with Ally covering her, when they both heard Kathy's voice.

"Please open the door! Someone's after Mr. Crane, and he just tried to attack me! Let me in!" They holstered their guns, as an out of breath Kathy was let inside. She was led to the holding room, and as she was regaining her breath, Ally gave Karen a small smile.

"Looks like it paid off, Karen."
 

Julian held the limousine door open, waving off the driver. His heart nearly burst with pride as he offered an arm to both of his ladies--on one side, his beautiful daughter, whose eyes were sparkling with delight at the large shopping mall that they had managed to locate, and on the other, his dearest love, who bestowed upon him a dazzling smile that nearly blinded him.

"I will be the most happy and blessed shopper roaming these stores", he laughed, earning him a hug from Eve. "Everyone will be uncontrollably envious of the two incredibly lovely ladies that I have the pleasure of accompanying."

"Darling, you're liable to turn her head, the way you continue to compliment her," Eve gently chided.

"Not at all, my pet--I do believe Whitney is a very intelligent, and grounded young woman, from what I have been able to ascertain in the short time that we've been acquainted."

"Thank you, Mr. Cr--I mean, Father," Whitney corrected herself. She gave Julian an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm still not used to saying it yet."

He waved a hand dismissively.

"It's quite all right, my dear, I understand. This is new to me, as well."

"It will take some getting used to, that's for sure."

"Of course it will. Just as you will become accustomed to being the daughter of a billionaire." At Whitney's sudden blush, Julian was chagrined.

"I am so sorry, Whitney, I did not mean to upset you," he apologized, dismayed at Whitney's discomfiture. "I only meant to inform you that you need never lack for anything."

Eve couldn't help but smile--Julian was trying so hard to make certain that Whitney liked him. He was doing it it the only way he really knew how--like a Crane.

"Father, it's all right, I'm fine, trust me. I'm just not used to --all this." She smiled at her father, and took his hand in hers.

"Julian just has to learn to go slowly, honey--he does mean well," Eve explained, enjoying the evil glare Julian gave her.

"Thank you, my dear. Why don't you take Whitney, and begin touring the shops--I do have to make a phone call. My stockbroker, you remember," he said, his gaze going from one to the other. He gave Whitney's hand an affectionate squeeze before releasing it.

"Go ahead--we'll just be looking around, I'm sure you'll catch up with us." Eve gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and she and Whitney began walking towards the shoe boutique.

He watched them go, love and sadness plain in his expression.

"My darling Eve, I pray you forgive me for the steps that I had to take to protect you. I detest lying to you--but I couldn't bear if that SOB you call an ex-husband harmed one hair on your head, or Whitney's." Julian's eyes flashed with anger. "And if that bitch of an ex-wife dares to get involved, she will need more than her policeman lover Sam Bennett to save her.

"Beware, Ivy," he growled to himself, as he began walking towards the parking lot, "I will strangle you myself if you try to hurt Eve and Whitney." He took out his cell phone.

TC gagged as he felt the aftereffects of the spray. He had almost hyperventilated, but practicing the breathing techniques that he had learned as a coach, was able to prevent himself from doing so. He sat in the car, letting the open door ventilate air as his breathing returned to normal.

"That Kathy woman ran off--I've got to find her and shut her up before she tells anyone what happened," he rasped as he sat up. Looking at the passenger side, he spied her cell phone and purse.

"Well, well--look at what we have here," he smirked, as he picked up her phone. "Little Miss Kathy left me a present!"

Suddenly, the phone rang and vibrated in his hand. His eyes lit with pleasure as he saw the caller ID.

"Julian Crane....just who I wanted to talk to."