Chapter 61
The Palace, night

Miles looks across the room as Dorian and Clint are seated. RJ remarks, “Dorian Lord and Clint Buchanan.” Miles smiles. Clint glances at him. He has a look of recognition, and a squint before he says, "Miles Laurence."

Dorian asks, "Miles?" And within seconds, Clint has already left the table and made his way to the other side of the room. A shocked Dorian whips her head around to find Clint with RJ, Lindsay and a gentleman she assumes is Miles. She leaves to join him.

RJ: Clint?

Clint (glaring at Miles): You'll excuse me, RJ, Lindsay for interrupting your evening.

Dorian (has joined Clint): And interrupting our evening. Clint what is this about?

Miles: Dorian Lord, Clint Buchanan.

Clint: This is a matter between me and that fella on the other side of the table with the shifty eyes.

Miles chuckles.

Lindsay (sighs): Clint can't this wait?

Clint: No. I'd prefer we have a talk in a little less public setting. NOW would be fine with me!

Dorian and RJ exchange looks. Dorian shakes her head, shrugs.

RJ: I'm afraid I'll have to interject.

Lindsay: Second thought, I know that look of Clint's. I don't think this can wait.

Clint (hands sweating, trembling and clinched): We can discuss my concerns in a gentleman-like manner some place else or we can take it up here in this distinguished establishment in a less than respectable manner!

Miles (chuckles): Is this a joke?

Clint fumes and leaps toward him. Dorian exclaims, "Clint!" as RJ grabs Clint to hold him back from Miles, who stands. He and Clint exchange angry looks. The people dining at the Palace are watching the display. Dorian notices from the corner of her eye that Echo has stepped into the Palace restaurant. She is smirking at the display of violence.

Dorian: Clint, whatever it is... Please. Not here. Not now. Please.

Clint glances at Dorian. She gives him a pleading look that seems to calm him. Dorian nods in Echo's direction. Clint frowns and then looks to see Echo. Clint comments, "I'm fine, RJ." (Clint looks at Miles.) "Tomorrow morning. Buchanan Enterprises. 8 a.m. I expect to see you there."

Miles: Fine.

Lindsay: I'm not sure you should meet him there.

Dorian: Lindsay! Stay out of it!

Lindsay: Well without my doing, I seem to find myself in the middle of it.

Clint: What we've got to settle is between Mr. Laurence and myself. If you'll excuse me, RJ, Lindsay, Laurence. (Clint glances at Dorian.) We've got more important matters, darling. (Dorian has embraced him and he rubs her hand.)

Dorian says, "Excuse us," before she and Clint head in the direction of Echo.

Miles settles into his seat. Lindsay asks him, "What was that about?" Miles responds, "Seems Mr. Buchanan has a score to settle with my brother."

Lindsay asks, "Your brother?

Miles retorts, "Mitch."

RJ finishes, "Laurence."

Lindsay chokes on the water she is sipping.

Clint and Dorian are near Echo, as she is making her way to a table.

Clint: Echo?

Echo (has stopped on her way to the table with the host): Clint. Dorian.

Clint: Join us.

Echo: Will you assault me like you just did that gentleman?

Dorian: No I will. (smiles sweetly)

Clint: That man is no gentleman. But that's another matter. (The host leaves them. Echo is about to sit down when Clint touches her arm. It stops her as she looks at his hand.)

Echo: Clint, I'm tired. We've all had a long day considering what we've all gone through with James Clinton.

Clint: Agreed.

Dorian (removes his hand from Echo): Clint, actually, this is a private matter. I'm not sure discussing this now will be in the best interest of us all.

Echo: Private?

Dorian (squints eyes): Concerns Nash.

Echo (nervous): Na....Nash.

Clint: No Dorian, actually I insist that Echo join us for dinner. We're all starving here. I figured now is as good a time as any to find out about the father of my grandchild.

Echo: Oh, I see. This ... this involves your getting to know more about my Nashby. (Dorian's eyes bulge with anger at Echo's comment. Clint squeezes her hand.) Sure. I suppose we can find a way to be civil toward each other in such a public place over a meal.

Clint gestures her toward their table. Soon, they are sitting. They order. They eat over some polite conversation about Nash's childhood and frequent moves.

Dorian: Echo? What were the circumstances of Nash's adoption? You've had him since he was a baby? (She looks at Clint.)

Echo (sips her wine): Yes. My baby boy.

Dorian: He had dark hair. (Clint stares at her.) He was a beautiful baby.

Echo: Yes, but you... It lightened to blond locks. Well, you already know that.

Clint: You know much about his biological parents?

Dorian: Was Nash's adoption through an agency?

Echo: Why don't we just drop the pretenses here?

Dorian: Excuse me?

Echo: You've spoken to Viki! She told me.

Clint: We don't owe you any answers! You're lucky your limbs are still attached to your body and you're still able to breathe!

Echo caresses her neck, swallows hard, stands. Dorian stands and grabs her arm to prevent her from leaving. Dorian pulls Echo toward her. They look into each other's eyes. Dorian warns, "You are never going to have a moment's rest or peaceful night's sleep for the rest of your God-given days!"

Clint calls, "Dorian!" Dorian stares longer, releases her grasp. Echo looks at Dorian for a moment and then she leaves.

Miles, RJ, Lindsay witness Echo leaving.

Lindsay: Well, that doesn't look too friendly. My guess is Dorian has another enemy.

RJ: Who knew dining at the Palace would be so eventful?

Miles: Looks like those two are a pair.

Lindsay: You mean Dorian and Clint? I don't think Clint's ex-wife would agree with you.

RJ: It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Lindsay: So Miles, tell us what it was like having a reprobate like Mitch as a brother.

Miles: Another time Lindsay, another time.

Dorian and Clint are preparing to leave. Clint pauses to look at Miles before they leave the restaurant.
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LaBoulaie, Late night

A shirtless Clint is sitting on the side of the bed and a black negligee-clad Dorian is behind him and massaging his shoulders.

Dorian: How's that feel? (He doesn't answer. She stops and whispers in his ear.) I can stop.

Clint: What?

Dorian(kisses the side of his brow): You are a million miles away.

Clint (sighs, caresses her hand): I'm sorry.

Dorian(resumes massage): Would you like a bourbon?

Clint: No thanks. I'm still nursing on the one that you made for me earlier.

Dorian (stops the massage; he turns as he watches her move to the side of the bed to sit beside him. She embraces his hand and looks into his eyes.): Why is it you want to solve all the problems of the world? (She kisses him)

Clint: Just my family. Is that a big turn off for you?

Dorian: Never.

Clint: Dorian, I want to know for sure if Nash is our son and I want to know what the hell the brother of the man who caused all my problems is doing here in Llanview!

Dorian: I know.

Clint: You know?! Is that all that you have to say about it?

Dorian: For tonight.

Clint (smiles): You know it's kind of funny.

Dorian: You're smiling.

Clint: Just the irony, you know? I had to calm you down earlier at the hospital and now you're trying to do the same for me. I'm getting anxious. You think, that I, that I am overreacting to all this, right?

Dorian: No. You care about your family. So do I. But Clint there is nothing that we can do about it tonight. (She brushes the side of his face.) And tomorrow my darling, we will know if Nash is our son.

Clint: You aren't jumpy any more--other than wanting to murder Echo, that is. You really think that he is our son.

Dorian: You saw Echo tonight.

Clint: Yeah but she didn't admit to anything.

Dorian: Doesn't matter. Clint, I feel it.

Clint: You want to believe it.

Dorian: And you're afraid to hope. Look, Jonathan told me that he put a rush on the tests.

Clint: Yeah but, are you sure this guy can be trusted?

Dorian: As much as I can be trusted to keep the dirt I have on him secret!

Clint (grins): I saw the look. He's afraid of ya.

Dorian: As it should be! And you feel guilty about what we're doing?

Clint: I don't know that guilt is the right word. I guess I just feel, well you know, funny, maybe a little nervous. Hell more than a little nervous!

Dorian: Jonathan will use a sample from unrelated tests Nash was having run to conduct our own DNA test to determine if we are his parents. Darling relax, we did the right thing. And tomorrow... well, we will see about tomorrow.

Clint: So it's that part that makes you nervous?

Dorian: I don't know how it will go with the news.

Clint: Yeah I know. How can I feel guilty about ending this agony for both of us? (He looks away from her)

Dorian: Clint? There's something else.

Clint (looks at her again): I've tried. But, I just can't shake it. Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?

Dorian: We've been through this. I thought you understood.

Clint: Yeah, I know. I'm just... Dorian, did you ever see him before, well, after? I mean... I don't know what I mean. You told Echo (his voice cracks.) Did you hold him?

Dorian (is teary eyed, speaks softly): No. I, I don't remember much. I was heavily medicated. I don't recall what's real or a dream. I see myself holding a baby. A boy. He has dark hair.

Clint: Our son. (He holds Dorian's hand and squeezes it.)

Dorian: Clint, I was told that he was cremated and that I had signed, signed for it to happen. But I swear to you on a stack of bibles that I was so drugged up that I don't recall anything except having a baby one day and this awful, awful emptiness when my baby was gone!

Clint: Our baby.

Dorian: I didn't want you to have that kind of pain for a child you never even knew existed.

Clint: Damn you! (Clint stands and walks to the other side of the room. His back is to her. There is silence. She wants to move to him, touch him but refrains.)

Dorian: You are still angry with me.

Clint: I am angry.

Dorian: I'm sorry. (There is silence for awhile.) Clint?

Clint: I know you are.

Dorian: I remember a cry. I heard a baby crying. It seems real to me in my dreams.

Clint (turns to look at her): I am genuinely sorry that you suffered.

Dorian: And you are suffering now about a child you never knew.

Clint: You don't know me very well at all Dorian Lord if you believe a child of mine would ever be unwanted! I was denied Cord because of Asa and my daughter Natalie because of .... and (he looks at the pain in her eyes and decides to stop.)

Dorian: I hurt you by not telling you I was pregnant.

Clint (he looks away): I would have done right by you, him. He would have been taken care of.

Dorian: I see, taken care of.

Clint: Yes, taken care of, loved! What's the matter with that?

Dorian: I was going to tell you Clint and then things got so crazy when I got mixed up with Mitch!

Clint: Mitch. That bastard ruined my life! But that excuses nothing. You chose to lie by concealing the truth!

Dorian: I was going to tell you after Asa's visit to me in prison, as soon as you came back from your honeymoon with Viki.

Clint: You decided it was better to wait? Why? Why didn't you tell me before I got involved... even when Viki and I... Dorian, I deserved to know!

Dorian: You want me to say that I was selfish!?

Clint: Yes you were. You are a selfish woman, that I, I happen to love. But there's more. (He moves toward her.)

Dorian: More?

Clint: More that you're not telling me about why you didn't tell me you were pregnant.

Dorian: What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you that I was afraid?

Clint: You were afraid! You?

Dorian: I'm never afraid.

Clint: Of what?

Dorian: I didn't need you. I didn't love you. I didn't want you anymore.

Clint: Huh?

Dorian: I lost. You had Viki!

Clint: There are no winners or losers here. Lives were changed. This isn't a game. What the hell does Viki have to do with anything?!

Dorian: Isn't she always in the way of my happiness?

Clint: Are you telling me that you made a decision that affected both of our lives and the lives of our son because of some stupid jealousy of Viki?

Dorian: I'm not stupid.

Clint: You're not stupid. I'm sorry that I used that word.

Dorian: And it wasn't about the money.

Clint: Money. The Buchanan money.

Dorian: You see?

Clint: Well obviously, it was not because you didn't tell me about my son. But you told Asa.

Dorian: You doubt me?

Clint: I want you to tell me the truth.

Dorian: It wasn't a trap, either.

Clint: I didn't think that it was.

Dorian: I could always ignore that I wasn't first in your life. OK--not really. We had an understanding. Being pregnant, I couldn't ignore it. I was overwhelmed by it.

Clint: By what?

Dorian: I had changed.

Clint: You had changed?

Dorian: I didn't want to be with a man, who didn't love me, a man who couldn't love me because he was in love with someone else.

Whoa. Intense chapter. Things are really coming along in your story. Wish I could say the same. But I'm just loving yours. Can't wait until they get the results back! Have you decided yet? I mean you were sort of going back and forth. Anyways, you know what I want!

nash02.jpg Yeah, Nash was definitely going to be their kid when I started the story. When Clint/Nash were first in scenes together on the show, I wanted Dorian, Clint and Nash to be linked together. As I have written this story, it seemed a predictable outcome that Nash would be their child and yeah, I didn't want it to appear that obvious. As of now, I have figured out definitively if he is their child.