Not Expecting to Collide (COMPLETE) - ABP Fanfiction

Chapter 116 - Nervous

October was nervous. It had been made very clear by Myra that anyone who had not been offered a contract for the next season of the TV show was not to be admitted into the boardroom for the negotiations. That left October sitting out in the waiting room. Birdie had already turned down the contract in favour of staying in Banff and working with the bears. Rosanna had also turned down the offer that Myra had sent to her in Seattle.

As Myra, Billy and Ami walked past October in the lobby, Billy openly glared at her and mumbled something she couldn't make out to Ami. Ami glanced at October and flashed her a timid, apologetic smile before Billy whisked her through an open door close on Myra's heels.

Inside the boardroom, Bam was nervous. For the first time in his life, he was on the opposite side of the table from his father. He didn't know how things were going to play out. He was pretty sure things would work out in his favour, after all he did have a pretty major ace up his sleeve but as October reminded him, there are no guarantees in love and war, and war this definitely was turning out to be. Bam mused on where he and Matt would be without the love of the two strong women in their lives. Bam sat to the right of the head of the table. Next to him was Rainy.

Rainy was nervous. Although she was only fourteen, she was very astute and she understood everything that was going on with their current family dynamic. It wasn't that she didn't love her parents - of course she did, but she had come to learn that she couldn't trust that her father would protect her that way a young girl needs to be protected. The way Bam protected her. She was sticking pretty close to Bam's side and he was keeping her in his sight at all times. One thing he had learned the hard way was to never trust his father and he wasn't taking any chances with his little sister.

Amber was nervous. She sat next to Rainy at the table and held her hand underneath the table. She didn't know if she was holding Rainy's hand to give comfort or get comfort. She and Matt were beginning their family and if things didn't go right in this meeting, they would have nowhere to go. She held tight to Matt with her other hand.

Matt was nervous. It was his first time seeing his father since he had punched him. His hand had healed but the hurtful words that Billy had so carelessly thrown in his face had not. Of course, their meaning was moot now that Amber was expecting but that wasn't the point. Having Amber there was the only thing that was keeping him grounded for the moment.

Next to Matt sat Bear, Gabe and then Noah, each of them showing their own set of nerves in a different way. Bear remained tight-lipped and let his eyes dart around the room. Gabe smiled largely and made a few jokes that no one laughed at. Noah leaned back in his chair with his fingers steepled and his eyes closed in meditation. He looked relaxed but the tick in his clenched jaw evidenced otherwise.

Bam felt a sorry for all of them. For weeks they had all been anticipating this day, not knowing what was about to happen, all the while wondering where they would go once they were no longer welcome in Browntown.  Bam knew that each of them were reconsidering their position to not participate in the show just so they could remain in the only place they have called home for the past five years. He wished he could tell them not to worry. He wanted to tell them everything was going to work out fine but until he was absolutely certain, he remained quiet.
Bam's face was grim. His mouth was set in a straight line betraying no emotion as Myra entered the room followed by Billy and then Ami.

Myra took her seat at the head of the large, oval table. Billy sat to her left with Ami beside him. He smiled condescendingly at his children, fearlessly confident that the decisions of this meeting would be made in his favour. Billy Brown never played to lose. He cleared his throat.
"Can we get this thing started?" He muttered

A chorus of murmured agreement rose up from around the table. Myra nodded and checked the watch on her wrist. "We are just waiting on one more person and we can begin."

Billy's brow wrinkled. "Who are we waiting on?" Similarly, everyone looked around the room at each other. "Everyone is here."

Myra sat a little straighter in her chair. "The landowner is sending a legal representative to attend with the final land lease paperwork."

Billy turned his head sharply to Myra. "What do you mean? You told me more than two weeks ago that everything was settled and would be based on the same agreement we signed at the beginning of production."

Myra flashed a brittle smile. "Yes, and it still should be but in the meantime, the original landowner, whom we knew wanted to sell rather than lease, has found a buyer. I don't have many details but I know that the sale has already gone though all the proper channels. I got a call this morning from Mr. Harrington, asking to attend this meeting and finalize paperwork. It should be quite similar to the agreement we had with the original owner. Merely a technicality." She replied in her most reassuring tone.

Myra turned to address the rest of the family at the table. "I have been apprised of the current tensions between certain family members and that some if you are considering not participating in the show. It is my duty to inform you that if you refuse to sign the contracts offered to you, you will not be allowed to stay in Browntown or the surrounding areas that are included in the land lease agreement. In fact, if you do not sign the contracts and choose not to vacate the premises, you will be charged with trespassing and forcibly removed if necessary."
"Whatever happened to 'ensemble cast', all of us or none of us? Was all of that just a bunch of bullshit?" Bear spoke up.
Myra shrugged. "We think the show's plot has developed with each person enough that we can stand to lose a character or two and still maintain the original intergirty of the plot lines." She turned to Bam. "I'm actually surprised to see you here. You've  made it pretty clear that you are not interested in signing the contract that has been offered to you." Myra tilted her head cautiously. "Why are you here, Bam?"
Bam stuck his chin out defiantly and quirked an eyebrow mischievously. "Let's just say that I have a vested  interest in the outcome of these proceedings."
Billy snorted in derision. "A vested interest, my ass. He just has to be up in everyone else's business." Billy turned to the three youngest sons at the end of the table. "He has to make sure that you all are doing what he wants you to do and what's best for him. Don't you see that he's controlling you?"
Bam actually laughed. "No, Da. That's not me at all. I'm not like you."
Billy scowled. "As soon as this meeting is over, your mother and I will be back in Browntown where we belong and those of you who don't sign the contract will no longer be welcome in our home."
Rainy let out a sharp cry, surprising everyone in the room. "How can you call it your home when you don't even live there?"
Billy's jaw twitched. "I built Browntown from the ground up. You would have nothing if it wasn't for me!" He replied evenly. Bam could tell that he was struggling to keep his temper in check.
Rainy, despite Bam's firm grip on her hand, continued. "You haven't lived in Browntown for over a year. Everything in Browntown is there because we put it there. She stretched her arm out, gesturing toward her brothers. We built it, we created it, we worked together as a family to create a home for all of us. How can you lay claim to any of it?"
Bam looked down at the table and hid the twitch in his lips. His baby sister was saying everything he, and everyone of his siblings had been thinking.
Billy deliberately calmed himself and leaned back in his chair. "Of course, you'll be living there, sweetheart. As your parents, and still your legal guardians, your mother and I have signed to contract for you."
Rainy paled noticeably and closed her mouth shut with a snap. Bam wanted to slap his mouth for using the term of endearment on Rainy.
A sharp knock at the door stopped the conversation short. A tall man in a dark suit and black rimmed glasses entered the room. Myra stood up and extended her hand. "You must be the lawyer."
The man shook her hand and nodded. "Yes, I'm John Harrington. I apologize for being late."
Myra waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. As long as you have the proper documents we should be set."
John walked around to the far side of the room and set his brief case on the table. I had my secretary prepare several copies of the lease agreement." He laid a bundle of stapled papers in the centre of the table. Several hands shot out to nab a copy for themselves.  The room was quiet for a moment while each person took the time to read and understand the clauses in the contract. Bam sat in his chair with his hands folded in his lap. He watched the street outside the window, completely uninterested in reading the document that his father was poring over across from him. Patrick continued. "The new owner has requested that some changes be made to original document. These changes have been tagged in the copies that you have in front of you. Are there any questions?"
"Yeah." Billy said sharply. "I've got a question."