Xyla

Note: Steffy and Bill don't really get into it until Part II, but Steffy gets to react to Bill and Katie's act in this part

Scene: Steffy's office at Spencer Publications. Just as an enraged Katie is about to fling a heavy marble bookend at Steffy's head, Bill appears in the doorway. He grabs Katie's raised arm and says, firmly but quietly, "Drop it." When Katie, who's staring at Steffy as if she really would like to smash her head in, doesn't respond, Bill subtly applies gradual pressure to her arm as he slowly lowers it and repeats, "I said, drop it, Katie." The additional pressure and Bill lowering her upraised arm causes Katie to release the bookend, and it thuds harmlessly to the floor. As it does so, Bill says, approvingly, "That's a good girl."


The remark spins Katie right back into her victim act. She says, "Bill, I don't know what… that bookend…all the sudden it was in my hand…I…I.. I was just so upset." Then she bursts into tears and buries her head in Bill's chest. Bill says, meaningfully, "I was upset too. When I came back to the office, and you were gone, I was very upset. I thought we'd agreed that you would wait there for me while I went down the hall for a few minutes." Katie blubbers, "But it wasn't a few minutes. It was such a long time. I…I…got scared. I thought you weren't coming back. I thought maybe he would instead, and you wouldn't be there, and this time, he'd…." And then she starts sobbing harder. Bill says, "You know that won't happen, Katie. That won't ever happen again. I'll protect you." Katie, snuffling still, replies, "But you weren't there…and I couldn't find you…and I came in here, and she…she upset me." Then she stage whispers, "She's friends with him, you know. The one who…" Bill interrupts, saying, "Yes, I know, but he's not here. I am. And you're perfectly safe." Katie then practically coos, "Because you love me. That's right, isn't it?" When Bill doesn't immediately respond, Katie says, "I know you do. I know you love me. I'll be safe, because you love me." And as she says that she leans in and rus the side of his neck with the top of her head, rather like a cat sidling someone's leg, and shoots Steffy a sidelong look of triumph.


Steffy, however, is nobody's fool and is not buying a word of their phony act. When Katie catches her rolling her eyes as she continues to work on cleaning out her things, she decides to up the ante and asks Bill, "You'll take me where it's safe again, won't you? Where it's just the two of us? Alone." She tries to put a lot of meaning into the "alone" but it impresses Steffy not at all, particularly since she can tell that Katie's act is wearing thin on Bill, no matter what he's saying. Before Katie or Bill can do or say anything more, Allison suddenly arrives with the promised box. Though she's a bit confused by the obvious tension in the air, she doesn't comment on it. She simply says to Steffy, "I'm sorry it took so long. This was all I could find. Will it do?" Steffy replies, "That's fine. Thanks." Then Allison turns to go, but Bill stops her. He says, "Allison, Mrs. Spencer isn't feeling well. Could you take her back to my office and stay with her until I get
there? " Allison says, "Certainly, Mr. Spencer." Katie, however, objects, saying, "You're not coming with me? Bill, please…I'm scared. I can't be alone. Please." And then she starts crying again. Bill, inwardly more than a little tired of Katie's tears, says, "Katie, you know you can't be tiring yourself out like this. I want you to go back to the office with Allison and lie down on the couch there. I'll be there in just a few minutes, and Allison will stay with you the entire time. Can you be brave enough to do that for me?" Katie sniffles, "For you, I'll try. But..but can I have a kiss before I leave? Just for luck?" Bill says, "Luck has nothing to do with it, sweetheart. You can do this. I know you can." Katie says, "Well, then a kiss for courage? So I can be as brave as you need me to be?"


At this point, Katie's victim act is becoming so overdone that Steffy's having a very hard time holding back a snide comment, but she remains silent and just starts putting her things in the box. Bill notices that she's deliberately ignoring Katie and himself, and he isn't altogether happy about it. He's even less happy about Katie's request for a kiss--first, because he doesn't want to kiss her and second, because the fact that she wants her to kiss her doesn't really fit with his plan for her to come off as the traumatized victim of attempted sexual assault. She can't be recoiling from her sister touching her arm one minute and publicly requesting he kiss her the next or no one will buy her act. So instead of kissing her on the lips, he kisses her on the head, as if she's a good little girl. Katie doesn't appreciate that at all, particularly because she can see Steffy trying to suppress a smile, if not a laugh, when he does so. Bill says, "Now, please, go with Allison. She'll take you to the office. You stay there and lie down, and before you know it, I'll be back. I won't be long. I promise." Katie isn't happy, but she also recognizes that she best not push Bill any further at the moment and leaves with Allison.