Restructuring

I arrived at the Dunphy residence with a wrapped package tucked under my arm. It was Valentine's Day, and I had a special evening planned. Mom and Nathan were going to be out late, so Haley and I would have the house to ourselves for a quiet evening.

I knocked on the door, and after a short wait, it swung open to reveal Claire with a welcoming smile. "Daniel, nice to see you again!" she greeted, stepping aside to let me in.

Haley descended the stairs, her face lighting up when she saw me. She rushed over, wrapping her arms around me in a warm hug, followed by a soft kiss that lingered just a moment longer than usual. Noticing the package in my hand, her eyes widened. "Oh, is that my gift?" she asked with an eager tilt of her head.

I handed it over, and she wasted no time tearing into the wrapping paper. Phil, trailing behind Claire, joined us in the living room just in time to see Haley's reaction.

I had bought her the camera she had been wanting for a while.

Haley's squeal of delight filled the room as she uncovered the camera. "Mom, Dad, look!" she exclaimed, holding it up for them to see.

"Is that the camera you wanted?" Phil asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Yes!" Haley beamed, her excitement palpable. She turned back to me, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me again. "Thank you so much, Daniel!" she said.

Without wasting another moment, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stairs, calling back to her parents, "We'll be upstairs!"

I waved goodbye to Claire and Phil as we made our way up.

Inside her room, Haley leaned in and kissed me again. Pulling back slightly, she asked, "So, what have you planned for us tonight?"

"Actually, Haley, there's something I want to ask you before we get to tonight's plans," I said.

Haley's curiosity piqued. "What is it?"

"Well," I began, "the premiere for 'Toy Story 2' is coming up in May, and... I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. You know, walk the red carpet together."

Haley's eyes went wide, her mouth opening slightly in shock. "Oh my God! Oh my God, are you serious?" she exclaimed, bouncing slightly in place.

"Yeah, I'm serious," I chuckled.

Haley threw her arms around me, her hug tight. "Yes! Yes, I'll come with you!" she said, her voice muffled against my chest. She pulled back to kiss me again.

"And," I continued, "I've also planned a special evening for us tonight at my house."

Haley's expression shifted to something more teasing. "That sounds perfect, because I've got something planned too," she said with a wink.

I raised an eyebrow.

Haley turned her attention back to her new camera, examining it closely, leaving me wondering about the surprise she mentioned.

My phone rang, and I looked at the screen to see Chris's name on it. With a sigh, I excused myself from Haley and answered the call.

"Hey, Chris, what's up?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light despite the interruption.

"Daniel, you need to come to the studio immediately," Chris's voice was tense, cutting straight to the point.

I frowned, glancing back at Haley who was still fiddling with her new camera. "Chris, it's Valentine's Day, and I've got plans. Can this wait until tomorrow?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Chris replied, urgency clear in his tone. "It's about Nebula," he said. That caught my attention instantly.

"What about Nebula?" my voice grew serious.

"It's important, Daniel. Come quick," Chris insisted, and without waiting for a further response, he hung up.

I stared at the phone for a moment, my mind racing with possibilities. What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait another day? With a resigned sigh, I turned to Haley.

"I have to go," I said reluctantly, looking into Haley's surprised eyes. "Chris is calling me to the studio."

Haley's expression faltered for a moment, her excitement dimming. "On Valentine's Day?" she asked, her tone one of disappointment.

I nodded, my own frustration mirroring hers. "I'll be back in the evening to pick you up."

"Don't be late," she said in a playful, threatening manner.

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I quickly made my way to Chris's office as soon as I arrived at the studio. As I entered, I found Chris lounging on the couch.

"Chris, what's so urgent?" I asked, a bit irritated.

Chris sat up with a smile on his face. "Glad you're here, Danny," he said.

"So what is so important that it couldn't wait a day?" I asked again.

"They are going to announce the release date for 'Iron Man' tomorrow," Chris stated evenly.

"What? When?" I pressed, leaning against the desk.

Chris ran a hand through his hair. "It's set for the first week of June."

"That's the same time as—" I started.

"Toy Story 2, yeah," Chris finished for me, a slight frown creasing his brow. "It looks like they're confident about it. My sources say the movie is quite good."

"You were right, Daniel," Chris added after a pause.

"Well, I guess that means we have to get Nebula locked in," I said.

"Wait, you told me you had news about Nebula when you called," I added.

Chris smiled, getting off the couch and walking over to his desk. "We've made significant headway with the Nebula deal. They're even open to merging with Stardust," he replied.

I was taken aback. "When did this happen?" I asked, my mind racing with the implications.

"Two days ago," Chris replied, leaning back in his chair as he observed my surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I pressed, trying to keep my composure.

Chris sighed. "You asked me to keep you out of studio matters for a while, remember? You wanted to focus on your projects without distractions."

I nodded. "Oh yeah, I did say that."

"There's more," Chris added, shifting the topic to what was more urgent. "Buddy Hager, the head of Nebula, specifically asked to meet with you."

I furrowed my brows, perplexed. "Why?" I asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure," Chris admitted. "He didn't give a reason, just made it clear he wanted to talk directly to you."

Chris stood up, signaling the urgency of the matter. "It's set for tomorrow. I think it's best if you're there. Whatever his reasons, it could be important for moving ahead with the merger if they agree to it."

I agreed, despite my reservations. "Alright, I'll be there."

"Daniel, if this merger happens, we are going to completely overhaul the studio. Henry will be here soon; I'll explain the details when he is here," Chris said.

"Wow, I missed a lot," I said.

"Yeah, you did. Henry has caught the entertainment bug; he is the one who got Nebula to talk with us," Chris said, chuckling.

I nodded and walked over to the window, thinking about why the head of Nebula wanted to see me personally. Buddy Hager was a legend back in the '70s and '80s; he spearheaded the superhero boom of that time but also led the studio down to the position it was in now. My plans for a DC Cinematic Universe will soon come to fruition.

Henry entered the room. "There he is, the wonder kid himself," he said, coming over to greet me.

"Got any more scripts in the works?" he asked.

"More than you think," I replied, shaking Henry's hand with a confident smile.

Henry glanced at Chris, then back at me. "Has Chris filled you in on what we've got planned once the merger is finalized?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Chris interjected before I could respond, "If the merger goes through."

"Oh, it's going to go through. Henry Morgan has never failed a deal," Henry asserted with a chuckle, settling into one of the plush chairs in the office.

Chris bade me sit, and I sat down on the couch. "If the merger goes through, we're planning to create Stardust Entertainment—a conglomerate of sorts," he said.

"When the merger is done," Henry interjected.

Chris ignored him and continued, "We'll have several divisions," he explained, using his hands to visualize the structure. "First, we have Stardust Studios, which will focus on movie production."

"Next up is Stardust Animations," Chris continued. "They will handle our animated film projects."

"And then Nebula Studios for only making projects related to the studio and its intellectual properties."

I absorbed the information. "And how receptive is Nebula to this plan?" I asked, curious about the response from the other party.

"They're quite receptive," Chris answered. "The discussions have been positive, and they see the potential benefits of joining forces with us."

"Ha, more like they are bankrupt and we just threw them a life jacket," Henry interjected from my side.

"This is a big change," I remarked.

"Yes, it is, and that's why your meeting with Buddy is important," Chris added.

"Don't worry, Chris. Like Henry said, we will get this merger done," I said confidently.

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The hotel lobby was elegant—it was one of the high-end hotels in the city. Mary and Nathan were waiting for their room to be ready. They had just enjoyed a Valentine's Day dinner at one of the city's finest restaurants and decided to cap off the evening with some drinks at the hotel bar while they waited. As Mary scanned the crowd, her eyes landed on a familiar face—Claire, the mother of her son's girlfriend.

"I'll just say a quick hello," Mary told Nathan before making her way over to her.

Mary approached the bar, where Claire was seated alone, nursing a drink. "Hi," Mary greeted warmly. "Claire, right? I'm Mary, Daniel's mom."

Claire looked up, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. "Oh, Mary, yes! How lovely to see you."

"Where's Phil?" Mary asked.

Mary noticed a sudden shift in Claire's demeanor, her eyes darting around as if looking for someone. "He's just…. here….. somewhere," Claire stammered, then quickly changed the subject. "So, how has your night been?"

"Great, we are just waiting for our room," Mary replied.

Claire's eyes widened. "Wait, if you are here, then… Haley told me you would be at your house for her date with Daniel today."

"Oh," Mary responded. "Well,you know they are teenagers."

Before Claire could reply, a man approached them. Mary had never met Phil before, so she did not recognize him. Phil had a name tag on him with the name 'Clive Bixby'.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, approaching Claire.

Mary was confused by the man; he looked like he knew Claire and was very comfortable being around her.

'It couldn't be' Mary thought.

Then 'Clive' put his hands around Claire which she quickly brushed off whispering not now.

Mary gasped as she realized what was happening.

Claire looked at Mary's shocked expression and then at Phil, quickly catching on to what Mary was thinking. "No, no, Mary, this isn't what it looks like. This is Phil, my husband," she said, trying to smooth over the misunderstanding.

"What do you mean? 'I am Phil', my name is Clive Bixby," Phil said, oblivious to what was happening.

Claire, now flustered, retorted, "No, Phil, stop. This is Daniel's mother." Her tone was firm, trying to bring Phil back to reality.

Mary slowly backed away from the couple, not sure what to make of the situation. Claire turned around to say something more, only to find that Mary had already retreated.

As Mary walked to where Nathan was, he came over. "I got the keys, let's go," he said, holding her by the waist. He then noticed her expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Let's go," she added before leading Nathan towards the elevator.