The hangover would not leave easily and Kim soon began to doubt that it ever would.

Rehearsal had come and gone without any major flaws mainly do to the fact Reed Paul were so concerned for her health that they didn't bother to point out whenever she slipped up. She could hardly think outside her pounding headache, but whenever she did manage her thoughts turned directly back John.


She felt terrible for what she was going to do to his trust in her but she refused to take the pills to dull herself again. The pills put too much at risk, her own autonomy seemed to give way to whatever her body was feeling at the moment the pills took over. If she was hungry she'd have eaten anything she could, if she was hot she'd take off all her clothes, if she was in pain she'd have taken anything to stop it. There was no way she would willingly give the pills control while she wanted to numb herself.

If she could only keep John for a little while longer she had every intention of remembering it on her own accord.

"That stage suits you."

She would have recognized his voice from a mile away. It resonated in her chest with a warm that surprised her in the emptiness of the theater and managed to chase away the remainder of her hangover.

Looking down at him from the stage as she had when they first began speaking she felt her heart quicken. He stood at the edge of the dance floor staring up to her with the same small smirk he had worn the first night.

To say the stage suited him as well would have been a dramatic understatement; he simply seemed to fit as if that was exactly where he was meant to be.

"I'm glad you think so at least. Serena's worried it's all too much for me," Kin said as she sat down at the edge of the stage, her legs dangling above the ground.

"Well you are rather short," John smirked. "You'd think that stage would swallow you up."

With an exaggerated roll of her eyes Kimberly helped John onto the stage beside her. She knew he didn't need to be helped up, but any excuse to pull him closer was greatly welcomed. "I've got people to balance me out. Paul is at least a head taller than you and most of my scenes are with him," she teased, telling go of his arm to walk around the makeshift stage.

"Paul? Now there's another man running around besides that investor?" The hint of jealousy in his voice was obvious as she sat atop a raised platform.

"There's Reed too, I dance with him an Paul the most." Kim couldn't help but smirk, at least with her partners she knew he had nothing to worry about. Teasing him about something purely innocent couldn't hurt.

"Reed's more hands on than Paul though.

I'm supposed to learn a tango piece with him later."

John was practically brimming with jealously as he moved over to stand in front of Kim.

Even while she sat on the raised platform he managed to stay slightly taller. His hands on either side of her legs as she smiled down to him, the twinkle in her brown eyes giving up her game before he had the chance to confront her.

A pout breaking out across his lips at the small blow to his pride as he realized he had been played.

"Oh that's just not fair, how am I supposed to compete with three other men?" he played along, keeping close to her with his endearing pout plastered across his face.

"Luckily for you I can't seem to win over Paul. " Ignoring the pout became increasingly difficult the longer she watched him. "I'm not very good at making people love me apparently."

"I wouldn't say that," the playful tone in his voice dropping immediately.

Kimberly felt her heartbeat quicken at the shift in the conversation. It was too much to ask that he felt anything for her when she knew she would only hurt him. They could sleep together and enjoy each other as much as possible but the idea that they could share more than a common attraction hurt. She would never be able to forgive herself if anything past flirting happened with Luscious if that was true.

"I'm sure of it, the dance is supposed to be able to seduce the audience and I only manage to step on Paul's feet," she said, unaware of the small space between them being closed. "Sophie thinks I'm just not that good an actress."

"Maybe it's Paul's fault. Come on, show me the steps and I'll try to help."

"You just want me to dance for you."

"That

John's smirk was enough to make the chill of the empty theater melt away; her heart beat quickening as he took her hands his in. With one fluid tug he helped Kim down from the platform onto the stage floor beside him.

Neither said a word as Kimberly took the lead to show him to the center of the stage, leaving his side for a moment to set her phone up to play her music from the front of the stage.

"What kind of music is this?" John asked, his smirk growing into an entire smile as he watched Kim return to his side.

"Shut up, I like it."

Carefully she took his hands, moving one to her side, keeping the other in her hand. His hands were significantly smaller than Paul's though she doubted anyone's were larger. Even so his hands held her with a strength Paul never had and they created a heat she doubted anyone else could.

Slowly she began to lead him through Paul's steps, quietly explaining where to move and when to pull her closer. What normally felt rigid and mechanical soon became lighter. Her own steps mirroring John's with a natural flow she had only come close to experiencing once before during her audition.

It was then that she realized it wasn't how she was dancing that had been the problem but who she was dancing with. While with Paul the dance seemed like only a job, with John it fit.

She felt right. She didn't have to pretend to want him because she did; with every fiber of her being she wanted him.

And she knew he wanted her.

The music slowly started to pick up and with it there steps. Moving in a perfect grace the two took hold over the stage. Keeping to the steps Kimberly pulled away, trailing her hand down John's arm before he grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her back to him with a need she had never seen before.

" …Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side."

For the show Kim would have to sing to Paul, but for now she took the moment to stay by John's side as the music played. Their movements getting closer together before one or the other pulled away keeping a safe distance as they revolved around the stage.

John's hands always managed to hold onto hers to pull her back, to trace her hips as they circled each other, to hold onto her waist when he lifted her. His need for her combined with his strength making each lift better than the last.

"Storm clouds may gather, storms may arise. But I love you…"

He lifted her again, allowing her to place her arms on his shoulders, their gazes heavy as he looked up to her.

"…Until the end of time," Kimberly found herself muttering the lyrics John's grip on her waist tightening as he lowered her to his level. "Come what may."

Their bodies were already pressed together, Kimberly's hands running John's broad shoulders to pull his hands off her waist, holding onto them fiercely. She had forgotten any promise to Dakota, to Luscious, or to the theater.

"Come what

John's lips hovered over hers, a thousand unspoken words covered for him by the song.

"I will love you, until my dying day…"

Before either of them had time to realize if they had uttered the words first or if the song had beaten them to it their lips collided with a force they couldn't stop. John kissing with such a heated passion Kimberly found her self allowing his tongue in within moments, her hand letting go of his to knot his soft blonde hair between her fingers. Her tongue battling his as he moved her backstage to hide amongst the curtains.

She forgot whatever pain she was bound to cause him, she needed him far too much to let him go.

Against her better judgment she loved him and as she soon heard through a flurry of kisses against her neck as they worked their way out of their clothes before pressing themselves against the wall, he loved her.

Every inch of her body burned aching for his touch, her dance clothes finding themselves tossed to the side with his expensive get up.

Her legs wrapping around his waist as he pressed her back against the wall with a simple strength that she adored. A hard throbbing pressing against the side of her thigh before she positioned him at her entrance, allowing him inside her with a sharp gasp that echoed across the empty stage.

Her grip on his hair tightened as he kissed down to her chest, moving his mouth over one breast with a heat that sent shivers up her spine.

Slowly he began to move inside her, sucking and biting the hardened nub of flesh between his teeth as he did so.

Kimberly's free hand raked across his shoulders, feeling the definition of each muscle as he moved below her. His hips moving against him inside her faster causing her to moan in pleasure. His name escaping her lips as he moved back up to kiss her neck.

Everything about him made her body shiver with delight as he began to match the fire of his kisses with the strength of his thrusts.

John's hands trailed across her body absentmindedly, grabbing at anything and everything they could as her legs tightened around his waist. With one careful movement he pushed the arm she had around his shoulders back against the wall. Holding onto her hand tight to give him something to grip he began to move quicker until he felt her body tighten around him when he made contact to the sweet bundle of nerves that caused her to arch her back.

His body melding with hers until neither could tell whose pleasure came from which person. Their bodies tensing up in tandem as the pleasure overtook them both. Moans of 'John' and 'Kimberly' filling the theater long after the music had ended but they had no care over being heard.

They loved each other and come what may they would not let the other forget it.

At least not willingly.

Songs used:
Lets be bad- NBC's SMASH
Come what may- Moulin Rouge!

gud afternoon everybody,nne,weldone bt wat happened at last?i hope nobody took away kimberly 4rm my john if nt get ready 2 cry

gud day everybody,nne weldone bt i hope nobody will take away kimberly 4rm my john bcus i can't stand it

Sound Check

And without trust, there can be no love


It wasn't until light began to pour in through the floor length windows that the pair began to stir.

They had spent until the early hours of the morning together, fumbling around through the empty theater up to Kimberly's flat. Their need for one another overcoming any concern about the numerous boxes still packed that they had shoved out of their way to allow them to be together in nearly every room in the penthouse.

The chaos of the previous night slowly came into view as the light continued to break through the curtains much to John's disdain.

He considered getting up to close the curtains fully seeing as they must've been pushed ajar sometime during their trip from the living room to the bedroom, but before he could convince himself to move off the bed a small mutter of protest came from below him. Slowly through the early morning haze he became aware of Kimberly's small body tucked against his own, his arm easily hooking itself around her waist as she slept peacefully.

No amount of light pouring into the room could bring him to stir her from her sleep. He had lost his chance to hold her the last time they slept together and there was very little that would have convinced him to give the opportunity up now that he had it. She looked far too at peace for him to bring himself to stir her anyway. His stomach on the other hand, had different plans.

Within five minutes of his waking his stomach awoke as well, growling in protest of having gone so long without being satisfied. Unlike the rest of his body the night with Kimberly had taken it's toll on his stomach seeing as getting to eat out and eating Kim out didn't quiet add up as far as it was concerned. And without Mark walking around the flat there was little he could do but wait to wake up his sleeping partner.

The constant rumbling from his stomach continued for several more minutes before Kimberly began to wake up of her own accord.

John would tell himself the lights had woken her in order to keep away the guilt of stirring her but there was no denying she felt his stomach nearly as much as he did.

"You can't just be quiet can you…?" she asked, her eyes still closed. "The snoring was one thing but this is just annoying."

Her sweet sleepy voice made the words sting a little less than she might have intended, but he had heard far worse from Mark.

"I do not snore." Kim laughed. "It's not like I can help it anyway. It just happens."

Slowly opening her eyes Kimberly rolled over without moving his arm from her waist, her forehead tucked neatly under his chin as she kissed the top of his bear chest. Her thin arms wrapping themselves around his easily before she pulled herself up to kiss his chin; if he had known her to be so affectionate in the morning he would have woken her sooner.

"You snore. I considered smothering you with a pillow after you fell asleep," she said as she placed another kiss along his jawline. "What's your excuse for the stomach?"

"Well I had been planning on taking you to dinner but we got distracted."

A small smirk played across his face before Kimberly shoved him away playfully. She too was smiling at the memory but he doubted she had been as foolish as to go without eating before they met up. It wasn't as though she needed as much to keep running as he did, she was almost half his size, he could have eaten enough for the both of them easily.

"Well what do you want to do about it? Mark says you're a lousy cook."

"But you're a good one, aren't you?"

"I'm not making you breakfast. You're the one who skipped dinner."

John stuck out his bottom lip slightly, his eyebrows rising to finish off a well-practiced pout that could even convince Mark to wash his socks. Within a matter of seconds Kimberly too caved, her laughter filling the room with a wonderful melody.

"Fine, but you have to help. You're not getting breakfast in bed in my bed. Hell you should be the one getting me breakfast." With a light kiss Kim wormed her way out of John's grasp, climbing off the bed to cover herself with a large shirt that barely passed the top of her shapely thighs. A sight in its own that could convince John to do whatever she'd like.

He had his pout, but she had her entire being to command him with. There was simply no competition to be had between the two. He was hers, no contest.

"Next time you're over I'll have Mark bring us breakfast in bed as many times as you'd like."

John moved from the bed, reluctantly pulling his boxers back on before following Kim to the kitchen. "He's rather fond of you so the real challenge would be to make sure he'd bring me the food too."

Her smile was simply dazzling in the morning light as she began to get out different ingredients, ordering John to pick up certain items stashed away in the cupboards simply because she could. There was a simple domesticity to the process that John adored. It was more than a break from his responsibilities at work, it was a compilation of actions so simple as holding her waist as she cooked that made him believe that just for a moment they could stay together without any outside interference for as long as they wished.

If his promise to Serena a held through and Kimberly returned home with him then maybe, just maybe, it was a vision of what their lives had in store for them after the theater.

It wasn't until a quick set of knocks from the front door broke through the quiet sizzle of bacon that either of them became aware of the outside world. John had half a mind to order the intruder away but Kimberly seemed far more shaken by the jolt of reality than he was comfortable with. It was then that he remembered being pulled back down to earth for her was a far grittier picture than it was for him.

"Stay here, eat but stay quiet," Kim said as she slipped away from the kitchen, her hands pulling at her hair to cover the collection of marks he had left on her neck. "If it's Dakota you hide in a closet for all I care."

He wanted to write the comment off as a joke, but as she left to open the door he knew she was serious. He had never known Dakota as one who liked to share her things.

"There you are, I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning." A voice that thankfully didn't belong to Dakota said from the doorway.

"You have? I'm sorry I misplaced my phone.

What time even is it?" Kimberly was surprisingly good at feigning innocence.

"Almost noon. You're lucky I came by or you'd have to deal with Dakota on your own. She's going to be watching you like a hawk before the dinner." Slowly John recognized the voice as Serena's as she walked into the apartment. She was no threat but he was too hungry to leave his fresh breakfast so soon.

"I almost forgot that was today." A hint of sadness obvious in Kim's voice. "Are you positive I can't cancel?"

"Positive. Luscious might understand but Dakota would be suspicious. As far as she knows you don't have a reason to want to avoid him." Before John could bother sitting down Serena strode into the kitchen with a confidence that only slightly faltered at the sight of him virtually naked. Somehow he doubted she thought to find him there so soon.

"…I can explain," Kimberly said, putting herself between the two.

"Oh Kim..... Oh you've gone and done it now," Serena's voice held no anger to Kim's obvious surprise, only pity.

"Done what?" John asked, finishing his bite of bacon easily. "You knew I cared for her."

The icy look Serena shot John was enough to stall his appetite for a moment. She pitied Kim and though she had promised to help them he somehow felt as though she was blaming him for any trouble their being together might cause.

"It's one thing to care for someone but to fool around with them when so much is on the line is just irresponsible! Do you have any idea what could happen if Dakota knew Kim wasn't exclusively Luscious's? Or even worse if he found out himself! This isn't some petty problem of who's allowed to date who, these men are just as rich as you with half the moral compass.

You're both putting yourselves in harms way and you aren't even trying to hide it!"

Both Kimberly and John are left speechless, their peaceful reality shattered harshly as Serena easily found the marks he had left across Kim's body. Neither of them had considered anyone but each other the night before and now it seemed as though they'd risk paying full price. Which at the lasted addition to the show was now well above a hundred thousand dollars, not to mention the cost Luscious would be paying to have Kimberly for an entire evening.

"I'll give you an hour here Kim then you come down and we'll start getting you ready. I'll help as much as I can but you have to want to get out of this too," Serena said, the frustration slowly ebbing away as she headed back to the door. "And John, if you really want to help us just stay out of this for tonight. We can handle Luscious on our own. Just leave it at that."

He nodded as Kim walked Serena back to the door, a quiet reminder to take her pain medication passing over his head as he contemplated his meal. He wanted to help Kimberly more than anything and if doing as Serena asked would do so then he felt the need to comply.

He was just never good at waiting for someone else to fix his problems for him. Bleep

It seemed the longer they spent in production mode the higher the price went, both for Kimberly and the show. If someone had told Dakota nearly half a million dollars was on the line during any other show she would have called them mad. But Luscious wanted two things more than anything, one being a show that with a little effort they could move to Broadway by the end of its run, and the second being Kimberly.

She couldn't have wished for better luck but despite her good fortune she had been in the game long enough to know she wasn't out of the woods yet. The entire show relied on Luscious's compliance to finance and his compliance relied on Kimberly's affection.

There was only so many times she could reassuring her client that she was just as enamored with him as he was with her before he demanded to see proof.

Everything she had worked so hard to secure was relying on the success of the dinner to continue. If Luscious left her now she would risk having her side business found out, or even worse having to acknowledge her failure to Collins Grey himself.

She had worked too long to separate herself from him to be willing to go back now. The last thing she wanted was any Grey coming to do her job for her.

The sooner she could set the deal with Luscious in stone the better.

This would be much easier if Serena would stop meddling too , she thought, the piles of paper in front of her carefully laid out with the woman in question's resume on the top.

She had placed so much faith in Serena that she did not consider the possibility of her turning against her. The promise of fame and fortune had kept her in line for a while but as soon as she had replaced her she knew her hold was lost. The only thing keeping Serena from reporting what she knew to the authorities was her one ace in the hole.

Serena may have tricked her old competition into crossing Dakota but at the end of the day only one person really had the ability to remove someone from the theater. A debt collector that ensured anyone who kept the theater from losing any money if a client fell through or if a dancer was let go was the only person above Dakota in rank. While Dakota kept the theater running he kept it safe, taking care of any threat to her businesses wellbeing.

After all, with a name like Morgan it didn't take much to scare people back into line. She couldn't have asked for a better fit for a partner.

He was the power behind any of her threats and the last straw if Serena continued trying to come between her and Luscious's deal. She had only used his services once before to deal with a man who refused to pay for Serena's time out of some strange notion that her feelings for him were genuine. Thankfully Serena had taken so many of Owen's pills that she could not protest Morgan's disposal of the man.

With any luck she wouldn't need to call him in again, Kimberly seemed far more compliant than Serena had and Luscious was far more obedient than the previous investor. As long as Serena didn't meddle too much there would be any need to call Morgan for anything more than to be her plus one for opening night as usual.

Chris helped the show but he held no real power like she or Morgan did. It was her theater with his protection. If Serena attempted to cross her she'd be crossing him as well.

And no one would question anyone's disappearance if Morgan told them to forget about it.

She could even remove John if she wanted. He was simply an inconvenience at the moment as well as the annoying reminder that until she could move a show from the resort to a bigger venue she would remain in the Grey shadow. His vacation couldn't end soon enough as far as she was concerned, but she'd deal with him later.

At the moment she had a lead actress in need of a pep talk and an orange bottle of bite size insurance to make sure things went according to her plan. The only call she wanted to make to Morgan was a friendly one, but she was not above tying up loose ends. Not when so much was on the line.

The past three hours had been spent in front of Serena's old dressing room with enough tugging and pulling at Kimberly's face to last her a month. At her departure from the comfort of her penthouse there hadn't been a single drop of makeup on her face but within the first ten minutes of her seeing Serena she could scarcely recognize herself. Her lips and eyes painted like an old Hollywood star to match the bouncing curls she had never imagined she would be able to wear naturally. She may not like very much about how the theater was run, but no matter how hard she tried there was nothing she could say against the makeup skills Serena seemed to have learned.

Even the marks on her neck had been expertly covered up through layers of foundation and a setting powder.

Serena had managed to turn Norma Jean into Marilyn in a matter of hours. She wanted to thank her, to tell John and show off her hair, to be able to enjoy the new get up, but knowing everything had been put on simply for Luscious managed to kill all it's beauty. She barely wanted to see him, much less spend four hours in a chair getting done up for a man she didn't even know.

She wanted out.

"I can't do this," Kimberly said for the third time since her hair had been let down.

"Pretending with you around is one thing but staying on my own with him for that long—"

"Kimberly listen to me, as long as you do what I say everything will be fine. Keep him distracted, talk about the show, or his job, anything but the two of you together." Serena had managed to keep Kim from throwing up so far, but her calm reassurances only lasted so long.

"What if he wants more? Kissing on the cheek maybe, if you really want to push it a peck but I can't even pretend to be interested in Paul, how on earth can I pull this off?"

"Because you have to." Serena's face was stern, a sad tiredness taking over her frail frame in a matter of seconds. "You tell him no, and I swear I'll have someone there to make sure nothing happens, but you have to make him believe there's only him. At least until I can get you out of this for good."

Kimberly wanted to protest but their conversation was quickly interrupted by the quiet buzzing of her cell phone on the countertop, John's texts popping on the screen for the third time that day before Serena cleared the screen. John's presence simply made the task at hand more difficult to accomplish and judging by the amount of uncertainty Kim was already having he was the last influence she needed around.

"Everything will be okay. I'll be covering you at rehearsal tonight and you just have to smile at Luscious until the dinner's over. Just say you don't want any distractions until opening night and get him to keep the ending where you stay with the owner. Make that seem more important than your relationship with him and he should have no reason to push any further."

"Is that how you dealt with your investors?"

"Kim, I barely remember being with any of my investors. Keep your head clear and it'll be fine."

Somehow that wasn't very reassuring.

Before Serena could continue a set of knocks came from the door with a demanding presence that could only belong to one person. The pair didn't even have time to separate from each other's side before the door was pushed open and the tell tale click of Dakota's heels on the tile floor became the only sound in the room.

Serena seemed to stand taller as the two women regarded each other with ferocity of dozens of accusations left unsaid before Serena removed her hand from Kimberly's chair. The only reason for her surrender being the fact she couldn't have an angry Dakota storming around with the problem of Luscious still hanging in the air.

"If you need anything just call," Serena instructed Kimberly before leaving the room, purposefully bumping Dakota's shoulder on her way out.

The gesture was small and barely noticeable, but Kim knew Dakota wouldn't forget it. She was merely waiting for the right time to strike and unfortunately for her remaining civil was necessary a little while longer.

"You look wonderful," Dakota said as though the encounter with Serena never occurred.

"How do you feel?"

Kimberly couldn't have kept her mouth closed if she wanted, her anxiety eating away at any composure she had left. "Sick. Please, can't we just tell him to reschedule? This isn't going to work…"

"Of course it is!" Dakota's smile was almost too sincere, her hands holding onto Kim's shoulders with a possessiveness that surprised her. "Luscious already adores you, all you have to do is look pretty and smile. He'll pay for your retirement if you asked him."

"And what if I tell him I don't want to be with him?"

The question sounded innocent enough in her head but the added pressure to her shoulders was a clear sign she had crossed the line.

Dakota's eyes closed, her well-manicured hands doing the best they could to keep from digging into the naked skin underneath them as she knelt down beside Kimberly. A dangerous energy radiating from her like fire as she released her shoulder's to hold Kim's face with one hand, locking eyes after taking a moment to tone down her anger.

"Let me tell you a little something about the world, Kim. This isn't some fairytale with a prince and a white horse who loves you because you're the fairest in all the land. This is the real world, and it's gritty and it's dirty and we take what we can get. What you want is a stage perfectly lit and a theater full of people loving you like the world never has. Right?"

Despite everything Kim found herself nodding, Dakota's piercing stare breaking down her resolve slowly.

"Well Luscious is the man offering it to you on a silver platter. His offering you everything you could ever want and all he's asking for in return are a few kisses and sweet words. He's the best man you can be hoping to get Kimberly.

You can't afford to lose him."

Dakota hands now rested on top of Kim's, quieting her urges to scream in protest that she was worth so more much than money and some promises. She had John and he loved her. He was worth so much more than Luscious could ever be worth. He was the one she couldn't afford to lose.

But none of her protests managed to escape her lips as long as Dakota kept their gazes locked.

"Everyone is nervous their first time meeting an investor, but nothing will happen. He cares far to much about you to let you worry." There was the vague sensation of something being pushed against the palm of her hand as Dakota stood up. "You've just let Serena get inside your head. You wont repeat the same mistakes she did."

Kimberly found herself nodding as she looked back into the mirror. The woman staring back at her seemed a complete stranger from the red smile to the sultry black eyes. If there was any consolation to the deal it was that this woman would be meeting Luscious and not the Kimberly who had spent the morning by John side.

"Good. Now take a few of these and you'll be fine. It's just a little stage fright."

Slowly Kimberly lowered her eyes to her open palm. The unmistakable shape of the pills she had specifically elected to avoid now calling to her. She counted four, twice what Mark had deemed safe on an empty stomach. She doubted any were safe to take on top of pain medication.

But she knew it was even less safe to cross Dakota a second time.

Her phone buzzed, a desperate cry from John to talk to him. Dakota's hand clamped over her own, lifting the pills to her mouth. The woman in the mirror closed her eyes.

Kimberly swallowed the pills.

The woman smiled.

Roxanne

Jealousy, yes jealousy, will drive you mad.


" Hello there, you've reached Kim Johnson. I can't take a call right now, but if you leave a quick message I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!"

"Kimberly, it's John. Again… call me, please. I need to hear from you."

Desperation was not a quality John associated with himself frequently, or at all if he could help it. By the fifth attempt to contact Kim since Serena's return to the theater however, that had been the only thing he felt. Desperate.

In an attempt to keep from pacing through the entirety of his flat John had left with Mark to sit in on that night's rehearsals. He had assumed the plan would give him an opportunity to casually run into Kimberly while she was with Luscious to insure her safety but the only Serena greeted him at the theater door. Her demeanor only slightly more optimistic than his own as she introduced him to the company. Paul was kinder than he had expected, Reed's description had been spot on, Sophie and the slue of female dancers seemed to have been granted the biggest graces through Kimberly's recollection of the cast. Somehow they all only needed one look before they understood why John had shown up. Their reactions varied as they each took their turn to look him over.

The only thing they all shared seemed to be pity for both him and Kim.

"At least she's not cheating on you. I mean she did tell you she was going to have to go out with him." Reed's attempt at being comforting only earned him a sharp shove from Paul, to which Mark quickly thanked the man on John's behalf.

The theater had been arranged for the night's rehearsals while both John and Mark sat on the sidelines, watching everything in an attempt to distract themselves. Serena had told them everything she had told Kimberly and reassured them she wouldn't have any trouble if she could keep the investor's focus on the show. While the attempt had been appreciated the simple fact that there was the possibility for things to go wrong coupled with the inability to contact her was threatening to drive John insane.

"Serves him right," a not at all hushed whine came from the blonde woman he could only assume was Sophie's mouth. "If he didn't want to deal with her sleeping around he should've kept his nose out of our business."

John shot up, nearly knocking his chair back in his haste. "Don't you dare talk about her like that!"

"Of course maybe it wasn't his nose he needed to control."

Had it not been for Mark's grasp on John's arm he would have been confronting the smaller dancer head on. The mixture of desperation and anxiety eating away at his common sense as the woman continued to bait him. He knew she was only looking to rile him up, but the last thing he could handle at the moment were insults to his character. Or worse to Kim's.

Before the blonde could go any farther a sharp mechanical whine cut through the theater. The attention of every single person in the room turning to the stage to see Serena holding a stage microphone far too close to a speaker, her hard gaze fixed on the smaller blonde until she backed down. It wasn't until then that she stopped the noise and allowed the attention to be focused solely on her.

The weight of her responsibilities weighing her down as she walked to center stage.

"What happened has happened. There's no changing who he's fallen for or who Kim has to entertain. She knows how much we need Luscious but she's not an idiot like you, Sophie."

A sharp glare forced the smaller woman back to her seat. "She can get the investor without sleeping with him, not all of us had to resort to that."

"I supposed being doped up was better?" John could not tell who had spoken, the theater's full attention fixed on Serena.

"I did what I thought I had to!" Serena's voice shook for a moment but her confidence never broke. There were more important things than her pride on the line. "We've all done what we've had to for the show and for Dakota. But Bleep Dakota. She's the one who's got us into this mess."

"She's also the one who keeps us all from being homeless," Paul's voice spoke out for a change, simply stating a fact to which many of the cast agreed to.

"The shows are what's doing that. Our faces on stage, the people that come to see us, that's who's keeping us going." Serena descended from the stage, walking up to face the company directly. "Kimberly knows that so she's going through this for the show. She's going to talk to him to change the ending to what we want instead of what Dakota wants. We can do this without her but not without Kim."

Mark's grip on John's arm relaxed.

"And how do you propose we help her?" John's voice came out far quieter than he had hoped, but the fact he had mustered any coherent thought was good enough.

"Your little friend there and Paull can go find where they're dining and keep watch at the door. If something goes wrong you'll be there to help but don't interfere until then or you'll get us all caught."

The two men in question nodded, regarding each other quietly before returning to look at John. He couldn't be trusted to leave the dinner alone and he knew it. If he couldn't go himself he wanted to at least find security in trusting the men taking his place.

"As for the rest of us, we have to learn the tango scene for Kimberly. If Dakota thinks she's making the show suffer things will just get harder. So get into your places and we'll go on without her for the moment."

There was a murmur of agreement as the cast slowly began to move to the floor, Paull and Mark attempting to reassure John before taking there leave. He was worth more than anyone in the theater combined but at that moment he was completely and utterly useless.

He had no choice but to sit and watch the scene before him unfold.

Before the music began Serena turned to look to John, motioning him forward to the stage.

"You can replace Paul since he's where you'd rather be."

The gesture did little to help but it gave him something to do. Quickly Reed explained the dynamics of the scene as Serena left to start the music. He would be required to do very little besides save a place for Paul to return to and for the most part could do whatever he pleased as long as he kept the idea that he was watching himself lose Serena in mind. A notion stung with unexpected force as one of the women reminded him Serena was only a stand in. Without pause the music started, leaving John at the corner of the stage to watch as Serena began the walk down to Reed. A spotlight being placed over the two once they were together.

" A dance!"

The sound of Reed's voice in character cut through the theater with a surprising power.

" That tells the story of a prostitute…"

The company laughed as he twirled Serena around, John only seeing how he had spun Kimberly the night before.

" And a man, who falls in love…"

John could feel several glances aimed at his direction as Reed pulled his partner closer.

He doubted there would be any problem with his amateur acting abilities.

" With her."

The world around Kimberly seemed to pass by with blurred edges. Everything around her felt hazy as though she had dreamed up the walk from the dressing room to the resort's private restaurant entirely on her own. She vaguely remembered Dakotaa mentioning something for good luck or she might have imagined it all together.

She barely realized when Luscious greeted her or when he led her to their private booth. Under the haze of the medication he looked rather attractive, though even Dakota looked attractive as far as it was concerned. While the pills may have been prescribed to prevent stage fright Kimberly quickly came to the conclusion she'd have trouble just keeping anything to herself.

It's one thing when talk flows easy, it's another thing when it won't stop.

"You look lovely," Luscious's silky voice said to pull her out of her head.

Kimberly may have thanked him, or she may have meant to, whether the words found there way out of her mouth she wasn't sure. Focusing on the ending of the show seemed to prove even more difficult than she had originally thought.

Luscious seemed too enchanted to even notice the lull in conversation. It was he who ordered their drinks and both meals, attempted to keep her attention for as long as possible, and brought up any subject from his time in Argentina to Kimberly's family. His affections were almost endearing and through the haze she was certain she would have found him attractive if she had met him under different circumstances.

But he wasn't John and no amount of Medication could change that.

"Dakota's mentioned you working so hard for the show, that's why I haven't been able to take you to dinner before," Luscious chuckled, trying for a new conversation.

"It does keep me busy," she managed to respond, finding the haze easier to deal with after getting a little food in her system.

"I think it's incredible what you can do on stage. Really I do, Dakota has sent me videos of the rehearsal and I'm very excited to see how you pull off the ending." Luscious's excitement was almost endearing until she remember he was paying to be with her.

"I love what I do. It's easy if you love it." Kim took a sip of wine for show, not wanting to mix her haze with any alcohol.

While she drank Luscious moved over sit beside her, his charming smile only managing to make her head spin with thoughts of regret. He motioned to one of the waiters while she continued to eat as politely as she could manage. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the waiter hand him a rather large velvet box he left on the seat beside him.

Even through her medicated haze she knew the box was intended for her but she paid it no mind. It was difficult enough to remember to keep Lu's mind off the two of them, dealing with any gift he may be trying to bribe her affections with was simply an extra thorn in her side. She'd be glad if she didn't remember any of this in the morning.

"You know, when this show does well you wont have to stay in this little place anymore," he said, brushing a loose curl behind her ear. "I can make a star, a real actress. Not just some dancer."

Kimberly couldn't help herself as her mind began to wander towards the possibility of making it big. The medication surely thought it was a wonderful idea. She however, found the offer wasn't half as appealing when she realized who it was coming from.

Taking her silent contemplation as a good sign Luscious placed a tentative kiss on her bear shoulder before moving to retrieve the velvet box. Despite her best efforts to ignore the gesture the bright glimmer from the box practically forced her attention down to his hands. Luscious's delighted smile only adding to the bright glitter.

In the middle of the box sat a necklace rivaling even the tiara she had seen Serena keep. Rows upon rows of diamonds expertly cut to catch even the slightest hint of light around them.

Carefully she trailed a single hand across the centerpiece of the necklace for the sole purpose of feeling its weight. The fact something so beautiful managed to weigh so much was astounding and before she could realize what she was doing she found herself holding her hair out of the way to allow Luscious to place it around her neck.

The weight of both the necklace and the fact he had been the one to give it to her pressed down against her collarbone with a surprising force.

The intricate piece of jewelry covered most of her neck and just barely passed her décolletage with its centerpiece. But no amount of glitter could change it from what it truly was. A collar is still a collar no matter its price.

"What about the ending?" Kim stumbled out quickly, distracting Luscious from placing another kiss on the back of her neck before he could notice the makeup hiding her night with John.

Obviously caught off guard Luscious frowned, finding the change in conversation less than appealing. "For the show? You can have whichever ending you'd like."

Kimberly smiled, seeing the smallest of opportunities to save the night. Quickly she stood from the booth, motioning for Luscious to follow her, which he did with unbridled enthusiasm. "Then you should see what they're working on," she said as she took his arm to lead him out of the restaurant. At the mention of their destination being the theater his enthusiasm soured slightly, obviously having different plans in mind.

All it took to convince him was a simple smile and a quick peck on the cheek. She doubted there was anything he wouldn't do if it bought him her affections.

With any luck the rehearsal would be enough to distract him from her long enough to allow her to figure out a way to end the night without angering Dakota. Had she been completely aware of the man following her she might have noticed the fact his mind wasn't on the rehearsal at all. No amount of distractions could take away from the fact he had just marked her as his.

Even in the dark theater the diamonds around her neck still sang out his claim. Bleep

A blur of dancers paraded around John, moving in perfect unison as they mimicked the two leads. Bodies pressed against one another before being tossed back, legs extended to trail across the floor as a partner went down or lifted the other. A constant ebbing and flowing of men and women tormenting each other with the fact they were not only for them. All the movements and all the dancers simply managing to separate the leads from the rest of the group.

Leaving John to wander through them in an attempt to make it to the woman pretending to be his Kimberly.

"His eyes upon your face, his hand upon your hand…"

John could not sing to the music as it was played and had resolved to simply speak the words as he watched the two dance. A perfect image of Kimberly coming to mind as he made his way to center stage. Reed's figure easily matching what little he had seen of the investor whenever his back was turned.

"His lips caress your skin. "

His stomach dropped, his throat catching for a moment as another dancer stole Serena away to place a heavy kiss on the back of her neck.

Each dancer resembling the investor the closer they came to holding the Kim stand-in.

"It's more than I can stand!"

Somewhere between watching her being passed around as a doll and the endless sea of dancers separating him from her John had found his voice. As raw and untrained as it may be he no longer had to act the part. He was watching himself lose Kimberly and no technicalities could lessen the blow.

Slowly he made his past the dancers, finding the couples arrange themselves in rows around him as he walked up to the stage. With a simple step he found himself staring out across the sea of dancers into the theater below them The hundreds of seat completely empty save for the one private booth high above them all.

" You're free to leave me. "

The curtains of the booth pulled open to reveal the actual Kimberly watching the rehearsal with glazed eyes. Her usual smile completely absent as she held onto the balcony railing.

Dozens of expensive diamonds catching the faint lights to sparkle down on the stage seemingly fixed on him.

" Just don't deceive me, " John sang out, locking eyes with her as he started back down the stage. The sickening sight of Luscious's lips kissing her shoulders impossible to ignore from any distance. " Please, believe me when I say I love you. "

For a moment the entire theater fell silent. All eyes seemingly fixed on him as he gazed up at the lead and her investor from the dance floor.

The air grew cold as he waited for her to acknowledge him, the glazy look in her eyes starting to fade as they held contact with his. A brief flash of recognition passing across her face as the man behind her kissed up her neck.

"…Come what may… " The music seemed to change solely for Kim as she allowed him the faintest smile. " I will love you, until my dying day…"

The words barely carried enough strength to reach where he stood but he knew them too well to have them escape. Against his better judgment he returned her smile, feeling as though the quiet promise would be enough to shield them from any harm.

It wasn't until John took a stop back that his eyes locked with Luscious's, the smile still on his face as the man realized the words weren't for him.

"No," Kimberly whispered, breaking the gaze with John when the feeling of lips left her neck.

Had she been sober hundreds of excuses may have crossed her mind, thousands of ways to cover the small misstep in her judgment, anything would have been better than a simple 'no'. The combination of the numerous pills and the wine however, seemed to be wining in a way that even Dakota couldn't hope to benefit from. She had been caught.

Luscious knew.

With the snap of his fingers the balcony curtains were closed, his hand tracing a slightly smudged area of skin at the top of her neck. A mark from John clearly visible in the dark booth thanks to the glimmer of her necklace. Her investors face contorting behind her shoulder into something darker than she could ever have imagined him capable of.

"You made me believe you loved me," he said, barely biting back his rage.

"No. No I did nothing. Dakota's the one—"

"Quiet!"

The pressure of his hand on her neck increased as she attempted to make excuses. She took a step back but he followed suit, backing her into the wall of the booth like an animal catching its prey. The pain in his eyes forcing her to look down as he closed the gap between them. She refused to believe she had been the one to betray him, any affection he felt for her was misplaced.

She refused to be bought off no matter how heavy the collar around her neck was.

"We made a deal. You are supposed to be mine." He practically begged her to take back everything, to give up John and whatever else was keeping them apart but Kim didn't budge.

The only thing she knew through the haze was that she wanted to leave. Her eyes locked on Luscious's as he realized no contract could sign her over to him. He had spent a small fortune insuring her success for nothing. He had been played for a fool.

His grip on her neck tightened, his fingers lacing around the clasp of the necklace, his jaw clenching as he pulled it off in one swift motion, his eyes never leaving hers.

Kimberly gasped at the sharp pain shooting from where the necklace pulled tight before breaking. Panic starting to set in as she realized just how much stronger than her the man was.

She tried to run out from under him but her movements were too slow. The medication taking its toll as her body started rejecting the substance in her system.

She couldn't push him away, keep his hands off the back off his dress, or even call out for help.

Luscious seemed unaware of her deteriorating state as he worked on undressing her. Or he simply didn't care; with his face now buried against her neck there was no way to tell the difference either way.

Her dress hit the floor as his hands dug into her side. She could only manage one weak plea for him to stop before she lost the ability to push him aside. Her head hitting the wall lightly as her body started to go limp under Luscious's.

No… Seemed to be the only coherent thought she could muster. Her eyes starting to close as a streak of light broke through the booth from behind Luscious.

Light poured in through the room before a figure nearly as tall as the doorway loomed behind her investor and cast a significantly large shadow.

The pressure on her sides disappeared as the man was ripped off her, tossed against the opposite wall with enough force to render him unconscious. A smaller man emerging from the former's shadow.

The sound of her name being spoken registered deep in the back of her mind as she felt lighter hands hold her shoulders. A warm sense of familiarity washing over her as the new man spoke again. He was safe; he was there to help her.

He was there to catch her when the medication took its final toll.

But he couldn't stop the room from going black

Ticket Price

Today's the day when dreaming Ends


Time seemed to slow as Kim was moved from the balcony to her flat. The blurred outline of the two men she had to thank for her rescue never strayed from her vision. Drifting in and out of consciousness they were the one constant as her body jostled back and forth.

She assumed it was the taller man who carried her, seeing as she the smaller didn't seem to have the muscle for the job but she lacked the strength to check.

All she knew was she was safe. A notion frequently repeated by one or both of the men until she was placed down on top of a vaguely familiar mattress.

Before she had time to listen to either of the men speaking the medication had taken its hold, forcing her to sleep off the remainder before she could bother with thinking properly. She had no dreams and had no recollection of stirring to pull herself under the covers. She could barely even remember when her eyes closed.

It was only when the weight of the bed below her began to shift that she found herself waking up, the last of the medication leaving her mind in favor of a piercing headache and vague memories of her actions. With a tilt of her head she saw the unmistakable silhouette of a scrawny man with rather large ears fussing over her hair.

A small tug at a lock of hair pinned behind her head elicited a groan to signal that she was still capable of feeling pain and managed to startle the man at the same time. If she had the strength she would have hit him.

"You're awake!" Mark's voice broke through the remaining fog with ease.

"You're loud…" she managed in response, garnering a chuckle from the corner of the room.

As Kimberly's mind began to clear both Paul and Mark came fully into view. Their face's softened in relief over her waking but the toll of the past night was obvious even to her.

Bags under Mark's eye's from lack of sleep and the worry lines etched into Paul's forehead only fueled the feeling of guilt building up in the pit of her stomach. She had cost them both precious hours of sleep and had nothing more to show for it than a guilty conscious and a small hangover.

But the guilt the pair inspired was nothing compared to the guilt brought on by John.

For a brief moment she hoped her condition had gone unreported and life would resume to normal without her, but as fate and one eagerly placed phone call from Mark would have it, she had no such luck. In a matter of seconds John burst through her apartment doors with Serena in tow. A rushed synopsis of the night passing overhead from Mark to the two on their way to the bed.

It wasn't until the mention of the position she had been found in that John seemed to pay attention, his face dropping as he sat beside Kim.

"Paukl knocked him out, but we just really knew she had to leave and—"

"What happened?" John cut Merlin off without care, his blue eyes locking onto hers urgently.

With as much strength as she could muster Kimberly pulled herself upright in her bed, her hands clasping onto his to pull him close.

Finding the right way to answer him was taking up too much time. Worry began flooding through the deep blue she had come to cherish as the words refused to form properly. In an attempt to by herself more time she shook her head weakly, finding the simple task difficult with the growing hangover.

"N-nothing," she finally managed, having her small frame wrapped int John's arms automatically. "I couldn't, I couldn't lie to him. I tried b-but he saw you and I just couldn't pretend…"

John's arms tightened around her, his hand gripping the back of her head to pull her close as if he feared she would disappear the second he let go. Quiet mutterings of how everything was okay found there way to her ear to slowly lift the guilt sitting heavy on her heart.

By the time her guilt had washed away fresh tears began dripping down her cheeks. Her arms finding the strength to wrap around his shoulders as she reveled in the fact she had not lost him. There was still a chance they could both walk away from things unharmed.

As long as she had John she could pull through.

"Leave with me, please," John muttered quietly, his grip never loosening.

"What?" she asked afraid the headache and tears had started to affect her hearing.

"Leave with me. Away from here! I can get two plane tickets by tomorrow and we'll be hundreds of miles away before anyone even notices."

John reluctantly let Kim go, his hands cupping her face to ensure she can hear him properly. "You and me both, we'll leave and never come back."

The offer was almost too good to believe. While she loved the stage and the company she had gotten to know the chance to run away with the man she loved even more sounded like heaven. Even Serena seemed eager for her to accept.

There was no way she could have brought herself to say no.

"I'll start packing," she said as a smile broke out across her face.

A relieved laugh from John punctuated his pulling her into another tighter hug. Smiles donned across the room as the pair shared one last heavy kiss before Kimberly was helped off the bed. Had it not been for the three onlookers present she doubted they would have stopped at a simple kiss.

But before they could go any farther Serena's hand on her arm pulled her away from John as quickly as she could manage.

"I'll take you down to the dressing rooms, we'll be back as soon as everything's packed."

Serena pulled gently until Kimberly was standing on her own. The two both smiling eagerly for their own reasons.

In a final temporary goodbye John kissed her forehead hard, having every intention to kiss her properly when she returned.

They'd have all the time in the world to make up for her rushed exit once they were together.

They could write to Serena and see how Dakota reacted to their departure once they were safely far away.

For the first time since she had arrived a sliver of hope had found it's way back into Kimberly's heart as she headed back to the dressing room for what she hoped would be the last time.

"I will not be humiliated like this."

"I can assure you it wont happen again I swear, just give it some time."

"Why would I need to give it time? I've given you more than you've asked, this should have never happened!" With a pointed gesture to the lump on the back of his head Dakota knew she could do nothing to change is mind. "I want what we agreed on or you'll owe me over half a million dollars. I did not invest simply out of charity!"

Only three people had filled the small backstage office easily, seeing as any deals made in the past had never really needed bids to be placed in person. The current group of Dakota, Luscious, and the debt collector posed caused the room to feel incredibly claustrophobic. The fact Dakotaa was caught having to call her partner in did little to help the building worry as well.

The last time he had been called in the investor was found months later in some ditch miles outside the city.

The only difference in this visit was that it wasn't the investor who had failed to live up to their end of the contract, but her.

"We understand that, but none of us had any idea about her going around behind our backs!

We'll fix this; it's probably nothing serious. Just give us a little time," Dakota pleaded.

To her left Dakota stood silently observing the situation. His young demeanor and clean cut suit a stark contrast to the hostler on his waist.

The corner of his jacket pushed back to hold the gun in plain view.

"All the same, she would rather have him than me. I'm the one offering her everything! I will make her a star and I can take her far away from here, he's just using her and I wont let you use some familial excuse to cheat me out of what's owed to me," Luscious held to his convictions. "You know as well as anyone that he's just using her. Do them both a favor and get him to leave her for me. He can find some ten dollar slut the second she's gone anyway."

"Lu, I promise you'll get what you're owed. Just give me time to fix this!"

"I want him gone! Do you understand that?

Gone! And if you don't deal with this fast I'll have to take my business up with your partner."

Morgan shifted his weight beside the desk, his hand resting on the hilt of his gun with ease.

Underneath his childlike exterior there was a dangerous amount of skill at what he did. Had he wanted to he could have taken care of both Dakota and Luscious without anyone even realizing he had been in the same room.

Thankfully for them his loyalty to the theater kept him from making a move against them.

As far as Kimberly and John were concerned however, they had no such protection. "How much money have you invested so far?"

Morgan asked, his calm voice quieting the others easily.

"It was at sixty thousand for Kimberly and a half a million for the show last I checked. If we moved it to a bigger theater the price would've gone even higher."

"Can we refund that money, Dakota?"

The only sound in the room was the rustling of papers as Dakota desperately tried to find some way to get out of trouble. Piles of bank statements and bills formed on her desk as she tore through everything from the start of the show.

"No… That money is locked into building sets and costumes and the technical equipment. We can only pay you back after we open." Even Dakota couldn't escape from her own business.

But she refused to sink with her ship, and Morgan knew that.

"Then it's settled. We'll get you what you are owed Mr. Du Lac. You were promised exclusivity and you will get it," Morgan said with a smile. "We'll have the distraction removed and Kimberly will only need a little coaxing to remember what's best for her."

Luscious's rigid demeanor softened, a small smile coming across his face as he turned back to Dakota.

"For business reasons I think you should start going by your maiden name from now on. The Grey name isn't much help if it's heir gets himself into this kind of trouble," he advised, straightening his jacket before heading out. Dakota nodded slowly, knowing very well she had worked too hard to build her company to just let John throw a wrench in the production.

One way or another she would make sure he left her theater alone for good.

"Do you think it's cold in London this time of year? What will I tell Wilson when he comes home? How are you going to handle her without me?" Kimberly's parade of questions had been nonstop since she regained control of her senses.

The dressing room had nearly been emptied into one large suitcase with the help of Serena. The fact there was very little placed in the room to begin with only made the job quicker. Anything that fit went into the suitcase, anything for the show was left, and any special gifts from Dakota or Luscious found their way into the trash.

"Calm down, you're giving me a headache!"

Kimberly laughed, tucking the last of the clothes into the suitcase before closing it up for good. "Everything will be fine. John and I have talked about this before. He'll take you back to where he lives and you can stay with him as long as you like, and if you want to leave he'll help you move out. Everyone wins!"

"Everyone?" Kim cocked an eyebrow, sitting back on the now empty vanity.

"Yes. You and John have each other, Mark gets a new friend, and I take your role up for you." Serena smiled faintly, folding part of a costume over in her arms carefully. "Everyone."

"…Were you always planning to take my role?"

Kim asked faintly.

Serena's eyes dropped, her smile fading as she ran a hand over the costume delicately. The question hung in the air while she tried to find the best way to word her response. She showed no remorse over her actions, that much was certain, but the small hesitation made it clear that she knew her motives would come into question no matter what.

But she was far better trained at dealing with people than Kim could ever have hoped to be.

She wasn't about to trip over her own words when she finally spoke.

"Yes. I have. From the second Dakota told me you were my replacement I wanted you gone. Kim, I've given up everything to be here! I know you understand what it's like up there but you haven't even seen a full audience yet." A smile returned to her face as she walked up to Kim slowly. "It's the feeling of so many people loving you that makes all the shit Dakota drags us through worth it. I've always wanted this and I was so close to having the real thing when you showed up. Girls like you have shown up before but none of them could stick around long enough to actually have a shot."

"Then why are you being nice to me if I'm your competition?"

"Because, you reminded me of what it was like when I started. I couldn't stand seeing Dakota turn you into something like what I had become… I had a boyfriend for a while when I started, and one day he decided to pretend to be my investor to see me, but he couldn't pay. I was so doped up I couldn't stop them from getting rid of him and before I knew it he was gone. It ruined me." Gently Kim rested a hand on top of serena's, tears brimming in the paler woman's eyes. "I wont let that happen to you and John. I'd give anything to have someone love me like he loves you, but the theater is the closest I can get. Do you understand that?"

Slowly Kim nodded, her hand tightening around Serena's earnestly.

"Just make sure you save us seats for the first show you do out of a real theater, okay?"

Kimberly smiled.

The second Serena saw her smile the tears began to flow down her cheeks despite her bubbling laughter. Her perfectly applied makeup smearing as she dropped the costume to pull Kim into a hug. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt such compassion for another dancer. She couldn't have stopped her tears if she wanted too.

For a moment the two stayed together, laughing at the change in their circumstances and at the fact they may just have beaten Dakota without causing themselves any harm.Serena's makeup stained Kim's shirt, kim's arms creased Serena dress, but neither of them seemed to care.

They were almost free and they still had the things they loved. It was almost too good to be true.

So naturally, it was too good to be true.

Just as quickly as their world seemed to fall back into place it shattered with a simple knock on the door. Their hug being broken in order for Serena to clean off her face before allowing their guest in. The smile on her face dropping the second a pair of black heels crossed over into the dressing room.

A chill running through the air as a pair of leather oxfords followed suit.

Neither Dakota nor her partner looked the least bit conversational.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, pointedly eyeing the suitcase beside Kim.

A day ago she would have backed down, apologized, remembered her place. A day ago she didn't have something to fight for and the countless amount of medication in her system wouldn't have allowed her to think properly anyway.

But with the freedom of her moment with Serena still running through her veins, she found herself doing the thinkable.

In one simple motion she slid from the countertop, heading to pull on a jacket before going to her suitcase.

"Yes," she said as she worked the jacket on. "I'm leaving."

The shock o Dakota's face couldn't have been greater unless she had slapped her herself. She had heard all kinds of nonsense from her dancers, but never once had one dared to leave of their own volition.

Kimberly however, made it very clear she meant business.

"What are you talking about?" Dakota demanded, attempting to pull the suitcase away before it was yanked from her reach.

"I don't need you anymore!" Kimberly said, moving from her vanity to the door in one fluid motion.

Her path guarded as Serena stood between the women, allowing Kimberly to speak for them both.

"The entire time I've been here you've treated me like I'm only worth what a man will pay for me and I'm through!" With one final tug she secured the jacket, glaring at her boss with steely resolve. "But John loves me. He loves me, Dakota. He. Loves. Me."

At the sound of her declaration she found herself standing taller, finding strength behind the words and with John. Despite herself, she began to smile almost mercilessly back to the shocked woman.

"And that is worth everything."

Dakota was left speechless, unable to stop either woman from walking out the door. She couldn't drug someone so determined into submission. She had no more cards to play.

It was Morgan on the other hand, who could deliver the final blow.

"He'll die if you leave here," he said bluntly, freezing Kimberly in her tracks.

Her small victory fell flat underneath her feet as she turned back to look at the smaller man, her knuckles paling from the tightness of her grip on the suitcase. She could beat fight Dakota but hearing such a threat from a man she had never seen before shocked her more than she had ever thought possible. Just when she had thought she had the chance to win, there was still something stronger working against her.

And that something stronger just happened to push his jacket back enough to make the gun on his side very, painfully, visible.

"If you leave here with him, he'll have to die. No one steals nearly seven-hundred thousand without making a few important people angry," he reiterated, never once losing his calm.

"He could pay… He's a Grey, he wouldn't just let me go," she said weakly, trying to find a way to fight the man as effectively as she had Dakota.

But even the strongest of words died before the weakest of bullets.

"You aren't his to take. He can't just buy you from Mr. Du Lac. There is a contract in writing promising you to him exclusively. I can guarantee you it's not the money your investor is after, Grey money means nothing to him." As if to prove his point the man reached into his pocket, brandishing a single bullet to load his weapon. "If you leave this building with anyone but Mr. Du Lac, I'll have to make sure there is no one on any end to report missing money. That means you, John, your friend and your investor would all have to be taken care of.

And lets face it, who is going to miss the poor girl pretending to be a star?"

His words stung worse than anything she could remember. Serena's resolve weakening as the man took a step forward. In a matter of seconds both women forgot about the open door and reverted their gazes back to the ground.

Serena knew the man meant every word he said and for the life of her she couldn't speak up. He had already cost her happiness one time; she couldn't risk him taking it away again.

Even Kimberly understood the new situation.

There was no way she could end up leaving without costing herself something dear. The only thing she could do was to ensure that John had a chance to return to his life before they had ever met.

"He won't just leave me," she muttered, clutching the sleeves of her jacket tight, looking back to the man who stood only a few inches taller than herself.

"I know, so you'll have to make him leave," the man smiled, putting his free hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her. "Convince him you've changed your mind, that you want this life with Luscious. Hurt him, Kimberly. Hurt him so I don't have to."

She looked away, her stomach churning the longer she felt the man's hand on her shoulder. Every bone in her body was screaming for him to take it back, but the gun in his hand never strayed far from her line of vision. Serena's deep brown eyes swelling with tears again as she bit back the urge to rush to Kim's side. The faintest of nods being sent out in her place, Kimberly knew then that there was nothing she could do.

One way or another, they were both destined to wind up where they stood.

She could only hope destiny could find the mercy to allow John to survive. For him to leave the theater and never know the pain having his life taken before his time. "Hurt him, to save him."

The Show Must Go On

Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking But my smile still stays on. It had to be done.


There was no way around it every possibility ended the same. A fight would break out, the theater would be reported, and the company would be on the street. No matter what route they took there was no change. There was no avoiding it.

The only thing that she could do would be to keep from pulling her down with him.

Letting him go was terrible, but losing him would have killed her before anything else could.

She had to convince him to leave without her.

One way or another he was leaving London on his own. It was only a matter of how to break the news.

Without a plan or any alternatives Kimberly found herself standing out front of John's flat, sans suitcase, praying that somehow the right words would come out and he would understand. She couldn't tell him the situation without him wanting to fix everything. He would be the type to think he could take on the world and win.

She wasn't going to risk losing him. It would hurt and he might hate her, but he'd be safe.

That was the only thought she allowed in her head as she knocked.

What she hadn't counted on was the look of childlike excitement beaming back to her as the door opened that managed to break her heart before she even began. At least she knew there was no way he could hate her more than she was bound to hate herself.

"There you are! I just called a friend back home, we've got two tickets out of here first thing tomorrow morning and Mark will be flying back in the next few days after getting the rest of our stuff," John said as he pulled Kim into the flat.

He leaned in to make up for their last far to brief kiss but for the first time she turned her head, denying him a proper goodbye. Had she felt her lips on his she doubted if she would have been able to hold herself together long enough to be convincing. Having to look in his dazzling blue eyes was difficult on its own, the last thing she needed was him making it any harder.

"Where are your things anyway?" he asked, looking down to her empty hands confused.

It was now or never. It had to be done. It had to.

"I've changed my mind," she said as coolly as she could manage, all the while refusing to look him directly in the eyes. "Give the second ticket to Mark."

Shock was the first emotion she recognized before forcing herself to look away to the rest of the flat, as if she was indifferent to any reaction he might have had. In all honesty watching him realize she had not misspoken was simply too much to bear.

"What are you talking about?" A forced laugh tried to deny what he had just heard.

"Oh come on, John. I know you aren't stupid.

It's no use; it's time we both accepted that.

This wasn't going to work from the start so why bother pretending?" She walked passed the now stunned blonde, taking one final walk around the living room.

"Kimberly you're not making any sense." He already sounded desperate. "Just go get your things, we can go to the airport right now they'll give me some place nice to stay."

She could feel him walking up behind her, dangerously close to being able to hold onto her arms before she turned around to face him.

Every bone in her body screamed to take it back but she couldn't give in. He deserved so much more than to die for some poor show girl.

"How can I make this clearer?" She paused, needing a moment to think up a strategy. "I ran into Lu when I went down and he promised me everything. Everything I've ever wanted.

Even you can't do that John, but he knows people and he's going to help me become a star. You're just a rich boy who can't even make a name for himself outside his father. That's all there is to it."

Stabbing him through the chest might have hurt less. His proud shoulders sank, his strong jaw clenching, a faint swelling in his eyes he was no doubt trying to hold back. He was desperately trying to keep himself together and that stung worse than if he had simply lashed out.

He was trying so hard to keep from hurting her when that was all she aimed to do. She could feel her heart breaking as she looked away, her own tears starting to threaten to fall. How she managed to find someone like him in the first place was a mystery, the fact she was being forced to let him go however, was much closer to what she felt she deserved.

"Is it the money?" he asked weakly. "How much is he buying you for? I can pay more I swear.

Let me please, please Kim don't do this." his voice broke, the tears glistening in his eyes starting to fall despite his obvious efforts to hold them back.

"You can't throw your money at this and hope something will change." She couldn't look at him, the taste of salt touching the corner of her mouth before she moved away from him to the door.

In one final attempt to stop her John reached out to hold onto her arm to stop her. Kimberly pushed him away, her composure breaking for a moment at the strength of his grasp. This slip did not go unnoticed as it gave him reason to continue his attempt. He tried to pull her back but she squirmed away, he grabbed at her waist but she thrashed in his embrace, he spun her around to face him and she slapped his face.

Fast, deliberately, and hard, harder than she ever wanted to hit someone again.

For a second everything went quiet, even their tears seeming to freeze as they stared at each other in shock. A glowing red mark on the side of his cheek glaring down to her as she forced herself to recover first. She had never meant to have to hurt him physically as well, though she doubted it was the force of the hit that was what really hurt him, but it managed to get the message across.

"This is the story, John. I am the headlining act, and I chose the seedy foreigner. That's the ending. I leave with him, I don't stay with you, and no one gets hurt. I don't care where you go tomorrow, but if I see you around the theater again…" her voice broke, threatening to throw off the entire performance. "Just don't bother because I'm not yours. I was never yours."

She couldn't look at him. She knew any image she could have imagined would have been nothing compared to seeing his heart breaking.

Without another word or even a second glance she left the flat, pulling the door closed behind her before letting her tears flow freely.

Each step was less coordinated than the last as her vision blurred. Breathing became a challenge as she started to gasp for air. The hand she had struck him with burned as though she held it too close to a fire.

Her heart felt as though it had been torn in two, slowly, agonizingly, without any care for if she would be able to survive the sheer pain of it all.

By a miracle she made it to her floor, collapsing in the corner of the stairwell before breaking down into incoherent sobs and violent shakes.

The echo of her trauma managed to reach Serena who had been waiting by her room, drawing her to the stairwell as the only means of moving her some place truly private.

Getting her back to the apartment was a struggle but having anyone else find out a gun was being held to their heads would have been even harder. After what seemed like ages of stumbling and falling against the walls Kimberly found her way to the small couch in her apartment.

And without any protest from Serena she took several left over pain pills to force her body to go numb for the rest of the night.

Her last thought being a fleeting memory of John's hands on her to try and make her stay. It had hurt, there would be bruises in the morning, and she would try to convince herself that was reason enough to not want him back.

He was safe, she shouldn't want him back, and she was broken enough to accept a fate with Luscious.

But now she couldn't imagine how she even deserved him.

Nnenna ... I started from page zero. It's a nice stroy I must confess and I'm glad I stumbled across it.
Wheewww! !! I wished I could read it all up to this point, your updates are long and captivating. .. I've bookmarked tho , but do mention me when you update ..

Wow. Nnenna I must say this is beautiful. The story just began... Ride on sis

Creeza:
Nnenna ... I started from page zero. It's a nice stroy I must confess and I'm glad I stumbled across it.
Wheewww! !! I wished I could read it all up to this point, your updates are long and captivating. .. I've bookmarked tho , but do mention me when you update ..

thanks would surely do as you ask

Nnenna u ave perfected the act of making someone cry. My heart broke thrice in this last chapter. U must compensate my tears ooo.

Kindly mention me wen u post a new chapter

It felt as though his chest was being crushed, a pressure and a pain he hadn't thought possible from just one person. The light bruise forming on his cheek stung as though he had been burned, for such a small hand the mark seemed incredibly large. The force of the blow hadn't even been very strong and in retrospect it wasn't even his face that hurt the most.

In only a matter of minutes he had felt the world around him shatter. He was never one to fall in love, but he had. He had fallen utterly and completely only to have it torn from him before he could even revel in it properly. The happy life he had imagined for him and Kimberly far from everything else falling apart so suddenly.

She had taken everything back without so much as a goodbye.

That alone killed him. He could have dealt with her changing her mind if it was what truly made her happy. Hell he would have forgiven Dakota and Luscious had she told him to.

But she had played him. She played him like he knew any dancer working for Dakota would. He had been a fool to think a pretty smile and some good nights together would change anything. He should have left the second he found out her loyalty could be bought. That was the first rule. Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself.

Yet he had broken that rule and she had broken him. He couldn't stand to even stay the night anymore. The entire flat still smelled faintly of her perfume triggering memories of their first night together and it made him sick. He had to leave.

He couldn't even be bothered to wait until morning.

In a hurt and blind rage he collected anything of immediate value, shoving it into his suitcase until there was no longer any room left. Without any care for the amount of noise he continued through the rest of the flat until he had enough to get him far from the resort. It wasn't until the door to Mark's room opened that he even remembered to figure out a purpose for the second ticket.

"What the hell John? You should be sleeping your plane isn't for hours," Mark muttered, rubbing his eyes to see the chaos John had caused. "Where's Kim?"

Admitting everything only rubbed salt into the still open room.

"Gone. She's staying," he replied dryly. "I've been an idiot. A complete fucking idiot…

Dakota can have her."

Confusion stained Mark's face until he had completely woken up, realization quickly dawning as he hurried to block John's exit.

What he lacked in bulk he made up for in height.

He could have managed to slow down John if he needed but the sight of a bruising tear stained mark on his cheek stopped him.

Pity filled the bright blue eyes staring wearily at John before the path in front of him was cleared. He had witnessed him break up with women in the past but he knew the look on John's face all too well to find a way to tease him. He knew the anger was all that kept him from breaking apart.

The only difference was that when he lost Fiona it was the world he had been angry with for taking her away. Kimberly had left John; the blame could only rest on the two of them.

There was no way of determining who he hated more, himself or her.

"You're making a mistake," Mark said calm, trying to stall his friend. "Please this isn't like her you know it. There has to be a reason."

"She was playing me! That's the reason! She played me and now she's going back to the other people like her!" Fresh tears began to swell in his eyes the longer he had to speak about her. He was holding together by a thread.

"Don't do this. Some things are worth fighting for you can't just—"

"Shut up Mark! For once in your life shut up!"

John lashed out. It was like watching a wounded animal trying to protect itself. There was no more Mark could do for him. "You've got your ticket. Do whatever the Bleep you want with it. Throw her's in the trash. And don't you ever mention her to me again. Are we clear?"

There was no response. None was needed. In a matter of seconds John left his friend alone, slamming the door behind him as he headed down to the lobby. Everything from then on went by in a blur.

A car picked him up. A man walked him through the airport. He was escorted to a waiting lounge. Somewhere a large bill was being drawn to the Grey name for several expensive bottles of whatever alcohol he could get his hands on. The remainder of the night was spent in the lounge, nursing a headache while avoiding any and all human contact.

The following morning his sent a text to a friend back home, having him arrange transportation before he was sent to boarding.

And as quickly as he had allowed London into his life, he forced it away.

Sorry for updating late. Creeza and stephengee12 this is another one

Poor John.. sorry man that's what you get for falling in love. . hope he and mark sort out their differences tho.

nnenna , you are doing great. I'm still here, ride on.

But hey, make him go to London ok. he needs it to cool off.


Updates upcoming , right?

I never meant for this to happen. Over the course of the night Serena had stayed watch beside Kimberly, making sure the medication didn't do any excess damage. There was no doubt in her mind Kim would have allowed it to without question at that point but her giving up wouldn't solve anything. She had lost John but there was still a reason to fight. There had to be. She had tasted what it was like to stand up to Dakota, to finally feel some control over her life again and it was far too sweet a feeling to give up. It might take longer than they planned and they may lose more than they wanted to but somehow they would both be free from her. They at least deserved that. Different plans on how to try a second time ran through her head well into the morning. Kimberly's uneven breaths keeping Serena awake through the night without any trouble. It was her fault for not finding a way around the debt collector, so taking care of his aftermath became her responsibility. And despite his being forced to leave she still had her deal to protect her for John. Though in all honesty, she needed Kimberly just as much as she needed her. Finding a way to beat Dakota would take more than just one person. She couldn't involve the company without risking someone letting it slip, and contacting the authorities could very well get them all in serious trouble regardless of who was turned in. With Kim virtually comatose there weren't very many options left any real help. It was only when a quick set of knocks ran through the flat that there was even any sign the rest of the world continued to spin on while theirs was falling apart. As long as Dakota didn't feel the need to break whatever remained of the small woman's spirit there was no harm in opening the door. However, the indignant look on a long, sleep- deprived face seemed to beg to differ. "Where is she?" he demanded, trying to look past Serena. "I'm sorry but aren't you supposed to have left by now?" One slender arm barred the taller man from entering. "Or is your friend sticking around to just make life harder?" "No, he's gone I can promise you that. He couldn't leave fast enough." He sounded hurt, his expression softening. "I know something's wrong. None of this makes sense. Please just let me talk to her." "You can't. She's out cold." Reluctantly she allowed the man into the flat, nodding towards the bedroom before letting out a tired sigh. "She had to do it Mark. We didn't have another option." "The hell are you talking about?" For a moment she considered making him leave, forcing him out to protect Kim from having John return. The opportunity for outside help, however, was too good to pass up. Having someone close to the Grey's without actually being a Grey may prove to be just as useful to them as the debt collector was to Dakota. A tension filled the air before she sat Mark down, carefully explaining everything that had happened on their side when they left for the suitcase. Not a detail was changed from their conversation about the future to how the only thing keeping Kimberly from breaking Dakota with her own hands was the mention of John's life being on the line. She explained how the debt collector worked. How his loyalty to Dakota and the theater trumped any qualms he had with the acts he committed in order to ensure their safety. Morgan was not an evil man by nature, and many of the dancers enjoyed having him come around, but there was no mistaking what he was capable of if he saw a threat. And Kimberly losing Luscious had certainly become a threat. "So it was forcing him to leave or risk us all being killed. She didn't want to do it but there was no other choice!" At the sounds of Kim stirring in the other room Serena lowered her voice. "You have to understand this is hurting her just as bad, if not worse, than it's hurting John. But he can't interfere. We have until opening night to find a way to get her away from here or she's stuck with whatever the investor wants." The man's face seemed to have grown wearier as the story progressed, the weight of both of his friend's sufferings pressing down on him hard. He took his time to recover, allowing his mind to process the new information as best it could. When he finally decided to speak his eyes seemed fixated on the bedroom door, Kimberly's jagged breathing barely loud enough to be heard from where they sat. "She's letting him make a huge mistake." "She's saving his life. We have to figure out how to save hers." Mark's eyes left the door, locking themselves on Serena's with a steely resolve she couldn't help but admire. No matter how foolish it may have been. "We bring him back. We make sure he's back on opening night so Dakota can't make a huge scene." Serena scoffed, knowing very well romantic ideas of forgiveness and grand rescues were not things people in their line of work were granted. "If you can get him to come back that's still cutting it too close. We need a better plan for when that one backfires." "Do you have one?" he snapped, standing up from the couch to rummage through his pockets. "Well," she muttered, caught slightly off guard. "No…" "Then I'll see what I can do. His plane should land in a few hours so he could be back here on opening night if we catch him in time." Frantically he started to dial his friend's number, his eyes darting to the bottle of pills resting on the coffee table. Worry flashed across his face as he shot an accusatory glare towards Serena, a protest hanging on the tip of his tongue before she pocketed the pills, cutting him off with ease. "They were just to help her calm down. A few of these and some pain pills and she was out like a light. It wont hurt her if this is the only time she does it. I've taken far more and lived. They'll make you pass out once the high wears off, people thought I OD'd dozens of times cause of that." An idea sparked as Mark turned his attention to the sound of John's answering machine, distaste still evident on his face. Plan B had just presented it's self, and though it was just as, if not more risky than Mark's plan, it offered one thing his didn't. If she could pull it off correctly there wasn't even the slightest chance Dakota would bother Kimberly again. If she was under the impression something had beaten Morgan to the punch there would be no further need for his services. And with Dakota being the supplier removing her from the picture would be even simpler. The only issue was in finding out where the line between faking an overdose and actually causing one lay. Of course if Mark's plan failed it may not even matter.

With opening night a little over a week away there was no think about the risks. If they lost they'd all risk dying, if they won then maybe, just maybe things would turn around.
One way or another it was bound to be a show none of them would ever forget. If they managed to live past curtain call, that is.

Thanks for the mention dear. Happy sunday

Mark and serena's plan better work.
#kimjonny . Nice 1 nnenna. More pls

In Positions

I just came to say, goodbye love, goodbye love Goodbye.


"We started having to make excuses for you at the office. Even I was starting to get jumpy that you'd run away or something!"

No word came from the back seat, john's eyes fixed pointedly on the trails of rain running down the window as he was driven back from the airport.

"Of course I knew you wouldn't run off without Mark, and as long as he didn't get too jumpy over the phone you had to be coming back sometime. Though I thought he'd be coming back with you now. What happened? Lover's quarrel?"

The words stung to even think about.

"Something like that," he muttered in reply.

"Mark will be back in a week or two."

Rain continued pouring down on the city around them. Of course there never seemed to be a day without rain before he left. Though in this instance the rain felt as though it was solely for him and his misery. As if a man who could not hold onto the woman he loved could somehow find a way to bend the weather to his mood.

Yet that seemed more possible at the moment than any chances of him recovering, so he might as well wish for it to rain until the world drowned him.

"You alright back there? I've seen you and him fight but it's normally more 'I should break his nose!' instead of pensive moping." The eyes of his friend glancing back to him through the back seat mirror, worry obvious even behind stray strands of his curly hair.

A partner in his father's business for what seemed like ages Liam was one of the few people aside from Mark adequately acquainted with the many moods of John Grey, but very rarely did he mention them. They were mates, the most comfort they ever offered the other was a beer and a slap on the shoulder.

For him to bring up the issue meant he must have looked even more of a mess than he already thought.

Wonderful.

"It wasn't as restful a vacation as Mark had promised." He couldn't talk about her, it hurt far too much. Dakota's still got the same people around here. Not a respectable person for miles."

Liam was quiet, allowing time for the conversation to fade off before changing the topic, deciding instead to catch him up with the latest gossip from work and recent sports highlights. As hard as he tried there was no undoing what damage had been done. They could only ride back to his home in silence with the hopes that things could return to normal without mentioning the problem.

But the dozen or so missed calls from Mark proved otherwise.

Countless voicemails regaled John with plea after plea for him to return, different explanations as to why she wasn't heartless, and finally a weak 'we need you here' before his box was empty. Not a single call came from the woman in question. Whatever 'we' was being spoken about wasn't any group that seemed to think it necessary to reach out to him as well.

The following days proved no different. Mark attempted to call when he knew he'd be heading to work, eating lunch with Liam, or just before he lay down in the hopes of falling asleep. Not once was the phone answered and not once did he manage a peaceful sleep. Each night, right after listening to whatever pitiful message Mark left, John found himself staring up to the ceiling in order to avoid glancing out the large bay window.

Accidentally he couldn't help but steal a glance out across the rainy cityscape below him.

Thoughts of how he had planned to sit with her comfortably tucked against his chest like they had the first night she spent with him rushed through his head before he had the power to stop them. Before the idea seemed absolutely idyllic, but now it only managed to keep him awake well into early morning. His heart ached far too much for him to even imagine the possibility of sleep.

Or the chance that dreams of her would only deepen the wound in his chest.

His return to work was appreciated, though his mental absence could not be ignored. Even his father begun to recognize when he had allowed his mind to drift in the middle of a meeting; though after one shake of the head from Liam no one mentioned whenever it would occur. No one wanted to risk making the situation worse, and deep down they all hoped it would fade away once he fully adjusted to being back home. But it never did.

And despite himself John doubted it ever would.

"You know," Liam said, finally breaking the silence on the third day. "Maybe going out to see a good game would help clear your head."

Papers for the next day's meeting lay on the desk in front of him as a gift from his father. A new project to attempt to push him back into the swing of things before the mental absence began to harm the business.

"I don't think that'd be much help. I'd rather avoid anyone outside of here for as long as I can." He began to sift through the pile; his hands lingering over the projected earnings of his recently departed vacation stay. A print out of her advertisement stapled to the backside along with a list of the theaters earnings.

His laps in judgment noticed by Liam, the paper finding itself changing hands before he could place it back down on the table. John reached to pull it back out of instinct, only catching himself when the standing man raised an eyebrow under his mop of curly hair.

"I'm just giving it a look," he reassured, scanning the page before realizing it's importance. His eyes resting over the advertisement for a moment longer than simple curiosity deemed appropriate. "Dakota's got a new girl?"

John nodded, his jaw clenched tight as he attempted to turn his attention back to the other papers.

"Kimberly… That's a pretty name."

The papers in his hand started to tremble before he put them back down.

"A bit of a mouthful really," he said, straining to keep his voice calm.

"I like it. She's pretty cute too. No wonder she's getting such a big hype. Chris called to tell us they planned to buy out your father's portion of their company once she's done," Liam continued unaware of john's distress. "If she's good enough to get them that much I may have to see about going out there to watch the show.

Plus meeting her in person might be worth it too."

It felt as though a knife was being jammed into his chest, breathing suddenly became difficult, and his vision began to blur. He could barely keep himself together.

"She wouldn't bother with seeing you. The only chance you have of even getting her to look at you is to pay her off like some street LovePeddler.

Trust me the last thing you want to do is get anywhere near that girl!" The words pored out quicker than he had time to consider what it was he had said; though once he had spoken he automatically wished he could take it all back. He meant none of it. Or all. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he would have given every cent he had to have her back.

The outburst was noted as Liam returned the paper to the table, the pieces slowly fitting together as he watched John's attempt to recover. There were only a handful of times John had been truly heartbroken. The signs were now too obvious to ignore.

"But you did, didn't you?" The question didn't ask for an answer. "Is she why you came back early?"

"I don't want to talk about it. There's nothing to say." Liam wasn't buying it.

"I was an idiot alright? That's it!"

Calmly Liam moved over to sit across from John, pushing the papers out of the way to keep from giving him any distractions. The only thing left between them being her smiling face on the glossy advertisement. Her name printed in bold under the show's title.

"You loved her." He didn't need to ask but hearing it aloud shook him too hard to even try to deny it. "No one over here made you come back, so why did you? Did she not love you back?"

The question asked as gently as it could but John could still feel himself slowly starting to fall apart. Memories of her laugh, her smile, the way her eyebrows furrowed when he kissed her forehead while she tried to sleep, everything came rushing back. There was no doubt in his mind that she loved him then. She had to.

He needed her to.

And yet her choice hadn't been him. She had returned to Dakota and that damned investor despite anything they might have had together or that he hoped for in the future.

"No," he said quietly. "She was just a damn good actress."

"Then why are you acting like there was something more? You aren't the kind of guy to fall for someone who didn't love them back. I've been around to hear you brag about women you've been with and even the good ones haven't left you this messed up."

John was quiet, his eyes fixed on the advertisement staring up towards him. Even on print she still managed to look just passed him.

"She wanted me to leave. She… she picked someone else who could pay her price better than I could. I couldn't stay after that. I just couldn't," he spoke slowly as it hurt to get the words out. "Mark's sticking it out until the show opens then he'll be coming back. I haven't taken a single one of his calls since I got back.

They're all the same thing."

"What thing?"

"He says I have to come back."

equipment was accounted for.

Even Sophie managed to learn each step and squeeze into each costume.

From the outside the show was more than ready for opening night. Backstage however, the now puking Kimberly could barely pull through for a drink, much less an entire number.

"I told you not to give her so many pills! We still have time to fix this!"

"I didn't give them to her this time, she found them!"

"How the hell could she have found them? I had Paul put them somewhere even I couldn't reach!"

The bickering continued, muffled out by the dressing room doors. None of the other dancers seemed to notice Serena and Mark spending quite a fair bit of time in Kim's dressing room, or they just didn't bother to mention it. In the end the only thing that mattered was that she could perform long enough to get them all on and off stage without having the debt collector on their backs.

A task much easier said than done.

"Stop yelling," she said hoarsely, the back of her throat burning. "I had him get them down.

Nothing else helps."

Slowly the attention of her caretakers turned away from each other and back to the frail girl kneeling beside the sink. Gently they pulled her up from the ground and back to the seat in front of the vanity. With great care Serena helped her clean up in an attempt to hide her disheveled state.

Mark could only stand back and watch as his friend withered away before his very eyes, the loss and the stress of her position weighing down to more than any person could bear. And he still couldn't get John to so much as answer the phone.

"At least they haven't spoken to you since then," he said quietly. "It's a lot easier without them snooping around."

"I don't care, Mark… Luscious still expects me to play nice," she said between sips of a soda meant to sooth her stomach. "At least the man would make him jumpy."

"Has he tried anything again?"

"No. We only meet at rehearsals. Serena gave him some 'resting for the opening' shit. He bought it though so I can't complain." The weight on her shoulders seemed to push her further down in her seat, the layers of makeup barely able to hide the puffiness around her eyes. "At least I look the part."Mark's heart sank.

He should be helping her move into John's place or at least be more useful than just standing around watching her suffer. Of the first time in his life there was nothing he could immediately do fix a situation he had a hand in causing.

"Serena, can you take her up to her room? I'm going to make a phone call. I'll be up there in a second."

Already knowing who the phone call was going to go out to neither Kimberly nor Serena attempted to change his mind. With an arm wrapped around the frailer woman's shoulders Serena helped her up from the vanity, walking her out of the dressing room before any of the other dancers could see how weak she was growing.

There was no doubt in Mark's mind that faking an overdose may prove too much for her body.

She had already pulled herself through the home cocktail of medication to just get through the week and even Dakota began to wonder if she was making herself sick on purpose. And at this point Mark couldn't bring himself to rule out that possibility.

For the second time that day, he prepared himself for john's voicemail message. His number still got through so there was at least the chance his messages were being heard.

" You've reached John Grey, leave a message and I'll try to get back to you."

Of course you'll only try if you aren't playing victim. "John. It's me. Again. Listen I know you're getting these messages I just…" he paused. The usual strategy of begging hadn't gotten him anywhere so far and they were nearly out of time.

If he had to play dirty then so be it.

"I just think you should know Kimberly's getting sick. Really sick. We're trying to keep her in one piece but there's only so much we can do. I'm sure that Lu guy will take her to a doctor after the show but we wont get to go with her then. If you have anything you want to say to her I'd get it in before she's gone for good."

The sound of static came through the opposite end of the phone as it usually did until the faintest sound of something moving followed.

You're screening my call… You sneaky bastard.

"She's given up on you coming back, but I still have a ticket to opening if you feel like coming.

I'm going to be backstage with her anyway," Mark paused giving the offer time to sink in.

"I'm not going to try and fix anything between you two because honestly she deserves better than someone who just gives up. I'll be back after opening night."

The background noise continued until Mark hung up completely satisfied that his message had gotten through for once. He could only hope John would take the bait so he wouldn't have to worry about resorting to plan B.

Every pieces of equipment was accounted for.

Even Sophie managed to learn each step and squeeze into each costume.

From the outside the show was more than ready for opening night. Backstage however, the now puking Kimberly could barely pull through for a drink, much less an entire number.

"I told you not to give her so many pills! We still have time to fix this!"

"I didn't give them to her this time, she found them!"

"How the hell could she have found them? I had Paul put them somewhere even I couldn't reach!"

The bickering continued, muffled out by the dressing room doors. None of the other dancers seemed to notice Serena and Mark spending quite a fair bit of time in Kim's dressing room, or they just didn't bother to mention it. In the end the only thing that mattered was that she could perform long enough to get them all on and off stage without having the debt collector on their backs.

A task much easier said than done.

"Stop yelling," she said hoarsely, the back of her throat burning. "I had him get them down.

Nothing else helps."

Slowly the attention of her caretakers turned away from each other and back to the frail girl kneeling beside the sink. Gently they pulled her up from the ground and back to the seat in front of the vanity. With great care Serena helped her clean up in an attempt to hide her disheveled state.

Mark could only stand back and watch as his friend withered away before his very eyes, the loss and the stress of her position weighing down to more than any person could bear. And he still couldn't get John to so much as answer the phone.

"At least they haven't spoken to you since then," he said quietly. "It's a lot easier without them snooping around."

"I don't care, Mark… Luscious still expects me to play nice," she said between sips of a soda meant to sooth her stomach. "At least the man would make him jumpy."

"Has he tried anything again?"

"No. We only meet at rehearsals. Serena gave him some 'resting for the opening' shit. He bought it though so I can't complain." The weight on her shoulders seemed to push her further down in her seat, the layers of makeup barely able to hide the puffiness around her eyes. "At least I look the part."Mark's heart sank.

He should be helping her move into John's place or at least be more useful than just standing around watching her suffer. Of the first time in his life there was nothing he could immediately do fix a situation he had a hand in causing.

"Serena, can you take her up to her room? I'm going to make a phone call. I'll be up there in a second."

Already knowing who the phone call was going to go out to neither Kimberly nor Serena attempted to change his mind. With an arm wrapped around the frailer woman's shoulders Serena helped her up from the vanity, walking her out of the dressing room before any of the other dancers could see how weak she was growing.

There was no doubt in Mark's mind that faking an overdose may prove too much for her body.

She had already pulled herself through the home cocktail of medication to just get through the week and even Dakota began to wonder if she was making herself sick on purpose. And at this point Mark couldn't bring himself to rule out that possibility.

For the second time that day, he prepared himself for john's voicemail message. His number still got through so there was at least the chance his messages were being heard.

" You've reached John Grey, leave a message and I'll try to get back to you."

Of course you'll only try if you aren't playing victim. "John. It's me. Again. Listen I know you're getting these messages I just…" he paused. The usual strategy of begging hadn't gotten him anywhere so far and they were nearly out of time.

If he had to play dirty then so be it.

"I just think you should know Kimberly's getting sick. Really sick. We're trying to keep her in one piece but there's only so much we can do. I'm sure that Lu guy will take her to a doctor after the show but we wont get to go with her then. If you have anything you want to say to her I'd get it in before she's gone for good."

The sound of static came through the opposite end of the phone as it usually did until the faintest sound of something moving followed.

You're screening my call… You sneaky bastard.

"She's given up on you coming back, but I still have a ticket to opening if you feel like coming.

I'm going to be backstage with her anyway," Mark paused giving the offer time to sink in.

"I'm not going to try and fix anything between you two because honestly she deserves better than someone who just gives up. I'll be back after opening night."

The background noise continued until Mark hung up completely satisfied that his message had gotten through for once. He could only hope John would take the bait so he wouldn't have to worry about resorting to plan B.

Nice storyline dr, more ink 2ur pen kk. Pls more updates alryt

@ Op, u ar fantastic. U rily made it seem lyk am watching d scenes. *thumb up*
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But, u sure dese meds wudnt ruin Kim. M afraid m afraid of dat. Anyways, it's all up 2 u sha.
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M waiting 4 d next upd8, pls.

Oh dear, ! Kim.
Ride on, nice updates, especially the last

Both Liam and John sat in shock, starting down at the now silent phone lying on the desk between them. When they had seen Mark calling the initial reaction had been to ignore it.

Liam however, was too intrigued after their recent conversation to just let the call go unanswered.

It had been his idea to screen it. Though there had been nothing preparing either of them for the news.

Once her name had been mentioned he was lost for good.

"Buddy? Say something."

'Kimberly is sick…given up on you…deserves better' John's mind was racing too quickly to even hear his friend's question as he pulled himself up from behind the desk.

"The hell does he think he's doing? I'm the one who gave up! Me? He's completely insane! She was the one who made me leave without her.

She made me go! I didn't just give up she wanted me gone!" Fuming he shoved the phone back into his pocket, pacing around his office agitated. "Do you know what she said to me?

She said there was no use in 'pretending' that she chose her sleazy investor over me. And then she hit me. There is nothing there about a woman who deservers any better than where she's going I can promise you that!"

Unaffected Liam simply watched as he paced the room, the advertisement sitting on his lap the entire time.

"So either she's a bird with a broken wing or some LovePeddler looking for a quick buck. Those two always go hand in hand," he said coolly.

"Oh come off it you can't actually believe him.

It's Mark . He thought Dakota was a good person for years!"

"We all did John, his judgment isn't any worse than ours. The difference between you and Mark is when you're hurt you try to lash out at other people. He only blames himself." Liam stood, handing over the advertisement face up.

"But if you're as completely done with this as you sound like you are throw her away."

"What is that supposed to—"

"Do it. No one here can just fly out to catch a show so we don't need it. Get rid of it."

John froze, the scared anger slowly starting to fade away as he tried to convince himself to dispose of the page. It should have been so easy, just one quick balling up followed by a well-aimed toss into the wastebasket. Yet the longer he stared down at Kimberly's innocent smile the harder it became to let the paper go.

His hands began to tremble as he handed the paper back to Liam carefully, attempting to seem indifferent to the challenge.

The paper was never retrieved, being left in John's extended hand as his friend went back to the desk.

"You still love her."

"She broke my heart," he finally admitted, feeling sick to his stomach the moment he heard the words out loud.

"Obviously. But just because she broke your heart doesn't mean you've stopped loving her.

You can't even through away her picture John, you can't just pretend like she doesn't matter anymore." Sympathy filled his friend's eyes before he turned his attention to the computer, booting the system back up as quickly as he could manage.

John knew what he planned to do but even as he folded the advertisement carefully to fit into his pocket he couldn't reason an excuse to return. She wanted him gone. That much was certain. There was no way he would even be allowed into the theater after they were found out anyway.

"You like window seats right?" Liam asked, browsing through flight schedules with ease. "I can't go back there," he replied weakly. "Even if I wanted to. She wouldn't want to see me."

Liam sighed, turning from the computer back to face John. For once the difference in their ages became blatantly clear as the curly headed man looked up. Small lines crossing his forehead, countless days spent working without sleep showing up in the way he held himself.

But he still seemed to be holding himself together far better than the younger man was currently.

"Then don't go to see her. Go to see the show, or even to see Mark. Dakota can't turn away a paying customer and if you happen to wander backstage for our scrawny little friend then so be it. But you are going back," he affirmed, returning to the booking website. "At least go to figure out why she changed her mind so quickly. No one just turns on someone out of no where."

There was no reply, but there was also no protest. The possibility of facing her again seemed even more terrifying than facing an entire army. At least when an army would kill him quickly, Kimberly would show him no such mercy.

Though if anything Mark had been preaching was true he didn't disserve any.

Liam was right though, he would never be able to get over her until he knew how she could walk away from him so quickly. He had to return to London. One last time.

Satine Act 1

I could have loved you but you had the hunger for a life in the lights.


I couldn't compete with the spell you were under.

The curtain rose, blindingly bright lights cast down on an empty stage. Slowly dancers began to move like clockwork, filling up the empty space with their own stories and actions. The spotlight however, was fixed on two stationary points. The silhouette of a woman held up on a black platform without any visible way down.

And a man, kept from the platform by the sea of dancers.

"I thought I was hopeless," he felt himself singing.

"I thought I was broken."

Slowly he began to move through the sea of dancers, a small path allowing him to look up to the platform without any obstruction.

"I waited in the cold, but the door wouldn't open 'til I." He took a step down the path. " 'Til I heard your voice in a dream."

Before he could move any farther the hands of stronger dancers rested themselves on his shoulder, pushing him back as the path was closed. What had been a clam group of people was now a hostile clash of male and female dancers alike, pushing and pulling him farther away from the platform. The hands of one man matching his height turned him around, leaving his back towards the woman.

The two circled each other for a moment before being pulled away, the reflection getting tossed back as he was tossed forward. It seemed as though the dancers had yet to make up their minds over whether or not he'd be allowed to pass.

For just a moment he had a clear view of the woman. The chances of having another opportunity were slim, so his next words were belted out with as much strength as he could muster.

"So sing to me and I will forgive you for taking my heart in the suitcase you packed!" The dancers began to try to push him away, despite his best efforts to never lose sight of the platform. "Sing to me like the lights didn't blind you!" A stronger man's hand pushed at his chest, sending him backwards. "Like you blinded me!" A woman cupped his face, hooking her leg around his to spin him away. His words now only for himself.

"When I heard your voice in a dream."

The woman on the platform turned down to face him, her expression covered by the shadow cast from the spotlight. A single arm extended to him before the hoard of dancers pulled him back to the opposite end of the stage.

Slowly he began to fight against their shoving, working his hardest to move himself in the opposite direction. Hands gripped his shoulder before he broke free. Female dancers blocked his path, throwing themselves at him to slow him down or barricading the route with their bodies.

Yet he pressed on.

"Sing to me like the lights didn't blind you!" The dancers surrounded him, pushing him down towards the floor.

"I thought I could love you but you had the hunger." He fought his way past the dancers, never once taking his eyes off the platform.

"Oh nothing comes easy when everyone's rushing." The dancers lifted him for a moment before he escaped their grasp, running up to the platform to make up for lost space.

He could feel his voice straining to belt out whatever piece of the song he remembered. The only thought in his head was to make the woman turn down to look at him. He needed to see her face. He needed her.

Slowly as he got closer to the platform new dancers appeared, helping him make his way towards her as quickly as he could.

"I thought I could love you."

The dancers helped him climb the platform. The hands of one woman guiding him the final steps until he had reached the top. For the first time since the lights went up he could see the woman on the platform's face. Her eyes locked onto his as their spotlights mixed, ridding her caramel skin of any shadows.

"I thought I could love you," he said in one final breath reaching out to touch her face.

"John…"

"John. Come on, the plane just landed. We're here." To his left Liam sat rather disheveled, bags forming under his eyes from a lack of sleep.

He was a far cry from the sweet face he had just been staring at. For a moment he believed he could close his eyes and have her back. The glimmer of hope fading from his face as soon as he came back to his senses, feeling the stale air of the cabin around him along with the soft cushions of their first class accommodations.

A frown crossed Liam's tired face as he realized what kind of dream he must have just interrupted. Sympathy came next, before he ultimately surrendered to how tired he was.

"Just make it to the resort. Mark says he still has your old suite so we can go stay there before the show. He said he'd try to get you back stage but he couldn't tell me anything else before we were out of range. Something weird sounded like it was going on though."

Slowly they began to gather their things, heading out of the plane to their boarding terminal. A driver ushered them away as quickly as they were spotted. There was no need for them to waist any time. They had come for one reason and one reason alone.

"What was going on?" he asked, putting his own bag into the car.

"I'm not entirely sure," Liam yawned. "But I think I heard someone throwing up. And I know for a fact Mark kept trying to argue with someone. She sounded pretty bossy too."

"Dakota?"

"Nah, I know her voice. This girl was new. I didn't pay too much attention to it though. They just kept arguing about pills and you, something about a plan. I'll remember more once I've gotten some rest." A shiver went down John's spine. "You were out right after the lady offered us drinks though. So I couldn't just tell you then."

He didn't need to be told. He knew exactly who was being argued over. Though the mention of pills scared him more than he cared to admit, as long as Mark was around her there was a chance he could fix his mistake.

By the sound of things, it seemed as though he would only have one chance to anyway.

As long as Kimberly would speak to him he knew forgiving her would come almost too easily. The problem was in getting to her in the first place.

"Someone sent you a gift." Serena stated, eyeing a vase full of extravagantly prepared roses set on the side of the dressing room vanity.

Dozens of costumes lay around by order of when they were needed. Glittering crystals and transparent scraps of fabric coloring the remainder of the room into a much more cheerful atmosphere than the mood deemed appropriate. It was as if the world around them seemed completely oblivious to the situation it had put them in. Or that it simply did not care.

It certainly felt as if it didn't.

"Morgan dropped them off," Kimberly said, carefully applying her lipstick. "That and a nice reminder about how lucky I am to be here. And how thankful I should be toDakota and Luscious."

"How did he seem?"

Kimberly paused, taking a moment to clean up the edges of her lips before moving on to her eyes. The brush in her hand shaking slightly before she could steady herself.

"Like he had no idea what he was doing… I think he honestly believes whatever Dakota has told him. Which makes him even worse to have around." With several careful strokes she finished one eye, giving herself a strikingly different appearance than the sweet girl she was known to be without the makeup. "He wouldn't have had a problem keeping with his threat."

Serena nodded, moving to the vanity to help finish her hair. Dozens of carefully pinned up curls were released, framing Kimberly's face before she began the task of arranging them properly. On stage she would rival any old Hollywood starlet. In the dressing room though, there was no hiding her obvious distress.

"Any word from Mark?" she asked, allowing Serena to maneuver her head however she needed.

"No… He left a little while ago and I doubt he'll be allowed back in any time soon. Morgan keeps a close eye on who comes backstage."

Kim's face fell. "We both knew the chances of his plan working were slim to none. You did what you had to. It's safer this way."

Though there was no doubt in her mind Serena was right, she wished to be wrong. Poor broken Kimberly was a sight worse than anything she had experienced in all her years with the company.

For the first time she saw what she must have looked like when Dakota broke her. She saw exactly what she had decided to try and prevent and still managed to fail.

The only hope either of them had was the off chance plan B turned out to work. Yet neither of them had mentioned how there would be no second chance if it didn't.

If they were going to lose to Dakota they had at least decided it would be on their terms.

"I know," Kim muttered, lowering her eyes to glance at her opening costume. "Should I take the pills now or during intermission?"

"Take some now to keep you running, we'll finish it off at intermission. You just have to hold through until curtain call. Then Paul will get you and you and I will take his car somewhere safe until we get a way out of here." Serena pinned one last decoration into her hair before holding onto the smaller woman's shoulders. "One way or another we're getting out of here."

Kimberly's eyes never rose from her lap. The pills on her vanity remaining untouched until a knock came from the door announcing that the time had come for them to get into place. While Serena responded, several of the pills had vanished. Kimberly's eyes closed tight as she forced herself to swallow.

"One way or another, we'll remind them we're not theirs. Just hold through until curtain call."

With one deep breath Kimberly rose from her seat, her demeanor easily changing into her characters once the pills began to take affect.

A hallow smile painted expertly across her lips.

"There's nothing more than can do to hurt me. I can at least make sure they wont forget me. I'll give them their ended. Exactly like they wanted."