Jamie-Lee Burke yawned as the alarm on her phone woke her from a dreamless slumber. It had been a long week, but it was now Friday- a chance to relax and let her hair down, which she had every intention of doing that night, surrounded by all her friends.

"Morning, sexy," Jamie whispered in the ear of her still-sleeping fiancé, who mumbled incoherently as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Does it have to be morning?" Stuart moaned, eliciting a small giggle from Jamie.

"'Fraid so," Jamie said. "Come on, we've both got work today." Stuart smiled as Jamie gave him one more kiss, before watching, enthralled, as his fiancée swung her smooth, soft legs out of bed and padded toward her en-suite.

----------

"Morning, sexy," Nikki Thomas heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear, waking her from a dream about her future wedding day. "Some of us have work today!"

"So rub it in more, why don't you?" Nikki retorted, making her fiancée giggle.

"I thought your surgeon said I couldn’t do that until three months after your operation?" Sarah said, making Nikki stick her tongue out at her. "Speaking of..." Nikki sighed as Sarah handed her a small washbag containing a tube of hand sanitizer, a larger tube of lubricant jelly, and the four long, thick tubes that had quickly become a regular feature of Nikki's life.

"Best get this over with," Nikki sighed as she sanitized her hands, before placing a dollop of lubricant jelly on her chosen tube and slowly inserting it into her vagina. "God, this still feels so weird..."

"You had a penis for nineteen years," Sarah sighed. "You've only had your new 'parts' for what, ten weeks? It's bound to still be weird. Still, you heard what Jamie said, after a few months, it'll be like you had a vagina your whole life. It's been two years for her, I wonder if she even remembers what it was like to have- well, to NOT have a vagina..."

"Well I WON'T be asking her on the way to work today," Nikki quipped, earning a giggle from her fiancée.

"Even for two girls who share as close a bond as you two?" Sarah asked.

"The only bond I want," Nikki replied, "the only bond I've EVER wanted, is with you. You know, I almost can't believe we've known each other for a quarter of our lives."

"Five years..." Sarah sighed dreamily. "Never imagined when I was fourteen that when I was nineteen I'd be studying fashion at university, be friends with a group of celebrities AND be engaged to the girl of my dreams!"

"When I was fourteen," Nikki replied, "I never imagined that when I was nineteen- well, I never imagined any of this. Especially, well, THIS." Sarah giggled as Nikki gestured to the light blue tube that was poking out of her crotch.

"I'll jump in the shower while you're, well, THAT," Sarah said, giving Nikki a quick kiss before jumping out of bed and heading into her en-suite. "And you know Jamie, I'm sure she wouldn't mind you asking personal questions, she's always been willing to help you."

"Yeah, I know," Nikki sighed. "Assuming she doesn't spend the whole day talking about you know who..."

----------

"Steph!" The middle-aged man yelled, waking his daughter from her slumber. "Wake up! You'll be late for work!"

"Mmph," Stephanie Abbott moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "I'm awake, I'm awake..."

As she padded toward her bathroom, Stephanie mused on how many twenty year old women throughout the country would be woken by their parents in the manner she had been, either to go to work, to college or to university. Stephanie was confident, however, that none of those young women would be going to the job she was going to- and very few of them would have spent the first nineteen years of their life living as a man.

After applying her make-up and dressing in a comfortable black miniskirt, dark red long-sleeved top and funky black patterned tight, Stephanie coolly strode downstairs to where her father was waiting to give her a lift to work.

"Honestly, Steph," the young woman's father sighed. "The more time you spend as a woman, the LONGER it takes you to get ready in the morning..."

"I have a public image to maintain," Stephanie shrugged. "I'm a member of one of Britain's biggest girl bands, I can't exactly leave the house looking a tramp now, can I? And besides... I need all the 'help' I can get if I want to be feminine."

"Not THAT much," Mr. Abbott said with a warm smile. "Your manager wouldn't have selected you for the band if you weren't drop-dead gorgeous, would he?"

"...I guess not," Stephanie giggled. "Pity not everyone agrees..."

"Well you just keep, um, keeping your distance from those people," Mr. Abbott advised his daughter. "You have REAL friends, don't you? The kind who won't judge you based on things that happened in the past?"

"Yeah, that's true," Stephanie said with a smile. Ten minutes later, her smile widened as she arrived at the office complex that contained her recording studio and saw a tiny, blonde-haired girl waiting outside for her.

"Hey Steph!" Kayla Ford squeaked as she gave the brown-haired transwoman a hug. "Hi, Mr. Abbott!"

"Hi Kayla!" Stephanie's father chuckled. "Your mum and I will be out when you get home tonight- though as tonight's Friday, god knows what time you'll actually be getting home, heh!"

"Thanks, dad," Stephanie said, before following her best friend into the recording studio, where the rest of the band were waiting for them.

"Hey Steph! Hey Kayla!" Becca Milton and Adeola Benedict- the band's two de facto lead singers- said in unison as they saw the two women enter the studio.

"Hey Steph," Lauren McTavish- the final member of the band, a petite, flame-haired Scottish girl- said in a cautious tone, before all five women took their place behind the microphones that had been carefully prepared for them.

"Morning, ladies," Stuart said from his seat in the control room. "We're going to be going over tracks 3, 4 and 6 today. In your own time..." Stephanie took a deep breath as the opening bars of the song she'd sung endlessly for the previous few weeks floated through the recording studio, before launching into song alongside her four bandmates.

----------

"Morning, ma'am!" Nikki giggled as she pulled up outside the vast mansion where Jamie lived.

"Oh give me a break," Jamie retorted as she climbed onto the back seat of Nikki's car. "Stop 'ma'am'ing me, I'm not even 25 yet!"

"No," Nikki agreed. "Only ten days to go, though! I called the studio you're going to this morning, they have everything set up and ready to go, but they had to draft in a different model to replace one of the ones you were expecting."

"Huh," Jamie said. "Did they explain why?"

"Nope," Nikki replied. "Didn't ask. Offered to step in myself, though obviously as it's a lingerie shoot, that might have been awkward..."

"Scars still not faded yet?" Jamie asked with a grimace. "Don't worry, I guarantee that they will. And if they don't, there's always my 'secret weapon'."

"...Which is?" Nikki asked.

"Hey!" Jamie yelled. "Nikki's vagina! Heal faster!" Nikki giggled so hard that she snorted, and had to take several deep breaths before she composed herself.

"That's still so amazing to actually hear," Nikki sighed. "'Nikki's vagina'... Jamie, um, can I ask you, like, a personal question?"

"I just asked you a question about your vagina," Jamie replied with a giggle. "I think you're good to ask away."

"It- it's kinda about your, um," Nikki stuttered.

"My vagina?" Jamie asked. "You know I don't mind you asking anything you need to know..."

"Does- does it ever feel, you know, normal?" Nikki asked, making Jamie sigh and giggle.

"Yes, yes it does," Jamie replied in a soft voice. "Honestly... I've almost forgotten what it was like to ever have a penis. You will get there, Nikki, I promise you. Sooner than you think, too."

"I hope so," Nikki sighed.

"Getting back to work is the first part of the return to normality," Jamie giggled.

"Yes ma- miss," Nikki said. "And it helps that everybody's treating me just the same- though that's because everybody just treated me like I was a real woman before my SRS."

"That's because you WERE a real woman before your SRS," Jamie said. "Unlike some people we can mention..."

"Now- can we please not talk about her?" Nikki asked. "Neither of us know the full story there, I doubt we ever will, either."

"The 'full story' is that Steph lied to us," Jamie retorted. "Told us to our faces that she was transitioning, taking hormones... When all along she wasn't even living full-time as a woman. Worst thing of all is that she lied to her fans. Do you know how many young transgendered girls look up to Steph as an icon, a role model?"

"If I was fourteen, I know I would," Nikki sighed. "And I'm not excusing the lies, but- different people handle their transition in different ways. God knows I'm grateful I didn't end up in a mental hospital due to my gender issues."

"Assuming that was a genuine thing, her going in there," Jamie snorted. "And not just, you know, a cry for attention."

"Even if it was," Nikki said, "it, like the lies, is in the past now."

"If you say so," Jamie sighed as the car pulled into the TV studio where Jamie would be making her latest TV appearance.

----------

"Goddddd..." Becca moaned to her older brother as she led her band out of their recording studio. "Do you have to work us so damned hard?"

"Yes," Stuart flippantly retorted. "You know we have to get this album finished quick, because A- it needs to be out for Christmas, and B- I'm not going to explain to dad why you're deferring yet another year of your university studies."

"Okay, fine," Becca sighed, grabbing a cup of cold water to soothe her sore throat.

"Besides," Stuart whispered as his eyes locked onto Stephanie's slender form. "You know WHY you have to work so hard..."

Stephanie sighed as drew a cup of water from the water cooler that Becca and Stuart had just vacated. She knew when she auditioned for the band that it wouldn't just be a case of endless parties and media opportunities and that she'd have to work hard day after day, but when she applied, she never thought she had any chance of ever getting in the band- which is also why she stated on her application form that she was female, when at the time she hadn't begun the process of transitioning- and hadn't even spent longer than six consecutive hours in her female persona.

Stephanie's lies were eventually uncovered by her older brother, one of the people she had trusted the most, and in an effort to avoid what would have been a catastrophic confrontation with the management of her agency, Steph ran away, crisscrossing the whole of Britain for two months until she was eventually found by the one person who unconditionally forgave her for her deception.

"They still don't trust me," Stephanie sighed to Kayla, making the tiny blonde girl smile sadly.

"Their loss," Kayla said defiantly.

"It's been almost three months," Stephanie moaned. "It's obvious I'm not going anywhere, but for SOME people, that's just not good enough..."

"Just ignore Jamie," Kayla advised. "Eventually that stick up her arse will work its way loose. Just give her some time."

"It's not just Jamie," Stephanie sighed. "It's Beverly as well... Reckon if I'd just taken those hormones I'd got off the internet, I wouldn't be getting ANY of this shit."

"And you'd probably have made yourself so sick that running away would be the least you'd do," Kayla retorted. "Steph... Honestly. Give them time. Focus on work if it helps. Do- do you want to skip tonight?"

"If you go, I'll go," Stephanie said, making Kayla groan with frustration.

"Ugh, put me on the spot, why don't you?" Kayla asked, making Stephanie giggle. "Okay, I don't really feel like a late night anyway. Night in it is!" Stephanie smiled as she and Kayla left the recording studio, heading back to Kayla and Lauren's posh London flat to relax for the rest of the evening.

----------

"Sometimes I wonder," Nikki laughed as she drove herself and Jamie back to their respective homes, "whether or not you actually endorse any of the crap that you peddle?"

"Some of it," Jamie giggled. "You coming out tonight? Just 'cause you're not healed enough to be back at ballet yet doesn't mean there aren't other kinds of dancing you can do..."

"I'll be there," Nikki said. "Probably sat in a corner as usual, trying to keep guys out of my cleavage..."

"Do you and Sarah still play that game where you see who can flirt the hardest with the same guy?" Jamie asked, making Nikki blush.

"Oh- we did that ONE. TIME," Nikki moaned. "Decided it was a bad idea very quickly after his fingers nearly went up my arse..."

"Don't know it until you've tried it," Jamie giggled as the car pulled up outside her vast mansion. "See you later, Nikki!" Nikki smiled and waved at Jamie as she pulled away, leaving the blonde woman to enter her home to be greeted by the sound of a baby's laughter.

"Hi Jamie!" Charlotte laughed, giving Jamie a quick hug before leading the young woman to their living room, where Charlotte's husband and son- both named Keith- were playing on the carpet.

"Hi cutie!" Jamie giggled at the duo playing on the floor. "And the cutie's father."

"Ehh... Not unfair," Keith senior conceded. "This just a flying visit before you two head out?"

"Obviously," Charlotte said with a smug grin as she and Jamie retreated up the stairs of the vast house, returning 45 minutes later with the bodies covered in fake tan and extra-thick make-up, their hair elaborately styled, their slender bodies stuffed into tiny black clubbing dresses and their feet crammed into torturously high platform stilettos.

"Do NOT wait up!" Charlotte giggled to her husband, before she and Jamie got into a waiting taxi, which whisked them to their next stop- a large dance studio closer to the centre of London.

Jamie and Charlotte watched on with happy smiles as the numerous teenaged girls (and two boys) filed out of the dance studio, almost all of them stopping for selfies with the famous pair. Once the reception area of the studio had emptied, Charlotte and Jamie walked toward the actual studio itself, pausing with one foot hovering over the polished floor of the studio and nearly breaking down in fits of laughter as the tall, blonde dance instructor rushed over to them with a look of fury on her face.

"God's sake!" Krystie growled. "Every damned week... One of these day you'll forget and then you actually will walk on this floor in those heels..."

"Just keeping you on your toes," Jamie giggled as she gestured to Krystie's shiny pointe shoes. "What's going on, giving some extra tuition?"

"Huh?" Krystie asked, before acknowledging the eight teenaged students behind her. "Yeah, just a bit extra for one of the boys in my advanced class. Who may soon be one of the GIRLS in my advanced class, if you fancy waving your magical mentoring wand around!"

"Really?" Jamie asked with a tired look on her face. "Of all the ways you could've worded it, you went for 'waving a wand around'?"

"Sorry," Krystie said, nearly doubling over in a fit of giggles of her own. "Anyway, think we've just about finished up now..." The three women smiled as the eight teenagers filed past them on their way to get changed, whilst their other teacher elegantly skipped toward the trio.

"Bonsoir!" Zoe Renou- Krystie's French teaching partner- greeted the three women. "We are all getting ready for the night out, yes?"

"Two of us already ARE ready," Charlotte retorted.

"Two of us actually WORK for a living!" Krystie quipped, making all four women giggle.

"Well the harder you work," Jamie said as she followed Krystie and Zoe to the changing rooms, where their clubbing dresses were waiting, "the harder you need to play!" The four women all giggled excitedly as Krystie and Zoe changed into their clubbing gear, and soon they were in a fancy nightclub in the centre of London, along with Zoe's transgendered lover Natalie and their friend Abbey, and were soon joined by Nikki, Sarah, and their friends Katie and Lauren.

The other Lauren- the member of Out of Heaven- joined them shortly afterward, as did Becca and Adeola, and before long, the club was heaving with young men and women having a good time and trying desperately to get selfies with as many of the celebrities as possible.

Meanwhile, in a large flat not far from the city centre, Stephanie and Kayla spent the evening relaxing, playing videogames and watching Netflix, and trying to forget all about Stephanie's anxieties.

None of the women realised that their lives, as they knew them, were about to change forever.

----------

"Mmph," Jamie moaned as her phone's text message chime pierced her hungover skull. "Jesus... Stu, if this is you I swear I'm dumping you." When Jamie checked her phone, she was surprised to discover that the text message wasn’t from her fiancé (who'd spent the night at his parents' house), but from Joshua Benedict- the manager of the agency with whom Jamie, Stephanie, Nikki and all their friends were signed.

'Meeting today 1030 at the office,' the message read. 'Urgent news.' Jamie's eyes went wide as she headed into the shower to cleanse her body and try to clear her head of her hangover. After emerging, Jamie applied a full layer of make-up and dressed in a smart yet sexy white bodysuit, think black tights and a pink pencil skirt suit with matching stiletto pumps. As she emerged from her bedroom, Jamie was unsurprised to find that Charlotte had dressed similarly in a red skirt suit- and was wearing the exact same concerned facial expression as Jamie.

"You got the message too, huh?" Charlotte asked her BFF.

"Yep," Jamie replied. "No idea what it could be... I've been signed to Joshua five and a half years, and he's never been as urgent as this. Well, apart from once- when Spencer and Hall wanted to sign me."

"I remember," Charlotte whispered as she mused on her own brief career with Spencer and Hall- one of very few talent agencies in the UK that could claim to be bigger or more prestigious than Joshua's- and how it had nearly destroyed her friendship not just with Jamie, but with the rest of the girls as well.

"Have you heard from any of the other girls?" Jamie asked. "I doubt it'll be just you and me..."

"I texted them, not heard back yet," Charlotte replied. "You okay to drive?"

"Is Keith okay to get Keith junior up?" Jamie retorted, making Charlotte giggle.

"Just go," Charlotte laughed. "Sooner we're there, sooner we're back home and I can actually try to enjoy my weekend!"

"Do- do you suppose this is it?" Jamie asked. "The Angels being cancelled?"

"Even if it is," Charlotte replied as the two women got into Jamie's shiny Maserati, "we'll still have plenty of other work. It's not like Joshua will simply fire us because we're not on TV anymore, we're still his most profitable clients."

"True," Jamie shrugged as she drove the two women to the agency's office building, where a large crowd had already assembled. Jamie bristled as she walked past Stephanie, but her face lit up again when she saw the smiling face- and heavily pregnant body- of one of her oldest friends.

"Hey Mary!" Jamie giggled, before crouching down and whispering into the Irishwoman's swollen belly. "And hey, Natasha! Not long to go now!"

"Sure, the sooner, the better!" Mary laughed. "Forgot how much the last few weeks of this sucks..."

"So no hurry for number three, then?" Jamie asked, giggling as Mary stuck her tongue out at her. "No idea why we're here?"

"Nope, but there are plenty of us here," Mary said. "Krys is bringing Hannah and Viks, Out of Heaven are all here, sure, there are people here even I don't recognise!"

"Joshua..." Jamie whispered. "You- you don't suppose he's finally retiring, do you?"

"He wouldn't suddenly announce it and drag us in at short notice on a Saturday morning," Mary said, shaking her head. "When SOME OF US were out late last night!" Jamie looked back over her shoulder, grinning at the pretend hurt expression on the face of Krystie, who had just walked through the door.

"I am perfectly capable of holding my drink," Krystie said, making her BFF snort derisively.

"That's good," Mary said. "Seeing as you've been drinking my share for the whole of this pregnancy as well!"

"Someone has to," Krystie shrugged, making Jamie giggle again.

"Look at Hannah," Mary said, gesturing to the tall blonde model stood behind Krystie. "Her BFF gets pregnant, she quits drinking altogether!"

"Why is it," Krystie sighed, "that I'm the only actual teacher here, and yet I'm surrounded by swots?"

"Viks," Jamie asked, trying to stifle her laughter. "Do you or your other half know why we're here?"

"Not a clue," Viks sighed as she rubbed her own small, pregnant belly. "Jon got the text, same as the rest of us."

"Joshua's own adopted son doesn't know?" Krystie asked, taking a deep, nervous breath as Viks nodded. "This doesn't bode well... Is Adeola here?"

"Yes," Mary replied, "and she doesn't know either, despite both being his adopted daughter AND still living with him!"

"Hey everyone," Nikki said as she approached the group in her own smart suit and heels. "So... Why am I wearing my best skirt at 10:30 on a Saturday morning?"

"No idea," Jamie sighed.

"Though in fairness," Krystie said, "it IS a nice skirt. Goes well with those tan tights."

"Thanks!" Nikki beamed.

"Maybe they're announcing the fourth series of the Angels, and you're going to be the main star, given that you're the most fashionable of us all?" Hannah teased the blushing nineteen year old.

"Stop teasing her," Jamie laughed as she gave her protégé a calming hug. "Whatever it is, I think we're about to find out." Jamie's heart rate increased as she pointed to the top of the stairs, where the agency's owner had just appeared, with a look of worry etched onto his dark-skinned middle-aged features.

"Follow me, please," Joshua said to the crowd in a voice infinitely more subdued than his typical half-Nigerian half-cockney bellow. Wordlessly, the assembled crowd followed Joshua into one of the agency's large rooms, which was usually used as a photography studio but for this instance had been filled with seats, almost as though Joshua was hosting a conference in the room.

The crowd quietly took their seats and waited as Joshua opened his briefcase and took out his laptop, hooking it up to the room's projector before placing a seemingly blank DVD into the laptop. Almost immediately, the projector sprang to life, and mere seconds later, the tension levels of many in the room had risen to dangerous levels.

"Coming soon to a TV screen near you," the video announced in a grand voice, "Britain's newest and most exciting modelling super group- meet the eight young women who will soon be your new celebrity idols!"

"Kelly Watson," the video announced alongside the image of a dark-haired young woman, whose features betrayed a mixed Chinese and Caucasian heritage- and one other fact about her genetics. "When she was born, HE was called Kevin. Now SHE is not just a woman, but a supermodel, and is ready to take the modelling world by storm!"

"Jade and Mia Cooke," the video continued. "Both former finalists of Miss Merseyside, these sisters have already set runways alight on six continents!"

"Saraya Hallett and Niamh Robinson," the video stated. "Former finalists on the X Factor and ready to take the charts by storm!"

"You bitches," Becca whispered just loud enough for Stephanie and Adeola to hear- both of whom concurred with Becca's outburst.

"Katya Witkowska and Ciara Nichols," the video continued, before the final face of the new 'clique' appeared on the screen, causing Nikki to nearly wet herself in fear.

"No," Nikki whispered, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Please, god no, not her..."

"...And Dannii Samson," the video announced to loud protests from the entire room. "Together, these eight young women will take the whole of Europe by storm, and you'll be able to follow their exploits in a new reality TV series coming this spring on ITV2!" All six of the Angels groaned as though they were in pain at the mention of the network that had, for the previous three years, broadcast their own reality TV series.

Silently, Joshua ended the video and ejected the DVD from the drive, before standing in front of his assembled clients.

"They ripped us off," Krystie whispered, breaking the silence. "They fucking well ripped us off!"

"That is exactly what they did!" Joshua angrily snapped. "I received this disc two hours ago from a courier. I do not believe it was put together any more than 48 hours ago."

"But who's doing this?" Charlotte asked. "Surely they must know they can't take down an established brand like the Angels?"

"The disc is labelled 'Property of Spencer and Hall Talent'," Joshua said in a dark voice, prompting another loud groan from the crowd.

"If anyone can compete with us, it's them," Jamie sighed. "When- when did Dannii even, you know..."

"No more than a week ago," Joshua whispered. "I was offered a very generous offer to buy out her contract, I accepted... A condition of the buy-out was that the buyer remain anonymous. Now I know why."

"They obviously only wanted her because of her behind-the-scenes knowledge of this place," Sarah spat, earning a stern stare from Joshua.

"And the fact that she is six feet tall and has a near-perfect bone structure!" Joshua retorted. "But you are not wrong, Sarah. Ever since the Angels debuted, Spencer and Hall have seen me as a growing threat to them. Tried to split me apart more than once."

"I- I actually received another offer from them a month ago," Hannah whispered. "A third one. I turned it down, because, you know..."

"Loyalty," Jamie said, finishing the blonde woman's sentence for her. "Everyone in this room is loyal. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," the room said in a firm, unified voice.

"You don't know how good it is to hear you all say that," Joshua said with a smile.

"But that's still the end of our show, isn't it?" Mary asked. "Natasha's birth, Jamie's wedding..."

"I haven't heard back from ITV2 yet," Joshua sighed. "But I am already looking for alternatives, different channels... I would recommend that all of you begin aggressively marketing your online presence over the coming few weeks."

"Not easy when we're back at uni in a couple of weeks," Sarah sighed.

"Not easy when you're dropping a baby in the next couple of weeks!" Mary protested.

"This- this new band," Adeola mumbled. "Are they- are they targeting us? I mean, Out of Heaven?"

"It's a duo, not a band, from what I can tell," Joshua answered his adopted daughter. "And your band has over a million likes on Facebook. They're not going anywhere. I expect the five of you to continue the work you've been doing these past few months." Jamie bit her lip to stop herself from speaking out as Stephanie cleared her throat and prepared to speak.

"Does- does Dannii..." Stephanie stammered, feeling the eyes of the room heat up the back of her neck. "Does she know, you know... About me?"

"...Nikki?" Joshua asked, causing the young transwoman to freeze in fear as she was put on the spot.

"I, uh, I- I don't know," Nikki stuttered. "I mean, I didn't tell her, but I told other people, I don't know if they-"

"Who exactly did you tell?" Stephanie asked, her fear giving way to anger. "Am I going to end up plastered all over the front pages? I kinda have a right to know!"

"Well maybe if you hadn't lied about your status in the first place, you wouldn't be in such a panic now!" Nikki retorted.

"Ladies!" Joshua snapped. "This is NOT the way we respond to this!"

"Then how DO we respond to this?" Kayla asked. "This is clearly big news, you wouldn't have called us all in here otherwise."

"We ARE all looking to you for leadership, Uncle Joshua," Jonathan- who had been stood at the back of the room, behind his pregnant wife- said in a soft, quiet voice.

"And I will lead you all through this," Joshua said. "I didn't want any of you to know before any of the others, hence why you're all here. This news is not insignificant. But it's not the end of the world either."

"Not yet, anyway," Stephanie mumbled, earning a stern stare from her manager.

"Go and try to relax," Joshua ordered. "I'll keep you updated if anything happens and you have any questions, you know where to find me. Go!" The assembled men and women all nodded as they left the room, though tensions remained high as they walked through the spacious reception area.

"Well, this is shit," Krystie sighed. "Thank god the studio's doing well..."

"We should focus on that," Charlotte announced, trying to calm the crowd. "We're all still in work. Yes, this new quote-unquote 'super group' will try to eat into that, but that doesn't mean we have to let it."

"Easy to say when your whole identity isn't at threat," Stephanie sighed, prompting groans from both Nikki and Jamie.

"If there's something you want to say to me," Nikki growled, "I'm all ears!"

"How about," Stephanie retorted, "stop gossiping about my private life and find something better to talk about?"

"How about," Nikki snapped as she menacingly approached Stephanie, "stop lying about your private life and don't give us anything to gossip about?" Incensed, Stephanie shoved Nikki in the chest, sending the taller girl stumbling back on her stilettos, before both girls launched themselves at each other with clenched fists, only being stopped at the very last millisecond by Jonathan and Dan stepping between them.

"NO!" Jonathan snapped. "This- right here- it ain't happening. We are NOT breaking this down into a war! Do you hear me? Now apologise. Both of you!"

"...Sorry," Stephanie mumbled.

"Sorry," Nikki grunted.

"You heard the boss," Jonathan said in a stern voice. "Go home. All of you. Try to relax. We WILL sort this out, we WILL work through it."

"Tonight..." Charlotte said hesitantly. "If- if enough of you want a traditional Saturday party we'll have one, but..."

"I'm not really in the mood for a party tonight," Becca mumbled.

"Or me," Nikki said.

"Well- okay," Charlotte sighed. "We'll skip the party for tonight. See you all on Wednesday if not before."

"Jamie," Nikki whispered quietly. "Can- can I have a word? You know, in private..."

"Sure," Jamie said, leading Nikki, Sarah and Charlotte out to their cars. The four women were soon back at Charlotte's house, where their weary bodies collapsed onto Charlotte's plush sofas.

"Keith and Keith have gone toy shopping," Charlotte explained as she poured glasses of wine for the four women. "Maybe I should text him and tell him not to hit the credit card too hard..."

"I can't believe Dannii," Nikki sighed as she sipped her much-needed wine. "When I- when we first met her, she was obsessed, totally obsessed with getting signed to Joshua. I just don't get how she could stab him in the back like that..."

"It's not like she was short of work, either," Jamie said. "I always put in a good word for her when I was doing TV shoots... Guess to some people, fame is more important than loyalty."

"You don't suppose she'll actually spill Steph's secret, do you?" Sarah asked. "I mean, she's bound to know..."

"Steph dug her own grave," Jamie replied in a cold voice. "What's important, Nikki, is that you don't blame yourself for this as it's not- I repeat, NOT your fault."

"Yeah," Nikki sighed. "But the fact is, if we'd treated her more like a friend than a colleague-"

"No," Charlotte said firmly. "No buts. Besides, Dannii's only one of eight girls. Spencer and Hall would've formed their group with or without her."

"Yeah," Nikki mused. "But would that other final member have had the same intimate knowledge of the Angels?"

"Doesn't matter," Jamie said confidently- though deep down, she began to wonder whether or not Nikki HAD played a part, however small or inadvertent, in the formation of the new group.

----------

"Goddddd..." Stephanie moaned as she kicked off her heels and collapsed heavily onto her sofa. "This is a DISASTER."

"No. It. Isn't," Kayla tried to reassure her friend. "You heard Joshua, Out of Heaven is established. There's nothing this new band can do to change that. And maybe Dannii doesn't even know your 'secret'."

"I'll bet you a tenner she does," Stephanie sighed. "Nikki's always going on about what a cut-throat bitch she can be. I bet you this is how it went down- Dannii went to Spencer and Hall, said 'I'll give you info about Steph from out of Heaven in exchange for a nice, fat contract'."

"You're being paranoid," Kayla sighed. "Or you've been watching too much Game of Thrones. One of the two, anyway. Besides, you've been going on about how Jamie hates you for months now, and she hasn't spilled your secret, has she?"

"Only because she respects Joshua, not me," Stephanie retorted, making her best friend sigh.

"You know what I think you need?" Kayla asked. "A traditional Saturday night party."

"After we just established how much Jamie and I hate each other?" Stephanie replied.

"I didn't say 'a traditional Saturday night party at Charlotte's', did I?" Kayla giggled. "Let's start a new tradition. Saturday nights from now on are you and me, and Becca, Addie and Lauren if they want to join us, sat on one of our sofas, drinking wine, gossiping, watching TV... And yes, playing videogames if the mood takes us!"

"Sounds PERFECT," Stephanie giggled.

Later that evening, four of the five members of Out of Heaven were sat on the plush sofas in Kayla & Lauren's flat, relaxing with glasses of wine in their hands as they awaited the arrival of their final member.

"That'll be her," Kayla said as she heard her doorbell ring.

"Sorry I'm late," Becca sighed as she entered the flat and dramatically flopped onto the sofa next to Adeola. "Had to go straight from the agency to my sister's place."

"Not more bad news, I hope?" Lauren asked.

"Only for her waistline," Becca giggled. "Guess who's going to be an auntie again...?"

"She is, and you're the one who's pregnant?" Adeola asked, earning a playful shove from her best friend.

"Seriously?" Lauren asked. "Everything that happened today, and you're making jokes?"

"How much competition do we already have?" Adeola retorted. "We ain't even an A-list girl band, but we're doing alright. My bank balance has never been healthier, I can upload a photograph of a pencil to Instagram and it'd get tens of thousands of likes."

"Hundreds of thousands, depending on where you put the pencil," Becca said, earning a playful shove of her own from Adeola.

"Point is," the dark-skinned girl continued, "Spencer and Hall's new band are just gonna be a drop in the ocean. Yeah, it's a well-backed drop, but it's still just a drop. We'll still go into work on Monday, we'll still release an album by the end of the year, we'll still go on another tour next year, we'll still be sexy, successful and, most importantly of all, rich young women."

"Who hopefully WON'T try to get into a fight with their colleagues," Becca quipped, making Stephanie cringe.

"Ugh," Stephanie spat. "I just want to forget today ever happened..."

"Sounds like someone needs more wine!" Lauren giggled, pouring Stephanie another glass as the conversation moved onto happier topics, where it stayed for the rest of the night.

----------

Jamie smiled as her eyes fluttered open of their own accord, without any prompting from her phone's alarm or from her fiancé, who was slumbering in bed next to her. The extended sleep had refreshed her and made her feel less anxious about the threat the new 'super group' posed to her career, though as she showered and dressed in a comfortable white bodysuit and grey pinafore dress, her anxieties returned one by one. Would her work drop as much as she feared? Would 'The Angels' be a thing of a past- or even worse, split apart? And worst of all, would this 'Kelly' girl replace Jamie as a role model for transgendered girls?

"Mmph," Stuart moaned as he woke from his slumber. "Morning, gorgeous..."

"Morning, sexy!" Jamie giggled. "Let me guess- we're going baby shopping for your sister today?"

"She's not due until April, we've got ages," Stuart snorted.

"Ah, as if the rock-hard penis in your shorts wasn't enough proof that you're a man!" Jamie giggled as Stuart got out of bed and slowly made his way to the shower. "Take it you're looking forward to finally being able to deflate your implant?"

"I would say 'you have no idea', but we both know how inappropriate and incorrect that would be," Stuart retorted, making his fiancée laugh.

"If not shopping, then how about we just go out somewhere for lunch?" Jamie asked. "We live in the biggest, most diverse city in Europe, there's bound to be somewhere or something we haven't tried. Other than us making use of that implant, hehe!"

"Why are you so eager to head out?" Stuart asked. "After yesterday, I'd have thought you'd want to wait by your phone for any news?"

"Ugh," Jamie spat. "Believe me, that's the LAST thing I want right now. I just- I just want to forget all about these wannabe Angels, especially this Kelly girl..."

"Does seem a bit blatant," Stuart mused. "A modelling clique with a transgendered girl as their centrepiece... Spencer and Hall never struck me as a 'follow the leader' type, though."

"They follow money, same as anyone in this industry," Jamie sighed. "The last two seasons of the Angels have turned into 'Mother and Baby' time. Don't get me wrong, I adore Keith junior and I know I'll adore Natasha and Viks's kid, but still..."

"I get where you're coming from," Stuart said. "TV bosses want girls, but the six of you are now women."

"So Spencer and Hall find eight girls and make tons of cash out of them," Jamie said. "And poach probably Joshua's hottest future prospect in the meantime."

"I don't think I've said twenty words to Dannii in all the time I've known her," Stuart sighed. "Never would have picked her for a traitor, though. Wonder how Nikki's taking it..."

----------

"Feel any better after a sleep?" Sarah asked her fiancée as she padded down the stairs and slumped onto the sofa.

"Barely," Nikki sighed. "It's like- you know, I still blame myself? I've known Dannii three years, and-"

"Stop. Right. There," Sarah ordered her fiancée. "Jamie told you that it's not your fault. And it isn't It. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Dannii's always been ambitious. Overly ambitious, she's always put her own interests above those of her friends. Hell, she's always put her own interests above HAVING friends. She's no loss."

"You're right," Nikki said. "Though you gotta feel sorry for Lauren, I mean, she's known Dannii for what, eight years?"

"People grow apart," Sarah shrugged. "Well, the unimportant ones do, anyway!" Nikki giggled as Sarah leaned in behind her and gently nuzzled her bare, slender neck. "So yeah, professional worries aside, as far I'm concerned, with Dannii it's good riddance to bad rubbish."

"God, I wish I could be as calm as you are," Nikki sighed.

"Nah, don't you dare change a thing about yourself!" Sarah said, before giggling as Nikki withdrew one of her stents from her dilation kit. "Well... Don't change anything from now on, hehe!"

"Same goes for you," Nikki laughed, before putting the stent away. "I've already dilated once this morning, anyway. What you got planned for today?"

"Just more-" Sarah began, before being interrupted by her fiancée.

"Apart from pre-course reading," Nikki laughed, making Sarah giggle. "I actually kinda want to go and see Lauren, see how she's coping."

"...So do I," Sarah said. "Assuming we can fit the visit between you shoving things into your vagina, that is!" Sarah laughed as Nikki stuck her tongue out at her, before snuggling up next to her fiancée on the sofa. "And NO MORE FIGHTS, agreed?"

"More than agreed!" Nikki laughed, blushing with embarrassment at the previous day's confrontation.

----------

"Good morning, Steph!" the twenty-year old singer's mother said in a cheerful voice as Stephanie padded down the stairs. "Did you have fun at Lauren & Kayla's?"

“Yeah,” Stephanie sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table. “Pity the morning before…”

“Stop worrying!” Mrs. Abbott chastised her daughter. “You’re not the first person to have reacted badly to bad news. Just as long as you learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them, that’s the important thing.”

“I know, I know,” Stephanie moaned. “It’s just embarrassing, that’s all, I’ve never really had a problem with Nikki before… Dunno if the same could be said the other way round, though.”

“Maybe it’s something you should talk to Dr Phillips about when you see her on Thursday,” Stephanie’s mother advised.

“Nikki’s future mother-in-law? Yeah right,” Stephanie snorted.

“There’s no need for THAT attitude either!” Stephanie’s mother retorted. “Beverly’s always been impartial when dealing with you, regardless of who she’s related to.”

“I know,” Stephanie sighed. “Just can’t help but feel that if I’d just told her from the start that I WAS transitioning, that I wanted oestrogen, none of this would have happened.”

“Or,” Stephanie’s mother said, “Without Beverly to confide in in the early weeks, you’d have ended up being even more stressed out.”

“…Probably,” Stephanie sighed as her sweet-smelling breakfast was placed under her nose.

“And if you’re worried about this Dannii girl,” Stephanie’s mother continued, “you still have her number, you still have her on Facebook, right? Give her a call, drop her a message, talk it through with her, I’m sure you’ll realise that you have nothing to worry about.”

“Thought about that,” Stephanie sighed, “but she’s taken me off her Facebook. From the looks of it, she’s taken everyone else off as well.”

“Her loss,” Stephanie’s mother shrugged. “Now eat up, want to keep that voice of yours nice and strong, you’ll be doing a LOT of singing tomorrow!” Stephanie smiled as she tucked into her breakfast and tried to focus on her work and her relationships with the friends she did have, but deep inside, her worried about Dannii- and her potential ‘outing’ were just as strong as ever

----------

“Hey, girlies!” Lauren Burnett giggled happily as she welcomed her old friends Nikki and Sarah into her new flat. “Welcome to the mad house!”

“It’s, um, cramped!” Sarah laughed as she and Nikki walked hand-in-hand through the narrow hallway. “Where’s Katie, buried underneath one of these boxes?”

“She’s actually picking up more boxes, hehe!” Lauren laughed as she cleared a space on her sofa for the couple to sit down. “We may kinda have to have a clear out before we’ve even moved in, heh. Then again, this new place does have two bedrooms, so it's a big improvement on the old place!”

“Why did you even move out in the first place anyway?” Nikki asked. “Your parents live in London, so do Katie’s…”

“I’m nineteen!” Lauren protested. “Want some independence, want to live the proper student lifestyle, y’know? Eating Pot Noodles, staying up until 2am studying…”

“You did that anyway as your mum’s home,” Nikki said, making Lauren giggle bashfully. “And you had more disposable income.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same, you know?” Lauren sighed. “One good thing with less disposable income is that I finally quit smoking, especially living with an asthmatic. It’s funny, though… When I moved out of home, I always assumed it’d be Dannii that I moved in with.”

“No offence, Lauren,” Nikki said with a grimace, “but I can’t exactly see Dannii living in a place like this.”

“Honestly? Nor can I,” Lauren sighed. “Then again, I couldn’t see her betraying her friends, either…”

“Have you spoken to her since yesterday?” Sarah asked.

“Nope,” Lauren mumbled, shaking her head. “She’s even taken me off her Facebook, we’ve been friends on there years, she was my first friend on there and everything…”

“Well, we all know she’d sell her own mother for fame,” Sarah said. “No offence, Lauren, but it’s no surprise-“

“Nope,” Lauren said, nodding in agreement. “No surprise at all. I have tried calling her but she’s not picking up, might drop round her parents’ tomorrow, see if I can talk to her face to face.”

“Want us to go with you?” Sarah asked. “Give some moral support… Umm, even though that might not be such a good idea, I know she’s not that fond of me…”

“And has been a little TOO fond of me in the past,” Nikki mumbled, remembering the occasions on which Dannii had tried to seduce her- including one occasion on which the tall blonde girl had attempted to blackmail her into sleeping with her. Ever since that incident, Nikki hadn’t trusted Dannii one bit- but Dannii had at least been in a position where Nikki could keep an eye on her.

“…Actually that wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Lauren said. “A bit of moral support… Though I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to back out.”

“We’ll- we’ll let you know tomorrow,” Sarah said as Nikki remained quiet. “Anyway, you didn’t call us here to chat, you called us here to unpack, so let us know where to start!” Lauren grinned as she handed Nikki and Sarah a box each to sort through, and Nikki returned her grin, even though inside, she felt more uneasy than ever.

----------

“Are you ready for a big letdown?” Stuart asked Jamie, making the blonde woman giggle.

"With you? Always," Jamie said, making her fiancé stick her tongue out. Stuart took a deep breath as he gently squeezed the valve inside his genitals, before laughing softly as his penis- which had been constantly erect for days beforehand- slowly became limp and flaccid.

“I can’t believe you have to inflate and deflate it several times a day,” Jamie sighed as Stuart zipped up his fly.

“I’d have thought you’d be more upset about not being able to ‘use’ it for another several weeks, heh,” Stuart laughed.

“Oh no, I’m okay there,” Jamie giggled. “As long as I get to help you ‘inflate’… I’m going to need the practice there anyway!”

“Seriously?” Stuart asked as he and Jamie strolled down the stairs to the living room. “After two years of not letting me help you dilate?”

“The first few months I dilated you nearly threw up,” Jamie reminded her fiancé. “Besides, from now on, THIS will be doing the dilating!” Jamie let out a playful giggle as she gently squeezed Stuart’s crotch area, which earned an eye roll from Charlotte as the couple sat down on one of the plush sofas.”

“Get a room,” Charlotte sighed. “You’re lucky Keith junior’s at his grandparents’ today…”

“We’ve got a room, we just like this one,” Jamie retorted, before grabbing her iPad off the coffee table. “Just need to snap this for posterity…” Jamie smiled as she leaned back into her fiancé’s embrace and took a selfie of the two of them.

“And by ‘posterity’, she of course means ‘Instagram’,” Stuart snorted.

“My fans want to know what I’m getting up to,” Jamie retorted.

“As long as you’re not putting any photos on there of what you’re getting up,” Stuart said, making Jamie giggle and Charlotte nearly spit out her drink with laughter.

“Now I’m REALLY glad my son’s at his grandparents’!” Charlotte said between fits of laughter as she casually glanced at the screen of Jamie’s iPad. “Whose profile you looking at?”

“Kelly Watson’s,” Jamie said, earning groans from her fiancé and her BFF.

“Honestly, Jamie…” Charlotte sighed. “Don’t let this become an obsession, okay?”

“I’m not ‘obsessed’,” Jamie retorted. “I’m just looking at her Instagram, that’s all. Call it ‘professional curiosity’, I mean, she IS going to be a rival of mine, even if it’s just on a professional level.”

“Scouting the opposition?” Stuart asked Jamie, who nodded in response. “That’s some pretty thorough scouting, you’re going back quite a ways…”

“She uploads, like, every hour,” Jamie replied. “Eighty photos and I’ve only just covered the last month. Did you know she’s going out with Steph’s ex-boyfriend?”

“Who, Kurt?” Stuart asked. “The transman, the Canadian guy?”

“Yeah,” Jamie replied. “Wonder if Steph knows…”

“No,” Charlotte said firmly. “N. O. Do NOT tell her, that’s a conflict we do NOT need right now.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Jamie said with mock innocence. “Just think it’s a bit weird, that’s all, Spencer and Hall aren’t content just ripping me off, they want to rip off our relationship as well. Wouldn’t be surprised if she started going out with him just for that reason…”

“Whoa, getting paranoid much?” Stuart asked, earning a stern stare followed by a defeat sigh from his fiancée.

“…Maybe,” Jamie sighed. “But you have to admit, a new group of heavily-promoted models, where one of them’s transgendered? How can I not take that personally?”

“It’s an attack on all of us,” Charlotte said. “And you don’t even know Kelly, she might be a really nice person. Assuming, of course, that we ever get to meet her.”

“Any reason why you wouldn’t?” Stuart asked. “I mean, at least professionally, for shows or photoshoots, right?”

“Spencer and Hall are REALLY protective of their assets,” Charlotte said. “When I was signed to them they’d actually pull me out of gigs if they heard that the producers were even talking to other agencies.”

“Jeez,” Stuart sighed. “Obviously THEY’RE the ones who are paranoid.”

“They can afford to be,” Charlotte explained. “They’re the biggest agency in the UK, producers need them more than they need the producers and there’s always a long line of people queuing up to do work with them.”

As Stuart and Charlotte discussed Charlotte’s former agency, Jamie continued her ‘scouting’ of Kelly’s Instagram profile, before moving onto her Twitter feed. The more of Kelly’s tweets she read, the more Jamie grew to dislike the girl, little realising just how similar Kelly was to herself- a fun-loving, career-minded girl who sought to use her transgendered status to raise awareness of transgender issues in the UK. What riled Jamie the most, though, was that all throughout Kelly’s twitter feed, not a single mention was made of herself or the other Angels. To Jamie, it was almost as though she was ripping off her and her friends, and she didn’t even have the common decency to acknowledge it.

Rather than allow Kelly to wind her up further, Jamie took a deep breath and placed her iPad back on the coffee table, where it stayed for the rest of the night- though before she’d closed down her iPad, Jamie had taken the time to fire off an email…

----------

“Steph, your tablet’s pinging,” Stephanie’s mother shouted, making Stephanie sigh and pause her videogame session. “Have you set it so that it notifies you if someone’s tweeted you again?”

“No,” Stephanie replied, adjusting her bra and tying her hair back into a ponytail before heading downstairs. “Only notifies me if I get an email from someone on my contacts list… Huh, it’s from Jamie.”

“Her, of all people?” Stephanie’s mother asked. “What does she want?”

“Sent me a link to an Instagram post,” Stephanie replied.

“Is that the one that’s like Twitter, only with photos?” Stephanie’s mother asked.

“…Yeah,” Stephanie replied, inwardly sighing at her mother’s lack of technical savviness. “Huh, the account’s one of those new girls I was telling you about… Shit.”

“Stephanie?” Mrs. Abbott asked, startled by her daughter’s outburst.

“Look,” Stephanie sighed, showing her mother the photo of Kelly and Kurt cuddling in an obviously intimate way.

“Oh- Steph,” Stephanie’s mother sighed, giving the upset young woman a gentle hug. “You knew he’d move on eventually.”

“If not him I’m mad at, it’s her,” Stephanie spat. “Jamie-bloody-Lee Burke. She’s rubbing my nose in it!”

“You don’t know that,” Mrs. Abbott replied. “Maybe she just emailed you thinking it was better that you found out now, rather than later?”

“Jamie’s not that altruistic,” Stephanie snorted.

“When you first met her, you thought the sun shone out of her backside,” Mrs. Abbott reminded her daughter.

“That was a lot time ago,” Stephanie sighed. “Times change. People change. Either that, or they show who they truly were all along.”

“Either way, you’re not going to accomplish anything by sulking about it,” Stephanie’s mother chided. “You’ve got a long week of work ahead of you, so forget about Jamie, forget about Kurt and try to relax, okay?”

“…Okay,” Stephanie mumbled, before slinking back upstairs and trying to immerse herself in her game. As hard as she tried, though, she couldn’t shake the feeling of utter panic from the back of her mind.

The mere possibility that Dannii might have known the truth about her ‘status’ had caused her immeasurable worry, but she knew for a fact that Kurt knew all about her ‘status’, and whilst he’d promised to keep it to himself out of respect for her and for the relationship that they’d had, Stephanie knew first-hand that Kurt would do anything to keep his girlfriend happy- including selling out his ex-girlfriend. After finishing her gaming session, Stephanie opted for an early night ahead of an early morning the following day, but despite her best efforts, she barely got any sleep, and as she trudged downstairs the following morning in the pink tights and black leotard that comprised her dancewear, she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Bad night?” Stephanie’s father asked with a sympathetic smile. “Your mother filled me in on everything that’s been happening, about Kurt…”

“I really, really don’t want to hear his name,” Stephanie said with a nervous, tired laugh, before letting out a long, loud yawn.

“Bit harsh,” Mr. Abbott said. “But I guess I can understand. I think. Maybe.”

“What time are you at work?” Stephanie asked the middle-aged man.

“11,” Stephanie’s father replied. “Plenty of time to give you a lift to your dance class. When are you recorded your next video again?”

“Umm, start of next month,” Stephanie said. “We’ve just about got all the choreography sorted, just need to rehearse it now.”

“Well, I look forward to seeing it,” Mr. Abbott said. “Me and the other several million fans of yours who aren’t going to jump ship simply because some other band comes along. Am I right?”

“Umm… You do know that ‘flavour of the month’ is basically how the whole entertainment industry works, right?” Stephanie asked her father, who simply laughed in response.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’ll always be a superstar,” Mr. Abbott said with a warm smile, before escorting his daughter to his car and driving her to the front entrance of the Krystie Fullerton School of Dance.

As Stephanie entered the building, stifling a yawn, she was surprised to see her four bandmates already present, but all of them were wearing their street clothes, rather than their dancewear.

“Umm… Hi?” Stephanie asked, confused by the attire of her friends.

“Oh, um, hi Steph,” Kayla said in a cautious tone. “Did- did you not get the text message?” Confused, Stephanie checked her smartphone, only to find that its battery had been fully drained.

“Shit, must have forgotten to charge it,” Stephanie mumbled. “What did the text say?”

“Spencer and Hall have sent out more videos,” Becca sighed. “Interviews with their eight new stars… Steph, we, um, we heard about Kurt and one of the new girls…”

“It’s fine,” Stephanie said in a clipped voice.

“Okay then,” Becca said, taken aback by Stephanie’s defensive attitude. “Anyway, we’re all waiting on the DVD to be delivered here for us to watch.”

“Why here and not the agency?” Stephanie asked.

“Ehh… Think Uncle Joshua’s busy, doesn’t have time to address everyone like he did on Saturday,” Adeola replied. “That, and he didn’t get any reply to your text.”

“Remind me to apologise to him yet again,” Stephanie sighed as Krystie entered the dance studio with a DVD in her hand.

“Didn’t get the text?” Krystie asked the embarrassed Stephanie. “No matter, I can always give you a private lesson after we watch the DVD, get you caught up with the other girls.” Stephanie’s embarrassment grew as she followed her friends into Krystie’s small office, where the tall dance teacher popped the DVD into her laptop and was greeted on-screen by a grid of eight names- the names of the models in Spencer & Hall’s new clique.

“Pick a name,” Krystie said. “Though I think I know which one you’re all going to go for…”

“Actually I would kinda like to hear from the two new singers first,” Kayla said, earning quizzical stares from the other girls. “What? They’re the ones who’ll be in direct competition with us, won’t they?”

“Okay,” Krystie said. “Think they were Saraya and Niamh, weren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Kayla said, watching with a determined look on her face as the brown-haired, well-tanned face of Saraya Hallett appeared on the screen.

“Hi,” Saraya said with a confident grin. “I’m Saraya Hallett, I’m 21, and I’m one of the stars in the new Constellation!”

“’Constellation’?” Lauren asked.

“…Yeah,” Krystie said with a tired chuckle.

“I started singing when I was seven,” Saraya continued. “First in my school choir, then in national singing competition- most of which I, of course, won!”

“Puke,” Becca said in a deadpan voice, making the other girls all giggle.

“I’ve always wanted to be in a girl band,” Saraya said. “My main inspirations are modern bands like Little Mix and The Pussycat Dolls, and, of course, legends like the Spice Girls!”

“And Out of Heaven, maybe?” Adeola asked.

“I can’t wait to work with the other girls,” Saraya enthused. “Being part of a tight-knit group like this is something I never had at school- most of the other girls were all too jealous of my success.”

“Puuuuuuuuuuke,” Lauren snorted.

“I’m Saraya Hallett,” The girl on the video concluded, “And this is my Constellation!”

“Well,” Becca sighed. “I don’t know about any of you, but I hate her already!”

“Are we actually achieving anything by watching these videos?” Kayla asked. “Other than stressing ourselves out, I mean.”

“You’re the one who wanted to watch her introduction video,” Adeola reminded her bandmate. “Can we watch Niamh’s, now?”

“Of course,” Krystie said, opening the next video on the list.

“Hi,” The blonde-haired girl on the screen said in a refined Irish accent. “I’m Niamh Robinson, I’m 19, and I’m one of the stars in the new Constellation!”

“Hate her already,” Becca said dismissively, making her friends all chuckle.

“I grew up in Cork,” Niamh continued, “but I moved to London last year to find my ‘fame and fortune’. I’ve received tuition in singing and dancing since I was five, I’ve actually won nationwide competitions in Irish dancing.”

“Spot a running theme,” Lauren snorted.

“I’m REALLY looking forward to singing with Saraya,” Niamh gushed. “I can tell we’re going to be the best of friends.”

“Ah, young one, you WILL learn,” Krystie said with a knowing smirk.

“I’m Niamh Robinson,” The Irish girl concluded, “And this is my Constellation!”

“My dad said something this morning,” Stephanie said at the end of the video. “That we’ll always have fans who consider us to be the biggest and the best band around. The same must surely apply to the Angels as well. The best way we can respond to this isn’t by panicking, or fighting with each other, but by carrying on the way we have been, by doing our best, producing the best singles and videos we can.”

“That’s really mature,” Becca said with a proud grin. “Kinda hard to believe it came from you, Steph!”

“Hence why you’re ignoring the ‘no infighting’ thing she just said,” Adeola teased Becca, who gave her a playful shove in response.

“This whole thing has been a real learning experience,” Stephanie said.

“You’re right,” Krystie said. “Can we please watch Dannii’s video NOW?”

“…Go on then,” Becca said, letting out a snort of laughter as Krystie clicked on the video.

“Hi,” the familiar blonde-haired girl said on the screen. “I’m Dannii Samson, I’m 19, and I’m one of the stars in the new Constellation!”

“Yes, we know who you are,” Adeola said in a deadpan voice, making her friends giggle.

“I’ve been a model since I was fifteen,” Dannii said. “When you’re six feet tall and have 41” legs, you kinda owe it to the world to show them off, hehe!”

“You never had a problem with ‘showing off’, did you, Dannii?” Becca spat.

“I’ve been signed to other, smaller agencies in the past,” Dannii continued, “but I’ve never had the opportunity to be part of a proper team of girls like Constellation. I’m REALLY looking forward to the new opportunities.”

“Oh, you bitch,” Adeola breathed.

“I’m Dannii Samson,” The blonde girl concluded, “And this is my Constellation!”

As the video ended, Stephanie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, even as Adeola fumed at Dannii’s flippancy. By dismissing Heavenly Talent as just another ‘smaller agency’. Stephanie didn’t know what she was expecting to hear from Dannii- whether or not she’d hint at having some ‘insider knowledge’ of the working of Heavenly Talent- but her apparent refusal to even acknowledge the agency’s existence led Stephanie to believe that she, and by extension, her ‘status’, would receive no attention at all from the new group of their agents.

----------

“I’m Dannii Samson,” The blonde girl stated on the small screen in Lauren & Katie’s front room, “And this is my Constellation!”

“I am going to tear every hair out of her fucking blonde head,” Nikki spat as she switched off the video. ‘Never been in a proper team’? The Teen Angels clearly don’t count, then?”

“In fairness, I think we only ever did half a dozen things as the ‘Teen Angels’,” Lauren sighed. “And the Teen Angels only really existed as Dannii was already signed to Joshua…” Lauren’s voice trailed off as the other three women in the room stared at her disapprovingly.

“You should be angrier than anyone,” Nikki retorted. “You were friends with her for years, the way she was talking it was like she’d never had any friends in the past!”

“I’m sure she was just talking from a professional point of view,” Lauren said.

“Putting career opportunities before friends?” Sarah asked. “Yep, that sounds like her…”

“Oh, you mean the exact same way you two did when you blew us off to hang out with the Angels?” Katie asked, earning a look of pure fury from Sarah.

“Girlies!” Lauren snapped, silencing Katie and Sarah. “Dannii’s made her own bed, she’s moved on, that’s what people do, okay? Nikki’s still got her job, the three of us still have our uni.”

“…We still get to hang out with the ACTUAL Angels,” Katie interjected.

“Exactly,” Lauren said, nodding in agreement with her flat mate. “Just because Dannii’s apparently ‘gained’ doesn’t mean that we’ve ‘lost’.”

“…Even though you’ve lost your oldest friend?” Sarah asked Lauren, who frowned and blinked back a tear.

“I still have three amazing friends,” Lauren said with a warm grin. “Five, once Jacinta and Ophelia get back from Brighton.”

“…So do you still want to go round and talk to Dannii?” Nikki asked.

“Jamie-Lee’s always saying that you can never have too many friends,” Katie said.

“…I do kinda need to, you know, ‘know’,” Lauren sighed.

“Okay,” Nikki whispered, before silently leading the four young women down to her small Renault Clio.

“So, Nikki,” Katie asked with a wicked grin on her face, “how different is it driving without a dick?”

“Really, Katie?” Sarah asked.

“What?” Katie asked. “We’re all thinking it, aren’t we?”

“I’ll admit I was,” Lauren said, barely suppressing a giggle, “but I wouldn’t have worded it like that!”

“I’m just amazed ‘driving’ is the first time you asked,” Nikki laughed. “Not walking, sitting, peeing…”

“…And anything more intimate than that is NOT getting answered,” Sarah said firmly. “And if you know what’s good for you, it won’t be asked either!”

“But to answer your ‘driving’ question,” Nikki said. “…It’s taking some getting used to, but that can said of, well, ‘it’ for everything else, not just driving!”

“But no regrets?” Katie asked. “I remember you saying how sore it used to be.”

“No regrets,” Nikki said confidently. “Bruises are gone, swelling almost gone… It’s actually starting to feel normal, heh.”

“I remember her saying the same thing when her chest began to ‘grow’,” Sarah mused, making Nikki start to blush.

“What happened to not discussing sensitive areas of my anatomy?” Nikki asked her fiancée, making the brown-haired girl giggle.

“Well, the ‘cat’s out of the bag now…” Sarah teased.

“The ‘cat’ is staying in my panties, where it belongs!” Nikki protested, making the other three girls laugh.

“Oh yeah, that’s a question,” Katie giggled. “How do your panties feel against-“

“NO!” Nikki and Sarah yelled simultaneously, prompting another loud giggle from all four girls.

A short while later, Nikki parked her car just outside the posh suburban house of Dannii Samson, and took a deep breath to settle the nerves that had developed as she turned onto the street. It wasn’t the first time Nikki had visited Dannii’s home, but it was no less daunting than the first time, especially as Nikki led the women past Dannii’s convertible BMW- a car she barely drove (instead preferring to be chauffeured everywhere by her considerably older boyfriend), but which cost more than Nikki’s & Sarah’s cars put together- the cost, of course, being met by Dannii’s wealthy parents.

“Remember,” Sarah said, “we’re not here to confront Dannii, we’re just here to talk to her, say we heard the news about her new job and we want to congratulate her, that’s all.”

“That’s our story, anyway,” Nikki interjected, earning a stern stare from Lauren as the black-haired girl knocked on the front door. Mere seconds later, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman that all four girls immediately recognised as Dannii’s mother.

“Hi, Mrs. Samson!” Lauren said with a grin she tried hard to make look genuine. “Is Dannii in?”

“Hi girls,” Mrs. Samson said, her demeanour strangely defensive. “Umm, sorry, but Danielle’s out at work at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Lauren said, her grin going wider and more obviously false. “We heard about her new job, wanted to congratulate her… Wanted to see if maybe she, umm, wanted to come out for a drink later on?”

“I’ll let her know you dropped by,” Mrs. Samson said. “Now, um, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Oh, okay,” Lauren said, before her face fell as the door was shut in her face. “Well, Dannii’s avoiding us, then.”

“What?” Katie asked. “Her mum said she was at work…”

“I could hear music coming from her bedroom,” Lauren sighed. “Unless her dad likes listening to Girls Aloud…”

“Doesn’t seem likely,” Nikki sighed. “We should tell someone, Joshua maybe. Or Jamie, I dunno.”

“What would Jamie be able to do?” Katie asked.

“I- I dunno,” Nikki sighed. “I just feel like we should do something, tell someone…”

“You, maybe,” Katie said. “We might all be technically employed by Heavenly Talent but me, Sarah and Lauren haven’t done any actual work for them in ages.”

“Whereas I went back to work last week,” Nikki mumbled. “I know, I know… I’ll drop in, see Jamie, get advice from her after I’ve taken you all home.”

“I’ll come with you,” Sarah whispered, gently squeezing her fiancée’s hand as they got back in Nikki’s car. As they drove away, Nikki pondered whether or not Katie was right, whether or not there was anything they could do about the threat to their livelihood posed by the new modelling clique- or whether or not they posed a threat to their livelihoods at all. Even if the Angels had a reduced workload, Nikki’s workload- as their PA- wouldn’t change. However, Jamie was her friend, and as her livelihood WAS under threat, Nikki felt that she owed it to her to offer any support or knowledge that she had.

----------

“I’m dreading this,” Jamie moaned as she navigated the menu of her DVD- the same DVD that Stephanie and Nikki had watched mere minutes earlier.

“They haven’t been THAT bad so far,” Mary said, shifting her weight to make herself more comfortable despite her extremely swollen belly. “Not mentioned anything about the Angels. Well, unless you count Dannii pretending that Joshua operates out of a market stall, anyway…”

“I’ve not see anything to worry about yet,” Charlotte said firmly. “Just- just play Kelly’s interview.” With a grim face, Jamie nodded and pressed the play button on her remote control, instantly grimacing the second her new rival’s face appeared on screen.

“Hi,” Kelly said with a cool, shy smile that instantly got under Jamie’s skin. “I’m Kelly Watson, I’m 23, and I’m one of the stars in the new Constellation!”

“Doesn’t seem so offensive so far,” Charlotte mused.

“I was born in Hong Kong in 1993,” Kelly began. “My father’s English, he worked for the governor, my mum’s Chinese. When Britain withdrew from Hong Kong in 1997, we moved back to London, though that wasn’t the biggest change that’d happen in my life! I’ve known I was different my whole life, and not just because of my skin colour… I’ve always associated more with girls than with boys, always felt that inside, I should’ve been born a girl… I started transitioning three years ago before my final year of university. In February, I’m booked in for my final operation.”

“Three years ago…” Jamie mused, rolling her eyes. “Remind me again, when did we become famous?”

“It does seem like more than just a coincidence,” Mary said.

“I really want to be a role model for young transgendered people,” Kelly said, causing Jamie’s eyes to grow even wider. “When I began transitioning, there was no one I could really look up to, no one who was on the same journey as me who I could look to for support. I want to be that type of person for the hundreds and thousands of young girls- and boys- in the UK who need to know that they aren’t alone.”

“Oh, you bitch,” Jamie whispered.

“I’m Kelly Watson,” The black-haired girl concluded, “And this is my Constellation!”

“Jamie…” Charlotte whispered. “Those- those words have to have been put in her mouth by Spencer and Hall. Trust me, the amount of coaching they give you before media appearances is ridiculous, and as they’re conducting those interviews themselves…”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not entitled to be angry that they’re trivialising my whole fu- my whole life!” Jamie snapped. “God…”

“Maybe- maybe you should talk to her?” Mary asked. “I think Kelly actually auditioned for Joshua earlier in the year, he might still have her contact details. And I know Kurt will, I think someone’s still got him on Facebook…”

“Kelly auditioned?” Jamie asked. “Why am I only finding out about this now?”

“Joshua gets hundreds of people a day submitting their portfolios, you can’t be expected to keep track of all of them,” Charlotte shrugged.

“Well- no,” Jamie said, “but if it’s a transgendered girl applying to an agency who’s become famous off the back of a transgendered girl, then maybe-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Mary laughed. “There are SIX Angels, remember?”

“…Sorry,” Jamie said with a grimace. “But- but you know what I mean, right? Just goes to show that Kelly was BSing when she said ‘never had a role model’, you don’t audition for Joshua if you haven’t heard of the Angels.”

“It would be a bit like signing for Manchester United but never having heard of Wayne Rooney,” Mary commented. “But it’s not something we should spend too much time worrying about.”

“Especially not in your condition,” Charlotte giggled. “You’ve got far more important things to think about right now!”

“True,” Mary said with a grimace. “And on that note, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Honestly, I should set you up a cot in our downstairs loo!” Charlotte laughed as Mary waddled toward the toilet. “And as for you, Jamie, no obsessing over Kelly’s social media, got it?”

“…Got it,” Jamie sighed with a chuckle.

“You’ve just got yourself a fully-functional fiancé,” Charlotte said. “Take advantage of that fact!”

“If only I could,” Jamie snorted as she crossed her legs on the sofa and straightened her opaque black tights. “Still got a month, maybe two before we, you know, for the first time…”

“Before you act as ‘man and woman’ for the first time?” Charlotte asked. “It’s so cool that the two of you will be able to properly do that, modern medicine, eh?”

“Yeah,” Jamie sighed. “Just wish it was a bit easier for him, and not just because it’s forcing me to wait longer!”

“Good things come to those who wait,” Charlotte shrugged. “And it won’t be long, I mean, he’s already back at work, right?” Jamie smiled as she nodded and thought about her fiancé sat in his recording booth, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t shake the anger she felt at Kelly’s ‘snub’ from her mind.

----------

“Excellent work, girls,” Stuart said as he opened another music track on his laptop. “Take a half hour break, believe me, you’ve earned it!” Stephanie smiled as she removed her headphones and grabbed a bottle of water to soothe her sore vocal chords.

“You’re looking happier than you were yesterday,” Becca teased her transgendered bandmate. “Not defecting to Spencer and Hall on us, are you?”

“No, HELL no,” Stephanie replied. “Just… Feel a bit better after watching the interviews, you know? Kelly didn’t mention Kurt once in her interview… She might not even know about the ‘real me’.”

“You ARE the ‘real you’, for- ugh, you know what I mean,” Becca sighed. “If you’re worried about any secret coming out, I wouldn’t worry, you saw the interviews, they’re desperate to not even acknowledge the existence of Heavenly talent or Out of Heaven.”

“Yeah,” Adeola said, interrupting the conversation. “I don’t believe for one second that Kelly girl’s never heard of you or Jamie-Lee. The way she was talking, it was like she was the first ever transgendered person in the world.”

“They can’t go up against opposition they refuse to acknowledge,” Becca said with a shrug.

“Exactly,” Stephanie said with a confident smile.

After their break, and another three hours of singing, the five young women headed back to their respective homes to rest, though as Stephanie walked through her front door, she was greeted by two surprises- one pleasant, one not quite as pleasant.

“Hello Stephanie!” The young woman’s mother beamed with a sympathetic smile. “Your brothers have dropped around to say hi!”

“Oh,” Stephanie said. “Hi Danny. Hi, um, Tom.”

“Hi Stephanie!” Danny said with a big, goofy grin.

“Hi Stephanie,” Tom said, staring stoically at Stephanie as she sat down, sweeping her short skirt underneath her backside and crossing one leg over the other as she did so.

“Good day at work?” Mrs. Abbott asked.

“Umm, yeah,” Stephanie said. “Kinda tiring, we’re really hammering away at the album to get it finished in time.”

“No rest for the wicked, even with that bad news you got?” Danny asked, earning a quizzical stare from his sister. “Rachel told me, she said she talked to your agent today about the Sky Angels programme, said he was feeling pretty stressed out by everything.”

“What bad news is this, then?” Tom asked, making Stephanie grimace.

“Thanks for that, Danny,” Stephanie whispered. “Umm, there’s a new modelling clique, set up by Spencer and Hall to rival the Angels.”

“Who are Spencer and Hall?” Tom asked. “Another agency?”

“Yeah,” Stephanie replied, her body suddenly gripped by nerves. “They’re one of the only agencies in the UK who are bigger than Joshua’s, um…”

“They’ve basically grouped eight of their models together,” Danny explained. “Though from what I hear they poached one of Joshua’s as well, haven’t they?”

“Umm, yeah, umm, one of the younger models, not one of the Angels,” Stephanie said.

“Does this model know about what’s really happening with you?” Tom asked, bringing back Stephanie’s earlier feelings of panic.

“Um, I- I don’t think-“ Stephanie stammered.

“What’s ‘really happening’ with your sister,” Mrs. Abbott said sternly, “as you well know, if that she is a vulnerable young woman who’s undergoing a large and sometimes traumatic physical transformation.”

“But she’s not changing physically,” Tom retorted. “That’s the point, and if these Spencer and Hall people find that out, they WILL go to the press about it.”

“Way to support your little sister, bro,” Danny said, shooting a highly disapproving stare at his brother. “How about showing some enthusiasm about her upcoming album? Besides, this ‘defector’ probably doesn’t even know about Stephanie.”

“And given any luck, I WILL be physically changing soon anyway,” Stephanie said. “I’m seeing Doctor Phillips on Thursday, we can talk over things… She’s hinted that she might actually prescribe hormones soon.”

“And it’s about time!” Stephanie’s mother laughed. “Hopefully things will settle down for you soon. Who knows? You may even find yourself another nice young man…”

“Mum!” Danny protested. “Stop trying to marry us all off…”

“What?” Mrs. Abbott said with a shrug. “You’re happy with Rachel, aren’t you? And Tom’s happy with Amanda, I want all three of my children to be happy.”

“I think Steph might still be getting over Kurt though, that’s the thing,” Danny said softly.

“Well he certainly isn’t still getting over me,” Stephanie sighed.

“What, has he got a new bird?” Danny asked.

“Yeah,” Stephanie sighed. “The transgendered girl from Spencer and Hall’s new… Clique…” Stephanie’s voice trailed off as she felt her brothers’ stares bore a hole in her head.

“So Kurt’s, um, going out with one of the new girls?” Danny asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Stephanie whispered, blinking back tears as she heard Tom draw breath to speak.

“You know what’s going to happen, then,” Tim said bluntly.

“Thomas!” Mrs. Abbott snapped.

“What?” The thirty year old man shrugged. “Kurt was really hurt when he found out that Steph lied to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s emailing the press right now. Steph… You should get to them before he does, make them see your side of things.”

“We’ve been through this time and time again,” Mrs. Abbott sighed.

“Yes, and every time we’ve been through this, we never get a resolution,” Tom retorted. “Steve or Steph needs to decide that he’ll go back to living life as a man, or SHE will finally stop pretending to be a woman and will actually live life as one.”

“I AM living life as a woman,” Stephanie snapped. “How much more obvious can it be?”

“Dr Phillips is a trained professional, and you’re not,” Mrs. Abbott chastised her son. “If she says Stephanie isn’t ready for oestrogen, then we need to accept her professional opinion.”

“Fine,” Tom sighed, sitting back defeatedly. “Just don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

“We won’t,” Mrs. Abbott said, before brightening her facial expression. “So, Stephanie, which songs were you singing today/ Can you give us a few bars?”

“Can we afford to have her sing a few bars?” Danny asked, earning a playful shove from his sister.

Stephanie forced herself to enjoy her evening in with her family- even acquiescing to the quest to sing a few bars from her song- but as she went to bed, her brother’s words resonated in her brain. She’d only gone out with Kurt for a few brief months, but in that time, she’d found him to be a kind, friendly man, and when they’d spoken after her return from her self-imposed exile, he’d reassured her that he’d never sell her out to the press. As Stephanie tried (and failed) to get to sleep, however, she wondered just how much her deception had hurt the sensitive young man- and she knew all too well that even the kindest, gentlest person can be only be pushed so far before they break.

----------

“I wonder if I’m the only woman in the world who actually proud to be watching her man play with himself,” Jamie giggled as Stuart laid on his back in their bed, inflating and deflating his new implant.

“Now you know how I felt every time I watched you play with your dildos,” Stuart retorted.

“I wasn’t ‘playing’ with them,” Jamie retorted. “They were medically necessary for the continued health of my vagina.”

“As is this,” Stuart said, laying back with a satisfied smile on his face. “Unless, of course, you’re prefer permanently limp-“ Stuart tried his best not to giggle as the nightie-clad Jamie climbed into bed next to him and silenced him with a soft, gentle kiss.

“Get to sleep, wanker,” Jamie teased, giving Stuart another kiss before switching off her light and trying to get to sleep. However, as much as her fiancé’s presence calmed her, she still felt uneasy about the threat that Kelly posed to her livelihood. Charlotte and Mary had tried to reassure her that the country was more than big enough for there to be more than ‘transgendered role model’- and unlike Stephanie, Kelly’s desire to transition was (in Jamie’s eyes, at least) genuine. Jamie was sure that if she just met and spoke to Kelly, she might even grow to like the young oriental woman, but if what Nikki had told her was true, and Spencer and Hall’s stars were refusing all outside contact, that was something that would clearly never happen, and Kelly would forever remain an adversary, a rival- and more importantly, a threat to Jamie’s livelihood.

Jamie groaned as her phone woke her just after 7am, though it took her several seconds to realise that her phone wasn’t playing her usual alarm call, but was instead notifying her of a new text message, just as it had on Saturday. And just as it had on Saturday, the message was ordering her to report to the agency later in the morning for a meeting.

After changing into her best miniskirt suit and stilettos, Jamie met up with the similarly-dressed Charlotte in the kitchen, whose face was covered in worry even as she fed her infant son.

“What do you suppose it’ll be this time?” Jamie asked her BFF, who sighed in response.

“Joshua telling us that this whole Spencer and Hall thing was a practical joke?” Charlotte retorted, making Jamie snort with laughter. “I dunno, Jamie. I called Mary, she’s been called in as well… You don’t- you don’t suppose someone else has, you know, ‘gone over’, do you?”

“I dunno,” Jamie sighed. “I hope not. But- ugh. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stephanie’s gone over to Spencer and Hall. Much as she had it coming with her lies, I’ve not exactly been making her feel welcome lately…”

“That should be enough incentive to change immediately,” Charlotte said bluntly, making Jamie sigh and nod.

“I know, I know,” Jamie moaned. “Remember when all we had to worry about were our waistlines and which company we’d be modelling for next?”

“Yeah,” Charlotte sighed. “Then we became adults.”

“Worst decision I ever made,” Jamie said, making her BFF giggle.

“Tell me about it,” Charlotte giggled as she handed her son to his father and followed Jamie out to her car. “When we get back, we’re getting Katie round her with her camera and we’re having a proper photoshoot, before we actually forget how to be models!”

“Deal,” Jamie giggled as she fastened her seatbelt and drove her and her BFF to the offices of Heavenly Talent, where Krystie, Mary, Hannah and Viks were already waiting for them.

“Hey girls,” Charlotte said as she and Jamie greeted their four friends with hugs. “Just the Angels today?”

“Yeah,” Hannah said. “Expected to at least see Nikki here as well, or Out of Heaven…”

“Pretty sure Out of Heaven will be here later recording,” Jamie said, before taking a deep breath as the imposing figure of Joshua Benedict appeared at the top of the stairs leading to his office. “Looks like it’s show time, girls.” Silently, Joshua descended the stairs and headed into the same studio he had assembled his employees in three days beforehand, with the six young women following closely behind him.

"Take a seat," Joshua announced, before removing his expensive, tailored suit jacket and sitting down opposite the six girls.

"We are cancelled, aren't we?" Krystie asked with a long sigh.

"We don't know that for sure," Hannah retorted.

"We do now," Joshua announced in a sombre voice. "The controllers of ITV2 called the production company last night. They will not be renewing the Angels for a fourth season."

"Well, okay," Charlotte said calmly. "We expected this to happen, we were prepared for this happening, nothing lasts forever."

"Spencer and Hall put out a press release a few minutes ago announcing that their Constellation will be the stars of a new reality TV show," Joshua sighed. "Coming soon to ITV2."

"Typical!" Jamie spat. "Just fucking typical!"

"Watch your language!" Joshua chastised, silencing the young blonde woman. "I am looking at other angles, other potential ways of keeping our brand alive. I promise you, twelve months from now, you six will be as famous as you are now."

"But hit YouTube and Instagram as hard as we can, right?" Krystie asked.

"And make sure you are saving your money," Joshua advised, causing Charlotte to blush with embarrassment. "I'll call you or text you when I have further news."

"Joshua, are- are you feeling okay yourself?" Jamie asked, frowning as the tall, dark-skinned man shook his head.

"Life was so much simpler before you six made me millions!" Joshua said with a loud chuckle. "I'll be fine. I'm playing in the big leagues, I have to put in the extra effort."

"I'll not expect Jonathan back early from work, then," Viks sighed, earning a sympathetic chuckle from her adoptive father-in-law.

"You and that treasure inside you will always be his first priority," Joshua said softly. "I'll make sure he NEVER forgets that. Now go! I have phone calls to make!" The six women all silently nodded and headed to the exit of the studio, but before they reached the door, they were stopped by Mary suddenly crying out in pain.

"Oh god!" Mary gasped as she clutched her swollen abdomen. "Now? Why, of all times, why now?"

TO BE CONTINUED