Bebe in LaLa Land: 8

 

John goes to the Halloween party dressed as Alice in Wonderland and has a great time,
but he has a nagging feeling of guilt because he's keeping secrets from Blaine.
Miss Stephanie makes several more appearances, too.

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Author's Note: As always, I LOVE TO READ YOUR REVIEWS! ~Clara.
 
This version of Bebe in LaLa Land: 8 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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THE PRETTY LITTLE GIRLFRIEND -or- 'TIS LOVE, 'TIS LOVE, THAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND!
 

"Are you ready to see your 'Alice,' Mr Mad Hatter?" Joanne called down the hall to Blaine.

"I'll be right out!" he called back. "I'll meet you in the living room."

"Ok," Joanne was in heaven. Having a girl to fuss over seemed to be a source of absolute joy for her. "Come on, dear, just down the hall, to the right."

As they entered the large room with the sectional sofa and what had to be a one-hundred inch television mounted on the wall. John caught his reflection in the huge, black screen of the titanic television and swayed just a little to see the petticoated skirt sway. The dress was truly beautiful and well made and, unlike the petticoats he'd worn as Bianca, these were wide and playful - almost 'frothy' in the way that the dress played over them. It hung in such a lovely way and made him look absolutely adorable.

"It's very pretty, isn't it, dear?"

"It really is," John replied.

"I knew that it would be."

Probably due to the old fashioned design of the dress, he reverted to his Bianca curtsy.

"Oh, sweetie," Joanne clapped her hands together and held them near her chin, "that curtsy is just perfect for Alice. You must do that throughout the night!"

Before John, who was oblivious to the fact that he'd curtsied at all, could ask what she meant, Blaine entered in his meticulously made suit with the oversized top hat, which now bore a tag reading, "In this style 10/6."

"Wow," he said breathlessly. "You look... amazing. I mean it, Bebe, you look absolutely beautiful. Like Alice come to life."

Again, with no thought to it at all, John responded first with a curtsy. "Thank you. You look really cool, Blaine."

"Oh... thanks. It's pretty comfortable, too. Thanks mom. But I don't know if anyone will even recognize you, Bebe. You just look so... young and beautiful. Almost like a little girl."

"Is that a good thing?" John giggled.

"It's... a great thing."

"Ok, you two, let's get some pictures before you go!" Joanne grabbed her phone and guided the two young people towards the fireplace.

"Oh!" John said as a thought occurred to him. "I need my phone! Rose and Ed will want a picture."

"I'll grab your purse, dear," Joanne said. "Where did you leave it?"

"In the changing room, by the pool."

"Ok. I'll be right back. You two stay right where you are."

Joanne left. John looked at Blaine's costume - slightly comical, but very nicely cut and sewn. "You look very handsome." He smiled in that innocent way that Blaine adored.

"Yeah? I feel a little goofy next to you. You look... just amazing, Bebe."

"I look like a little girl in this. You even said so." He laughed. "It is pretty, though, isn't it?"

"I guess, but it's only pretty to me because you're wearing it." He bent down and kissed John with a soft, loving kiss. "Every time I see you, you're more beautiful. I don't know how you do it."

John felt a rush of warmth flow through his body. He smiled, again. "You're so sweet." Once again, he felt just a little pang of guilt. He knew he had to tell Blaine, but he wasn't going to ruin tonight. Tonight, he'd be Blaine's pretty, little girlfriend. That was all he needed to be.

"Here, sweetheart," Joanne handed John his purse. He fished in it for a moment, produced his phone, turned it on and handed it back to Joanne.

Joanne arranged them in front of the fireplace and stepped back. "Oh, you two are just adorable, together. Ok, now smile." She took several pictures with John's phone, then did the same with her own.

When she'd finished, she handed John his phone. "There's a pocket in the pinafore so you can carry a phone or a wallet with you, if you'd rather leave your purse at home," she told John. That made the costume even more perfect for John.

"I know it's not very elegant, but I will be your chauffeur this evening. We'll take the Mercedes, though, so you won't have to look this pretty and travel in my SUV." Joanne laughed at her own teasing. She was enjoying this evening even more than Blaine and John.

Getting into the back seat of the Mercedes sedan was a challenge unto itself. John's petticoats were so bounteous that he had difficulty sliding into the seat without creating an uncomfortable mound of fabric below him. Then, once he was seated, he had to pull his skirts in and hold them tightly so that the door could be closed. When Blaine got in beside him, he had to push the skirts to the side to make room for himself.

"Sorry," John smiled. "Almost as bad as a wedding dress, I guess."

"No problem," Blaine smiled.

When they arrived at Blaine's school, there were boys dressed as skeletons acting as doormen. One opened John's door, the rear door on the passenger side, while another ran around to help John. The skeleton offered John a hand as he rose daintily from the back seat. "M'lady," the skeleton said. It made John giggle.

John took Blaine's offered arm and they entered the school's function hall, which was amazingly well decorated with black and orange drapes, upshot, purple lights and projections of Halloween images high up on the wall.

"Wow!" John said to his escort. "You guys don't do anything halfway, do you?"

Blaine laughed. "I guess not. It's very different than back east. There's a lot of money in this school."

"Obviously," John laughed.

They sat at a table with Blaine's friends and their dates, some of whom John recognized from either the homecoming dance or from Notre Dame. All of the girls were juniors and seniors and all were dressed as sexy witches, as were many, many other upper class girls. Pointed hats and fishnet stockings were everywhere.

The girls all complimented John on his costume.

"Oh, you look so cute!"

"Your dress is adorable!"

"I love Alice in Wonderland! You look so sweet!"

"I could never look that cute!"

Blaine and his friends went to the bar area to get themselves and the girls soft drinks. On his way back, he ran into Ella, dressed as a 1920s flapper, and MK, dressed as Marilyn Monroe in a skin tight, silver sequined dress.

"Hi, Blaine!" Ella bounced up to him. "Where's Bebe?"

"Hey, Ella!" He smiled. "You look great! And MK... Wow! That's quite a dress!"

MK looked at John's costume. "So what are you supposed to be? The Greatest Showman?"

He laughed. "No. I'm The Mad Hatter." He continued his walk back to his table with both girls following.

"Oh, my God," Ella gasped. "Don't tell me she came as a rabbit!?"

"Not quite," he laughed. "There she she is." He gestured to the table.

"Where?" MK asked, not recognizing her friend with the blonde wig.

"Oh, no," Ella said, dramatically, "she actually came as Hollie Hobbie."

"What?" Blaine laughed. "No. She's Alice. I'm The Mad Hatter and she's Alice."

"She looks like an eight year old," MK said to Ella in a loud voice.

"I know," Ella replied.

"She looks absolutely perfect," Blaine said a bit defensively.

Both girls took double-takes from John, back to Blaine and back to John again. "Seriously?" MK asked. "You think she looks 'perfect' like that?"

Blaine's smile was sincere. "I do. You guys look sexy and all, but for me, Bebe is perfect, no matter what."

"Ok...?" Ella said, her voice trailing higher in an audible question mark. "If you like her that way, then... great!"

"Come on," MK grabber her friend's hand and they hustled, as quickly as their very high heels would allow, over to the table, where John stood to greet them with a big smile.

"You guys look amazing!" John said, honestly. "You both look so tall in those heels! And MK, you look... well, I know that Rose and Ed would never let me dress like that! Not that I have the equipment to pull it off." They all laughed at that.

"I got it, so I might as well show it off," MK teased. In their platform heels, they were each a couple of inches taller than John.

Ella circled John. "This is quite a get-up you're wearing, Bebe. I think it's interesting that your boyfriend's mother made you look like a child to go to a party with her son."

"Maybe we could discuss this in our 'Psych' class," MK joined.

"Very funny," John laughed. "I like it. I think it's a beautiful dress and I like the Alice stories."

"I like it, too." Blaine put the drinks down and put his arm around John's shoulder.

"Hmm." Ella walked around John, inspecting the costume. "It is beautiful, in its own way, but let's figure out why Blaine might find this costume appealing."

"Incredibly feminine," MK said, with feigned seriousness.

"An apron, indicating servitude." Ella took the same tone.

"Age reduction, indicting a need for dependence on a stronger, more mature male."

"Childish, virginal appearance."

"Alright, Alright!" Blaine held up his hand. "How about this? I think Bebe is beautiful, no matter what, and I think that she's beautiful in this costume. She is a beautiful, intelligent, talented young woman who doesn't need to dress provocatively to keep my attention. She could have come in dirty sweat pants and I'd still be staring at her and wondering how I could be so lucky as to hold her hand. How does that sound?"

John leaned in to hug Blaine.

"Kinda sickly-sweet, if you ask me." MK smiled.

"Oh, I think it's romantic," Ella said. "I knew you two would be perfect together when I set you up for the homecoming dance. Neither of you ever thanked me for that, by the way."

"Oh, well, thank you." John smiled.

"Yes, Ella." Blaine used his free hand to tip his hat. "Thank you for introducing me to Bebe. I'll owe you forever." Then he looked down at his date and said, "Let's get something to eat, Bebe."

"Ok." John smiled. "Nothing messy for me, though. Your mom will kill me if I get red sauce or anything else on this pinafore."

"Hmm," MK said, disapprovingly. "By the way, I do like that you finally got your hair dyed blonde."

"It's just a wig." John giggled.

"Too bad," MK said. "I thought it was a big improvement."

"Bite your tongue." Blaine started heading towards buffet table. "I like her hair black. She couldn't be more beautiful than she is."

"Yeah, sure," MK said.

"That boy is twitterpated." Ella shook her head.

"Uh Huh," MK agreed.

The dinner was delicious and the band was great. This band had a very powerful female singer who sang the new songs as well as she sang the old ones. John, Ella and MK danced nearly every dance, and they were joined by one date or another every now and then. Blaine was more interested in dancing than the other dates, but he much preferred the slow dances. When, on occasion, a boy would try to insert himself into the group of John and the girls, Blaine seemed to appear out of no where to make his claim on Bebe known to everyone.

Later in the evening, John excused himself to go to the ladies' room. Ella went with him. "Are you going to need any help with all those petticoats?" Ella asked as they entered.

"Umm." John looked down at the dress that puffed out everywhere. "No. I think I can manage. I'll call for you if I need help."

The lavatory was quite large, with sinks and mirrors by the entry area, then, around the corner, several rows of stalls. John proceeded to a handicapped stall to allow him the room he needed to deal with the petticoats. It was in the second row of stalls, nearly the furthest from the entry.

It was, actually, a bigger challenge than he'd expected. Just pulling down his tights and panties was difficult enough, but holding the layers and layers of silky material that comprised the petticoat out of the way while he sat on the open seat was quite an achievement. He took longer than Ella, who knocked on the stall door to check on him.

"You ok, Bebe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok. I'll be by the sinks."

When, at last, he'd gotten his panties and tights back up and he was sure that his petticoats, dress and apron were all hanging correctly, he made his way to the sinks where Ella was waiting, but talking to a woman dressed as a fairy. John was washing his hands when the person turned to face him.

"Well, well, well," Miss Stephanie said with an air of superiority about her that would have annoyed John, even if he didn't know what he now knew about her. "If it isn't little Miss Alice in Wonderland. How very apropos for our little transplant from the east coast."

John smiled as best he could. "Hello, Miss Stephanie. I didn't know you were chaperoning."

"Well, if you spent more time at school, you'd have known I would be here."

He nodded. "Yes, I know, Miss Stephanie, but I do have a job, too. I'll be in school all next week, though."

"Oh, good." Her attitude became noticeably snarky. "I'll tell the office to hang a banner to welcome you back." She folded her arms and took in John in a very uncomfortable manner.

"So, tell me, Miss Bianca, are you enjoying your fame and riches?" Her stare cut right through John. He felt very small and vulnerable.

"I'm not famous, Miss, and I'm certainly not rich. My mother is putting almost all of my money into a trust for me. Even if I was getting my pay checks, I'd still be poorer than almost anyone else at Notre Dame."

"True. True," the teacher pondered, "but that can change. Especially if you're willing to sacrifice the art of acting to be on a TV show." She waited for a response.

John shook his hands to remove excess water, then stepped to the hand dryer, but before he hit the button, which would start the noisy blower, he said, "I'm sorry that you don't like the show, Miss. I did my best. I'd hoped you'd be pleased." He hit the button and drown out the sound of the teacher's voice.

By the time his hands were dry, Miss Stephanie had stormed out.

"Are you nuts!?" Ella asked. "She could fail you!"

"I didn't do anything to make her mad. She just doesn't like me."

"Wow." Ella looked at him with actual admiration. "You've got some pretty big balls for such a little girl."

That made John laugh.

When John returned to the dance floor, Blaine was waiting. They danced through the entire last set. The last dance was Dolly Parton's version of 'I Will Always Love You.' Blaine held him close and swayed him to the gentle country beat of the song, so different from the Whitney Houston version that was much more familiar to John. The singer's voice was very beautiful and, as he rested his head on Blaine's chest and closed his eyes, John couldn't help but sing along. "And I-I-I will always love you-oo-oo-oo."

"And she sings, too," Blaine whispered to John.

"She croaks a bit," John laughed back.

"No. She sings."

There was no dissuading this boy.

The lights came up to find Blaine and John locked in a soft, loving kiss. "I think it's time to go," John said when the kiss broke.

"Damn." Blaine smiled. "I was just starting to enjoy myself.

Joanne was waiting outside, driving the Mercedes with a garment bag containing John's dress, etc, in the trunk. Once again, John fussed to pull of the frothing petticoats into the vehicle without catching in the door. "We'll take you home, honey, and you can get changed there. Ok?" Joanne said, looking into the rear view mirror.

"Are you sure?" John asked. "It's very late. I'm sure my Uncle would be happy to come get me. He's up at all hours, anyway."

"Oh, don't be silly," Joanne scoffed. "We don't mind at all, do he, Blaine?"

Blaine slipped his hand over to where John's was buried in his skirts and took it. "We don't mind at all."

It was nice to continue the evening with Blaine. With the exception of the encounter with Miss Stephanie in the ladies' room, it had been a wonderful, romantic evening. John still felt the nagging guilt that he needed to tell Blaine some things and tell him soon, but Looking over at him, as the traffic lit his handsome face, John knew that he needed to find a kind and gentle way to tell him everything.

"I bet your cousin will be thrilled to see you in your Alice dress," Joanne called from the front seat.

"She probably will be." John laughed. "She loved the picture I sent her. She said that, with blonde hair, we looked more like cousins."

"Oh, Sorry," Ed met them at the door, "I don't have any candy for trick or treaters here." He closed the door in their faces.

When he didn't open it again, John pounded on the door. "Come one, Uncle Ed. Open up."

Nothing

John huffed and reached into the garment bag to get put his purse. He was fumbling for the key when they heard Rose saying, "Honest to God, Ed, your worse than the kids!" and the door flew open to Rose smiling out at them. She took one look at John and her hands immediately flew up to her mouth. "Oh, my goodness, look at you! You look adorable! Ed, come see your niece."

Ed and his big grin came out of the kitchen. "Hi, sweetie. You look very nice. You too, Blaine."

"Thank you, Mr McNeal."

"'Nice!?'" Rose said. "She looks perfect! Oh, Joanne, you made her look so young. I love it! You look like a tall ten-year-old, Beebs! Just adorable!"

"Thanks, I guess." John laughed.

"Did you send pictures to your mom and Nancy?"

"I did, and to Annie and Cassie, too. I even sent one to Ms Weldon and one to Rita. I told her she could start booking me as a blonde, now. She got real mad. She thought I was being serious."

"Oh, I wish I could keep you dressed like this all the time," Rose gushed. "You look so... feminine and young."

"That's funny," Blaine said.

"What's that?" asked Rose.

"Oh, you said she looked 'so feminine.' I was just saying to Bebe the other day that I've never met a girl as feminine as her, before. I mean, yeah, this is all frilly and everything, but I've never seen Bebe wear anything that made her look like anything other than 'feminine.' I mean, she's, like, one hundred percent girl, through and through."

"Yeah, I guess she is," Ed chuckled. "She wasn't always, but there's no denying it, now, that's for sure."

"Alright," Rose elbowed Ed, "enough teasing. Come on, Beebs. I'll help you get changed and we can give your costume back to Joanne. It's getting late."

Once in his room, John took one last look at himself as Alice before he started untying the back of the pinafore.

"I tell you, honey," Rose came in to help, "when I think back to last summer... I could never have imagined you looking like this. I don't think I've ever worn anything as frilly and feminine as this and I've been a girl my whole life."

John shrugged. "I really like this dress. It's very pretty, don't you think?"

Rose began unbuttoning the long row of buttons that went up and down John's back. "I think it's beautiful and I can see why Blaine loved you in it, too. It made you look so young that he felt even more grown up and powerful. Boys like that. That boy is nuts about you, you know?"

John sighed. "I know."

"And I think you're nuts about him, too, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I guess... I'm really having a hard time sorting through all of this Rose. I mean... I like him a lot, but I never had thoughts of boys before."

Rose pulled the dress off, exposing the petticoat slip. "You were never a girl before, Bebe. Just be a girl and be happy with your boyfriend. That's all you need to be."

John, still facing the mirror, looked at himself in the incredibly frilly petticoat slip and nodded. "I really am a girl, I guess."

"There's my best girl-friend!" Oscar greeted John on Monday morning. When John reached him, Oscar reached out and gave a big, paternal hug. "I've missed you, Bebe! I might have to slash the tires on your uncle's car so that I get to see you more."

John chuckled at that. Oscar had a big personality and it certainly woke him up on a Monday morning. "I missed you, too, Oscar. How are you?"

"I am excellent, my dear. And the reason that I am excellent is because I have been watching your show all weekend with my friends and it gets better every single time."

John laughed at that as Oscar held the door for him. "That's very nice of you, Oscar. Thank you." As he sat and the door closed, he noticed that it was nice to be back into the routine of school, then work. It was also nice to be back in his blue, Oxford shirt and grey, soft, wool skirt. Yes, it was a uniform, but it was the closest thing to 'casual' clothing that he got to wear, these days.

After Oscar had jumped into the front seat and put the town car in gear, he called back, "It's just you and me, this morning, Miss."

"Oh,?" John was surprised. "No Kylie, today?"

"No, Miss. She's got some kind of an appointment, today. An audition, I think. So, you're stuck with just me."

"Wow!" John said. "She didn't tell me about an audition. That's great!" John took out his phone and sent a text to Kylie reading 'OSCAR JUST TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR AUDITION. BREAK A LEG! I HOPE IT GOES GREAT!'

Minutes later. 'THANKS! IT'S FOR AN AD CAMPAIGN. I WISH YOU WERE COMING. YOU REALLY HELPED ME LAST TIME.'

He wrote back, 'YOU GOT THIS! REMEMBER, YOU'RE ON A HIT TV SHOW, NOW. YOU'RE A BIG DEAL. JUST RELAX AND BE GREAT!'

'WILL DO! LOVE YOU!'

'LOVE YOU, TOO!'

"So," Oscar asked, "how does it feel to be a star?"

John laughed. "About the same as before. Nothing much has changed."

"Really? No one has asked for your autograph or anything?"

"Nope. It's all the same as it was before."

"Oh. That's disappointing," Oscar said thoughtfully.

"Not really. I just want to act. I can do without the other stuff."

"Uh Huh," Oscar chuckled. "So, having a studio supplied driver and car at your disposal and getting paid obscene amounts of money... all of that is no big deal?"

"Well, I'm not seeing any of the money until I'm twenty-one, the car is because they're taking me out of school a lot and as for you - you're not my driver; you're my friend."

Oscar reached his arm behind the front seat and took John's hand in his. "I am that, my princess. I am that."

School was fine all week. Miss Stephanie was typically cold, but he expected that. Most teachers went out of their way to tell John how much they'd enjoyed the premier of the show and he appreciated their compliments.

Ella and MK were, as usual, a lot of fun to be around, too. Ella had become obsessed with the idea of getting her belly button pierced and was furious that her mother said, 'No.' MK promised to have hers pierced with Ella when they were eighteen, which brought about the question of Bebe's birthday.

"When is your birthday?" Ella asked as they ate lunch on Friday.

"November 17," John replied.

"Oh, my God! That's coming up! Why didn't you tell us!?"

"I didn't think it mattered..."

"Does Blaine know?" MK asked.

"I don't know," John shrugged. "I don't remember my birthday ever coming up."

"Well, we've got to do something for your birthday!" Ella slapped the lunch table emphatically.

"But we are," John said. "We're going to to Disneyland with my friends from Massachusetts. That's what my mom, Rose and Uncle Ed are giving me."

"But you didn't tell us that was for your birthday! We need to plan." Ella was busy looking up something on her phone.

"Guys," John said, "my mom and sister and I, we never really celebrated in a big way. We just had a cake together. Going to Disney with you guys is a HUGE thing for me. That's all I want is a day with you guys. Ok?"

"Well... it's a start." MK sounded dismissive. "We have big parties out here, though, Bebe. People expect to be invited to your birthday party."

"People expect? So, somehow, my birthday is about everyone else? Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," both girls said together.

Before John could say anything else, Kylie popped herself down into the seat next to him. "Hey, girl, guess what!"

John's eyes opened wide, "You got the ad campaign!?!?"

"I did! Isn't that amazing!?"

"Oh, Kylie, congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" He threw his arms around her and hugged her.

"Thanks! I'm really excited!"

"What is the campaign for?" Ella asked.

"It's for a new line of cosmetics designed for teenagers. It's supposed to be healthier for your skin, have stuff in it to stop acne... you know, stuff like that. I'm the 'knowledgable friend' who guides girls to the products. I'm really psyched about it!"

"Wow, you should be," MK said. "My Mom has a friend that knows that girl from the Progressive Insurance commercials and she's doing really well. If this goes well, you could be making mucho-bucks."

"Cool," Ella smiled, "can you get us some samples?"

Kylie laughed. "I don't know. Maybe! I'll let you know."

John was genuinely happy for his 'Civil Disobedience' colleague, but his joy for his friend wained later in the day, as he and Kylie waited for Oscar's car to move forward in the pick-up-line. Kylie was standing with John, Ella and MK, just discussing homework, etc, when Kylie was called over to the area where the teachers waited.

John watched as Kylie was congratulated by several teachers, but he grew concerned when Miss Stephanie put her arm around the young actress. This couldn't be good. Kylie was a good girl and had probably never done anything that Miss Stephanie could exploit, but what about her parents? John knew very little about them, but he knew that they had struggled for a long time, they were divorced and Kylie always seemed embarrassed when her father was mentioned.

All in all - this wasn't good.

When Oscar was in the 'on-deck' position, John called over to his friend, "Kylie! We're next!"

"Coming!" Kylie said her goodbyes to the teachers and hurried back to John.

"Afternoon, ladies!" Oscar said, gleefully, from the front seat. "Miss Bebe, my schedule says you're due at the Studio at 4:00. Miss Kylie, I think you're going home, correct?"

"I am, Oscar," Kylie had been grinning so broadly all day that her cheeks hurt, "but, before we go home, can you swing into In-N-Out Burger? I want to celebrate a little."

"Of course, Miss. What's the occasion?"

Kylie explained her triumph and Oscar congratulated her.

They pulled into the burger joint and John and Kylie ran in to order. Kylie got a full meal for herself and another for Oscar. John just ordered a vanilla shake, which Kylie insisted upon paying for.

Back in the car, Oscar thanked them for his meal. "I'm going to get fat driving you girls around. Well, fatter, anyway."

Both students laughed. "This was all a gift from Kylie," John said. "She's feeling pretty rich, today!"

Kylie laughed. "You must be feeling pretty rich, too, right? I mean, you're making more than me on the show, so..."

"Yeah, but I don't get much of it. My mom has it going into a trust. She finally agreed to get me a debit card, but I can't spend more than three hundred dollars a day and she's keeping the balance in that account at no more than six hundred so that I can't spend a lot without her knowing. She gets alerts on her phone every time I use my card, too."

"Oh, man, that sucks!" Kylie laughed. "All my money is my own account. My mom just says to be careful."

Another bad sign, John thought. If Miss Stephanie found out that Kylie had access to her income, then she'd know that Kylie was an easy target. He'd need to tell Don about this.

"Everyone set?" the Assistant Director called through his headset. He waited for replies, then looked at the director and nodded. "All set."

"Ok," the Director said loudly, "let's go. Action."

Don and John were in a set that looked like a girl's clothing store. "Ok, Alex, get what you need and... let's get out of here." Don, as 'Jason,' said.

"Ok, daddy," John, as 'Alex,' replied. Then he picked up a bra and started looking at it, causing 'Jason to blush.

"Oh, geez," Jason mumbled under his breath. "Come on, Alex, just grab one. Come on."

"Umm, dad, I'm not really sure what size I need..."

"May I help you?" a woman playing a clerk interrupted. "Oh, Jason! I didn't recognize you. Is this your daughter?"

"Oh, hi, Pam," 'Jason' looked trapped. "Oh, um, yes, this is my youngest, Alexandra. Alex, this is Pam."

"Your 'youngest!?!?' Jason, I didn't know that you even had children! How many more of you is he hiding?"

"Just my sister and me." 'Alex' smiled.

"Yeah," 'Jason' nodded. "Anyway, Pam, Alex, here, is having some trouble... I mean... some difficulty with... these."

"It's a bra, Jason," the clerk laughed. "What's the problem, dear?"

"Well," Alex looked from the woman to her father and back, "I've gotten a bit bigger, up here, and I'm not really sure what I need to get..."

"... and daddy is of no use in these matters, am I right?" The clerk said. "Come with me, dear. I'll measure you. Jason, go get a cup of coffee and come back in fifteen minutes. I'll take care of your baby."

The clerk guided 'Alex' through the racks. "Why isn't your mother shopping with you, dear?" The woman asked.

"Oh, Umm, my mom passed away a few months ago..."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry,"

As they walked away, 'Jason' heard the conversation, realized he'd fallen short of being an ideal parent, looked as if he was struggling with something inside himself, but was surprised when he heard his partner's voice from behind him. "Do you think this bra makes me look chubby?" He asked.

'Jason' jumped in surprise, "God almighty! What are you doing here?"

Ed was holding up a very large bra in front of himself. "Looking for a bra, same as you." He smiled.

"I swear, someday I'm just going to shoot you!" 'Jason' scowled. "Put that Down and let's get out of here."

They exited.

"And cut!" The director shouted. "I liked it! Don, how do you feel?"

"I'm good." Don replied.

"Bebe?" the director shouted.

John stuck his head out from between the prop-racks, surprised that he'd been asked how he felt - that was usually reserved for Don, exclusively.

"Oh... I'm fine," he smiled and waved at the director.

"Than we are 'wrapped' for the week. Have a good weekend, everyone!" The Director smiled and waved at everyone.

"Jesus, Ed," Don laughed, "the look on your face when you were holding that bra - priceless. It was all I could do to keep a straight face." He pat Ed on the back.

"Excuse me, Uncle Ed," John interrupted, "Don, could I talk to you for a few minutes."

"Sure, sweetheart," he smiled and draped his arm around John's shoulders. "Nice to do a light-weight scene together for a change, huh?" They walked towards the dressing rooms.

"Yeah," John agreed. "I don't get a lot of funny stuff. I guess I'm the drama-queen of the show."

Don laughed and they reached John's dressing room. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Umm," John looked around, "could we talk in my dressing room. It's kind of... sensitive."

"Oh." Don's eyes opened wide, then blinked a few times. "Should I ask your Uncle or cousin to join us? I mean... well, a man in a fourteen year old's dressing room... proprieties and all..."

"Oh." John shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I mean, it's something I plan to talk to them about, anyway."

"Ok." Don knocked on Rose's door and invited her to come next door. Ed walked down the hall and followed Don in.

"What's the matter, Beebs?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's about Miss Stephanie, my Theater teacher."

"Oh, God." Ed shook his head. "Did she find out something?"

"Well, I don't know and this isn't really about me. It's about Kylie."

"Kylie?" Don asked.

"You know, the girl who plays 'Cora' on the show," John said.

"Oh! Oops! I think I've been calling her 'Karen.' My bad! What about her, Bebe?"

"It might be nothing, but Kylie just landed this big ad campaign and she claims that she's getting paid a lot of money."

"She probably is, if it's for a full campaign," Don said. "If I wasn't married to Viv, I probably would have ruined my career doing ad campaigns, but this girl a small part of the show, Bebe. I don't think you should consider doing work like that. You're too recognizable."

"No, no, that's not the point. The thing is, Kylie has access to all of her money..."

"Ooo, bad idea." Don shook his head.

"... and at the end of the day, today, Miss Stephanie was really sucking up to her. Like, really obviously. I'm afraid she's fishing for stuff to blackmail her. I was wondering if you'd heard from your friend, Hank, about finding out anything more about Miss Stephanie before she gets her hooks into Kylie."

"Umm, Beebs, did you tell Kylie about what we know about Miss Stephanie?" Ed asked.

"No, of course not. Kylie really likes Miss Stephanie. She's never believe me, anyway."

"Ok, good-" Don nodded. "I'll give Hank a call and see what he might know. I'll tell him that another cast member may be susceptible to her blackmail, too. Sound good?"

They all agreed that was the best place to start.

"And If Karen says anything to you, Bebe," Don said, "let us know, right away."

"I will... and her name is 'Kylie.'"

"Kylie? Kylie - right. I'll remember that. On a happier note - any big plans for the weekend? Viv and I are going to fire up the barbecue tomorrow afternoon and we'd love for you guys to come."

"Oh, we'd love to," Rose smiled, "but Beebs has a late afternoon date and we have to drive her."

"The boy from the preview!? Bring him along! I need to meet him. You shouldn't be dating someone without your father's approval, anyway."

"Well. He's got Uncle Ed's approval," Rose laughed. "That's almost the same thing."

"Great! Why don't you touch base with your boyfriend, sweetheart, then, Ed, you can send me a text if you're all coming and we can figure out a time from there. Sound good? Ok! Have a great evening, gang." Don kissed Rose and John's cheeks and left them to change their clothes.

"In one-half mile, your destination is on the right," the navigation system in Ed's Tesla said.

"Oh, this is so exciting." Joanne was nearly vibrating with excitement.

When John had invited Blaine to change their plans for a Saturday date and come up to Don Ferry's home for a barbecue, Joanne had nearly passed out. Hearing about her excitement, Ed had called Don and asked if it would be ok if Blaine's mom had come along. "Sure," Don laughed. "We've got to get to know the in-laws, don't we?" he kidded.

Now, Joanne sat on the passenger side of the backseat, with Blaine on the other side and John in the middle.

It was a warm day for early November, with the temperatures in the high seventies, and a very warm sun. Ed and Blaine both wore khaki shorts and polo shirts, Ed in grey and Blaine in blue. Rose wore a very pretty, fringed top with short-shorts, Joanne, a fancy, V-necked Tee-shirt with a loose skirt and John wore a very pretty, red romper that had very loose, very short sleeves, a comfortably revealing, button front and was decorated with white flowers and green stems and leaves.

"I should have dressed fancier," Joanne said quietly. "I'm going to Don Ferry's house dressed like a bum."

"Oh, stop," John giggled. "You look lovely. I love your skirt."

"Ha, this old thing! I didn't have time to go shopping. My SON," she said that word louder to make sure Blaine had heard her, "wanted to surprise me and didn't tell me where we were going. I look like I shop at Goodwill sitting next to you in that outfit. Oh, Lord, you are a beautiful girl, Bebe. I don't know what you see in Blaine, but I'm glad you're willing to put up with him."

John smiled at Blaine and gave his hand a squeeze. Then he said to Joanne, "To tell you the truth, I love shopping at Goodwill. I used to go there all the time, until Rose moved in with us and she made me dress better."

"Damned right I did." Rose turned in her seat and looked over the back. "If it weren't for me, Beebs would be running around in dirty jeans, with greasy hair and no makeup. I taught her how to dress, how to walk, how to do her makeup. I was her Svengali and she was my Trilby. I made her the beauty she is today." Rose smiled smugly.

"Well," Blaine laughed, "I guess I owe you, then. I'm very glad that you taught her so well, but - who are Svengali and Trilby?"

Rose laughed. "They're characters in a book and a movie. Svengali taught Trilby every thing and she, of course, left him. Just like the girls in Phantom of The Opera and Pygmalion, or My Fair Lady. It's kind of a literary trope, I guess."

Blaine nodded and pretended to understand.

"I thought that a 'Trilby' was a kind of hat," Joanne laughed.

"Your destination is on the right," the navigation system said.

"We're here," Ed said as he turned into the long driveway and followed it up the hill towards the massive 'Arts & Crafts' style mansion on the top of the hill.

"Wow! It's beautiful," Joanne enthused as she gazed out the window. "It's exactly the type of house I'd expect Don Ferry to live in. Classic. Beautiful. Masculine. Oh, Bebe, it must be so wonderful to spend time with him."

"It really is," John agreed. "He is very talented and he has taught me so much about acting. He's very generous with his art."

"Well... I really just meant because he's so handsome." Joanne laughed.

"She's got Blaine and her Uncle Ed with her all the time, Joanne." Rose smiled. "She's surrounded by handsome men all. Don's just another pretty face in Bebe's world." She smiled at Blaine and rubbed Ed's shoulder.

"Oh, look! There he is!" Joanne was bouncing in her seat as Don waved from the end of the driveway and pointed Ed towards a parking space."I can't believe I'm about to meet Don Ferry! Don Ferry!!"

They parked the car and and Don was at the passenger door within seconds, offering Rose a hand to assist her in getting out of the car. He kissed her hand and said, "Welcome to La Casa de Ferry, my dear!"

"Thank you, Don." Rose looked around. "It's beautiful, Don. Absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you, my love," he opened the back door and offered Joanne a hand as well. "And this must be Joanne, my baby's boyfriend's mother." He kissed her hand, as well.

Joanne giggled, nearly uncontrollably. "Oh, Mr Ferry... thank you so much for including Blaine and me... your house... it's just as I would have imagined your house would be."

Don laughed. He'd been a star long enough to be used to fans losing their cool when they met him. "Well, Joanne, I'm glad that I didn't disappoint you! Please, make yourself at home while you're here."

Joanne stepped forward to allow John to get out and she continued to take in the view and the beauty of the estate.

John took Don's hand and pulled himself out of the back seat. "And here's my baby," Don laughed as he pulled John into a bear hug and he planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks, Don," John smiled. "You've met Joanne." He turned and pointed over the top of the Tesla. "And this is Blaine. My boyfriend."

Don kept one arm around John's shoulders and they moved around the car. "Blaine!" He grabbed the boy's hand and shook it heartily. "So nice to finally meet you. I've heard nothing but good things about you from my little girl, here."

"Oh, Umm, thank you, sir," Blaine found himself stuttering a bit in the presence of the star. "Very nice to meet you, sir. You have... umm... a beautiful home, sir. Thank you for inviting my mom and me."

"My pleasure, son, and, please, no more 'sirs.' Just call me 'Don.' Ok?"

"Oh, umm, yes, sir," Blaine was still staring at the star in disbelief.

That made Don laugh, again. "Ok, everyone, let's go into the house. How are you doing, buddy?" Don asked Ed.

"Great, Don. You?"

"Couldn't be better, my friend. Couldn't be better."

After a quick tour of the first floor of the estate and introductions to Vivian, they all settled into oversized, padded, wicker chairs on the roofed part of a stone patio which overlooked a dry brook and the valley below. Rose, Vivian and Joanne had glasses of a very expensive, Napa Valley wine, while Ed and Don had beer from a nearby micro-brewery, Blaine had a Coke and John, an unsweetened iced tea.

The chat was mostly about the house and the surrounding lands, changes Vivian had overseen at the estate, the horses in the barn on the far side of the grounds and other non-show-related subjects.

Eventually, Don took the seat next to Vivian and looked at Blaine. "So, young fellow, how did you meet my little girl?"

Blaine gave a nervous laugh before saying, "Oh... for real... ok... we were set up together for the Homecoming Dance at my school and we, sort of, hit it off, I guess."

"And what do you do with your free time, Blaine?"

"Well, I, umm, play lacrosse and I workout and do homework... read... you know... stuff."

"Lacrosse? That's impressive. My school didn't have any sports as fancy as lacrosse. We were strictly middle class. I played baseball and ran track, myself. Ed, how about you?"

Ed laughed. "Just pick up games of baseball and basketball for me. I was really into swimming, though. Not competitive, mind you, unless you count beating your own times as competitive. I just liked to dive and swim laps."

"Not competitive!?" John laughed. "You were certainly competitive with me! Who could dive from the highest board? Who could swim the most laps? You were always competitive with me."

John had been serious. Ed had always been very competitive with him, but the rest of the party didn't see Ed and Bebe as athletic equals. They all chuckled at the story.

"I'm sure he was just trying to push you to be better, dear," Vivian chuckled. "Weren't you, Ed."

"Yeah." Ed recovered from the surprise of hearing John being so honest. "Rosie is your 'girly' Sven-garlic and I am your physical fitness one."

That made everyone laugh.

"Svengali, pal," Don laughed. "Do you guys like old movies? 'Svengali' is one of my favorites! John Barrymore and Marian Marsh... Barrymore is astounding in the film. There's a 1914 version, too, called 'Trilby,' after the novel. Herbert Beerbohm Tree plays Svengali in that one. He's brilliant, too."

"Don, Don," Vivian interrupted. "No shop-talk, remember."

"Oh, Sorry." Don smiled. "I get carried away. Well, let's get the grill going, boys. Come on, Ed. Blaine. It's around the corner where there's no roof."

Blaine gave John a peck on the cheek and said, "I'll be back."

"Oh, don't worry, slugger," Don pat the boy's shoulder. "She'll be fine without you."

When the men had left, Vivian said, "Your son is very handsome, Joanne. You've chosen well, Bianca."

John blushed a little. "Thank you."

"He's a good kid," Joanne said. "I do have to say, though, that he is always on his best behavior around Bebe. Incidentally, Bebe, I didn't realize until just now that your name is Bianca. Why do you go by Bebe?"

"I don't know. It's what Rose has always called me, so... I guess I just prefer it to Bianca. That just seems stuffy, you know?" He pulled his legs up, under himself and settled in on the love seat on which he was seated.

"Oh, I think that Bianca is a beautiful name!" Joanne said.

"See," Vivian chimed in, "I told you - Bebe is childish. Bianca is timeless. You need to change your name."

"What about Bebe Neuwirth or Bebe Rexha?" Rose asked. "They've done well with that name. I can't think of a famous actress named Bianca."

"Even more reason to make the change. I'm telling you, young lady, you should consider making the change. It'll be good for your career."

"I'll think about it," John shrugged, "but isn't this shop-talk? I didn't think that we were allowed any shop-talk today."

Vivian stood and poured herself some more wine, then topped off the other women's glasses. "Hmm. Don told me that you were brilliant, but he didn't tell me that you were a smart ass."

Around the corner, Ed stood in awe at the sight of Don's barbecue set up. It was a stone counter with a gas grill in the top, a refrigerator underneath as well as a cabinet with every barbecuing accouterment imaginable inside. Next to the grill top was a large pizza oven and beyond that was a smoker.

Don started the grill and threw some mesquite chips under the grill top to add flavor to the meat.

"Don," Ed said in amazement, "up to this point, I knew that you were successful - nice car, nice clothes - and when I pulled up to your house, I realized you were incredibly rich, but Don... this grill set up... this is success, pal! THIS is success!"

Don laughed. "I guess it's a little extravagant, huh?"

"Extravagant!? Don, this is heaven! This is what I want! I want a grill like this when I grow up!"

Don laughed again. "How about you, Blaine. What do you want to do when you grow up?"

"I'm not sure, Mr Ferry. I'm thinking, maybe, of being a doctor, but I'm not sure, yet."

"A doctor," Don said with admiration. "Very noble. I like that. What do you think, Ed, would you let our little girl marry a doctor?"

Ed drained the last of the beer in his glass and gave a thoughtful sigh. "I guess that depends on what kind of a doctor. I mean, a brain surgeon or a heart specialist? Sure. But a dermatologist or a podiatrist? I'm not sure if that would be good enough for Bebe, Don."

Feeling very much as if he was on-the-spot, Blaine smiled and said, "Ok. Brain surgeon it is, then."

The older men laughed.

"You're a good kid, Blaine," Don said.

"Didn't I tell you?" Ed smiled.

"Thanks," Blaine smiled, happy to be accepted by the older men.

"Just remember, though," Don said, his hand on Blaine's shoulder, "Ed and I both love that child as if she were our own daughter. Treat her well, Blaine, and we'll get alone great. Treat her badly..." he let it hang there.

"Don't worry, Mr Ferry, Mr McNeal. I'll take good care of her. I promise."

"See that you do," Don gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile.

Dinner was amazing! Fresh salad. Good wine for the adults. Chilled gazpacho. Perfectly seasoned and grilled, fresh steak. Everything was just perfect.

After dinner, the women and Blaine walked over to the stables to see the horses. Vivian and Rose were fearless near the animals. Rose had grown up in a fairly rural part of Massachusetts and she'd taken riding lessons when she was younger. Joanne was not frightened, per se, but she mostly limited herself to just patting the animals on the haunches. John, however, was not at all familiar with animals this big and found them very intimidating. He kept his distance.

"Come on, Beebs," Rose encouraged. "Just pat her right here. She won't mind."

"Thanks, anyway," John said as he backed up into Blaine's embrace.

"They're pretty big, huh?" Blaine said.

"Too big for me," John said.

"Want to take a walk?"

"Sure." John took Blaine's hand. "Rose," he said, "Blaine and I are taking a little walk around the estate. Ok?"

"Sure, Beebs," Rose smiled at the young couple. "We'll meet you back at the house."

As they walked away, hand in hand, Vivian said to Joanne, "Those two are made for each other. They're adorable together."

"I know," Joanne beamed. "I've never seen Blaine so happy. Honestly, I think if he could, he'd ask her to marry him right now."

"Isn't that wonderful. To find your soulmate so young. They could have a beautiful life together."

"And imagine how beautiful their babies would be," Joanne smiled. "I hope that they stay together forever. Don't you Rose?"

Rose forced a smile. This conversation was fraught with complications that these women didn't understand. "I hope so," she finally said.

"Do you think we could ever live in a place like this?" Blaine asked as they roamed the perfectly landscaped grounds of the estate.

"I wouldn't mind trying it for a few decades," John laughed. "Imagine sitting on that porch, eating breakfast, every day. It must be heaven."

"I can see you living like that. A nice dog at your feet, a nice bowl of fruit, a pretty dress. It's a nice dream."

John looked at Blaine and smiled. "It is, but who knows... maybe, one day, if things go well, we might be able to afford something like this, too."

Blaine's grin widened. Bebe was talking about a future - with him. "You think so? Just you and me and a place like this?"

John was caught up in the beauty of the estate and the possibility of happiness with Blaine. "That'd be nice."

"And maybe a few kids, too," Blaine added, but Bebe became quiet.

"I'm sorry," he said contrite. "I pushed it too far, didn't I? I'm sorry."

"No, Blaine." John shook his head. "It's not you. It's me. I'm not... well, children may not be possible for me..."

"Oh, I know. Your career and all. I get it, but other actresses manage to have..."

"No, it's not that... Blaine... I'm not really, physically able to carry children..."

"Oh, my God, Bebe." Blaine was horrified that he'd tread into a subject that was upsetting to Bebe. "I'm so, so, sorry. I didn't know. That's really not a big deal, I mean, we could, you know, adopt or something..."

"Look, Blaine." John's head was down. He couldn't look Blaine in the eye. "There's a lot we need to talk about. Things about me that I need to tell you, but... well... not here. Not today, ok? Can we just put that all on hold for now and maybe, next weekend we can talk about it? For now, can I just be with you? Would that be ok?"

Blaine had gone ashen with concern. How could he have upset Bebe this way? "Sure, Bebe. Sure. I'm really sorry. I didn't know..."

"I know, Blaine, but please, just... just let it go for today. Ok?"

"Yeah. Ok. Let's... Umm... let's walk down by that stream down there and follow it back to the house, ok?"

John smiled and it melted Blaine's heart. Thank God she still liked him!

They threw rocks into the dry riverbed. Sniffed wildflowers and held hands again. Blaine's mind was working overtime, though. He knew that a lot of girls had reproductive problems, but he didn't know much about them. He never needed to know about these things before. He kept looking at this girl - this beautiful, feminine girl and wondered what kind of horrible health issues she might be contending with. He wanted to know what was wrong and, more than anything, he wanted to help. He wanted to be her protector and make everything right for her. For the time being, though, he felt helpless and worried. He loved Bebe. He wanted to be with her forever. Oh, God, please don't let it be something so serious that it could take her away from him. Please, don't let it be cancer, or something like that! He was enjoying every second he was with her, but he was petrified as well. How could he hold out until next weekend to find out what was wrong?

When they reached the front porch, again, they climbed up the steep banking and Blaine lifted John up and onto the porch before pulling himself up.

"There they are!" Vivian announced to everyone. "We were getting worried about you two! Did you enjoy your walk?"

"Oh, yes, Vivian." John smiled. "Your yard is amazing. We walked all the way around it."

"That's wonderful, dear." Vivian led him towards a table where a selection of desserts had been setup.

Blaine just watched as Bebe walked away.

Joanne watched her son and she knew something had changed. "Is everything ok, Blaine?"

"Huh? What?" Blaine had not even noticed that his mother was there. "Oh, Yeah, Mom. Everything is... well, it's fine. I'll tell you about it later, ok? Tonight. When we're at home."

Now, Joanne was concerned. "Oh. Ok, honey. Ok."

They drove home as they had come, with John in the middle of the backseat. Everyone was tired and John rested his head on Blaine as the Tesla rode silently through the night.

When they reached Blaine and Joanne's house, Joanne got out and thanked Ed for driving them. Blaine just leaned over and hugged John as tightly as he could. He held him like he'd never be able to hold him again.

Joanne watched with concern.

When he finally let go, Blaine whispered as quietly as he could, "I love you, Bebe. I really do. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok," John smiled as reassuringly as he could.

Blaine got out of the car, but never took his eyes off of Bebe until he'd closed the door and the car rolled away.

"Blaine, honey," Joanne asked, "what's wrong?"

Blaine looked at his mother and asked, "Mom, what do you know about women not being able to have babies? You know - infertility?"

Joanne took a deep breath. Why did something like this have to complicate a beautiful relationship for Blaine? "Oh, honey, is that what's got you upset? Does Bebe have problems with her...? Well, honey, there's a lot of reasons a woman can't have a baby. Come on in, sweetheart. Let's talk about this."
 
 
To Be Continued...