Bebe in LaLa Land: 12

 

As Bebe's birthday weekend comes to a close and her friends from the New England head home,
she starts preparing for yet another audition when a health crisis suddenly impacts our young star
to be. Thank you to everybody who who has stuck with me and Bebe throughout this adventure!

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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, lots going here and I wrote as quickly as I could.
As always, I adore reading your comments and reviews! ~Clara.
 
This version of Bebe in LaLa Land: 12 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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JUST BEING BEBE -or- HOW DO YOU RUN FROM WHAT'S INSIDE YOUR HEAD?
 

Monday morning and Rose, Ed, Kylie and Bebe all had to be on set for 8:30am. It was the last day that Cassie and Annie would be in LA. The early call was to make use of Kylie and John's day off from school. The plan was to shoot just one scene involving all of them, as well as Marion and Don. That should be done by 11:00 or 11:30. All the girls and Blaine were coming to the set to watch, Ed had cleared it with the director. When they finished the morning shoot, the plan was for Ed to remain and continue working, while Oscar drove Rose, Blaine and the girls to LAX where they'd say goodbye to Cassie and Annie.

"Oh, my, we have an audience, today!" Marion said in her sweetest grandmother voice when she spotted Blaine and the four girls sitting in director chairs, off to the side. "Are you all friends of Bebe and Kylie?"

They all nodded and Marion shook hands with each, asking each their names and how they knew her 'granddaughter' and her 'granddaughter's friend.' When she reached Blaine, she said, "Oh, I know who you are, Mr. Blaine! I've seen plenty of pictures of you, my handsome, young fellow."

Blaine blushed. "Thank you, ma'am. I know who you are too. You're amazing on the show, ma'am."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, young man, but we need to find a few minutes together to have a talk. I want to be sure that my
'granddaughter' is in good hands."

"Yes, ma'am," Blaine smiled and, as she walked away, he muttered, "Great! ANOTHER talk!"

When Don came out, the girls nearly melted. Even though they'd all met him the night before, he was still Don Ferry: movie star. He was wearing a brown blazer that had several tears and dirty marks on it and his face was made up to look sweaty.

"Hey, Blaine, buddy!" He jogged over and shook his hand. "Come to watch your little girl make some magic?"

"Yes, I guess, sir."

"Good morning, ladies!" He greeted the girls "and why aren't you all in school, today?"

"Veterans' Day," they all replied.

"Oh, my gosh, it's November eleventh already!?" Don pretended to be shocked. "Christmas will be here before we know it!"

As Ed, Rose, John and Kylie came into the sound stage, the stage manager called everyone to the set.

"Ok, everyone," she announced in a very strong voice, "a quick review of where we are in the arch. 'Jason,'" she said, pointing to Don, "you're going to break the news to 'Alex' and 'Cora,'" she pointed to John and Kylie, respectively, "that a girl from their school was killed in a robbery. 'Cora,' you knew the victim and you turn to 'Sue,'" she pointed to Rose, "for consolation. 'Nana,'" she pointed to Marion, "you notice that 'Alex' doesn't react and you ask if everything is ok. 'Alex' says 'Yes, I didn't know her,' and 'Jason' waits a moment, makes eye contact with 'Nana,' then nods and leaves. That's the whole scene. Questions?"

There were none.

"Ok, then, places."

They all moved into the kitchen set and took their places.

"Oh," the stage manager snapped her fingers, "I forgot to mention, the director had a dental emergency this morning. The Assistant Director is overseeing today's shoot."

The AD! That was just great! John had avoided him since the incident with his uncomfortable slip in the park, but now, with his friends here to watch, the AD was in charge. He really didn't like this man and he felt an upset stomach coming on - but that would have to wait. John needed to forget about that and just do his job the way he knew how.

The AD entered and headed towards the set with a fiery determination - he was an upstart with a command of his own. He stopped briefly to look at a group of young people sitting quietly and watching. He turned to a PA and said, not too quietly, "What is this? A school field trip?"

The PA shrugged and said, "Friends of Bebe and Kylie's. The director gave them permission to come in today. The girls only have this one scene and they're done."

He nodded. "Well, make sure that they stay the fuck out of my way."

The PA looked at the kids, who had obviously heard what was said and then back to the Assistant Director. "They're not doing anything..."

"I didn't ask your opinion. Just do your job and babysit them. Understand?"

"Yes sir." The PA nodded and shrugged at his behavior. As the Assistant Director walked away, the PA turned and looked at the kids. She shrugged and smiled at them.

The scene was set and lit. John and Kylie sat at the table peeling potatoes. Marion and Rose were organizing things elsewhere in the kitchen.

"All ready," the stage manager said to the AD.

"Action," the AD called out.

"... and we need to set out an extra plate for your dad's partner, in case he comes to dinner, too..." 'Nana' said, but she stopped as 'Jason' entered, disheveled and preoccupied. His partner followed, Looking down trodden, as well. "'Jason?' What is it?"

"Oh, umm..." 'Jason' organized his thoughts. "Hi, 'Nana.' Listen, girls..." he looked around and realized that 'Cora' was seated at the table with his youngest daughter. It caused him to regroup for a moment. "Girls... do any of you know a girl from your school named Barbara Green?"

'Susan' shook her head and looked to her sister, who said, "I don't really 'know' her, but I know who she is. She's a junior, I think..."

"I know her," 'Cora' said. "She's a great kid. Pretty, smart... we used to..." Something wasn't right. She stood. She knew that something was wrong. That bad news was coming.

'Jason' crossed to the table. "I'm sorry, 'Cora,'" he said. "I just came from her family's house..."

"Oh, dear God," 'Nana' whispered as she held a dishrag to her breasts.

'Sue' ran to her neighbor and stood behind her, her hands on the child's shoulders.

'Jason' continued, "She was working in her father's drug store, and there was a robbery..."

"Oh, no," 'Cora' uttered, suddenly frightened. "She's dead, isn't she?"

'Jason' looked around the room, hoping to avoid confirming the statement. "I wish you hadn't put it quite that way, 'Cora,' but... yes. I'm afraid she is."

'Cora's' hand flew to her mouth as she turned to 'Sue' and wept into she shoulder.

'Jason' looked to his mother-in-law with broken eyes. He hated the idea of his work invading his home like this, but it had.

He looked back to 'Sue,' uncertain as to what to say.

"Come on, 'Cora,'" 'Sue' said with sadness in her voice. "I think we should go talk to your mom." She ushered the child out of the kitchen. 'Jason's' partner, who was also Sue's boyfriend followed.

"Oh, 'Jason,'" 'Nana' said, "What happened to the poor child?"

'Jason' walked back to the older woman. He leaned against the sink, his back to the table. He spoke softly to her. "The robber... he locked the front door and took her into the back room. He... He hurt her... badly. He cut her, while he..."

"Oh, 'Jason,' no." 'Nana' indicated that 'Alex' was sitting at the table, silent.

'Jason' watched as his mother-in-law crossed to his youngest daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?" Nana asked.

She nodded.

'Jason' waited, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came. He turned and headed to door, leaving 'Alex' with a very concerned 'Nana.'

"Daddy?" The child asked, but the magic of the scene was broken by the shout of the Assistant Director.

"Cut! That's good. We need a couple of coverages, but..."

John shook himself out of the character. "But... I was going..." He was used to The Director giving him a moment to improvise. The writers had come to expect him to do so, too.

"Did you have more, honey?" Don asked.

John was still a bit dazed from being in character. "Umm, Yes, I was going to say..."

"Don't tell me," Don said, knowing that he'd improvise with Bebe better if he didn't know what she had in mind.

He turned to the AD and said, "Excuse me, but you cut us off. Bebe had more to say."

The AD smirked. "Not according to my script, she didn't." He turned away.

The set was suddenly quiet and tense. The crew knew how the shoots went and they had anticipated Bebe's improvisations.

"Look," Don said with rational calmness, "you know how we do things on this show. Bebe is ready to go on. You need to let her. That's what makes this show different from all the other things on TV."

"Umm, Mr Ferry," the AD took a confrontational tone, "you may be a star, but you do not run this show. Right now, I do..."

Suddenly, the Director Of Photography was between Don and the AD. "Maybe you should take a break," he said to the AD. "I'll take care of this shoot."

"What?" The AD was in shock.

"Yeah," the Stage Manager agreed. "Everyone back to one! We'll do this again."

"Like Hell you will!" The AD shouted, but the crew was already moving to reshoot the scene.

"Seriously," The DP said. "Take a break."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The AD raged, but no one paid attention, except the security guard who was on set every day. The big man loved this show and he loved the way that this cast all knew his name and spoke kindly to him. He also knew that the young girl sitting at the kitchen table was the reason everyone was nice to him. They followed her lead. Congeniality was not typical on these sets. He stepped in front of the AD and indicated that he should leave the sound stage. "You're all going to be unemployed tomorrow!" The AD yelled as he was escorted to the exit.

No one paid attention. They all had a job to do.

"I have an idea," the DP said to Don. "We'll do it all the same way, but this time, I'm going to set a stationary camera here that captures Bebe at the table. It'll take in the entire kitchen behind her, too. We may be able to capture the whole scene in that shot with her in the foreground. It could make a real interesting shot to cut to and from. We'll do the rest of the coverage the same. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" Don slapped his shoulder as they heard the call to, 'places.'

They ran the scene exactly the same way, until -

"Oh, 'Jason,' no." 'Nana' indicated that 'Alex' was sitting at the table, silent.

'Jason' watched as his mother-in-law crossed to his youngest daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?" Nana asked.

She nodded.

'Jason' waited, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came. He turned and headed to door, leaving 'Alex.'

"Daddy?" 'Alex' whispered.

"What is it, 'Alex?'" He asked as he returned to stand beside her.

"Did she... was it really bad for her?"

"It was, honey. It was bad."

"So... she suffered? A lot?"

'Nana' and 'Jason' sat on either side of 'Alex.' 'Nana' took her hand. "Don't think about that, child. Just pray for her."

"But, 'Nana,' she was alone and scared. "When mom died, we were there... with her. She knew we loved her. Barbara was a nice girl. I didn't know her real well, but she was friendly and pretty... She had a lot of friends. She never hurt anyone. It's not right that she should be alone and scared. Why would someone hurt her like that?"

'Jason' and 'Nana' exchanged looks.

"Baby," Jason took a deep breath. "He didn't just hurt her to hurt her..." he thought for a moment. "He... he did things to her..."

"Jason," 'Nana' interrupted and shook her head at her son-in-law. "Another time, Jason,' she whispered.

The father sat and stared at his child and thought about the corpse he'd just left. That bloody mess who had so recently been someone else's beautiful daughter.

He could think of nothing to say.

Finally, 'Jason' laid his forehead against the side of his daughter's head and whispered, "The world is not a fair place, baby. It's filled with good people and there are a few awful, evil people. I'm sorry that Barbara met one of them, baby, but she did. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep it from happening, baby, I really am. I'll find him, though. I promise."

'Alex' nodded. "I just feel... so bad, daddy... and I barely knew her. I just feel so bad." She was on the verge of tears.

"I know, baby." He kissed her head, again. "I know."

The set was silent for a solid minute before the DP called, "Aaaand Cut!"

The set remained quiet for another ten seconds or more before people started moving about to set up the next scene.

Don hugged John and Marion did the same. "Wonderful, dear," she said as she kissed the young actress's cheek which was wet with tears.

"But you need to keep some emotion for yourself," Don whispered. He'd told her this before. He'd seen actors lose themselves because they gave too much away to their characters. They were left as empty husks. "Always keep some for yourself, baby." He kissed her head as he rose.

When John looked to his friends, he saw Blaine and the girls all looking as if what they'd just watched was real. They looked traumatized and shell shocked. When he reached them, he said, "You guys ok?"

They all nodded, shocked that 'Alex' was gone and 'Bebe' was back.

At Kylie's insistence and much to Rose's consternation, Oscar pulled the luxurious van into an In-N-Out Burger on the way to the airport. "They can't leave California without tasting In-N-Out!" The red head insisted.

"Please don't over eat and don't spill!" Rose said in her 'worried mom' voice. "God, all I need is for Cassie or Annie to get sick on the plane! Your mom will kill me!" This caused the girls to laugh at the young worrier-mom.

One half-hour and one burger, medium fry and milk shake (each) later and they were back on their way to the airport. Blaine, Ella and MK sat in the second row seats while John sat in the middle of the rear seat with Cassie to his right and Annie to his left.

"I'm only going to be in Worcester for a couple of days at
Thanksgiving," John explained, "but we're on hiatus from December fifteenth through January twentieth. Let's do something when I'm home. Maybe we could all meet up in Boston and go to a museum or see a play. Have you guys been to the Gardner Museum? It's beautiful and you can walk from there to the MFA and look at everything they have, too."

"That sounds like fun," Cassie said.

"But how are you going to survive for five weeks without your Prince Charming?" Annie teased.

"I don't know," John admitted. "I won't leave for home till school gets out on the twentieth, but it doesn't start up again until the twenty-third. I hear that lots of families go skiing, so they have a big break in January and then a two week break in March to accommodate those trips. So... I don't know how I will get by without him..."

"Aww..." Cassie gave his thigh a pat, "you'll survive, Beebs. You're a strong girl."

John smiled at that. "I'm going to miss you guys, though. You were there right at the beginning of all this and I don't think that I could have done any of this without having you guys to talk to."

"The beginning of 'all what?'" Annie asked.

Realizing that, while he was lost in thought, he'd nearly talked about his transition, John covered with, "At the beginning of all of the auditions and everything. I didn't have any friends until I met you guys. You really mean a lot to me."

The two sisters both planted big, wet kisses on John's cheeks and the three of them laughed. "Thanks for having us out here, Beebs," Cassie said as she took John's hand and gave it a big kiss, too. "It's been the best weekend of our lives."

"It really has," Annie agreed. "I'm not really an actress or anything like that, but I was talking to one of the girls who worked in production design and I think I know what I want to do when I grow up, now."

As the van pulled passed the huge letters 'LAX' and headed towards the terminal, John felt a great deal of sadness at the thought of his friends leaving. He was finding it more and more difficult to keep his emotions in check recently. He used to smile and laugh at things, or feel bad if something was going wrong, but now, every emotion - joy, happiness, sadness, despair, fear, courage, panic - they all seemed to have been amplified by the introduction of estrogen into his system. He was overwhelmed easily and that was evident now, as a tear rolled down each of his cheeks.

"Beebs? Are you crying?" Cassie asked, surprised.

John laughed at himself as a few tears continued to trail down his face. "I'm sorry. I just wish that you guys could stay."

"Oh, we do, too," Cassie rubbed his shoulder. "We'll Skype tomorrow night, though, ok?"

John nodded. "Ok. I really love you guys."

"We love you, too, Beebs. We'll see you in six weeks or so, though, ok?"

"Ok."

The van stopped and Oscar jumped out to retrieve the luggage from the back of the van. Blaine opened the slider and everyone got out to give the girls a big hug before they headed into the terminal.

When the automatic doors had closed, they all climbed back into the van with John and Blaine in the third row and Ella and MK in the second, but turned so everyone could chat. Inevitably, the subject of tomorrow's arraignment of the headmistress, theater teacher and coach came up, causing John to feel pangs of guilt and concern over that entire procedure. He joined in the conversation as much as he could, but mostly he leaned against Blaine to feel his strength. It felt good, until Oscar pulled up in front of the boy's house and they had to say goodbye. Again, the end of a beautiful weekend and the concerns of a dramatic week drew a few tears from John as he kissed Blaine goodbye. He joined the girls in the second row until each of them were dropped off, too. Then he leaned on the window and closed his eyes and listened to Rose and Oscar in the front row talking about 'grownup things' that seemed to offer no interest to him, anymore.

"The State Of California versus Gabriella Montez," the Clerk Of Court called out.

The, now former, Headmistress was led into a booth in the courtroom. She wore a nice dress, but her hair and makeup were no where near the level or beauty that it had been when Ed had seen her before. As he sat a few rows from the back of the courtroom and watched, he couldn't help but feel just a little bit sorry for the woman who'd always looked so perfectly turned-out before.

"The defendant is charged with 'being an accessory to grand larceny,' your honor."

The judge looked up from her paperwork and looked over her half-glasses towards the booth.

"I will be representing Ms Montez, Your Honor," a man in a very expensive suit stood and crossed to the front of the booth.

"Please, state your name for the record," the judge said with tired routine. It was only 10:00am and she'd already had a full day of revoking parole, hearing pleas and issuing restraining orders.

"My name is Roland Montez, Your Honor. I've already registered my credentials with the Clerk's Office."

The judge jotted down the man's name and asked, "Are you related to the defendant, Mr Montez?"

"Yes, Your Honor. The defendant is my wife."

The judge looked a bit surprised, but she sat back and folded her arms. "Well, Mr. Montez, I can't tell you what to do, but I can't say that I approve of a husband representing his wife in court."

"I understand, Your Honor. I am only representing Ms Montez for the purposes of entering a plea. We will find other representation if we need to return to court."

"What is your plea, then?"

"Well, Your Honor, we have been in discussions with the District Attorney's Office to try to work out a deal, but, unfortunately, our contact at that office does not appear to be in court today."

"That is unfortunate, Mr Montez, but not really pertinent. For now, please enter your plea and you can work with the DA on your own. We have a full docket today."

"Yes, Your Honor. Ms Montez pleads 'Not Guilty,' Your Honor."

"Thank you, Mr Montez."

She turned to the attending Assistant District Attorney. "Ms Whitehall, bail?"

"The people request that bail not be any less than one hundred thousand dollars, Your Honor."

"That's absurd, Your Honor," Mr Montez shouted. "Ms Montez has no previous history of criminal behavior and..."

The judge banged a gavel on her desk. "Enough, Mr Montez. I agree with the defense, Ms Whitehall. Bail is set at ten thousand dollars. Mr Montez, please see the Assistant District Attorney to work out a date to enter a plea agreement." She gaveled again and they moved on to the next case.

By noon, Ed was leaving the courthouse, angry and unsatisfied. All three defendants had been represented by Ms Gabriella's husband and all had received a low bail amount. Ed was sure that they would be out before he got back to the studio. They had come after him and his family, as well as many other families, and they were going to be able to sleep in their own beds tonight. What bullshit!

"Well," Veronica Pearl, a well known voice teacher in the movie-musical world, smiled and petted John's back. "you have excellent pitch and intonation, but you are definitely an alto and the audition lists calls for a soprano. They've also specifically requested you to read for the role, so let's see if we can open up your head voice as much as we can, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," John breathed deeply and nervously. Since Veronica had mentioned that the role was for a soprano, he'd been a bit crestfallen. He'd always had a higher voice for a guy, and he found a comfortably high placement for his new speaking voice, which was definitely assisted by the hormones, but he doubted that he'd ever be a real soprano. He'd heard about men who could access that high female voice, like the actor who'd played 'Mary Sunshine' on the original cast recording of 'Chicago,' but he didn't know if it was possible for him.

It had been a hard school day, too. Theater Class didn't have a new teacher, so they'd just used it as a study period, today. The new Headmistress was actually a Headmaster named Mr Carlin, who was an assistant principal at St Mark's until that morning. He went out of his way to speak to everyone, in person, during the first couple of periods of the day, and he'd called a few girls, including John, into his office throughout the morning to talk to them about the arrests that had taken place on Friday. He seemed like a very nice guy, but John noticed that he spoke to the students as if he were speaking to boys, instead of girls. He was just a bit colder in his delivery than most of the teachers at Notre Dame. Maybe the girls hadn't noticed, but John certainly had.

"Your cousin told me that you never really sang in front of an audience before, is that true?" Veronica asked.

"Umm, I did a few musicals at school, but I never sang a solo. Is that a problem?"

Veronica laughed. She had a lovely, lyrical laugh and her eyes lit up when she did so. "No, honey, that's not a problem. We'll work on opening up your head voice this week. The producers are sending the audition piece over next week. Hopefully, by then, you'll have opened up a bit and we can make you comfortable with the song before the audition. Sound good?"

"Yes, ma'am," John nodded.

"Sweetheart," the voice teacher took her student's chin into her hand. "I love how polite you are, but, please, call me Veronica. All of the 'ma'am' stuff is making me feel very, very old."

There was nothing 'old' looking about this woman. She had strawberry blonde hair that she wore long and full and she wore lovely, youthful clothes that fitted her fit body quite beautifully. Her shirt, skirt and knee high boots were very striking and made John jealous. She was tall and shapely, while John was small and only just beginning to develop. He hoped that, someday, he might be able to wear something as comfortable and beautiful as Veronica.

"Ok," Veronica stood and had John stand in front of the mirror, again. "Feet spaced a bit apart, relax your knees, stand straight, not stiff, and shake the stress from your shoulder. Now, let's do three sirens and see if we can find your 'real' voice, ok? Here we go."

It had been the longest week that John could ever remember - and Monday had been a holiday! Friday night, he'd had to work till 10:00pm, so he didn't get home till midnight. On Saturday morning, he'd joined Ella and MK for some rock-wall-climbing time and he'd barely been able to keep up with his friends.

By the time he'd gotten back to the condo, he was feeling very tired.

"What's the matter, Beebs," Rose sat next to him on the coach and felt his head. "You feel a little warm. Do you feel sick?"

John shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel tired."

"Hmm," Rose grabbed a blanket and covered him. "Maybe you should stay in tonight. You want me to call Blaine's mom and tell her you're not feeling well enough to go out tonight?"

"Nooo," John moaned. "I haven't seen him since Monday."

"I know, but if you're not feeling well..."

Just then, the entry bell sounded. "Looks like it's too late. I think Blaine is here." Rose shook her head. She checked the entry screen and, sure enough, Blaine was waiting to be let in. She pressed the button. "Come on up, Blaine."

When she turned, John was getting up. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get changed. We're going out."

"No, Beebs, you're not going out. You're sick and you need to get some rest. You and Blaine can watch some NetFlix and I'll order some Asian take out food, but you are not going out tonight. So, park your pretty little butt back on that couch and I'll explain everything to Blaine."

"Ok," John sighed as he continued to walk down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked, confused.

"To get changed. I can’t let him see me like this. I’m sweaty and I’m wearing yoga pants. He’s only ever seen me in dresses and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

A moment later, as Blaine knocked on the door, Rose heard the sound of the shower in John’s lavatory.

When John emerged from his room, a half an hour later, Blaine was seated at the kitchen table with Ed and Rose and there was a selection of Japanese and Korean takeout food in various styles of containers spread out in front of them. Rose had called Ed, who was out running errands, and he had taken care of picking up dinner.

“Hey!” Blaine waived as John walked passed. John waived back and smiled and crossed to pour himself a glass of iced tea.

Rose was beside him, quickly,. “You look cute,” she smiled and put her arm around him, giving his bicep a rub. He did look cute in a loose fitting, light blue, sleeveless shirt dress with a delicate lace collar. “How do you feel?”

John shrugged. “Ok. Just tired, I guess.”

Rose nodded, hoping that he was just exhausted and not coming down with something. “You’ve had a long week, Beebs. You’re probably just wiped out. Take it easy tonight and stay in bed tomorrow. Ok?”

He nodded and they joined the others.

“Blaine tells me that he’s joined the track team,” Ed said, by way of recapping their conversation.

“Oh, you made the cut?” John asked with a sense of admiration and pride in his boyfriend. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Blaine grinned; happy both to have made the team and that Bebe seemed so impressed. “It’s ‘indoor’ track, but if I like it, I may try out for Cross-Country in the spring.”

“That’s awesome, Blaine!” John beamed.

John had just a cup or so of white rice and said he was full.

“Are you sure, honey?” Ed asked, concerned. “Rosie says that you haven’t had much to eat today. You shouldn’t starve yourself.”

John snickered at that. Typically, Rose was warning him about eating too much. “I know. I’m just not hungry at all.”

“Ok,” Ed shot a concerned look to Rose. “Maybe later.”

“How was your week?” Blaine asked John.

“Not bad. Lots of uproar at school because of Miss Gabriella and the others being arrested and all that. Mr Carlin from your school seems nice. Kylie and I had a late shoot last night and I went to the Rockwall place with Ella and MK this morning, so I’m a little burned out. Sorry about that. Rose says that I need to stay in bed all day tomorrow to catch up. You don’t mind just chilling here tonight, do you?”

“Of course not,” Blaine smiled and took another mouthful of Korean barbecue as he looked at the beautiful girl across from him. All of a sudden, though, Bebe didn’t look right. Her eyes squinted and she turned pale. “Bebe?” He spoke with more concern than usual. “Bebe? Are you ok!?” She was leaning towards her left side and seemed dazed and confused about her surroundings. “Bebe!?”

This last acclamation caught Ed’s attention and he leapt up to catch John as he fell to the side. “Bebe!!??” Ed was nearly panicked. “Bebe, honey, what’s wrong!?”

He lifted the child and carried her towards the coach, but part way there, John said, “Bathroom. Please, I need the bathroom... quickly!”

Rose was right beside Ed and she ran ahead to the hallway lavatory, turned on the light and lifted the seat of the toilet, expecting John to need to vomit, when Ed arrived, John, who was slightly more cogent than before, but still pale as a sheet, said, “I need to sit on it.”

Rose dropped the seat and Ed helped John to stand while Rose pulled down his panties and guided him towards the seat. Instinctively, Rose turned and pushed Ed towards the door, closing it behind him.

“Is she ok?” A very frightened Blaine asked from the end of the hall.

Ed hurried past him saying, “I’m not sure, bud. I think I’d better call a doctor.”

Ed grabbed his briefcase and pulled out a business card he’d been given months ago, when John had first joined them in LA. On the front was the name ‘Dr Richard Roman’ and a phone number. The doctor specialized in, among other things, transgender issues and he was closely affiliated with the studio. Ed pulled out his phone and dialed the number. Within a few moments, Ed was running back to the lavatory and knocking on the door.

“Is she ok?” He asked when Rose opened the door halfway.

“Ed, no, she is definitely not Ok. She’s going – you know, ‘going’ - like crazy, Ed, and there’s a lot of blood in there. I’m really scared, Ed. She needs to go to the hospital.”

“There’s an ambulance on the way...” Ed started.

Rose interrupted, though. “... but Ed, she can’t just go to a hospital. The staff will see...”

“It’s ok. I called the doctor from the studio. He’s sending the ambulance and their taking her to a private hospital. It’s near by. He’ll meet us there.” As he spoke, he heard the sound of John letting out a quiet moan followed by the sound of a loose, watery discharge hitting the water in the toilet. For the first time, he realized that the smell was nearly overwhelming.

“Is Blaine ok?” Rose asked.

“What?” Ed was surprised by the question. “Oh... Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, check on him and have him call his mom. Bebe’s definitely going to the hospital.”

“Oh, ok...” Ed was not used to being this flustered. What if something happened to Bebe? He couldn’t face that.

Rose closed the lavatory door and Ed walked back down the hall. “Hey, ummm, Blaine, buddy,” he said as he approached the nervous boy. “You’d better call your mom and ask her to come pick you up. I think Bebe is going to the hospital.”

“What’s wrong with her!.” Blaine had gone a bit pale, too.

“I’m not sure, but we have an ambulance on it’s way. You should call your mom.”

“I want to go to the hospital with her.” Blaine was scared and wanted to be sure that Bebe was ok. He had no intention of going home.

“I don’t think that would be a great idea...” Ed started to explain, but Blaine cut him off.

“Look, Ed, I know she’s your niece and your responsibility, but I love her, too. If I can’t ride with you, I’ll just call an Uber and be there a few minutes later. Besides, I’m only like six or seven years younger than you and Rose. I can handle this. Please, let me come with you.”

Ed wanted to be the decisive adult he’d become lately, but he was really confused, right now.

“Ed!” Rose called from the lavatory. “Put the food in the fridge so it doesn’t spoil!”

That really shook Ed out of his thoughts. Food? What food? Oh! The food!

Just then, the entry buzzer sounded.

“I’ll get the door,” Ed said. “You throw the food in the fridge and the dishes in the sink.” He ran to the video screen, pushed the button and said, “Eighth floor. Straight ahead of the elevator.” He opened the door and waited while he heard Blaine in the kitchen and the toilet in the lavatory flushing again.

It seemed to take forever before the elevator doors opened and two EMTs emerged with a stretcher that carried a large toolbox-like equipment box.

Ed led them down the hall where Rose was waiting. She stepped out of the way to let the EMTs in.

“How is she?” Ed asked again.

Rose shrugged and shook her head. “She says her stomach hurts really bad and... she’s lost a lot of blood, Ed. I’m really scared.”

Ed put his arm around Rose’s shoulder and hugged her. “She’ll be ok, Rosie. She has to be.”

“Ok, Marilyn,” Rose said into the phone, as she paced in the waiting room. “I’ll call you as soon as we know anything. Ok. Ok. I’ll tell her you love her, of course. Ok. Goodbye.”

“Is she ok?” Joanne, who had driven to the hospital when Blaine called, asked Rose.

“I don’t know.” Rose shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t even know what to tell her. She says that Nancy is going to call the hospital and ask for updates.”

“Is Nancy Bebe’s sister?”

Rose nodded. “She’s a Doctor.”

Joanne nodded. Rose looked so disconsolate that Joanne had no option but to hug her tightly. “I’m sorry, Rose. She’ll be ok. I’m sure she will.”

When Joanne released her, Rose had to wipe a few tears from her eyes and snorted back some more. “I can’t cry. If I do, Ed will lose it completely.”

They both looked over at Ed, who was standing and looking out a window, biting his bent thumb as he spoke to Don through his phone. Only Blaine was seated and he was holding his head in his hands, scared to death.

“I’d better see to my guy,” Joanne said. She rubbed Rose’s shoulder. “Are you ok?”

She nodded.

Joanne sat next to Blaine, took one hand away from his head and held it tightly, offering as much encouragement as she could muster.

When Ed finished his call, he continued to look out the window and bite his thumb.

“Hey,” Rose said, in a quiet voice. “Are you ok?”

He nodded. “Rosie... Rosie, I don’t know what I’ll do if she...”

“She’s in good hands, Ed,” Rose hugged him. “Don’t even think about that.”

Ed looked towards the door that lead to the interior of the hospital. “I know how stupid this all sounds, Rosie, but I really do love her like she’s my own daughter. I can’t lose her, Rosie. I can’t lose either of you – ever. You guys are everything to me. You’re my girls. I can’t lose you, I just can’t.”

Rose hugged him tightly, but kept her head down so Ed wouldn’t see her cry.

“Mr McNeal?” The doctor asked as he entered the waiting area. It had been nearly three hours and no one had given them any information.

Ed stood and nodded. “Yes. Is she ok?”

The doctor nodded and gave a tired smile. “She will be, Mr McNeal. The worst is over.”

“Oh, thank God,” Rose sighed as she breathed for the first time in hours.

“What happened,” asked Joanne.

“She had several severely ruptured duodenal ulcers,” the doctor said. “She lost a lot of blood. We were able to cauterize the ruptures and stop the bleeding. We’ve given her three units of blood and sedated her. She should be ok after a day or two of rest.”

Ed nodded and his hands shook as he rubbed his forehead and took a few, shaky breaths. “Ok, ok, ok, ok...” he muttered.

“Are you ok, Mr McNeal?” The doctor asked, concerned. “Maybe you should sit down.”

Ed looked around and shook his head. “No. I’ll be ok. What caused this?”

“That’s a little hard to determine at the moment. Obviously, she has a propensity towards ulcers, but she is awfully young to have them manifest in such a severe form. They can be exacerbated by several factors; stress, alcohol consumption...”

“She certainly doesn’t drink,” Rose said, “but stress? She’s had a lot of stress, though, that’s for sure.”

The doctor nodded. “We’ll need to discuss that when she’s awake. The important thing, though, is that she’s going to be ok, so you can all relax. She won’t be awake till mid morning, so, if you want to go home and get some rest, that will be fine. If you want to see her before you go, you’ll be able to do that in an hour or so.” The doctor shook Ed’s hand and walked away.

Joanne hugged Ed. “See. She’s going to be fine. Take a breath and relax.”

Ed nodded and sat. The others joined him.

“I’d like to see her before we leave,” Ed said and Rose agreed. “You should probably get Blaine home, Joanne.”

Joanne nodded. “All set, honey?”

Blaine shook his head, though. “No, mom. I’m not going home. You can, but I can’t leave until she’s awake and I can apologize.”

“Apologize for what?” Rose asked.

“This is all my fault,” Blaine said. “I was so mean to her when I broke up with her... That’s what caused this, mom. I made her sick.”

“Blaine, honey,” Joanne rubbed his knee, “it’s not your fault. People get sick. That’s all there is to it.”

“Blaine, buddy,” Ed smiled, “your mom is right. Bebe is under a lot of stress on the show and at school and this whole thing with her teachers getting arrested, too... Believe me, bud, you are the best part of her life. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

“He’s right,” Rose agreed.

“I don’t care.” Blaine shook his head, unconvinced. “I’m not leaving till I talk to her. You can go home, mom. I’ll call you later for a ride, or take an Uber.”

“I’ll wait with you, honey,” Joanne smiled at her son.

“You’re a good boy,” Rose smiled. She leaned and kissed his head. “She’s very lucky to have you, Blaine. We all are lucky to have you.”

“Welcome back, sweetie.” Rose smiled down at John as he blinked awake. “You gave us quite a scare.”

John blinked some more. “Where am l? What happened?”

“You’re in a hospital, Beebs,” Rose smiled as she ran her hand gently across John’s soft face. “You’re ok, now. I’ll explain everything soon, but look who’s here.”

Blaine’s face came into John’s view. The boy looked both concerned and relived. “Hi,” his voice was quiet and loving.

“Hi,” John smiled up at him.

“Ed and Joanne went home to get us all some clean clothes,” Rose spoke very maternally, as if speaking to a child. “They’ll be back in an hour or so. They waited until the doctors said that you were ok.”

“Clean clothes? What day is it?” John squinted to see more of the room. It was a very nice room, for a hospital room. Peach colored walls with pretty, flowered prints on the wall. It looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room. Even the bed was nicer – a full sized, comfortable bed, instead of the typical cot-style.

“It’s Sunday, baby,” Rose kissed his forehead. “We called the ambulance at 6:30 last night. It’s nearly 2:00 in the afternoon, now.”

John felt weak. He raised a weak arm up to push his hair from his face. Immediately, he realized that his hair was a mess. He felt his face and realized it bore no makeup. He clapped his hands to his face. “Oh, my God, I must look awful! Don’t look at me, Blaine!” He laughed at his own vanity.

Rose and Blaine smiled at each other. Rose pulled his hand away and pinned them to his pillow, wrestling-style. “Don’t be silly. You look beautiful. Tell her, Blaine.”

“You do, Beebs,” Blaine smiled. Hearing him saying ‘Beebs’ made both John and Rose smile. “You look, just... perfect. I’m so happy to see you smile, again. You had me so scared.”

“I’m sorry,” John whispered, feeling guilty for upsetting everyone.

“No need to be sorry,” Rose smiled and let go of John’s wrists, releasing him from the ‘pinned’ position she’d been keeping him in. “I’m going to go tell the doctor you’re awake. I’ll give you two a little alone time.”

Once Rose had left, John moved to the far side of the bed, patted the mattress and said, “Sit with me.”

Blaine climbed onto the bed, his back against the headboard and John cuddle next to him as well as he could. It felt good to have Blaine’s arm around him again.

“So, do you feel better?” The boy asked.

“I do. I’m just tired and I wish you hadn’t seen me like this.”

“Don’t be silly. You look great,” Blaine scoffed.

“No I don’t. I never wanted you to see me without my makeup.”

“Really? Why?”

“Cause, without my makeup, I look like... like a boy.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Blaine shifted enough so that he could look into the eyes of the girl he was holding. “Bebe, with or without makeup, you’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met! And I’m not saying that to be nice. I really mean it.”

“Thank you for saying it, I feel like a grunge, though. Could you turn on the TV?”

Blaine picked up the remote and scrolled through the channels until he came to a station showing the first of the Marvel’s The Avengers movie. They both agreed to watch that and for a few minutes, they watched in silence.

“I need to tell you something,” John said, quietly.

“What’s that?” Blaine asked as he watched the screen.

John sighed. “I have another secret.”

“You mean that you’re really a few years older?” Blaine just kept looking at the screen.

John raised his head and looked at Blaine in surprise. “How did you know that?”

“I heard the doctor talking to your uncle, this morning and it came up – but he also said that your development as a woman makes you more like a thirteen year old. So, the way I figure it, if you look a few years younger and you’re really a few years older, then when you balance it all out, you really are, kinda like a real fifteen year old.” He just continued watching the TV.

John looked at him and tried to read his face to see if he was upset, but he couldn’t tell. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Blaine smiled down at him. “Beebs, I was awake all night thinking about you – Who you are. What you’ve gone through. How you’ve become the girl that I love and you know what I realized?”

John shook his head.

“I don’t care. I don’t care if you were a boy or a girl or Martian. None of it matters. The only thing that matters is who you are right now and I love who you are right now. That’s it. Nothing else matters, except that I love you and you love me and you’re going to be ok.”

John leaned up and kissed Blaine’s slightly stubbly cheek. “I love you, too. I really, really, really do.”

Ed smiled, sighed and shook his head. “I’m not sure you understand exactly what you’re asking us to do, Doctor. Acting is everything to Bebe. It always has been. And now she’s just found real success. I can’t ask her to cut back at this point. No matter what I say, she’s probably going to that audition and she’ll do her best. That’s just her nature.”

The doctor leaned back in his chair. “That is a decision that you and your partner,” he looked to Rose, “will need to make, Mr McNeal, but I can’t recommend that she takes on any more responsibilities at the moment. I mean, as you lay out her schedule, Bianca has school five days a week, she’s on call for the studio’s shooting schedule everyday, which seems pretty demanding, she’s taking dance classes three days a week and she’s currently taking singing lessons every evening. That’s a hell of a schedule for anyone. Pile on the stress of transitioning, the hormone therapy and her unwillingness to stick with her therapy, then pile a fairly active social life on top of that... Mr McNeal, I am surprised that she’s as healthy as she is. She needs to cut back. That is all there is to it.”

Ed looked at Rose. She shrugged. “I don’t know, Ed. I hate to call her mother about this, but...”

“Are you kidding!?” Ed scoffed. “That’s a Sure Fire way to insure that she’s under more stress. Look, Rosie, John was Marilyn’s son, but Bebe is ours. We need to figure all of this out... you and me.”

“I could suggest some medication – antidepressants – to take the edge off of her stress,” the doctor said, “but that would be contingent on her returning to therapy.”

“Well,” Ed nodded, “I think that therapy is a given. We’ll find someone she can work with. Rosie and I will make sure that she’s there for every appointment. I am hesitant to start her on antidepressants without giving therapy a try, first.”

“Ok. That’s a good start,” the doctor nodded, “but increasing her stress with a movie project... honestly, it concerns me. Now, I’m saying that and Disney/ABC is my biggest client. It’s my job to keep their staff of talent healthy. Please consider giving this opportunity a pass.”

Rose and Ed exchanged another look. Rose turned back to the doctor and said, “Doctor, I honestly don’t think that we can stop her from auditioning, even if we tried. We will recommend that she not do it, but we are going to support her decisions regarding her career. We really don’t have any choice about that.”

The doctor held out his hands, palms up. “It’s your decision.”

Ed stood and extended a hand. “Thank you doctor. Can we take our girl home, now?”

The doctor shook Ed’s hand. “It’ll take about an hour or so to finish her paperwork and get her ready. She can go back to school tomorrow if she feels up to it, but keep her to mild foods – yogurt, milk shakes, maybe some low fat ice cream – for a few days and make sure gets to bed and GETS TO SLEEP early for a week or so and she should be in good shape in a few days.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Rose shook his hand, too and they exited into the hallway. “Well?” Rose asked as they headed to John’s room. “How do you think she’ll react when we tell her what the doctor said?”

Ed heaved a big breath. “I don’t know, Rosie, but I do know that she needs therapy. I should have put my foot down about that a long time ago. Heck, I wouldn’t mind seeing a therapist, myself. I have somd things of my own that I’d like to work out.

“Ok, I agree with that. Maybe we should look for a family therapist who could help all of us. What about the audition?”

“Rosie, you and I both know that we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Bebe, and she worked harder than any of us to get here. Now that she’s about to really break out and become an actual, real life star... if we stand in her way, she will resent us for doing that and she’ll pull away from us. I just don’t think we can do that to her.”

Rose hugged Ed. “She’ll never pull away from you, Ed. She loves you more than you realize.”

Ed smiled at that. “Ok. I need to see my niece. I need to be sure she’s ok and I need to hug her so hard that I break her ribs.”

Rose laughed.

“Can I ask you a question?” Blaine asked tentatively, as he sat on the hospital bed.

“Sure,” John was laying on his side with his head on Blaine’s chest.

“When you were... well, a boy... did you like boys?”

“No.” John’s answer wasn’t angry or evasive. Just true.

“So you liked girls?”

“Yeah, I guess,” it was a confusing and complicated question. John wasn’t really sure how to answer it.

“So... do you think you like boys because of the hormones?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

John lifted his head and looked at Blaine. “Don’t like boys, Blaine. I love you. Just you.”

Blaine smiled and gave John a little hug. “Good answer.”

“Hey,” Ed burst into the hospital room with great bravado, “there’s my girl! How are you feeling, baby? Off the bed, Blaine, I want to hug my niece.”

Blaine smiled and pulled himself free of John and got off the bed. “She’s all yours.”

Ed climbed on and assumed the same position In which Blaine had been sitting. John laid his head on Ed’s chest and Ed put his arm around John. “You scared the crap out of me, baby” Ed murmured as he laid his head on John’s. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I’m sorry,” John whispered with a smile. Ed smelled good and felt warm and strong, but John was surprised to feel Ed shaking slightly. Then he realized that Ed wasn’t just shaking, he was softly crying. John had known Ed since they were little boys together and Ed had never once cried, even when he was hurt. This was not right.

John pulled his head away from Ed’s chest and shook the hair from his face. “Are you ok?”

“I am, now, honey,” Ed smiled, his eyes brimming with tears. “You really scared me. Like – really, really, really scared me. For a while, I was afraid we might lose you. I guess I’m just so happy that you’re ok. Rosie and I really love you, Bebe. Almost like you’re our own girl, you know what I mean?”

John rested his head back on his Uncle’s chest. He could feel the warmth and hear his heart and he felt more than love – he felt home and family. “I love you, too, Uncle Ed.”

“Thank you, Bebe.”
 
 
To Be Continued...