Instant Star- Rise Of The Next Generation

Chapter 22: Epilogue: Full Circles

(Author's Note: Well, this is it! As someone once said, the end of an era! Anyone want to produce my next album... (sorry! had to say that, even though I know it's a lame joke!) Seriously, writing this has really been an amazing experience for me- I can't believe it's been over six months since I started it... Once again I want to thank you all for reading, reviewing and sharing this one with me... I hope you'll all be around for my next story...for now, I'll just say it relates to this one... but really different in tone and plot...)

Chapter 22: Epilogue: Full Circles

Seven months passed since the kidnaping. Together, the Quincy's dealt with the aftermath of everything that happened. With time and professional counseling, Ruby recovered from her traumatic experience, although it would always be a part of her. The money Darius stole from Q-Records was located and returned. Darius himself pleaded guilty to embezzlement and kidnaping charges. He received a life sentence, which his lawyers already planned to appeal. Justin pleaded guilty to several counts of conspiracy. The courts reprimanded him to a juvenile detention center for at least five years. His sentence was mitigated in exchange for his cooperation in and serving as a witness in Darius's trial. Unfortunately, the men who actually kidnaped the girls had not yet been caught; it appeared unlikely that they ever would be.

Except for the police's failure to capture those men, the Quincy family was pretty satisfied with the way everything turned out. Even Tommy was pleased, confiding to Quest

"Yeah, I'd like to see Darius sentenced to die after what he did to us... But it's okay... At least he'll never come near any of us again."

Quest nodded understandingly. If he had been in Tommy's shoes, he would have felt the same way.

On this April night, Quest, now Q-Records vice-president stepped outside the Vinyl Palace for a much-needed breath of fresh air. Inside, it was already crowded, as many people milled about, invited there for the release party for Ruby's debut album. However, the artist herself had not yet arrived; neither had her family.

Back in her bedroom, that young woman stared miserably into the mirror, disgusted.

"Look at me! Just look at me! The biggest night of my life! My hair! It looks like it got stuck in an accordian!"

"Will you just chill!" Caitlin admonished her.

"One album and she goes full-on diva on us!" Stacie commented, brandishing the hair crimper.

Ruby opened her mouth to retort; Caitlin's glare quickly stopped her.

"Don't even go there!" Caitlin warned her.

Ruby quickly shut her lips.

"We're working on it!" Stacie added, reassuringly snippy.

"I just can't look like a dork. Not tonight." Ruby wailed softly, her histrionics stifled somewhat by her friends.

"You don't!" Stacie screamed triumphantly a few minutes later. "There!"

"Wow!" Ruby said, stunned. She barely recognized herself.

"Happy now, Miss Rock-Star-Thing?" Caitlin grinned.

"Yeah! This "do" does it! You guys rock!" Ruby enthused, hugging both girls.

"Sorry I was bitchy." she apologized.

"It's cool! We know you're just nervous!" Caitlin answered.

"First release party... yeah. I guess that's allowed!" Stacie smiled knowingly.

"Anyway, you look hot..."

Ruby stood up and walked across the room, to check her reflection in the full-length mirror in her closet. Ironically, EJ dressed her in the same cropped white T-shirt and black leather miniskirt she wore clubbing that night with Patrick, Stacie and Justin.

"Yeah, I guess I do." she conceded happily.

"And I bet your date agrees..." Stacie smiled provocatively, as Patrick entered the room bearing a large, colorful bouquet of flowers.

"For me? You shouldn't have!" she teased mercilessly, already knowing they weren't hers.

"I didn't. Not tonight, anyway..." he replied, somewhat apologetically, wrapping a reassuring arm around her waist as he handed the flowers to Ruby.

"For me?" she squealed, completely surprised. "You didn't..."

"Of course not! As if! What kind of freak buys flowers for his sister?"

"Then who?"

"Don't ask me! I can't understand it myself!" Patrick retorted, shaking his head as Stacie playfully punched his arm.

"Hey! You're my girlfriend! Whose side are you supposed to be on?"

"After a remark like that... Hers!" she answered, as Patrick scowled, making all three girls laugh.

"At least this time..." she added, seductively, as her boyfriend leaned over to drop a soft, quick kiss on her lips.

"Please..." Ruby said, always a little grossed out by their constant public displays of affection.

"Anyway... there's a card there. Open it!" Caitlin demanded, redirecting everyone's attention to more important matters.

Ruby carefully tore into the small white envelope. Her hands began shaking as she read the note.

Dear Ruby,

I asked my father to send you these from me. I really wanted you to have them for your big night. I know you'll be great! You're amazing and will be a big star!

I'm sorry for everything I did. Please know that you are very special. I really do care about you. I wish things could have been different between us...

Again, I'm really sorry. Maybe someday, we will see each other again, or maybe not. But I wish you all the best.

Always,

Justin Blackburn

Quickly, she crumpled up the paper and tossed it into her trash can.

"From Justin?" Stacie guessed.

"Yeah..."

"The nerve of that kid!" Patrick exploded, seeing Ruby's suddenly pale face.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Caitlin asked solicitously.

"I guess..." Ruby's voice drifted off, as her mother entered the room.

"Honey, you look beautiful!" Jude assured her.

"Thanks."

"You nervous?" her mother asked, empathasizing with her daughter and remembering her own first record's debut party.

"Yeah... But excited too..." Ruby said, starting to feel it.

"Good! You should be! You'll be wonderful! So... the limo's waiting downstairs. So is your date." Jude informed her, smiling proudly.

Ruby's mood lifted considerably at her mother's words.

"I'm ready!" she burst out cheerfully. "Let's do this!"

She sailed out of the room, with everyone else following her.

Downstairs, Tommy stood waiting with Brian as well as Caitlin's boyfriend, David.

"Keeping us waiting... still the girl thing. Some things never change!" he thought fondly of both his girls.

His eyes lit up when he saw them both finally coming down the stairs. He noted Brian's jaw drop in amazement at the sight of Ruby.

"Yeah, some things never change..." he thought, remembering Jude at that age and her effect on him. It appeared that Brian was equally captivated by their daughter.

Tommy allowed him to step forward and greet her first.

"Wow!" Brian breathed. "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks!" Ruby grinned. "You look great, too!"

Tommy smiled proudly, glad to see her so happy after everything she'd been through.

"You look great. You'll be great!" he said to his daughter, completely confident as always.

"Ok, everyone... The limo's waiting... Let's go!" he quietly commanded, herding the group outside.

The night and the party seemed to fly by. Of course, the highlight of the evening was Ruby performing tracks from her new album. Flashbulbs popped and dozens of reporters frantically scribbled notes, preparing the reviews that would appear in newspapers and magazines, starting tomorrow.

A jubilant EJ approached Tommy and Jude who stood together hand-in-hand, proudly watching their daughters concert.

"It's unanimous! She's a winner!" the publicist raved.

"We already knew that." Tommy smiled modestly.

"But thanks for saying so."

EJ moved on to continue her work as Ruby finished singing "Another Thin Line", her scheduled finale. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

"So? I guess you liked it, huh!" Ruby tossed her head insoucientally, radiating charm.

The audience responded with even louder cheers. When they died down, Ruby spoke, surprising everyone.

"Anyway, I have just one more song I'd like to sing tonight. It's not mine. It's an old favorite... I think everyone here will recognize it. I'd like to dedicate this one to my parents. Mom, Dad, if it wasn't for you, I couldn't do this... Thanks!"

"I've been sitting in the dirt- for 24 hours!"

"I've forgotten my own worth- 24 hours!"

"Said that you'd be here last night- uh!

"I'm trying to shake you from my skin..."

"Clean up this mess I've been put in..."

"I'm guessing you can always win..."

"I'm guessing you can always win..."

Tommy's arm tightened around Jude's shoulders, pulling her closer, so he could whisper in her ear.

"Amazing..." he said, completely awed.

"She really is." his wife easily agreed.

"Not just that... I look at her tonight... I see how wonderful she is... I hear that... But I also can't help but see and hear you... How you were back then."

"Full circle" Jude smiled. "It began here for me. For us. Now it begins here again. With her. For her..."

"And who knows where this road will take her? And all of us..." Tommy whispered back, wondering.

They leaned closer together, touching foreheads as their daughter finished their song.

"I can have anything I want..."

"They say I'm just too young..."

"But that's not my fault."

"I'll find my own way home, if I gotta..."

"I'll make it all alone..."

"24 hours!"

The next day, one hundred miles away, Darius paced angrily in his small cell. Furiously, he tore up the newspaper article he had just read, describing Ruby Quincy's great new album.

"Damm them! They don't deserve this! It's their fault I'm here! Locked up like a damm animal! But my lawyers will change that... Then..."

"You can always win! I can have anything I want..." he promised himself and vowed.

"This ain't over yet!"