Title: "It's Alright"

Main Character(s): Rick, Jimmy, Toby, and Emma

Author: Chandler7Roxanne20Fan90Forever

Rating: PG

Genre: General, 'what if' story, one-short

Main POV: None

Character Death: None

Coupling: Mild Rick/Emma

Songs Used: 'It's Alright' by S Club 7; sort of song-fic like.

Setting: During 'Time Stands Still (2)'

Disclaimer: Degrassi isn't mine and it never will be, I don't even live in Canada. I also don't own the song 'It's Alright', S Club 7 does.

Summary: What if things had gone differently in 'Time Stands Still (2)'? What if Rick found out who really pulled the feather prank on him? What if Jimmy was never shot? What if true friendship had overshadowed the violence? One-short.

A/N: I'm writing this because I haven't had the chance to write since last Friday because of midterms at my school. This will probably be pretty short. This idea just came to me while I was reading Degrassi info on TV Tome. It's the rest of my version of 'TSS2', it would take place right after this following quote:

Jimmy: "If those guys give you any more problems, I got your back."

Rick: "Y-you stabbed me in the back."

Jimmy: "What?"

Rick: "You set the whole thing up."

Jimmy: "Rick, come on, I defended you. (Jimmy sees the gun) Is that real?"

Rick: "All the time you pretended to be my friend. (Rick the gun at Jimmy) You made me do this."

(Quote From: TV Tome)

Now, on with my version of this episode…

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"Ba do be do be da

Do do do do do do do

Do do do do do do do

Ba do be do be da

So tell me how you feel

Tell me what is going on

Cause when all hope is gone

You need a friend

Ah ha, yeah

I'll be there for you (for you)

I'll be there to help you through (you through)

Take you to another place

Cause you've got a friend (yeah, you've got a friend)

When you're feeling low

And you're on your own

Got nowhere to go

You gotta pull yourself together

It's alright

Anything you wanna

It's alright

Leaving all your troubles

Far behind

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

No matter what you're feeling

It's alright

You better start believing

In yourself

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

Do do do do do do do

Do do do do do do do

Do do do do do do do

It's alright

You know it's gonna be alright

Oh yeah

Ba do be do be da"

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Rick nodded, "Yes, it is real. And once again Jimmy, you made me do this."

Jimmy looked at Rick. He was obviously very emotionally unstable. He wanted Rick to believe him, but someone had clearly set it into his mind that he was responsible for the whole feathering-him-in-front-of-the-school thing. Jimmy slowly put his hand on the gun Rick held and gently placed his hand to his side.

"Rick, look man, I didn't do this to you. I know we were never really friends when you were with Terri, in fact, I couldn't stand you then. But I know you made a mistake now, your anger got the best of you. I mean, hell, my anger gets the best of me too at times. Like a few years ago, I got really angry with Sean Cameron and we had this huge fight. Anyway, Rick, I know you're sorry for what you did to Terri, and I accepted your apology. I accepted you. You're my friend, Rick. Why would I ever dump paint and feathers all over you in front of the school?" Jimmy asked slowly

Rick looked Jimmy in the eye. Something told him that he wasn't lying. He was telling the truth, like a real friend would, not an enemy. He believed Jimmy.

Rick took the gun and placed it quietly back into his bag. He looked at Jimmy, tears forming in his eyes.

Rick sniffled, "I'm sorry Jimmy. I didn't mean to point the gun at you. You're right. You are my friend. You didn't do this to me."

Jimmy pulled Rick into a hug as he started crying.

"It's alright, we'll find out who did this to you," Jimmy said.

Rick pulled out of the hug and wiped his tears away, "Jimmy, you're a great friend."

(-----)

Emma ran down the halls of Degrassi, with Toby closely behind her. They had heard that Rick had come back to school after the feather incident. They wanted to see if he was ok.

Emma and Toby stopped in their tracks when they heard footsteps in the hallway. They ducked into a nearby corner. Spinner, Alex, and Jay walked by.

"I can't believe that we pulled this off," Jay laughed.

"Yeah, making psycho-boy believe that Jimmy set up this whole thing," Spinner agreed.

"Guys, I'm starting to think what we did was a little out-of-line," Alex said.

"Alex, we gave that damn psycho what he deserved! You don't just put people into comas and then hide out for months and come back suddenly expecting everyone to love you! Rick got what he deserved, and you better not tell anyone that we were the ones who feathered him, or else…" Jay warned, and Spinner nodded in agreement.

Alex sighed, "Fine, fine! I won't say a damn word!" The trio walked off.

Emma looked at Toby, her eyes loaded with shock. Toby gave her the same expression back.

"Oh my god! It was Jay, Spinner, and Alex who set Rick up! And they made Rick think it was Jimmy!" Emma exclaimed.

"We have to get to Rick and tell him before he or Jimmy gets hurt!" Toby replied. The two ran down the hallway.

(-----)

Rick was still a bit shaky as him and Jimmy walked down the hallways of Degrassi together. They were talking, in effort to get to know each other better. Toby and Emma came up to them.

"Rick, it wasn't Jimmy who feathered you!" Emma said, catching her breath.

"Yeah," Toby went on. "It was Jay, Alex, and Spinner."

"I know it wasn't Jimmy. I suspected it was Jay, Alex, and Spinner, they hate me the most in this school," Rick replied.

"Well," Jimmy said. "Don't worry about them, man. Emma, Toby, and me got your back. I'll be sure to have a word with Spinner, my supposed 'friend', about this later."

"Thanks Jimmy. Thanks all of you. I don't know how I would've ever survived my return to Degrassi without you," Rick said.

"Well, Rick, we're behind you all the way. That's what friends are for," Emma kissed Rick lightly on the lips. "Any maybe even more." Rick blushed.

Rick took his bag that had the gun in it and held it up, "You guys, I'm going home again. I have something to get rid of." Jimmy, Emma, and Toby nodded.

The four friends walked down the hallway together, with Rick and Emma holding hands.

(----)

Rick left the school, went home, put the gun away, and vowed to never take it out again. He didn't need it. Sure, pretty much all of Degrassi still hated him. But Rick just didn't care anymore. They didn't know him, and if they didn't take the chance to get to know him, it was their loss. He had Jimmy, Toby, and Emma(who was maybe even more than a friend) by his side. And that was all that mattered to him. Friendship had shadowed over the violence and the hate. And it was at that moment that Rick truly knew that everything was alright.

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"You gotta understand now

Tomorrow is a brighter day

The memories will fade away

And the sun will shine on you

So many friends you get to make

So many hearts you get to break

So much love you've gotta give

Your whole life's still left to live

Spread your wings and fly

Kiss the pain goodbye

Let the tears run dry

You gotta get yourself together

It's alright

Anything you wanna

It's alright

Leaving all your troubles

Far behind

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

No matter what you're feeling

It's alright

You better start believing

In yourself

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

Do do do do do do do (won't you tell me it'll be alright)

Do do do do do do do (you know it's gonna be alright)

Do do do do do do do (please tell me it'll be alright)

Ba do be do be da

When you're feeling low

And you're on your own

Got nowhere to go

Now's the time to get yourself together

It's alright

Anything you wanna

It's alright

Leaving all your troubles

Far behind

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

No matter what you're feeling

It's alright

You better start believing

In yourself

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright

It's alright

Anything you wanna

It's alright

Leaving all your troubles

Far behind

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

It's alright

It'll be alright

Please tell me it will be alright

Cause it's alright

No matter what you're feeling

It's alright

You better start believing

In yourself

Don't let anybody tell you

How to live your life

Cause it's alright"

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A/N: And that's the end of that fic. Did you enjoy it? Or did you hate it? Please send me a review with your thoughts on this story.

-Alexa