Okay, I'm not really a huge fan of Black Butler because it deals a whole lot with demons, but I looked it up, watched a bunch of videos of it on YouTube, and Alois Trancy's character really intrigued me. So I decided to read more about him...and when I saw/heard his story, it made me want to cry, beat the living daylights outta that earl AND Claude, and give Alois the biggest hug of his life. That boy went through so much in such a short time...Anyway, I am a HUGE fan of Nashville, and it got me thinking: what if Alois met a couple of modern sisters who could save him from Claude? What if they took him in, and treated him as their brother? What if he found faith in his new home? What if he found and developed some new talents? What if he realized that he didn't have to fight alone? Inspired by the song "On My Own" by Ashes Remain, and the video for it made by Coshma97. In case y'all get confused, Hannah and the triplets aren't demons in this, because I like them too much. For older Alois's voice, just imagine Hunter Hayes speaking with a faint British accent. :3 Hope y'all enjoy this, and FLAMES WILL BE USED TO ROAST MARSHMALLOWS, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD S'MORES IN FREAKING FOREVER, and I am strong in my faith. Hobey-ho, let's go!
On My Own
Dearest Guest,
You are hereby invited to a ball at the Trancy Manor, hosted by the young earl, Alois Trancy. He looks forward to your attendance, and wishes you safe travel.
Time: 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM
Date: May 5th, 1889
Dress: Elegant
Please do not be late. Master Trancy despises tardiness.
Sincerely, Claude Faustus, Butler to Master Trancy.
"Okay...this has to be a joke," Maddie said, rereading the strange invitation over again. "Why would I get an invitation to a ball that was held more than a century ago?" Her younger sister, Daphne, giggled and looked up at her.
"Maybe it's one of those Renaissance Fair things you like so much," she said.
"Last time I checked, no one in London knew where we were staying, and they don't mail invitations to those, anyway. I don't trust it."
"You should go! Some rich English guy just invited you to a ball, and you're wasting time being skeptical?! C'mon, Maddie. Everything happens for a reason! Besides, I won't quit bugging you until you agree to go." The younger sister smirked cutely and triumphantly as the older one hung her head and muttered under her breath.
"Fine, but we're going to check the address, first. I want to make sure this isn't a scam, even though the date's messed up."
"YAY!" Daphne cheered, virtually tackling her sister in a hug. "I can't wait to see what the Trancy Manor looks like!"
Half an hour later, the two girls stood at the door to an ancient, gigantic house that loomed over them forebodingly. "Well, at least there's an actual building here," Maddie said.
"Let's go inside!" Before she knew it, her little sister was tugging open the door to reveal a strange portal. "Huh. That's weird- AH!" Maddie watched in horror as Daphne was pulled into the portal, then went after her. The ride wasn't nearly as terrifying as she thought it would be. In fact, it was rather enjoyable. The portal was more like a long, multicolored tunnel, and the girls floated through it effortlessly. The landing, however, was rough. Both sisters were dropped roughly on their behinds in the middle of a foyer that sharply contrasted with the drab, ancient exterior. It was well-lit, and very clean.
"Hmph. You're here early, Miss James. I see you've brought company, as well." The voice came from a woman who must've been younger than their mother, but sounded much older. "Still, I guess it is just as well. Hurry, come with me. My master needs your help!"
"Wait, what...?" Maddie asked. "You don't look like a Claude...Are you the one who really invited us to the ball?"
"Yes. My name is Hannah, but we don't have much time. Please, come with me!"
"Fine!" With that, Maddie and Daphne hurried after the strange woman, allowing her to lead them to a large ballroom, where two boys were dueling.
"Oh, cool, fencing!" Daphne murmured excitedly, but was hushed by Hannah.
"This is no sport, child. They are dueling to the death."
"What?! But...they're so young...!" Maddie objected.
"Ciel," Hannah whispered, pointing at the dark-haired boy, "is driven by revenge, while Alois, my young master, is only looking for a bit of attention. He is an orphan with an extremely tumultuous past, and he doesn't feel like anyone loves him...oh dear." The three of them watched as Alois pinned Ciel to the ground with a sword at his throat.
"It's useless to keep struggling. Just give up, and submit to me!" Alois shouted with a triumphant smirk, preparing to plunge his blade into Ciel's heart, but was shocked when the latter grabbed the blade.
"Submit? I'm the one who has you," Ciel declared, as blood seeped out of his hand. In a flash, he had his own blade and stabbed Alois ferociously, just as two butlers ran into the room. Maddie held Daphne close to her, and shielded her eyes at the exact right time. After a moment of shocked silence, the room was soon filled with Alois' frightened and agonized screams. He begged for Ciel to spare him, and for Claude to save his life, but neither obeyed him, at first. Then one of the butlers ran forward and grabbed Ciel from behind, prohibiting him from delivering the fatal blow. His punishment was a slap in the face from Ciel's bloody hand, which seemed to stun the butler, causing the other butler to intervene. Ciel threw a huge tantrum as his butler, whom they learned was Sebastian, carried him out of the room. Meanwhile, Alois was still lying on the floor, bleeding profusely and begging Claude to help him.
"Claude...what are you looking at...? Can't you see I've been stabbed?! Quickly! Help me, please!" But the butler just kept staring. He touched the blood that Ciel had left on his face, then brought it to his lips. It was utterly revolting to watch. "What is it, Claude...?" Alois asked, but got no answer. Maddie couldn't take it anymore. She ran over to the wounded boy.
"Look," she shouted up at Claude, "if you won't help him, then I will!" She glared up at the daydreaming butler for a split second more, then scooped Alois into her arms and started applying pressure to his wound, which made him cry out.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but I have to keep pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. I'm not gonna let you die, Alois!"
"Who...who are you?"
"Maddie Conrad, now hold still." He did as he was told, and fell silent as Maddie ripped off a piece of her shirt and wadded it up to help stop the bleeding. After a few minutes, her efforts proved fruitful, and she was able to use her scarf as a makeshift bandage. As she began to stand up, Alois grabbed a hold of her arms.
"Please...don't leave me," he murmured, tears streaming down his face. Maddie hesitated, then sat back down beside him and held him close.
"I won't. I promise." Then she, too, began to cry, and prayed for him. She didn't notice when Claude backed away in repulsed shock, nor did she see the spider crawl out of Alois' mouth as his butler fled, symbolizing the negation of their contract. She just held him, cried for him, prayed for him, and comforted him until they were both calm enough. "Alois...do you think you can stand?" she asked. He nodded weakly, and allowed her to help him to his feet. It was then that she noticed that he was only about a year older than her. At that exact moment, she also decided that she wouldn't let him spend his life alone any longer. They walked slowly over to where Hannah was holding a very frightened Daphne.
"M-Maddie...? I-is he gonna be okay...?"
"Yeah, I think so..."
"Don't worry, little one," Alois said with a small smile, and reached out to pat Daphne's head. "I'll be alright, thanks to your sister, Maddie. What's your name?"
"D-Daphne...Daphne Conrad."
"Well, Daphne, would you like to help me out, as well?"
"Y-yes..."
"Alright. I need you to keep being a brave, strong, little girl, and stay with the triplets over there. They need to be distracted while Hannah and Maddie take care of me in my room. Can you do that for me?" Daphne nodded, though she looked on the verge of tears, and gave Alois a hug before running over to the triplets. As Hannah led Maddie and Alois to the young earl's room, they could hear Daphne singing to her new-found audience. "Your sister...She has a wonderful voice," Alois said with a weak smile. Maddie smiled back.
"Yeah, she does. Momma used to call her a little angel because of it."
"Do you sing, as well?"
"Uh huh. Daph and I usually sing together, actually."
"Oh? You'll have to put on a concert for me, sometime, then."
"Really?" Alois smiled again and started to answer, but was interrupted by the sharp pain in his side, letting out a slight groan. The smile disappeared from Maddie's face, as well, and she stopped to lift him completely into her arms. Alois looked up at her, surprised and a little embarrassed.
"Am I really that light...?"
"Nope. I'm just stronger than I look."
"Indeed." They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Alois eventually drifted off to sleep as Maddie carried him into his room. Hannah stood by the door as the younger girl gently lowered Alois onto his bed and began to check his wound. The maid brought in gloves, bandages, gauze pads, and a damp rag, and was allowed to strip the earl's jacket, vest, and shirt off of him. Maddie didn't let his pale, somewhat sculpted chest distract her as she carefully and gently cleaned his wound, then examined it.
"He's lucky. The brat missed all of the organs in this region by a hair, so we'll be able to stitch him up with no complications. Hannah, will you do me a favor and boil a needle and thread? I need them to be completely sterile, so he doesn't get an infection." Hannah nodded, and went to do as she was asked. Alois was luckily still asleep, and didn't show any signs of waking up soon. Making sure to keep the wound covered, she bent down and kissed his forehead. "Don't worry, Alois. You're gonna be alright, I promise. Have sweet dreams, okay?" The young earl seemed to relax even more at her words. Maddie, however, was far from calm. She wasn't exactly sure how to stitch up a human being, and hoped her experience with sewing clothes would help her at least a little bit.
Moments later, Hannah came back with the sterile needle and thread. "Here you are, my lady," she said, bowing her head and handing them to Maddie, whose cheeks flushed a bit at the formality.
"Thank you. Please, just call me Maddie. We're equals, as far as I'm concerned."
"Alright. You are very welcome, Maddie. I'm happy to help you heal the young master. Do you know how to stitch up the wound properly?" Embarrassed, Maddie hung her head, but Hannah only smiled. "Don't worry, child; I can do it. Just stay by his side." The younger girl nodded, and moved to sit beside Alois on the bed. Hannah put on clean gloves, threaded the needle, and carefully began to stitch up Alois' wound. Surprisingly, the young man stayed asleep for the whole procedure. He didn't even wake up after Hannah applied his bandages. "Alert me when he wakes, will you?" Maddie nodded as the maid left, but never took her eyes off of the sleeping boy. He looked so young and innocent, but at the same time, he looked very old, as if he'd been forced to grow up too fast. His body was covered with scars that must have only been a few years old, and Maddie let out a small gasp when she saw them. She quickly realized that Alois had been abused when he was younger, but she had no idea who had done that to him, or how far they had gone. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and dripping onto his.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. "Huh? Maddie...? Why are you crying?"
"O-oh...you're awake. Sorry, I just...I saw..." She couldn't finish her sentence, but he could.
"My scars?"
"Yes...Who did that to you? Who hurt you so badly?"
There was a semi-long silence before Alois answered. His blue eyes looked faraway, and his voice was soft, but forced. "It doesn't matter. He's dead, now. I'm safe from him."
"Whoever he was...I'm just glad you're still alive."
"Why? You barely know me. And why did you save me, anyway? I asked for Claude to help me...!"
"Claude was spaced out, and then he just ran off! What was I supposed to do, let you bleed to death?!"
"No, no," Alois said, quickly backpedaling when he saw how hurt and angry Maddie looked. "It's not that I'm not grateful for your help, because I am. I just...I wasn't expecting you...or anyone, for that matter. The one person I completely trusted just ran off. He left me to die, like I was nothing to him!" As he said this, tears came to the boy's eyes, and Maddie pulled him into a gentle hug. "Claude...betrayed me...and he looked at me like he was only seeing maggots crawling on a corpse! He broke his promise. Our contract...I'm...I'm finally free! You didn't just save me from bleeding out, Maddie; you saved my soul from Claude!"
"Wait, what...?!"
"Claude Faustus is a demon. A couple of years ago, I was...enslaved to the Earl of Trancy, along with several other boys my age. While I was there, rumors circulated about a fairy who would grant any wish, as long as you were loyal to him. There was a certain way of summoning him, and I thought that if I could get him on my side, I would be able to save myself and the others from that wretched earl."
"The earl...he's the one who gave you those scars, isn't he?"
"Yes, but I wasn't the only one he abused; I was just his favorite toy. Anyway, once I found out more about this 'fairy', I followed the instructions, and summoned him. The only problem was that I got cold feet. My mind went blank when I saw Claude. He certainly wasn't what I had been expecting. He laughed at me and told me to summon him again when I actually had a wish. It wasn't much later that I found the courage, well...more like foolishness when I think about it now, to summon him again. We struck a deal; he would assist me for the rest of my life, never leaving my side, if I would promise him my soul. By the time I realized that he was a demon, not a fairy, it was too late. Still, I had to continue with my plan. I bided my time until the earl saw fit to give me his name. That's when weak little Jim Macken died, and Alois Trancy was born from his ashes. Soon afterward, Claude took care of the old man, I was named the heir to his company and estate, and I became the new Earl of Trancy. I used my authority to set all of the other boys free, and made sure they had good lives. After that, I told Claude he was free from our contract, but he refused to leave me. At first, I thought it was just because of his undying loyalty, and I began to trust him...I was such a fool! I should have known that he was still after my soul!" Alois was sobbing into Maddie's shoulder, now, and she kept holding him close to her.
"He's gone, now. You said your contract was void, right? That means he can't devour you, anymore."
"I...I'm not so sure he wants to, now. He tasted Ciel's blood... Oh, no..." He looked up at her, panicked. "I have to warn Ciel! Claude's going after him, next. I'm sure of it! Now he's in twice as much trouble...Ciel already has a contract with a demon named Sebastian, and Claude's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. Maddie, we have to save him!"
"Wait, I thought Ciel was the boy who tried to kill you, earlier."
"You would be right, but that doesn't change the fact that he's in over his head! Hannah! Could you fetch Ciel Phantomhive for me?"
"I'm afraid he hasn't arrived home, yet, young master," the maid replied. Alois cursed under his breath and tried to stand up, but Maddie held him back.
"Alois, you're not well enough!"
"I don't care! If we don't get to Ciel in time, he will end up as lunch for two demons!" Alois quickly threw on a clean shirt and vest, wincing slightly in pain, but not letting it slow him down. Maddie turned away while he exchanged his blood-stained shorts for a pair of black trousers, which actually made him look a bit older when she was allowed to see him again. "Can you help me with my boots? The laces are rather complicated, and I don't quite know how to tie them without getting them all tangled up." Maddie nodded, and helped Alois with the boots. "Thank you. Are you going with me?"
"Of course...but what about Daphne?"
"She'll be fine with the triplets, I promise. Come on!"
"Alright." Before she knew it, Maddie was riding in a carriage with the young earl, heading for the Phantomhive Manor at a breakneck speed. "I hope we're not too late!"
"Me, too!" Within minutes, they found Ciel's carriage parked on the side of the road. Claude and Sebastian were already fighting over the latter's young charge, who was watching from a not too safe distance. Alois quickly pulled over and hopped out of his own carriage, running over to the shorter earl. "Ciel! Listen, you have to get out of here, before one or both of them devours your soul!"
"Get out of my sight, Trancy. Actually, I thought I killed you!"
"Long story short, I'm not that easy to kill, but you will be if you keep putting your trust in that demon! Believe me, I know from experience! Sebastian will betray you, just like Claude betrayed me!"
"He's not lying, Ciel," Maddie said, joining Alois and the enraged Phantomhive.
"Oh, and I suppose you witnessed this...betrayal? If so, then tell me exactly what happened," Ciel replied.
"It started right after you slapped Claude. You left some of your blood on his face, and he tasted it. I'm not sure exactly what happened inside his crazed mind, but it seemed like your blood put him under some sort of trance, making him unable to hear Alois' cries for help. Then he gave Alois this look of utter disgust...that's when I ran over to help. Right after I got to him and started trying to stop the bleeding, Claude just up and left so fast that I could barely see his feet leave the ground. Then...something even weirder happened...a-a spider crawled out of Alois' mouth, and his personality totally changed."
"Ciel, when Claude ran off and left me for dead, he broke the Faustian contract. I'm free, now, but you're not. You're still bound to Sebastian, and he and Claude are both after your soul! That's why Claude ran off after tasting your blood! Don't you see?! You're in serious trouble!" Alois shouted these last words, attracting the attention of the quarreling demons by accident. They looked over with demented, hungry grins on their faces, and slowly started advancing toward the teens.
"I'd say that makes three of us," Maddie murmured, positioning herself in front of Ciel. Alois did the same, and prepared to fight off the demons.
"Sebastian, stop Claude from coming any further," Ciel said, confident at first, but his voice wavered when he saw that his demon butler was completely ignoring his commands. "Sebastian, stand down. I said stand down...!" Still, the demons kept coming.
"Ah, young Ciel Phantomhive. You should have known better than to trust me. How many times did I warn you about the cost of revenge, and of our contract? You, like Macbeth, are so foolishly obsessed with vengeance that you would sacrifice your soul for it!"
"No..."
"Yes! That is why you must pay now!"
"No! I will not!" Ciel screamed. "I don't care about revenge! I don't want it! I don't want you! I'm done being bound to you, and I now stand by what I said at the end of the play! This foolishness about revenge is over and done with, thus voiding our contract! I will not surrender my soul to you, Sebastian Michaelis!" Ciel's voice had changed over the course of his speech from that of a terrified preteen to the roar of an angry lion. He ripped off his eye patch just in time for everyone to see the contract mark disappear, allowing the fire of determination to blaze in both of his cobalt blue eyes. Sebastian stared at him in awe for a moment, then smiled, having regained his composure.
"Very good, milord," he said, lunging forward to attack Alois, but the blow was blocked by Ciel, who had taken advantage of the distraction. The newly freed earl used his element of surprise to push Sebastian backward into Claude, sending both demons sprawling.
"You really think I'd let you hurt either of these two after what you just pulled? You were right about one thing: I was a fool to trust you. Don't think I'll make the same mistake again! Begone, demons!"
"Um...I don't think that works without a cross, Ciel," Maddie piped up, stepping forward. Ciel nodded, eying the cross around her neck, but Alois interrupted.
"Actually, Claude didn't really leave until you started praying for me..."
"That's right!" Maddie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "I think I know what we need to do...you two need to give your lives to God!"
"I...I'm not so sure," Ciel said doubtfully, but Alois patted his shoulder.
"I am. I am fully ready to accept the Lord into my heart!"
"Alright...I will, too. I don't know what else to do." With that, Ciel and Alois took the hands that Maddie offered to them, bowed their heads, and closed their eyes while she prayed over them. Afterward, they each followed suit with their own prayers. When they opened their eyes, the demons were long gone. Alois grinned and hugged Maddie tightly, spinning her around a couple of times. Maddie blushed bright red, and Ciel smiled at them.
Later that night, the three of them were at Alois' mansion, preparing for a concert that Maddie and Daphne were going to give for the two earls and their staff. Alois had found a guitar in one of the storage rooms, and given it to Maddie after he learned that she could play. He was now waiting in the ballroom with Ciel, Bardroy, Finnian, Mey-Rin, Hannah, the triplets, Tanaka, Prince Soma, Lau, Agni, and Ran-Mao. Maddie and Daphne were running through their set backstage. "Okay, I think I wanna do a cover of 'Invisible', then 'Bright Side'. What do you think?" Maddie asked.
"That sounds great to me," Daphne replied, "but I think we should finish it with 'Hard Times Come Again No More'. It totally rounds out the set, and it's a perfect ending song~"
"I agree." Maddie smiled at her sister. "Alright, you ready? Let's go give 'em a show!" Daphne grinned back, and they took their places on the stage. A moment later, the curtain was raised, and Maddie began to strum the guitar. "Crowded hallways are the loneliest places for outcasts and rebels, or anyone who just dares to be different. And you've been tryin' for so long to find out where your place is, but in their narrow minds, there's no room for anyone who dares to do somethin' different. Oh, but listen for a minute..." When Maddie started to sing the chorus, Daphne came in with the harmony, bringing a smile to everyone's face that stayed there throughout the rest of the concert. The lyrics to the songs they sang reached the hearts of everyone in the room.
Afterward, Alois came up and congratulated the girls on a wonderful performance. "You literally made me want to get up onstage and sing with you! Actually, if you don't mind...I'd like for you to teach me how to play guitar like that."
"Really?" Maddie asked, blushing lightly.
"Yes. I think it would be amazing to be able to perform like you two do!"
"Alright, I'll teach you to play. Can you sing, though?"
"I can try...teach me a song."
"Repeat after me. Blessed assurance, Jesus has won."
"Blessed assurance, Jesus has won," Alois sung sweetly.
"Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine."
"Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine."
"Heir of salvation, purchase of God. Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood," they sang together.
"Oh, so you know this song?"
"It wasn't written too long ago, actually. I remember hearing that hymn when I was little. My brother and I used to listen to the people singing in the churches on Sunday, and we would try to sing along with them."
Maddie smiled. "Well, you sound great. I can't wait to start teaching you!"
"Maddie! Maddie!" Daphne interrupted, running into the room. "The rift is back!"
"The rift?" Alois asked.
"The thing that brought us here," Daphne answered, and grabbed his wrist. "Come on, I'll show you!" With that, the younger Conrad sister dragged Alois along with her to the foyer, with Maddie hot on their heels. Before any of them knew it, the trio were back on the streets of modern-day London, standing in front of an ancient Trancy Manor.
"W-what's going on...? Where are we? What are those things?!" Alois asked, pointing to the many cars that were passing them. Maddie tried unsuccessfully to get the rift to return, then turned back to him.
"We'll explain later. Right now, you need to follow us." Gently, she took his hand, and led him and Daphne to their hotel. The bellhops smiled at them as they made their way up to the room the girls were sharing with their mother, Rayna. Everything was exactly the same way they had left it. "Wow...it's like we were only gone for a few minutes," Maddie said. Alois was too busy exploring the room to reply. Everything about it amazed him.
"Incredible! Everything is so...advanced!"
"Okay, before we give you a crash course on the new technology, customs, fashion trends, and vocabulary, we should probably at least try to explain the situation to you. You asked where we are; we're in London, England. The best question is not 'Where are we?' but 'When are we?' The answer to that is May 2, 2010. Daphne and I somehow got an invitation to your ball on May 5, 1889, so we went to the address on the invitation to check it out. That was the ancient mansion you saw earlier. When Daphne opened the door, we got sucked into some kind of time rift that ended up dumping us into your foyer in 1889. That same rift is what brought us back to our time, just now. The problem is, we have no idea how to reactivate it to get you back to your own time."
"I don't want to go back."
"I know this is hard to comprehend, but we're gonna figure it out...wait, what?"
"I don't want to go back to 1889. That's no longer my time period. Maddie, I want to stay with you and your sister. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don't want to leave you!"
"Alois..."
"I've made up my mind. Please, just tell me everything I need to know about 2010."
"Alright," Maddie said with a smile. "Well, to start, you've already seen that there have been many technological advances since the late 1800's. Hardly anyone uses horses and carriages anymore; they've been replaced by automobiles, also known as cars..."
Four years after that fateful day, Alois, Daphne, and Maddie were sitting down to dinner with Rayna and Deacon Claybourne, Maddie's father. Alois got along great with both singers, but seemed to connect more with Deacon. After Maddie and Daphne had brought Alois to America for the first time, Deacon was the one who taught him how to play guitar, and the two of them had even written a few songs together. Deacon saw a lot of potential in the boy, and was thrilled when he heard Alois' first chart-topping hit on Nashville's number one country radio station. After four years, the British teen had become a country sensation. Everyone in the industry was talking about Alois Macken, and he was loving it.
So, as he looked around the table at his semi-new friends, Alois couldn't help but grin. "Here's to not fighting alone," he said, raising his glass. His voice had gotten much deeper, and gained a bit of a southern twang. The others smiled and raised their glasses, as well. Just as they were all about to take a drink, the doorbell rang. Rayna got up to answer it, but Alois offered to go, instead.
"Alright, but make it fast. You're the one who made this toast, so we really can't finish it without you!" Rayna replied with a grin. Alois grinned back and went to the foyer. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Juliette Barnes standing there.
"Hey, Alois. I heard your new song, and I love it!"
"Really? Don't tell me you stopped by in the middle of dinner just to pay me a compliment."
"Nah, of course not. I wouldn't come all the way here, and not say hi to my girls!" She smiled coyly at him. "Are Daphne and Maddie here?"
"Yes, but, as I said before, we're in the middle of eating dinner-"
"Oh, come on, Al. It's not like Juliette's a stranger. Let her in!" Maddie called from the dining room.
"Alright." Alois smiled and moved aside so that Juliette could come in, but just as he was about to close the door, a familiar face peered in at him.
"My, how you've grown, your highness."
"C-Claude...? What are you doing here?"
"Relax. I'm not here to devour anyone. I just wanted to check up on you. In case you're wondering how I found you, just thank Mister Fordham."
"You talked to Jeff Fordham?"
"Yes, though I thought I made that perfectly clear..."
"Why the hell would you ask my former record-producer where I was having dinner? Actually, don't answer that. The more important question is, why would he tell you?!"
"Well, let's just say I wasn't exactly honest with him."
"Of course not. You never are. I am curious as to what you told him, though."
"Given the sort of man that Jeff Fordham is, I simply told him that I would get you back on his label."
"No. Not a chance. I'm staying with Highway 65 and Rayna James. You can tell Fordham to shove his deals up his-"
"Very well," Claude interrupted with an unsettling smirk. "I shall just tell him to do to you what he did to Juliette Barnes. Although...She was a bit more...consensual in that particular situation." Alois's eyes went wide with the realization of what Jeff had done, then narrowed again in anger.
"I am eighteen, now, Claude, and stronger than I've ever been! If he tries anything, I can and will beat him to a bloody pulp! And you can tell him to lay off of Juliette and Will, too, because there's no way I'm gonna let them get hurt!"
"They are in their current situations because of the choices they made, just like you are."
"HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER, AND IS BLACKMAILING THEM BOTH! THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT HAPPENED BY THEIR CHOICE! Get out of my sight, you filthy demon. Tell Fordham he has my answer, and it won't change, no matter what he does!" With that, Alois slammed the door in Claude's face, composed himself, and walked back into the dining room.
"What was all that about?" Rayna asked.
"Nothing, just another pest...actually, it was something from Jeff Fordham."
"I guess that guy's getting' real desperate if he's sending you a personal messenger," Deacon growled. "What'd he say, this time? Make any threats?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle, mate." Alois chuckled, but Juliette looked stricken.
"Don't underestimate him, Alois. Fordham's a sick sonofagun!"
"I know, Juls, but he's just got to get it through his head that I won't let him use me. Besides, since when are you afraid of any mortal human?"
"Since he's got something on me that could ruin my career and my relationship with Avery...!"
"Oh...then that messenger was telling the truth. He really did take advantage of you."
"And he's gonna do something worse to you if you spit in his eye like that!"
"No he's not, Juliette, because we won't let him," Rayna said seriously. "As for your situation, all you have to do is beat him to the punch. Tell Avery before Fordham gets the chance. If he dumps you, oh well; at least you got rid of the leverage. If Avery understands what that jerk did to you, it'll be even better, but in order for that to happen, you have to tell him as soon as possible."
"I know...But I'm so scared."
"Just do it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid," Deacon added. Juliette rolled her eyes, preventing her tears from falling, but Alois could still see them.
"It will be alright. The only way to stop Jeff Fordham from ruining our lives is to beat him at his own game, and in order to do that, we have to stay one step ahead of him. I don't know how, but the guy has knowledge of a past that I buried deeply a long time ago, and he just now used it to try and get under my skin, like he's doing with you and Will. We cannot let that get to us. I'm not sure about you, but I'm done hiding from the spiders of my past!"
"Interesting word choice, but go on," Juliette said, a bit skeptical.
"Well, Rayna, if it's alright with you, I would like to hold a benefit concert to speak out against domestic abuse, and raise money to help its victims. I'm finally ready to tell my story to the world."
"Are you sure about that, Alois? That's a big step."
"And it's one that I'm ready to take. I've needed this for a very long time. I can also remember every time that I felt alone in that house, even though there were hundreds of boys going through the exact same things I was. There was still no one who could help me get out of it. The only thing keeping me going was my burning desire to survive, to make things better, and to make sure the rest of those kids didn't get hurt as much as I did. I finally have a chance to make a real difference in the world, and if I can stick it to Fordham in the process, that's just an added bonus."
"Count me in," Juliette declaired.
"Only if you tell Avery everything that's happened to you with that snake."
"You got it. I'm done being dragged through the mud by that a-"
"Juliette, children present."
"Mom! We're not children! I'm seventeen, and Daphne's fourteen!"
"That doesn't mean I'll allow foul language at my dinner table."
"Really, Rayna?" Deacon asked with a chuckle. "I can remember a pretty colorful conversation from yesterday..."
"Hush, Claybourne."
"Nah, you're right, Rayna. I gotta learn to control myself," Juliette replied with a slight smile. "I'm gonna go call Avery to pick me up. I'll tell him everything on the way home. Buuuuuut...can I get a hug from my girls, first?" Maddie and Daphne grinned and rushed into her waiting embrace. Then it was Rayna's turn, and Deacon's. "Hey, you too, Big Shot." Alois smiled, and hugged the blonde.
"Good luck, and don't be afraid to tell the truth."
"Too late for that, but thanks. Bye, y'all." Juliette waved, and went into the foyer to make her call. Moments later, Avery arrived to pick her up, and they drove off. Everyone else returned to the dining room.
"Alright, if you really wanna do this concert, we need to start preparing for it right away. I'll set up a board meeting for tomorrow to brief the rest of the label."
"Thank you, Rayna. We also need to contact worldwide charities, and start looking for attention-grabbing acts."
"You can bet I'll be one of em'!"
"Me, too, kid," Deacon added.
"Excellent! What about Maddie and Daphne?"
"Can we, Momma? Please?" the girls begged excitedly, squealing when Rayna nodded her consent.
"Brilliant! It looks like we'll have ourselves one epic show!"