"We're family. Whether by blood, adoption or music." Aja smiled and moved to hug both Kimber and I. Shana and Raya followed laughing.

"Nothing will change that." Shana added.

The shrill ring of the phone broke the women apart. Laughing Jerrica moved to answer it, watching as the girls all settled onto the couch and chairs scattered about the office.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon Songbird." Rory's voice floated through the earpiece. I shivered slightly, blushing and smiling. I loved how his voice sounded when he spoke softly like that. It was all rich caramel that I could drown in.

All four girls watched me closely, small grins on their faces. I had a feeling they knew who it was already.

"Hello Rory." I settled back into my chair, gazing at, but not seeing my office. My mind had already traveled back to the past weekend. The passion had been completely amazing, so powerful and addicting. It was nice to be free. Until Rory spoke again.

"Have you seen the news?" My hand tightened on the phone.

"You mean Cool Trash?"

"Not just that one luv, but every single one of them has our picture splashed across the front of them. How do we want to handle this?"

"What has Minx and Rapture said about it?" I had to ask.

"Rapture could care less. She has what she wants, fame and money, a way to scam people for more. She's relentless in that regard." I reached out and put him on speaker so the girls could hear him as he continued to speak.

"Minx, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. She thinks Rio will fall to her charms now that he's free. She's slightly put out that my attention is diverted elsewhere, but the three of us have never been serious. We were all each other had for a while, but we all knew that would never last."

"If I know Rio; he's going to keep his distance from Minx." Aja crossed her arms smugly.

"Hello Aja, girls." Rory chuckled. "How did you take the news?"

"Could have gone better." Shana looked at Kimber who huffed as she bit her thumbnail.

"Really?"

"Kimber kinda busted my eardrums." I shrug and stick my tongue out at my sister.

Rory got a laugh out of that before asking again,

"What do you want to do about the tabloids?"

"Nothing." Raya piped up. "You've done nothing wrong. Why should you have to defend yourselves? Go on like nothing has changed."

"Just be careful what you do and say in public like always though. No need to add fuel to the fire." Shana added.

I smiled at my sisters as Rory hung up shortly after we decided to not worry about the paparazzi. I was so thankful to have them in my life. The day continued as schedules, full of meetings and running a multi million dollar music company.

The fallout from the Cool Trash article was big, but not enough to dent or tarnish Starlight Music. If anything, the fresh buzz caused a spike of interest for Jem and the Holograms from fans of the Stingers. Over the years, the demographics of the fans had changed when the band's sounds changed. The Stingers were heavier, moving more into the grunge-rock sound of the new decade. Jem and the Holograms remained poppier, more bubblegummy, closer to our original sound. Sure, we experimented on a song or two here and there, but our fans wanted bright vocals and uplifting lyrics.

In the end, Aja's prediction came true. Rio moved all the way across the country to New York. He set himself up as one of the technicians at Madison Square Garden, making good money and a name for himself as one of the best techs to work with in the Northeast. Minx ended up chasing after the boys in the 'Brat Pack', never settling for one long. She was known to leave a string of broken hearts across Hollywood. For all I knew, she really did care for Rio. Who knows.

As time went on, Rory and I faded from the headlines. We dated like a normal couple would. We were careful to keep everything appropriate and tasteful in public. We also made sure all drapes and blinds were closed when we were indoors, just in case the urge overcame us to make love in his living room floor in front of the fireplace. More than once. On several occasions. The public would be surprised to know that a lot of the time when we were together, we didn't spend it having sex. We spent a lot of it sharing interests and still learning each other.

Seasons changed and before long, Christmas came to California. Another year had come and gone. Starlight was getting ready to host it's annual Christmas party for all it's artists, so holiday music played in the air as the building was decorated to the brim. At Starlight Mansion however, this was the first Christmas without the foster girls. With no one to really celebrate the holiday for, I had decided that I didn't want to decorate or put up a tree. At least I got into the spirit of the season at work. I was feeling nostalgic and melancholy when Rory walked into my office a week before Christmas.

"Hello my love." He was dressed in one of his business suits, having just come from the Board of Directors meeting at Stinger Sound that he had told me about several days before. "Miss me?"

"Not at all." I laugh getting up to greet him with a kiss, noticing that he had left my office door open. I thought in the back of my head that was strange, but maybe it was just a quick stop by. His arms slid around me deliciously, holding me close to him. I smiled against his lips before we pulled away from each other.

"What brings you by?" I ask as I turn to walk back to my desk, but Rory instead steers me toward the couch. I looked up at him and saw a determination on his face that I hadn't seen directed at me before. I was crawling with curiosity.

"I wanted to give you an early Christmas present." His eyes were practically glittering as he watched me settle down on the couch. Slowly he pulled something out of his breast pocket, a small robin's egg blue box. Blood thundered in my ears and I swore, if there were a pair of earrings in there, I would sic Kimber on him.

"Jerrica, my little Songbird." Rory began before pausing and smiling brilliantly at me. I watched in growing excitement as he knelt before me, unable to breathe.

"You have taken my completely by surprise, capturing my attention and heart in a way I never knew someone could. I admit, Jem fascinated me. She was perfect, but I always knew there was more to her than meets the eye. I couldn't believe my luck when I realized just who the voice was behind the glitter."

By now my hands were shaking and tears were running down my cheeks, stomach knotted. I had to be dreaming. I had just gotten used to having Rory in my life, to getting to be me. Now he's throwing me another curve ball? How was I supposed to keep up?

"I want to spend a lifetime getting to know you Jerrica. I want to have you all to myself every night, to know that you are always just across the mattress. I want your socks mixed in with mine. I want us to grow old together. I want a family I can love and protect."

His big hands opened the Tiffany box, and I was blown away. I had been expecting something completely gaudy and over the top, a show piece. Instead, what winked up at me was an antique. It wasn't diamond either.

Nearly two dozen opals coiled and swirled together to make the shape of a flower, the largest stone being set in the middle of the flower. Opals, the October birthstone. They were set into gold, most likely 24k. I was stunned. The ring had to be worth a fortune.

"Rory?" I tore my eyes away from the ring to look into his eyes. They were the color of the ocean, deep and bright. Tears shone in them as well. He was laying everything he had on the line. My heart melted.

"Jerrica Benton, will you marry me?" Hope was bolstered by confidence as I smiled and nodded my head, unable to believe this was happening to me. He let out a gust sigh as he slid the ring onto my finger. I leaned in to kiss him when a flash went off.

Aja stood in the doorway, camera in hand. The others plus Joanie were behind her, all grinning and crying. I glance back at Rory.

"I had help." He whispered as he helped me stand. Together we moved to greet my family.