A/N: I have no idea what it takes to create a record label other than money and a dream. To establish a timeframe, we are currently in October 2015. Lyon Dynasty doesn't and will not exist. Veronica was stolen from Empire by Beretti and is currently at Creedmoor.

-ED

AC Records was officially founded on August 4, 2015 after Cookie and Anika worked day and night creating their business plan, choosing potential unsigned artists and employees, and looking for investors. Cookie knew that Lucious had pull in the industry but she didn't realize how heavy of an influence he had until they started searching for investors. Neither woman wanted to use the entirety of their own funds from their respective Empire settlements to start the label so Anika reached out to none other than Billy Beretti of Creedmoor Records.

Cookie didn't trust Beretti as he had crossed Lucious in the past but that was exactly the reason Anika wanted to work with him. Beretti hated Lucious enough to invest in a label that could eventually compete with Empire. With Empire's success as of late and without good A&R, Creedmoor's talent roster was dwindling and it wasn't enough to keep the label afloat. Anika suspected that Lucious had a hand in the artists leaving Creedmoor - he'd ended up signing Kidd Fo-Fo right after it was clear that Cookie wasn't returning to Empire and he'd slipped Titan right from under Beretti with a cell phone while dude was in jail.

When word on the street turned from "Creedmoor is losing its artists" to "Creedmoor is about to fold," Anika jumped at the opportunity to talk to Beretti about investing in AC. Despite him initially laughing in her face, Anika had used the business savvy that Cookie admired so much and appealed to both his business and personal side. Anika explained that rather than having AC become a subsidiary of Creedmoor which he initially countered with after he stopped laughing, AC would be it's own entity as an independent label and he'd sit on the board of directors. What good would AC be as a subsidiary of Creedmoor if Creedmoor was already on the cusp of folding? He'd already lost his major artists to Empire and was beginning to become the laughing stock of the industry. Beretti didn't like that and threatened to throw her out of his office but Anika just crossed her legs and continued to explain the business plan. Having longevity in the industry wouldn't be enough to keep his label afloat and rather than having all of his artists jumping ship to Empire, the ones he did have left could transfer to AC or have their contracts bought out once the label eventually became defunct.

Negotiations to secure Beretti as an investor included Beretti sitting on the board of directors and being able to remain the executive producer of any artists he brought from Creedmoor. He wanted to become the executive producer of the entire label but Anika quickly informed him that the position was hers as Cookie was established as Head of A&R. Cookie and Anika wanted to start small and focus on the music that they both loved rather than focus on becoming a major label and competing with Empire from the jump. With one last appeal, Anika informed Beretti that with his new position, he'd be able to devote more time to his new wife and the child they were currently expecting. Anika knew that bringing up his impending parenthood was a shady move given that he'd lost his only child years before but she felt it was necessary to seal the deal. And it was.

AC Records was founded with 3 board members: Anika Calhoun, Loretha "Cookie" Lyon, and William "Billy" Beretti with Anika and Cookie as co-CEOs. The label began with 3 Creedmoor artists: Travie Wild, Madd Dogg, and Veronica, and the two formerly unsigned artists they saw in Atlanta. Anika reached out to her alumni association and found some recent graduates who didn't mind working long hours for experience and small salaries while working to build the next great label and soon enough they had an accountant, a graphic designer to create their logo and album artwork, and a PR/social media rep. A phone call to Mr. Paulson and Cookie is was in talks with securing an attorney for the label.

In addition to starting up AC, Cookie continued to try to repair the relationship with her sons. Once word got out that she and Anika were starting AC, Jamal blew up. He dropped Cookie as his manager and Lucious picked up the ball and ran with it. It had taken weeks to get Jamal to talk to her again but he finally came around. Although Cookie would've loved to have Jamal on her label - he would've been a commercial success - she knew that he still wanted to please his father and nothing short of Lucious personally dropping him would make him leave Empire. Although Cookie didn't like it, she understood Jamal's desire to please Lucious; to be seen as worthwhile in the great Lucious Lyon's eyes. She only hoped that Lucious would be able to see what he was doing to his son. Though as hateful as Lucious was, she doubted he would ever change.

Calls to Hakeem went unanswered. Per Jamal, Hakeem was upset that she had chosen to leave them yet again, and her leaving was made worse by her being with Anika. Hakeem had confided in Jamal that he'd caught feelings for Anika but she'd turned him down. "It's bad enough that she was with dad, Mal, but why she gotta be with mom, too?"

While Jamal had tried to explain to Hakeem that Cookie definitely didn't plan on falling for Anika, Hakeem wasn't trying to hear it and any explanations fell on deaf ears. But Hakeem was a grown man, in age if not in practice, and Cookie realized that Hakeem would just have to get over it on his own.

Cookie and Andre weren't particularly close even when she was at Empire but that didn't mean that she didn't miss her oldest son. Andre kept her at arms length but Rhonda was interested in getting to know the mother in law she had heard so much about but didn't really know.

As Cookie desired to become closer to Andre, she became closer with Rhonda. Rhonda shared with Cookie she and Andre's infertility struggles and how a miscarriage early in their marriage had devastated them. They'd been trying for a baby and had recently turned to IVF for assistance. Cookie hoped that her son and daughter in law would be able to experience parenthood and hoped that a grand baby would help bridge the gap between mother and son.

Anika and Cookie had lucked up on a building which would hold their offices and studio - Madd Dogg would serve as the head (and only) producer for the time being - which was where Anika was at the present time, or so Cookie thought. Cookie was in her apartment and sitting on the couch listening to recordings of live performances of some of the artists they were interested in when Anika walked in. They'd exchanged keys a few weeks prior after Cookie had damn near gotten Anika evicted after being locked out of Anika's apartment and finding out that Anika didn't have a spare key.

"Who the hell doesn't have a spare key?"

"I live alone, Cookie, and I have a doorman. Why would I need a key?"

"Because of times like this!"

"No one told you to come to my apartment with hardly any clothes on."

Cookie throws her hands up. "I thought you'd be home!"

"Which explains why you wore a trench and heels, nothing else."

"Hell, if I had known you wouldn't be home, I wouldn't have worn it and would've put on some damn clothes."

The it Cookie spoke of was a strap-on which was currently around her waist, though it was hidden underneath her coat. She had planned on surprising Anika with something new but her plan was foiled when she couldn't get inside the apartment.

Anika had gotten a call from her doorman who told her that a neighbor had called in a complaint that Cookie was banging on Anika's door and causing a ruckus on her floor trying to get the door open. Cookie later told her that she refused to go downstairs for fear of the strap becoming visible. Anika went and made Cookie a key the very next day.

But not before using the strap.

Cookie ended up giving Anika a key to her apartment later that evening which was where they usually ended up. Seeing Anika out of the corner of her eye, she raised her head for a quick kiss before turning back to her laptop and watching performances. Cookie wasn't listening with headphones so the music was blaring throughout the living room. Anika went into Cookie's bedroom to change into more comfortable clothing before coming back out and sitting on the opposite end of the couch with her own laptop.

The artist Cookie is listening to sounds pretty good and she's singing a cover of Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love. Anika can't help but think the song is fitting.

Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you

She's been with Cookie for just about 4 months, off and on, and she's known her for less than a year but she knows she's in love with her and doesn't want to live without her.

Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be

She'd lied to Cookie earlier. She wasn't at the office; instead she went to a jeweler where she'd been looking for the last 2 months for the perfect ring to give to her girlfriend. She wound up picking one that fit Cookie perfectly - flawless, like her beauty, with just enough weight to make you look twice and then look again to make sure you were able to see it all.

Take my hand, take my whole life too

During one of their spats, Cookie tried to push Anika away by telling her she deserved to be able to have a family. That she wasn't worth the hassle of never speaking to her parents again. And that she couldn't give her what she needed.

Anika was pissed. Hadn't they been through enough? She was so tired of people telling her what she needed and what she deserved. Why couldn't Cookie just let her do what she was wanted which was to simply love Cookie and build their label?

"You're my family, Cookie. You're it for me!"

Anika had never really been set on having children and she'd told Cookie as much. Maybe they'd be nice to have but she didn't need to be a mother. The mother in Cookie didn't understand how Anika could be so nonchalant about not having children but Anika assured her that she'd be fine and wouldn't change her mind later down the line.

Despite Cookie trying to push her away, Anika took the conversation as to mean that Cookie was worried about their future together. But Anika meant what she said. Cookie was it for her.

Which was why she slid a black box across the couch and watched as it landed by Cookie's thigh.

For I can't help falling in love with you

The song ends and the apartment is quiet save for their breathing which Anika notes that Cookie's is markedly more shallow.

"I'd be careful about telling me no, Cookie. You know I'll eventually get what I want."

Cookie doesn't say no but she also doesn't say anything for a long time. The air is so still that Anika worries that Cookie has actually stopped breathing. Finally, she picks up the box and opens it to reveal a 4 carat cushion cut diamond in a halo setting. The ring is blindingly gorgeous and Anika feels Cookie shaking even though they're on opposite ends of the couch.

Cookie takes the ring out of the box and stares at it for a moment like she's in a trance before placing it on her left ring finger. She closes the ring box and sets it down on the table in front of her before pressing play to hear the next song.

Anika smiles. She knows she's going to get her 'yes' all night long...and she hopes it involves the strap.