Background- Velma and Billy are married, and have one son, at age 3.

Roxy got married to a Buddy Brown, who owns half of the Onyx, and every

other stage in the city. (Billy is his lawyer, and that's how Roxie and

him met) Velma was back in the business again, and the audience welcomed

her back with open arms. They are back on top again, but won't be for

very much longer.

Chapter 1

Velma and Roxie were coming to the end of All That Jazz, when they

spotted two suspicious men burst throught The Onyx club door. Velma knew it was bad news right away. She glanced at Roxie, and Roxie glanced back at her with

the same look of despair. They watched as the two men talked to Charlie the club manager. And before Velma and Roxie could even finish their act or before the audience even had a chance to applaud, Charlie came out on stage. Velma and Roxie stood back. Charlie looked at the two women before he turned around to the audience. He closed his eyes and shook his head, but when he opened them again, they told a sad story. The audience wondered what he was doing when he began...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored you could join us here tonight, but I have some terrible news for you. Only a couple minutes ago the stock

market crashed." There were 'Ohhs' and 'Awes' in the crowd. Velma frowned as Roxie sighed in disbelief. "I suggest you all go home and take care of your family, it may be chaotic outside. So be careful. Again, thank you all for coming."

The audience left slowly and anxiously. Velma just stood on the stage, dead silence filling the now deserted Onyx. But as the doors opened she could see the rush of the world outside glowing. People were hurrying around, and cars were speeding by so fast that it seemed like they were flying. Charlie called to Velma, who still stood lifeless and obviously shaken...sincerely frightened for the fist time.

"Hey! Velma! Snap out of it. I'm gonna close up, go home." He spoke lovingly.

Roxie got Velma's coat, and the two of them headed

for the door. Charlie followed close behind with the keys to the door

in his hand. Velma turned around before opening the door.

"For how long?" she asked.

"For how long what, baby?" Charlie asked.

"How long you going to stay closed?" She hit him hard with her question, and it hit Roxie hard too.

"I'm not sure, I really don't know."

Charlie looked down. It was the first time Roxie and Velma had seen that side of him. Velma turned back around, facing the closed door. Just outside of it, laid chaos, poverty, death, and the loss of a dream Velma had kept alive for so long. She looked one last time at the Onyx, as did Roxie and Charlie. Velma looked up at the stage, the lights still on, the words Velma and Roxie still shining bright. Roxie looked over the audience seats, where so many had come to love and support them, to cheer and look up to them. They loved the audience sometimes more then the audience loved them.

Charlie glanced over to where his desk was. It was backstage, but able to view from the audience if you knew where to look. There his cigarette lay, still lit, the smoke swirling up around it and disappearing. The three of them looked at each other, then Velma turned back around. She proceeded outside, as Charlie locked the door behind them. Roxie and Velma headed one way, and Charlie another. Velma knew she wouldn't see him again.

"Bye Charlie...Thank you." Velma spoke over the loud noise.

"Bye Velma. And thank you." he spoke.

Velma was about to turn around to walk off, when Charlie called out her name once more. She spun around and he threw her the keys to the Onyx. Reaching out she grabbed them, like she was holding a million joes. He smiled in his Charlie-good-old-self manner, then turned away. As he disappeared into the crowd, she couldn't help but wave, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

With the bustle of the crowd, she was bumped truculently, sending the keys flying from her hand. Velma looked in horror, as she glared down in panic to look for them. She was about to practically dive after them, when Roxie grabbed her arm.

"Come on, hun." Said Roxie tenderly.

Velma let Roxie drag her away as she watched the keys getting kicked around. Everything had now silenced around her. As she walked along, Velma lapsed into a recollection. She could hear the two-bit Johnnies yelling and hollering, as she watched her and Roxie belting it out on stage. Then a pause. As she watched it all fade away.