Sorry for the delay. All characters belong to NBC

Chapter 9

Derek was raging, there's no way the Mayor of New York had that kind of pull. Again things still weren't making sense. He angrily got up and sat on the stage. He growled under his breath.

"Right! We have to fix this and fast! Audrey have you got the book? I need it!"

Audrey went to the side of the stage and lifted it, and brought it over. "Karen. Do you remember Touch Me? I think we need that as the scene instead of the improv." "Really? Derek? You think it will work?" Derek looked at his wife. "There was a reason I wanted it back then, and not what you thought then." He smirked. We can use the music to sound more like the Boston version." "So we are going back to the Boston version of the show? Karen asked.

"It was the truest version of the show and of Marilyn. We need audiences to relate. Those lyrics are Marilyn to a tee. She wants the limelight then realises all she has given up to achieve it. She wasn't stupid. She had her personal problems but she still had a point to prove. Have you ever heard what she wrote to Joe before she died? They never found out if it was that fateful night. Or another time. It wasn't dated or finished"

"Dear Joe, / If I can only succeed / in making you happy - / I will have succeeded / in the biggest and most / difficult thing there is - / that is to make one person / completely happy. Joe;"Derek said.

"There is speculation that they might have wanted to remarry. No-one will ever know. Yet he was always there even if they weren't together. Jane Russell even wanted Marilyn to give him a second chance. Why did Joe keep a note from Marilyn in his wallet until his death?

Touch Me hints at her feelings and as well as Don't Forget Me.

52nd Street explains Joe's feelings. He wanted her back. If he wanted a second chance, then Bombshell deserves it too" Derek finally finished. He was exhausted.

Karen went and sat beside Derek, she took the book from him. "I knew you researched Marilyn back then. But I think you've been swatting up. Though I don't know when you had the time." She nudged his shoulder.

Audrey never realised her dad knew so much regarding Marilyn. Stuff she wouldn't have even thought of adding to the show, while keeping the heart of the show and of Marilyn.

Derek sighed. "Audrey, head on home. I and your Mom are doing the same. Go on, the Dark Lord needs to think. He hopped of the stage, came over to Audrey hugged her tightly and kissed her head. "Go on." Audrey smiled and left the auditorium. Karen was still sitting. A tired Derek walked back over to her. Without a word, he took her hand, she hopped down and they walked out of the auditorium and the theater.

...

Heading back home, Karen started thinking back to the previews, the cafe the day after the first night. The zip on the dress. And the look Derek gave her while in the cafe.

...

Derek was tired. But his mind wandered back to the first preview, and remembered the dress and the cafe. Also sitting in the cafe trying to remember Karen's face.

...

Each reached for the others hand without a word. Their grip was tight, though they circled each other's hand. "Derek? Do you think the Dark Lord can remember Boston?"

"Why Miss Cartwright, I remember more than you think. Even you when you were making tea. Even though, you weren't feeling well, so to speak. So much I knew not to ever to cross you. And the dressing room, plus being mesmerised by you in the cafe. The coffee. And the mambo in the street, I remember seeing you, so different, soft."

"But I wouldn't let you cross that line."

"And as always you made sense. Can you help me make sense of this, and how we show London that Boston was the best version of Bombshell?"

"First of all, just like then, you need a proper sleep. And tomorrow we go at it with hammer and tongs!" Karen chuckled at the last part. Where did that come from? Derek stopped and looked at Karen. "Hammer and tongs? Oh you've been hanging round me too much." He smiled. "Where else would your muse be? Come on, we're nearly there. Home. Sleep. Dark Lord. In that order. And don't you dare let go of my hand." Smiled Karen.

"As you wish."

Derek sat on the bed. His head was spinning, he had promised to get some sleep but he couldn't. He reached for his old Boston note book and flicked through the pages. Seeing what they could use in this revised version. He hated tinkering with something that he thought was perfect. Audience numbers said otherwise. He thought of Marylin, her life. Did she and Joe break up because of one of them being violent? It didn't make sense. If that was the case he wouldn't have come to her and got her out of hospital and let her recuperate at his house on the beach. He had to find something that the audience could relate to. Maybe the old version of Never Met a Wolf….the lyrics of her never wanting to return? The old dance number?

...

Next morning Karen woke up and Derek wasn't in the room. She quietly went down the stairs. She saw Derek going mad scribbling, muttering to himself. She even noticed he had the old notes from Boston. Derek was still muttering Karen knelt in front of Derek. He slowly raised his head. "Ah my gorgeous girl. You look stunning." "How much sleep did you have?" Karen asked. "You started this before I came to bed last night, scribbling in bed." "I didn't want to wake you, so after you went to sleep I came down here. I'm afraid sleep did not show his face. This was good. I could try and see what needs to be done." He finished.

Karen watched on. Secretly loving that the Dark Lord and seeing his passion reignited once again.