Second last lot of year 12 exams so I thought it should be celebrated by uploading a new chapter!

Please enjoy and tell me what you think :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's give Musa another round of applause" the show's host said as he stood next to Musa.

Musa looked at the crowd and saw different ages of people ranging from 5 to 50 just to come see her perform and watch their favourite contestant win. She smiled to the crowd as she waved her hand at them but inside, it was all fake. She knew that they were just itching for her for to get off the stage to hear who had won and she didn't care. She didn't want to be here just as much they didn't want her on the stage for too long. Throughout the whole performance, Musa was thinking about Riven. It had been weird to her since she was the one who ended their relationship. She thought that Riven was holding her back, keeping her from soring to the highest peaks of her career, but now that she was on top, she realised that the top can be really lonely if there is no one to share it with.

She had to get back to her friends and apologise. If for nothing else, just to know that they forgive her. She could see that Tony didn't care about her anymore; if he did he wouldn't have dragged her here instead of the hospital to see Riven. Ellie cared about Musa but she obviously didn't care about any of the other girls. She wouldn't have slept with Brandon if she had. She is more worried about her job more than anything. Riven was right, she had sold herself and her beliefs just so that she could be famous. She sold her friends out and now she lost everything that she held dear to herself.

"Any encouraging words for the remaining three contestants about the road to fame, Musa?" the host asked turning to Musa.

'Don't sell your friends out' is what Musa wanted to say but Tony had given her a script and if she didn't follow it, then who knows what trouble she would be in later.

"Enjoy the ride" Musa replied with a fake smile remembering the script. "Take every opportunity you can get and make the most of this incredible journey."

'There's no harm in adding something else' Musa thought to herself.

"Make as many friends and contacts as you can because they will come in handy. Don't let your dream go but don't lose yourself along the way either."

"Wise words from a wise woman" the host said when Musa was finished.

"She is such a hypocrite!" Stella shrieked as the whole group watched the television while waiting for Riven to awaken. "Look at her. There she is on that stage reciting about not to lose yourself or your friends when she has gone and done that exact same thing!"

"Maybe she's finally realised what she has done" Flora said optimistically.

"Yeah in a universe where you are mean and Riven is nice" Stella retorted.

"I heard that" a harsh voice whispered from behind them. Stella gasped in surprise hearing the voice.

The whole group turned to face the bed and saw the eyes of Riven slowly open.

"Riven" they all sighed with relief before running up to the bed.

"Oh my god we thought we lost you" Helia said with relief.

"Guys, I'm not dead" Riven groaned seeing their worried faces.

"But the doctors said you could've been" Sky replied.

"It's good to see you awake" Brandon said with a smile. The rest of them nodded their heads in agreement.

As the others were enjoying Riven back in the world, Stella quietly turned to Brandon and motioned to speak to him outside.

"You're actually talking to me" Brandon said with a soft smile attempting at a joke.

Stella glared at him forcing him to keep his mouth shut. Clearly he has bad timing.

"Sorry. Why am I out here?" Brandon asked.

"To do this" Stella said before she raised her hand up and slapped Brandon across the face.

The impact of Stella's slap caused Brandon to stumble backwards as his cheek already began turning red and heating up.

"What-"

"That was for the betrayal" Stella yelled angrily.

Brandon's gaze shifted down to the floor.

"You have no idea who much you have put me through, Brandon" Stella continued sounding less angry."You lied, you cheated, and that's not even the worse part."

Brandon raised his eyebrow at Stella. What could be worse than what he already did?

"Even through all the monstrosities that you've caused, I somehow still love you."

"What?" Brandon asked confused and a tad hopeful.

"My thoughts exactly" Stella said bitterly.

Brandon's mood plummeted again.

"For some reason, Brandon, I still love you. I mean, the thought of you kissing another girl sickens me and I can't stand to be around you without imagining it, but I also can't stand to be without you."

"It seems that we are at a moot point, Stella" Brandon said sadly.

"It seems so"

"So where does this leave us?"

"I don't know" Stella replied honestly.

"You don't know, or you don't want to know?" Brandon questioned."Because I still love you more than life itself and being able to live with the memory of what I did to you, haunts me every day and is punishment enough. It kills me to be reminded of the hurt I caused you. I love you, Stella. I cannot live without you and maybe that is what scares you. You are scared to trust me. Your head is saying not to trust me but your heart is saying that you still love me."

Stella didn't respond to Brandon's 'theory'. It was true that she really didn't know where to move on from where they were and maybe she did feel like she wanted to be with Brandon again and that maybe her head kept reminding her of what he did, but could she really be able to say goodbye?

"Stella, what I did was inexcusable. It was terrible, morally wrong, and shameful, but it didn't mean anything. I was a wreck when I thought I lost you and I just wanted to forget about it. It didn't help that my brain and better judgement was clouded by alcohol influence."

Stella once again did not laugh at Brandon's failed attempt to make another joke.

"But it didn't mean anything. The only thing that I feel is shame and guilt. I am not proud of what I did but I still love you. And you said that you still love me too. From that, there has to be a way for me to redeem myself in your eyes. Surely there has to be a way."

"So Brandon, what brings you here?"

Brandon and Stella sat on a large brown couch sitting at opposite ends sitting in front of a red haired couple's therapist. Brandon turned his head and stared at Stella who smirked back at Stella.

"You have got to be kidding me" Brandon said to Stella.

Stella replied with a smug look and turned to face the therapist with an innocent look on her face.

Riven was in silence for the first time in years. He had been lying in his hospital bed staring up at the ceiling ever since the others left a few hours ago. Sky was the only one keeping him company. Musa had never once come to see him and Riven's chest hurt at the thought.

"How are you feeling?" Sky asked concerned suddenly breaking the silence.

"Like I ran into a plane" Riven replied attempting a joke.

"Luckily, the doctor says that you are going to be fine" Riven sighed quietly.

"What was this, huh?" Sky asked casually. "Some sort of messed up 'anything Sky can do I can do better'?"

"No. It's not all about you, Princey" Riven chuckled. "You wanna hear something really messed up though? I thought I died and went to heaven. I dreamt that we were all back at Red Fountain or Alfea just hanging out. I had my family back, Musa was tone deaf and didn't meet Tony, and I beat you in sword fight class."

"Then I guess it was a dream, huh?" Riven chuckled but then groaned in pain.

"Look, I know that you aren't going to want to hear this but, Bloom called Musa-"

"No" Riven groaned in annoyance. "Don't"

"Bloom got her voice mail" Sky continued anyway.

Riven felt his chest tighten again.

"Typical. Why did Bloom call her? She obviously doesn't care about me anyway"

"Riven, Musa may be influenced by Tony but she still loves you, even if she is blinded by the fame. She needed to know."

"Clearly she didn't since she's not here" Riven said.

The room fell silent again.

"Riven, I have to ask you something" Sky suddenly said.

Riven looked up at Sky waiting for the question.

"When you crashed into the other ship, investigators said that the brake levels were not touched. You didn't try to brake." Riven stared at him.

"Are you asking me if I did this on purpose?"

Sky was silent but slowly nodded his head.

After their visit to the hospital, Stella had finally figured out a way in which she and Brandon could find middle ground and Brandon could find forgiveness in her eyes. That idea was couples counselling, Brandon's most hated profession.

"So Brandon, why are you here?" the therapist, Alice, asked with her glasses covered eyes looking at Brandon.

"I….I want to redeem myself in Stella's eyes" Brandon sighed.

"And why do you want to do that?"

"Because I love her"

"What changed?"

Brandon did not answer the therapist's question. He couldn't bear to admit to her the horrible truth behind this whole mess.

"He cheated on me with my band's personal assistant" Stella replied staring out the window next to her.

"I see" Alice replied writing something down in her notes.

"What are you writing down?" Brandon asked curiously.

"Just a few notes" Alice replied still writing.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Actually, yes it does" Brandon answered.

"I see" Alice answered and wrote something else down.

Stella smirked forcing herself not to laugh at Brandon. Brandon rolled his eyes at the therapist.

"Right" Alice said once she finished writing.

"Brandon, you want to redeem yourself, yes?"

"Correct" Brandon replied a little uncomfortable.

"Stella, what do you want?" Stella remained silent for a minute as she thought about her question.

"I understand that you were the one who organised these appointments" Alice continued looking over her notes.

"That's right" Stella replied.

"So, why are you, personally here" Alice questioned again.

"I…" Stella began but she stopped.

"Anything you say stays in this room" Alice comforted seeing Stella's hesitation. "This is a judgemental free zone."

Stella still did not reply as she looked down at the floor.

"What is it that you are afraid of, Stella?" Stella took a deep breath before responding.

"I think not knowing is the hard part" Stella began explaining, her gaze still on the floor. "Just not knowing what our relationship means to Brandon. If he still wants the same thing out of this relationship as me, if he still finds me attractive, or if he still wants me."

"How could you not know that?" Brandon asked a little hurt that he had caused these doubts.

"The name Ellie comes to mind" Stella replied spitefully.

Brandon sighed sadly and looked away from Stella.

"Stella, I asked you this before and I did not getting an answer. Why are you here?" Alice asked.

"I want to look at him the way I did before" Stella answered. "I want to trust him again. I want to believe in Brandon again."

Musa stared at the stage as Tony and his team were busy taking down some of the decorations that were taken from the record studio for Musa's performance. She stared at Tony, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down thinking about what she was going to say. Musa had been basically trapped in her dressing room ever since her comment about keeping true to yourself, live to an audience of thousands of people. Luckily, the body guards outside were taking a break, leaving her enough time to spell an illusion inside so that she could confront Tony. Her being trapped in the dressing room left her enough time to think about her life and her actions up until that point. She finally came to a realisation and wanted to be set free. Musa took a deep breath before she walked over to Tony.

"Look's good fellas, let's keep an eye on the clock" Tony said to the workers.

"Hey, Tony, have you got a second?" Musa asked nervously.

"Yeah, yeah, sure" Tony said turning his attention to Musa. "You know I love you, right? But you've got to lose that floppy top that you wore last night. This is rock and roll, princess, not the senior prom."

Musa was silent for a second taking Tony's words in. He had never told her what to do with her career. Actually she had no one tell her what to do with her career. Why had she been letting him control her this whole time and didn't even stop it?

"Listen, um, I need some time off" Musa said coming back to reality. "There's some things going on with my friends-"

"Friends, again?" Tony chuckled interrupting Musa.

Musa looked at Tony and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Musa look, I like you. You have made my company a tonne of money through your song writing and through your band and solo career. You have soared higher than any of my current artists but lately, with these friend issues and you disobeying my ideas and help, you've been a hassle and it now seems like you don't even want this. But hey, if you need to go then fine, just know that I will have to replace you."

"Are you serious?" Musa asked shocked.

"Question is, are you? I mean come on, you've got talent. You are my favourite artist. You could be more than a hit in Magix."

"I know but-"

"Look Musa, we have had public relation reps call in this afternoon and they want you to perform at the upcoming Magix Music Awards."

"They do?"

"Absolutely" Tony replied. "You are more of a star than you realise. At the awards, there will be investors looking to invest in you to do an inter-realm tour."

"Really" Musa gasped.

"Yes, but there is a catch" Tony explained. "These investors are bringing their young daughters to the awards and they are huge Winx fans. So the only way that they will consider investing in an inter-realm tour is if you convince your friends to perform a song with you, as well as you sing one of your own, at the Magix Musa Awards."

Musa stared at Tony. Was he serious? He had completely let them walk away from this band and sell them out and he was asking her to sing with them? Musa doubted whether she had the right to still call them friends.

"But, my friend is in the hospital. I told you that before you forced me to do this stupid reality competition. Let me also remind you that you ditched the girls and tossed them aside."

"No, Musa" Tony interrupted again. "That was all you. You tossed them aside, you were the one who spilled all of their secrets on television for the whole realm to see. Everything is all on you. I had nothing to do with it. The only thing that I am guilty of is doing what it takes to make you a star."

"Okay fine, you are right. I have been different ever since you asked me to be one of your artists"

"And I think you changed for the better" Musa stopped her talking cold.

"Excuse me?" Musa questioned.

"You are acting as I hoped you would" Tony explained. "I was worried that you would be too soft for this lifestyle but obviously I was wrong. You have done exactly what it takes to make it in this business."

"What, alienate and betray my friends?"

"Yes" Tony said. "You have no idea what I have sacrificed for my success."

"But maybe I do not want that" Musa said.

"You do want that otherwise you would have sold out the Winx girls" Tony rebutted. "I think you are perfect Musa. You are putting yourself first and that is what you do in this world."

"No!" Musa yelled. "That is not how I want to do things."

"What changed your tune, Musa?"

"You, Tony!" Musa yelled back. "You changed my tune. For my entire life I have dreamed of being a star and having my own music career, just like my parents did. You gave that to me but I have worked hard my entire life to get to your company. I wanted to do things my way and my way only and through your influence and stupid charisma you blinded me by the fame to forget what the foundation of my music was based on."

"And what would that be?"

"Love" Musa answered.

Tony instantly chuckled at Musa's response.

"It's not funny, Tony."

"That is a fantasy, Musa"

"It is not a fantasy" Musa defended. "I play to bring laughter and joy to the younger generation. To give them something they could wake up to in a morning. To brighten their day when they think the whole world is against them. I did not sign on for a fake music clip with edited voices. Everything I do is real!"

"Clearly you haven't been true to yourself."

"Yes because of you. I do not want to follow your path of fake smoke and mirrors act on my music career."

"You signed a contract, Musa. You signed to give me creative control on your career. That is what I have done with your reputation, with your magazine shoots and your music itself. Do not stand there and say that I am to blame when I have given everything that you have ever wanted. You are not angry and me, you are angry at yourself to be warped into this business with such a naïve head. You allowed yourself to be changed and now you are enjoying the benefits."

Musa stayed quiet.

"It is your fault that you left your friends and it is your fault that they left the band. You drove them away. I don't care how you bring them back. Beg, grovel, plea, I do not care just get them at that award ceremony."

Tony calmed down and looked at Musa who had now turned quiet.

"Musa" Tony began calmly. "This is a business and I will work like hell to make you a bigger star than you are now, but you've got to make a decision. How bad do you want the big time?"

Musa watched as Tony walked away, following the stage hand to packing the truck. Musa sighed in defeat and walked outside and sat in her limo waiting for Ellie and Tony to join her.

'So much for telling him how it is' Musa thought to herself.

Musa sat in the limo staring blankly out the window watching the fans lingering outside still on a high from her performance earlier that night. In the back of her head, Tony's words still echoed.

'How bad do you want the big time?