By Curtain-up, Casey's room looked like a florist had taken root. She had massive bouquets of flowers on every surface from her family, from her friends, from her publisher and her agent. The only person she didn't have flowers from was Derek. That confused her slightly, but she tried to reason that he wouldn't have lost interest so quickly…not after chasing after her for so long.
Luan came into her dressing room in the last few minutes before the show went on air and handed Casey a small parcel. Frowning, Casey opened it and gasped.
Inside the enclosed box was a pretty platinum necklace with a heart-shaped pendant, a diamond set in its centre, and a pair of matching earrings. A small card announced "So I'll be right with you on stage tonight. I love you, Dxx"
Luan came to view the gift and she smiled. "You know if the world knew about this, you'd be the envy of every woman on the planet."
Casey was less sure. She didn't think that most women would want to go through the indecision of recent years. But she appreciated Derek's sentiment. It was lonely out on stage.
Chloe chose the last dance from Dirty Dancing as her dance routine which Casey thought was brave. For a while Trevor had talked about Casey doing it, but the latter had refused saying that she wasn't confident that she could execute the final dive – and if you mess that up you mess up the whole routine.
In reality, Chloe messed it up, falling at the last moment and in their new spirit of "sisterhood" Casey felt sorry for her although she was careful to keep the pity from her eyes.
Casey's own dance routine played on her love of the classic. Trevor again donned his top hat and tails and led her around the stage in "Let's face the music and dance." It was traditional, elegant and technically perfect. Casey smiled and her eyes sparkled and Trevor grinned his own smirk at her – The judges loved it.
The third contestant was never really in it.
Casey had changed out of her bouncing pink feathered ball gown. She was dressed instead in a long clinging gown, in a deep purple colour which was woven with silver threads so that although the dress remained purple and the silver was evident everywhere, it was strongest on her curves. It moulded with her body and shimmered as she moved. Around her neck hung Derek's gift, its matching earrings glinting from her ears because her hair was elaborately curled and styled into an "up job" that looked as though a team of hairdressers had worked on it for an entire day…instead of the ten minutes they had actually had.
She loved the glamour.
But even Casey's elegance couldn't detract from the spectacle that was Chloe. She stood in the wings in a blood red column dress. It was couture and expensive and it totally suited Chloe.
That wasn't what had Trevor hyperventilating though.
"Trevor, are you okay?" Casey asked, seeing her dance teacher flushed and sweating on the sidelines. "What's up"
"Ungh!" Trevor muttered. Casey frowned.
"Trevor?" She pushed, a hand on his shoulder.
"Ignore him." A voice said from behind Casey.
Harriet.
"Oh?"
"He's just in shock and quite frankly, he's just being an idiot."
Casey frowned again. "Sorry you lost me."
Before Harriet could reply, Trevor spoke.
"She touched my hand and called me darling." He gasped. "I'm never washing that hand again."
"I though he was gay." Casey pointed out to Harriet.
"He is." Harriet acknowledged. "But he's also just bumped into Gloria Gaynor who is apparently his heroine."
Casey looked shocked. "Gloria Gaynor? What's she doing here?"
Harriet shrugged. "It's "Anything Goes" Casey. To Chloe that means she can pick Gloria Gaynor as a backing singer…and of course she's Trevor's favourite gay icon."
"Backing singer?" Casey's jaw dropped. "But that would mean…"
Harriet smiled. "Yup!"
And before either of them could say another word, they heard Chloe's voice sing
"First I was afraid, I was petrified…"
Casey looked at Harriet in a panic.
"I can't compete with that!" She slumped into a nearby chair. "I have a ballad and a family snaps sideshow. How can that compete with the original artist singing back up on her own song?"
Harriet grinned. "Casey, Casey, Casey…Stop underestimating yourself. You can do this."
Casey humpfed and slumped further down the chair, dejectedly.
"You've got a text." Luan said to Casey holding out her phone.
You're beautiful and I love you. Derek's text message read. Casey smiled to herself, and handed her phone back to Luan, who was also wearing evening dress tonight. In fact glancing around, everyone seemed dressed up.
"By the way, you look stunning." Casey told her.
"Thank you. Are you ready?" her friend asked.
"This is it, isn't it?" Casey asked patting her dress down nervously. "The last song of the competition."
Trevor smiled, "Nope. When you win this you will need to do a reprise, and then there's the special song."
"What special song?" Casey asked in horror.
"Whooops!" Trevor said with an apologetic grin. "Haven't we rehearsed it?" Then he beamed at her. "Just kidding."
"You mean if I win I won't have to sing again."
"Oh of course you will. We have rehearsed it. I just didn't tell you why we were rehearsing it."
"Trevor…" She protested.
"Casey…" He replied with a smirk.
"Nevermind."
Casey should be used to this by now. She should be used to getting up on the stage and singing for her supper. But the five weeks hadn't changed her feeling that she didn't belong up there. She wasn't nervous as such, just…reticent. It had been five weeks.
When she started this journey she was alone, upset and worried. Casey had felt resigned to a life alone, upset because her life hadn't run to plan and worried because it seemed as though the person she cared about most in the world was in a similar state and she couldn't even phone him to ask how she could help.
Now, she was reunited with Derek. Casey wasn't upset about her life anymore, and whilst she was nervous about how people were going to accept her and Derek as a couple there was an extremely stubborn streak in her which stated that they would have to accept it.
She wasn't looking forward to losing friends though.
The last minute fussing was over, her hair, clothes and make-up were perfect. She was ready. She kissed a finger and touched it to the pendant around her neck and took the final steps onto the stage.
It was dark and there was an absence of sound. No music, no speech, no singing.
A crackle cut the air, and with a small flicker of light the blank screen behind her became a movie screen.
"Mommy!" A five-year old Casey shouted. "Jasper won't play with me."
Casey smiled to herself at the memory, waiting.
On the screen, a younger Nora appeared, a tiny baby in her arms. "Well maybe Casey you shouldn't pull his tail."
The audience laughed.
The screen flickered again. This time it was a twelve-year old Casey lecturing a seven year old Lizzie on the art of flirting.
Grown up Casey blushed and the audience laughed again.
The screen flickered for a final time and began to play the chaos of a living room filling with family members collecting for a portrait. Seventeen year old Casey walked around the sofa and seventeen year old Derek stuck his leg out to trip her up. She fell, he caught her and the screen froze on the tableau of the whole family watching the two main players as they squared up for battle: Casey livid. Derek smirking. But the light was there in both sets of eyes.
The orchestra played soft notes as the sound from the video continued even though the picture was frozen.
"You tripped me!"
"You just have big feet."
"Says the guy who orders in from Clownmania."
"Ouch! You wound me with your blunt wit."
"At least I have wit. You don't have room for any, you're one big ego."
"Casey!" Derek sounded shocked. "You shouldn't be looking."
"What? Urgh! That's just…Der-ek!"
"Case-y!"
A piano started to play and the picture behind Casey changed to a still of a toddler Casey with Nora and Dennis. And as grown-up Casey started to sing, the orchestra picked up the accompaniment to Christina Aguilera's "I turn to you".
"When I'm lost in the rain, in your eyes I know I'll find the light to light my way."
The pictures began to change, becoming pictures of Casey through the years, first with Nora, then Dennis, then Lizzie. The screen ran through Casey's life, family and loves slowly and in time to the music as she sang.
"When I'm scared, losing ground, when my world is going crazy you can turn it all around. And when I'm down you're there pushing me to the top. You're always there giving me all you've got."
As Casey reached the refrain, there was movement she couldn't see behind her and a figure in a long purple evening dress a shade lighter than Casey's appeared and walked across to the middle of the stage. She was carrying a microphone. The backdrop screen froze on a picture of Casey hugging a young Marti.
Casey, oblivious, carried on singing.
"For a shield, from the storm for a friend, for a love, to keep me safe and warm…"
"I turn to you." sang Marti. Casey turned in surprise but she carried on singing as she made her way up the stage to her youngest sister and took her hand. The picture changed to one of Casey and Lizzie a few years back.
"For the strength to be strong, for the will to carry on. For everything you do, for everything that's true…"
Lizzie's voice carried across the stage. "I turn to you".
Casey jerked her head around and smiled, letting go of Marti's hand and blowing a kiss to the elder sister.
She stepped back to the front of the stage.
"When I lose the will to win, I just reach for you and I can reach the sky again. I can do anything 'cause your love is so amazing. 'Cause your love inspires me."
Another figure entered the stage quickly descending to Casey, this time the microphone was raised and Emily sang with Casey as she began.
"And when I need a friend you're always on my side, giving me faith taking me through the night."
Both the women's voices were powerful and Casey, who knew that Emily could sing, but not like that grinned broadly at her friend.
And then there was a stream of people, all dressed in shades of black or purple, emerging from the wings: Nora, George, Dennis, Edwin, Robbie, Ralph, Sam, school friends, college friends including Clare and her daughter. Casey gaped in amazement and even in the midst of the surprise, she knew Derek had something to do with it.
He had filled the stage with everyone she loved. And they were all singing with her, and it sounded good. She wondered how long they had all spent rehearsing and suddenly the unexplained absences of her song/dance team over the past week became explained. They were rehearsing with her family and friends for the biggest (and sweetest) Derek prank she had ever experienced.
"For a shield, from the storm, for a friend, for a love to keep me safe and warm, I turn to you. For the strength to be strong and for the will to carry on. For everything you do I turn to you yeah."
Everyone was there – except Derek.
And then he was there, dressed in a smart black tuxedo with a vest the exact same shade of purple as her own dress, his hand extended to her. And Casey took it, touching Derek on camera for the very first time.
"For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain; for truth that will never change; for someone to lean on. for a heart I can rely on through anything; for the one who I can run to…oh!" She couldn't help but sing the words to him. "I turn to you."
And the chorus of friends and family behind her kept up the refrain as Casey sang an altered melody above, Derek sliding an arm around her and pulling her close.
"For a shield from the storm, for a friend, for a love to keep me safe and warm, I turn to you. For the strength to be strong, for the will to carry on, for everything you do, for everything that's true...For everything you do, for everything that's true…"
Casey paused and turned round. "I turn to you."
She turned back and Derek caught her chin in his hand.
"I love you." He murmured in the dying notes and before Casey could reply, and in front of half of Canada, Derek Venturi - hockey god - kissed his step-sister hard on the mouth.
To the rousing cheers of the chorus on the stage.
"Well that's one way to make an announcement!" The TV shows' presenter said to the laughter of the theatre audience who were still on their feet from the standing ovation they had given Casey's performance.
A rather shocked-looking Casey smiled weakly as Derek squeezed her waist and murmured words of comfort into her hair. Then, Chloe and the other contestant joined them on stage for the judges' comments and result.
Chloe was stone-faced, but when she thought no one was watching, she winked at Casey.
It was no surprise when Casey won.
She reprised "I Turn to You" with the stage full from the outset, and this time, Luan, Trevor and Harriet joined them. As the introduction started, Derek kissed her hand and stepped back to give her the space she needed.
The volume from the number of people on the stage was breath-taking.
After the song finished, Casey raised her microphone. "I've been asked why I took part in this show…and why I stuck with it." She smiled at the people behind her. "A few years ago I met a young lady who captured my heart with her tiny hand and who I am proud to call my god-daughter. Then she got sick and watching her brave face struggle through it would put anyone's life in perspective. She's well again now and it was down to people such as those we are raising money for tonight. On behalf of my little sweetie and me, I would like to say to all those faceless angels who work tireless to help sick children…a very big thank you…and if getting up on stage in front of you lot is the best way I can do it…" She grinned. "I'm in…a thousand times…I'm in. And thank you."
It was time for the special encore. Harriet whispered in Casey's ear and she smiled stepping forward and looking down at the pianist below. He nodded. Casey stepped back a step and raised the microphone again.
"I've paid my dues…Time after time." The tinkling of the piano cut through the air as it joined her in Queen's "We are the Champions".
"I've done my sentence…but committed no crime." This time the electric guitar joined her.
"And bad mistakes…I've made a few."
She straightened and her voice rose in a crescendo. "I've had my share of sand kicked in my face…But I've come through!"
Now she moved across the stage while the orchestra and band played the linking notes.
"We are the champions…my friends."
Trevor and Harriet had been training the chorus behind Casey to sing this too. They all joined in.
"And we'll keep on fighting till the end. We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions…of the world!"
Casey quietened again. "I've taken my bows…And my curtain calls. You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it…I thank you all."
She changed sides of the stage. "But it's been no bed of roses, No pleasure cruise…I consider it a challenge before the whole human race…" She pointedly turned around and looked at Derek. "And I never lose!"
He blew her a kiss.
"We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions…"
She took a deep breath.
"…of the world."
AN: Only the epilogue to go.