Just A Dream...
The Jem Memorial
Chapter Eight: Some Answers
"Kimber, what are you thinking?"
April paused in her arranging of the flowers on the windowsill, glancing
at her guardian with a concerned look on her face. Kimber looked up, pushing
her letters aside and sighing.
"I got my invite to the Jem Memorial Concert this morning." She said
sadly. "There was a time, you know, when Jerrica didn't need to send me
formal invites. We used to be like real sisters, once upon a time. Sometimes
I think that showbusiness isn't worth the hassle any more. It was such
a dream when everything was going on...but now I don't even know where
Aja or Raya are, and I don't speak to my only sister more than a couple
of polite words here and there. She's changed...grown so cold...and even
Rio doesn't seem to see it. I don't know, April. It just seems so hopeless.
And there shouldn't be a Jem Memorial without all of the Holograms there."
"Maybe Jerrica is inviting them too." April suggested, coming to sit
down at the table. "I know there were a lot of fights, Mom told me enough
about them, but maybe she wants to make amends too - perhaps this is a
part of it."
"No, not Jerrica. Not these days." Kimber shook her head. "She's pushed
things too far for that." She sighed. "You know something? I hate myself
more and more for it too as time goes on. I should have done something...but
I was such a kid. Sometimes I think I'm still such a kid."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Aja needed me." Kimber sighed, burying her head in her hands. "She
was always like a sister to me too, April...how could I turn my back on
her?"
"You can't focus on the past all the time." April said sensibly. "Look,
why don't you go out for a while, get some fresh air and some perspective?
There's not much to do here that we can't do ourselves, and Shawn will
be back by midday, won't he?"
"Yes, he will." Kimber nodded her head. "You're too good to me, April.
I think I will go out...to be honest I have a bad feeling about this memorial
for some reason. I don't like the idea at all. But it's done now, and can't
be changed...so I suppose I'll have to go and smile through it as ever.
At least you girls will benefit from it. That's all that it's worth to
me now." She frowned. "Boy, have I changed...I never used to think of things
in such a jaded way as this!"
She got to her feet, heading into the hallway and slipping on her sandals,
pulling her jacket on over her shoulders and scooping up her car keys from
beside the phone. "I'm going to call round and see Shana, see if she at
least has had an invite." She decided. "I don't think I could face being
the only Hologram there."
"We'll see you later." April grinned at her. "And relax, Kimber! It'll
be okay, really it will!"
"I wish I could believe it." Kimber murmured, pushing open the front
door of the house and heading out to her car, sliding into the front seat
and slipping the key into the ignition. "But I seriously have my doubts."
She shut the car door with a bang, pulling out of the driveway and
onto the main road. She and Shana did not see each other often these days
because of the constraints of both of their other commitments, but Kimber
took comfort in knowing that at least here was one friend who didn't bear
her a grudge.
Shana did not live far from the new foundation Headquarters, and Kimber
pulled her car to a halt outside, pushing open the door and making her
way slowly up the front path. As a young girl she had been flighty, impressionable
and often naive, but she was not so much that way now. Flighty and impulsive
she still could be, but experience and age had taught her many hard lessons
and had drummed a sense of responsibility into her head. Things she would
have shrugged off many years before now weighed heavier on her mind, and
she hoped Shana's calm words and soothing reassurance would help her lighten
them.
She rang the bell, waiting for her friend to open the door. From inside
she could hear the voice of Shana's young son, Zak, and then footsteps.
A key turned in the lock and the door swung open.
But it was not Shana who stood before her, and Kimber gasped in surprise.
"Aja?" She exclaimed.
The woman at the door looked equally stunned, then, as conscious thought
returned to her her expression clouded.
"I'm sorry, Shana isn't here." She said quietly. "Goodbye, Kimber."
"No, wait!" Kimber put her hand out to stop the Chinese-American from
closing the door. "Please, Aja, don't just slam the door in my face! I
want to talk to you!"
"
You want to talk to
me?" Aja raised an eyebrow, her
eyes doubtful and her tone edged with irony. "
Now you want to talk
to me? You couldn't be bothered to answer my letters, but
now you
spring yourself on me like this and expect me to listen to you?"
"Letters?" Now Kimber was taken aback. "What letters?"
Aja's eyes narrowed.
"Don't play that game with me." She said darkly. "Letters I sent to
you, Kimber. More than one. I had thought that you valued me enough to
at least grace me with an answer...I can see that I was wrong."
"But I never got any letters!" Kimber protested. "I swear, Aja, I never
did! If I had I would've written to you at once, but Jerrica didn't know
where you were, or at least that's what she said!"
Aja hesitated, then pushed the door open fully once more.
"You promise that you didn't get my letters?" She asked, her tone calmer.
"I mean it, Aja, I didn't." Kimber crossed her chest solemnly. "Cross
my heart I didn't."
Aja sighed.
"I believe you." She said quietly, allowing her former bandmate to
come into the house. "Though what happened to them I don't know."
"Where did you send them?"
"Starlight Mansion. Where else?"
"Aja, we haven't lived at Starlight Mansion for a long time. Any of
us." Kimber sat down on the sofa, watching her companion send Shana's son
upstairs to play on his video games, then taking a seat herself. "Things
got very chaotic after you left. Aside from Shana's wedding..."
"Which nobody bothered to tell me about." Aja interjected bitterly.
"What?" For the second time that morning Kimber's expression bore shock.
"But Jerrica said..."
"Let me guess. She told you I didn't want to go." Aja said grimly.
"Shana already filled me in on the elder Miss Benton's slick work."
"Oh Aja, I'm sorry." Impulsively Kimber went to hug her companion,
but Aja pushed her back.
"No, Kimber. I'm not here to make friends. I learnt already what being
friends with the Benton sisters is all about, and if you don't mind, I'd
rather keep out of it."
Kimber looked stricken.
"But Aja..."
"I mean it." Aja shook her head. "I came here to see Shana, but also
I came because one of my nieces was in some trouble and Stormer needed
my assistance. I'm beginning to wish I'd never offered my services."
Kimber bit her lip, her blue eyes filling with tears.
"We never used to be like this." She murmured. "Aja, I didn't mean
to hurt you, I swear I didn't! I'm sorry...I've wanted to tell you that
for so long but I didn't know where you were or if you were even alive.
I never heard from you, I thought you hated me and then Jerrica...well,
I darent cross her to much, Aja. We don't speak much these days, but the
Foundation is in my hands and Jerrica controls the funding for it. If I
step too far out of line the Foundation will suffer and it's pretty much
everything to me now."
Aja looked at Kimber long and hard. Then she stood, coming to sit beside
her friend on the sofa.
"I guess I'm sorry too." She said finally, putting an arm around the
younger woman's shoulder's almost instinctively. "Over the years I've lumped
you and Jerrica together and it isn't fair. Just because you're sisters,
after all...I know it must've been hard for you. But Kimber, it's been
hard for me too. I never did anything to be pushed away like I was and
it hurt me a great deal, if you must know."
Kimber swallowed hard.
"I've missed you." She murmured. "I know that things would've been
right if you'd been here, Aja. I...I know you'd have been able to help
me make decisions and know how to go. I never thought I'd have to stand
out on my own like I have."
"So much for the Holograms, huh?" Aja spoke dryly, but there was little
humour in her tone. Kimber rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes I wish we'd never gotten famous." She admitted. "Did Shana
tell you about the Jem Memorial at all?"
"I think I heard it mentioned." Aja nodded.
"Are you going to go?"
"Me? Hah." Aja snorted. "You think that Jerrica is going to bother
wasting paper on me, Kimber?"
"Well, I'm inviting you." Kimber said firmly. "I have as much right
to as she does, after all, the Foundation is my concern these days. And
Aja, it would be so nice to have you there."
"I'd rather not go." Aja shook her head. "I might lose my temper."
"I wish you would." Kimber frowned. "Someone needs to put Jerrica back
in her place. Sometimes I wish it was like it was when we were younger,
when we were at least on friendly terms...but I don't think it can be now,
Aja. She's changed since we got rid of Jem, you know that enough yourself.
If I'd have known..."
"None of us guessed it would happen this way." Aja shook her head.
Kimber sighed.
"I know." She said. "Well, I guess I'd better go. I left April in charge
at the Foundation, and though she knows what she's doing she's only seventeen."
Aja laughed, a hint of her old twinkle back in her blue eyes.
"What's this? Kimber Benton with a shred of responsibility?" She demanded.
Kimber smiled slightly, fingering the gold ring on the fourth finger her
left hand.
"Kimber Harrison." She corrected quietly. "I wanted you there, Aja...so
badly I almost called it off twice. I needed reassurance that I'd done
the right thing."
"But you love Shawn...at least, you always did to my memory." Aja looked
confused. "What do you mean? Once he'd gotten his divorce I know you planned
marrying him...what happened?"
"Oh, it's not important. It was too long ago now and in the end I made
the right decision." Kimber waved it away dismissively. "I just wasnt sure
if marrying him was right...after all we'd been through."
"I couldn't imagine you with anyone else." Aja admitted. "Do you have
children?"
Kimber looked wistful, then shook her head.
"Shawn and I never did." She responded. "The Foundation are my family
now."
Aja paused for a moment. Then,
"You're lucky you have them." She said softly. "My daughter is everything
in the world to me."
"You have a daughter?" Kimber looked startled. Aja nodded.
"Samantha. We call her Sammi." She agreed. "I might be biased, Kimber,
but she has so much talent for music...she and a friend of hers are pursuing
some kind of musical contract. I have to admit I'm not real happy about
her doing it, after I was burned, but Craig seems behind her and I guess
he knows what he's doing." She sighed. "I can't jeopardise her happiness
by making her choices for her. She's a sensible girl at least."
"I couldn't imagine any girl of yours not having her head screwed on
right." Kimber smiled. "Well, it was nice to see you at least. No, it was
outrageous
to see you! I've missed you so badly and I'm glad we've made amends. I
feel like a weight has been lifted off me, to tell the truth."
"Me too." Aja smiled slightly at her friend's use of words. "Though
I'm all the more angry at Jerrica, at least I'm beginning to learn that
my real friends - the Holograms - cared about me all along. Take care,
Kimber...maybe I'll come see you at the Foundation soon, if you tell me
where it is these days."
"Shana can give you all the details there." Kimber dimpled. "She and
Regine sometimes help out and make clothes for the girls if the budget
is tight. Bye, Aja...and you take care too. Maybe it won't be so many years
until we meet again this time!"
PART TWO: THE JEM MEMORIAL
Chapter One: Starlight Mansion
Chapter Two: Discovery!
Chapter Three: Zoe
Chapter Four: Top Of The Charts
Chapter Five: Aaron's Secret
Chapter Six: Sirena's Plan
Chapter Seven: Reboot
Chapter Eight: Some Answers
Chapter Nine: The Jem Memorial
Concert
Chapter Ten: Revenge
Chapter Eleven: Repercussions
Chapter Twelve: A Temporary Solution
Chapter Thirteen: Wild At Heart
JEWELFIC MAIN PAGE:
Copper, Nancy, Sylvie, Anna, Blade, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie,
Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which
do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley)
as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced
without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all
other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow,
Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series.
Sammi and the concept of Aja's future life are copyrighted to Gemma
Dawn.