Just A Dream...
Conflict

Chapter Eight: Sirena Reveals

"What are you playing at with that Pelligrini girl?"
Sirena put her hands on her hips, glaring at her companion. "You've been tracking after her like anything these last few days, what's the deal? Don't you know she's the enemy?"
"I don't gotta do what you tell me." Blade told her coolly. "In any case, chill. I got it under control."
"I hate to think what 'it' is." Sirena grimaced. "C'mon, Blade. Out with it."
"What do you think?" Blade retorted. "Thought you had a brain, Em."
"Just tell me!"
"I've convinced Nancy she's in love with me." Blade said simply. "So much so that she won't hear a word against me. She's rowed with Misfit Music, quit the group...and has offered me her services quite willingly as songwriter. Whatever you think of her, she's damn good at what she does, and Jewel can't function without her. Kills two birds with one stone."
"Oh my..." Sirena's eyes widened. "You're a genius. I take it back...you do got it under control! How in hell did you convince her that she's in love? She's such a mousy, repressed creature."
"I'm me. 'Nuff said." Blade told her. "I have that effect on women."
"Not this woman." Sirena told him archly.
"I wasn't trying to get you. You're already on my team." Blade returned. "In any case, Nancy is currently in her room, going over the manuscript of my newest song with the idea of improving it and developing some of her own on the same lines. She's a happy little puppydog and it's less work for me. Meanwhile it keeps you quiet, since Nancy told me herself about Jewel's bust up. She's really quit on them. You know as well as I do that she's the brains behind that band. They're sunk."
"Brilliant." Sirena shook her head in wonderment. She laughed. "Oh, I can't wait to see what my mother's reaction to that is!"
"Your mother?" Blade frowned. "What does she have to do with it?" He snorted. "I didn't see you as a Mommy's girl type."
"I ain't." Sirena bristled. "Far from it. My mother, peabrain, is Phyllis Gabor of Misfit Music fame. She abandoned me when I was born and I'm gonna get my own back on her if it's the last thing I do."
"Ooh. I see." Blade looked thoughtful. "Rory never told me that."
"Why should he? It's my business. Not yours."
"No, but it's interesting all the same." Blade winked at her. "I'm looking forward to our show tonight - aren't you? I thought I might invite Nancy to tag along with us."
Sirena laughed.
"Oh, I'd love to see that." She replied. "Good little puppydog Nancy. Oh yeah, that'd be fun all right."
"I'm glad someone finds something to laugh at."
A third voice joined them from the doorway and both turned to face Rory himself, a frown on his face.
"There's plenty to laugh at." Blade responded. "Don't you know that Jewel are finished?"
"I highly doubt it." Rory looked grim. "I know there's been a bust up, but I also know that Pizzazz is not the kind of woman to sit back and take defeat lightly. I did a bit of sniffing about, and I'm afraid my instincts are right. She went to some diner tonight with the intention of hearing a singer...on all accounts she's all but signed her. Jewel will have a replacement singer within twenty four hours, unless we can do something about it."
"She's a sneaky cow." Sirena's eyes narrowed. "But that quick?"
"She's not patient, your mother." Rory sighed. "There is, however, one positive in all of this. From what I understand, the diner this singer works at is owned by and under the control of Eric Raymond...Emily, I believe you know that name well enough."
"Of course I do." Sirena's brow darkened. "My father."
"Never heard of him." Blade admitted. "But I'm beginnin' to think your family way more interesting than mine in terms of public gossip, Em."
"Shut it." Sirena retorted. "What's the plan, Rory?"
"We have to act fast." Rory sat down in an armchair. "And as far as I can see it, there's only two possible ways to go. Bribery or blackmail. Or both, if necessary. We have to get to Eric before he can be coerced into releasing this girl from contract...Emily, that's where you come in."
"What do you want me to do?" Sirena's expression was grim.
"I think you need to go and pay your father a friendly visit tomorrow morning, earlyish." Rory said quietly. He handed her a slip of paper. "Here. This is a copy of your birth certificate from your company file...just to prove your identity to him. Use whatever means you can to get his cooperation. You understand me?"
"I understand perfectly." Sirena nodded. "You can count on me."
"Blade, I understand you were instrumental in the breaking up of Jewel as it currently stands?" Rory turned to the company's newest signing, who nodded his head.
"Then keep that Nancy kid occupied. By whatever means." Rory replied. "This is our chance to sink that irritating group once and for all...keep her away from the other two brats and feed her as many negative lines as she can take about the pair of them."
"I can cope with that." Blade agreed. He grinned. "I'm having fun with her, I gotta admit. She's not half bad looking, and she's useful - she writes music and at the moment is willingly doing so at my request...sure, I'll string her along a while."
"Good." Rory looked satisfied. "Then that's settled. Tonight you do your show...and tomorrow we see to the permanent and irreversable death of Jewel."

"Mr Raymond, there's a young lady to see you."
Eric Raymond glanced up from his paperwork, a startled expression on his face.
"A young lady, Sandra?"
"Yes, Mr Raymond. Says her name is Sirena. She seems to think it very important that she sees you now."
"Oh, I see." Eric frowned. "Well, okay. I have a window - send her in, will you?"
"At once, sir." Sandra nodded, withdrawing from the office. Within a few moments the door opened once again to admit a tall, strikingly pretty young lady of approximately twenty. She was a stranger to him, though he recognised the name well enough, and he smiled at her, setting aside his paperwork.
"What can I do for you?" He asked, his tone full of false geniality. "What brings a well known American rock singer to my office?"
"So you've heard of me." Sirena observed. "That's good. It saves a large part of my explanation for coming here." She sat down in a vacant seat. "My boss, Mr Llewelyn sent me to see you on a matter of business."
"Llewelyn?" Eric looked startled.
"Yes. Rory Llewelyn. I believe you know him."
"I do." Eric nodded. "Though it's many years now since I saw him. What can he want?"
"It's very simple." Sirena said quietly, reaching into her purse and pulling out the sheet of paper Rory had given her, toying with it idly. "Rory is chief executive at Rebel Records, my recording company. We are of the belief that an agent from Rebel Records' biggest rivals, Misfit Music was at your establishment last night in order to procure the talents of one of your musicians. Naturally Rory's unhappy about this situation, and has sent me along to dissuade you from consenting."
"I've heard nothing about this." Eric said with a frown. "Misfit Music? No, I don't believe you. I have no business with that company these days."
"Well, they appear to think otherwise." Sirena's expression darkened. "I'll cut to the point, shall I?"
"I'd be most grateful if you would." Eric observed dryly.
"This girl mustn't be allowed to sign to Misfit Music. A lot rides on it."
"Why should I cooperate with you? You don't have any control over my decisions."
"I'll tell you why." Sirena snapped. "Twenty years ago, Mr Raymond, my mother abandoned me at the Starlight Foundation with no clue to my identity other than my name and my date of birth. Thanks to Mr Llewelyn, I've traced my true roots." She dropped the document down on the desk at this juncture. "I know who I am and who my parents are...take a look."
Curious, Eric scooped up the sheet of paper, his face going from ashen to scarlet as he read it's contents. The certificate slid out of his hands and he shook his head.
"It's forged." he said. "It has to be. I have no daughter and God only knows I wouldn't have had one with her!"
"So you never had an affair?" Sirena demanded. "You never slept with my mother?"
Eric paused.
"Well..."
"You're my father, she's my mother. I loathe and despise you both." Sirena gave him no time to continue. "But here's the deal, Eric. I'm willing to offer you a sum of money to keep this Aurora Stapleton girl on your books. In return for that, I'll keep my mouth shut about your unfortunate alliance with your former employer. Shall we call it a deal?"
Eric looked angry.
"You're just like your mother as well." He snapped. "I see it too clearly in your face. Sly, cunning, deceptive..."
"No, I'm better than her." Sirena shook her head. "Much better. As you'll soon see." She laughed. "Aren't you proud of your little girl?"
"Get out of my office!"
"Do we have a deal, then?"
"The girl is under contract to me and will remain so." Eric replied shortly. "As for you...I never want to see or hear from you ever again, as long as I live. You understand me? You pay me what you owe me and then you leave me alone."
"With pleasure." Sirena nodded. "It's a pleasure doing business with you...Father."
 
 

 PART THREE: CONFLICT
Prologue: The Reason For It
Chapter One: Jewel On Tour
Chapter Two: Trapped in Toronto
Chapter Three: Nancy...and Blade
Chapter Four: The Singer
Chapter Five: Rows
Chapter Six: Defection
Chapter Seven: Topaz
Chapter Eight: Sirena Reveals
Chapter Nine: Confrontations
Chapter Ten: A Broken Heart
Chapter Eleven: Jewel Forever
 
 
 

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.