Rally 'Round the Rap God - Fan Fic Eminem

Marshall's Demand

"What's the best way to tell him?" I heard Rally's whispered voice say as I walked down the hall. I'd woken up to an empty bed, and seeing as how Rally and I hadn't really spoken much since the night before, I'd thought it wise to go in search of her.

"No!" She whisper-yelled. "You don't understand." She said, frustration heavy in her voice. She paused and I poked my head around the corner. She was on her cell phone, pacing back and forth. At the moment, she was listening to whomever was on the line.

"It's not that easy, Riot." She said and I sighed in relief.

For a moment, I'd had a flash of jealousy. My brain had taken past experiences and superimposed them on the present, readying me for competition with another male. Knowing that she was talking to her brother eased that concern, but it didn't resolve the question of what was going on.

"This is the only way that makes sense - that ensures everyone is okay." She said and then paused again.

"Well, yeah, he said it. But, it wasn't really..." She let her sentence drift away for a minute before she looked at the ceiling. "Look, let's just say it was the heat of the moment and I'm not 100% sure he actually meant it." She said, her tone dry.

My eyes narrowed as I put together at least part of what they were discussing. Instead of waiting for Riot to speak up, I walked into the room and pointed at Rally's phone, indicating a hanging up motion. Rally paled a little as she looked at me but did as I mimed, breathing out a large bit of air before she spoke to me.

"About how much of that did you hear?" She asked and I raised a brow.

"Enough to know that you are doubting me." I said and Rally shook her head and moved to sit on the couch, her head in her hands. She looked genuinely upset, which didn't make any sense. I should be the one bothered here, and yet I was calm as the eye of a storm right now.

"I don't know what to say." Her muffled voice came to me and I moved over to sit across from her, cocking my head as I looked her over.

"Why don't we start with how you ended up talking to your brother about this, rather than me?" I suggested and she looked up at me and then gave a slight nod.

"Yeah, I deserve that." She muttered before she rolled her neck. "Any way we can pretend you didn't hear that call and we can just go greet each other doing the thing that mornings were made for? Just for a little while?" She asked, trying to lighten the moment, but I shook my head. 

She nodded at me and then looked at her feet. I waited, knowing that she was trying to put her thoughts into words. When she looked up, her eyes were serious.

"For all his faults, Riot is someone I trust to see through all my own bullshit and get to the heart of a problem for me. I called him because I was struggling with how to talk to you." She said and I nodded. I'd gathered that much, but it was good to have it confirmed. So far, no lies.

"And what's the bullshit that you needed Riot to sift through?" I asked.

"I-" Rally stood and moved restlessly around the room, cutting off her answer before she'd even given it. As I watched her, my natural fight or flight response kicked toward its usual fight option, letting anger begin to swell in me. I didn't speak, though. Rather, I waited for her to just spit it the fuck out.

"I've been approached a few times by the press." She said, completely taking the wind out of my sails. I hadn't seen this coming at all. I sat there, dumbfounded, as she continued.

"They want all the same shit that they always do:  an interview here, a photo shoot there, you know the drill." She said before she ran a hand through her hair. "Recently, though, they've been pushing at us more." She moved to look out the window as she spoke now, keeping her expression from me.

"I've been telling them it's none of their business, but there's one who has been hitting it really hard. He knows things about Riot, things that Riot couldn't give a shit about, but that aren't the greatest." Her voice started to fall and so I got up and walked closer to her so that I could hear her better.

"The reporter got a hold of my number and called me this morning." She said, her voice leeched of all emotion. "I told him to fuck off. Riot can handle it and so can I."  Her voice fell further, though, as she continued. "He said that if I don't do an interview and say exactly what he wants, then he's going to go after your daughters." She looked at me, her eyes shining.

"Because of me, your girls are going to be in the spotlight and, if this guy is for real, it won't be pretty. They'll be hounded. This is my fault." She whispered.

I shook my head and pulled her into my chest, crushing her to me. Whatever I'd thought was going on, it certainly wasn't this. Rally shook slightly in my arms, and I leaned back to find that her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"I called Riot to help me figure out how to tell you that we need to break up in order to protect your daughters." She said, her voice cracking on the words 'break up'. The visceral reaction I had at that thought was nearly overwhelming, causing an instantaneous denial.

"No way in fuck, Rally." I said, cupping her face. "I fucking meant it when I told you I love you. I'm not leaving you." I stated, my soul practically screaming at me at the mere suggestion of being without her. I couldn't picture my life that way, not anymore.

"But-" Rally started to say, but I shook my head violently.

"No. Fuck no." I said firmly.

"Do you love me?" I asked. Rally closed her eyes and a tear slipped from her lashes down her cheek.

"So damn much," she whispered and my heart soared.

I yanked her closer, my mouth meeting hers with the kind of need and emotion that can't be spoken, but had to be felt. As my arms held on to her as if she were going to float away, our lips and tongues moved together, possessiveness and fear of loss warring for victory. In the end, possessiveness and love won out, our kiss turning softer and softer until I raised my head and looked into Rally's eyes.

"This isn't your fault. It's that asshole's fault and I will fucking handle it." I promised as I watched hope slide into her expression. "You just got to stick with me, baby girl." I said softly and Rally's watery smile warmed me as she threw her arms around my neck.

"Always."