Rally 'Round the Rap God - Fan Fic Eminem

Marshall's Statement

Eight months later, Rally was walking out of the courthouse, her dark grey suit clearly making her uncomfortable, though she looked amazing in it. My plan had gone exactly as I'd thought it would – the idiot had not only attempted to blackmail her over the phone the morning she'd told me about it, he'd been explicit in it while her phone was recording when she'd finally gone in to give the interview. I clenched my fists in anger at the thought of it, remembering all the things he'd said that he would do to her and my girls if she didn't comply. I'd nearly blown the whole thing when I'd finally heard it all. I'd wanted to throw him in a fucking pit of acid for it. To be honest, it was still a consideration if what was happening in that courthouse didn't work out the way I thought it should.

Rally had played along with the asshole's demands, feeding him line after line of bullshit about the two of us. He'd wanted to be the first one to get a scoop on what he was going to bill as my 'continuing and escalating violence and obsessiveness.' He planned to release a story that would paint Rally as my victim, constantly in fear of her career and her safety and thus subject to my overbearing and demanding ways. He was even going to use the recent duet with Martin as an example. Rather than Rally choosing the man she loved as her opposite, it was going to be shown as me exercising my control over her every action. I was surprised when I learned that was the tack he was going to take, but Paul and the cops had helped us both to see through to what – or rather, who – was behind it all.

Apparently, Marco and Stephen had both decided that I had entirely too much of Rally's ear. They didn't appreciate that I was the one she'd go to for advice and they liked even worse that I'd mucked up their plans to hook her up with the leading male country star. They were certain that if Rally did as that fucker journalist demanded, that I'd lose my shit and leave her – that the betrayal and the lies would be enough to kill our relationship. It would also have the benefit of leaving Rally to pick up the pieces of her heart in the public eye, no doubt raising her sales. That it would also leave her single and in relatively constant contact with Martin for the boost to the duet was just a bonus, as far as they were concerned.

It hadn't taken long for the journalist to spill it all to the detectives who had arrested him. Initially, the cops had been less that enthused about dealing with what they considered to be bullshit industry machinations. When the journalist had let loose details about a specific plan by Marco and Stephen to make it all come about, that they'd actually paid his ass to do it, the detectives had changed their views. The prosecuting attorney and cops suddenly cared about a scheme to blackmail. It certainly didn't hurt that it involved a beautiful woman who was now in the top 40 for three different songs and her Grammy winning boyfriend, both of whom they had detailed and repeated discussions with.

Now, as I watched Rally come down the steps, I shook my head. I wish I could say that I were surprised that this kind of thing happened, but the fact of the matter is that I have little faith in the industry as a whole. It was shitty, but this business had a tendency to chew good people up and spit them out and to let the snakes thrive. Thankfully, though, it seemed that my initial impression of Rally was correct: her prior life and personality was such that this wouldn't break her. She'd cooperated in the prosecution of her former producer, agent and the journalist without question and had taken well to the new agent Paul had recommended. Her studio kept her contract, but put someone new on it.

Deciding that I couldn't wait longer, I left the shadows of the tree I'd been standing under and walked across the street, noting with distaste that Rally was surrounded by more journalists. It was by no means the trial of the century happening in there, but it was enough news that the vultures were out in droves. They hadn't seen me yet, but that changed as I walked up the steps and met Rally in the middle.

"Hi," she said, her face bland but her galaxy eyes tired. I lost myself in them as my hands came up of their own volition to cup her cheeks. She smiled slightly as I bent down to kiss her, ignoring the nosy fucks that surrounded us.

"All done?" I asked against her lips and she nodded.

I slipped a hand around her waist and we walked down the rest of the steps, the hacks around us throwing continuous questions our way as the flashes of cameras sparked. I didn't respond, intending to leave them with only our kiss as their fodder, but Rally turned as we made it to the car and faced them all. They sensed she was going to speak, so they shut up as one as she looked each person in the eye.

"The media created this." She said, her voice carrying disappointment.

She was in full teacher mode right now and I couldn't help the smile that came to my face, but that I hid behind my hand. She'd never lectured me, but I kind of loved it when I heard her do it to others. She was going to give them their quote and turn me on at the same time. I looked at her, wondering if she'd consider some role play with glasses and a ruler tonight. The thought buoyed me as I waited for her to do her thing.

"When you feed on the losses and heartbreak of others, you build a system in which fabricating the story is inevitable. Those of you who spend your time living in the sorrows of another person's pain are wasting all the time you spent, the years of your lives, devoted to learning your craft." She paused as she shook her head. "Journalism has a long and beautiful history in this country. It has a place of value. When you degrade yourselves by grasping for the scraps of another person's misfortune in order to bolster your own lives, you tarnish the glory of a truly valiant profession."

When she was done, Rally nodded her head to the car and I opened the door and settled her in. As I walked around to my side of the car, some asshole called out.

"Eminem, do you have anything to say?" He asked and I stopped and nodded as my lips twisted. I looked over the crowd to see which one had asked and stared in his eyes for just a moment before I spoke.

"Yeah." I answered and the group pushed their devices closer to catch what I was going to say. I waited until they were all ready before I continued.

"Fuck off."