Unexpected - Eminem x Beyoncé Fan Fic

Trouble

Beyonce POV

Three and a half months after the papers were filed, a tentative settlement was reached. Assuming that all the pieces fell into place the way they were supposed to, I'd be officially single by the end of the week. Shawn – Jay – and I would split custody of the kids. We'd agreed to have the caregivers who'd helped us with them continue their employment, but only on the strictest of confidentiality provisions. They would be permitted to speak to either of us about what was happening in the kids' lives, but if they started spying for either parent on the other, they'd be fired.

Of course, it wasn't how I'd envisioned my life, but there wasn't much that could be done about it now. Rather, I just had to get it finished and move forward. Not that the media was terribly interested in allowing me that.

Week after week, I'd been invited for interviews. The collective press was salivating over the idea of getting me in a chair, no doubt with the hope that they'd catch an elusive tear or two as I bore my soul to them. As the time passed, I couldn't help but understand more of the disdain Marshall had for them. They were relentless.

Sighing as I looked at the clock, I wondered what Marshall was up to. Although he swore that he came out to help because of our friendship and that Jay's words didn't mean anything, he'd nevertheless pulled back after that call. It had been in tiny things at first, a slight distance in how he stood or a hesitation in how he moved his hands. Then, about a week ago, when we'd finished up our last argument over whether there should be bonus tracks on the album that I'd sought his help for, he'd told me that he needed to head back to Detroit.

I had the kids around, of course, and so I wasn't alone. I was, however, lonely. I'd gotten used to having Em nearby. For someone who had been the subject of so much trash talk from the women who'd been in his life, he certainly was attentive. Selfishly, I'd become accustomed to how he seemed to pick up on my moods, how he knew my preferences, and how he made me laugh. I valued his friendship, yet as I leaned into the depths of my couch, I recognized that wasn't all.

Jay had only ever been my second boyfriend, but I wasn't an idiot. I'd been around plenty of good looking men throughout my career and I had, of course, appreciated their looks with the distance of a woman happily married. Now, however, as I was no longer tied to Jay, my heart and eyes were free to go looking. And, they'd been looking at Marshall.

Marshall wasn't flashy in what he wore, except perhaps, for that gold chain. When he'd strip his hoodie off, he was more often than not in a simple t-shirt. It hadn't taken me long to notice that the muscles of his arms strained under the fabric when he moved a certain way. Nor, it seemed, was I blind to the way he walked or the smell of his cologne when he was near. Grimly, I shook my head as I came to the conclusion that I was attracted to my friend – the same man who was no doubt going to be at the end of some hefty barbs from my nearly ex-husband.

Marshall's presence in my life had done many things. First, it had brought me out of the depths of the depression that could have swallowed me. Second, and tied to the first, it had brought me lighthearted, easy memories. Third, it had opened my eyes to the quality of the man that he was. A person might say a lot of things about Marshall, but he was loyal and dedicated. In all the time that he'd been here, letting me bounce songs and ideas off him and teasing me back into self-confidence, he'd put me above everything else. And, I'd thanked him for that by putting him in the middle of a beef that was likely to follow him for years.

There had to be a way that I could fix this. Marshall didn't deserve the shit he was going to receive. Yet, as I sat there and pondered, no ideas came to mind. It was so frustrating.

I startled from my thoughts when my phone rang loudly by my side. Smiling, I picked up the video call and looked into the face of a man who'd surprised me more than I would have thought possible.

"Hey," I said softly. My smile disintegrated, however, when I saw the look on Marshall's face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He licked his lips, glancing away from the camera for a moment and then looked back at me.

"Word is that Jay's going to release a track," Marshall said, his tone apologetic. "I think it's going to be focused on me, but I can't promise it, Bey."

I swallowed and took a deep breath. Once again, Em was showing me who he was. His concern wasn't for himself right now, but for me. It warmed me, even if I wondered at how he could be so okay with what we both knew was coming for him.

"I'm sorry, Em," I said. He shrugged, smirking a little.

"Nothing to apologize for, Bey," he replied. "I don't know when he's releasing, but I had to give you the heads up. I'm neck deep in things at the studio, so I'm not going to be able to come out for at least another couple of weeks." Thinking about it, I nodded and smiled. Marshall cocked his head, pointing into the camera before he spoke again.

"That smile looks like trouble, Bey," he said.

"I was just thinking that the album cover has been finished, so there's nothing stopping me from releasing and then taking a trip." I responded. Marshall nodded slowly, his face turning cautious.

"If you come to Detroit, we could set up some time in the studio, maybe do something together?" He offered.

My grin wide, I nodded in approval. With Jay planning to release a track, Em would certainly be expected to respond. Although he wasn't saying it, he was offering me an opportunity to be involved, if that was what I wanted.

"I have some thoughts," I said, biting my lip in excitement.

Jay had hurt me, and I wasn't whole yet, but the work I'd been doing had helped me a lot. This chance, what Em was offering, would go further. I knew better than anyone that if I wanted to scrap the tape once we'd laid it, Em would do it and handle Jay solo. He was fearless like that.

"You know that you can lay it out and then wipe it," Em said, making me smile. Sometimes, I wondered if he could read my mind.

"You suggesting I pussy out?" I replied, teasing him. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, my Bey's got more balls than half the industry," he responded, causing me to blush. He laughed louder, enjoying it as he always did when he got the better of me.

"I'll get things settled and head your way. Say, about four days?" I asked.

"Works for me. See you soon, Bey."