The next morning Stephen woke up to an empty bed. He smiled to himself remembering the night before.
As he got out of bed, he found the note David left him.
"Headed to auditions. See you there. Don't get a babysitter! Bring her with you. Amanda and Aleysha would love her! Plus I already told everyone you would ask to say 'no'. xx"
Stephen felt himself getting hot as his patience was turning into anger. David was messing with his life, which normally did not bother him, but this was becoming out if hand. Why wouldn't David accept that Ruby was not staying!
As Stephen dressed and headed to the stairs, he peeked into Ruby's room. He found her dressed in a neon blue dress with pink tights and yellow shoes on the wrong feet. In her hair was a big red bow falling out. When she saw Stephen she stretched out her arms as if to say "ta-dah!"
Stephen laughed as Ruby put her hands down and stared at him in her silent way.
Sitting in one of the small chairs at the little table, Stephen helped Ruby switch the shoes to the correct feet.
When he went to take the bow out of her hair, she quickly reached her hand up to it to hold it in place. "
"Are you sure you want to go out looking like this?" Stephen asked trying not to laugh more.
For the first time since her arrival, Stephen received a response with a nod from Ruby.
Stephen exhaled and looked at her pathetically. He couldn't believe he was taking her to work this way, but David gave him no choice. If he didn't he would never hear the end of it and facing David's wrath was worth than dealing with Ruby's fashion choices in public.
"Let's go."
Ruby grabbed her little stuffed dog and followed Stephen, smiling and looking proud of herself.
----------------------------------
"Well?" David was at the door of the stage when Stephen arrived at the Palladium.
"Damn it!" Stephen back to the car.
"You left her in the car again?" David shouted.
"Well, she is so quiet! I forget she is in there!" Stephen shouted back.
Out of breath, Stephen returned with Ruby and her little stuffed dog following.
"Bad Stephen." David picked up Ruby. "He's a bad Stephen, isn't he?" Ruby looked at Stephen with no expression.
"Ha. No response. She doesn't think so." Stephen said defensively.
"She's just holding it inside to use against you later. Wait until she is a teenager. She will get you then."
Stephen looked at David angrily. He whispered more to himself than David, "She is not staying."
"Uh.Huh." David said as he turned and took Ruby into the Palladium.
--------------------------
"Ladies! I have a surprise for you!" David announced as he walked into the judges' greenroom.
Alesha and Amanda turned from their make-up artists and mirrors to look at David.
"And who is this?" Amanda said as she took Ruby from David's arms.
"Who did her hair?" Alesha laughed, looking at Stephen.
"Not me, " Stephen responded before taking a seat in front of a mirror for his make-up.
Alesha grabbed a brush and removed the bow from Ruby's hair and began to brush her hair.
"How did you manage that? She wouldn't let me touch the bow!" Stephen looked at Alesha shaking his head.
"Um...I just took it out of her hair, " Alesha said laughing. She pinned the bow back in Ruby's hair, without it falling out this time.
"She is adorable, Stephen." Amanda said as she sat down with Ruby in her lap.
Ruby watched as everyone started getting ready for the show. Amanda put a bit of blush on Ruby's cheeks and let her wear a little lip color for fun.
"Stephen. What do you plan to do with her while you're filming?" Simon asked as he walked into the room.
"Ask David. This was his idea." Stephen grinned as everyone looked at David.
"She can sit with you while you film," David nodded, "behind the camera with the crew."
Stephen looked toward his crew.
"It's fine. I'll watch her, " Lisa said.
"You're a life saver!" Stephen hugged Lisa as Amanda handed Ruby to her.
--------------------------------------------
"How could you lose her?" Stephen groaned.
"Well...I took my eyes off her for a second to get ready to do a make-up fix and when I turned around....she was gone!" Lisa said. "She moves fast!"
"See? This is why I cannot be her guardian. I have her a couple of days and I have left her in the car twice and now have lost her in one of the biggest theatres!" Stephen rubbed his face in frustration.
"We need to find her, " Lisa said. "Probably before Simon finds out."
"It's a bit late for that, " Dean announced.
"What d you mean?" Lisa said.
Dean pointed to the monitors back stage.
Standing on stage was Ruby, petting a dog. The dog belonged to the act that was currently to be performing on stage. The owner of the dog looked perplexed while the audience and judges were laughing.
Stephen watched in horror as David got up from his judges' seat and walked across the stage. He leaned over Ruby and petted the dog. Then he said something to her and they both walked off the stage back to David's seat where he pulled her up into his lap. The audience clapped and the act was allowed to begin again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Stephen saw Ant and Dec signaling to him. When he looked over, they gave him their patented thumbs up.
For the rest of the auditions, Ruby stayed with David. At one point he let her push his red buzzer which actually brought out a laugh from her.
At the end of the show, David found Stephen backstage finishing filming a BGMT segment.
"Home?" David asked as he carried a sleeping Ruby to the car.
----------------------------------
Stephen sat at the foot of the bed shaking his head. "I told you I don't want to do this. I can't do this."
"I'm starting to agree with you, " David said blankly.
"What?" Stephen looked up at David shocked.
"You're not even trying. I get it. You don't want to be her guardian. But don't say you can't. You could if you tried. It's not like she is making that difficult." David's voice had a hint of frustration.
Stephen sat silently on the bed as David fell asleep.
YOU ARE READING
The Only Girl for Stephen
FanfictionStephen's best mate, that he has known since childhood, has passed away. Stephen is now questioning the meaning of his life and everything in it. In the meantime, he discovers his mate has left him something in his will for the purpose of giving his...
