Southern Gentleman's Club

A Warning

Luna chose to ignore Marcus' very reflective point and got dressed for the hospital. When he saw she didn't have a comeback, he left the room to get dressed himself.

Meadow arrived a short time after Luna was dressed. She noticed her sister's demeanor but this time, doesn't ask what was wrong with her.

"Did you check on the progress we made last night and today?"

"I didn't make any progress today. I slept the day away." Luna reluctantly admits. Meadow lifts an eyebrow in muted surprise. "I know...I just-"

"Y'all ready?" Titan peeks his head in.

"Yeah." She answers. Meadow files this in the back of here mind and follows Luna out of the room. We need balance, she thought.

The ride to the hospital is tense at best. Everybody was physically present but mentally...well, not their best.

Luna met with the doctors who watched Freya's progress all day. Her levels were staying consistent. That's all they could ask for.

When they arrived, they found Demetri pushing his weight around. "I'm starting to hate this nigga, mane." Marcus mumbled.

"Natural born fuck nigga." Titan telepathically spoke. Marcus let out an unexpected laugh.

"I'm not sure why you doing all this extra, Demetri. You're not her next of kin. I and Meadow are."

"If you say so, Lulu." He chuckled but the laugh didn't reach his eyes.

"My name is LuNA bi-" Meadow covers her mouth.

"Have you checked on any rehab facilities?" Marcus asked her once she'd settled in the room.

"I've done that already, Marcus." Luna gave him a stink eye. "I just hate the tour is canceling this way. Nobody deserves it but I understand." Titan stood at the window, just out of their eyesight.

The few in the room didn't even notice that Freya had opened her eyes, blinking around to figure out her surroundings. Luna's voice made her tune in even harder. Or as much as she could, rather.

"Canceled why?" Freya's voice floated. A bit raspy but clear. She looked around with a frown on her face.

"You...had an accident on stage a couple of days ago. At the suggestion of the doctors who received you, we canceled your tour immediately."

"What? I'm fine..." Freya started snatching wires out of her arms. "I have to get back to the tour. So many people depend on me!" Luna's heart dropped as she and Marcus tried to hold Freya down to the bed.

"Freya, stop." Titan's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Ya docta said you gotta rest and that's what you gon do." He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes sad, tired, worried...and naturally dominant.

She opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out. Truth was, even now she was exhausted. The little bit she just did wore her out. She laid back in the bed. "Where's Demetri?" Her voice croaks to change the subject.

"Mane, fuck that nigga." Marcus blurted without a second thought. Within reason.

Since Freya was in a coma, Demetri had been doing interviews on her behalf to the media, creating an even more of a storm that Luna and Meadow couldn't handle on their own. His interviews were generating him more revenue and exposure to his movie premieres. Freya's shortcomings as a whole were profitable to him.

To the detriment of Freya's brand and character in some instances.

Fans were showing up every day, making it harder to get in and out of the hospital safely. "If I ever catch cuz alone..."

"Marcus, stop." Titan sent him a serious head shake. Although the triplets carried a similar mindset.

"What is going on?" Freya suddenly looked sunken and a shell of herself.

"Just rest...let me get the nurse." Luna drags Marcus with her out of the room. The emotion in the room was far too heavy for her anyway.

A few minutes later, Luna and Marcus came back with a nurse. The woman checked her vitals. "Perfect. She should be able to leave in the next day or so. Have you thought about where she'd be discharged to?"

Demetri enters the room on that note. Titan stands to eye the other man across the room. Marcus just waits for a signal...any signal.

"I have a couple retreat locations lined up..." Luna offered.

"No need for all of that, Luna. She'll be coming with me." Demetri makes his presence known to the rest of the group.

"No the fuck she ain't." she growls without a second thought.

"If she's in her right mind, she will." His arrogance was killing Luna from the inside out.

The next day, that's exactly what happened. Freya woke up and chose to go with Demetri almost immediately while her sisters and the Minnelli brothers weren't present.

Luna's rage was something Titan had never seen before in a woman when they found out. "Don't let him take my sista, Ti!" Marcus was struggling to hold the slippery woman. Meadow started running after the car, slapping the window.

"Don't let him take her! Don't let him get away with this!" Luna screamed in tears. Titan was really at a loss.

Marcus held an inconsolable, raging Luna in the hotel room. "Cuz really got a hold on her..."

Titan thought about what she said when she woke up. "He's the reason...of course. Why didn't I see it?" he blurted. "He's the 'people' that she's disappointed."

"I'm not following you..." Meadow spoke up. "Why would she be so hung up on Demetri's approval?"

Meadow sighs. "Because he all but gave 'Flame' artistic direction from a performer's point of view. How to sell it as a true extension of Freya's personality, and now overall being. She's convinced herself that he is the reason for her success. Not us, and to an extent, not her."

"You dead ass?" Titan looked at her in shock. Meadow nodded her head.

"She is very dead ass, Ti." Luna sighed. "Aside from his behavior recently, Demetri always had impeccable timing. And in the beginning, I was the main cheerleader for him after y'all's...hiatus. But over time, he's all but tried to isolate Freya from us. He's completely iced our cousins Sasha nem out. But I make sure they have time when she's with me.

Now that she's gone with him full time, I can't imagine what all lies he's telling her."

"But...why?" Marcus pushed.

"Freya's preoccupation with making everything go smoothly and make everybody happy..." Luna doesn't hesitate.

"He would stop at absolutely nothing." Meadow looks away from the window in seriousness. "Nothing, Titan."