Ellen is nervously standing next to Chris and her kids, the idea of having all the cameras on her and having to do a speech always makes her nervous even if she is used to it
she is looking at the crowd when she spots a redhead and a salt and pepper curled head she would recogize everywhere
with her heart beating fast as a train she reaches them
"surpriiise” Patrick smiles big opening his harms as if he is asking for a hug
"I didn't know you were coming” Ellen says hugging him
"wouldn't be a surprise if you knew”
"so good to see you Kate, thanks for comimg too.... you know” Kate mocks her sarcastically
Patrick laughs too
"shut up and come here" Ellen giggles wrapping her in the hug with her left arm while her right one was still wrapped around Patrick
Kate laughs and hugs them both
"I am so happy to have you both here, I really don't know what to say” Ellen says emotional
"you can thank us later... don't worry about it right now, all you have to think now is your speech for the star” Patrick sweetly reassures her
"okay" she breathes
a few minutes after Ellen is ready to start her speech
Chris, Stella, Sienna and Eli are sitted on the front line between the crowd
Patrick and Kate are standing on the other side of the garbage, ready to surprise Ellen with their speaches right after she finishes hers
Jillian and Andy are in the crowd and Ellen hasn't seen them yet
"okay so... first of all, I would like to thank all of you. Everyone who knows me, already knows that I am terrible with words but today I would really like to thank each one of my fans, I wouldn't be here without all of you. I always say ~power to the people~ and that's exactly what I mean”
everyone applaudes
"I am also very grateful to have my family here, my kids Eli, Sissi and Stella ... and my husband Chris... are my biggest supporters and I wouldn't be here without them”
she sees her kids smiling at her and she can't help but smiling back emotional
it's pretty clear that she has mentioned Chris only because she has to, but she hopes no one would notice
“I am also very happy to have my other two favourite people on the planet here, I wouldn't have done any of this without Patrick or Kate”
she smiles at them
the speech has finally ended, Ellen is glad
"oh thank God, I couldn't take it anymore” she giggles hugging Patrick and Kate
"now it's my turn" Kate grins pulling away from the hug
Ellen looks at her confused but then understands what Kate wants to do when she sees her take the microphone
"buddy, to say that I am proud of you would be an understarement. I wasn't on the show for long but I like to say that we aged all together and I was there from the very start... I saw your career taking off and look where you are now, neither of us tought that the show would have gotten this big”
Ellen and Patrick look at each other agreeing
"and if it did, it's mostly thanks to you. You never gave up, even when you had so many reasons to, you kept going untill you couldn't take it anymore and now you are starting over and I am sure that your new show will be just as good. You are such an inspiration to many young women all over the world, Stella and Sienna are so lucky to have you as a moldel.
I love you so much and I am so proud of you”
Kate ends with a smile
"I love you too" Ellen mouths
"sorry in advance if I will stutter and if my speech won't be as good as Kate's but-”
"what?" Ellen frowns clueless
then she realizes
"you don't have to do that, I understand if you feel unconfortable because... you don't have to, you being here is enough for me" she says sweetly
"I know, but I want to”
Kate reaches Ellen, giving her the biggest hug and Patrick goes next to the microphone and starts his speech
"I think everyone knows our story, we have done tv history together. I like to say that we share the best years of our lives and the best part of our careers. Professionally speaking, you are the best costar an actor could ever ask for, no one will ever top our chemistry and personally I am very grateful to have you in my life. You are very talented, you really deserve this and... Kate and I are both so happy to be here today”
he says trying to bring Kate into his speech so that the fans won't reach too much into it
"I know how much you hate attentions and you don't really like being celebrated but you have to accept it for today. That's why we are making cheesy speeches, to make you even more unconfortable”
he jokes making everybody laugh, included Ellen
"jokes apart... congratulations Ell, I am so proud of you and I love you so much”
Ellen bites her lip to keep tears from falling down, Kate notices so she tries to hide her from the camera
"you guys made me cry, my mascara was perfect, God I hate you both" Ellen jokes
Patrick and Kate both laugh
Chris and the kids reach them
Ellen warmly hugs each one of her kids and Chris steals her a kiss, more for marking terrory than for affection
"hey Ellen, congratulations”
Ellen frowns when she recognizes the voice, Patrick notices her reaction and it didn't even go unnoticed to Stella
"thank you Jill” Ellen smiles awakwardly giving her the less honest hug she ever gave in her life
"congratulations girl, you did it” Andy says to deminuish the tension
"thank you" Ellen smiles way more sincerely
so... Ellen doesn't look happy to see Jillian? uhmm... will she hold it back or will she make a scene?
Stella is a little suspicious too...