CHAPTER EIGHT

Dr. Grace got into her SUV and looked to her GPS. Charlotte called her just before they were supposed to secretly meet up with her, but it wasn't the call Grace expected. She demanded they come in and bring anyone with them. That would be impossible, Charlotte told her, so Grace decided to go to them. They would meet up at a lake house that belonged to one of Charlotte's friends, but it was private and away from the families, locked in a gated community.

Once there, Grace held up her ID and was quickly allowed inside. When she arrived, there was a swarm of people, kids, adults, and uniformed officers. She took her place against the wall, waiting for the police to hand the family over. It would be hours, she knew, but she didn't mind the wait. What she told the producers was true—her college protest years trained her to just sit and wait as long as possible.

Around eleven, the kids were lying in a back den, some asleep but others crying. The adults were sitting around the dining room table with mugs of cold coffee in front of them, but they sent Betty in to get Grace. She nodded studiously and followed her into the room.

"You're not who we thought you were," Charlotte whispered, looking up from her coffee, "We thought that everyone they made us go to would take the money and give up our secrets. Drew and I thought it was necessary. We needed to know if we were together for a reason. I think we know now that no matter what, we'll be together, monogamous or not. The secrets tore us apart more than we'll ever realize, but...they ended up bringing us together."

Drew nodded in agreement, but his eyes remained locked on the table, his mind following the swirls of the wood grain. It was the only way he could keep the news from repeating in his mind. Angelica is dead. Angelica hung herself in the park because I'm not her father. Angelia is dead.

Dr. Grace nodded, "Just because they paid us didn't give up any obligation to say something to them, and I hope all of you went to similar people," Dr. Grace said, looking over the group.

"We weren't so lucky," Betty sighed. "We lost a few kids between twins, miscarriages we had to fight to get over. We told the therapist about them, the therapist told the show, and they wanted us to do a thing on miscarriages on the finale."

"They know about my drinking. I haven't had a drink in weeks," Chas whispered, shaking his head, "I don't want one ever again." Kira gripped his hand as a tear dripped down her cheek.

"I want to help all of you through this troubling time, but...I want your permission to contact a friend of mine, a girlfriend from my college days. She's a lawyer now, high-payed and very successful. She works in Hollywood, and most importantly, she specializes in things like this. I just need the paperwork and I'll get you out of this," Dr. Grace said sternly.

Charlotte looked up, "I thought you were here for grief counseling."

"I am, but I know what you need. You need out of this situation as soon as possible. This, all of this, cannot be put on television. I'm sure they're saying enough already, and none of you, and none of your children, need to add to that dialogue unless you want to," Dr. Grace said, looking over the group, "Someone needs to tell the kids."

"Get them in here," Didi whispered, sending Stu off to the den. When he returned, the tweens were with him, but they left the youngest twins sleeping in the room. They weren't the ones they needed, but the tweens were.

"What's going on?" Phil asked, looking over Dr. Grace, "Who is she? Some chick from the show?"

"No," Dr. Grace smiled, introducing herself to the kids as they took spots around the room. "I wanted to let you know that I'm going to free you from those cameras. Drew and Charlotte asked me to help them tell the cameras their secrets. Now I'm going to help you keep them, as I should do, and I'm going to do the same for the rest of you. I'm going to help you with your problems. This is a very troubling time for all of you for various reasons, but I know just by listening to you all this night that this show is what needs to go. Once it's gone, you can properly grieve, because you're going to. It never gets easier, not until you embrace the pain and accept the facts in your own way."

Charlotte nodded, "I agree with that. All I can think about right now is how we're going to bury her without people assaulting us with cameras, without letting the show is. I can't even process this without thinking of them."

"And that's what I want to get rid of. Stu TV is what should be gone, and I wish we could've found a way out sooner," Stu said firmly, looking up to Grace, "I have a filing cabinet in my laboratory down in the basement. My paperwork and Drew's is there. I can write down the combination or go get it myself."

"The house is surrounded. I barely got out," Lou scoffed, rolling his eyes. Spike stirred at his feet. Thankfully Lou had brought him along or they would be in serious trouble.

Grace nodded, "I can get the combination and find my way in. Making friends instead of enemies has its benefits, but I have plenty of those too."

"Ours are just in our desk at home," Betty whispered. "I think the box has a lock pad on it, but we just left it open all the time."

"The kids' paperwork is in a safety deposit box at the bank. I have the key with me," Howard said, passing the ring up the table to Dr. Grace, who put them in her pocket.

"Ours are at my office. Here's the key," Charlotte whispered, passing a lone key up the table. "One is mine, the other one is Angelica's."

"I'll get them all, then my friend will look them over, and we'll get through this. For now, I think we should all get comfortable. I would normally tell people to go home, but I don't think that's an option right now. Trust me, though, and trust no one else," Dr. Grace warned.

The group agreed, watching her leave before moving off to different parts of the house. Phil and Lil stayed with their siblings, but their parents went to a bedroom at the far side of the house. Stu and Didi and Tommy and Dil took two rooms across the hall from each other. Chas and Kira took a room near Betty and Howard, while Chuckie and Kimi ended up with Phil and Lil in the den. Drew and Charlotte took the master bedroom, but neither of them slept. Charlotte sobbed in the bathtub while Drew sat in an armchair and stared out the window. No one in the entire house could believe this was happening.

BREAKING NEWS: ANGELICA PICKLES, TEEN STAR OF "STU TV" DEAD OF APPARENT SUICIDE

Officials have confirmed the body found hanging in Peartree Park, a private park attached to a local country club, belongs of teen star, Angelica Pickles, who recently discovered her father was not her father, according to her suicide video. The video was posted around eleven a.m., but her body was not discovered until 2 p.m. when a group of joggers discovered her. Police aren't saying anything about the suicide, but local officers are spread thin as paparazzi swarm the houses of the stars of Stu TV, who have not been seen since the body was discovered. Sources say the families have gone into hiding together, but no official statement has been made.

Grace looked at her friend on Skype. She was in a bra and sweatpants at a very nice dining room table. The dryer was running beside her, but otherwise this was a formal setting. The files around her were opened and covered with Post-It notes. Grace could tell she'd underlined things in pencil too, which meant the files were probably copies, copied using the professional printer that was set up in the background.

"So, Heather, lay it on me. What did you dig up?" Grace asked.

Heather couldn't help but laugh, "What didn't I dig up? These people were monsters, Gracie, absolute monsters. They were demanding so much of these people, and after reviewing the confessional videos you told me about and the footage Didi got to you, I know now these people were manipulating these families from the beginning. A lawsuit is the clear option here, and it will be beneficial. Tell them no matter what the company tells them, they have zero obligation to go on camera, period, and if they end up on camera," Heather paused, laughing gruffly, "that company can kiss itself goodbye."

Grace smiled, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

STU TV CANCELLED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TEEN SUICIDE OF STAR ANGELICA PICKLES

The hit reality television show Stu TV was canceled today, mid-season, because of teen star, Angelica Pickles', suicide. The funeral for the teen was held Friday in a private chapel well outside their home town, and the family has yet to make a statement after the tragedy. The announcement comes after producers declare the families have been uncooperative. They have threatened legal action, causing uproar online as millions come to their defense. Will Stu TV go after these grieving families? We will bring you the answer as soon as it comes available.

Stu looked up from his coffee and studied Dr. Grace and Heather. They were inside his living room, finally back home after hiring a security firm to keep people away, a purchase they all had to make. Now they were trying to fight back, but they had no choice. The company was threatening to sue, and Stu couldn't let that happen.

"So, this is all it's going to take to sue them?" Stu asked.

Heather, no longer giggly and frumpy-looking, nodded like the seasoned high-end lawyer she was, "We have plenty, plus some, to take them down for what they've done. They'll end up paying damages, punitive ones, for what they've done, but they'll have to pay other fines as well. If I play my cards right, rather if they play the wrong cards, we may even be able to file criminal charges."

"Wow," Stu whispered, shaking her head, "Either way it's over. It's finally over, but...the cost," Stu choked, shaking his head quickly to clear away the approaching tears. He somehow composed himself to continue, "The cost was too much. I hate to exploit it, but Drew and Charlotte, they deserve justice."

"Everyone trapped in this sort of life deserves it," Heather corrected. "Grace here hasn't seen this before, but it's all over Hollywood. People see reality shows on television and think they're amazing. That is the real life of a celebrity plastered on screen. In reality, those lives are shaped, and while they generally have loads of money and the best clothes, it is rarely worth the excessive structure and constant contact with a public that might adore you most of the time, but there are plenty more who want to rip you apart. No one needs that, and I'm going to be one of many to help take down an industry that is exploiting close to two thousand people, if not more."

With the agreement made, Stu was told to get back to his life. Like the others, he would shuffle into Dr. Grace's office once a week, trying to get over the pain of losing Angelica. While the death clause would effectively end the filming of Stu TV indefinitely, no one felt this was the right way for the show to end. Stu felt it never should've happened in the first place, the show or the suicide, and Dr. Grace was having to work carefully to keep him from considering suicide himself.

She would work with each of them, without pay, and like Heather, she would gladly take on the industry. It would take time, but eventually it would pay off, literally. Millions would be given to the families, but none of them liked receiving the money. Their lives might've gone (relatively) back to normal, but without Angelica, even with her sassy attitude and desire for power, the world just wasn't the same, and it never would be.

~End

A/N: So this is my first long Rugrats piece in a very long time. I wrote another one a while back that you won't find online (ever), but this is my current one. It was inspired by a novel I read where a teenaged girl was trapped in a reality television family. The book was long, and I expected this to go longer, but I'm relieved it's done (despite how it ended). I hope all of you enjoyed this, and you'll be seeing me around the fandom in the future. I'll mostly do one-shots, but expect some longer pieces too.