"Hey Jerrica, have you seen Jem?" Rio asked when he stuck his head into her office at Starlight Music.

"No. I haven't."

"Well, do you have a number for her or something?"

"She won't let me give her number out to anyone. You know that Rio." Jerrica said trying not to sound exasperated. "I have to call her tonight anyway, what do you need? I can ask her for you."

"Nah. I'll just talk to her when she comes in tomorrow. It's about the new song Kimber wants to work on. It's a music thing. You wouldn't…" Rio stopped before he said something he would regret.

"Wouldn't understand?" Jerrica completed for him.

"That's not what I meant."

"You meant to say that it is a music thing and that me, poor, talentless little Jerrica Benton wouldn't understand? Is that what you meant?" Jerrica asked pointedly.

"You just aren't a singer Jerrica, it's something that I can only explain to a singer."

Jerrica nodded curtly. "Yes, of course. When I speak with Miss Jem tonight I will make sure to pass along that you need to discuss a music thing that only a singer will understand with her."

"Jerrica don't be mad." Rio said as he came further inside her office.

"No. I'm not mad. Don't worry, I'm not mad." She said with enough heat to singe off his eyebrows. He backed up a step or two.

"Jerrica.."

"I've got a lot of work to do Rio." She said curtly and didn't look up from her work. Rio sighed and left Jerrica to it.

Once the door was closed Jerrica threw the pen down on the desk and pulled at her hair. She stood quickly and paced the room for a moment, and then looked out of the window and saw the glaring sign that spoke of Misfits Music, and her blood boiled again. The Misfits were gaining on the charts, and Jem and the Holograms needed to put out a record. And here she was sitting in her office mountains of paperwork that needed to be done, and Jem hadn't taken the time in several days to practice any of the songs that Kimber had prepared for the new record. She sighed heavily and rested her forehead on the cool glass and tried to get her act together.

She sat back down in her chair and decided that she would work diligently until she was finished with all of the work that would need to be done so she wouldn't have to record all day as Jem and then work all night as Jerrica, and then get up the next morning and try to live up to the peppy bright eyed façade that Synergy would create for her and be ready and able to give her all to recording only to spend the following night catching up….wash rinse and repeat.

Just as she got settled into working, the door opened again, "Sis! Jem is needed down stairs."

"Look Kimber, I can't just change at everyone's whim. I need to be sitting here, doing this paperwork…"

"Come on Jerrica! They want to talk to Jem."

"Who wants to talk to Jem?" Jerrica asked heatedly and stood to face her sister.

"Video is downstairs and she has a concept for the new video we are going to make for our single."

"You and the others can handle that Kimber."

"But, she wants to talk to Jem."

"But Jem is busy right now! Jem is busy being Jerrica, and Jerrica is busy trying to get this work done so Jerrica can get some sleep while Jem records the record!"

Kimber's eyebrows furrowed and shook her head a little. "But, we need her."

Jerrica, in a fit of aggravation, took the Jem star earrings and threw them at her sister. "You want Jem so much you be her!" Jerrica turned back to the desk and tried to ignore the nakedness she felt without the weight of the earrings in her ears.

Kimber knelt down and picked up the earrings and walked the short distance to the desk and put them on the paperwork Jerrica had been working on and shook her head. "I'm not Jem, and no hologram will make me Jem. I'll tell Video that Jem can't be reached right now."

"Thank you." Jerrica said with a sigh and affixed the earrings back to her ears quickly.

XXXXX

Jerrica finally turned off the light in her office around 11 and headed home. Upon entering, she found the three oldest starlight girls watching television.

"What are you girls doing up so late? It's a school night? Do Aja, Shana, and Kimber know you are up?"

"We're just watching the special on Jem."

"You guys don't need to watch specials on Jem. You need sleep so you can do well at school tomorrow."

"But.."

"But nothing. It's time to be in bed girls!" The girls reluctantly stood and as they were trudging up the stairs Jerrica heard one of the girls mumble that they wish Jem was the one here instead of Jerrica.

Jerrica's heart hurt at the remark and she sat down on the sofa and put her face in her hands. The tears came, the tears came whether she wanted them to or not, the tears came out of frustration, the tears came out of jealously, the tears came out of the sadness that she hadn't quite let out since her father died. Everyone only ever seemed to want Jem around. And why not? She was beautiful, talented, kind, caring, mysterious and compassionate. And what could Jerrica Benton offer? Why all she could offer was her demanding, bossy, overbearing, workaholic, dependable, responsible, boring personality.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. Pushing blonde hair out of her eyes, she decided that Jerrica would take a trip during the recording of the album. If everyone wanted Jem so badly, then by God they could have her.

"Showtime Synergy." She said softly. And Jem of Jem and the Holograms went to bed in the guest bedroom and Jerrica Benton was officially on a business trip.