Chapter 101: 99. Gifted with Responsibility, Meeting their Mentors and Saving Christmas.
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
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Opening Author's Note:
I am sorry about the delay in the upload of this chapter, I had a few guests at home so I was a little occupied. I also saw ANDOR, it's a Star Wars TV series. I haven't completed it, I have only watched it till episode 7 so please no spoilers in the comments.
Even though I haven't completed the show, I am enjoying it. It is a little slow paced but if you are like me who is a Star Wars fan and enjoys well written and spectacularly directed content then ANDOR is for you.
Also if you are a Star Wars fan then please write the name of your favorite Star Wars character in this paragraph. For me it has to be Din Djarin – The Mandalorian, I know they fumbled towards the ending of the show and the ending of S3 was pretty crap.
So you better believe it when I say that I will be doing my very best to create a more satisfying Mandalorian TV show. Anyways don't forget to comment on the paragraph who your favorite Star Wars character is and lets get on with the chapter.
*At the end of the chapter there is a really special note so please don't forget to read.*
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Recap of the previous chapter –
Mark talks with River after coming back. They talk about him not revealing the truth behind the script for KJ and then Mark tells him about the ones that were behind the incident. After finding out that it was Disney River is disheartened as he doesn't think they can do much about it.
But Mark assures him that he will help him in taking revenge from Disney. After that they talk about the mentorship program that he is trying to create and how he and Johnny will be the first two mentors of his program.
After that there is a time skip of a week where Mark gets a few pleasant and unpleasant surprises. The pleasant ones are that Jess has finished the script for Matrix and she also submitted the script for Conjuring and her ideas of creating a horror-verse.
Disney has stopped his claim for the Pirates of the Caribbean trademark, Nicholas tells him about buying out the formula for Viagra and more.
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~ Quote of the Chapter ~
"I had all the fame anyone could want and ran away from it."
– Macaulay Culkin
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~ Janet Lynn's POV ~
(Member of the inner circle and 2nd A.D.)
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Date: Sunday, 7th October, 1990.
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Time: 04:47 pm.
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'Life has been good,' she thought to herself as she relaxed in the backseat of a cab. She was on her way to a meeting with Mark. It seemed like an important one, as Chris had told her about the meeting and said he would be there as well, for some reason.
When she was done with her vacation, she tried calling up Jon and Todd to ask them at what stage of pre-production they were in and wanted to know where she could help out.
She was surprised to hear that they wanted her to stay put for a while, as the New York pre-shoots were almost complete, and that she wouldn't be needed. It looked like Mark had been running things on time as usual.
When they had heard that he would be releasing three movies the next year, most people at Eidolon thought of him as too ambitious. But what they didn't know was that this was still Mark holding back and playing it safe.
At first, the plan was to actually release five movies. 'But thankfully, we talked him out of it.' It was one of his better qualities actually, he was always receptive of feedback and accepting help from others, he never took himself too seriously.
He would always goof around with them and say cheesy and corny jokes just to make Sarah laugh. She remembered the look on her mother's face when she first brought Mark and the rest of the circle back home.
She used to live in a small, two-bedroom New York apartment that would always feel small, as she had to share a room with two of her younger siblings. In terms of money, the situation was never very good, but they also didn't have to go without eating three times a day.
But still, the expenses of putting her through college put a lot of stress on her at home. NYFA was expensive, and there were times when she genuinely considered dropping out.
Mark and the rest never asked, but after finding out, they never allowed her to pay the tab. Most of the time, it would be Mark and Chris, but the rest pitched in as well. She wanted to reject it at first, but Mark's words made her reconsider.
'We are friends, right? So, please, Jan, don't let money come in between this friendship. You don't owe me or the rest anything.' The rest of the group just nodded and drew her in for a big, warm hug, as she silently sobbed.
She didn't tell anyone this, but she cried herself to sleep that night, but those tears had been of joy—the joy of finding herself a second family.
She swore to herself that she would pay them back as soon as possible, but she knew they would never take her money upfront.
So after being employed at Eidolon, she took to picking up the tab whenever they ate out, doing the little things for her friends.
She even took her family and the girls on a vacation with her, all at her expense. It was just her way of saying thank you for what they do for her and for having her back.
"Why do you want to be a director?" This had been Mark's question, when they first met at NYFA. She had been a little taken aback by his query, not that it had been weird or out of place.
But because no one ever took her seriously, she didn't bitch or cry about it, though. There hadn't been a prominent female in the field of direction before, so she was on her way to set up the path.
Though becoming a prominent director hadn't really been in her plans, films for her had always been an escape from the harsh reality of life.
Her favorites had always been rom-coms, they were a guilty pleasure of hers, with comedy movies being a close second.
She had told him that she wanted to make films that would make people smile, make them laugh, and just forget about their daily lives and enjoy themselves.
She still remembered the way his eyes lit up when she said that she wanted her films to play the same roles that the films of others had played in hers.
To serve as a reminder to her to live every moment for it was precious, to laugh every day for life was taking pleasure in the small things was the real joy of life, and to love beyond words because love isn't just about saying, "I love you" but proving it with one's action.
Films like - Same time next year, The way we were and Annie Hall had been a part of her childhood and now she wanted to make movies that would be part of others.
"Ma'am, we have reached, that'll be 6.65." The driver's call broke her out of the trip she had taken down memory lane. She paid the fare and got out to see Chris standing by the front gate.
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He had talked with Peter and told him about Mark's proposal, he had been ecstatic and even more determined to prove himself and the potential of Wizards. After that he called Jan to ask if she was still coming to the meeting or not.
She had told him that she was on her way in a cab, so he made his way to the front gate to wait for. Jan and him had always been close, not in a romantic way but more in a siblings kind of way, she was the older sister he never had being an only child.
She would always tell him to not be so uptight and try to enjoy life more. He didn't understand what she meant by that at first but as he spent more time in the circle he understood that she just wanted him to relax and not be so conscious about work all the time.
As he got to the front gate, he thought about the movie they were promised next year. Normally a director would have to struggle for years before they could even scrounge together even money to film their short film or a low budget feature film.
But Mark had promised him and Jan that they would get the chance to make a movie next year. He had already eyed a script in Mark's list that would be easier to realistically pull off, with less risk and a better payoff.
He didn't have to wait too long as only after spending a few minutes thinking about the movie he will make with Janet, she had arrived.
"Janet!" He called out as rushed over with an umbrella.
"Thanks, Chris." She said as she rushed her bag over her head to shield her from the rain.
He just nodded with a smile, "How was the vacation? I heard you guys went to Hawaii."
"It was nice, but let's keep moving." He said as they made their way towards the main building.
He nodded in agreement and moved along as they talked about how they spent time on their vacation. By the time they had reached the executive floor, they saw Rose standing there to receive them.
"Hi, Ms. Lynn, Mr. Kepler." She politely greeted them as she led them towards the door to Mark's office.
"Rose, can you just call me Janet? I'm way too young to be called Ms. Lynn. Also do you know why Mark called us in?" She spoke wanting to see if Rose could tell her something.
"I am sorry Janet but Mark wanted to maintain secrecy. Please enter." She replied as she opened the door and gestured for them to enter.
"Ahh, him and his secrets." She sighed as she entered along with him.
Mark was standing against the glass wall looking at the rain clouds.
"Mark." They called out.
"Hey, guys." He said, turning around to greet them.
"Hope you had a good break, Jan." He said walking towards the sofas, he gestured for them to sit.
"It was nice to feel the sun. But I really want to get back to work." She replied as they sat down before him.
"I am glad to hear that, though you guys won't be working on KJ. I saw your level of organization and leadership while directing Knives Out.
"I want you guys to direct your first film. Now." Their eyes widened when he said now.
"You can obviously reject it if you want or take some time to think it through if you want." He said as he pushed a file towards them.
"Mark, wouldn't Jon or Todd be a more suitable fit for this?" He couldn't help but question.
"Actually, no. Jon will be helping you out as an AD but he already has a script that he is quite invested in. It will be shot next year. As for Todd, he is fully invested in KJ. Also I believe you guys are ready."
"Mark, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity. I promise, we won't let you down."
"This is the best gift ever!" She chimed in.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a gift, I am putting a great deal of responsibility and expectations on you guys. You guys need to prove that the both of you are ready to take on such challenges.
"Also, it won't be just 1 movie." They both shared blank looks upon hearing that.
"I need you to film two movies back to back."
"You can't be serious." She said, in shock, it felt like Mark was throwing them at the deep end of the pool to teach them how to swim.
"Wait, do you mean like Superman?" He asked because that was the film he had heard of that was shot back to back.
"Yup, but don't worry there will be a lot of down time."
"Is this a non-negotiable, Mark?" She asked, thinking about the offer, she knew was gonna accept it anyways.
"Unfortunately, yes." Mark nodded, as he remained silent, thinking if they could actually pull it off.
'The actors, the crew, even us, we all will be under too much pressure because of working so long on the project. We need something to break up the stifling flow of work.'
"Don't worry though, the script I have chosen for you is a very simple one almost like Knives Out but even less demanding."
"So you could film the movie in about 2 months and then take a 2 week break. While we edit the first film and then after having an internal preview, you guys can get started on the second movie."
"Okay, that's a little more reasonable. But Mark please tell me its a rom-com.." She said and then asked with puppy eyes.
"It's not.. it's a comedy though." Mark replied with an apologetic smile.
"I guess one can't have everything." She grumbled with a smile, happy enough to be directing a comedy movie.
"Mark, what is the movie you selected for us?" He finally asked after staying silent for a while.
"Home Alone." Mark replied with a smile.
"Yes!" He pumped his fist in happiness as he had already been drawing storyboards of the movie, as he wanted it to be his debut feature film.
"Something you would like to share with me as well?" She asked, giving him a pinch.
"Oh, I have actually been working on that script as I want it to be our debut film. It's a really simple premise and I think we could pull it off Janet." He replied confidently.
"I like the sound of that." She was grinning as well.
"So when do we start filming?"
"Soon. But that's not all. Come with me." Mark replied and gestured for them to follow.
He went towards the glass window and slid open a small section, they all went out on the balcony. It had a small roof jutting out so none of them got wet, he pointed towards a pair of mounted binocular telescopes.
"I got them installed a few days ago. Tell me what do you see out of it" He asked with a grin.
They moved towards the pair and looked into the distance a trio of buildings came into view. The first was the Nirvana Pictures Studio with its red phoenix logo, the second was A-Team Productions Studio with its simplistic logo and the last was a new one.
They didn't remember seeing it before, it read Loving Hearth Studios. It was the name of the studio Janet and he had dreamt of naming the studio they would open up together, after gathering experience and money working under Mark.
"It.. can't be. Mark is that.." her breath hitched as she gasped in wonder.
"Your studio. You guys, didn't really think I would make you work on two movies back to back without giving you guys your own studio didya?" He asked with a teasing smile.
She didn't dignify his question with a response instead she took him in one of her infamous bone crushing hugs. Though he didn't feel the pressure this time with his enhanced body's durability and just patted her back to calm her down.
She kept repeating thank you's as she cried a bit before Chris and his efforts to calm her down worked. When she let go, he saw his shirt was almost completely drenched.
He told them to enjoy the view while he went and changed shirts. Janet apologized for crying but Mark waved her off with a smile saying that normally he wouldn't have cared to change but they would be getting some special guests so he needed to look decent.
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"Who do you think are his guests?" He asked intrigued.
"Dunno but he didn't ask to leave." She replied as she looked through the file, it had the list of their crew members, the actors selected and the script for Home Alone 1 and 2.
"Yeah, instead he told us to enjoy the view." he replied
"Well, the view truly is spectacular. But I want to hear about Home Alone, tell me the story and what ideas you've come up with." she asked as she took a seat.
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'that went well.' Mark thought to himself as he changed into a different shirt.
As he was coming out from the side entrance of the apartment, he heard the phone ring, it was Rose telling him that she was leading over Angie and they would be there in a few minutes.
Mark asked if she had notified Johnny about her arrival as he wanted to introduce the two, to which she told him that he had been notified and was on the way. He told her to bring her up and get Johnny to join them as soon as he arrives.
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She was feeling a bit of excitement, her talk with her mother hadn't really been pleasant. But telling her all that she had gone through, she didn't blame her but requested that she didn't harm herself like this.
If it was before meeting Mark and going through that life and death in that car maybe she wouldn't have listened and exchanged some colorful words with her. But now she felt like a different person.
She wanted to get her life back in order, every time she closed her eyes. Those beautiful green eyes of his came to her mind, the determination they held in wanting to help her.
She didn't want to let him down, she didn't want to disappoint him and so she had decided that she would turn her life around and be better if not for herself, then at least for him.
Marc Spector. She had tried to gather as much information on him as possible while she got her life on track, moving out of her ex-boyfriend's apartment had been step 1.
Thankfully with him not being there to stop her made it much easier, he was in jail after all because of his reckless driving, destruction of public property and more.
Marc had made sure that he would be persecuted to the furthest extent of the law and not just let off the hook because he is "young."
After reaching the door to his office, Ms. Rose buzzed the button on the side and announced her arrival.
Her mother had agreed to her coming here alone but requested that she be made aware of all the necessary details and to run away and shout if he made any untoward advances towards her.
Though after seeing the beauty and grace of Marc's two secretaries she didn't think that would be necessary.
She entered to see Mark going through a few books on the shelves, as if he was trying to find one.
"Marc?" She called out.
"Angie. Hi. How've you been?" He asked as he turned around with a book in hand.
"I've been doing better Marc. I talked with my mum.. she was quite happy that I want to take my life back in control." She smiled as she replied, happy that he wasn't covering his face with a mask.
"That's really good." He said as he made his way towards the sofa, he gestured for her to take a seat from across him.
There was a small table between them with a few snacks and refreshments.
"Would you like to drink anything? Tea? coffee?" He asked as he poured himself a cup.
"Coffee.. please." She said slowly.
"Here." He slid a cup towards her.
"Thank you."
He waved it off and asked her about how life had been. She told him how she had left her ex-boyfriend's and was now living with her mum while looking for a new place to live.
"Angie, if you don't mind me asking but why don't you want to live with your mom?" He asked carefully, not wanting to antagonize her, though he could feel that she had positive feelings towards him and trusted him as well so he felt like he was in the clear.
"Umm.. it isn't that I don't want to live with her. It's just that.. I know that she loves me but her love can be.. overwhelming sometimes." She spoke slowly with pauses in between as if gathering courage and rethinking twice before she said anything untowards her mum.
"I see. You're in that rebellious teen phase." He said, teasing her.
"Hey! I am n–" she stopped mid sentence as she looked down at her clothes, at herself. Even though she had gotten better with more food and sleep in her body, her tattoos, dressing style and make-up still made her look like a punk kid.
But for the first in a while, she felt comfortable in her skin, when she saw how he didn't mind seeing her like that, she felt more at peace with herself. They talked about Mark's new upcoming projects and she was blown away by how much he worked.
"Here take this." He said as he slid her the book he had been holding on to.
"What is it?" She asked puzzled, as he seemed unsure whether to hand it over.
"It's a book you want to read in your free time." She looked at the cover to see it was a book detailing how to deal with anxiety, depression and bringing about a positive change in one's life.
"So, are you ready to meet your mentor?" He asked changing the topic with an impish grin as he finished his cup.
"I am, I feel like this could be something new, I am both scared and excited at the thought." She replied as she put it away, promising to go through it when she went back home.
"Well, there's only a fine line between the two, so it's normal to feel that way." He said as he heard the buzzer.
"Sir, Mr. Depp is here." He stood up and walked over to his desk to answer.
"Let him in." He replied as he then moved towards the door.
"I see my hero is here."
"Have no fear, citizens, for I am here." He said striking All Might's pose from the first issue of My Hero Academia.
Mark chuckled and replied, "I didn't think you would get the time to read it."
"Noni, picked it up for me."
"Nice. Come, Johnny, I would like to introduce you to Angie." He said pointing towards angelina.
"I am Angelina Jolie, sir." She spoke timidly.
"Ah, yes. Lets have a look and call me Johnny. My friend here thinks you deserve a chance. I don't really mind helping him find out if thats true. Do you think you have what it takes to be an actress?" He asked with smile seeing how she would reply
"I want to be an actress. Please tell me how can I prove myself to you."
"Well, I will leave you two to it." Mark said as he left to hang out with Chris and Janet.
He didn't want to be a crutch for Angie, he had to gather her courage and rely on herself. But before leaving he whispered, "You can do this Angie."
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"I see you guys are enjoying yourselves." He said as he stepped into the balcony.
Chris and Janet were drinking hot coffee and eating biscuits.
"What else could we do, you just left us here.."
"Sorry.. I planned on giving you guys a tour of your Studio but unfortunately this rain doesn't really make it a good time for us to go there.
Lets just wait for the rain to slow down so I can you take you there.
The two nodded and Mark ate some biscuits as well as Janet asked him if he had any advice for them.
Mark told them that storyboarding, scheduling and follow a strict timeline would be crucial to filming Home Alone. But he also advised them to not be too hard on the child actors as it would only stress them out and it will only lead to nore delays.
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Mark hadn't really told him much about her, if he really was to be her mentor. Then he would at least get to know her first, so he asked her to tell him about herself, about how she met Mark, about why she thought Mark was helping her and more.
Hearing her story had been a sad yet not uncommon tale, parents separating, being bullied in school, the isolation, her anxiety, her self doubt eating away at her own self esteem.
But it changed a week back, despite it being one of her most harrowing experiences in her life, she had a bright smile on face as she told him how Mark had saved her. Her desire to get her life back on track was palpable, the oratory skills would need more practice.
He could see what Mark might have, she did have the looks for being put in films, with high cheekbones, soft oval face, though she looked a bit too thin. But that could be attributed to her past lifestyle, he made a mental note to advise her to eat healthier as she was still growing.
He asked her to do a few lines with him from a play that they had both done before. Her facial expressions were a bit stiff but when she adjusted herself with his comments never breaking character or showing her frustration.
At the end he praised her for her perseverance and asked, "Angie I think mentoring you would be worth my time. Even though I have never taught anyone before, do you want to learn from me?"
"Yes!" She exclaimed in joy, taking her first successful step towards creating a better life for herself.
"Good." Johnny replied with a smile as he heard the buzzer go off again as Mark entered from the balcony.
"Mark, we are done over here. I agree to accept her as my apprentice."
"Good, she is your responsibility now. Teach her well."
"Also, could you guys head towards the balcony and join Chris and Janet? I got another guest I need to attend to." Mark said with an apologetic smile, thinking that maybe he should have scheduled them on different days to give proper attention to each group.
"No worries. Angie come along, you gotta see this for yourself." Johnny replied in an easygoing manner as he gestured for her to get up.
Hidden remembered the thing that he had asked Johnny before but didn't get the answer to yet, "Also Johnny, have you thought about my proposal? Are you ready to become a pirate?"
"Hmm, I'm free anyways, let's do it. But I won't go to the gym to get buff or something." He replied without much thought as he wanted to take a break, this international tour had really drained him and all he wanted to do now was relax for a while and spend time with his girlfriend.
"Hehe, we'll see." Mark snickered.
"Hey! Mark I know that look, please don't use Noni to make me go to the gym, bro please." He replied begging for mercy, he didn't really like exercising unless its on the bed.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Mark just shrugged with a devilish grin.
"Crap. Well, I hope I look good in the costume." He muttered as he walked away with Angie following behind.
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"River, yeah. The kid is here, can come to my office? Gotta introduce you two." Mark called him up, River had been at the HQ so it was easy to get a hold of him.
"I will be there in 5." He said as he made his way towards Mark's office.
"Okay." Mark replied as he cut the call and put on his mask, of the guests that would be arriving today the Culkin's were only ones who weren't in the know or to be trusted yet.
He sat behind his desk as Rose guided the pair in, it was a young Macaulay Culkin accompanied by his mother. She looked like she was dressed to impress, with make-up professionally applied, slinging along a bag embossed with the LV logo.
He couldn't help but sigh for the kid, if half a month was all it took for her to start spending money as if it meant nothing then he didn't know how the kids life would go after he became a star after his popularity with the release of Home Alone.
If he was a heartless man, he wouldn't have cared, but this was an innocent kid who still hadn't faced the vices and pitfalls that existed in a place like Hollywood.
He didn't want him to fall like so many others in the industry, he remembered that the kid had been a talented young actor but had immediately grown disillusioned as he saw his parents fight over the right to control his trust fund.
It had been a bud that he had made sure Eva nipped at the bud, Culkin had provided with a manager who was also the executor of his trust fund that Mark had set up.
Half of his salary had been put in the fund while half had been transferred over to his parents bank account. The kid had been immediately signed up with CAA under a junior agent who worked closely with Eva and was good with kids.
He made sure that she understood that no slip ups were allowed and she was to meet Culkin once everyday and ask about his day and help him if he's in trouble.
When asked why, he had just told Eva that the parents weren't great people and that they had their suspicions. He knew that he was a violent man, if he took a single step out of line. Mark was gonna make sure that he didn't walk straight again.
He got flashbacks to his own father throwing that bottle of booze at him. Before he shook his head and gestured for them to take a seat. "Please sit down."
"Macaulay, Hello, I am Marc Spector."
"Mr. Spector, I am a huge fan. I love Ben 10, can you tell me if you have any plans to make it into a cartoon?"
"It's always nice to meet a fan. Hmm, a cartoon for Ben 10 you ask. Yeah I have thought about it, I will spare you the boring details but it will be a few more years unfortunately before it's made into a cartoon." He replied with an apologetic smile.
"Awww, that's sad.. Mr. Spector, what about the next book? It has been a few years since you released Alien Force."
"Well, I will tell you if you promise to keep it a secret." Mark whispered jokingly as he raised a pinky finger.
"Promise?" He asked back.
"Yeah, you need to promise that you won't tell anyone about it." He explained to him as he intertwined their pinky fingers.
"Will you really tell me if I promise?" He nodded in confirmation.
"Okay, then I promise!" the kid exclaimed.
"Good, the new Ben 10 book will come out by the end of this year." Mark sat back as he chuckled and then told him the truth.
"This year? You mean in a few months?" the kid asked, getting even more excited.
Mark nodded in acknowledgement.
"Yay!" He could tell how happy the kid was by the news, he really did love Ben 10.
"So, kid how has life changed after we hired you?"
Macaulay, talked animatedly about how he, his siblings and mother moved across the country from a small apartment in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan to a bigger house here in LA.
That statement got him to stare at the mother in question here for a few seconds from the corner of his eyes as the kid painted a picture about his siblings put into a nice private school.
'Is his dad out of the picture?' Mark thought to himself, surprised as he clearly remembered reading about the kid's dad and mother fighting over the controlling rights of the kid's trust fund.
'Is this a change in the timeline? If it is, then it's definitely a good one. Less pain for the little kid, not having to see ugly side of his father.' Mark thought to himself, glad at this turn of events.
'Though I will have to get all the details out of his mother just to make sure.' Because if he is really out and this woman can be reasoned with to take care of her children. Then he would be able to avoid a lot of ugly business that happened in his previous life.
He remembered reading about how it got so bad that he had to cut his parents out of his trust fund, got caught in possession of marijuana and two other controlled substances and was jailed because of it. Eventually he did get his life back on track and has a lovely family with a wife and two kids.
But Mark thought to himself, 'it could be so much better this time around, he will make sure of it.' For he was here to create that future.
As he was thinking about trying to ensure that the Culkin's have a better go at life this time around, he heard Rose announce River's arrival.
He smiled and told Macaulay that his mentor had arrived and that he was an oscar nominated actor. The kid got even more excited at that, he stood and asked him to follow him.
When he saw the mother getting up as well, he requested her to remain seated as he still had some things he wanted to discuss with her and assured her that her son wouldn't be too far away.
"Macaulay, this is River phoenix. He will be your mentor and teacher for the foreseeable future." He pointed towards River who was entering through the door.
"Foreseeable?" The kid asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"It means predictable or known." He explained as he told the kid to speak normally and not hold back but remain courteous and respectful all the same after all River was going to be his teacher.
"River this is Macaulay. Have a chat, I will be at my desk." He said simply, introducing the two and going to his desk.
"Ms. Brentrup, Kevin talked about you guys moving to LA?" He phrased it as a question.
"Yeah, I thought we should be near Hollywood, so it's easier for Macay to get newer opportunities." She replied in a slight shaky voice.
"I see, so it has nothing to do with your alleged husband?" He asked and by her facial reactions he knew he had hit the mark.
"No! I never married him, he gets no say in this." She exclaimed at first but then controlled her voice not wanting to offend Mark.
"Never legally married?" Mark asked again for confirmation.
"No." She replied curtly.
"Well then things are simple. Firstly, you should file for changing the name of your children to your maiden name and also stop any chances of him claiming custody of your kids. I know people that can help you with this Ms. Brentrup." He explained her situation.
"What do you need in return?" She asked after analyzing his offer.
"I didn't ask for anything." He replied intrigued.
"Nothing in this world comes free." She said with a weary sigh.
"Good, you're finally being cautious, I like that. Though you signed that hiring contract for your son pretty fast."
"How do you know this?! I just wanted a way to get out of there fast. It ma–"
"It's fine, Ms. Brentrup. I have a vested interest in young Macay, so I have done my due diligence. I just don't want him to end up in a bad place because he wasn't prepared for Hollywood."
"Now, I can do that, I can protect him from the outside, but, I can't protect him from the inside. If you're the kind person who'll be swayed by money and look at young Macay only as a paycheck or someone to profit off of, then he will be in a lot of hurt and pain."
"Please, I don't mean any disrespect nor am I accusing you of anything. I am just talking about the traps that people in Hollywood fall into."
"Do you know about Drew Barrymore?" She nodded her head.
"She was the girl who kissed E.T., a young child who peaked early, was exploited by her mother to profit off of, got into drugs and eventually spiraled out of control."
"That. Could be. Macay. If you aren't careful. If you fail to do your duty a mother, to look after him, to pick him up when he falls down, to teach right from wrong, to become a role model he can look up to."
"Can you do that for me? Can you be that for your son? Now that your children have lost their father figure they need you more than anything."
"I.. I understand… was it the bag that made you feel like that?" She asked with some tears in her eyes that she was holding back.
At first she wanted to scream and shout at him for questioning her like this, but as he spoke further. She realized her mistakes, she had been thinking of Macay's money as her own, to be used however she felt like.
She didn't even realize when that happened, she didn't want her son to think of her as a money grubber who didn't care about her children. The story of Drew Barrymore and her mother was a cautionary tale that really hit home with her.
She absolutely didn't want to turn out like that woman Marc's story, she had to look her up after going back home.
"No, treating yourself with something good once in a while isn't bad but knowing what's important and keeping your priorities straight is what makes one a better person." He said consoling her.
"As a parent you know better than me what your priorities should be, be a good mum and you'll see him buying whatever you've ever wanted without even asking."
"Thank you." She said, understanding his intent behind this conversation, appreciating how it helped open her eyes to her hubris.
"No, I am sorry. If I.. I overstepped my boundaries. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there are any problems." Mark replied earnestly.
"You really care for him." She said staring into his eyes, it felt like a question but was actually a statement as she realized that for some reason Marc Spector seemed to genuinely cared for her son.
Mark couldn't tell her that he cared because he saw his past self in little Macay, him growing up with a violent man for a father resonated with him. If his intervention could help the kid towards a better future then "this" would be worth it.
Just like the kid had saved the Christmas of hundreds of thousands around the world by bringing a smile to their faces and making them laugh. He would make sure that the kid got enjoy his own Christmas as well, he would save it.
— To be continued…
In the next episode of A̶N̶D̶O̶R̶
*Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
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Word Count: 6343 words (after excluding the disclaimer, opening Author's Note and the closing Author's Note.)
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{Closing Author's Note: Guys I've finally made my pat reon account. I will leave the link to it in the Author's Note and also down below. Unfortunately as I was busy with my guests I didn't have enough time to write extra chapters. but I already have a well thought out idea of what I want to write for the next 6 chapters.
Here are the titles of the next 6 chapters:
100. The Heiress's Arrival, an Elf's Quest, a Helping Hand and Facing the Tyrant.
If you guys can correctly guess three out of the four people who are being talked about here then I will release the chapter in 2 days rather than 3.
Name the heiress, who is the "elf" on the quest, who does Mark decide to or want to help? And last but the most important, who is the Tyrant? If you guys can name 3 correctly I will write and post the next chapter within 48 hours.
101. Shattered Pride, True Colors and a Noble Cause.
102. The Joker Arrives on set, Marvel's Rebirth and Oscar Nominations.
103. Behind The Scenes, A Set on Fire and a Bone Chilling Performance.
104. The Tyrant's Rage, The Oscars and The Laugh heard around the World.
105. Avatar's Release and the Test Screening that made History.
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