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COLLIDE By: Ahenobarbi Prologue: â??Okay, Michael you ready?â? Those were the last words he remembered hearing before waking up in the Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. After his nightly dosage of Diprivan heâ??d slipped into that wonderful and magical place where his trials and tribulations did not exist. The second star to the left and straight on til morning; that was the place where he belonged. He could be Peter Pan, King of his domain and the leader of the Lost Boys. No one ever said â??Michael you need to grow up!â?? when he was in that dreamy realm. The moment he stepped foot on that plain of imagination, time stood still and children were children forever. The Lost Boysâ?¦Michael didnâ??t think anyone else realized how significant Peter Pan was to those who followed him. They didnâ??t understand the weight of responsibility that lay on that brave boyâ??s shoulders. Pan had an adversary who seemed relentless in his torment of him for no other reason than because he liked to cause havoc in Panâ??s world. Michael could relate to that, Hook was all around him in the chilling reality that he was forced to face on a daily basis. He found solace in protecting his friends from the evil that lived along side them. The Lost Boys were boys without families and seemingly without hope. But Pan united them, Tootles, Slightly, Nibs, Curly, and the twins; Peter found them alone and without care so he whisked them away to his shelter, a place where no one could harm them ever again. A land where nothing was impossible if you believed hard enoughâ?¦ a place called Neverland. Try as he might, Peter couldnâ??t keep the Lost Boys children forever. They grew up, they left Peter and Neverlandâ?¦Peter was alone, again. Well, not exactly he had Tinker Bell who Michael always likened to Liz. Yes, Liz was his little â??Tinkâ??, she was feisty but loveable, his biggest advocate and constant companion. Theyâ??d shared many an adventure and weathered quite a few storms against Hook. Through it all Tink came through for him and provided light for the darkness of his psyche. He had the ability to do anything he wanted to do, he could fly over the length of Neverland, bring the wonders of his mind into existence with a single thoughtâ?¦but still there was that haunting feeling. Peter knew; Michael knew the truth about the real world. The real world was inescapable; there was no permanent way out of returning to what they abhorred. Sooner or later they would have to wake up from their slumber, they would have to grow up; and that was something they both fearedâ?¦ CHAPTER ONE Neverland was wiped away in a single afternoon, destroyed beyond recognitionâ?¦Hook had won. Peter had failed in his quest for eternal youth. Heâ??d let his guard down and the Pirates had vanquished his magical home and trampled over every wonderful memory that he had experienced in that place. Gone was the sound of childish laughter and merriment; only to be replaced with the stomping of boots and the taunting voices of his assailants. With pleasure Hook degraded and humiliated Pan. His sword was smashed to a million pieces before his very eyes, his trademark green garments were ripped from his back; and he was ejected from creative wonder. Now mentally destitute and driven from his beautiful Neverland, Peter bravely turned his gaze and thoughts from what had been to what could be. For a time he was determined to never look back on the tragedy that had become his life; but soon he turned his sights to anger and hatred for that imaginary land. It was fictitious; it never existed except in his mind. He had lied to himself; Neverland was always in his mind, it was nothing more than a simple hope, a dream of a better life. It was this reality that had brought him out of the coma. His vision was blurry at first and then slowly came into focus. He hadnâ??t been quite sure where he was until he heard an all too familiar beeping sound. It was that same beeping sound that he heard when he woke up at the hospital in New York when Lisaâ?¦no, he wasnâ??t going to think about her. He squinted his eyes and looked around the room. He was alone, that in itself was no surprise. Michael had gotten use to being alone over the years. He noticed the wires and I.V.â??s that seemed to be connected to every part of his upper body. He tried to move but the pain in his chest and abdomen was too much to bear. Lifting his head was a lost cause as well, a wave of dizziness over took him and his head fell back against a pillow. â??How the hell did I get here?â?? He asked himself. A thousand questions began to run through his mind. He had only been asleep for a few hours, hadnâ??t he? Why was he in the hospital? Was he still in L.A? Where was Murray, where were his children? The door to his room was to the right and he could see tiny shadows of feet walking back and forth and he heard chatter that only came through as murmurings. Looking ahead of him was an array of â??Get Wellâ?? cards and pictures taped to the wall. There was a group of flowers to his left sitting in front of a lone window. It looked like dusk or just before sunrise, Michael couldnâ??t get a fix on time, his mind was still foggy. Thatâ??s what he hated about Diprivan, it was sometimes so hard to wake up, and heâ??d get caught between sleep and consciousness. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang and the swift opening of the door. A man came barreling through in a panic. All Michael could do was lay there and watch as the overzealous man raised his Canon camera and began to take pictures. The flashes from the camera blinded him, he could find no strength to raise his hand and block the flashes or the shots of him in such a vulnerable state. â??Get him!â? Someone yelled just outside the door. In an instant two men who were dressed in black scrubs tackled the cameraman to the floor. The camera fell just out of his reach about a foot in front of the melee and the man reached for it but was beat to the punch by a nurse who had come running in after the two orderlyâ??s. â??How dare you, what the hell is wrong with you people?â? She started to turn the camera over in her hands searching for the film compartment. â??Get him up Max.â? In one quick swoop the orderlyâ??s had hoisted the intruder up and continued to hold him. â??Hey give it back, thatâ??s my property!â? The man tried in vain to wrench himself free of his captors. â??This is a private room and you have no right in here.â? She was still examining the camera when the cameraman spoke again. â??Its digital sweet heart, it doesnâ??t require film.â? The man smiled coyly as if heâ??d won. â??Oh, thanks for telling me.â? Without hesitation she threw the camera down hard against the floor. Michael wanted to laugh but no reaction came except from a very perturbed photographer. â??You bitch, youâ??re gonna pay for that! Iâ??ll sue this entire hospital, thatâ??s my property!â? â??Get him out of here!â? The nurse was unfazed by the threat and smirked as the orderlyâ??s carried the man out. â??Moron.â? She bent down to start picking up the pieces that had broken off of the camera. Michael sucked in a hard breath in an effort to speak but the breathing tubes in his nose caused him to gag and go into a painful coughing fit. Alarms started to go off and the nurse snapped to attention. â??Oh my God, I need some help in here!â? She shouted as she rushed to her patientâ??s side. Michaelâ??s eyes shut tight against his will and he could no longer see what was going on around him. He heard panicked voices shouting orders to one another and frantic hands grabbing at the tubes and I.Vâ??s on his body. â??Heâ??s going into shockâ?¦â? darkness suddenly enveloped his being and all sound ceased. Random images flowed through his mind: he and his brothers on stage at Ed Sullivan show, his father whipping him for missing a dance step; the Pepsi ordeal, the allegations, every dramatic moment in his short life. Despair began to overtake him; but then a ray of hope broke through the worst of memoriesâ?¦actually it was three rays of hope. His childrenâ??s births, every one of them, he could see them smiling and having fun on birthdays, Christmas and casual outings. Their voices in unison saying ever so gently, â??I love you daddyâ??, that played over and over in his mindâ??s eye, drowning out the terribleness of his life without them. No, he wouldnâ??t let them down; he had to fight this crushing darkness. Suddenly something came to him, something that his mother had taught him when he was a boy. â??Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of deathâ?¦what was the rest of it? The shadow of deathâ?¦I will fear no evil forâ?¦forâ?¦thou art with meâ?¦â?? â??Clear!â? Michael felt his body jolt upwards and air return to his lungs. Sound had returned and for the first time in a long time he felt completely serene. **** â??Youâ??re a lucky man Mr. Jackson. You should be taking a stroll down the streets of gold right now; God must have taken a liking to you.â? Dr. Ross stood at the foot of his bed and stared down at a metal clip board that he had in hand. Dr. Ross had come in shortly after he had been resuscitated and stabilized. â??There are not many people who can take in as much medication as you did and live to tell about it.â? â??Liveâ?¦â? Michael murmured. â??Yes, live. You will live at least today anyway. If you keep going on like this your luck is going to run out very soon!â? He began writing something on his clipboard and then started to examine what seemed like a horde of machines that surrounded Michaelâ??s bed. â??Where, where are my kids?â? Michaelâ??s voice came out in a raspy whisper. â??They were here earlier, in the waiting room with some of your family members. No one is allowed back here for now. You donâ??t need to overly exert yourself. But if all goes well weâ??ll be able to move you to a less restricted part of the hospital as early as tomorrow evening.â? â??Iâ?¦need to see myâ?¦kids.â? Michael insisted and again made the mistake of lifting his head. With a grunt his head fell back, defeated. â??You see, no exertion is what I said. Please Mr. Jackson you will only do more harm to yourself if you donâ??t listen to me.â? *** Lisa was still reeling from the shock of what she had heard on the news three days before. Michael had been pronounced dead and then just an hour later that report was reversed to Michael Jackson was in critical condition after a near fatal heart attack. Her world had stopped in that moment, the thought of losing Michael the same way she had lost her fatherâ?¦it was more than she could bear. For the last three days she had set up a vigil in front of the television in her den refusing to get up for anything except to use the restroom. She hardly noticed that she hadnâ??t eaten anything since before the news came. She knew her husband was worried about her but he respected her space and stepped back and let her do what she needed to do. That was one of the things that had drawn Lisa to her current husband, his ability to let her be herself. He also didnâ??t seem to mind that stigma of being Mr. Lisa Marie Presley. He was completely secure in his less than dominant celebrity status. Michael Lockwood had become the rock in her world of never-ending dissatisfaction. After three failed marriages and other non-prosperous relationships she had found someone who would just relax and go with the flow of life. It was also a plus that he too embraced the teachings of Scientology and to top it all off, her mother loved him. They had a comfortable life and two beautiful little girls; but still something was missing; that proverbial spark that ignites the flames of love. It sounded cheesy but that was the best way she could describe it to herself. She hadnâ??t felt that spark in years. She sat in the fetal position on a black leather couch clutching at a throw pillow. There were no new developments in the drama that surrounded the hospital where Michael was battling for his life. The house phone had been ringing off the hook all day. Reporters and news reps had been calling to get her reaction. But ironically the only call that annoyed her was that of her mother. Priscilla had been quick to call and urge her daughter to refrain from trying to contact Michael or his family as Lisa often did when something bad happened to Michael. After their divorce thirteen years before, Lisa always remained very concerned for Michael and his well being. â??This is their problem, stay out of itâ??, Priscilla had said. Being a born rebel Lisa promptly dismissed her motherâ??s warnings and told her that she had every intention of contacting the Jacksonâ??s. She had tried but there was absolutely no way to get through to anyone in the family. Janetâ??s reps refused any calls that did not come from immediate family. She couldnâ??t help but think of when she herself was immediate family to Michael. Sheâ??d fought the urge to jump on the nearest plane bound for L.A. several times over the last hour. But what good would that do anyway except create Media frenzy and give way to new rumors. She could just see the tabloid headlines now, â??Lisa Marie rushes to be at Jacksonâ??s sideâ??. â??Lisa Marie still very much in love with Jacksonâ??, the list of titles could go on and on. No, she should stay right there in her home and hope for the best. *** It had been a few hours since the doctors had updated the family on Michaelâ??s status and they were all sitting on pins and needles. Catherine Jackson sat vigilant in a corner near a window. Her eyes never left the door leading out of the private waiting room. Rebe sat close to her mother on the sofa with a comforting arm around her shoulders. The rest of the Jackson siblings were either sitting in chairs or standing against walls while their father Joe paced back and forth in the middle of the room. To a person who didnâ??t know Joseph, he looked to be casually taking a turn about in the room without a care in the world. His stone resolve was still firmly in place after all these years and nothing, not even this near tragedy would break it. â??What time is it?â? Jermaine who had been thumbing through a magazine asked. â??Itâ??s almost eight-thirty.â? Latoya glanced at her watch. â??Damn it, why wonâ??t they tell us something, itâ??s been a while!â? Janet stood and went to stand at the waiting room door. She could see doctors, orderlyâ??s, and nurses all going about their business. â??Iâ??m sure they will update us when there is something new to report Dunk.â? Janetâ??s head snapped around and she glared at Jermaine. That knick name had been coined for her by Michael and she forbade anyone but him to call her that. Usually she would have retorted with a snide remark or hurled some object at her older brotherâ??s head; but this was neither the time nor the place for such sibling debauchery. She took a deep breath and turned back towards the door. â??Iâ??m going to the cafeteria, does anyone want anything?â? Tito stood and looked around at his family. â??Could you bring me bottled water?â? Rebe yawned and put a hand on her motherâ??s lap. â??Yeah.â? Tito started to leave. â??Iâ??ll go with you.â? Marlin got up and followed. Both men were stopped when the waiting room door opened. â??Dr. Ross, is there something wrong?â? Janet braced herself for the worst. The rest of the family immediately huddled together in front of the doctor. â??Actually no, Michael is awake.â? Ross smiled and put an assuring hand on Janetâ??s shoulder. A sigh of relief went up out of the midst. â??Can we see him?â? Catherine stepped forward. â??Not yet, heâ??s still not completely out of the clear. I donâ??t want him to over exert himself.â? â??When will be able to see him?â? Catherine was overjoyed that her son was awake but to still be so near and yet so far away from Michael was tearing her apart. She had to see her son with her own eyes to make sure he was indeed okay. â??As early as tomorrow evening, if everything goes well we can move him to a less secure part of the hospital and he will be able to receive visitors. I just want to keep him under close observation for now.â? â??Do you know what caused the heart attack?â? Jackie asked from the back of the group. â??We are waiting on the rest of the toxicology results to come back. I can discuss it further then.â? Dr. Ross finished, he had an idea of what had triggered the heart attack but until his patient was more coherent and the tests were back he would not make any confirmations yet. â??Would you tell him weâ??re all here and that we love him?â? A new batch of tears started to flow from the elderly woman who had been the glue that held her family of eleven together for years. Dr. Ross smile warmly and replied, â??Of course.â? *** Paris Jackson had been staring at the same page in her Jane Austen novel for what seemed like forever. She couldnâ??t get pass the first line; her mind always went back to her poor daddy. He was supposed to be with her and her brothers always and forever, heâ??d promised them that. She was less than happy about being forced to leave the hospital earlier that day. Sheâ??d begged her aunts and uncles to let her stay but they wouldnâ??t hear of it. They said that their daddy would want them to go home and get some rest. But Paris knew otherwise, her daddy would want her with him, Prince and Blanket too. â??What are you doing?â? Her younger brotherâ??s voice broke through her thoughts. Blanket was dressed in his favorite Star Wars pajamas and his hair had been neatly tied back out of his face. Her brothers and cousins had gathered in the family room to watch a movie but Paris had opted for quiet solitude in her bedroom. â??Nothing really, where is Prince?â? â??Him, Jermajesty, and everybody else fell asleep watching Aladdin.â? â??Itâ??s he, not him Blanket.â? Paris corrected her brotherâ??s grammar. She stretched in the wooden chair that she sat in, closed her book, and then placed it on the desk beside her. â??When is daddy coming back, he said that we could go to Disneyland?â? The seriousness of their fatherâ??s stay at the hospital was unknown to Blanket. Marlon had told him that his daddy was a little under the weather and that he would be home soon. Heâ??d tried that same lie with Prince and Paris but they were old enough to realize that there was something seriously wrong. The craziness of the morning when the ambulance had come and taken their father away on a stretcher was still fresh in Parisâ?? mind. She had screamed, â??Daddy, daddy, whatâ??s wrong with my daddy?â?? No one had answered her then and she had not seen her father since that day. â??Soon Blanket, when heâ??s better.â? Paris stood and walked over to her bed to lie down. This had been her Aunt Janetâ??s room and she had chosen it for that reason. Janet was her favorite aunt and she simply adored her. Blanket followed her to the bed and sat on the edge. â??Where am I gonna sleep?â? He looked around the room and yawned. â??Go sleep in Uncle Marlonâ??s old room.â? â??Alone?â? â??Yes alone.â? Paris closed her eyes and yawned. â??But Iâ??ve never slept in a room all by myself.â? â??Wake up Prince and tell him to go with you.â? â??He gets upset when I wake him up.â? â??Then get Jermajesty or Jaffar.â? Paris opened her eyes and stared at the boy who was already taking off his flip-flops. â??Canâ??t I just stay here?â? Blanket wiped a hand across his tired eyes and looked on at his sister. â??Pariisâ?¦â? Blanket laid down any way, â??Move over.â? He grumbled as he pushed her shoulder. Paris sighed and took a position on the other side of the bed. There was no point in arguing with her brother, he usually won their verbal battles for the most part. Blanket was strong willed, he knew what he wanted and how he wanted to do things just like their dad. With one last sigh she closed her eyes and prayed for her daddy to come home very soon. *** CHAPTER TWO Three days before June 25, 2009 --- New York City Brian Temple could only roll his eyes at his friend Marty when he called and told him that Michael Jackson had died. There was always some new story about Michael in the news; a year couldnâ??t pass without Michael Jacksonâ??s name being mixed up in some new scandal. His old friend always was magnet for trouble. Brian blasted his friend for calling him with such idiocy and hung up on him. It wasnâ??t until a few minutes after the fact when Jason had turned on his television in his bedroom that he saw the awful headline, â??Michael Jackson dead at 50.â?? He flipped through station after station and the same headline was posted. MTV was playing his videos and pictures of fans outside of an LA hospital crying were plastered on every other station. â??This couldnâ??t be happening, why him?â?? His chest began to hurt and he collapsed on his bed and put his head in his lap. The news correspondent talked on about the 911 call and what a terrible tragedy this all was. â??More than you know!â? Brian sobbed; it had been years since he cried for anything. He suddenly felt the uncontrollable need, an urge to destroy something, anything. In an instant he was on his feet and grabbed a baseball bat from beside his closet door. He looked around the room and then fixed his gaze on the television; in two strides he was in front of the television and he took one hard swing at it. The appliance fell crashing to the ground. After Brian was done destroying windows, pictures, anything that would shatter he fell in a pathetic heap on the ground crying violently. His wails would have been loud enough to attract anyone else if he werenâ??t alone in his house. He stayed there in that spot for nearly thirty minutes when a thought came to himâ?¦he couldnâ??t do this anymore. He couldnâ??t live, not while Michael was dead. He didnâ??t want to live, he had wanted to end his existence for some time; and now he had a good reason for doing it! Brian picked himself up off of the floor and went to the nightstand beside his bed. He sat down; hot tear drops stung his face as they continued to flow out of his swollen eye lids. Slowly he opened the drawer and stared at what he believed was his rightful fate. He grabbed the wooden handle of his 357 Magnum and ran the index finger of his right hand across the steel barrel. This moment had been a long time coming and the day was finally here. He was only twenty-six years old; he had hardly begun to live life. He took a couple of deep breaths and pointed the gun barrel at his heart. He made no last minute prayers or pleas to God; he knew God had no use for the likes of him. He closed his eyes and pulled the triggerâ?¦ *** June 29 --- 8:40 pm. â??You sure do know how to get the world to stand on its toes big brother!â? Janet Jackson tried to joke as she stood at her brotherâ??s bedside and absent mindedly played with the top end-folds of the teal blanket that lay across Michael. Though he still had trouble keeping his eyes open he was completely conscious and aware of what was going on around him. â??Yeah, you know me girlâ?¦I always strive for the, unexpected.â? â??You gave us quite a scareâ?¦Michael whatâ??s going on?â? â??Didnâ??t Dr. Ross tell you already?â? Michael knew what his sister was really after and he didnâ??t intend on obliging her, even if she was his favorite sibling. â??He told us that you had nothing but medication in your stomach and something called Diprivan but thatâ??s not what I meant. Whatâ??s going on with you?â? Janet needed answers from Michael and she was determined to get them. Janet had spent the early part of her day tying up a few loose ends in her business dealings. Sheâ??d wanted to wait for the rest of the family to leave before she broached the subject. Like Michael she was uncomfortable being around the family save her mother for long periods of time. Each other their sibling had been in to give some encouraging words before being ushered out so Michael could rest. Joseph and Katherine had been in too and spent an hour with Michael before they left; now it was Janetâ??s turn. â??Iâ??m fine, Dunk.â? This time that name brought a smirk to her face but it quickly faded away. â??Youâ??re not fine when youâ??re pumping yourself full of medication, I read up on Diprivan. Did you know it is only supposed to be used in a hospital? Itâ??s that dangerous!â? â??If you came here to give me a lectureâ?¦â? Michael was not in the mood for yet another person interfering in his personal life. No one knew what he had to suffer physically and emotionally on a daily basis. It was humiliating enough being here without his usual make-up to hide the effects of Vitaligo and Lupus. â??Iâ??m not trying to lecture you Mike.â? Janet should have known her brother would put up a fight. â??It sounds like it, look girl canâ??t we just talk about something else? How is your movie comin along?â? Michael smiled weakly and took her much smaller hand in his. â??Itâ??s going well, youâ??ll still be my escort to the premier right?â? Janet decided to go along with Michaelâ??s wishes to drop the subject; for now anyway. â??Of course, I wouldnâ??t miss it for the world.â? â??Oh, hello,â? came the voice of a nurse whoâ??d just entered the room. â??Iâ??m just going to take your vitals Mr. Jackson.â? The petit woman smiled at brother and sister and then went about her job. â??Leslie I told you, you can call me Michael.â? Michael turned to smile at the woman who had been especially assigned to him. Apparently she was the most skilled of the nursing staff there. Michael had taken a natural liking to her, partly because of her cultural background. He always did have a thing for Indian women. â??And I told you that it is only appropriate to address you by your surname in this setting.â? Leslie smirked and continued to write down what she read off of the machines around her patientâ??s bed. â??Why are you being difficult?â? Michael joked. â??I could ask you the same thing.â? She glanced at Michael who was staring at her with such fondness. This exchange did not go unnoticed by Janet. Michael was obviously trying to flirt with his nurse but the woman didnâ??t seem to be returning the gesture. â??Okay all done, I will be back in half an hour to change your IV.â? Leslie turned and headed for the door and left without another word or glance. Michael still had that fond look in his eyes when Janet looked at him. â??Michael, seriously?â? Janet rolled her eyes. â??What?â? â??What was that?â? â??What was what?â? He feigned innocence, â??Look I want you to bring my kids here tomorrow.â? â??Yeah, Iâ??ll bring them in the morning. They canâ??t wait to see you.â? â??I canâ??t wait to see them.â? â??I guess Iâ??ll leave now, I love you big brother!â? Janet bent down and hugged Michael carefully out of fear that she might hurt him, he was still in some pain from his ordeal. â??I love you more!â? *** June 25, 2009 He was still alive regretfully; the damned gun had misfired and only left him with a severely burned right hand. Heâ??d lied to his father about what happened when he showed up at the emergency room. Brian told him what he had told the doctors, that he was just wiping the gun down and it just misfired. The doctors seemed to believe him but his father was skeptical considering the news that he heard over his car radio. When the ER doctor left them alone in the examining room his father wasted no time in blurting out his theory on his sonâ??s injury. â??You did this on purpose didnâ??t you, because of him!?â? It was hard to control his anger but the older man kept a composed manner as he glared down at his son lying on the bed. â??Why would you think that?â? â??It would have been a shame if you had killed yourself, because the bastardâ??s still alive.â? Brianâ??s head shot up hopefully. â??What?â? â??Yeah, heâ??s still here among the normal inhabitants of Earth.â? â??Youâ??re lying!â? Brian looked away; crushed by his fatherâ??s inability to show even an ounce of compassion for what he was going through, what Michael went through. â??Why would I lie about that, the world would be a far better place without him in my opinion.â? â??I want to call mom.â? Brian sniffed and wiped away the new tears that fell from his eyes. â??After all this time, why?â? Brian had been getting more than irritating lately and more subdued as the years passed. â??I just want toâ?¦I miss her and Lily.â? â??Do whatever you want, I have to go. I have patients waiting, time is money.â? The man turned to head out of the room entrance. â??It was always about money with you, wasnâ??t it dad?â? Brian could feel a deep hatred for the man who stood before him welling up in his soul. The man glanced back at his son and grunted, â??Make sure you donâ??t have any more accidentsâ?¦Jordy.â? *** June 29 â??Lisa, seriously let me in!â? Priscilla Presley had hopped on a plane just that morning in a panic. She was damned if she was going to let Michael Jackson ruin her daughters happiness with his never-ending personal problems. She couldnâ??t understand why her daughter was so fixated on her ex-husband. As far as she was concerned he daughter had finally married the right man; Michael Lockwood was perfect for Lisa. â??Mom, Iâ??m not in the mood right now.â? Lisa lay on her sofa with her right arm draped across her forehead. â??Heâ??s alive; there is no reason to keep your-self locked up in there. Your family needs you right now. What about Finley and Harper, you canâ??t stay in there forever! Lisa open the door!â? There was a few moments of silence before the door un-locked and Lisa slowly cracked open the door and glared at her mother. â??Are you going to let me in?â? Reluctantly Lisa open the door enough for her mother to slip through then she returned to her former position on the couch. Priscilla noticed the box of Kleenex on the ground and the television was on CNN, they were still reporting news on Jackson. â??Lisa how long are you going to do this?â? â??Do what?â? â??Youâ??re neglecting your family, how do you think your husband feels right now? You â??re in here mourning for a man who is still alive and apparently recovering just fine.â? â??I donâ??t expect you to understand what Iâ??m feeling.â? Lisa sounded resentful. â??This is just ridiculous, the way youâ??re behaving. One would think you were still in love with him.â? When her daughter didnâ??t respond immediately to deny what she had said, she became worried. â??Lisaâ?¦Lisaâ?¦â? Still no answer, Priscilla pressed her lips together in a thin line and ran a hand through her hair. Why wasnâ??t she surprised? Her daughter had quite a pattern of being fickle where her love life was concerned. â??I donâ??t believe this.â? Priscilla started again. â??Mom, please leave.â? Lisa turned so that she faced the back of the sofa. â??You are going to ruin the best thing that ever happened to you forâ?¦â? â??It was youâ?¦you talked me into leaving him.â? Lisa accused, still refusing to look at her mother. She had tried for the last five years to be indifferent to all things concerning her second husband and she thought she had been doing a good job of it. But all of those old feelings were back and she could no longer fight them. â??Youâ??re blaming me for your mistake; you should have never married him! He was using you!â? â??We were together before that, weâ??d been together for a while before that, how could he have been using me?â? Her voice quivered, she was near tears again. â??Iâ??m not going to rehash the past with you, he had problems already. You tried to help him and what happened, you got physically sick! You canâ??t save him any more than I could saveâ?¦â? Priscillaâ??s voice trailed off and she looked up at the ceiling trying not to remember the man who had once been her entire life, her reason for living. She had a new reason for living now, Lisa Marie. When she looked back to the sofa she found that her daughter was staring at her rather strangely. â??He told me that he was afraid that he would end up like daddy.â? â??What?â? The older woman was suddenly lost. â??It was just a month or two after we got married, we were talking about life in general; and he said that he was afraid that he would end up like him.â? Her resolve broke with this last and she burst into tears. Priscilla was at her side in an instant to comfort her. â??Hmmm, all the more reason to let this obsession with Michael Jackson go, Lisa. He is on a dangerous path and sooner or later he wonâ??t be so lucky. I donâ??t want you caught up in his drama!â? â??I miss daddy!â? The younger woman melted in her motherâ??s arms. Priscilla patted her daughters back lovingly and held her as she cried. *** June 30---Noon If there was another way to face the demons of his past besides prescription drugs Michael didnâ??t know what it was. Pain killers had become a way of life for him and his dependency on them had grown in these last few years. Though he had to admit that these had been his happiest; his children were his world now. Prince Michael, Paris, and Blanket were his saving grace. Michael was anxious to see his children; they had never been apart for this long. He remembered back to when Prince and Paris were toddlers and his mother would beg him to let the kids stay the week-end at the Encino compound. He had always declined her request, trust his mother; he just couldnâ??t bear being apart from them for more than a few hours. It was not until right after that disastrous documentary in 03 that Michael took his mother up on her offer. He was reeling from Bashirâ??s betrayal and he couldnâ??t focus on anything except how he had once again been duped by a person whom he had trusted to tell the truth. Joseph and his mother had come for to stay with him for a few days and when they left Prince, Paris, and Blanket went with them. It was during this time that Lisa had called him to cheer him up and let him know that she thought Bashirâ??s documentary was bull shit. Michael sat in his hospital bed staring at the window to his right. He wished that he could get up and look outside and see the crowd of fans that Leslie said was camped outside. She also told him that the fans were holding up signs from all over the world. Most of the signs wished him well and some were invitations to come to their respective countries when he was released from the hospital. But he was confined to bed rest and the only activity that he was able to do was stare out at the sky. He could turn on the television; God only knew what the Media was saying about him. â??The King of Pop is human and not immune to pain after all,â?? that was the head-line that seemed most appropriate. He decided to refrain from watching tv and looked at the clock that hung on the wall beside it. It was just after twelve oâ??clock and Janet hadnâ??t shown up with his kids yet. He wondered what was keeping them. â??Hello Mr. Jackson.â? Leslie greeted as she rolled in Michaelâ??s lunch trey on a cart. â??Hello. What is that?â? Michael held his head down; still embarrassed that he couldnâ??t hide the blotches on his face and neck. â??Baked chicken and vegetables, and I want you to eat every bite!â? She said sternly as she positioned the table in front of him. â??Yes mam.â? â??Theyâ??re still out there you know, itâ??s amazing. They love you; itâ??s about thirty impersonators outside.â? She chuckled as she walked over to the window. There must have been an insider letting the fans know what side of the hospital Michael was on because the fan had moved from the front of the hospital to four floors below his window. â??Do you know when Iâ??ll be able to leave? Iâ??m feeling fine, really.â? â??Thatâ??s for Dr. Ross to decide.â? She walked back over and looked at the man that had caused search a stir around the world. She remembered her older sister Nikhil listening to the entire â??Thrillerâ?? album every day when it first made its debut. She was only five then but that was her only memory from that part in her life; maybe because it had something to do with the fact that her sister had died just three months later in a car accident. Before that there wasnâ??t a day that went by that fifteen year-old Nikhil didnâ??t play every song on her â??Thrillerâ?? record. She loved Michael Jackson but Leslie had never been one to buy into celebrity hype, they were all just people to her. Perhaps thatâ??s why she had been chosen for this assignment; the rest of the nurses on the floor were visibly jealous. She was the only nurse allowed in Michael Jacksonâ??s room. The 24 hour job did not get in the way of her personal life because she had none; she was a workaholic with no time for anything else. â??Could you hand me the fork, itâ??s hard to reach from here.â? Michael licked his dry lips; truth be told he was very hungry. â??I thought you were feeling fine.â? She picked up the knife and fork that were at the head of the small table and started to cut his chicken into smaller pieces. â??You donâ??t have to do that.â? He watched as she sliced through the chicken, separating each piece from the larger part. â??I donâ??t mind, Iâ??m here to help you.â? â??Are you going to feed me too?â? The remark came off a little more flippant than he would have liked. She stopped cutting and looked at Michael. He still avoided a meeting of their eyes and slowly crossed his arms in mock defiance. Realizing that it must be hard for someone like him to need assistance with so small a task she was inclined to let the tense moment pass without a response. Janet had no idea why Paris had insisted on going to the mall before they went to the hospital. They had gotten up at nine that morning and had breakfast with the rest of the family who were using the Encino compound as their temporary residence while Michael was in the hospital. â??I want to make daddy a present so he can have it with him while heâ??s there.â? Paris beamed with excitement as she headed to her car with her niece and nephews; but still the girl refused to tell her aunt just where it was in the mall that she wanted to go. â??Buckle up you guys.â? Janet knew that she shouldnâ??t risk going to the mall without security but she figured that it was still early and by the time that they were found out by the Media, they would be long gone. â??I made daddy a video on my camera.â? Prince sat in the front seat and tampered with his small digital video camera. â??Thatâ??s nice Prince, what of?â? Janet headed out of the steel gate and was instantly bombarded with multiple flashes of cameras and reporters rushing her car. Thankfully she had dark tent put on her windows last month. â??Just Paris, Blanket and I around house.â? Prince seemed oblivious to what was going on around them. â??Iâ??m sure heâ??ll love it.â? Janet made a right turn and headed away from her childhood home. *** Janet had to admit that the bear did pay tribute to her brother. From the black fedora to the trademark sequenced socks. â??Build a Bear Workshopâ?? was new to Janet. The kids were in their element when it came to design. With Michael Jackson as their father they were bond to be quite learned in fashion. They had done a good job at finding everything they needed to make the bear perfect. After they had finished with the purchase Janet quickly ushered them out of the store, they had been noticed by a couple of people who had passed by. They made it back to her car without incident and the headed for the hospital. She glanced at the car clock and it was almost eleven oâ??clock, technically it was still morning. She knew Michael was probably agitated; heâ??d wanted them there earlier than this. Janet made it a point to advise the kids to leave out the fact they had gone to the mall without a security detail when they saw their dad. Michael would have her head if he ever found out. â??Is daddy coming home today?â? Blanket asked; he had really missed his daddy reading to him at night. Heâ??d asked Prince to read him a story the first night they stayed at grandmaâ??s house and his brother wouldnâ??t. Paris did though, but she didnâ??t do the silly voices like daddy did. â??No baby, not today.â? Janet answered. â??Soon hopefully, are you buckled in?â? â??Uh huh.â? â??Blanket!â? Paris scolded; it was so irritating when her little brother forgot his manners. â??Oh, yes mam.â? Blanket quickly corrected himself and shot a grin at Paris. She was always correcting him for something just like daddy. â??How long can we stay at the hospital?â? Prince asked. â??Can we stay all day?â? Paris beamed at the prospect. â??I donâ??t know, probably.â? â??I drew a picture for him, itâ??s me and him, I mean daddy and I,â? he looked pointedly at Paris who just nodded her head at his self-correction. â??Oh, what are you guys doing?â? Janet tried to pay attention as she navigated her way down the street. For some reason it was a little backed up. â??Weâ??re at Disneyland.â? The seven year-old picked up his picture that lay in between himself and Paris. Janetâ??s black Mercedes came to stop at a red light; she could see the hospital just up the road. â??Now guys when we get there, stay with me and hold hands, we might have to go through a crowd of people okay?â? Janet looked in her rear view mirror at Paris and Blanket and then to her right at Prince. â??Yes mam.â? They said in unison, despite the respect that they were showing her she did not like being called â??mamâ??. She wasnâ??t that old; but she had to hand it to her brother, heâ??d raised his children right. There wasnâ??t a pretentious or disrespectful bone in their bodies, which is not something that rich children are particularly known for. With this thought in mind she went forward as the light turned green. She saw the small compact car coming at her after it was already too late to reactâ?¦the cars collided. *** â??Liz, I knowâ?¦â? Michael sighed into the phone. Liz had called just after he had finished lunch. He loved that she was so concerned about him but right now she was being more of a mother instead of a beloved friend. â??Really Michael, what is it going to take for you to stop this?â? â??Lizâ?¦I donâ??t wanna talk about this right now. How are you?â? Michael knew that she was admitted to another hospital in Los Angeles. â??Iâ??m fine Michael and I want you to be fine too.â? â??I will be and I am now that Iâ??m talking to you.â? Michael knew she was smiling even though he couldnâ??t see her. Through the years, growing up he had made quite a few celebrity friends among other less recognized friends. He more friends and close acquaintances than he could count between the releases of â??Off the Wallâ?? and â??Dangerousâ??. He noticed that when he needed all of these people that he had come to care about, most became M.I.A. after those first allegations hit. People stopped picking up their phones and returning his messages. Certain lady friends declined being seen on his armâ?¦one in particular that he cared deeply about. But in end he still had his angel, he still had Liz. She saw him through the storm and never wavered in her love and belief in him. He had Lisa too, but Liz was a real tigress and relentless in her pursuit of justice for her friend. It had been funny to watch Liz and Lisa go head to head with each other over what was in Michaelâ??s best interest. â??I should be released tomorrow.â? â??Thatâ??s good, cool.â? He was glad that his regular voice had started to return. â??I want to come and see you butâ?¦â? â??No, you should go home and rest when you leave, Iâ??ll be by to see you. They shouldnâ??t keep me for too much longer, Iâ??m much better than before.â? â??When you get back home, you wonâ??t start up again will you?â? Elizabeth had returned to her motherly concern. â??Lizâ?¦â? â??Michael I wonâ??t stand for it anymore, I know what you do. Iâ??ve been there myself and I wonâ??t let that happen to you, not while thereâ??s breath in my body! What if you had died Michael, where would that have left your children?â? There was a cold silence as Michael pondered his friendâ??s words. If he had died, what would that have done to his kids? He didnâ??t want to think about it. He had known that what he was doing could really harm him in the long run but the escapism was so damn alluring. â??What did your toxicology report say?â? â??It hasnâ??t come back yet and you wonâ??t want to know anyway.â? He closed his eyes and thought about what Dr. Ross had told him that morning. There was sure to be an investigation; the police had found all of his prescriptions including the Diprivan in his bedroom. â??This is a damned mess Michael! Promise me that you will stop, that you will get yourself some help, for real this time!â? He wished he could give in to what Liz was saying and swear to her that he would never again turn to the same means of dealing with his physical and emotional pain; but he couldnâ??t do that with full certainty. So he gave her the only reply that he could. â??Iâ??ll try Liz.â? â??I donâ??t need you to try, I need you to do!â? Her voice was desperate. â??Take care Liz, I will talk to you later okay?â? â??Michaelâ?¦â? â??I love you Liz!â? He could hear her saying something else but he couldnâ??t make it out. He hung the phone up on the receiver gently. He replayed their conversation in his mind for a short while and then his thoughts drifted to his children. Janet should have been there by now; it was going on twelve-thirty. Where were they...? *** â??Alright, I need all of the residents and triage nurses over here now!â? Dr. Lane, resident doctor at UCLA hospital ordered as stood up from the nursing station in the center of the ER. Several doctors and nurses quickly approached Lane â??What is it, I have forehead gash to get to?â? Dr. Reid looked annoyed. Lane ignored his co-worker. Reid always had a way of getting under his skin with anything that he did. â??Dalvin, are the trauma rooms prepped?â? Lane looked to one of the interns behind him. â??Yeah, rooms 3-7.â? Dalvin Philips spoke eagerly, it was his first day as an intern and he was doing his best to make a good impression. From what he had been told, Dr. Lane was a real hard-ass about proper procedure and cleanliness. â??We were just radioed; we have six car crash victims coming in five.â? â??I just released the guy in eight.â? Dr. Figueroa said. â??Okay, youâ??ll be with me in trauma three, Henry, Dave, Reid and Jefferson you will take the others. Three of the victims are children, one is severely injured.â? "Any fatalities?" Harry Bent asked. "There was one adult D.O.A. that's all I know, come on I want any last minute preps taken care of before they arrive!" *** Priscilla approached the family room where her son-in-law sat playing with her grand-daughters Harper and Finley. The sight of the doting father giving Harper a horsie ride on his back broke her heart. Lockwood didnâ??t deserve this; his wife fawning over her ex-husband. She had not been able to talk Lisa into coming out of the den but she had been able to get her to eat something, albeit an apple it was still sustenance. â??Is she okay?â? Mike asked when he saw Priscilla. â??Physically, sheâ??s okayâ?¦emotionally; I donâ??t know what to tell you.â? She sat down on lounger near the entryway of the family room. Mike helped Harper off of his back and sat her down to play with her sister. â??She still wonâ??t come out huh?â? He sat Indian style on the floor and stared blankly at his mother-in-law. â??No, sheâ??s being difficult, Iâ??m sorry Mike.â? â??Sheâ??s never talked about him before. I never knew how much she still cared for him.â? â??Neither did I, maybe I didnâ??t want to.â? Priscilla had always thought in the back of her mind that Lisa held some lingering feelings for Michael. She had spent many a night damning the day that her daughter met Michael Jackson. Every time he returned to Lisaâ??s life, heart ache and stress were never far behind. â??I want to be with her but I donâ??t think sheâ??ll welcome my help.â? He ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair. It hurt him to his heart to see his wife in turmoil. He couldnâ??t shake the feeling that there was something more to Lisaâ??s reaction to this whole situation. Sure she had been married to Jackson, theyâ??d stayed friends for a few years after that, and she never discussed him; but something about her current behavior didnâ??t add up. â??Do you thinkâ?¦I mean could sheâ?¦â? He couldnâ??t bring himself to finish his question. He held his head down and took a deep, pained breath. â??Do I thinkâ?¦ she still loves him?â? She knew her answer but she dared not say it. As it turned out she didnâ??t have to voice a reply, the moment was broken when twenty year-old Riley came running into the family room. She had been outside washing her car. â??Michaelâ??s kids and Janet were in a bad car accident a little while ago, itâ??s all over the radio!â? Riley was near out of breath, panting as she finished the terrible news. Priscilla and Mike looked at each other, gaping in shock. Priscilla shook her head and let it fall back against the chair. â??That damned family sure knew how to make headlinesâ??! *** â??Continue compressionsâ?¦â? Lane shouted as he looked down at his patient. The EMTâ??s had told them that the victim had stopped breathing on the way to the hospital. â??Cyrus, crash cart now!â? Figueroa shouted to a male nurse who had just entered the trauma room. â??Thereâ??s a lot of blood coming from the abdomen area.â? Lane was cutting through the middle-aged womanâ??s shirt to look for the source of the blood. Just then Cyrus came rushing into the room pushing the crash cart in front of him. Lane motioned towards the younger man. â??Bring it over here, Figueroa count him off!â? *** â??Whereâ??s my sister!?â? The seven year old boy struggled against the doctor who held him down. â??Son, you have to stay still, we need to make sure that youâ??re okay.â? Dr. Jefferson said while a triage nurse gently held the boys shoulders down. â??Whereâ??s Prince?â? Blanket cried. â??Your brotherâ??s in the next room, donâ??t worry heâ??ll be fine. Just a few cuts and bruises on him. Do you have any pain any where?â? Jefferson was cutting through the boys red polo shirt. â??My leg hurts and my arm.â? Warm tears cascaded down the boys face and it did not go unnoticed by Jefferson. He hated when he had to treat kids, they were his kryptonite. It broke his heart to see a child suffer. After cutting away the boyâ??s black pants, the doctor saw the gash on his right leg, it had to be at least four inches long but it wasnâ??t very deep. Further examination of the childâ??s right arm revealed a tiny scrape and minor bruise. Heâ??d have to do an MRI to make sure the boy wasnâ??t bleeding internally and didnâ??t have any other problems. â??Well youâ??re going to be fine buddy, nothing we canâ??t handle. A few days youâ??ll be right as rain okay?â? â??Whereâ??s my sisterâ?¦and my Aunt Janet?â? Blanket asked between sobs. He didnâ??t like being alone, he wanted his family. Jefferson looked into the young boyâ??s eyes; he had no comforting wordsâ?¦ *** â??Still no vitals, should we call it Lane?â? Figueroa asked her superior. Lane looked at the monitors and saw the flat-lines across the screen. He had no choiceâ?¦ â??Call it.â? â??Time of death, 12:17 p.m.â? Figueroa sighed and took off her latex gloves then tossed them in the trash behind her. â??Cyrus, Murray check with the other residents and see if they need your assistance.â? â??Get Dalvin on this room and see if you can contact the deceasedâ??s next of kin.â? Lane headed for the door. â??I hate making those phone callsâ?¦â? She looked back at the woman on the trauma table. She still looked to be full of life even in death; as she turned to leave the room her eye caught sight of blouse that had been cut off of the woman. It was the color of a lilac, specially made from what Figueroa could tell. The womanâ??s initials were embroidered on the collarâ?¦N.T.C. *** â??Please tell me sheâ??s going to be okay!â? Janet Jackson shouted at Dr. Henry. Janet had been hysterical when the EMTâ??s and police arrived at the crash site. The other car had come out of nowhere and t-boned the front end of her Mercedes with such force that it spanned her car around three times and only came to a stop when it hit a utility pole. The front air bags had deployed and caused Princeâ??s head to snap back hard against the seat head rest. His neck had been sprained and he had some cuts on his face and arms from the windshield; but thank God that he had no other injuries. She had been told that Blanket would be fine as well; now her only concern was for Paris. â??Weâ??re trying our best, please Ms. Jackson step back.â? Dr. Henry glanced back at the distraught woman. Janet had a cut on her forehead and a bruised leg but she had refused treatment, she insisted on seeing about her niece and nephews first. â??Thereâ??s a minor laceration on the right side of her abdomen, a contusion on the upper right shoulder.â? A nurse called out injuries to the rest of the team working on the young girl. Paris hadnâ??t been conscious when she arrived so they couldnâ??t ask her if she had any further pain. â??BP 112 over 78, pulse 101.â? Another nurse called out. â??Oh God, please is she going to be okay?â? Janet pleaded for an answer, an absolution. Paris had been on the back passenger side of the car, thatâ??s where the car came into contact with the pole. Janet looked over the doctorâ??s shoulder at her eleven year old niece. She could see Parisâ?? face; she had a few cuts and a blotch of blood on her right cheek. â??Sweet heart can you hear me?â? Dr. Henry asked the seemingly unconscious girl. Paris gave no visible response. â??This laceration is going to need stitches.â? The nurse continued working on the injury with great diligence. If it sat too long it could become infected. â??Her injuries as of yet donâ??t appear to be life threatening, after we get her stable we will take her for an MRI.â? Dr. Henry spoke over his shoulder to Janet. Janet let out a breath that she didnâ??t know she was holding. Before she could rejoice, her legs gave out and she collapsed. *** Leslie Indar knew that the right thing to do was to tell her patient what was going on in the ER. If she did tell him, he would no doubt insist on going to his family; that she could not allow. He was still recuperating from the heart attack and the detox treatment that he had received. â??Are you going to tell him?â? Yana Cohen, a RN whispered to her friend. â??Iâ??m not sure I should until they are all in the clear.â? Leslie had been given the news a couple of minutes ago. This responsibility would usually have fallen to Dr. Ross but he would not be there for another five hours. She and Yana stood just outside Michaelâ??s door discussing what the right course of action would be. â??Didnâ??t they say the little girl was in a coma?â? â??Yeah, sheâ??ll live though, at least thatâ??s the impression that I got.â? â??Leslie, its Dr. Lane on line two.â? A woman at the nursing station called to her. Leslie quickly went over to the station and took the phone. â??Hello?â? â??Yes, I just wanted to give you another update on Janet Jackson.â? â??Will she be fine?â? â??She has a concussion, weâ??re monitoring her in the ICU to make sure there is no serious damage to the brain; and she has a few scrapes and contusions.â? â??What about the girl?â? â??Sheâ??s stabilized; weâ??re just waiting for her to wake up. We could try to induce her into consciousness but I want to give her a chance to wake up on her own. Have you told Mr. Jackson?â? â??No, not yet.â? â??Maybe you can hold off on that until his doctor gets there.â? â??I donâ??t know about that, heâ??s been expecting his family for a while now and he is bound to inquire after their where abouts.â? Leslie glanced at her patientâ??s room door. â??Maybe I should tell himâ?¦â? â??Well, if you think thatâ??s best.â? She really had no desire to break the news to a man that was sure to be distraught and upset. She didnâ??t deal well with emotional outbursts; she never let herself feel too much. In her line of work that would be a mistake. â??I am on my way.â? Lane replied. *** Joe Jackson was no stranger to disappointment; it had become a way of life to him. When the world looked at him they saw, not Joe but the tyrant that ruined Michaelâ??s childhood. He was the guy who couldnâ??t get a record deal of his own so he used his childrenâ??s talents to rise to the top. Truth be told, this was partly true. He recognized what his boys could do if they set their minds to it, he witnessed what Michael could do. That Michael, he was something special. Joe always admired fifth sonâ??s ability to take an audience in the palms of his hands; the way the fans responded to the name â??Michael Jacksonâ?? it was something Joe had never seen before. No entertainer or celebrity for that matter had ever been able to achieve such notoriety and global love. Heâ??d pushed his sons to be the best and damn it they were the best! Forty years later the â??Jacksonâ?? name was still revered in the music world. If he wanted to be truly honest with himself that was due to Michael and Janet. The 80 year old man sat on the pool patio sipping at his ice tea. Whenever he visited the Encino compound he always made it a point to sit out by the pool and reminisce on his days of glory with his boys. Before things got too complicated; before he knew just how much Michael hated him. Sure heâ??d heard about the stories Michael told interviewers in the past and there seemed to be an endless line of Media personal who questioned him on the validity of his sonâ??s claims of physical and emotional abuse. Joseph always denied any wrong doing; he wasnâ??t guilty of what Michael said he didâ?¦was he? He had raised his sons the only way he knew how, that was the way his daddy had raised him. So what if he hadnâ??t allowed his children to call him â??daddyâ??, well he always called his father â??Samuelâ??. Sure he had given the boys a good whipping when they did wrong or when they messed up in a rehearsal; but it was only because he knew they could do better. He had six sons and five turned out fine, why was Michael the odd one out? How could Michael think that he had taken pleasure in trying to hurt him, â??Heâ??s my son, I love him!â?? Joe thought to himself. Michael was always so damned sensitive; he took things to heart. As his father, it was his job to toughen the boy up; make a man out of him. The world would prey on Michaelâ??s heart, Joseph knew that. He was like a gazelle in the middle of the Serengeti. The lions were hiding in the brush just waiting for the perfect moment to leap from their concealed places and devour Michael. His son readily opened himself up to everyone elseâ??s pain and tried to help the world; to make a difference. And how did the world repay Michaelâ??s generosity? They lied on him; made up rumors and bogus storiesâ?¦they broke his heart. Joseph had secretly feared for his son from the time he was old enough to walk. Heâ??d done everything he could to make Michael tough; and he succeeded, but this came at a price. The whippings, lectures, and the teasing through the boyâ??s childhood had distanced him from Michael not just emotionally but physically. He could go weeks without hearing from his son; and when they did speak there was always an underlined sense of forced pleasantries. What Michael was going through nowâ?¦how could this have happened? Did Michael really feel that alone, was he really in that much physical and emotional pain to where he couldnâ??t sleep without a medical aide? Joseph pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. He hadnâ??t cried in years and he wasnâ??t going to start now. Heâ??d get through this, Michael would be fine, and the family would be fineâ?¦ â??Joseph, Joseph!â? A troubled voice called out. Joseph looked to his right and saw his oldest daughter running towards him in a panic. â??What is it?â? The older man stood up immediately, nearly spilling his drink. Rebe stopped half way to the patio, â??We have to get to the hospital quick!â? â??Is something wrong with Michael?â? Joe felt fear clench his heart. â??No, itâ??s Janet and the kids; they were in a bad car accident on the way to the hospital!â? â??What!? Where is Katherine andâ?¦â? Joseph started towards her in a hurry. â??Everyone is headed outside to leave.â? â??Alright, come on.â? Joseph said once he reached her. They walked back towards the main house in great haste, Joseph found himself doing something he hadnâ??t done since right before he discovered his boys talentsâ?¦he prayed to Jehovah. *** â??No! I want to go down there right now!â? Michael shouted as he grabbed at the IV that was in his arm. Leslie quickly shielded the line. â??You canâ??t go down there, Mr. Jackson. You have to stay here; I promise you that we will give you regular updates.â? Dr. Ross offered. â??I want to see my children now!â? Michael tried in vain to get out of his bed but his physical fatigue and Dr. Rossâ?? hand held him to the bed. â??Youâ??re only going to slow down your recovery if you donâ??t stop this.â? Leslie warned. â??I want to see my children right now, either the two of you wheel me down there or Iâ??ll go on my own!â? Michael noticed that his breathing had become more labored but he ignored the fact, he had only one goal at the moment and that was to get to his children and Janet. They were the four most important people in the world to him. Dr. Ross sighed in defeat, in the long run it would do Jacksonâ??s heart no good to sit in this room and worry about the well-being of his family. â??Okay, once we get them moved to private rooms we will let you go and see them, that is the best I can do for right now.â? Michael seemed to be contemplating the doctors words as he sat stoned face glaring down at the hands that held him to the bed. He couldnâ??t get down there on his own power that was for sure. He had no other option but to trust that the physician would keep his word. Reluctantly he shook his head in compliance, â??Okay, promise me that as soon asâ?¦â? â??I promise you, you will get to see your children as soon as possible.â? â??Parisâ?¦â? Michaelâ??s finally released the tears that he had been holding back since Ross had broken the news to him. â??Paris is in a coma but it probably wonâ??t last long. Sheâ??s young and healthy, Iâ??m sure that once she regains consciousness that she will bounce back with no problem. â??What about my sister?â? â??Janet is in the ICU like I said, we want to monitor her and make sure everything is okay.â? â??Sheâ??ll live right?â? â??I believe she will; the monitoring is just a precaution. Your sister was awake when I left and she wanted me to tell you that she was sorry and she loves you.â? Dr. Ross answered. Michael sighed and held his face in his hands. His body began to tremble and without a second thought Leslie put a comforting hand on her patients shoulder. The doctor took this opportunity to slip from the room so he could make the arrangements that he had promised. â??More poor babiesâ?¦â? Michael took Leslieâ??s hand from his shoulder and pulled her into a hug. There was nothing forward about the hug, he simply needed comfort. The nurse was not sure how to react; West Indianâ??s werenâ??t exactly known for being great displayers of any kind of public body contact. Her arms remained at her side, his arms encircling her waist while his head lay against her abdomen. Ever so slowly she lifted her hands up until the rested at the base of his neck; at this sign of compassion on her part he held her closer. *** Two hours laterâ?¦ â??My arm still hurts.â? Blanket sniffed away the last of his tears and wiped his face with the back of his hand. For convenience and Blanketâ??s willful insistence, Prince and his brother were put into the same room. The doctor had chuckled at the seven year-olds blunt demands of being near his older sibling and he refused to take â??maybe or weâ??ll tryâ?? for an answer. After the boys were set up in their room they had been left to themselves. â??The doctor said youâ??ll be fine.â? Prince replied from his bed. His neck was still felt stiff and numb. Probably due to the pain medicine they had given him, he assumed. â??But it still hurts.â? â??Well at least itâ??s just your arm, look at me; I have to wear this stupid brace.â? Prince pointed at the plastic/metal contraption around his neck as if Blanket hadnâ??t noticed. â??When is daddy coming, they said he was coming?â? â??I donâ??t know heâ??s probably on his way down right now.â? Prince sighed and looked up at the television that hung on the wall. One of the orderlyâ??s had turned it to the cartoon network. â??I want him here now.â? The younger boy pouted. â??Heâ??s coming; he doesnâ??t feel well either, so when he gets here donâ??t start pestering him about your arm, he has enough on his mind.â? Prince finished. He wasnâ??t sure if that was entirely true but he didnâ??t want his kid brother making their father more upset than he would be when he did arrive. The older boy had always had a good head on his shoulders; he thought things out, planned, strategized. He was the man when daddy wasnâ??t around and he did his best to fill his fatherâ??s shoes in his absence. Paris and Blanket looked to him for guidance when their father was gone and in some ways he both loved and disliked this. He loved it because he knew his father trusted him wholeheartedly; but he disliked it because sometimes he failed, like today. Prince knew he wasnâ??t at all to blame for what had happened but he still felt guilty all the same. Guilty for not protecting his siblings like dad would have wanted him to. â??Apple Head, look at you.â? Prince tried to turn his head at the sound of his fatherâ??s voice but the brace constricted his movement. â??Daddy!â? Blanket exclaimed and reached out for Michael who was being wheeled towards them by a nurse. Blanketâ??s bed was nearest to the door so he was stopped there first. Michael slowly stood and leaned over the bed railing to hug his youngest son. â??Hey Blankie, ooh I missed you!â? Again Michael was fighting to hold back tears. â??I missed you too daddy, I made you a picture but it got lost.â? Blanket held his father tightly around the neck. â??Thatâ??s okay.â? â??Iâ??ll make you another one, okay?â? The boy kissed Michaelâ??s cheek. â??Okay, let me say hello to your brother.â? Blanket refused to let go of his dadâ??s neck even when Michael grabbed at his hands and tried to gently dislodge them. â??Come on Blanket, I have to see Prince too. Iâ??ll come back over here, I promise.â? Michael patted the back of his sonâ??s head and finally the boy let go, his small face stained with fresh tears. The middle age man sat back down in the wheel chair and was taken over to his eldest son. The look on Princeâ??s face was one of wonderment. Michael wasnâ??t exactly sure what was going through Princeâ??s mind at that moment. When he stood up at the bed side Prince instantly held his arms open. Father and son embraced without words. They held each other for a while until Prince whispered something in Michaelâ??s ear. Neither the nurse or Blanket could hear what Prince had said but the boyâ??s remark received only a puzzled look from his father. â??Do you really think so?â? Michael inquired. â??Yeah, I really do.â? Prince reached for Michaelâ??s left hand and held it. â??Then thatâ??s how itâ??ll be from now on.â? Michael gave his son a small smile and he embraced him once more. *** The Jacksonâ??s hadnâ??t realized that the nursing staff had been given strict orders to keep them away until after Michael had seen his own children. They had been waiting for almost three hours for a visit with the kids and Michael. Katherine and Joseph had been allowed to see Janet in the ICU when they first arrived. She had seemed alert talking to her parents. They asked her about the accident and she told them everything she could remember and about the condition of the kids when they arrived at the hospital. One thing was for sure, God could see the Jackson family out of the corner of his eye. This was not the first brush that one of them had had with death. Randy had been in a terrible car accident some years ago and he had come out of it without any lasting effects. All they could do now was pray for the same result concerning Michael, Janet, and the kids. â??Here comes a doctor.â? Tito stood from his chair in the waiting room, a place he was spending far too much time in lately for his taste. â??Hello, Iâ??m Dr. Morris.â? â??Are the kids alright?â? Joe asked calmly. â??Prince and Blanket are recovering nicely; you can see them right now.â? â??What about Paris?â? Katherine clutched her purse to her chest. â??Paris is stabilized, though she had already slipped into a coma before she arrived here.â? â??Oh God!â? Latoya placed a hand over her heart. â??Mr. Jackson is with her now.â? â??Sheâ??ll be fine right?â? Joe rubbed the stubble on his jaw; heâ??d forgotten to shave that morning. Michael had been the only thing on his mind and now the kids were in his thoughts; he was so fond of Paris. She was a fighter just like Michael, just like him; though hers was a quiet, feminine power. She had a way of calming a tense situation and she always managed to put a smile on her grandparentâ??s faces. â??We are optimistic about her recovery.â? The doctor smiled with assurance. â??Can we see her too?â? Jackie stepped from behind the group. â??Not right now, her father wants to be alone with her. If you follow me I can take you all to see the boys.â? One by one the Jackson family filed out of the waiting room behind the doctor. Jermaine couldnâ??t help but think to himself, â??After all these years, we still have to get permission to see our little brother and his children.â?? *** A cold chill ran up his spine when he first laid eyes on his beautiful daughter. There she lay on the hospital issue bed surrounded by machines, an IV in her left arm and a breathing tube in her nose. His nurse wheeled him to the bedside and he just stared at Paris. She looked peaceful, like she was asleep. â??I thought the doctor said she was fine, why does she have a breathing tube?â? â??Thatâ??s for precaution, just in case she was to stop breathing on her own.â? Leslie took in the sight and tried her best to stay indifferent. Michael stood up and grasped the railing with both hands. â??My beautiful Parisâ?¦â?? â??You should talk to her; it could help her come around.â? Leslie suggested. Michael was silent for a moment and then reached out to touch Parisâ?? cheek with the back of his hand. â??Paris, its daddy; Iâ??m sorry this happened to youâ?¦â? He stopped and looked back at his nurse, â??Could you leave us alone for a while?â? â??Of course, Iâ??ll be just outside.â? He waited until she was gone before he spoke again. â??Paris, daddy is sorryâ?¦this is all my fault! I never thoughtâ?¦â? Damn it, he couldnâ??t stop the out pouring of another emotional display. â??Baby, can you hear me? Iâ??m sorry, Iâ??ll never hurt you like this againâ?¦Paris, sweetheart I swear this is the last time, never again! Never!â? He held her right hand in his and kissed it tenderly, so filled with grief over what he thought was his fault that he didnâ??t notice when she opened her eyesâ?¦ *** CHAPTER THREE Riley knew her mom would open the door if she asked her to; but still she hesitated to knock on the wooden door leading to the den. What would she say? She had never seen her mom so distraught over anything, not even when she divorced her father. Riley and her brother Ben were thrust from their life with their father Danny Keough into a new life with their mother and her new husband, Michael Jackson. Being as young as she was it was hard to comprehend why her parents didnâ??t want to live together anymore or why her mom wanted to be with someone else, a stranger. Sheâ??d hated Michael Jackson at first sight; her mother had hugged and kissed him right on the front steps of their home in Hidden Hills, California. Riley had made it her mission to hate him forever in that moment. He was the reason she couldnâ??t see her daddy every day. Sheâ??d ignore Jackson when he talked to her; when she didnâ??t scream or run away that is. She would purposely break something of his and refuse to obey any request he made of her; but to no avail Jackson never yelled at his step-daughter. Needless to say, she had warmed up to Michael a couple of months later. He was so much fun and he always listened to anything she and Ben had to say no matter how trivial it would seem to any other adult. When Michael and her mom divorced she was again saddened that she wouldnâ??t be able to see him every day. That was why she had never let herself get too close to Nic Cage or her current step-father. If she felt that bad about her momâ??s first two divorces, she could only imagine how her mom felt. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. â??Mom?â? â??Riley, what is it?â? A raspy voice from just inside answered. â??Can I come in?â? â??Ummâ?¦okay.â? Riley found the door to be unlocked and she entered the room to see her mother laying in a fetal position on the sofa. Lisa sat up and leaned to the left arm of the sofa, her eyes still fixated on the TV. â??I guess you heard?â? Riley sat down next to her mother. â??About Janet and the kids, yeah. They say their all fine except that Paris is reportedly in a coma. Oh God, what Michael must be going through right now!â? She held her face in her hands. â??Have you tried to call someone in the family?â? â??I tried to call Janet the day Michael was taken to the hospital but her rep wouldnâ??t let anyone through accept immediate family.â? â??Iâ??m sorry mom.â? â??I just wish I could talk to him, hear his voice.â? Lisa didnâ??t usually talk so brazenly about such intimate feelings with her daughter. But she found herself opening up to a non-judgmental ear. â??Iâ??m sure that once he gets home, heâ??ll be easier to reach.â? Riley offered. â??He wonâ??t want to talk to me, not after all thatâ??s happened.â? â??What do you mean?â? As far as she knew Michael and her mother hadnâ??t talked in a couple of years. â??The things Iâ??ve said about him in interviewsâ?¦I said that it was a mistake to marry him. I said he was emotionally immature, that he couldnâ??t raise a child because he was a childâ?¦obviously I was wrong. Everyone is always saying what a wonderful father he is. I just wishâ?¦â? Lisa broke off and looked towards the floor. â??You wish what, mom?â? â??I wish I had been more understanding; I wish he had waited before he started with â??Nurseyâ??!â? Riley couldnâ??t help but remember the pet name that her mom called Debbie Rowe. â??He didnâ??t love her mom, he loved youâ?¦I think he just wanted kids so bad you know.â? â??Things were so great in the beginning; we were so in love and then reality hit. The Media was constantly hovering over us, there were people interferingâ?¦I just couldnâ??t take it anymore; I wasnâ??t ready for all of that attention! We couldnâ??t go anywhere without being hounded by cameras or fansâ?¦â? â??Thatâ??s what happens when you marry Michael Jackson, itâ??s a package deal it would seem.â? Lisa wished that she had had this much insight when she married her second husband. â??I gave up too easilyâ?¦â? Lisa Marie wiped away the last of her tears and grabbed the control next to her and turned off the television. â??Mom?â? â??Yeah?â? She looked at her daughter for the first time; her eyes were slightly swollen from hours of crying. â??Are you happy with Lockwood? Is this the life you want?â? Riley knew the answer but she wanted confirmation. There was a short silence before Lisa spoke again, â??It doesnâ??t matter. I made my choice, now I have to live with it.â? â??But momâ?¦â? The younger woman started but was cut off abruptly, â??No. Itâ??s too late.â? *** As misfortune would have it, Riley had left the door slightly ajar and Lockwood had heard everything. He cringed at his wifeâ??s last words; so he was right, Lisa was still in love with Jackson. The journey upstairs to the master bedroom was a blur to him. He didnâ??t remember walking away from the door or smashing his fist into the wall just outside his bedroom. Lockwood plopped down on he and his wifeâ??s queen sized bed and tried to process what he had just overheard. It wasnâ??t possible; Lisa was just feeling sorry for Jackson and his family. Maybe the feelings she had at this point would pass and things would get back to normal. He shook his head and smirked bitterly, he was kidding himself. He knew about Lisaâ??s past lovers, she ended one relationship and jumped right into another. It looked like he would be the next victim to her fickle love. Three yearsâ?¦three years of loving her, being there for her when she needed him had come down to this. So much for being the true love of her life; at least thatâ??s what she had so vigorously proclaimed during a night of passion on their honeymoon. How could he have been so stupid? The signs were always there: she never liked to discuss anything about Jackson as she did her other husbands and when she did, there was always sadness in her tone. Whenever someone made an offhand joke about her second husband she never joined in and she once said, â??You just donâ??t understand him.â?? She never seemed to give all of herself to Lockwood, she always held a piece of her heart back; and now he knew why. That part of herself was reserved for Jackson and no matter what he did or said; no matter how much he declared his undying love for his wife he could never touch that part of her. The way he saw it, he had two choices, he could suck it up and pretend he never heard that conversation between mother and daughter or he could confront Lisa with this new revelation. He sat there, pondering his next course of action. *** Michael still hadnâ??t noticed the crystal blue eyes that stared at him as he held Parisâ?? small hand in his own; his forehead resting in the crook of his arm. For years he had done what he wanted to do, regardless of the warnings the people in his life had given him. Heâ??d spent his entire childhood and teen years answering to others and by the time he had reached his early twenties heâ??d tired of being used as a puppet; a marketing product for business execs. Getting out from under his family had been another priority on his list at that time, namely his father. Joseph had been at the root of his anger for so long that it became a habit to blame him for everything that went wrong with the family. Heâ??d tried to forgive him completely but at times those old feelings would come back. Though Michael was afraid of Joseph as a child he never let it hold him back from standing up to the older man. The day when Michael had the nerve to throw a shoe at his fatherâ??s head was still a well remembered memory for the Jacksonâ??s. Barry Gordy and Quincy Jones had been two other father figures that he forced himself to break away from. Michael wanted things done his way; he wanted his personal and business life to be what he made it; and what a life it had been! The tours, the scandals, the prescription drugs, the family drama, the womenâ?¦his life was something out of a Greek satire, or tragedy. His thoughts on the subject changed from year to year. Yes, Michael had done what he wanted and had continued to do so up until now. His perspective had changed; he had come to the realization that his life was not his to do whatever he wanted with it. He could no longer afford to be that selfish; he had children and they should come first. Of course that was the way he always saw it, he always did what he thought was best for Prince, Paris, and Blanket. He was devoted to them and watched over them everydayâ?¦but at night he brought his own pain to the forefront. When he was alone in the confines of his bedroom he could hear all of those taunting comments from the Media and his cynics. He saw the shadows of those terrible allegations looming over him, haunting him. The mistakes of his past would grip his heart and heâ??d fall into the deepest despair, and when this happened there was only one cure that would bring him to immediate restoration...prescription drugs. At first it was every now and then; later on in his life it became an absolute necessity for sleep and any physical pain that stemmed from the Lupas he suffered from. Michael had noticed that the dosages in which he took these drugs kept getting higher and higher, his body would become immune to the effects and it would take more to get him to that place of painless contentment. His contentment could have cost his only daughter her life. This had to stop; he had to stop for her, for Prince and Blanket. He was a warrior, a Jackson and Jacksonâ??s were strong; unbeatable! He could do this, compared to other events that heâ??d forced himself to endure throughout his fifty years; this should be a cake walk. Heâ??d let life get to him, something that he constantly professed that he wouldnâ??t do. Heâ??d pretend to let things roll off of his shoulders when in fact they were killing him inside; and he put on a smile to show the world that he was invincible. The truth was he was and is just a man; something that not even his fans saw him as. To them he was a demi-god, the ultimate icon; untouchable in his craft. Thatâ??s what Michael had wanted to live up to, that image that fans and history would remember him as. He loved his fans and he never wanted to disappoint them. But perhaps his time of glory should come to an end, he thought as he still stood over the railing, his head still buried in the crook of his arm. Heâ??d been all he could be to the world; now he had to be all he could be to his childrenâ?¦ â??Daddy.â? A small voice whispered. Brown eyes looked up and were met with blue ones. â??Paris, you, youâ??re awake, babyâ?¦â? He sprinkled his daughters hand and forehead with kisses. â??Where am I?â? She looked around at the unfamiliar setting. â??The hospital, you and Janet and your brothers were in a car accident, do you remember that?â? â??Umm, kind of. Am Iâ?¦okay?â? â??Yeah, youâ??re fine sweet heart.â? He kissed the palm of her hand. â??What about everyone else?â? Her throat was dry and itchy and she frowned at the discomfort she felt creeping up her neck. â??Their fine, donâ??t you worry. Weâ??ll all be home soon, okay.â? â??Iâ??m thirstyâ?¦â? Just then Parisâ?? doctor, Morris walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Parisâ?? eyes opened. â??Sheâ??s awake.â? It was more of a statement than a question. With four quick strides he was at the girlâ??s bedside examining her and the machines. Michael sat back down in his wheel chair and allowed the doctor to go about his work. â??She said sheâ??s thirty.â? â??You are, well Iâ??ll get you something as soon as I finishâ?¦how long has she been awake?â? â??For a short time.â? Michael never took his eyes of his daughter; he was in awe of her. â??Paris how do you feel?â? Morris touched her arm. â??My neck, it hurts.â? She winced. The doctor went about rearranging pillows and raised the head of the bed so that she was almost sitting. â??Is that better?â? â??Yesâ?¦thank-you.â? â??This has to be a record; coma patients usually stay unconscious for more than seven hours.â? His attempt at levity went by unnoticed; father and daughter were too entranced with their reunion. â??Iâ??ll have a nurse bring her something; Iâ??m going to leave the oxygen tube in overnight though. Paris you also had to have stitches on the right side of your abdomen, thatâ??s right here,â? He pointed to the spot on her body and went on, â??You have to be careful, donâ??t move too much okay. If you need something, use this control, push this button and someone will come.â? Morris smiled at Paris and she nodded her head in understanding. He then turned to Michael. â??Iâ??ll be back later on to check on her.â? â??Thank-you.â? Michael took a hold of the railings and stood again as the doctor left. Father and daughter smiled at each other and reveled in the miracle, the second chance that they had been given. *** Leslie hadnâ??t noticed the two police officers or the woman who was with them step out of the elevator; or when they questioned a woman at the nursing station on the where abouts of Paris Jacksonâ??s room. The thirty-four year old nurse was too enthralled with her beeper to even notice them until they were standing right in front of her. â??Is this Paris Jacksonâ??s room?â? The taller of the officers asked. â??Um, yes, why?â? â??I am Dina Mitchell, Iâ??m with child services.â? â??Is there something wrong?â? Leslie noticed how intense the three uninvited individuals who stood in front of her looked. â??Is Mr. Jackson in the room?â? The petit woman asked pointedly. â??Yes, why, whatâ??s wrong?â? Leslie questioned again, the woman nodded to the policeman and they started to enter the room. Michael head went instantly to the door when he heard it open. â??What is this?â? He swallowed hard; he had come to hate the sight of police uniforms. â??Mr. Jackson, my name is Dina Mitchell and by court order your children are now the wards of the state of California pending an investigation by the DEA and the LA Police Department.â? â??What!?â? Michael shouted. â??We are also here to place you under arrest, I would rather not list the charges in front of your daughter. We will need to take you outside.â? Michael stood in enraged, glaring at the officers. He heard whimpers come from the bed beside him and he felt Parisâ?? hand squeeze his. â??He canâ??t leave this hospital, heâ??s still in recovery!â? Leslie balked at the intruders. â??â?We are aware of that; A twenty-four hour detail will be posted outside of his room door for the remainder of his stay here. Mr. Jackson, pleaseâ?¦â? The tall officer motioned for Michael to make his way outside. Michael let his gaze return to Paris and then he looked to the officers and said dangerously, â??Iâ??m not going anywhere!â? The officers moved inâ?¦ *** All of the resisting, shouting, and cursing he had done did nothing to help him, he still ended up with his right hand handcuffed to the railing of his bed and a charge of â??Resisting arrestâ?? was added to the other crimes he was accused of. Michael had sat stone faces as the arresting officer; Hansen told him what he was being arrested for, â??aggravated identity theft, fraudulently obtaining prescription drugs, resisting arrestâ?¦â?? Murray it seems was in hot water as well, also his long time dermatologist Arnie Klein. Hansen said that a detective would be by to question him in the next hour or so. There was only one person he thought to call, Thomas Mesereau; Michaelâ??s defense lawyer in the 2005 case. Mesereau arrived in record time and was allowed into the room. â??Michael, we have to stop meeting like this.â? It had been four years since the defense lawyer had even talked to his famed client. Michael ignored the comment and glanced out of the window. â??Do they know?â? â??Who?â? â??The fans, the public, everyone, do they know?â? The Pop icon was visibly worried about the possible image that his fans would have of him after this devastating revelation. â??Itâ??s the age of technology Michael; information can be passed around the globe in a matter of seconds. But trust me, your fans will always be on your side, donâ??t worry about that.â? Michael seemed somewhat unaffected by his lawyerâ??s words; instead he looked at the cuffs that only served as a symbol to more restraints being put on his life. â??My kids are hereâ?¦â? â??I heard. How are they?â? â??Theyâ??ll be fine; physicallyâ?¦â? â??So prescription drug charges are what weâ??re up against huh? Iâ??m sure I can get you probation, community service, you wonâ??t have to do any jail time at all.â? Mesereau patted Michaelâ??s leg and offered an assuring smile. He liked Michael; and the thought of him behind bars did not sit well with the old attorney. â??No, I didnâ??t call you hear for me.â? Michael replied softly. â??What?â? Now Mesereau was confused. â??You helped clear my name before, I thank-you for getting me out of that mess. But this timeâ?¦Iâ??m guilty. I have to pay for what Iâ??ve done and if that meansâ?¦â? â??Michael, donâ??t be ridiculous! What are they giving you in that IV?â? Mesereau could not believe what he was hearing. â??You wonâ??t survive prisonâ?¦â? â??I want you to get the courts to give custody of my children to my mother!â? Michael interrupted forcefully. There was a short silence. â??Your mother, sheâ??s 79 years oldâ?¦what about one of your brothers or sisters?â? â??No, I want it to be Kate. My kids canâ??t go into the system, that canâ??t happen to them!â? â??It would be a lot easier to convince the court if it were one of your siblings, what about Rebe?â? â??If they wonâ??t release them to Kate, then yes; just please help my kids!â? Michaelâ??s voice was full of regret. Mesereau sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling; his hands stuffed in his pockets. â??What about you?â? â??Just help my kids first, and then weâ??ll worry about me.â? *** â??Iâ??m glad you decided to take a walk with me, I think the fresh air will do you some good.â? Lockwood put his arm around his wife and pulled her closer. It had taken some pleading at the den door before she agreed to a night stroll in their neighborhood. Priscilla and Riley had offered to watcher little sisters while they were gone. Priscilla secretly hoped that her son-in-law could convince Lisa to go along with his new plans. â??Uh huh.â? His touch sent uncomfortable chills up her back, for some reason his touch; his caresses didnâ??t feel right anymore. Lisa was practically jumping out of her skin in that moment. â??Iâ??m sorry that you feel bad right now, itâ??ll pass.â? He looked down at her and she gave him a small smile. Thankfully there were no other people outside, she couldnâ??t bear to be forced into a conversation with one of her nosey neighbors; that was the good thing about Neverland, no nosey neighbors. When she and Michael were home, they were safe from the leering eyes of the public. No, she couldnâ??t think about him while she was with her husband; he might catch on. â??Iâ??m sorry that Iâ??ve been so unapproachable these last few days.â? â??Itâ??s okay, I understand.â? He lied; he didnâ??t understand where her head was at all. All he knew was that he loved Lisa with all his heart and he was going to fight for her. â??Iâ??ve been thinking we should go on a trip.â? â??A trip?â? Lisa looked at him, she could see he was serious but she had no intention of going anywhere unless it was LA. â??Yeah, I thought we could take an extended trip to the Caribbean, or anywhere else thatâ??s sunny all year long, what do you think?â? This was all he could come up with in his plan to win his wifeâ??s whole heart; he had to get her away from this entire situation with Jackson. Now that there criminal charges being files against the singer, he was determined to whisk her away from America altogether. He feared that if given enough time and the opportunity Lisa would indeed jump flight to California. â??I donâ??t know, what about the girls?â? She didnâ??t sound enthused in the least. â??We can take the kids too; I think itâ??ll be good for us!â? â??When did you want to do this?â? â??As soon as possible!â? â??What? I canâ??t just up and leave, Mike.â? Lisa broke out of her husbandâ??s grasp gently and walked on. â??Youâ??d drop everything if you thought it would get you closer to Jacksonâ?? he thought angrily; it made his head spin to think how quickly Lisa might run to be at her ex-husbands side. â??Why not, we have nothing holding us here, nothing we canâ??t deal with when we get back.â? He urged. â??Look, I just donâ??t want to go anywhere right now, Iâ??m sorry...â? She stopped and looked up at him. â??I think we should head back to the house.â? They stood there for a moment staring around at anything but each other. â??Fine.â? Lockwood relented and started back towards the way they had come, leaving Lisa behind. *** â??What the hell do you mean â??under arrestâ???â? Joe Jackson shouted outside of his grandsonâ??s hospital door. The Jacksonâ??s were more than livid to see a representative for child services and the police officer that was with her. It would be an understatement to say that they were shocked to hear these new developments in this weekâ??s drama; there was no word for what they were feeling. â??I canâ??t tell you anything else except that he has been arrested and he is not to receive any visitors, with the exception of legal counsel of course.â? â??This is ridiculous!â? Joseph fumed. â??My son didnâ??t do anything wrong!â? â??The DEA and the LA police department will beg to differ with you.â? The officer crossed his arms. â??Mr. Jackson, I think itâ??s better for all concerned if you remain calm.â? Ms. Mitchell spoke stoically. â??Itâ??s a damn conspiracy; you all have been after Michael for years!â? Joe continued. â??Joseph please calm down.â? Jackie shook his head still in disbelief; these charges had come out of nowhere. â??We have to ask you all to vacate this floor.â? The officer added. â??I donâ??t understandâ?¦â? Katherine could feel her aged heart racing as each minute passed. Latoya placed comforting hands on her motherâ??s shoulders. â??We are only acting in the best interest of the children.â? â??The best interest of those kids is being with their family, not with strangers!â? Joe balled up his fists. â??Can we at least say good-bye to the kids before we leave?â? Rebe stepped forward. Ms. Mitchell and the officer looked t one another. â??Okay, but it has to be brief.â? Mitchell and the officer stepped aside and allowed the family to enter Prince and Blanketâ??s room one last time.â? *** â??These are serious charges, you know that right Mr. Jackson?â? Detective Burch stood at Michaelâ??s bedside questioning him about the particulars in the case that was mounting against him. â??I guess, I donâ??t know.â? Michael responded in child-like fashion, Truth be told he was scared to death. â??â??Well they are. We recovered a shit load of evidence from your residence. Itâ??s what we like to call a â??smoking gun caseâ??. You could do prison time; but of course that depends on you.â? Burch smirked haughtily. â??Me?â? Michael was suddenly shaking; he didnâ??t know whether it was because of the cold temperature or if it was from the sheer terror that this man ignited in him. â??Yeah, if you cooperate with the officials over your case.â? Burch took a pen from his shirt pocket and started to write in the tablet that he had with him. â??What do you mean cooperate?â? â??I want you to give me a list of all of the doctors that you have dealt with; we want to know who gave you what, when, and where.â? â??Iâ?¦donâ??t remember.â? In all honesty he didnâ??t, there were quite a few doctors and it was hard to keep them straight sometimes. â??Well you better remember, and quick. Otherwise weâ??re gonna send your ass to Norco so fast you wonâ??t know what hit you!â? Burch towered above him menacingly. â??What the hell do you think youâ??re doing!?â? Came an all too familiar voice, a voice Michael hadnâ??t heard in years. â??John!â? Michael had never been so happy to see his former lawyer. John Branca quickly approached the opposite side of Michaelâ??s bed and stood glaring at Detective Burch. â??Was he trying question you without a lawyer present Michael?â? â??Wellâ?¦â? Michael started but was interrupted. â??He didnâ??t ask for a lawyer.â? â??He didnâ??t ask for a lawyer, you know as well as I do that your excuse wonâ??t stand up in court. Did you even bother to read him his rights?â? There was a short silence. â??That was the arresting officerâ??s job, not mine.â? â??Okay, youâ??re done here; I want to speak to my client alone!â? Burch gave an insulting sneer towards the lawyer and left. â??Damn it Michael, looks like I got here in time.â? John smiled at his old friend. â??How did youâ?¦â? Michael smiled back and rested his head comfortably against his pillow. â??Tom called me; he said you needed my help.â? â??You didnâ??t have to come; but thank-you.â? â??Of course I did, Sneddon must be jumping for joy for another shot at you.â? â??Sneddon?â? Michael suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Sneddon, his own personal Hook. â??Yeah, heâ??s giving a press conference tomorrow morning on the charges that have been filed against you.â? â??Well, here goes round three, Jackson vs. Sneddon.â? â??Donâ??t worry Michael, he may get a few licks in but weâ??ll knock him out for the count!â? *** Two weeks laterâ?¦ The sound of the cell door closing behind him affirmed the reality of his situation. The dimly lit cell was not even bigger than his walk-in closet at home. There was a metal cot with a thin mattress sitting in against a wall in the left corner. A sink and toilet in the opposite corner; he could feel the coldness of the concrete floor through the soles of his jail-issued shoes. The prisoner stood taking in his new surroundings; so this would be his temporary residence for the night. He sat down on the cot and studied the dingy wall before him. The bail hearing was set for the next morning; Michael had been released from the hospital earlier that evening and was swiftly taken into full police custody. The Media and countless others were of course waiting outside the hospital to get a glimpse of the King of Pop in hand cuffs. Cameras were flashing, questions flying through the air as he was paraded out of the hospital in typical celebrity mocking fashion. His hands cuffed behind his back; escorted by two offices, one holding each arm and two more officers behind them. â??How the mighty have fallenâ??, he heard an officer behind him say to the other. He had worried about the fact that he was no longer in full facial make up at first but then Princeâ??s words in the hospital room came back to him. â??The people who really love you wonâ??t care, you shouldnâ??t hide anymoreâ??. So when the gliding door opened up and the evening air hit him, he held his head high before his onlookers. If there were murmurings or shocked gasps at his appearance, he didnâ??t hear them. He said nothing as he was put in the back of a police vehicle and remained silent during the trip to the station. The booking process was over with rather quickly and he was allowed to call his lawyer. John had apologized for not being able to get his bail set before all of the judges had gone home for the day. Michael had told him he would be fine but he most likely wouldnâ??t be. He hated small, confined places. The walls always seemed to be closing in on him in more ways than one. Heâ??d glanced at a clock on the wall on his way to his cell, it was nearly nine oâ??clock and he was wide awake. The fifty year-old lay down and closed his eyes. For what seemed like hours, he tossed and turned; every outside noise caused his eyes to open. The constant mirage of thoughts that played through his mind did little to help the matter. He couldnâ??t sleep, he needed something; anything to knock him outâ?¦ â??No!â? He sat straight up and clutched at the sides of the cot spring. He had to stop thinking like that! That was how he got in this mess in the first place. After a few deep breaths he lay back down again and tried the age old trick of counting sheepâ?¦it didnâ??t work. He tried to singing, still nothing. He thought about running back and forth from the wall to the cell door to tire him out but quickly dismissed that idea. He couldnâ??t work his heart up like that so soon. Finally, he resolved to just lie there with his eyes closed; sleep was bound to come sooner or later. *** â??Do you want some more pizza, Prince?â? The twelve year old stared at the lanky, balding man, who sat at the head of the table and politely responded, â??No thank-you Mister Phelps.â? â??But youâ??ve only eaten one slice, you canâ??t be full.â? Mrs. Phelps looked astonished at Princeâ??s plate that still held the crust of his pizza. â??Iâ??m not really hungry.â? â??What about you Blanket?â? Blanket looked down at his half-eaten slice of pepperoni and shook his head â??noâ??. The younger boy had no interest in food right now, not even if the Phelpsâ?? offered him a bucket of candy would he have been inclined to eat one piece. For three days they had been at the Phelpsâ?? residence and every day that passed Blanket had withdrawn from normal daily life a little more. He couldnâ??t understand why they were taken away from the hospital without their daddy or why they couldnâ??t see the rest of their family. Daddy had promised that they would all be together when they left but instead some stranger made them leave and come to this house to live with more strangers. Paris was gone too; the lady who took them from the hospital said that Paris had to go somewhere else. â??May we be excused?â? Prince asked. Mr. Phelps nodded his head and the two boys started off for the room that they shared. They had each been given a room of their own but Blanket would have none of that, no matter what Prince said about being too old for that kind of kid stuff. Upon entering Prince threw himself on the full-sized bed, landing on his back and let out a tired sigh. Blanket sat on the window in the corner of the room and peeked through the tan blinds. â??I donâ??t want to stay here anymore.â? Blanket whined. â??Donâ??t start whining, I donâ??t want to be here either.â? Prince put his right arm over his eyes. â??Why wonâ??t daddy come get us, is he mad at us?â? â??No, heâ??s not mad at us and if he could come for us, he would.â? â??How come we canâ??t stay with grandma?â? â??I donâ??t know Blanket, donâ??t worry okay.â? â??They took Paris tooâ?¦â? Blanket kicked the flat of his shoe against the window seat wall; he missed Paris a lot. â??I know.â? â??Where did they take her, how come she couldnâ??t come with us?â? â??Blanket, youâ??re asking me stuff that I donâ??t have the answers to. Justâ?¦just stop asking questions, dad will come for us soon okay.â? Prince slid under the covers of his bed and closed his eyes. Blanket peeked through the blinds once more and then headed over to where his brother lay. He stood there waiting for Prince to either move over or to say something. When he didnâ??t, Blanket started pushing his brotherâ??s back in an effort to move him over. â??Come on, stop it!â? Prince groaned. â??Then move over!â? â??Go sleep in your own bed.â? Prince shooed his younger brotherâ??s hands away. â??No, move over Prince!â? Blanket continued to push Prince over but to no avail the older boy refused to budge. Blanket just stopped and looked at Prince; he looked at the door and contemplated on sleeping across the hall in that lonely room. â??But what if while Iâ??m sleep they take Prince too?â?? He questioned himself. â??Princeâ?¦please?â? His soft tone was pleading. There was a long silence as Blanket stood there waiting for a reply but none came; with tears in his eyes he started for the door. â??Come on.â? Blanket looked back to see his brother now sitting up and throwing the covers back for him. Without hesitation Blanket walked back to the bed and lay down. He wiped the stray tears on his cheeks away and made himself comfortable. At least he still had Princeâ?¦ *** Ericka Lackey didnâ??t like Paris Jackson the moment she saw her; she had no particular reason for hating her parentâ??s newest foster kid, she just did. It didnâ??t matter what family she came from or how famous her father was, Ericka simply felt that her territory had been violated once again by her do-gooder parents. She was the only child and had enjoyed the benefits of that fact up until the age of fourteen. That was when her parents decided to foster other kids. Now she was sixteen and sheâ??d endured forty-seven system kids; kids nobody wanted. Now, there was Paris Jackson who sat next to her mother on the family room couch watching some cartoon; while she watched the display from the entryway. Her mother had said that they had to be especially kind to the little girl because of all that she had gone through in the last month. It took everything in Ericka to keep from saying, â??I donâ??t give a ratâ??s ass what sheâ??s been through, Iâ??m sick of sharing a house with strange kids! Iâ??m the only kid you should be concerned about!â?? Paris had cried for hours her first day there, of course Mrs. Lackey was there to comfort her and to tell her everything would be fine. Hopefully, the girl wouldnâ??t be there long, sheâ??d heard Ms. Mitchell tell her parents that Katherine Jackson was seeking temporary custody of Paris and her brothers and the stay might be short lived; well Ericka hoped she was right. â??Paris, honey you think you can sleep now?â? Mrs. Lackey ran her slender fingers through Parisâ?? hair. â??Yes mam.â? That was another thing; the kid was so sweet and polite that it made Ericka want to vomit. She rolled her eyes and headed to her room. *** Paris had promised herself that she wouldnâ??t cry anymore after that first day. Daddy would have wanted her to be strong; Grandpa Joseph too. Jacksonâ??s were supposed to be tough and she wanted to be an impenetrable stone right now. She wandered where her brothers were and what they were doing. She had asked Mrs. Lackey if she knew but she knew nothing about her brothers or her extended family. But she did say that she might get to go live with her grandmother soon and Paris held on to that hope. She also got the feeling that of she stayed too long the Lackeyâ??s daughter; Ericka would do something to hurt her. Sheâ??d felt the older girls disdain for her the minute they locked eyes. As she snuggled down into the brass day bed in her room her thoughts went to her father; and the fear that tore through her when that policeman forced her daddy to leave her alone in that hospital room. It wasnâ??t fair; she never even got to kiss him good-bye. Sheâ??d never heard her father yell or curse before and when he did she knew that something was very wrong. She wondered if they had taken her daddy to jail, it wasnâ??t good for their little family to be apart. They werenâ??t use to being alone, not seeing and talking to each other every day. She remembered when daddy had sent her and her brothers to stay the week-end with their grandparents a few years back. Thereâ??d been terrible separation anxiety betwixt the four; it was the longest week-end of her short life. From then on Michael never let his children sleep over at anyoneâ??s house. If Katherine wanted to see her grandkids, Michael went with them; if she wanted them to spend the night; Michael spent the night too. She grasped the gold locket around her neck and shut her eyes tight. Her father had given it to her for her tenth birthday. Inside was picture of their family and Omer Bhatti; heâ??d always been like an older brother to them. She thought that maybe if she wished hard enough then she would open her eyes and this would have all been an awful dream. Her daddy, her brothers, and she would all be home together; laughing, playing games, singingâ?¦ Alas, when morning came she found that it was no dream; it was reality and she was aloneâ?¦ *** Lisa could have thrown a bowling ball at the TV when she saw that bastard Tom Sneddon boasting about how Michael Jackson will finally pay for his crimes. She swore that old gas bag had been hanging onto his position and life in general hoping that heâ??d finally win this tug of war between himself and Michael. Her husband, Priscilla, and Riley sat with her in the den and watched the press conference in silence. Lisa sat on the sofa beside Riley while her mother and Mike sat in chairs on each side of the sofa. She could feel Lockwoodâ??s gaze on her ever now and then. She knew he was watching for some kind of reaction but she was fighting any kind of emotional outburst. â??I canâ??t believe heâ??s still alive, I think heâ??s been holding on just so he could convict Michael on something.â? It was as if Riley had read her mind. â??Well he certainly seems to be tickled pink, heâ??s finally has a case.â? Lockwood sighed; his eyes still boring holes into the side of his wifeâ??s head. â??He wonâ??t do any jail time I think; he has access to a lot of smart lawyers.â? Priscilla examined her finger nails; she was overdue for a manicure. â??I canâ??t believe one of his brothers or sisters arenâ??t trying to get temporary custody. Katherine is like what 80?â? Riley crossed her arms. â??Sheâ??s 79 and Katherine is the only person in his family besides Janet that he completely trusts.â? Lisa finally spoke. â??Whereâ??s Ben?â? Priscilla asked. She hadnâ??t seen her grandson all day or yesterday. â??Heâ??s stayed over at Anthonyâ??s last night.â? Lockwood stood up and stretched; he had to be at the studio in an hour. â??I have to head to the studio; Iâ??ll see you all later.â? â??Bye, Mike.â? Priscilla smiled. â??Later.â? Riley added. Lisa just looked up at him and forced a tender smile. He leaned over the sofa and aimed to kiss his wifeâ??s lips but she turned her head and he got her cheek. This didnâ??t go unnoticed by the other two women in the room and it only served to infuriate her husband all the more. Without another word or gesture he straightened up and left the den quickly. The sound of the French made door slamming sounded off throughout the house. *** â??Your honor, Mr. Jackson is an obvious flight risk. He has access to private planes and a number of international acquaintances that could help aide and abed him. The prosecution asks that he be remanded into police custody until his trial date.â? District Attorney Salvatore argued before a very unenthused Judge Reynolds. Michael stood in front of the judge bench with his hanging, clearly humiliated by the ordeal. He heard some whispers from the other prisoners that sat behind him awaiting their turn at bail. He dared not turn around and he tried hard to block out all voices accept for the two lawyers beside him and the pissed off looking judge before him. â??Your honor, Mr. Jackson has already surrendered his passport and visa to authorities and he has agreed to where an ankle monitor as a condition of his release.â? â??Butâ?¦â? Salvatore started but was interrupted. â??Alright, Mr. Salvatore, Mr. Branca I have heard your arguments and Iâ??ve made my decision. Considering that the defendant does have many ways to elude court proceedings if he was so inclined to; bail will be granted and set at two million dollarsâ?¦â? â??Your honor thatâ??s unusual considering these kinds of charges.â? Branca was amazed that the judge would set Michaelâ??s bond so high. â??Well if your client has no intention of evading his trial, he might very well see that bail money again, the defendant will also be placed on house arrestâ?¦bailiff next case.â? The judge waved the trio off and Michael felt tension weigh in on his back and shoulder muscles. â??Your father is down stairs; Iâ??ll give him a call and have him arrange for your bail immediately, okay?â? â??Josephâ??s here?â? Michael didnâ??t know why he was so surprised that his father would take such interest in what he was experiencing. Joseph had been there every day for at his 2005 trial. Whether he wanted him there sometimes or not. â??Yeah, he insisted on being here. Heâ??s going to pick you up from the station too, is that okay?â? â??Yeah, I guess.â? Michael replied as he was led away by a detention deputy. â??Okay, Iâ??ll see you later.â? Well, Michael thought that the ride with Joseph should prove to be quite interesting to say the least. It wasnâ??t often that the two men were alone together; neither ever really knew what to say to the other when they were. It was sure to be a car ride filled with mixed emotions. *** â??Youâ??ve got to be kidding me, why would she want that after all this time!?â? Jermaine grimaced as he sat in front of Tomas Mesereauâ??s office desk; his mother alongside him. â??She doesnâ??t have any rights does she?â? Katherine was worried her tired heart wouldnâ??t be able to take much more of the stress that had been put on their lives this past month. â??Debbie Rowe relinquished her rights to the kids, she has not right to try to seek custody again!â? Jermaine insisted. â??Legally, she may have a chance at getting at least visitation if she continues with her latest course of action.â? Mesereau had managed to secure a custody hearing a week from that day and unexpectedly he was contacted by Debbie Roweâ??s lawyer; who informed him that Prince and Parisâ?? bio-logical mother wanted the kids. â??This is just another ploy for money.â? Jermaine Jackson hissed and clenched his fists. â??What about the hearing?â? â??Weâ??re still going ahead with it but Rowe will fight it; in situations like these itâ??s better if both parties come up with an arrangement together and present it to the court for approval.â? â??You mean compromise?â? Katherine knew without question what Michaelâ??s feelings were concerning Debbie and their children. â??Her lawyer has had this same discussion with her and she is willing to meet and discuss the situation. â??Meanwhile, my niece and nephews have to stay in foster homes until we come to an agreement.â? â??Iâ??m afraid so, Michaelâ??s hearing was todayâ?¦â? â??Yeah, Joseph is bringing him home.â? â??Home, you mean the Encino compound?â? Mesereau looked worried. â??Obviously.â? Jermaine said. â??Thatâ??s not a good idea; right now the court has issues with Michael and what they see as his inability to properly parent the kids. If you want a shot at custody your son can not reside with you.â? â??Where will he go then, he canâ??t go back to the house where he was staying.â? Katherine didnâ??t like not being able to know that her baby boy was alright; she wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. â??And he canâ??t be alone either.â? Jermaine took his motherâ??s hand in his. â??What about the Neverland property, is that an option?â? Mesereau had an inkling that this suggestion might not be plausible in the long run; considering how vocal his client had been about never returning to his former estate. â??Oh no, Michael will never agree to go back there.â? The elderly woman shook her head in disagreement. â??Well he needs to be in a secluded place, away from the spotlight until his trial date. I think itâ??s worth mentioning to him.â? Katherine and Jermaine looked at each other and sighed, they were indeed running out of possible options. The family wanted Michael close but they also wanted his children out of the system and with the family where they belonged. Katherine patted her third sonâ??s hand and said, â??Iâ??ll talk to him.â? CHAPTER FOUR For some reason Joseph looked different to Michael; the same but different. He couldnâ??t put his finger on just what it was, but there was something in the old manâ??s eyes; a gentleness that Michael had never seen before. When they got into his fatherâ??s pick up, Joseph just sat staring ahead, both hands grasping the steering wheel. The younger man became fixated on the dashboard before him. There was certainly nothing interesting about the dashboard but it kept him from looking at his father. Once again they were at a loss for words; once again that uncomfortable tension had returned. After nearly five minutes Joseph turned the key in the ignition, shifted the gear to drive, and backed out of the parking space. When he had first saw Joseph in the station heâ??d promptly thanked him for coming and Joseph had asked if he had all of his things. Beyond that brief exchange between father and son there had only been glances and silence. It wasnâ??t until they pulled into the garage at the Encino compound and Michael was about to get out, that he was taken aback by the older manâ??s firm hand grabbing his arm to keep him inside the vehicle. Joseph looked Michael in his eyes and he started to say something but stopped. â??Joseph, what is it?â? he asked. His father again tried to speak but words failed him, he let go of Michaelâ??s arm and shook his head. Slowly Michael turned towards the door again and got out. â??Tell your motherâ?¦.tell her Iâ??ll be back in a little while.â? Joseph finally spoke, but it wasnâ??t what he intended to say but it was all he could get out. â??Okay.â? With that Michael closed the truck door and headed to the main house. *** Michael had hoped for good news when he inquired after his motherâ??s efforts to get temporary custody of his kids. He didnâ??t know why he expected good news; there was always that curve ball that always hit him square in the head. Katherine had been right; Michael did not like what she had to say at all! Shared custody with Debbie was out of the question and him returning to Neverland, not a chance in hell! â??Michael, I donâ??t see any other way, Mr. Mesereau said that Debbie Rowe isnâ??t going to back down this time.â? Katherine sat at the kitchen table next to her son. â??She wants money?â? â??No, she says it not about that; apparently she wants to get to know the kids.â? â??No, no we had an agreement!â? He slammed his fist against the table causing the china on it to rattle. â??What about your living arrangements?â? â??I wonâ??t stay hereâ?¦Iâ??ll find somewhere else to go.â? â??You could stay in one of the guest properties at Neverland; you need to be somewhere secluded, where the press canâ??t get to you.â? She rubbed his back; Michael folded his arms on the table and put his head down. â??I donâ??t know motherâ?¦if I have to, if it will help my kidsâ?¦â? His soft falsetto voice had long been abandoned for the last two years and his natural deeper voice answered his mother. There was a short silence as she continued to rub his back, comforting her sensitive son. â??Elizabeth Taylor called for you earlier, I told her to try back later.â? Katherine had never really cared for Liz Taylor or the much more powerful influence she had over Michael; but she respected the fact that Liz had always stood by her son. â??Okayâ?¦Iâ??m going to lie down.â? He stood and walked out of the kitchen, headed for his old room. Indeed if it came down to his children safe welfare and his dislike of having to set his feet on the soil of Neverland again then his kids won the bout. Heâ??d go back, but he wouldnâ??t like it. *** Parisâ?? throat still burned from the table spoon of hot sauce that Ericka had dropped in her mouth while she was sleeping. Ericka had run from Parisâ?? bedroom laughing while the younger girl gagged and coughed trying desperately to breathe. Mrs. Lackey had come running into her room when she heard the commotion. It was twenty minutes before Paris was able to tell the woman what happened. Ericka was immediately grounded and Paris made sure to stay close to Mrs. Lackey lest her new rival tried something even crueler. â??Daddy, please come soon!â?? She screamed inside of her head. â??Paris, do you want to go to the store with me?â? Mrs. Lackey asked as she put some dishes in the dishwasher. â??Yes mam.â? â??Okay, Iâ??ll get my purse and my keys and then we can go.â? *** Ericka was nearly finished with the scrap book that she had been working on since the afternoon before. It was perfect, the best idea she had ever come up with and it was sure to bring about the result she wanted. Sheâ??d be grounded for life but it was going to be worth it. â??Ericka Iâ??m stepping out, Iâ??ll be back in a half an hour.â? She heard her mother say through her door. â??Okay, mom.â? She smiled wickedly, this was perfect. She ran immediately to her window and looked down to the paved driveway below. After a moment she saw her mother and Paris approach the family Volkswagen. When they had driven away, Ericka grabbed the scrap book and headed for the younger girls room. *** Blanket had gotten the doll from his grandmother a year ago. It had been a birthday present; which was a surprise because he very well that Katherine didnâ??t celebrate holidays or birthdays. When he first unwrapped the gift, his little face lit up and he threw himself into the elderly womanâ??s arms. â??This way your daddy will always be with you,â?? sheâ??d whispered softly in his ear. He had kept that doll with him everywhere he went, though daddy would tell him to leave it in the car when they got. He would give anything to hold the action figure of his daddy right then. It had been lost in the car wreck; heâ??d never see it again. Katherine had promised to get him another one soon but he wanted that one and who knew when he and his brother would be able to go home. Heâ??d asked the Phelps when he and Prince could go and live with their daddy again but they were no help. They didnâ??t seem to know anything of much use; they just kept trying to feed him and get him to play with one toy or another. The head strong seven year old refused to do anything fun until he saw his daddy again. He sat in Princesâ?? bedroom window and stared down at the street and the passers by all day until someone would call him to meal times. Prince would try to engage him in conversation but it was no use in talking to Blanket about anything other than going home. *** Prince couldnâ??t remember the last time that he had cried before the day his father had been rushed to the hospital. It was all so sudden; he had been sitting in the den watching TV with his brother and sister when their chef, Kai Chase came running in saying that Dr. Murray needed him right away and that something may be wrong with his father. The events that followed were something he would rather not remember; just as he would rather not dwell on the fact that he was not able to control what was going on around him. Daddy was gone, Paris was goneâ?¦ The Phelps wouldnâ??t let the boys view regular TV; it was always DVDâ??s or the cartoon channel, but never the news. He thought that if he could just sneak and watch the news after everyone had gone to bed or get to the morning paper that was delivered at the house, then maybe he would know what happened to his famous father. He had tried the news idea the night before but only found that he would have to input a code to view the TV. Heâ??d also tried the newspaper plan that very morning but Mr. Phelps was up at 5:30 to collect it when it arrived. There seemed to be nothing else to do but endure the situation at hand. He worried for Blanket who seemed more and more irritable and distant. The only time he really bothered to talk or even look at Prince was when he wanted his brother to let him sleep in his room. The older boy spent the better part of his day playing video games and glancing through the books in the Phelps private library. There was one book in particular that caught his attention, â??Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldnâ??t Grow Upâ?? by James M. Barrie. Instantly his home had went back to his early childhood home, â??Neverlandâ??. Daddy loved Peter Pan, without hesitation he took the book off of the shelf and thumbed through the delicate pages. It was obviously old; looking inside he found that it was a first edition. Though he knew his father loved Peter Pan, Michael never spoke about the literary figure in length. With a smile Prince headed to his room where Blanket was no doubt still positioned staring out of the window. â??Maybe this will cheer him up a little,â?? he thought. *** At first Paris did not see the pink, lacy scrapbook propped up against her bed pillow when she entered her room. Sheâ??d hung up her purple hoodie in the closet and turned to her bed to lie down; thatâ??s when she laid eyes on the beautiful book. The words â??Sweet Memoriesâ?? were engraved in silver on the front cover. Lace and assorted flower designs adorned the outside entirety of the book. Next to it was a pink index card that said, â??Just so you know how I really feel about you!â?? Paris smiled and picked up what she knew was a peace offering from Ericka. Her first instinct had been to immediately run to the older girlâ??s room and thank her for such a lovely gift; but she wanted to look at the gold trimmed pages inside. Excitedly she opened to the first page and the ear to ear smile slowly faded away; replaced with horror and confusion. Thumbing through the rest of the book, she found that it was only filled with more disturbing things that she could not wrap her young mind around. Before she got to the end, her hands lost their grip on the book and it fell to the ground. Paris looked frantically around the room as if she expected Ericka to be watching her, waiting to point her finger and laugh in her face. There was no one else in the room, just her and the millions of unknown voices that rang in her ears. â??How can she be so mean?â?? Paris looked down at the scrapbook and then picked it up. For the first time in her eleven years she felt rage course throughout her body, she wanted to hurt Ericka. Sheâ??d never wanted to hurt anyone before; Paris turned on her heels and headed out of her room in search of Ericka. She found her in her room sitting Indian style on her bed; a pleased yet evil smile on her freckled complexion. â??So, I see you found your present, did you like it?â? The older girl chuckled, completely tickled by the hurt, anguished look in Parisâ?? eyes. Without responding and without warning the scrapbook went flying from the younger girls hand and through the air; hitting Ericka square in the face. Erickaâ??s head snapped back and she hit her head against her headboard. When she came back up her nose was covered in blood. She wiped a hand across her nose and saw the blood on her fingers. So completely shocked by the incident, she didnâ??t have time to react before Paris had darted across the room and jumped on top of her and started to pummel Ericka in the face as hard as she couldâ?¦ *** Michael had only one memorable experience in this bedroom that he had once thought of as his refuge, his safe place away from the rest of the family that lived in the Encino compound; the night he and Lisa Marie had spent there a few months after they had been married. Katherine had insisted that Michael bring his new wife to a family dinner; every one of his siblings was expected to attend the momentous occasion; Joseph had been there as well. The dinner went well; everyone seemed to like Lisa Marie, especially Michaelâ??s mother. She just doted over her new daughter in-law; sheâ??d wanted Michael to find happiness for so long. And he was happy with Lisa; she was the first real relationship they he had ever had. Sure he had some experiences with a few other women but there was always some stigma that destroyed his past couplings. For the first time in his life he felt like he would finally experience what so many others did, he could have a wife, children and live a truly fulfilled life. Lisaâ??s kids Riley and Ben were visiting Priscilla and that gave way to plenty of alone time for the King of Pop and the Princess of Rock nâ?? Roll. They had been deemed musical royalty, well that title suited him just fine but Lisa always shied away from public opinion while Michael basked in his fans never ending love. It was times like that night; lying side by side in his Encino bedroom that they left super stardom, fame, and all outsiders behind. They were the only two people in the world and nothing could penetrate the intense bond that they shared. Michael held her close; both writhing from the aftermath of eventful passion. Heâ??d kissed her head gently and Lisa snuggled closer peppering his chest with warm kisses. â??I love you, you know that girl?â?? He smiled, running the back of his large, rough hand against the softness of her cheek. â??I knowâ?¦I love you too Michael, and I always will!â?? â??Alwaysâ??, that was such a promising word, â??alwaysâ??. Sheâ??d promised to always love him. It had ended not so suddenly he thought when he looked at the events that led up to their divorce. The things he did and said to her, the things she said to him. There had been a lot of hurt on both sides; they had let their pride and egoâ??s get in the way of something that was so damn good in the beginning. In the end they had been able to become friends with the help of his sister Janet. Truth be told there was no closure for Michael and his first wife; too much had been left up in the air. His encounters with Debbie Rowe didnâ??t help the matter. No matter what Lisa had said, he knew that she was hurt to find out that Debbie conceived while they were still married. It wasnâ??t one of Michaelâ??s most flattering moments but he did not regret having Prince and Paris in his life. Eventually over time and the last four years the friendliness between them had soured on both ends. The interviews she had given in recent years both hurt and angered him. He supposed she had her own reasons for being mad at him, namely over her fatherâ??s catalogue. What was so bad about him selling one of Elvisâ?? songs to Viagra for a commercial, it was business nothing personal against the Presley family. The Elvis nose job comment had just been a slip of the tongue, he didnâ??t meant to say it. He just wanted to people to stop acting like he was the only one who ever had a nose job. The last time they had spoken was after the Bashir documentary. She had sounded so caring on the phone, so concerned. Their happy life had ended too soon and still Michael would compare any woman he had taken interest in the years since the divorce to her. No one ever made his heart skip a beat; not the way Lisa did. When she smiled at him or held his hand it was just another affirmation of their love. When she married in 2006, he didnâ??t eat for two days. Again, another man had married who he felt was his soul mate; and when she announced that she was pregnantâ?¦he became angry. Those children should have been heâ??s, theirs. Thankfully over time that anger subsided and he tried his best to be happy for the woman who would always be the love of his life. As he now lay draped across his bed staring at the ceiling, he thought of how different his life could have been if they had never split up. Maybe if he hadnâ??t been so in a hurry to force having a child on her; if she had been empathetic to his reservations about opening up, and if only they both had had the good sense to block out all outsiders concerning their marriage. Above all, if they had only cared and paid attention to each otherâ??s feelingsâ?¦if onlyâ?¦ *** Debbie Rowe knew Michael would be angry with her present mindset; but somehow that didnâ??t matter. In the long run she would have to look back at her life and the decisions that she had made concerning her only children. Prince Michael Jr. and Paris didnâ??t even know who she really was. This thought had been really eating away at her for the pass year. Michaelâ??s heart attack and subsequent arrest only fueled the fire that had been kindling for some time. It wasnâ??t about money, it never really was. It was about making Michael happy. She had borne the children because she loved Michaelâ?¦she had been in love with Michael. Children were all he really wanted in the world and Lisa refused to give him what he wanted. She thought that maybe it would be an eternal bond between her and the man who had always been a fixation in her life from early on. When she was a young teenager, his poster had hung on her wall over her bed. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would meet him, let alone have born him two beautiful children. Somewhere in her hearts mind she had hoped that she would become more to Michael than his friend or a vessel to carry his offspring. Debbie realized shortly after her hasty marriage to the pop star that she could never be more than a friend to him. He was still very much in love with Lisa, with glamour and exotic beauty. Unfortunately she would never be described as raving beauty. Michael still continued to see his ex-wife and her kids, taking them on vacation trips to Africa and England with him. He even took Prince and his parentsâ?¦but not her. Debbie had never even lived with Michael at his ranch; he set her up in a beautiful home elsewhere. She put on a brave face and convinced herself that everything was okay, that she only felt friendship for Michael; but it wasnâ??t true. She felt more, thatâ??s why she had relented in her previous attempts to get her parental rights restored. She wanted Michael to be happy and if her happiness came at the expense of his then that was just the way it was going to be. But not anymore, she needed to be there for her kids, she wanted to be a mother to Prince and Paris. No matter how much Michael protested, she wasnâ??t going to back down this time! *** â??Debbie Rowe, why am I not surprised!?â?? Lisa grimaced at the TV image of the stout woman coming out of some place yelling and cursing at the camera crews. Lisa was standing in her kitchen cutting some tomatoes for her turkey sandwich while watching the latest developments in Michaelâ??s life on the small TV on top of a counter. She couldnâ??t stand the sight of the woman who in her eyes was the last straw in an already troubled marriage. There were times still that she wanted to strangle Michael for getting involved with the likes of that blond cow. Lisa had never seen Debbie as a threat; she was just some homely, gaudy looking nurse who had a crush on her husband. Little did she know how big of a threat â??Nurseyâ?? would become later on. If she had listened to her friends about Michaelâ??s ongoing friendship with the nurse maybe their marriage could have had a chance. But probably not; Michael did whatever he wanted to do whenever he wanted to do it and to hell with her feelings. Sometimes he would totally ignore her presence in a room and she would get frustrated and snap at him and at what she saw as his emotional immaturity. At the time his self-pity infuriated her beyond belief, sheâ??d shout, â??Who loves every moment of their childhood, you show me a person who says they did and Iâ??ll show you that their crazy!â?? He would just shake his head and respond that she didnâ??t understand. Looking back, maybe she didnâ??t understand. Yes they had both grown up in the spotlight, their families were musical royalty, the Media was constantly interested in the goings on in their lives but Michaelâ??s experience of childhood had been different she had come to realize. Michael had been the front man for the Jackson Five from the tender age of five, he was rehearsing for hours on a daily basis, constantly on the road; he lived his adulthood as a child. And now he was living his childhood as an adult. In the moment that this revelation dawned on her she could only think of â??The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonâ??. Looking at the television they were now reporting that Debbie was asking the court to grant her at least partial custody of Prince and Paris. â??Yeah, like Michael will let that happen.â? She said aloud to no one. Priscilla had left for Tennessee last week, Riley and Ben were out and about with their friends, and Michael had taken the girls to see a movie. She was glad for the solitude, being alone was better than being examined by her family every minute of the day. It was obvious that she wasnâ??t taking this thing with Michael very well. Everyday there seemed to be even more twists and turns. Thank whatever powers were out there that Michael had been granted bail. She knew her ex hated small, confined places. After putting the finishing touches on her sandwich she pulled a stool away from the kitchen island and sat at the counter. Now there were people on talking about rather or not Debbie had any legal rights, she didnâ??t care about that at the moment. The kids should go to Katherine; they should stay with the Jacksons. She rolled her eyes when they showed Debbie threatening to beat a cameraman up for pushing her. Lisa knew that the husky woman could most likely make good on that threat. She finished the rest of her sandwich while glancing ever so often at the small television. When she was done she turned the TV off and headed for her office upstairs. Upon entering she immediately locked the door and went to her mahogany book shelf that sat just behind her desk. She positioned herself on the side of it and reached behind it to grab something that she had always kept hidden from everyone. After some maneuvering she finally pulled out a rectangular, black velvet box. Sheâ??d done a good job of taping it to the back of the shelf. It was dusty, what else could be expected. She hadnâ??t looked inside of it since right before she left for China to marry Lockwood. Lisa sat down in her office chair and placed the box on the desk in front of her. Taking a deep sigh she opened the box slowly and gazed at the contents inside. It was her wedding ringâ?¦the one Michael had given her and the pearl necklace that heâ??d surprised her with during a candle light dinner before they were married. She could never bring herself to part with these intimate items as she had with Danny and Nickâ??s nuptial rings and courting gifts; the joy that had radiated throughout her body when Michael had presented the engagement ring to her in his living room, she couldnâ??t express it in words. She slipped off the ring that was a symbol of her marriage to Lockwood and slid Michaelâ??s ring on her finger; and then brought the laced pearls around her neck and fastened the clasps. This felt right, his ring on her finger. Whatever fantasy she might play out in her mind while she was inside the safety of her office, she knew that she couldnâ??t stay there, she couldnâ??t keep Michaelâ??s ring on, Lockwood was her future and she didnâ??t see any way out of that; no plausible way, no way that didnâ??t make her look like a fickle *****. It wouldnâ??t be long before Lockwood and the kids returned, but she decided to sit there for a moment longer and ponder on what might have beenâ?¦ TO BE CONTINUED IN 'CROSSROADS'...
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