𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐄

❝Loving anybody and being loved by anybody
Is a tremendous danger,
A tremendous responsibility.❞

❖

JAMES BALDWIN

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⎯⎯⎯DIANA ROSS HASN'T HAD THE BEST LUCK WHEN IT COMES TO MEN. She is the daughter of an emotionally distant man; the former ex-lover of the founder of one of the biggest, black-owned labels known to the world; the ex-wife of a (mostly) benevolent producer unconsciously led by jealousy and insecurity, and the recipient of many suitors she finds herself feeling very little for. As she fights to both find herself and determine the disconnect between her wants—the career, the husband, the ideal, perfect family—and her semi-charmed, but relatively abysmal reality, life throws her an unexpected curveball.

Enter Michael Jackson, once the boy now the young man, bound to her after years of being his willful guide and one of the few figures of stability in a childhood rife with disorder. Michael really likes her, that much is true, but for her, their history makes it impossible to consider even the smallest form of reciprocity—that is, until a snowy night in 1980 becomes a wild card she never imagined would be a part of her deck.

As Diana struggles with what she wants and what most would deem acceptable, choices—thoughtless, well-meaning, and heartbreaking in nature—are made, sending her down a path of love, estrangement, and ruin, all of which ultimately lead her back to one person: Michael. For better or for worse.

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PREFACE

This is a fanfic, but also a case study focusing mostly on Diana's life and the formation of her relationship with Michael—platonic, familial, and romantic—and how it was a wonderfully complex thing that was, in her own words, "a part of the fabric of her life".

Some of the subjects tackled in The Color Orange and in my much older fic, Surrender, will be making appearances again, but as this story is based on information that has surfaced in recent years, there will also be a lot of differences.

In this story, Diana will be represented as who she is in real life: a flawed human being who, at her core, is fundamentally good.

Diana the Villainess has no place here.

—BRI

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DISCLAIMER

This story is based on actual events. In certain cases, incidents, characters, and timelines have been changed or adapted for dramatic purposes or for analyses of very specific theories, specifically those that surround the mystery of Michael and Diana's relationship—in all of its forms. Certain characters may be composites or entirely fictitious.

Last but not least: I do not know Michael or Diana personally. I do, however, know way too much about them.

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DEDICATION

To MidnightAugustMoon, who had the patience and grace to encourage and push me to the very end despite my endless ranting and cold feet.

And to "J", whose insight, tea, impeccable research skills, and unforgettable humor fed my soul and brought the story herein to life.

STARTED: 04.10.2021
STATUS: WIP
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