The Surrogate (A Michael Jackson Fanfiction)

Let's Break the Pattern

Saturday April 9, 2005

Nina Sofia Jackson:

We ended up staying in Santa Monica the entire week. The flu virus last three days instead of just 24 hours, but Maddox was back on his feet now and happier than ever. Marcus hung around for an extra day and spent some time with him on Bill's watch of course. Jisela said that he had come by each day that Maddox was sick and took care of him just as he said he would. I still felt terrible, but I refused to let my dwelling over breaking his heart, break up my current marriage...

Not wanting to wear out our welcome, we spent the rest of the week in a hotel despite Jisela's parents' persistence.

I sat in Michael's dressing room with the girls and Maddox while he sat in a chair across the room. His stylist - a beautiful Asian girl with a long silky braid down her back - was standing next to him, hovering closely as she applied his eye liner perfectly. She was a breath's distance from kissing him, but the concentration in her face led me to believe she didn't even notice that. His people were all very professional. Michael was watching me through the reflection in the mirror. When I met eyes with, him he smiled.

"Boy, I'm getting that feeling..." He said trying hard to remain very still. The stylist moved to his other eye, smiling slightly at his comment. "This is the part I love, you know... The adrenaline before a show... That feeling when I first step out on the stage and the love the crowd pours into me... I can't even put words to the feeling, baby."

I just smiled at him and laughed a little. I wish I felt just a little energetic. The last little stretch of this pregnancy was really taking me down. I was glad to be here with him though. I could tell it made him even that much more excited.

Maddox ran to him and looked between him and the woman, eyes full of curiosity. Michael, very stiffly as to not disturb his stylist's work, reached his long finger out and poked my son in the arm.

"Why are you wearing that? It's for girls, silly!" Maddox exclaimed with a laugh.

"Who told you that?" Michael challenged. Maddox shrugged at this.

"All of the cool rock stars are wearing it, you know; even boys." The stylist said, she must have been born and raised in America. Her English was very American without even a trace of an accent.

"Rock star....?" Maddox tilted his head to the side and just stared at Michael. Michael had on a white, V-neck under shirt and a pair of pants with buckles and chains all over them - similar to the pants from his BAD album cover. He was opening the show with the song 'Bad'. Michael had always just been Michael around him, he didn't have that much exposure to Michael Jackson the superstar. This would be his first time seeing him a live concert.

The girls are still too young to understand the significance of what they are about to witness tonight. Daddy is daddy to them in no matter what form, but Maddox is older now and seeing Michael in this entirely different persona may affect how he views his stepdad.

It's still very surreal for me sometimes even...

Another male and two females came in. It took two women to carry his jacket and a man I guess to guard it. They helped my husband into it and put a pair of flashy sunglasses on his eyes and there he was... Michael Jackson. I lifted up my phone and Michael put his hand on Maddox's shoulder. "Smile." he said softly and Maddox beamed through a big "Cheeeeese!!"

Michael laughed loudly and then turned to one of the ladies in the room. One was a middle aged African American woman and the other another young Asian girl. He took my phone from me and handed it to the younger girl and pointed to the older lady. "Will you hold one of the girls?" She flushed instantly at being asked to hold one of Michael's legendary children. I took Paris and the other girl had Priya, Michael didn't want to hold them because he was afraid they'd get scratched by something on his wild jacket. We posed for a few pictures and then he was off to pose for some with his band and crew and a few lucky fans who had backstage passes.