SWEETHEART • MJ [ORIGINAL]

One.

"STOP LAUGHING, MICHAEL," Paul exclaimed, watching Michael roared and bent over in laughter. "This was your idea."

The two singers were recording Jackson's song, The Girl Is Mine. Paul had finally made his way back into the studio to help with the progression of the new album. They were recording the bridge and the silly conversational dialogue was the part that was causing roars of laughter in the studio. Michael wouldn't take anything serious. He couldn't stop laughing and his laughter was contagious towards everyone in the room.

"What if two guys were fighting over Ariah or Stella like this?" Quincy legitimately questioned Paul. The legendary producer was curious to see what kind of response the musician would give. "What would you do?"

"I'd tell them to go home and that neither of them were good enough for my babies." Paul responded with a chuckle. "My girls are too precious for me to even give away to another gentleman." Paul explained, giving his fatherly opinion and response.

Michael found that quite odd.

"Why? What if the two guys were genuine and a heart of gold? Or maybe, they were huge fans of you?"

"Still, Michael. No man is good enough for my baby girls. No man. You'll understand when you have a daughter."

Paul sensed that Michael could've been trying to get through to one his daughters, but he shook it off. He was much older and he was supposedly dating a woman by the name of Brooke Shields.

"Say, you're seeing Brooke Shields aren't you?"

"Why? Who's asking?"

"Me, chum." Paul heartily chuckled as other people in the room began to laugh, anticipating Michael's reply. 

"If you must know,"

"Which I must," Paul interrupted Michael's stalling beginning comment, with a small smirk plastered upon his face.

"We are together, yes."

"Hopefully your love for her will continue to grow." Paul nodded, really hoping for the best when it came to Brooke and Michael. He rubbed his palms together slowly in uneasiness as he began to inform the folks about his divorce from Linda.

"Linda and I," The musician cleared his throat before sharing the news that crushed him all over again when he spoke of the words. "Linda and I are splitting."

Every one of the members wore a face of sadness before offering condolences and apologies.

"Splitting?" Michael repeated, not believing what he had just heard himself. "Oh, that's so unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that."

"As am I."

"How's the rest of my family? Ariah?"

"Stella and Zuri are taking it rough." Paul informed, rubbing his hands together slowly. "Ariah, well, I can imagine she's trying to deal with it, like the rest of us."

Paul grabbed his coat and folder of musical compositions, preparing to leave the studio. He had said his farewells to the crew but before he walked out of the studio, Michael stopped him.

"If you ever need anything. Let me know, alright? I'll be there. Please tell the girls that too. Please."

There was something in Michael's young brown orbs that let Paul know that he was sincere. He didn't want to pry, he simply wanted to help.

"You got it."

••••

"CAN'T BELIEVE IT," Linda groaned at the thought of her soon to be ex-husband, Paul McCartney. "Known him for over 20 years. I can't believe it's come down to this."

"Mum, he's not cheating. He loves you." Ariah tried to reassure not only her mother, but herself. Like most people, she wouldn't want to believe that her father was unfaithful to his wife, her mother. "He would never commit such an immoral act. He loves you too much."

"Tried to tell that to myself for eight months." Linda hastily said, while turning a faucet on the bathtub to run a bath for Zuri, who was getting ready to bathe for dinner.

"It's the truth." Ariah insisted, wishing her mother would hold just a bit of hope in front of her. Hope was the only thing keeping Mrs. McCartney from realizing the facts.

"It's a lie, Ariah."

Linda quickly left out of the bathroom only to bring Zuri back in. When she rushed into the bathroom to turn the faucet off and Zuri stumbling into the lavatory behind her, a heavy sigh escaped Mrs. McCartney's lips.

"Before you ask me if I'm okay, Zuri, yes. I'm fine." Linda fixed her hair into a low and messy ponytail as Ariah grabbed a towel to lay over the edge of the bathtub for her younger sister. It was a must that Zuri knew that her mother was okay. It wasn't healthy for the little girl to worry, yet she always made a habit to ask if her relatives were alright. Then, she'd be alright. In a way, she found peace in knowing that her family was okay.

Linda wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist, hoping to get the comfort and love she needed in that moment. Through emotions and the returned embrace, it was received. Ariah was barely taller than her own mother, but it wasn't a bother to either one of them. It was the least of their concern at the time as Ariah kissed the top of her mother's hair and lightly sighed. She didn't know what to say. In fact, she didn't feel led to say anything at all.

"I hope you find good love, my baby." Linda whispered to her, genuinely meaning every word. "Love like your father and I used to have."

Ariah felt tears swelling up in her eyes. Her parents splitting made her feel uneasy.

Her father. Her mother. They were more than just Linda and Paul McCartney. They were her parents. They were really the loves of her life. They took her into their family and she had always reminded herself of how she needed to be grateful for such an act.

"Mum, don't give up on Daddy. You can't."

"I've given up on loving him a long while ago, darling." Mrs. McCartney painfully admitted to her daughter with sadness built up in her heart. It broke her to even speak those words. Especially to her daughter. "Our love is dead."

Dead? Ariah didn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. Love was too strong to die. Love conquered all.

Although the McCartney's marriage seemed to be in a failing state, Ariah had the strongest bit of hope and faith in her parents and the love that they had inside of them for each other.