The Moon Is Shining (MjFantasy)

Chapter 17 - One option left

We were finally in Michael's studio.


I came to a halt and looked around me.
We were surrounded by tons of trophies and awards.

I spotted the seven Grammy awards he received for Thriller, but I saw also some American Music Awards, some MTV Video Music Award, he even got an article from the Guinness Book Record, saying that Thriller is the most sold album of the World, stuck on the wall in a little frame.

Some other awards he received in his younger years were placed on a shelf. When he was still belonging to the Jackson 5, Michael obtained a Golden Globe Award for his song, Ben.

He was clearly very skilled and talented. 
His Music, his Dance, his way of working, his perfectionism, his motivation, his ambition... Everything he was doing, it seemed like he was doing it perfectly well.

I was still looking at all his distinctions, and my mouth was slightly open.

"I know that I shouldn't keep those awards in my studio, but I really like to see them while I'm working. It gives me some motivation." said Michael.

I turned around to face him :
" That's... that's really... amazing !" I stuttered, still astounded.
I wasn't even able to find the words to explain how I was feeling.
"Do you really think I'm that good at it ? " he asked, giving me an amused look.
" Michael you're not just good at it, you're more than that, you're brilliant ! " I answered, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled, and during five seconds, I thought I even saw him slightly blushing.
Then I noticed something that I didn't spot earlier.

A piano.

As soon as I saw it, I felt the tip of my fingers tickling : I really wanted to play.

"Is it a piano ?" I asked, innocently.
"You can play ?"
"A little bit" I lied.

Actually, I played piano most of the time of my life.
I wasn't brilliant, nobody never taught me how to play piano, so it was really far from perfect.
But it always been something I loved to do when I was feeling sad or lonely.
And God knows how much I felt sad and lonely during my life.

I sat in front of the piano and let my fingers dancing freely on the keys, discovering the instrument.
It was an upright piano, and a really good one, the sound the keys were making was ringing heavenly.

"Let's see if you know your classic, Michael !" I said , smiling, before to put my hands on the piano.
I began to play Für Elise, by Beethoven.

At the beginning I was playing it slowly, trying to remember the keys and the keep the rhythm but then the music compelled me to play faster making me do some crescendos and decrescendos.

I was completely focused on the song.
I didn't remember where and with who I was.
But everything has to come to an end.

And so did Für Elise.

I played the last notes before to finally take my hands off the keyboard, before to get stuck to another trance.

I look up at Michael. He seemed astonished, and I smiled.

« I surprised the Unsurprising MJ, didn't I ? » 

"It was Beethoven, isn't it ?" he finally asked

"Yes, Für Elise."

"That was really amazing !"

"I return the compliment" I said, smiling, as I was still looking at all his distinctions that were surrounding us.

He sat next to me in front of the piano.

" When did you learn to play piano like that ?" he asked.

" When I needed to relax" I said absently, looking at the keys.

I knew we were going to start a conversation about my past and I was seriously hoping that after this, he would be discouraged and that he won't get attached to me afterwards. 

" You had a kind of rough childhood, didn't you ?"

I took a deep breath.
" You can say that..."

" What do you mean by " You can say that" tell me ? "

" Let's just say that...Because of my parents... Most of the time, people don't believe me when I tell them that I had a rough childhood. But it's not the amount of money your parents possess that make you more or less happy, it is their love for you and how much they care about you. And I wasn't a kid really wanted, so they didn't really love me and frankly didn't really care..."

Michael sighed :
" Yes I know what you mean... I had the chance to have a mother who cared and loved me..."

" Yeah, well I didn't have that chance." I said with a harsh tone.
I stand up from the piano bench but he caught my arm and made me sit back, showing me that he wasn't done with me yet.

"How was your childhood, Moon ? "

" Bad."

" How bad ?"

"I already told you Michael. My mother had been killed shortly after my birth, the women who planned her murder, my lovely step-mother, tried to kill me as well but failed. However she did her best to make of my life a living hell, and without flatting her, I would say that she did it pretty well."

" She tried to make of your life a living hell, but she made you stronger... You didn't get through that in vain."

I sighed deeply. I already thought about this, several times before, but no.

I couldn't think that I could feel grateful for what she did.
After all that pain, all that torture, I couldn't be thankful.

"She's a monster Michael..."

" I know, I never said the opposite. But she didn't destroy you, she made you stronger. So, she isn't really a monster, she's more like a failure : she tried to break you down during all her life but you became even more beautiful and brave, instead. Brave enough to go away from her influence and live your life on your own. Do you think she thought you could become the women you are today ? "

I gave him a surprised look. I never saw the situation on that way before.
But he was right, I became everything she didn't want me to be : clever, cultivated, and free.

She couldn't touch me anymore, I was unbreakable.

Michael saw my reaction. He smiled and leaned over me to kiss my forehead.
"You see Moon ? You're not the loser in this, you're the winner. You made her eat the dust...Hell, you even made her clean the whole driveway with her teeth girl !" he said chuckling, trying to cheer me up.

I laughed, completely took aback by his little comment, he joined my laugh and took me in his arms hugging me.

Then we heard somebody ringing at the front door. I , reluctantly, left Michael's arms and we both went to the hall.

He opened the door and a panicked Bill stormed in, breathing heavily and almost shacking.

" Michael ! I've got bad news ! "

He handed a press article to Michael.
Some rumors were saying that Michael Jackson spent a couple of months in a mob.
It was clear that the rumor was coming from Vin. 

" Nobody will believe them, Bill, it's too much."

"I know they won't ! That's not what is scaring me ! Read the end of the article, for God's Sake !"

I let my chin rest on Michael's shoulder to be able to read the article with him.
But my heart skipped a beat when I read the last two sentences.

" Anyway, the dude got something that belongs to us. 
He got two possibilities : either he gives it back peacefully without makin' any trouble, or either we take it back, in full force, makin a bloodbath."

I was that "something" he was talking about.

« Vin is ready to attack Michael if he doesn't cooperate ( and God knows Michael won't cooperate, I'm sure about it ). But I don't want to bring them more troubles. I am the one who has to take the last decision. It's my choice. Either I go back to Vin or I let him kill Michael. »

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I didn't hesitate too much on what decision I should make.