Athena Tyler and Michael Jackson are married to people they don't belong with. The history between Michael and Athena isn't complicated; they met on We Are The World, sparks flew, but they never stayed in contact.
When their respective spouses sugg...
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That night, everyone decided to stay at a hotel instead of going back to California right away.
The hotel was quiet as Athena lay in bed, tossing a stress ball in the air and catching it repeatedly, staring at the ceiling. The events of the day replayed in her mind like a broken record. Wendy's passing, Lisa Marie's futile attempts to regain Michael, Liam's disrespect, and the looming uncertainty of Amanda's future kept her awake long past midnight.
Michael, who was sound asleep, must've somehow sensed Athena's restlessness and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest, "Hey," he whispered, his voice laced with concern, "You okay?"
Athena let out a deep sigh, snuggling closer to him, "I'm just thinking about Amanda. She doesn't deserve to be left alone in the cold."
Michael kissed the top of her head softly, "We'll figure something out for her, I promise."
Athena turned to face him, her eyes searching his for reassurance, "What if she stays with us for a while? I know it's complicated, but she has no one else."
Michael cupped her cheek tenderly, barely able to see in the darkness of the room, "Baby, I don't know if that's a good idea," he frowned, "I mean....think about it—we won't be able to have sex whenever we want—not that I care, I'd still do it!" he shrugged, "So that's not a big deal, but think of the other stuff. When neither of us is home, we have to worry about her touching things she shouldn't. Or when we're on tour, and she's at the house alone, what if there's a break in or Lisa Marie and Liam try to cause trouble while she's there by herself? We also have to consider that she doesn't have a job—money isn't a problem for us, I know that—but still, she'd need to do something to keep busy. You know what I mean, right?"
"Okay, well.....what if we put her in a hotel in LA for a little while and then she can stay in my old house? The mansion I lived in with Liam," Athena suggested, "We pay the bills on it every month. The only thing she'd have to worry about is shopping for household stuff," she added, "As for the job thing, last I heard she wanted to be an actress or a model—something like that. What better place to do that than Los Angeles?"
"So she has a career plan?" Michael asked, "Wait, if she wants to be in the industry, shouldn't she have had a few movies or tv shows or photoshoots by now?"
"She never had the resources to book things like that," Athena admitted, feeling a pang of guilt for not having helped Amanda sooner, "She was always stuck in a cycle of depending on others for support, and it held her back from pursuing her dreams."
Meanwhile, in Bianca and Chris' room, they were just finishing up a shower.
Chris stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as Bianca followed suit. The steam from the hot water clouded the mirror, making it impossible for them to see their reflections. Bianca reached for her robe, slipping it on and tying the belt securely around her waist.
As they settled onto the bed, Bianca couldn't shake off the heaviness of the day's events. Wendy's passing had affected everyone deeply, even those who didn't know her at all—and the uncertainty surrounding Amanda's future weighed heavily on all of their minds.
"I can't believe Liam and Misa Marie had the nerve to show up to that hospital," Bianca whispered, her voice barely above a murmur.
Chris nodded in agreement, his expression mirroring Bianca's disgust, "It was such a low move. I mean, who does that at a hospital? They should have just stayed away. And when someone is on their deathbed, no less? It makes me sick."
Bianca sighed, "I'm gonna call Athena. See how she and Michael are holding up."
"That's a good idea," Chris said, pulling out his phone, "I'll call Mike while you call Athena."
Bianca nodded and pulled her phone out of her purse, while Chris searched for Michael's name in his long list of contacts.
"Babe! Just go down to the 'M' section!" Bianca huffed after dialing Athena's number for the fourth time, "Athena's not answering."
"Babe, she's probably sleeping," Chris laughed, "Or having sex."
Bianca gasped, "Chris!" she scolded, slapping him on the arm, "Don't question Athena and Michael's sex life!" she rolled her eyes, "Just call Mike!"
Chris let out a slightly high pitched laugh and finally dialed Michael's phone number.
"Hey, Michael," he said into the phone, "Just wanted to check in and see how you and Athena are doing tonight."
Michael's voice came through the phone line, gratitude leaking into the words, "Hey, Chris. Thanks for being so thoughtful," he said, "We're fine. We were just discussing what to do about Amanda and the possibility of helping her out. Neither of us want to see her on the streets."
"Hey, man—you know where Athena is?" Chris asked, "Bianca said she's not answering her phone."
Michael chuckled, "Oh, her phone is probably on silent mode in her purse or something. She does that all the time," he said, "She's right here. Like I said, we were talking about Amanda and what to do."
"Do you want us to come over to talk about it?" Bianca asked, putting her ear next to Chris' on the same side he was holding the phone to hear the conversation.
Michael paused for a moment, contemplating the offer, before replying with a warm tone, "That'd be great, actually. It's always helpful to have different perspectives. But since it's so late, how about we regroup in the morning to talk about this?"
Chris and Bianca nodded, even though Michael couldn't see them.
"Sure thing, man. We'll come by first thing in the morning," Chris confirmed.
"Okay, sounds good," Michael said, running his fingers through Athena's hair, "See you in a few hours," he added before hanging up and turning back to his wife, "Baby?"
"Hm?" Athena hummed from her spot with her head in his lap.
Michael gently lifted her head and gazed into her eyes, his own filled with concern. "Are you okay? You seemed lost in thought just now."
"I'm fine," Athena forced a small smile, trying to push away the lingering worries, "Didn't wanna interrupt your phone call."
Michael caressed Athena's cheek, a trace of worry in his eyes. "No need to force a smile, babe. I can tell something's bothering you," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
But Athena only shook her head, "I'm fine," she shrugged, "Tired."
Michael sighed softly, seeing through Athena's facade. He knew there was something more troubling her, but he also understood the importance of allowing her the space to open up when she was ready.
Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on Athena's forehead before whispering, "Okay, baby. We don't have to talk about it right now if you're not ready. I'm here whenever you need me."
