Whenever, Wherever | Michael Jackson

Chapter 54-Returning Home

About a week later, Amanda was settled into Athena's old mansion, the locks were changed for an extra safety precaution, and her name was officially Amanda Rivers.

Meanwhile at Neverland, Athena and Michael reunited with Buddy and caught up with Olivia, who had been taking care of him for them.

"Thanks for watching him for us, Olivia," Athena said gratefully, "And sorry it took so long to come back."

Olivia smiled warmly, scratching Buddy behind the ears, "Oh, don't worry about it. He's been great company, and I love having him around. But I'm sure he's missed both of you a lot."

"I definitely missed him," Athena smiled, "Oh! Bubbles the Chimp!" she suddenly realized, "Come on, Buddy! Let's go see Bubbles!" she laughed as she ran out the door with Buddy in her arms.

"Hey! Babe!" Michael pouted, "Wait for me! You know I'm slow in the mornings!" he laughed before running after her.

Buddy barked happily as he followed Athena and Michael through the lush grounds of Neverland, his tail wagging in excitement. The sun was casting a warm golden hue over the estate as the trio made their way to Bubbles' enclosure.

As they approached, Bubbles swung down from a tree branch, landing gracefully in front of them. The chimp clapped his hands in delight at the sight of Athena and Michael, clearly recognizing them after their time apart.

"Bubbles, look who's back!" Athena exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy as she greeted the chimp.

Bubbles chattered excitedly in response, reaching out his hand to touch Athena's face gently and while his other hand petted Buddy's head.

Michael chuckled at the interaction between Athena and Bubbles, a sense of contentment washing over him. Seeing Athena so carefree and happy brought him an indescribable sense of peace, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

Athena turned to Michael with a smile, letting Buddy go play with Bubbles while she shoved her head in his chest. After a few minutes, she started having so many thoughts.

With all the talks of name changes and being who you are now instead of hanging onto the previous you. This was something she had been avoiding for a long time—she was holding onto a name that had power over her, even if she didn't know it.

But you know who did? Michael.

He had been wanting her to get rid of Tyler for a while now. He thought it was rooting her to her cruel past and he wanted her to feel free, like herself, and connected to him fully. He understood the struggle of wanting to honor your past while moving forward, but he also knew the importance of letting go and embracing the present. He had always thought she clung to the Tyler name like a lifeline because she was scared to lose the approval and support she had always received from her father, Steven Tyler. He thought she clung to it because of the saying 'Every father is a daughters first love'. And he found that a little frustrating because in Athena's case, her father, was never around—and yet, Athena still held onto the Tyler name with such fervor.

Michael wondered if it was a way for Athena to keep a piece of her father close to her, even if he was physically and emotionally distant.

But he also didn't understand why she would want to keep a toxic piece of her past that continually held her back. He had always been there for her, offering her the love and support that her father had failed to provide, and yet she still clung to the dead weight of the Tyler name.

"Hey, baby?" Michael whispered softly, "Can we talk?"

"I like your heartbeat," Athena muttered, clinging onto him as if sensing he wanted to talk about something serious.

"My heartbeat?" Michael echoed, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

Athena nodded, her face crumpling slightly as she pulled away from him to look into his eyes, "I hate how much I love your heartbeat," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, "It makes me feel like I can't breathe sometimes, like it's tethering me to you in a way I didn't know I needed," she added, "You are.....my whole life."

His heart skipped a beat at her words, realizing the emotional weight of his presence in her life. And that was when he knew he needed to have this conversation with her while she was in the mood for transparency and vulnerability.

"Baby, can we go inside?" Michael asked, his tone gentle but firm. He knew this was an important conversation they needed to have, and it would be best to do it in a more private setting.

"Hmm," Athena hummed, "If you carry me," she added as she pulled away from him and picked up Buddy, noticing the zookeeper had taken Bubbles for a bath, "Hey, baby boy."

"Fine by me," Michael smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her easily off the ground, "As long as we're together, I don't mind where we are."

Once inside the house, Michael set Athena down, then she set Buddy down on the couch while Michael grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to their master bedroom.

"Am I allowed to ask what we're doing up here?" Athena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, of course," Michael said with a warm smile, "I just want to have a serious talk with you. You know, the kind of conversation that requires a bit of privacy and comfort."

Athena frowned in confusion, thrown for a loop by what he meant, "Oh," she muttered, "Okay."

Sensing her nerves, Michael climbed on top of her to calm her down, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips, "My kisses always soothe your worries, don't they?" he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.

Athena sighed contentedly, her hands moving to trace the angles of his face, "Yes, they do," she admitted, her voice muffled against his lips, "Just like your heartbeat."

"You know I love you, right?" Michael asked, nuzzling his nose against hers.

"Yeah," Athena said, somewhat suspiciously.

"No need to be suspicious, baby," Michael assured her, "But this conversation may be a bit difficult for both of us. Just know that I'll be here with you, and we'll get through it, okay?"