Return III

Chapter 31

Natalie's POV

I couldn't help running out of the court room in tears. My thoughts were finally starting to consume me, making me confused as to if this is a good idea or not. It's so much pressure, and I don't know if I can handle it. 

I love being a Jackson, but I don't know if my old self can handle this kind of lifestyle. Maybe my mom was right about everything. Maybe staying out of the cameras and lights was a good idea. But you can't control fate, and I couldn't control Blanket and I's paths crossing. I guess this is just how it's supposed to be.

"Natalie, what's the matter, sweetheart?" my mom asks, kneeling down by my side. I hug my legs tighter to my chest and try to steady my breathing while looking at her. I peer down to hall and watch as the rest of the family makes their way to us, and I bury my face in my knees once again. My mom places her hand on my shoulder just as I hear the footsteps come to a stop.

"I wanna talk to dad." I mumble, still not looking up. 

"Okay, baby," my mom's sweet voice coaxes me. "he's right here." I sniffle and wait until the hallway is clear of everyone else, and even then, I wait until my dad tells me everyone is gone before I look up. The tears finally stopped flowing, but I was still sobbing. He hugged me and I winced. 

"What's the matter, Nat?" dad asks and I sniffle. He pulls away and sits cross-legged in front of me.

"The pressure." I manage and my dad's face falls. 

"What do you feel pressured about, baby girl?" dad's soft voice never fails to make me smile. I stare at the ground and finally release my legs and lay them out in front of me. I sniffle again and draw in a deep breath, then sigh it out. 

"Nobody is going to make you do anything you do not want to do, Natalie. You are apart of this family by blood, not by force. If you don't want to be adopted by me, honey, you don't have to."

I shake my head and look at my father, noticing that we had the very same eyes. I smiled at the thought, but it was quickly removed when I shake my head. 

"It's not that." I begin. "It's just... this is all... so new to me. And, like, it's weird," the tears started to come again, and I looked up at the ceiling to avoid the release of them. "I love you, and I love being apart of this family, it's just... maybe Blanket was right."

"What was Blanket right about?" my dad's eyebrows furrowed and his expression changed to concern. I wet my lips, then press them tightly together. I swallow hard and look just past my dad's face and at the wall behind him.

"He told me that putting myself out there wasn't a good idea. That becoming famous after you would end up biting me in the long run, and now I'm starting to feel it. And see it. So maybe he was right."

Dad sighs and stares into my face. His eyes are locked on mine, and that feeling overwhelms me so much that I have to look away.

"Sweetheart, your brother is a very wise young man. And I love him dearly, God, how I love each and every one of you dearly, but you cannot let his words consume you. You cannot allow another person's opinions to affect yours. Now, if this is really how you feel, then so be it. Like I had said earlier, you are not being forced to do anything you don't want to do. But I do want you to be independent, and I want you to make your own decisions by your own beliefs. Never mind what everyone else thinks." 

That was deep. I really needed to hear that, especially from him. 

My dad leans over and wipes the newly fallen tears from my cheeks, and smiles when I chuckle at the sweet gesture.

"Okay?" he says and I nod. He opens his arms, and I crawl in to them. He strokes the back of my head, and I smile. A sense of peace flashes over me, but then my heart begins to pound when I realize what's happening. 

I am in Michael Jackson's arms. 

I am about to be adopted by Michael Jackson.

But he's not just Michael Jackson, he's your father. Your loving, caring, biological father. 

"I love you... dad." I say, and even though I'm not looking at him, I know that he is smiling. And I'm smiling, too. 

"I love you more, Natalie Josephine Jackson." he says, making fresh tears spill from my eyes. 

A/N

Hey guys! I know this was a really short chapter and I am soooo sorry for such a late update! I really had no idea where I wanted to take the story next, but I figured it out! I'll try to update more often, but I can't promise it's going to be as often as it used to be. I just started working on a new story, so I have a lot of work to do! I apologize sincerely. I know you guys are dying to see how this ends, and I promise, you will!

But isn't Michael just the sweetest? He was, or, is ;) such a great father, and the more I write about Natalie, the more I wish that she really existed :'( 

I love you all!