Finding Michael (Michael Jackson Fanfic)

"Be happy."

I stand motionless at the threshold of the door, faintly hearing the screaming and crying happening around me.

I feel numb. Vaguely aware of my hand going over my mouth as I stare wide eyed at Michael Jackson in the flesh.

He looks... good. Better than he did at his This Is It speech. Healthy.

Still the lanky and lean man we're all used to seeing but no longer thin like he was towards the end of his career. He looks really really good. Well, he always looked good no matter what, but this is different. He looks... happy. Healthy. Vibrant. Revived.

I walk further into the room as I stare wordlessly at the man whose changed my life in so many ways. As if he'll just disperse at any moment and I'll wake up in my bed at my apartment.

As soon as they see him, the girls all run to him, and he gives them hugs. I think Dee is sobbing in his arms as he hugs her, cupping the back of her head as she rests against his chest.

I can't believe my eyes. The man who had been a constant through my entire life, who had been my number one love for so many years, and the man who I prided myself on knowing like the back of my hand... was only a few feet away from me.

I'm walking a thin line of reality and illusion, and I'm not sure which side I've fallen on. If this were to be a dream it's the most realistic one I've ever had.

I see his lips move but I don't give myself time to process what he says. As soon as he offers, I do what I've wanted to do for my entire life. I run into his arms and hug him. If this a dream then I'll deal with the crushing disappointment when I wake up, because this moment is far to good to waste.

My arms go around his body and it's so much more than I could have ever imagined.

From our different heights, it's easy for me to rest my head against his chest as he tucks me under his chin.

I don't realize I'm sobbing until I hear his sweet sweet voice from above me.

"Shhh, calm down." He says gently.

I close my eyes and revel in the warmth that comes from him. He smells fresh and clean, just like I always thought he would. He smells like lenin and a hint of apple. When I press my ear against his chest I can hear his heart beat just under the surface. It becomes my favorite sound in the whole world.

This is real. He's real. And I really have my arms wrapped around him.

"Michael." I say through a shaking voice, which I'm sure in inaudible.

Reluctantly, after a few moments, I let go of him and go stand wordlessly by Dee. We clasp hands as we stare at Michael, dumbfounded.

"Your real." Someone says between jagged breaths.

He smiles that smile that looks oh so good on him. The one that could only be captured on film when he was off guard. A smile I had the pleasure of seeing a thousand times. And now I was seeing it up close.

"Of course I am, silly. I wanted to meet you." He sits against the table,l and crosses his arms, smiling at us all.

"You wanted to me us?" I want to laugh at the absurdity of it.

"Yes." He smiles gently. "I wanted to meet the women who cracked the code."

Everything. Everything that we had done, everything that we had said... it all lead up to this moment. It did matter.

"Everyone of you had a part in finding me. And you did an magnificent job of it, really you did." He complements us.

"But... the letter." I close my damp eyes. "The letter was supposed to be it. It was your final farewell to us. You didn't want us to actually find you." I shake my head.