Underneath the Stars

Chapter 1

December 30th, 1989

Michael sat across from the woman he once loved, eyes narrowed in cold contempt. Diana returned the glare, quietly contemplating how they got to this point he assumed. There was once a point that Diana had him under her thumb, but after the events earlier that month, he could never look at her the same way again. 

The pair didn't speak, only communicating between the two lawyers sitting on either side of them as they attempting to navigate an official custody arrangement for their daughter Rosslyn-Michael Katherine. 

Tanya, his lawyer, slid a paper across the table towards Diana and her representative. "Mr. Keaton, my client demands full custody with no visitation. He also agrees to hide the identity of the mother as previously agreed by the two parties,"

Diana rolled her eyes. "Do you really think you're just going to take my daughter from me?"

"After you nearly killed her?" Michael snapped. "I'm supposed to trust you?"

"You knew that accident wasn't my fault," She spat.

"No, but if you hadn't ran off with my daughter in the first place it would've never happened," He pointed out.

Diana stared him down before glanced over at her lawyer. 

Silence hung over the room as the tension between the two former lovers heightened. Michael had spent years nurturing the idea that Diana would come to her senses and they'd be a family together, but now he didn't want Rosslyn anywhere near her mother. 

"Ms. Ross," Keaton started. "We have to get something figured out, otherwise we'll have to go before the courts and with the high profile of the two of you, I feel it would be more ideal if we can figure out some solution now,"

Diana frowned. "You want full custody? Fine," 

She irritably snatched the paper from her lawyer and scribbled her name on the line. 

Michael knew what she was up to. Typically when Diana gave in to his requests it was to make him feel bad, but unfortunately for her, he didn't.

He gave a dry smirk. "Thank you,"

"You're going to regret this," Diana hissed.

"Protecting my daughter?" Michael inquired incredulously. "I doubt it,"

May 15th, 1990
Michael was headed to Sony Headquarters in New York to meet with Tommy Mottola. He was to give an update on the progress of his next album, which would be the follow up to Bad. He stretched down to turn on the radio just as the DJs started a current events segment. Even though he wasn't driving, he focused on the road. Car rides had a way of easing his nerves.

He was happy to bring Rosslyn along with him for the ride. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her in between recording, even if it were a twenty-minute car ride. She was sitting next to him in her car seat amusing herself with a doll. 

"-And this is a new artist we're playing today named Mariah Carey and this is her first single, 'Vision of Love'."

Michael rolled his eyes. Another one-hit wonder?

There was something about the schmaltzy title of the song that let him know he was in for four minutes of manufactured drivel. He felt like some of the newer acts didn't appreciate the craft the way he did. Music was his entire world. From the day he was born up until now, the only consistency was the art. Still, curiosity got the best of him--he decided to listen to the song and give the new artist a try.

Two minutes into the track and the song was unlike anything he'd heard before. He appreciated the melody and the instrumentation, but it was the build-up to the bridge that truly sold him.