Every Breath You Take [RDJ Fanfic] - COMPLETED

One Hundred Thirty Nine

There is absolutely nothing that would ever compare to the sound of an audience, people singing to lyrics I wrote, and the warm air of the California hills at night. For about an hour, I get to forget the ridiculousness of the last almost two months and enjoy my job again.

Coachella is the first public appearance I make, and I briefly touch on how 'excited' I am to 'be back on stage' after the first song, but it isn't a huge speech. I don't really feel like digging into it. We talked about it online. I did an interview, as messed up as it was when it hit press. That is enough for me, for now.

Honestly, I've been sick to my stomach over that whole Hollywood Reporter piece. Almost two weeks have passed since, I've announced my tour dates, and Robert had a PR person contact the hospital regarding the HIPAA violation. There was no lawsuit, we didn't want anyone losing their job. After I cooled off, I decided we should just push through and I'll do what he does; ignore any further questions about it if it isn't relevant. We have plenty going on for us now, putting that behind us, though he still catches me with a nightmare or two. Therapy has helped; we've talked to Dan as a couple a few times and it's helped us out, as well.

Anyhow, while I'm busy entertaining everyone who came out for the festival, I'm not even thinking about it. No pain to my arm, nothing. And the fans are reacting well, too, especially at the end when I decide to close my set with a cover of an Eagles song...with a few surprises.

"I'm gonna say goodnight here in a minute," I breathe into the mic, trying to calm my racing heart. "But I thought we'd do something different, play something I know you all know, so we can all sing along and be here, be together, and forget everything bad going on in the world for a little while."

I don't feel like standing for it, so I grab the microphone from the stand and listen to my bad start the guitar intro...the notes I'm so familiar with sounding even better live. I decide to pull a stool from side stage and place it in the middle of the giant auditorium, relaxing for this one. Plus...I may have help closing my set.

"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air..." I sing with a smile as the crowd reacts. "Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light, my head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night."

I love playing covers because everyone usually knows them. Especially something this far back. And it's been on my brain since that call with Henley back in the hospital, so I'm thrilled he approved of this.

"There she stood in the doorway; I heard the mission bell, and I was thinking to myself, this could be Heaven or this could be Hell... Then she lit up a candle, and she showed me the way, there were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say-ay..."

With a grin, I sing the chorus as the people in the crowd join in, and tease a small dance from my seat in response, swaying to the beat.

"Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place, such a lovely face. Plenty of room at the Hotel California... Any time of year, you can find it here..."

And for my surprise to the fans, I play it cool when it's not me singing the next verse, but my lovely, completely willing (I didn't have to beg him) fiance, coming from side stage with his own mic to join me. He kept it quiet and I'm quite proud of that, but that's not all I have in store... For now, I listen to him sing instead, finally getting off my seat to meet him center stage and sing the parts that require our back up vocals to harmonize with him.

"Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz...She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys," he sings as I tease him by moving seductively around him and then letting my free hand wander down his torso, "that she calls friends."