~Michael's POV

"Let's start from the top." I say over the microphone. I wipe a couple of drops of sweat on my sleeve as I watched my dancers continue the sound check rehearsals for the new venue. "Are you jumping back in?" One of my dancers ask. I nod my head, still struggling to catch my breath.

I've been trying not to overwork myself, but I figured I could make it to the end of the song before taking a break. I stand back in the middle breathlessly singing. I took a spin and fell to my knees out of pure exhaustion. I felt my entire body fall limply to the floor and everything went black.

I woke up in a hospital I couldn't even pronounce the name of. "Are you ok Mike?" Frank asks. I grumble a few words still trying to figure out where I am.

"Mike." He whispers again.

"Please don't tell Rayne about this." I manage to push out.

"Michael are you ok?" Frank asked again.

I nod slowly, covering my face with my pillow. "I've got such a headache." I mutter.

"You took a pretty hard fall. What happened?"

"I don't know. One minute I was singing, next minute I was on the floor." I groan, grabbing my head. A young female doctor walks in clutching her clipboard.

"Hi, Mr. Jackson. Uh, we pumped the contents of your stomach and we saw that you had taken quite a few pain pills. We think you may have reacted to an overdose."

I frown, Karen shakes her head, "Michael this is getting to be too much. I'm calling Rayne so she can talk some sense into you"

"No please don't call her, I don't want her to worry." I say, covering my eyes from the bright lights. "Let's just get me better so I can go back on tour. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

***

A couple days after the hospital, I was back in my room, in the same predicament. I couldn't sleep. After countless conversations with Elizabeth Taylor, she decided to come visit me.

"I need those pills Liz, I can't sleep." I groan.

"Michael don't you see what is happening? You're becoming dependent on these things!" She holds up the bottle. "You don't need them. You're just ready to go home. These pills are numbing you until that time. Don't you love your girls?"

"Of course I do! More than anything."

"Don't you wanna live to see your daughter grow up?"

"What's the point I'm missing it now. I wasn't even there for her first birthday." I sigh sadly.

"Don't you wanna be there for her 2cnd? Or 10th? Or 20th? Michael, you're killing yourself with these pills. You need rehab. Now, if you agree I will not tell Rayne once I get back to the states.. You will have to tell her. But if you disagree, I'll call her right now."

Liz gave me an ultimatum, but she proved a good point. I want my daughter to see me at my best. I loved my wife and child, I couldn't imagine life without them. I'd honestly rather die. I take a deep breath, "fine. I'll go. I'll have to cancel the rest of the tour. My fans are gonna be so disappointed."

"I'm sure they'll understand, your health is more important." She smiles.

The next morning, I had Frank release a statement cancelling the rest of the tour. I knew I was privy to a phone call from Rayne at some point today once she caught wind of what was going on.

"My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately in order to eliminate what has become an addiction, It is time for me to acknowledge my need for treatment in order to regain my health. I realize that completing the tour is no longer possible and I must cancel the remaining dates. I know I can overcome the problem and will be stronger from the experience."

The words ran across the screen and almost instantly, I became embarrassed. How could I let myself get to this low point my life. Almost an hour later, just as I suspected, Rayne was on the phone for me.

"Mike what's going on? Are you ok? Why are you cancelling your tour dates?"

"I have to.. I've become addicted to painkillers. I started using them to sleep and they just overwhelmed me. I'm going to rehab and I'll be out before you know it. I'm gonna be better Ray, I promise you and Millie."

Her silence scared me. I heard her take a deep sigh and a small sob released from her mouth. "Ray?"

"Michael, my mother died from drugs. Why would you do this? I just.." She choked up. Calming herself she takes a deep breath and says "I just hope rehab works better for you than my mother. Besides you have something to live for." She hangs up swiftly, leaving me in a pit of emotion. I didn't want to cry, I had no one to be angry with but myself. I boarded my plane to Puerto Rico where the rehab would be and prepared my self for this long journey.

I was welcomed immediately by the entire staff at the front door. "Welcome Mr. Jackson, we'll try and make your stay here as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you, but I don't want any special treatment. I want to be treated like everybody else. I'm here to better myself."

The attendants nod and grab my bag leading me to my room. "We do have to let you know, that for the first month of your rehabilitation, there is no speaking with friends or family and no visits" one attendant explains.

I nod before he closes the door, leaving me to think alone. It started settling in that I was here because I had a serious problem. I grab the pamphlet that sat on my bed and overlooked the schedule for therapy and group therapy. There was a session starting in 20 minutes, I decided to go to, just to see what it was about.

I sat in the circle with my hoodie and sweats, my arms folded and watched as many people before me started telling their stories.

"Hi, I'm Terrance. I'm addicted to painkillers. I came here because, I want to make something of myself and I want a family. I was in a really bad place. My parents abandoned me and I had to raise myself. I wanna show that you can start from the lowest of low and reach a high almost unobtainable to man." He says as the circle claps for him.

"What about you sir?" The therapist points at me.

"Oh I'm just here to watch, I don't think I wanna talk."

"We'll surely it's unfair for you to know so much about these people and they know nothing of you. Introduce yourself.. Please" he smiles.

"My name is Michael.. I'm addicted to painkillers. I want to see my child grow up, she's the light of my life. I think I buckled under stress and depression of not being able to be apart of my daughters life. It was selfish of me to almost kill myself, I didn't think of the effects it'd leave on my wife. I just want my life to better. I want a more positive outlook."

A young woman with a New York accent began, and for some reason she put me in mind of Rayne.

"My name is Audrey, what made me want to change is seeing my kid on the bathroom floor, with pills in his mouth because he saw "mommy" do it. He was in the hospital for three days. He almost died, because of me. I couldn't lose my baby so I decided I have to get clean for him."

"Is he alright?" I ask, she looks at me for a second. "Your son.. He's ok?"

"Yeah. He's good now. Thanks." She answers.

"Well it's obvious that you all have an inspiration to be here. I think that using those tools you will be able to overcome your battles. We'll finish up for today, and meet back on Wednesday." The therapist says.

We all go our separate ways but I was really concerned about that Audrey girl and her son. "Uh, Audrey?" I call out, she turns to me quickly.

"Yeah?"

"I hope everything works out for you and your son. As a parent I know it's gonna be hard to deal with being without your child. If there's any way I could help..."

"Don't try to relate to me. You're the biggest celebrity in the world. Your life can't be that hard that you'd understand anything I've been through. Thanks but no thanks." She says kindly before walking off.

I could see, this was not gonna be easy. The first night was rough. I couldn't sleep all night. I tossed and turned, even wrote some music. I just couldn't seem to keep my eyes closed. I simply stared at the ceiling. Missing my family, that I couldn't call. All I wanted were those pills...

~Rayne's POV

"I don't know how he's doing he's been in rehab for the past week." I sigh over the phone to my mother in law Katherine.

"We have to just keep him in our prayers and hope for the best. He's a strong man, he'll beat this" she assures me.

"I know he's strong, it's just hard when this happens to someone you love.. Especially when it's happened before." I sniffle.

"I know, but like you told him, he has something to live for. He has you and Camille to carry him through every moment he feels like he can't handle."

I nod my head, "I know.. I've gotta go. Camille is coming and I don't wanna cry in front of her. Bye and thank you."

I put on a false smile for Camille, "what are you doing out of bed? It's sleepy time." I smile, she wasn't a big talker, just like her dad, but she handed me a CD and I knew exactly what it was. "Oh ok" I sigh.

On her first birthday my dad bought her a small radio that played cassettes and CD's we had a copy of Michael's dangerous album. Her favorite song that Michael would sing to her "Will You Be There" was on the CD and she'd fall asleep everytime.

I tucked her back in bed and hit play as Michael's voice sailed out of her speakers quietly. "Daddy?" She asks.

"Yes baby, that's daddy." I smile, sadness showing through my eyes. To think that the only relationship she's had with him in the past year is through television and music makes me so sad. Then I thought of how he almost died, she would've only had his memory to live with. I kiss her forehead and head out the room flipping her lights out before I left.

The ending of "Will You Be There" plays louder than the rest of the song. So I could hear it through the walls of my bedroom. I missed him so much, knowing that he's dealing with things alone right now my heart ached for him.

I promised him, I'd be there through everything but I feel like I'm not. I was supposed to be strong for him. I just hope he knows that I love him.

***a month later

"I'm doing a lot better, my head is in a better space. I think I'll be home soon." Michael says, I could hear his smile through the phone.

"You sound a lot better. I'm proud of you Mike.." I sigh. "We miss you over here. A year is long enough." I giggle.

He chuckles, "I agree. How's Millie?"

"She's great, she falls asleep to your music every night. Whenever they say things about you on TV she can't help but watch."

"Ray, don't let her watch stuff about me on TV. You know that stuff is garbage." He says sternly.

"She's only looking at the pictures, she doesn't understand what they're saying." I chuckle.

"I'm serious. She's an impressionable little girl, she learning to talk and I don't want one of the words to come out her mouth be something like 'wacko jacko' or 'freak' or something."

"Ok. I get it." I submit. "Just hurry home so you can enforce your own rules. I need you back home."

"As soon as the therapist gives me the okay. I'm on my way to you baby." He flirts.

I giggle softly, I missed this Michael. He hasn't been this way in a while and rehab brought him back. I couldn't wait to see him.

"You know, you could always come visit. It's been a while since I've seen you." He smirks.

"Oh don't you start!" I laugh, "I'll see you when you get home.. I love you." I grin.

"I love you so much more." He says softly, "let me talk to Millie."

I grab Camille placing her on my lap and putting the phone on speaker. "Say hi daddy.." I instruct her. It's so funny how she couldn't say anything but "daddy", even stumbling over the word "hi"

"...daddy." She giggles, her hands stuffed in her mouth.

"Hey Millie girl. It's daddy. I know you probably won't understand a word I'm saying, and I'll probably say it to you again over the years. But I love you, you've inspired so much change in me and I can't wait to see you. I'm doing everything for your future and I want you to know that as long as daddy is here you have nothing to worry about. You will reach places people dream of being and I'll never put you in harms way. I promise my only goal in life is to be the best father I can to you. I'll see you soon"

Camille stared at the phone almost as if she was listening and understanding. I will never understand the bond she has with Michael but I was so in love with it.

"She heard you mike." I smile.