2nd of November, 2009
Michael is 51, Angela is 45, and Jake is 46

Angela: "Lily! Lily! Please, let's talk about this!" I yelled loudly.

With my robe wrapped around me and my slippers getting dirty from walking around the ranch, I kept looking for my daughter.

Because the sun was starting to set, I was determined to find her, no matter what.

"Angie, please get back to bed," Michael tailed close behind me. "Adam has everyone looking for her."

Ignoring him, I walked even faster, passing the bridge that led to the gardens. A gust of wind blew suddenly, my body shivering as a result.

"Lily!" I yelled again.

Michael caught up to me. "Angela, we'll find her. Please, let's go back. This isn't good for you, you're supposed to be resting."

"My daughter is missing, Michael. I'm gonna keep looking for her, whether you like it or not," I scoffed, stopping for a minute to catch my breath. "Gosh, why is this ranch so damn big?!"

It felt as if the air knocked out of my lungs. With a few deep inhales my breath evened out again.

"Seriously, Ange. We're going back to the house." my husband pulled on my arm.

"N- no. I gotta look for Lily." I tried yanking it away from his hold, and failed miserably. I was physically drained.

"Mike, please..."

"The second Adam has something, he's gonna call me. Okay?"

Unwillingly, I let him lead me back. We made it all the way to the Giving Tree when I heard a bit of rustling.

Somewhat hopeful that we finally found her, I looked up, but it was only a bird that took off from one of the branches.

"Damn it," I stopped again, feeling defeated. "Why did you have to yell at her, Mike?"

"This would never have happened if we told the kids sooner, babe." he rolled his eyes.

"You know why we couldn't tell them."

"Well, look where that got us. It only backfired."

Snickering, I made sure he saw how annoyed I was before walking towards the house again.

The entire way, we both called out for Lily, yet there was no use. She wasn't anywhere to be found.

As we neared the house, there was a weird feeling that I couldn't quite shake off.

My gut feeling was justified because a big SUV waited for us. Bill was leaning against it, making my stomach turn.

Jake. Gosh, not him, too.

"You're going to bed," Michael ordered, still pulling in my arm. "Now."

"Michael, let me go! I want to see him."

"No."

"What the- Michael Joseph Jackson, I swear, if you don't let me see him..."

We went back and forth like that for a couple minutes. With each minute our voices raised, and he inched me closer to the front door, attempting to get me inside.

Finally interrupting our fighting, the car door opened and revealed Jake.

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he walked towards us, just like that, as if he wasn't basically a dead man walking.

"Where's Lily?" he demanded to know. He then stared at me, acting like he's never seen me before. His mouth hung open a bit, brown eyes glistening with tears. "Angie? Oh, look at you... You're too skinny."

I sighed, covering myself with my robe even more. "Jake, get back in the car before someone sees you."

"No, where's my daughter, Angie? She sounded so upset over the phone."

"Cut the bullshit, Jake. Since when do you care?" Michael interjected. "This is all your fault, anyway. Who gave you the right to tell our daughter about Angela?"

"I'm not here to fight you, Mike. I just came for Lily."

"Well, we can't find her. She's missing, thanks to you."

"She's missing?!" my ex almost screamed.

Michael and Jake kept bickering, one blaming the other for Lily's disappearance. I rubbed both my temples as a headache started.

"This would never have happened if you didn't cage her mother in here like she's some kind of animal! News flash Michael, kids need their mother, even if she's sick!" Jake fired.

Michael's jaw clenched. "Don't you dare lecture me about how to handle my family. Mine, Jake. I'm the one who's been here for them, while you played dead for five years! So don't come into my home uninvited, might I add, to tell me how to take care of my family!"

Adam then showed up from inside, and the look on his face made my heart drop.

"Did you find her?" I asked eagerly.

"No, Mrs. Jackson, I'm sorry. But the good news is, the guards at the gate didn't see her, so she's definitely still inside the ranch." he said.

"As if that helps. Oh, God, where is she?" I covered my face and sighed into my hands.

"We'll find her, I promise, ma'am. Is there a place in the ranch she particularly likes? So we know where to look..."

Nothing specific came to mind, except for the library, and the zoo. But I knew she was definitely not there.

"Maybe the zoo?" he suggested as if he heard my thoughts. "She does love the animals."

I shook my head, "No, she won't be there. It's too obvious."

"You know what?!" Michael's voice got louder. "Leave. Right now, I don't need to explain myself to you. Bill, take him back before you lose your job."

"No. No! I'm gonna go find Lily and talk to her. You know, my daughter."

I could see the rage cloud Michael's eyes when Jake passed him to go into the house.

My husband audibly growled. "You can't waltz in here and demand things! This is my home, my family! They're not yours anymore! You're the one who left, Jacob. You left Lily, Eric, and Angela. You left them all alone and broke their hearts. I was the one who was here to pick up the pieces."

Jake made a sharp turn, hands balled into fists. I knew that was a sensitive subject for him, since he didn't mean to leave us.

His right arm slowly lifted. It was obvious what was about to happen next, so I acted as fast as I could, putting myself in between them.

"Okay, this has to stop." I said.

"Move, Angela." Jake snarled.

"No."

Michael raised an eyebrow at me, "Angie-"

"You two are acting like children. Inside, now."

I clutched both their hands, making them follow me into the master bedroom.

"Sit." I pointed at the bed and they both just looked like two lost puppies.

"You need to rest, Angela-" Michael tried to reason with me, but I put up a hand to stop him from talking.

I can't stand either of them right now.

"My daughter is missing and all you two can do is yell at each other?" I paced. "Seriously?! Jake, I understand you're worried, but you can't show up here unannounced. Especially when the children are here. Don't even get me started on the whole 'my family, your family' bullshit. You left, Jake, while Michael was here. You have to accept that welcoming you into our shared lives isn't going to be easy."

My husband smirked. Oh, he thinks he's off the hook.

"And you, Mike. I get it, Jake hurt your feelings. But he has been trying to make up for it ever since! You can't shut him out completely, for God's sake! You used to be friends, best friends! You trusted him with everything. You trusted each other with your own life! Basically like brothers! Puffing your chest and claiming me, or our family for that matter, is so immature. There's no 'mine' here, I love you. Lily and Eric love you. We are a family, all of us."

Michael opened his mouth to speak, yet once again I cut him off.

"You'll get talking privileges when I'm done, Michael. Why the hell am I the one making sense here?! I'm undergoing chemo! You know what that does to the brain? Gosh. Grow the fuck up, both of you, and let's find Lily. Now shake on it and apologize like grown adults, please."

He hesitantly raised his hand. I motioned him to speak.

"Do I have to shake his hand?"

I am actually married to a child!

"What- You- Ugh!" I let out all of my frustration. "Whatever. Just get along for a few minutes for the sake of our daughter."

They both nodded slightly. My blood was boiling inside my veins as they scooted away from each other.

Michael grabbed my wrist gently, "Ange, could you stop pacing and come sit? Please, you're looking too pale."

He groaned when I ignored him, saying he'll be right back before exiting the room.

I looked at Jake. "Did she say anything to you over the phone? Something that would hint on where she is."

"Uh, no I don't think so- Wait, did you check the basketball court?"

"Why would she be there? She hates basketball." I almost laughed.

A shooting pain went through both my legs. Jake didn't even notice the way I shifted as he continued on.

"But her brother loves it, and so do I... What about the gardens? I used to spend a lot of time there when I visited last year, remember?" Jake questioned.

"Everyone already checked everywhere."

Another pain, and I tried not to scrunch my nose.

"But if she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. She knows Neverland like the back of her hand, Angie, she's hiding. And to be honest, our daughter is just as stubborn as her mother... She won't stop until she gets her way."

That made me smile. Right, that tiny detail...

Just then, Michael came in with a glass of water for me. With just one glance, I knew he saw right through me. "Ange, Adam went to look again. Here, drink."

I tried to fight him when he sat me down on my side of the bed, but I had no powers left. My feet hurt, my head was pounding.

He leaned down to place a loving kiss on my cheek as I gulped down the water. When he pulled away, Jake was making a face.

The scowl my husband had on his was scary, too.

As long as they get along and don't try to kill each other, I'm okay with that.

"Mike, he's our only lead. Please, talk to to him. He has some pretty good ideas." I begged and squeezed his hand.

"Listen man, I'm really sorry about telling her. It wasn't my place to do that." Jake apologized.

"Damn right it wasn't." Michael muttered. I dug my nails into his hand that I held.

"Don't worry about it, it was bound to happen eventually. Our daughter is too smart for her own good." I smiled weakly.

My ex sighed, standing up. "She might be at the basketball court. Maybe in the gardens, too. She's probably hiding."

With that, I tried getting out of bed. I didn't even get a chance to put my feet down on the floor before Michael stopped me.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm going to find Lily."

"No, I'm going to find her, you are staying in bed."

"Huh." I scoffed, standing up.

A head rush made me dizzy, and I fell back on my ass. As the room spun around me, my husband put my feet back up.

He then crossed his arms over his chest, "Yeah, you're staying. I'll call as soon as I find her. And Jake, you have to go back with Bill. You're too exposed here."

"I can come help you..." Jake suggested.

"No, you can't, Jake," I said. "You already put yourself at risk when you showed up. We can't have anyone know you're alive, remember? We got lucky this time. But if you keep this up our children might find out, our staff. That can't happen. Please understand."

"I do, Angie."

Relieved, I opened my arms for him. He hugged me as tight as ever. "I'll see you in a month, okay? Stay safe."

"You, too. I swear, Angie. You better beat this thing."

Even though Michael was definitely upset, he patted his shoulder, and for me he placed a small peck on the lips before they both left.

~

Michael: I had no luck in the gardens, but when I reached the basketball court, someone was definitely there.

Quietly, I tried going in without being heard.

To my surprise, Lily was dribbling a ball and tried to shoot. When she failed, she grabbed the ball and threw it.

"Stupid basketball." she mumbled.

The ball rolled to my feet, so I picked it up. "Trying new hobbies, Lil?"

She turned to me, a surprised look on her face.

"What are you doing here, dad?"

"I'm taking you to the house. You had us so worried, sweetheart. Your mom-"

She cut me off, "What? Now she cares? After I disappear? How could she keep that kind of thing from us?"

"We were about to tell you. I swear, Lily." I sighed.

"Right." she rolled her eyes.

My step-daughter came over to me and angrily took the ball. Trying to shoot again, she groaned in frustration when it missed the basket.

"Why do they even like this game?!"

"They?"

"Daddy and Eric," she said. "I came here to try and understand them, because this helps Eric when he's mad, but I just don't get it."

Lily took a seat on the floor, leaning against the basketball pole. I joined and wrapped my arm around her.

She sniffled, "Mom, she's really sick, right?"

"Yeah. But she started treatment, and hopefully it'll start working soon. She's gonna need a lot of help from us, Lil." I pulled her closer.

"How long have you known?"

"Since my last show."

"Wha- Dad, and you didn't even bother to tell us? Why?"

I squeezed her tighter, "Your mom really wanted you to enjoy our trip, without knowing or worrying about her... You understand that, don't you?"

"I guess," Lily shrugged. "I just... I feel like I can't trust anyone right now. First daddy doesn't call us for months, then you and mom. I just feel so lost."

I should probably just tell her about Jake. Might as well, it's not like we can hide anything anymore.

"Jake, he's- he's here, sweetheart. In California. And I promise, you'll see him very soon, for now just know that he's safe." I told her.

"What was he doing in London? After mom's surgery..."

"He wanted to see you guys, but he was, uh, not feeling well at the time. He's better now."

She nodded, yet I could tell something was still bothering her.

"Lil? Tell me what's wrong. Please?" I nudged her shoulder.

"You know, when daddy went back to Alaska for the first time, I was glad. Because it meant that we could go back to the way it was before. But everything changed when he came back," my step-daughter wiped her tears. "I just don't know him at all, and Eric seems to get along with him so well. Why am I so different than them?"

"What's so wrong about being different, sweetheart? You are the smartest, most sensitive girl that I know. Jake and Eric might be alike, but that doesn't mean you don't belong with them. They're your family."

"But it's like we're not even related. I sometimes feel like more of a Jackson than a Parker, to be honest... You and I always have something to talk about, dad. It's not like that with daddy, I barely have anything to say to him."

I could feel my heart fill with so much warmth. Sure, I was also feeling a bit guilty, but hearing her say that made me so happy.

"Does your mom know that?" I asked.

"I don't think so. She kept pushing me to talk to him or visit him when he was here. I hated it." she answered.

"Talk to her, alright? I know we've been pretty busy lately, but your mom will always be there for you, no matter what."

"What if she isn't? What if she dies?"

I wrapped both arms around Lily as tight I could, promising that I'll be there for her whenever she needs me.

~

"Oh, baby, don't ever disappear like that again," Angela hugged Lily as close as ever, repeatedly kissing the top of her head. "You had me so, so worried..."

"I'm so sorry, mommy." Lily sighed.

"No, I'm sorry, I should have told you."

Lily hugged her tighter, asking if they could talk. Her mother agreed and took her to our bedroom.

I followed them, just to make sure Angela would be resting.

They were already in bed, all cuddled up. My wife finally looked relieved after everything that's happened today.

"You girls doing okay?" I questioned.

She nodded, "Yeah, Mike. I think we need some mommy-daughter time right now."

"Of course." I gave her a soft peck before turning to leave.

"Wait, dad!" Lily called. "I wanted to ask you and mom something, together. Come here."

Our daughter patted my side of the bed. I did as she said and took a seat next to her.

"So after our talk, I've been thinking... Maybe I could take your last name?" her blue eyes were sparkling.

"You want to be a Jackson?" I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

"Well, sort of. Parker-Jackson. Can I? Please, mommy?"

"Of course, baby," Angela stroked her hair. "You can be whatever you want. And I think you made a certain someone very happy..."

Lily wrapped an arm around each one of us, bringing us into a group hug.

My wife looked at me, a small smile on her lips.

"Together, right?" she whispered.

"Always." I promised.

~

18th of November, 2009
Michael is 51, Angela is 45, and Jake is 46

Angela: A nurse helped me get settled in the recliner chair, then hooked me up to the IV bag that hung above my head.

I looked at it, surprised by how small it was.

To think that tiny amount is supposed to heal me is crazy.

The cancer treatment center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was busy during this time of day.

Adam looked around the room, handed me my sunglasses, then made sure no one would bother me.

Not that they would, I wasn't really recognizable, wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, along with a beanie in case I get cold.

The nurse covered me with a warm blanket, saying that if I need anything I should call her.

I exhaled loudly, closing my eyes and trying to relax. And I had a few quiet moments, when a sudden chill took over my entire body. I was freezing.

The room grew colder by the minute.

"I- I n-need another b- blanket, p- please." I told Adam.

"I'm on it." he said.

"First time?" a woman said from next to me.

Looking at her, she was hooked up to an IV as well. Her head was wrapped neatly in a colorful hair wrap, framing her dark, somewhat older features. She was almost as skinny as me, her high cheekbones popping out.

I nodded, "H- how d- did you k- know?"

"Newbies always get cold the first few times. You get used to it eventually," she smiled reassuringly. "So, who is that fine ass young man here with you? Your husband? He did a good job with those rings."

"Oh, n- no, he's m- my bodyguard."

"Bodyguard? You fancy, girl..."

I tried laughing, but my body shivered again before Adam came back with another blanket. I started warming up a little as soon as he put it on me. My lips stopped shuttering, too.

"I'm Jada," my new friend put her hand out, so I shook it. "Lung cancer, stage 2. All those years of smoking had to bite me in the ass at some point."

"Angela. Uterine cancer, stage 3A." I said.

"Shit..."

"Yeah."

My phone rang inside my purse and Adam hurried to give it to me. Michael's name blared brightly.

"Hey, Angie... Is it okay? Adam's not letting anyone get too close, right?" he asked nervously.

I sighed, "Yeah, Mike. Stop worrying, please."

"You know I can't do that."

"Angela, I hate to do this, but I have to ask you to hang up... Phones aren't allowed in here." a nurse came up to me.

"Right, sorry," I apologized. "Mike, I gotta go."

"Did I get you in trouble?" he chuckled.

"Just a little."

"I'll see you at home?"

"Actually, how about we meet at the beach house?" I suggested, thinking we could get some alone time tonight. "Can you pack me a bag?"

"You got it, Ange. Anything else?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

I giggled. "No, thank you. I love you."

"Me too, Angela."

"Beach house?" Jada laughed when I hung up. "Damn, girl..."

"That was my husband. He worries too much about me." I explained.

She put a hand on top of mine. "Why isn't he here?"

"He's with our kids."

It was partly true. Obviously, Michael couldn't be here, no matter how much I needed him by my side.

Even with a disguise on, that man would be recognized, especially in a small room like this.

Jada smirked, "A beach house, a husband and kids? Girl, you're all set, huh?"

She made me laugh almost the entire time, distracting me from that uncomfortable feeling that crept in.

~

I stood out on the back porch of our new beach house and breathed in the cool ocean breeze.

Some gray storm clouds were coming in, making Adam beg for me to come inside.

"Adam, I'm fine. Really." I dismissed him.

"Mr. Jackson was very clear, he wants you to rest until he gets here." he said.

I waved him off and looked down at the beach, where people were walking mindlessly, like it wasn't going to rain.

I wish I could be down there...

"Please, Mrs. Jackson," the bodyguard came closer with a glass of water in his hand. "He'll kill me if he finds you here instead of in bed."

"You worry too much. Both of you." I took the glass from him, taking a sip.

Just that tiny bit of water made me sick. I really tried to hide the fact that I had to puke, but Adam saw right through me.

He ran after me while I raced to the nearest bathroom. Having no time to even reach the toilet, I opted for the sink.

My hair was pulled up by him almost instantly. It was too intense this time, the nausea.

For those few minutes I hurled, I felt like I couldn't breathe, until that very last drop was out of my system.

And to think this morning I was starting to feel a bit better.

"Sorry you had to see that." I mumbled when he helped me stand.

Adam shook his head, letting go of my hair in the process. "Don't worry about it."

His eyes softened when they shifted to his hand. I looked at it, too, horrified by what he held. It was a piece of long, dark brown hair.

I knew this day would come sooner or later, I just didn't expect it so soon.

Tears threatened to spill, my mind going blank as I stared at it.

"Angie?" Michael's voice echoed through the house. "Babe, where are you? Adam?"

His voice got closer, until he was standing right outside the bathroom. He glanced between the two of us, gasping when he saw what the bodyguard had.

"I'll, uh, leave you two alone." Adam cleared his throat and left.

I hurried to take off the beanie I was wearing, checking the rest of my hair. A couple smaller strands fell out.

"No, no, no..." I whimpered. Frantically, my fingers combed through my hair, only to find a bald spot.

"Angela," Michael tried to take a hold of my hands. "Baby, look at me."

But all I could do was stare at myself in the mirror, my lip quivering uncontrollably.

He grabbed me by my waist. "Look at me."

His thumb came up to my cheek and wiped my tears away.

"You're so beautiful, Angie. Never forget that. No matter what you look like, you're the most beautiful woman on earth. Got it?"

"My hair..."

"Will grow back. This is temporary, Angela."

I nodded, still overwhelmed by what just happened.

My husband pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.