You're Not Taking MY Daughter

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That made me remember my recital. " Oh, mommy! I got the lead in the next show! I wanna show you the costume I'm gonna wear. " I say getting up.

I run into daddy right before getting to the hallway and he's shaking his head. " Maybe you can show her later baby. Right now, your mother and I need to talk. Can you please go play? "

His face is stone cold and I know something is wrong. My daddy never gets angry. I nod and leave them alone... I mean just hide out of sight.

<>

Michael's POV

Fuming. That's what I am. Never have I ever wanted to hit a woman so badly before. For a few moments, all I can do is look at Jamie in disbelief. She's trying to take my baby away by bribing her with a ballet studio that she already has... Here.

Clearing my throat I say," so you found a man and he bought you a place? "

" He sure did. I can't wait for Bianca to see it. " She says with a smug smile.

I sit on the other side of the couch and stare at her for a while.

" You know... " She says breaking the silence. " When I first found out that I was pregnant I wasn't prepared... Neither of us was, but now I think I'm in a good enough place to take care of her full time. I don't think we need that contract anymore. "

She really has no idea how angry I am. " Do you have selective amnesia? I told you that you can see her. Not take her. "

" She's my daughter too Michael. She needs me too. " She defends.

I snort rudely. " So you meet some man that buys you a house and what? What exactly do you think is going to happen? "

" Well... I really appreciate your family for doing more than their part in raising her... But I really should take over the mother responsibility. " She reiterates.

That does it. " You really think you can just come and take her to live with you because you say so? The contract is ironclad Jamie. The only way it can change is if I want it to. "

" Michael... " She sighs.

I glare icily at her. " You're not taking her. "

" I'm her mother. " Jamie says through gritted teeth.

The nerve of her! " Oh, so you're her mother now? You've been partying and going to auditions for five years Jamie! Now that you've got a hit movie under your belt you think you can come in here legally take the one person in this world that mean the most to me. It's not going to happen. "

" Bianca needs structure and a parent that can put their petty and selfish needs aside to make the right choices. "

" Are you saying that I'm irresponsible? "

This is comical. " Jamie you are the definition of irresponsible. You can come to see her... But that's all. "

" When are you gonna realize that I'm not going to hurt our daughter? "

" Of course you wouldn't! That's not what this is about. It's about you never having time to be her mother. I'm thinking of her best interests... Not yours. " I tell her sternly.

It's her turn to get angry. " Oh, come on! You're thinking about you! You're afraid that she'll realize that children have two parents if I get in your way. Talk about selfishness. "

Sighing I pinch the bridge of my nose. " You made the deal Jamie. You had a choice to graduate high school, marry me and be happy with the little family we were building, and you decided that not taking responsibility for your actions and chasing movie roles was what you were going to do. "

" I know what happened, Michael, I was there! How long are you going to keep holding all of this over my head? We were both young and you know how it still kind of is... But I'm honestly trying to do the right thing here. With you being gone on tour I just wanted to introduce Bianca to the other side of her family. Like it or not but yours aren't the only members of it she has. " She tries pathetically. 

I'm done with this conversation this visit was a mistake. " I might be gone a lot but my daughter knows that I love her because I show her every single day whether I'm with her or not. You can't even tell me her favorite song, color, Disney movie, bedtime story... " Crimson And Clover, Purple and Pink, The Aristocats, and Cinderella. " The list goes on and on. "

She gets up from the couch and reaches into her purse. " I don't want to argue. Bianca should be living with me and if we have to go through the courts then so be it. " She says handing me the card for her lawyer.

I rip it up. " We both know that if we go to court for custody that I'll win. Now, during the fight Bianca will feel obligated to choose between us... Who do you think she'll choose? "

" You can't keep her from me, Michael! " Jamie yells.

" You can't take her from me, Jamie! " I yell right back at her.

Just then I hear a strangled cry and realize that Bianca has been right outside the doorway this whole time. She runs right up to me and hugs my legs. " I don't wanna leave daddy! "

I pick her up and glare daggers at Jamie. " It's okay sweetie you're not going anywhere. "

" Baby, don't you want to come live with me and Christopher and his children? " Jamie asks looking genuinely hurt.

Bianca shakes her head and clings to me for dear life. " I wanna stay with daddy. "

The hurt expression on Jamie's face makes me feel a little guilty, but she brought this on herself. I found time to be a dad and a musician. She has been focusing on her career and not on our daughter. She made the bed, and now she has to lay in it. As if I'd let her take my baby to live with a man I've never met. Not my baby. No sir.

<>

Later that night after I put Bianca to bed and calmed down somewhat, I head down into my study. I've been working on a memoir of sorts and I've had a thought that I want to jot down. After sixteen years of singing with my brothers, I'm ready to emerge as a solo artist and do my own thing. I want a whole new identity. Grabbing my pen jot down, 

MJ will be my new name. No more Michael Jackson. I want a whole new character, a whole new look. I should be a totally different person. People should never think of me as the kid who sang "ABC," "I Want You Back." I should be a new, incredible actor/singer/dancer that will shock the world. 

I will do no interviews. I will be magic. I will be a perfectionist, a researcher, a trainer, a masterer. I will be better than every great actor roped into one. And I will train my daughter to do the same. I must have the most incredible training system, to dig and dig until I find it. I will study and look back on the whole world of entertainment and perfect it, take it steps further from where the greatest left off for Bianca and my future children.

After everything that has happened today me achieving my dream is imperative. Jamie will never take my daughter from me and if she wants a court battle it will take not just money but a powerful presence and high social standing as well. This new chapter in my life will be magical as I've described. For both myself and my daughter or my name isn't Michael J. Jackson.


A Note From LifeIsAParade: Hey guys the plot has definitely thickened don't ya think? Stay tuned for what happens next.

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