Okay *sniff sniff* here we go with the final chapter. This one actually made me cry and it was very hard to write. I had a hard time letting this story go because I've spent so much time writing it and gaining so many friends out of this whole experience. Thank you all for the continued support. I love you all so much!

Two Hearts. One Dream Ch. 30

"Please hold still Mr. Russel. I need to get this piece of glass removed," I struggled to hold a patient down.

"I can't! It hurts so bad!" he winced. "Please stop! I can't take it!"

"You're gonna have to stop fighting me Mr. Russel. You could make the injury worse than it already is..." I tried to reason with him. I knew it was futile.

It had been a few years now and I moved on from my old boss, Conrad Murray, and now I work in the emergency department of the UCLA Medical Center in L.A. The patient I was currently working on was in a horrible car accident with his family. He had shards of glass embedded into his stomach and chest, along with a few fractures. He had a little bit of metal from the door frame of the vehicle. I hadn't gotten around to telling him the sad news that his wife was in critical condition and his 2 young children hadn't made it.

"Lola...have you gotten the rest of the metal out yet? We need to get him to X-ray him and make sure he isnt bleeding internally," my new boss, Doctor Verkin came in. He was head of the trauma unit here at UCLA.

"Almost..." I bit my lip as I pulled the last bit of metal from his side, wincing when I heard him scream. "Got it," I held it up and put the shard into a pan.

"Great job, Lola. Let's get this man to X-ray STAT," he ordered. As he was wheeled out, I followed them into the hall and put my hand over my heart. The doctor stopped and looked at me. "You did great today, Lola. Why don't you go ahead and get home early. I bet your family misses you," he smiled.

"Shouldn't I stick around to tell him...?" I looked towards the crowd of nurses and doctors wheeling Mr. Russel away.

"No, it's alright. I will handle the hard part. We will page you if we need you again tonight. If not, I'll see you bright and early Monday."

I nodded and clocked out and left. I got home and hung my coat on the nearby coat wrack and my beautiful 5 year old daughter came running down the hallway. Her jet black hair flying as she ran and her bright blue eyes sparkling as she giggled like crazy.

"I'm faster than you! You can't get me!" she giggled as she ran.

"I don't think so!" Michael's voice rang through the hallway. He slid into view and stopped in his tracks, which wasn't the best idea for him. He was in his socks and the hard wood floor was too slippery and he slid right past me. He almost lost his balance but of course, my husband had to be graceful enough to save himself. When he came to a stop, he grinned and clapped his hands together. "We need to ease up on the floor wax, I think."

"Yea...looks like it," I smiled. He walked over to me and kissed me lightly. "I see you have been busy. I thought you had a meeting with Raymone about the new tour."

"Yea, well..." he shrugged and Neveah poked her head around from behind his legs. "I got a little distracted."

"Hi mommy!" Neveah beamed and jumped into my arms. I hugged her tightly and kissed her head. "I'm faster than daddy! Did you see?"

"I sure did little angel. You're getting super fast," I winked.

"Hmph...don't forget who taught her," Michael grumbled.

"Oh yes...master of speed," I teased and rubbed his head.

"I bet I can outrun you too mommy! Chase me!" Neveah giggled and started to run. Michael took her hand and shook his head.

"I think mommy is too tired right now sweet angel. Let's go get ready for bed, okay?"

"Aww but I'm not sleepy daddy," she whined. Michael bit his lip.

"Still a softy," Janet walked out of the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. "Tell you what, little one, I'll go with you and get you ready for bed. While we're in there, we'll have someone light up a big fire for us and we can drink some hot chocolate until we get sleepy."

"Okay," she grinned. "Whose gonna light the fire Auntie Janet?"

"Leave that to me," Joe's voice came from behind me and made me jump. "I'm the master at building fires."

I grinned and then yawned and Michael took notice. "Okay, well let's get to it then. Come on, love. I'll help you get ready for bed," he winked and I rolled my eyes and let him lead me to our room. "How was your day?"

"Alot harder than I thought it was gonna be..." I sighed. I peeled off my scrubs as I filled him in on my day. I wasn't allowed to go into too much detail so I left out names. "So he told me I could leave early. I just hope that man turns out okay."

"Yea, me too. I'd hate to lose my family..." he said quietly.

These were my days now. I worked days at the hospital and soon those days turned into nights. I'd come home late at night after everyone had already gone to bed. I slept in every morning and was greeted by Michael and Neveah when I got up. Michael took on his job as a father very well. Alot of times, he was the one that had her up and dressed and ready for school before I ever woke up. Normally, I'd get up in time for Neveah to leave for school. It was becoming difficult for me. I was only able to spend time with my family on the weekends.

I was able to spend time with my husband because he would always insist on staying up late until I got home. After getting into this routine, things started to change. Michael started sleeping in and Kai took over getting her up and ready for school.

One morning, thank the heavens I had a day off for once, I came into the kitchen to find Conrad Murray sitting in the living room with Michael, who looked very exhausted to me.

"Dr. Murray?" I walked up to him and shook his hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Please, Lola, call me Conrad..." he smiled and squeezed my hand. I studied his eyes for a minute and the second his hand touched mine, a cold chill ran down my spine. There was something about his eyes that were unfamiliar to me. They didn't look the same as they did when I worked for him.

"I hired him, Lola. He's gonna be staying with us, and we're gonna move temporarily. It's a house closer to UCLA. After my final tour, we're gonna move to a new house," Michael explained.

"Uh, we're leaving Neverland? When were you gonna tell me this?" I asked. Conrad looked between the two of us and excused himself from the room.

"Don't get angry with me, Lola. It's for the best..."

"For the best? Best for who, Mike?" I asked, trying not to sound too irritated.

"Look, I was just thinking about our family, okay? You don't have to bite my head off. I thought it would be nicer for you and more convenient if we lived closer to your workplace," he stood up and clenched his fists. "Sorry if I tried to do something good for us," he snorted and walked away.

I stood in shock, still staring at the place where Michael was sitting a second ago. What in the world has gotten into him? He was angry with me for the first time since I first met him. The way he looked physically was a little familiar to me. I had to think about it for a few minutes before I realized he looked like he did before when he went to the VMA's with Liz.

"Not again..." I whispered to myself.

"Everything okay, Lola?" Conrad walked in slowly. "Where's Mr. Jackson?"

"I don't know..." I mumbled. I turned and faced him and chewed on my lip for a minute. "Conrad...why did he hire you?"

Conrad hesitated for a minute. "He wanted me to go on tour with him just incase."

"Aren't you a cardiologist now?" I asked. He nodded. "Is there something wrong with his heart?"

"Lola, you as a nurse should know I can't give out Mr. Jackson's medical record..." he looked away.

"Fine by me, I have access to it anyway..." I started to walk away.

"He told me he had a heart condition from the medications he took after his burn injury so long ago. He hired me so I could help him deal with pain and help him sleep a little better, okay?" he spoke nervously like he was on a witness stand. He left shortly after that and I kept pondering over everything. Something wasn't right about him.

Eventually, I was able to explain to Neveah that we were moving. She was pretty upset about it at first. She really hated to leave Neverland. So did I. "Where is daddy anyway?" she asked.

"He's in the studio practicing for his final tour baby. He's very busy..." I said during lunch.

"I wanna see Auntie Janet and Uncle Jermaine. I wanna see everybody..." she said sadly. I nodded and thought for a minute.

"Yea, so do I. I wish I knew why we haven't heard from them in so long," I wondered out loud.

After a while, I heard some loud banging coming from Michael's room. I asked Kai to stay with Neveah and I went to investigate. When I walked in, I saw him throwing things around as if he were looking for something.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He whipped around and threw a plate towards me, narrowly missing my head and shattering on the wall beside me. "What the hell Michael?" I snapped.

"Sorry..." he whispered and whipped back around continuing his search. "Damn..." he growled. "Murray...where's my Xanax?" he yelled.

"Xanax?" I asked. "Mike...please don't tell me you're taking drugs again..."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Lola. I'm in pain and I'm dealing with it. So please leave me alone. Murray!"

"He left...and you need to chill," I grumbled and shut the door behind me and walked towards him. "This has to stop Mike..." I whispered.

"Don't do this Lola."

"Do what? I only..."

"You only wanna help me...yea I know. I've heard it before. I already heard it all from my brothers and sisters. I don't wanna hear it from you too."

I paused. "We're just trying to..."

"I said don't!" he yelled.

"Michael...don't do that. Don't shut me out," I whispered.

"I only shut out people that can't handle me dealing with my own problems," he growled and threw the bedside table across the room.

"So that's what happened...isn't it? You shut out the rest of your family because they tried to help you. Whose next Mike? Are you gonna shut me out? Shut Neveah out?"

"..." Michael winced and kept his back to me. He reached under the covers and yanked them up, a bottle of Xanax falling to the floor. He grabbed them and ripped them open, popping a handfull into his mouth, still not turning to face me.

"My God, Mike...look at yourself. Is it the tour doing this to you?" I asked, trying to hold back tears.

"They're killing me, Lola. You have no idea. The pain is sometimes so unbareable that I just wanna sleep. Just to escape it for a short time. But then I can't sleep. I've tried so many medications to help me sleep, but the only thing that seems to work is..." he hesitated.

"What?" I asked. He bit his lip and slowly pushed a trash can close to me. I looked down and saw empty I.V. bags with the label Popofol. "Michael...this has to stop."

"It won't stop. Not until this tour is finished. Once it's over, the pain will stop and I won't need these anymore," he said with a shaky voice, reaching for his bottle again. I grabbed his arm and took the bottle from him.

"It stops now Michael."

"No," he jerked his arm away and looked at me with anger. A look I'd never seen before, and for once, I felt like I was afraid of him. "It stops when I say it stops," he growled and snatched the bottle from me.

"Damnit Mike don't you realize this shit can kill you? Is that what you want?"

"No, I want you to leave me alone and let me do things the way I wanna do it."

"So what, you're shutting me out like the rest of your family? What about Neveah? Are you gonna shut her out too? Are you willing to leave her without a father because you wont let anyone help you?"

"If that's what it takes..." he said. He paused for a minute and looked behind me. I whipped around to see Neveah standing in the doorway with tears pouring over her pale cheeks.

"Neveah..." I whispered and took a step toward her. She backed away and kept her eyes on her father.

"Daddy wants to leave me? Why? What did I do wrong? I don't want you to go!" she sobbed and ran into Michael's chest. Michael stared at the floor and didn't move. "I'm sorry for whatever I did wrong daddy. Please don't leave us. I love you!" she cried. Michael sat there still unmoving. Eventually, Neveah gave up and ran out of the room. My eyes darted back to him and he remained to stare at the floor in front of him.

"Now do you get it? You're not the only one hurting Michael. Now risking your own life has hurt your only daughter," I turned on my heels and put my hand on the door, letting tears fall from my eyes. "And here I thought you were gonna win father of the year. I guess I was wrong..." I growled and walked out, slamming the door behind me.

I leaned my back against the door and immediately wanted to go back inside and fall into his arms. Just to tell him I didn't mean anything I had said.

'You did what you had to do, Lola.' I mentally snorted. Voice of reason wins the award for having the worst timing.

'I hurt him...' I groaned mentally.

'You got his attention. Now you just have to stand by him and let him decide what to do.'

I shook my head and walked away from the door. I was so afraid for him, and for Neveah. I walked around to find her crying in the corner of her room, holding a little Michael Jackson action figure that Rebbie had bought for her a few years ago.

"Is daddy really gonna leave us?" she sniffed.

"No, we wont let him, okay? No matter what it takes, we wont leave his side," I kissed the top of her head and she nodded. No one heard from Michael for a couple of weeks after that.

He began rehearsals and stayed out late. I slept in Neveah's room with her after I came home late. Life went on as normally as we tried to make it. Of course, the biggest part of our lives was now missing. One morning, I had woken up early feeling a slight pain in my chest. We were now staying in a rental home closer to the hospital and I assumed Michael was either sleeping or at rehearsals.

I had breakfast with Kai and Neveah. I sent her off to school not too long after that and sat in the living room in silence. I watched the time and glanced at Kai. "Did Mike ever come down for breakfast?"

"No...and that's odd for him. Dr. Murray usually comes to get his breakfast for him. I hadn't seen either of them all morning."

I paced for a while and kept watching the clock. Once noon hit, I got fed up and headed for the stairs. Right as I got to the base of the steps, Conrad came running down the stairs.

"Someone please call an ambulance...Mr. Jackson isn't breathing!" he yelled and ran past me. My heart dropped and I raced upstairs as fast as I could. I slammed through almost every door until I found Michael laying across Conrad's bed.

"Michael? Michael you have to get up!" I shook him and got no response. My training kicked in and I pulled him off of the bed and began the steps of CPR. "Michael please wake up!" I yelled as I pumped his chest. I breathed for him and my tears were falling onto his face. "Come on!" I kept pumping and breathing for him. "Kai! Get an ambulance now!"

"Already in route Lola!" Kai called from downstairs.

"Michael please..." I began to cry but still continued to pump. "I didn't mean what I said! You're the best father in the world Mike! The best husband...best father...and best friend I've ever known. You can't leave me like this...you can't leave Neveah...please Michael...BREATHE!" I pumped and breathed for him again. "I love you..." I whispered before I gave it one last blow and then rested my head on his chest and let my tears soak his bare chest.

After a minute, I heard a gasp and my eyes shot up. His eyes fluttered open and he breathed heavily for a minute and then grabbed his arm, pulling out a needle I hadn't noticed until now. I put my hands on his face and he looked at me. "I love you too..." he whispered.

"Michael...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean what I said...I just..." I sobbed and he pulled me nearly on top of him, hugging me tightly.

"Sh...I know. Don't be sorry. I know why you said the things you did, and I'm thankful," he whispered and his eyes drooped. "Forgive me if I don't stay awake. I'm under alot of drugs right now," he winced as he said the word drugs.

I sat with him and kept him talking until help finally arrived. As they loaded him into the ambulance, I gathered some personal items of his and mine and left a number for Kai. As I headed for the door, I heard Conrad on his phone on the back porch.

"I know. I would have succeeded in this if she hadn't interfered. He would've been dead by now and I'd have access to his funds...I know man I know..." he spoke on his phone and my blood boiled. I took a step towards the back door.

"Mrs. Jackson, we're ready to go when you are," the paramedic called. I stopped in my tracks and walked back to the ambulance and rode with them to the hospital. Michael spent the next couple of weeks in the hospital and slowly got better. He slept for 4 whole days before he was finally able to talk to me.

"Thank you for not giving up on me, Lola," he whispered.

"Why would I give up on you when you never gave up on me? Face it Peter...you're stuck with me forever," I teased and he smiled.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course you can," I smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Can you help me get into rehab?" My eyes widened and he smiled, letting me know he was serious and I smiled back and nodded.

A couple of months later, Michael was alot better. He was able to sleep more on his own and he was preparing for his final tour. Neveah and I sat backstage and he brought us out during the final show. I expected him to cover Neveah's face, but he had told me there was no need because the new house he bought for us was a complete secret.

"Thank you all for so many years of love and support," Michael spoke to the crowd before his final song. "I'm saddened that I have to end my career so soon, but I now have a wonderful family to think about. Please don't be sad. This isn't the last you will hear of me, I promise. With that said, it's time for me to sing my final song and hang up my dancing shoes. This song was written during one of my worst times in my life. Dealing with too much pain and even shutting my own family out, but my wife and daughter never gave up on me. So I wrote this song for them," he turned and held his hand out to me and Neveah. He pulled Neveah to his side and she hugged his leg. I was pulled to his other side and he set us in two chairs on stage.

"Is it just me or is this a serious case of deja vu?" I whispered to him. He winked at me and we sat down.

"This song is for you. My two favorite girls in the whole world. I love you both so much..."

Once all alone

I was lost in a world of strangers

No one to trust

On my own, I was lonely

You suddenly appeared

It was cloudy before but now it's clear

You took away the fear

You brought me back to life

You are the sun

You make me shine

Or more like the stars

That twinkle at night

You are the moon

That glows in my heart

You're my daytime my nighttime

My world

You're my life

Now I wake up everyday

With this smile upon my face

No more tears, no more pain

'Cause you love me

You help me understand

That love is the answer to all that I am

And I'm a better man

You taught me by sharing your live

You are the sun

You make me shine

Or more like the stars

That twinkle at night

You are the moon

That glows in my heart

You're my daytime my nighttime

My world

You're my life

You gave me strength

When I wasn't strong

You gave me hope when all hope is lost

You opened my eyes when I couldn't see

Love was always here waiting for me

Neveah jumped up and hugged Michael and I did the same. Everyone cheered and threw flowers onto the stage. Michael kissed me and picked up Neveah, kissing her on the cheek and holding us close to him as we all bowed together as a family. The curtains started to fall and fireworks were set off close by, making us all jump. Michael looked up to the sky with glossy eyes and a huge smile.

A couple of years later, we were moved into a new house in Las Vegas, Nevada. A place I thought was similar to Neverland, but Michael chose to call it Wonderland. It was secluded and only a few people knew where it was. We brought Kai along with us as well.

Murray was investigated by Tito and his team and after Michael testified against him, he was found guilty of attempted murder of a legend and was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parol.

"Lola...did you get the Propofol?" the doctor asked me, snapping me out of my story telling daydream.

"Got it," I held up the back and mentally flinched a little. This drug would forever haunt me as the drug that almost took away the most important person in my life.

So that's my story. Now, I'm the head nurse at the Progressive Hospital, married to the man once known as the King of Pop, who now owned an art gallery downtown, and we're expecting our second child in a few months. A beautiful baby boy in which Michael had recently decided to name Prince Michael.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have decided later on sometime, I will write a sequel to this story. Until then, I'll continue writing my other story along with my buddy Rebecca, "Every Fan's Wish" so be safe everyone and never forget Michael is smiling down on us wherever we go. He lives in us and we carry on his legacy and keep it alive by doing things like this. Tributes, stories, music videos, or even simply singing his songs or attempting to dance like him makes him smile. Never stop making him smile. Don't stop till you get enough!

"It's all for love. L.O.V.E." - Michael Joseph Jackson

Rest in peace sweet angel. Much love always and we will all see you real soon.

PS - Get those super soakers ready...you will lose your winning streak once we get there!