Mouse and Applehead - Part 3c
And here is the final segment of Part 3 of Mouse and Applehead. In which we learn what the gender of the newest Williams sibling is, Diana nearly flashes someone, and "Billie Jean" leaves a lasting mark on Michael.
Title: Mouse and Applehead
Author: shinigami518
Rating: PG-13 (but will go into the R territory at times)
Warnings: Swearing, the occasional violence, future talks of attempted rape, abuse, and some racism
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except for Annie, her family, and her friends. All music used is owned by their respective owners, writers, and singers. I also, unfortunately, do not own Michael. If i did, he would still be around, playing with his children and making all of his fans happy.
Summary: Late 1979, Michael, after the release of Off the Wall, is longing for a friend. He walks alone at dusk in hopes to find one. He discovers one in the form of a little girl named Annie. This would lead to a long lasting friendship that spans three decades, featuring highs and lows, including: an obsessed older sister, an overprotective father, "Billie Jean", haters, alligations, death, and the pitfalls of being friends with the (currently not as of the time this starts) King of Pop.
Links to past parts (at my journal)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3a
Part 3a
October 2nd
It would end up being several months later when Annie would see Michael again. She and her brothers and sisters would end up spending the rest of their mother’s hospital stay at home with their grandfather and Uncle Mark while Alison recovered in the hospital after bringing their new little brother, Paul Jonathan Williams, into the world. Paul would end up staying in the hospital as well for over a week due to him being born several weeks early, plus having Neonatal jaundice, which had Jack and the children worried and busy at home, the older kids helping their younger siblings.
Michael, meanwhile, would end up going on tour with his brothers to promote their latest album, “Triumph” in early July. Annie, Maggie, Diana, and Tommy, plus Aimee, would try to write to Michael as much as they could, giving their older friend words of encouragement, plus letting him know how their new little brother was doing. Michael would reply as much as he could, except for when he was in New Orleans, where he had a bout of exhaustion and was hospitalized for a while. Hearing about it scared the siblings deeply, especially since they didn’t hear about it until a few days after it happened. Thankfully, Michael was ok, but that didn’t stop them from worrying about their friend.
Then all the waiting ended in late September, when the tour ended and Michael returned home. Of course, since the school year had started, the visits would end up being limited once more like the year before. Aimee, of course, complained about it, but Alison would end up telling Aimee to give Michael a chance to rest.
“Touring isn’t easy, darling. Not only are you going to many new places in the span of several months, but you’re also dealing with changes of time, being tired from the traveling, and also homesickness. You remember what he wrote about what happened in New Orleans? He needs a chance to recharge his batteries.” Alison explained to Aimee one day as she was changing Paul’s diaper.
“But I haven’t seen him since before Paul was born. I miss him, mother!” Aimee complained.
“Hush up and can you hand me Paul’s sailor outfit?” Alison silenced her oldest daughter.
Finally, after a week had passed, it was Annie who decided to risk it.
“I’m going over there.” Annie stated, putting her pencil down as she stopped doing her Social Studies homework. Diana looked up from across the dinning room table in surprise.
“Where?” Diana asked curiously.
“To Michaels’.” Annie answered, standing up and leaving her sister. Diana shot to her feet, making the chair she was sitting in wobble back and forth from the force of her quick movement.
“Are you crazy? By yourself?! Dad’ll flip the hell out if you do that!” Diana shouted, running after Annie. She found Annie digging through the shoes by the front door for her pair.
“We haven’t seen him in about three months, not since Paul was born. He’s been back for a week, I’ve waited long enough.” Annie stated, pulling out one of her shoes and setting it aside.
“Hey, I wanna see him as much as the next person, but how, pray tell, are you going to get there?” Diana asked, sighing, then crossed her arms in bemusement.
“Walk, run, ride my bike, roller-skate, I don’t know, and right now, I don’t care!” Annie snapped back, tossing a shoe aside in frustration. Diana winced at Annie’s tone before she walked over and knelt down next to her.
“It’s about those letters that girl’s been sending him, isn’t it?” Diana asked, reaching out to touch Annie’s shoulder. The second her hand made contact, she felt Annie tense up. She knew she hit a tender spot.
“I was already worried before, especially with him going to the hospital during the tour, but now I can’t help wondering what’s happening with that girl. If she sent more letters or anything to him…” Annie admitted with a sigh. Diana nodded in agreement; she was worried too about those letters.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asked, walking over with Kevin, the younger boy holding his big brother’s hand. Diana stood up while Annie went back to looking for her other shoe.
“Annie wants to go see Michael.” Diana replied, straight to the point.
“By herself?!” Kevin exclaimed.
“If I have to. We haven’t seen him in over two months, heard from him in less than that. I wanna see how he’s doing… and if that crazy lady’s written to him at all since we last saw him.” Annie replied, finally finding her missing shoe amongst the other shoes.
“I wanna see him, too.” Tommy said, releasing Kevin’s hand and running over to Annie to find his shoes.
“Annie, you’re nuts. Dad’ll freak if you go out there alone!” Kevin told his younger sister.
“I don’t care. I’ve waited long enough!” Annie snapped back, struggling to put on her shoes. She then looked up at Kevin, anger and fear in her eyes. “Michael’s our friend, almost like a brother to all of us. I want to know if he’s alright.” Annie added, her eyes starting to shine from unshed tears.
“She’s right. We’ve waited long enough, and Michael is our friend.” Diana agreed, grabbing one of the discarded shoes and began looking for its matching pair.
“You three are really gonna do this?” Kevin asked in disbelief. His two sisters and little brother shot him matching looks of determination. Kevin sighed in defeat. “We’ll use my car.” He relented, digging into his jean pocket for his keys.
“The jalopy?” Diana exclaimed.
“It’s a 1963 Pontiac Tempest, it’s not a jalopy!” Kevin groaned, running a hand over his face.
“It’s a jalopy. Dad had it before I was born!” Diana stated.
“Well it’s my car now, so we’re gonna take it. End of discussion.” Kevin retorted with a second groan.
“What about daddy and mommy?” Tommy asked, putting on his Velcro strapped sneakers.
“I’ll just tell them I’m taking you three out for a ride to check out something at some stores. If they know I’m going with you three, then it’s gonna be ok.” Kevin replied, looking coy. Annie and Diana looked at their older brother in surprise.
“Kev, you’ve really got quite a devious streak in you. I like it.” Diana remarked in surprise, then smirked in approval.
“W-well, Caroline often told me to lighten up, s-so I’m trying it out.” Kevin blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Diana continued to smirk while Annie giggled and Tommy just stared at Kevin in confusion. Caroline was a girl in Kevin’s school he had known since they were both little. “Don’t even think about it, you two. Caroline’s my best friend, nothing else. Yes, she’s a girl AND my friend, but she’s NOT my girlfriend!” Kevin glared at his two sisters. The two girls just grinned, then giggled in unison.
“I don’t get it.” Tommy stated innocently.
“Good.” Kevin spat, turning away and storming off.
>>>>><<<<<
It actually didn’t take much convincing from Kevin for the four to go out. Kevin was true to his word in telling Jack and Alison they were only going out to check something out at the nearby hobby store to cover their true intentions. They only got the warning to be back by 5 to help get ready for dinner.
It would end up being much harder, however, to get in to see Michael. There were new guards at the house and they didn’t recognize the four when they arrived. After several minutes of trying to convince the guards that they did know the Jacksons, Annie was aggravated, Tommy was close to tears, Kevin was getting angry, and Diana was seconds away from flashing the guards to get in.
“Diana?”
Diana quickly began to re-button her blouse when she looked over to see Janet, walking over in curiosity. Kevin, meanwhile, removed his hand, which he had over Tommy’s eyes the second he saw Diana beginning to undo her top.
“Can you tell these goons we’re your friends?” Diana asked, pointing to the two tough looking guards that were glaring at her.
“Wayne, Mark, let’em in, they’re cool.” Janet told the two guards.
“Are you sure, Miss Jackson?” One of the two men asked, still glaring at Diana.
“Hey, I don’t know about Diana, but Annie, Tommy, and I are friendly.” Kevin protested. Diana shot her older brother a cold look.
“Trust me, they’re fine. Let them in.” Janet confirmed. The two guards looked back at the four, then stepped aside, allowing the siblings in.
“Lucky I didn’t have to get physical.” Diana muttered under her breath as they were allowed entry.
“Lucky they didn’t call the police after that stunt you tried to pull.” Kevin snapped at his younger sister. Diana just shot her brother a dirty look before going over to Janet and hugging her friend.
“What’re you guys doing here?” Janet asked, hugging Diana.
“It’s all Annie’s fault.” Kevin replied, pointing at Annie.
“We haven’t been over in several months. We wanted to see how everyone was doing… and to see Michael.” Annie said, adding the last bit softly and shyly. Janet raised an eyebrow in intrigue.
“We were worried about Applehead. We hadn’t heard from him in our letters for a month an’ we wanted to know if that crazy lady wrote to him again.” Tommy explained, rapidly and worriedly. Janet stared at the four siblings, then sighed in defeat.
“That lady did write again, but she did more than just a letter.” Janet revealed. Diana, Tommy, and Annie immediately looked troubled.
“What happened?” Kevin asked first.
“Is Michael ok?” Diana asked next, literally a second after Kevin spoke.
“What did she do?” Tommy was growing more and more worried by the second.
“Guys, let me breath for a second and let’s take this inside, ok?” Janet held up her hands to cease the questioning for the moment.
“Fine.” Diana sighed in defeat. Janet then proceeded to lead the four siblings into the house, Tommy being carried by Kevin and Diana almost dragging Annie.
Once inside, Janet led the four around the house, not speaking all the while, which had Tommy, Diana, and Annie worried. What did that lady write?
“Janet, where are we going?” Annie asked the older girl.
“Michael’s working in the dance room, I figured it’d be best to explain with him there…,” Janet explained, then stopped in front of a room the four had yet been in. The dance room was most of the time off-limits, especially when Michael and/or his brothers were rehearsing for either a video or a tour. “Because this latest message is why we got the new security guys, so nothing like that will ever happen again.” Janet added, opening the door to the room.
Inside the room, Michael was dancing to himself to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen, his eyes closed as he danced, letting himself get lost with the music. He was also humming along to the song, occasionally singing a bit. It was quite a sight, watching Michael dancing and to a non-Jackson song too. No one dared say a word, not wanting to disturb Michael when he was in his element.
Pretty soon, the song ended and Michael stopped dancing, posing in mid-step as if he had done a performance onstage, which he, unknowingly, did. Tommy and Diana started to clap, alerting Michael to the fact he wasn’t alone. He spun around in surprise to see not only Janet there, but four of the Williams siblings.
“G-guys? W-what are you doing here?” Michael asked, not expecting to see his younger friends. He also began to feel embarrassed that they caught him dancing by himself.
“Enjoying a great show.” Diana smiled, leaning against the door frame. Tommy ran into the room, a giant smile on his face.
“Applehead, I missed you tons!” Tommy exclaimed, jumping into Michael’s unsuspecting arms and gave him a giant (to the now four-year-old) hug.
“Oof! Hi, Tommy. I missed you, too, Small Fry.” Michael ‘oofed’, then smiled, getting a better hold on the small boy that was hanging around his neck like a monkey. “And happy birthday, by the way. How old are you now? Four?” Michael asked, looking down at the boy.
“Four years and two days.” Tommy corrected proudly.
“How was the tour, Michael?” Kevin asked, entering the room. Michael reached up and gently removed Tommy’s arms from around his neck, allowing Kevin to walk over and pluck his little brother off of Michael.
“It was ok, a lot more screaming fans and more chaos, but it was fun working with my brothers again.” Michael replied. He then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck where Tommy had pretty much dug his fingers into his skin. “These tours tire me out though, mostly from being on the road for such a long time. It’s really nice to relax for a change.” Michael went on, walking over and shut off the stereo in the room. Janet then walked over to her brother, a serious look on her face.
“Diana and Annie want to know, Michael, about the latest with… that woman.” Janet told Michael, grimly. Michael paled slowly before turning to face his little sister.
“They… you want to know about that?” Michael asked slowly and hesitantly. The worry and fear that Annie had felt months before when she heard Michael crying out due to the nightmares returned. The same panic and fear of a crazy woman messing with someone she cared for, accusing her friend of something despicable.
“What did she do, Michael?” Annie asked, deep fear in her eyes. Diana and Tommy looked at Annie in surprise. Annie sounded, and looked, more worried than she had been before, even more than when they had first learned of the lady. Michael took a deep breath, then walked over to the leftmost wall. He then turned and leaned against the wall.
“She sent a new letter a few days ago… and more.” Michael began, sliding down against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. Tommy and Annie walked over, Diana following them.
“What?” Tommy asked innocently, walking over and sitting next to Michael, his blue eyes wide with concern.
“It was a package. It had a photo of her, plus a letter from her…,” Michael took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears. He then closed his eyes, lowering his head to avoid looking at his sister and their friends. Finally, he spoke: “…and a gun.”
Diana gasped loudly, covering her mouth in shock and horror. Kevin turned several shades of white while Tommy’s eyes widen more than before.
“…You… you’re joking, r-right?” Annie whispered, taking a step forward towards Michael, mentally praying that she heard wrong.
“I wish I really was, Annie.” Michael shook his head, opening his eyes. He then looked back up at Annie, who now stood in front of him. “But she did, she sent a gun… I’ve never been so scared in my life.” Michael went on, his chocolate brown eyes shinning slightly from tears that began to form.
“Oh man.” Kevin whispered, shocked by the revelation.
“W-why did she send you a g-gun?” Tommy asked, grabbing Michael’s arm in alarm.
“She… she wanted… she wanted me to…,” Michael took a deep breath, letting a tear roll down his face, “To kill myself.” Michael finished, his voice wavering as he spoke.
“No!” Annie whispered, putting a hand to her chest over her heart. Tommy leaned against Michael, still clinging to him and buried his face into Michaels’ shirt sleeve.
“There was more. She said she wanted him to… to kill himself on a specific date and time… and that she’d kill herself, too… after killing the baby.” Janet went on in place of Michael. Kevin spun around to face Janet, staring at her in disbelief.
“She actually… wrote that?” Kevin asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Janet nodded grimly. Kevin looked away, a look of astonish on his face. “I… I can’t believe it.” Kevin said, still softly.
“Why? Why the heck did she-?” Diana asked, trying to comprehend what had been revealed to her. She then fell to her knees, a look of shocked disbelief on her face.
“She had said… that if… if we couldn’t be together… in-in this life, t-then we would be… in the next.” Michael explained, starting to shiver in misery, recalling the horror of reading that letter.
“Oh my God…” Diana whispered, looking down in wide eyed terror.
“You’re not… you’re not gonna… follow through, r-right?” Annie asked, getting to her knees in front of Michael. Michael head shot up, tears now starting to take shape and fall down his face.
“How could even THINK-? No! I’m NOT gonna…!” Michael shouted, distressed and appalled over her comment. He then looked back down, eyes closed as a few tears joined the ones that had started to fall, and then took a deep breath. “I could never do that…” Michael stated, voice lowering into a whisper.
“I just wanted to know… because, Michael, I care about you. Di, Tommy, Mags, Kev, and Aimes, we all care about you. And I don’t want you to… to do something stupid.” Annie stated, whispering the last bit sadly. Michael said nothing, never raising his head to look at anyone.
“Michael?” Kevin asked, taking a cautious step forward. Janet raised a hand to stop Kevin in his tracks, then shook her head. She then silently gestured with her head at what he was trying to walk towards.
Annie slowly inched forward, then sat on her knees just a few inches from Michael. Slowly and cautiously, she raised her left hand and gently touched the side of Michael’s face, her fingers brushing against his cheek, feeling the dampness from the tears he shed.
“I’m sorry… you shouldn’t see me l-like this.” Michael whispered, still not looking up.
“Don’t apologize, Michael. After all that crap that lady put you through, you deserve to be emotional.” Diana stated, scooting over next to Annie.
“And you know we’ll never leave you, Applehead, because we love you.” Tommy put in, lifting his head from where it was buried into Michael’s arm.
“In different levels of love and friendship, of course.” Kevin added quickly.
“But don’t you forget that, ok? We’re your friends and we’ll never let you go.” Annie finished, letting her hand fall on his shoulder. Michael was silent. Then he raised his head, finally looking up at Diana and Annie. Both girls felt their hearts ache when they saw Michael’s face.
Tears stained his face, leaving trails over his cheeks. His eyes had started to go red from crying, something neither the girls, nor their brothers had noticed until now. He wore a tortured look on his face, trying not to break down and start sobbing in front of everyone.
Diana felt a deep pit in her stomach, like she had swallowed an iron ball, plus a strong rising anger welling up inside her. ‘How could this lady go this far and hurt someone as sweet, caring, gorgeous, and innocent as Michael,’ she thought to herself. She then glanced over at Annie and was surprised to see her reaction.
Annie’s hazel eyes were also starting to fill with tears. Once again, she lifted her hand off of Michael’s shoulder and gently brushed away a few tears from Michael’s face.
“Mikey, it’s ok to cry. Don’t keep this bottled in because it’ll hurt-” Annie spoke softly and honestly, but she could get the final words out when she felt a heavy weight lunge at her from the front, nearly knocking her backwards. It took a moment to register who it was that was now suddenly clinging to her.
Michael was now clinging to the ten year old, face buried in her right shoulder, shaking as he cried silently. Annie blinked, then blinked again several times, and then started blushing. She had hugged Michael before in the past, but never had Michael ever hugged her, and never like this. The young girl bent her neck slightly to look at Diana, giving a slightly panicked “What do I do now?” look.
“Hug him back.” Tommy urged, crawling over and sitting on Diana’s lap. Annie froze, still staring at Diana, knowing her sister’s feeling for the man who was currently drenching her shirt with his tears.
“Go ahead. He picked you for some reason I can’t fathom, so do it. Hug him back, like Tommy said.” Diana nodded, putting her arms around her little brother. Annie, still blushing, nodded back. Then she slowly wrapped her arms around Michael, returning the hug and leaned into Michael’s shoulder, closing her eyes. Michael’s then let out a choked sob, his tears staining her shirt and his body shaking with each cry.
“It’s ok, Michael. Let it out…” Annie whispered.
Kevin turned to face Janet once more. “You sure this is ok, Janet?” He asked warily.
“Michael always keeps to himself so much, he needs this.” Janet sighed. “You know, Kevin… you, your sisters, and your little brother, you guys really been bringing out a… special side out of Michael. He needs you guys.” Janet went on, sitting down on the floor. Kevin nodded, sitting down next to Janet.
“Is Applehead gonna be ok?” Tommy asked, leaning against his sister.
“I think so, Tom-Tom, but this lady’s done some really, really bad things. I don’t know what’ll happen to her, but I know one thing. We’re doing good being here for him. He needs a friend, and he’s got four of them right now.” Diana replied, resting her cheek on her little brother’s head.
“Including me?” Tommy asked innocently, looking up at Diana.
“Including you, Small Fry.” Diana nodded, planting a small kiss on Tommy’s head.
“You’re safe, Michael… you’re not alone. Just let it out…” Annie soothed, raising one of her hands and placing it on the back of Michael’s head, her fingers intertwined in his hair.
No other words were needed after that…
And that is it for Part 3. Next part will cover the making and release of Thriller, the Moonwalk, and the Thriller video. Plus, Paul appears in the story for the first time, Aimee shows signs of future trouble, and Diana gets to dance in a video.
I also might be posting some of my sketches based on the story in the future as well, but I don't know.