Chapter 21

October 1990 - LA

Michael's POV

"Mommy!" Nicolas yelled as Maeve walked through the door.

"Oh, how I missed my little man!" She got on her knees to embrace our son.

For the past couple months, Maeve has been busy accompanying her mother and learning all about their business.

Her job comes with great responsibility and way too many working hours that make me wonder, how she's going to handle all of this once the second baby is here.

But I trust her, she knows what she's doing, I think.

Nicolas let go of Maeve and wanted her to come along but Maeve was having trouble getting back up from the floor due to her baby bump, she wasn't as flexible as before.

The gentleman, I am, of course came to the rescue and with the offer of my hands, Maeve got off the floor.

Her arms immediately wrapped around my neck as she pulled me closer into a warm embrace.

"I missed you so much, Michael!"

It's hard not having here at Neverland and while she was away, I've come to the realization that Maeve's the one that makes this house a home.

Without her here, it feels different like it's not the same if the smell of homemade meals or baked goods doesn't fill your nostrils as soon as you walk through the door.

Some security men and other employees of Neverland Ranch also complained about Maeve's absence these past months. I wasn't aware that Maeve does get on well with ALL of them. Apparently she does talk to them a lot and even brings them snacks occasionally. When it's sunny outside and it gets pretty hot here in summer, Maeve'd be handing out ice cream or water to make sure that everyone is alright.

She's a saint, but I've always known that she's too good for this world and that she loves taking care of others. However, there's one person, she always forgets about, although it should be her top priority, herself.

*****

As I entered our bedroom, late at night, Maeve was sitting at the edge of the bed, her back facing me while she was on the phone.

These late business talks are annoying to me since I really want to have my wife back, at least for the time she spends at home.

"How much is missing?"

Instead of giving her the time to finish the conversation I made my way up to her from behind and started kissing her bare shoulder. At first she pulled away, looking a little startled, but when she realized it was just me, she smiled warmly.

The receiver was still pressed against her ears as I continued kissing her soft skin. When my lips met her neck, she giggled softly but her eyes told me to stop.

I didn't.

"And" she giggled again under my touch but this time she got up, facing me and threatened me with her index finger.

"Sorry" she cleared her throat before continuing. "You're sure you counted correctly?"

Her hand was still pointing at me as she concentrated on the phone call but I grabbed her and pulled her closer, she gasps audibly before grabbing my shoulder tightly as I started kissing her collarbone.

"You know what, I'm going to take care of this, first thing in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow before your shift ends, bye!" She hung up and threw the phone on the bed.

Both her arms slid around my neck as she lowered her body to close the distance between us.

She pressed her lips softly against mine and for a moment they stayed completely still before they started to move together with mine in synchronisation.

When she broke the kiss, she rested her forehead on mine while her eyes stayed close, she looked tired.

"So you're not sleeping in late tomorrow?" I questioned and after a short laugh, she started shaking her head.

"No, there's money missing in the safe at the hotel in LA and I have to see what happened there before going to Las Vegas tomo-"

My hands grabbed hers from my neck. "You're already leaving again? You've just come back today!"

A heavy sigh left Maeve's mouth as she freed herself from my grip and sat down next to me on the bed.

"I know, I'm sorry. We're still negotiating about this property where we plan to expand with an luxurious hotel resort but it looks like this is going to prolongate for some more time." While talking she started rubbing her eyes.

"You're tired" I stated and she nodded.

"It's been a long day, Michael."

"No, you need a break, Maeve!" I told her while looking at her with a stern look on my face.

Her expression was soft and she smiled warmly at me but her eyes couldn't fool me. They told me all I needed to know and right now, she needed to take a step back and take care of herself.

"Michael" she spoke softly while reaching for my hands but I pulled away. She sighed as she rested her hands in her lap and looked at the ground for a short second before meeting my eyes again.

"I'm alright-"

"Maeve you're pregnant! Did you forget that? You promised to take it slow but yet here you are, already preparing to leave again after only one night! What about Nicolas? He misses his mommy so much!"

"Michael, believe me when I say I am alright! I'm still trying to find my place between all these experienced people, it'll get easier, I promise! And I am taking breaks, I really am but I can't allow myself to stay behind just yet, not until I have proven myself!"

"Proven to whom?"

Maeve looked down again. "My father had more power than we could've ever imagined. Michael, the people I meet, they... let's just say they have great influence in everything, even in decisions of the government! I need to be on their good side, I've realized that now! They control everything, even the entertainment industry! They influence decisions made by the government in their favor and the crazy thing is, they remain unpunished for everything they've done or sent someone else to do." She paused for a second before meeting my eyes again. "Michael, this keeps me wondering what crimes my father committed over the years that I don't know about?!"

In a moments of silence her eyes stared at me, pleading for an open ear, but the only thing I worried about was her and her health. I broke the eye contact and looked down at my feet before my eyes met hers again, where I spoke with a cold voice.

"Maybe you should stop worrying about your deceased father and start caring about the family you have here!"

*****

Jared's POV

Equipped with a flashlight in my hand, I strolled the paths of Neverland. This time I wasn't walking to the main house since the lights have been off since the last time I walked this route.

However, I was nearing the little lake, near the main house when I noticed a figure near the shore. I soon recognized it to be Maeve, she was flipping stones into the water.

"What a beautiful night we have, don't you think, Mrs. Jackson?" I said while approaching her.

Next to her, she had a small light and a whole lot of small stones she must've collected on the way here.

Her eyes met mine and she simply nodded with a small smile.

"What are you doing her, Maeve?"

Her hand reached for another stone and with precision she threw it making it flip 3 times before it sank to the ground.

"Not bad." I commented before I looked back at her, still waiting for her response.

"I needed some fresh air..." she sighed and I knew that she had an argument with Michael, probably because of her busy schedule.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked as I kneeled down next to the spot where she was sitting.

In the darkness with the only light coming from the one she brought and the moon above us, I saw her shaking her head lightly before she grabbed another stone, handing me one as well.

"Bet I can make them flip more often than you can!" She smiled mischievously at me.

"No way! The bet is on!"