I'm Not a Princess, This Ain't a Fairytale

Joe and I were sitting in the front seats of the audience, just looking up at the stage where we had spent so much of our childhood. We didn't say anything. We both knew we didn't really need to. Finally, I took his hand in mine. He looked at our joint hands before looking up at me. His eyes were slightly confused, and slightly hopeful.

"I know what you did to Troy," I whispered. "Mom told me when she took me for my appointment."

He took a deep breath, running his free hand through his hair. I noticed that he grip on my hand tightened slightly. It hurt a bit, but I refused to let go. I knew I needed my brother as much as he needed me. " I did it all for you Mia. All of it, for you."

I felt the tears come to my eyes as I hung my head down in silence. Joe sighed, and got up, walking to the stage. "I can't do anything right. I try to help you. I try and I try. And I mess it up. I mess everything up. And I just want to protect you and help you but I can't even do that without screwing it up. I'm so sorry Mia. I'm so sorry for everything." I could hear his voice was strained and slightly broken, like he was about to cry. "Even – even now, when I tried to fix it, I messed it up even more. I can keep trying to make it up to you. But it doesn't matter. Nothing I do will erase what I did. I'm a monster. And what's worse is that I'm the worst kind of monster. Because I try to help and still, I mess it up."

I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. He turned about to look at me. "Joe, listen to me, you are not a monster. You mean more to me than anything in this world. You may be stupid sometimes, but hey, it's in the Jonas genes." He cracked a smile at that. "And you have nothing to make up for Joe," I said. "You did nothing wrong. You've always helped me. You've always been there for me. I should have – I should have come to you when he – it happened."

His eyes tightened. "Don't try to blame yourself like usual Mia," he said. "It'll only make me more disgusted with myself."

"Joey, really, you are so amazing. You're my brother, but you've become so much more than that," I exclaimed. "You're my world. You're like the – oars to my boat, like the pillars to my temple, the wind beneath my wings, the –" I thought for a second. "Okay, I'm out of examples. But you get the point." He laughed, rolling his eyes at that. "Look, the point is Joe, that no matter what, I love you. You've given me everything. And I would do anything for you."

He wrapped his arms around me. "I've missed you so much Mia," he cried.

"Me too," I whispered. And it was enough.

After a few moments, he kissed my forehead, and squeezed me tightly. "You're my little girl Amelia Jonas," he said. "You're always going to be mine to protect."

I started crying again as I hugged him. "And I'm always going to let you."

He grinned at me. "So I wasn't kidding."

"About," I asked, confused.

"About your voice," he said. "It really is so angelic."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I laughed.

"Seriously," He took my hand and walked me up the stairs to the stage. "And now, I think it's time to turn over a new leaf and sing again."

"What," I asked, taken back as he placed me in front of a microphone. "I can't Joe. You know I don't sing."

"Sing with me Mia," he said. "You and me."

I shook my head vehemently. There was no way I was going to sing again, especially here. "I can't."

He sighed. "Look out on the stage Mia. Don't you remember what it always felt like? Being on stage? Acting? Singing? Hearing the audience's reaction to words? To your words? Don't you remember what it was like to come out on this stage night after night and never tire of it because it was what you loved? Because, no matter what else happened, this made sense?"

I sighed, looking out on the stage. I did remember. No matter how long it had been, the feeling of walking on this stage every night could never be erased. Feeling the adrenaline I got from performing could never be replaced. And most of all, singing for people, was the best thing in the world. It made everything better. In my whole life, it had been the one thing that made sense. But still, I shook my head. Because, even more prominent than that feeling was the feeling of my dad hitting me as he forced me to sing.

Joe took my hand. "Dad was monstrous Mia," he said. It wasn't surprising that he knew what I had been thinking. "But you'll never break free if you don't sing."

I nodded. Joe was right. I had to break free. Joe grinned at me. "So you ready to sing your heart out again Amelia Bethany Jonas?"

I sighed, looking at him. I stepped closer to the microphone. He smiled at me. He took the microphone pole in his hand.

"I've got sunshine
On a cloudy day," he looked at me.

I took a deep breath and started. "When it's cold outside,
I've got the month of May." My voice was weak and low.

He joined me as we sang," Well, I guess you'll say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl. (My girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl),"

I started the next part. "I've got so much honey
The bees envy me."

He sang his part. "I've got a sweeter song
Than the birds in the trees."

I had an image of my dad singing this song to me when I was little. And I cringed. But then I had a memory of Joe singing this to me once when I had fallen and scraped my knee. This time when I joined him I was louder. "Well, I guess you'll say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl. (My girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)"

"Ooooh, Hoooo."

We looked at each other. That was neither of us. We looked at the back of the theater and saw Nick, Kevin, Frankie, and our mom standing there.

"Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, hey, hey," Nick and Kevin sang.

I smiled as I started the next part." I don't need no money,
Fortune or fame."

Joe sang his part. "I've got all the riches, baby,
One man can claim."

Nick walked onto the stage and sang the next part with Joe and me. "Well, I guess you'll say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl. (My girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

Talkin' bout my girl.
I've got sushine on cloudy day
With my girl.
I've even got the month of May."

"With my girl," Joe hugged me as he finished it off.

By the time we had finished, my mom, Kevin, and Frankie had come onto the stage. Frankie hugged my legs tightly. "I told you you sound like an angel," he said.

"He did tell you," Nick grinned as he hugged me too.

"You're so amazing Mama Mia," Kevin hugged me.

My mom was crying. "Our family is really back together. We're going to really be okay this time."