Set Fire to the Rain

‘Tap, tap, tap!!!!’ Jumping out of my skin from the scare that Emma had given me, I turned and looked out of the darkened town car window, to give her a death glare that she couldn't see. Then I gathered my things together along with Jules as the door was opened from the outside and we were let out into the night.

“Hey bitch, you scared the crap out of me!” I said to Emma as I wrapped my arms around her and she returned the gesture with a grin.

“Eh, you know we aim to please here! I am just doing my job.” She giggled.

“So Jared told you to scare the shit out of me then? That was a part of your job?” My heart was slowing to a normal rate in my chest and my breathing was now under control. It wasn't that I was mad at Emma for tapping on the car window, I was just startled. Though the more I thought about it, I started to think I could so have fun getting back at Jared with this. A devious smile started to form on my lips and I looked at Emma, and she looked back at me with a more concerned expression.

“Oh shit, no! He didn't tell me to do that I swear. I was just having a little bit of fun. Alright, what’s with that look your giving me, I don’t like it MJ. Please, I am really sorry. Normally would be all for giving Jared shit, but not tonight of all nights. I promise, if and when the time presents itself for a good Jared joke, you will be first on my list of co-conspirators.”

“Seriously!? Alright, I get it, but you have to promise that I will be included when the time comes. I am great in the idea department. The man needs to lighten up a little bit with the whole ‘body guard’ detail thing. It would do him good to get laid.” I grumbled under my breath.

“Um, yeah, that’s absolutely not a part of my job description hun. Sorry, but he is on his own there.” She said with a straight face. We had all started to walk away from the town car towards the back entrance of the Church, and away from the crowd that had probably been gathering there since earlier that afternoon. There were still small groups of people gathered around in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the guys either coming or going and with Emma wearing a jacket with the hood pulled down over her face, no one was the wiser that it was her.

“Well that’s a fucking shame if you ask me. The man is one fine piece of ass. If I wasn't already taken, and completely crazy about my man, mmmm oh boy, I would so want to get me a piece of that!” I was absolutely joking, but it was fun to see the looks on both Jules and Emma’s shocked faces when I said that. Priceless isn't even close enough, and it was extremely difficult holding back the laughter.

“Mags!!! You have a boyfriend!” Julie screeched out as we walked through the back doors of the Church. Emma squealed out a very similar response after a moment of stunned silence.

“MJ! Holy shit, I am going to pretend I never heard that! I wish I could bleach the image that is now permanently etched in my head! Yuck, thanks a lot for that.” Wow, fucking around with them was really way too much fun.

“Holy fucking hell, I was only kidding! Lighten up girls!” I said as we rounded a corner that led into a room where the guys were gathered with a few friends and family members and crew. So maybe it wasn’t such a small group. My brother and his entourage had not yet arrived apparently, so that would only add to the size of the group, which should be very soon. I caught Jay’s eyes and we smiled widely at one another and Tomo did the same. When I spotted Shannon he smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes and he very quickly turned away, stood up and stalked from the room. This was not a good sign. Oh boy. Things apparently were not going so well there. Giving a quick glance back over at Jared, he gave me a small shake of the head signaling me not to step into muddy waters right now, so I left well enough alone. Though I was itching to go after Shannon and fill him in on exactly how my mom was doing, I could always find him later after the show.

“Yo! MJ! How’s it going, you sexy young thangg?!” Tomo bounced up behind me and threw an arm over my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. I hugged the giant teddy bear of a man back and beamed up at him. He was after all, a hell of a lot taller than I am.

“Crazy Mofo! I am doing o fucking kay man. Thanks for asking. How is V? I don’t see her around, is your best half here?” I asked jabbing him in the abs with my elbow jokingly.

“Yeah she’s around here taking pictures somewhere. So I’m going to ask the question about the enormous elephant in the room.” He said softly.

“What’s that, when was the last time Jay got laid?” I looked up at Tomo and we both looked over to where Jared was now standing talking to one of the crew and Emma was standing next to him taking a drink from a bottle of water. As the words left my mouth her eyes bugged out of her head and the water sprayed out of her mouth and onto the poor crew member. The whole time Jared stared with a look of shock and suddenly busted up into a fit of hysterics along with the entire room. You could tell that Jared had heard what I said to Tomo, from the wicked glint in his eyes that said he was going to get me back but good. Shit. So maybe I should have waited to bring that up.

“So you want to know when the last time I got any was hmm young lady?” Jared said softly into my right ear. I looked up into his bright blue eyes and I couldn't help but laugh.

“Ok, on that note, I am going to talk with Julie and Emma over there. I have no desire to hear this conversation at all!” And off ran Tomo in the opposite direction.

“Sorry about that Jay, it just kind of popped out there. I really don’t want to know, I just think maybe you need to get out there and have a little more fun, if you will.”

“Really now. Are you going to stand here and talk to me about my sex life right now, before I am getting ready to go on stage?”

“Ok, so no it is really not the best time, and really none of my business. But this whole body-guard detail thing is starting to get to me and it’s making me bitchy. Plus I miss my boyfriend and I haven’t talked to him all day. I’m just frustrated. I’m sorry.”

Leaning in he wrapped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me in for a warm hug and I felt a bit of the stress disappear. When we pulled away from one another, I looked up at Jared and took a deep breath getting ready to ask what I really wanted to know. “What’s going on with Shannon? He looks like fucking shit.”

“Yeah, he is struggling with this whole plan idea. And I am having a really hard time keeping him on track with it. He really wants to just go to your mom and say fuck it begging to get her back. I have been able to keep him on task so far and we have plans for the weekend once the show is done tomorrow our calendar is open, and we can put all the time we need into Operation get Shannon his woman back. I got sick of calling it the plan, so I came up with that. But most of all it seems to keep the Animal focused when he hears it. If it works, I will use it to the fullest potential. How is your mom doing?”

“Jay, she’s not doing so hot, and to be perfectly honest I don’t know that she will last the week with things the way they are. The woman is a fucking disaster but won’t admit it. I talked to her tonight and I think I convinced her that she needs to really figure her shit out. Though I don’t think it will take as long as we believe it will. I just don’t know. All that I know for certain, is that she desperately misses Shannon in her life.” Of course at that precise moment Shannon had decided to come out from wherever he had been hidden away and was now standing to the side of Jared and myself hearing most of what I had just said. I don’t know if that was a good or bad thing from the look of sadness that crossed his face.

“Hey Maggie May. How are you?” He asked coming up to me giving me a tight hug. “I can’t stay to talk, but maybe after ok? Hope you enjoy the show. I need to go do warm-ups. Jared, they said we need to get our asses up there asap.” Giving a small smile, he turned and walked from the room grabbing Tomo and a few others on the way out the door.

I looked at Jared and he shrugged his shoulders. ”We will talk after the show, I need to go to work for a little bit. Be safe and stay with Emma okay? She knows where to bring all of you to watch the show. Oh hey there Jake talk to you later man, got to get upstairs now.”

Turning around I saw my brother and his group make their way into the room and say their hellos to the people around the room and Jake walked to me giving me a hug and I said hello to Ari and the rest of the family. Jake asked me what was going on, and I told him quickly that we would talk later that it was too much too get into right now, we had a show to go watch. With that Emma came over with the night’s security detail and we made our way out of the green room up to the main floor of the Church to our seats, which were amazing, settling in for what would be another one of a kind Mars show. The only things missing were my mom and the spark that Shannon normally played with. Jared and the guys gave a great show, but the excuse given for Shannon’s lack of fire, was that he had come down with the flu and wasn't feeling well. It was more like he was suffering from broken heart syndrome, and that broke mine. There seemed to be a lot of that going around lately and we needed to fix that as soon as humanly possible. Operation get Shannon his woman back, needs a fucking kick in the ass.