You Are Not Alone

Lily woke up, taking in her surroundings. When she realized she hadn't been dreaming, she smiled. She was actually on the plane. Today was the day. After four months since he extended the invitation of visiting Neverland, she was finally going to see Michael. Tomorrow was her birthday and she couldn't believe she would be waking up there.

Lily had already come and gone from Germany, where she visited her father. She had told him all about how they had reconnected and had been talking on the phone. He was happy for her and had joked about her being in love already. Something she had denied vehemently. Her father let it go, knowing how hard it was for her to trust men after what Mason had put her through. He wanted to kill that idiot boy for hurting his Petal.

After Lily had returned to New York, she had about two weeks before it would be time to leave for California. Since she had been gone for so long and because she would not be home for her birthday, she made sure to spend as much time with her mom and Carrie as she could. They had both been quite excited for her. Lily couldn't help but feel bad that she wasn't bringing Carrie along, but her friend was quick to shut her up. Carrie had also made plenty of jokes about her and Michael, much to Lily's annoyance. Was she really that transparent?! Not that it mattered. She would not, no, COULD NOT, fall in love again.

Snapping out of her thoughts, the captain had just announced that they would be landing in a few short minutes. After a short time, they arrived at the airport. She had just stepped off of the plane andd into LAX, when she spotted a man, who she assumed to be Michael's chauffer, holding up a sign with her name on it.

"Hello, I'm Lily Parker", Lily said with a smile as she approached the man. If Lily had to guess, she figured he was probably in his seventies. The man smiled kindly, shaking her hand.

"Wonderful to meet you, Miss Parker. I'm Samuel Archer", he replied, taking her bags. He then led her to a limousine parked out front of the airport. As he opened her door, she paused with a smile.

"So", Lily began, a mischievious grin on her face. "Mind if I call ya Archie?" The elderly man laughed heartily.

"If it pleases you, Miss Parker, I think I quite like it", Archie replied, with a wink.

"It's a deal then! As long as you call me, Lily", she said, giggling. She then slid into the leather seat of the limo.

"As you wish, Miss Lily", he agreed with a smile. As he shut her door and climbed into the driver's seat, Lily shook her head with amusement. She was going to like him! She couldn't help but be reminded of Michael when Archie called her 'Miss Lily', which made her smile like a fool. I really need to stop that, she scolded herself.

The effects of jet lag had begun to set in. Checking the time on her watch, Lily realized they had been driving for about two hours. Not really sure how long the drive would be, she decided to attempt a quick power nap. Just as she was closing her eyes, the privacy screen was lowered, revealing Archie.

"We'll be arriving at Neverland in about half an hour, Miss Lily", Archie said, looking at her through the rear view mirror.

"Alright. Thanks, Archie", she replied with a smile. Nodding, he put up the privacy screen once again.

Knowing that she would be seeing Michael in thirty minutes, Lily was much too excited to try and sleep now. Looking out her window, she smiled at the beauty that surrounded her. There were rich, green hills everywhere. They had even passed a few horse ranches and vinyards along the way. Largely untouched by the hustle and bustle of city life, Lily thought it seemed quite peaceful, which was quite a contrast to her life in New York City.

Before she knew it, thirty minutes had come and gone. Archie, once again, lowered the privacy screen to announce their arrival. Looking out the now visible windshield, Lily saw the famous gates. When she saw the words "Michael Jackson Neverland", sprawled out in gold, her stomach began doing backflips. She was nervous. She hadn't even been this nervous when she danced with him at the concert, or even when they met backstage. This was different though. She was going to Michael Jackson's house. She would be sleeping under the same roof as him for the next two weeks!

Seeing that it was Archie, security opened the gates, letting them through. Lily smiled as they drove through the property, passing numerous statues of playing children. The grounds were surrounded by tall trees. Soon they were driving passed the train station, a huge floral clock in front of it. Next, she saw a lake, the sun shining off of the surface like diamonds. After that, there was a large, beautiful garden. Bright flowers were everywhere. Once they passed the gardens, they came upon a massive tudor style mansion. A swarm of butterlfies were instantly let loose in her stomach. In a matter of minutes, she would see Michael.

After they came to a stop, Archie exited the limo and opened Lily's door, helping her out of the vehicle. Popping the trunk, the old man retrieved her bags, which he insisted on carrying for her. Leading the way, Archie walked with her into the house. Lily was left to take in her surroundings as he left to let Michael know that she had arrived.

Looking around the sitting room, a large painting caught Lily's eye. It was Michael, the way he looked in the late eighties. He was dressed in a suit of armour, a regal red cape draped over his left shoulder, held up by his arm. There were many things in the painting as well, but none stood out as much as Bubbles the chimp, sitting on the ground at Michael's feet. Lily smiled, he truly looked like a king.

"Ahem", Lily jumped, spinning around at the sound of someone clearing their throat. She grinned, seeing Michael standing in front of her. She blushed, thinking how handsome he looked in his black slacks and red shirt. His outfit complete with a black fedora, of course. "Hello, Miss Lily", Michael greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Michael", Lily returned shyly. "It's good to finally see you again".

"It's good to see you, too", Michael replied, his dark eyes staring into hers. Lily couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Y-you have a beautiful home. It's truly amazing", Lily said, amazed she was able to form any words with him staring at her the way he was.

"Thank you! I love it here, it's so peaceful. I hope you enjoy your stay with me", Michael said genuinely. "So, girl, where's my hug?" Michael said, a coy smile forming on his lips as he opened his arms. Nervously, Lily stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. She gasped when she felt one of his arms slide around her waist, the other holding the back of her neck.

God, he smells incredible! No, Lily, stop it! She stepped back, hoping to quell the feelings errupting inside her.

"Would you like a tour?" Michael asked her.

"I'd love one", Lily agreed.

After a while, Lily was even more amazed. Neverland was beautiful! Michael had shown her around the house first. Leaving through the back door, she saw the pool. She made a mental note to make use of it during her stay. She had gotten an up close look at the beautiful garden she had seen on the way into the property, as well as the lake. He had taken her on a train ride, which apparently was named after his mother. Lily thought it was sweet how much he loved his mother. They had gone to what was basically Michael's own personal zoo. She couldn't believe all the different animals Michael had. Lions, tigers, birds of all kinds, llamas. She had even had the opportunity to feed his elephants. This place was magical!

Saving the best for last, Michael led her to the theme park area. Lily was having the time of her life. Honestly, she was a kid at heart, just like Michael. They rode the carousel, laughing and acting like children. After some constant begging, Michael finally talked Lily into trying the Zipper. After only a few minutes, she needed to get off. Michael laughed as she got off the ride and tried to walk in a straight line. She failed miserably. She was shocked when Michael told her that he held the record for riding the Zipper the longest, with thirty-five minutes straight! After her stomach had settled, they had stopped at a snow cone stand. Michael asked for red, while she asked for blue.

After finishing their treat, Michael asked Lily if she would like to ride the Ferris wheel. Hesitant at first, she finally agreed after he insisted that she would be perfectly safe. Climbing into one of the seats, Michael patted the seat next to him. Still a bit nervous, Lily slowly sat down beside him. Signaling to the man operating the ride, they began to move at a slow pace. Holding onto her seat for dear life, Lily breathed in and out slowly, her eyes squeezed shut. She opened one eye when she heard Michael's quiet giggle.

"What?" Lily asked, frowning. Seeing that she couldn't even open both eyes, it only served to make Michael laugh louder.

"Are you alright, girl?" Michael asked. He was concerned for her but he was still smiling.

"No! I'm petrified of heights, Michael. I don't wanna die!" Okay, so she was a bit dramatic, but still, there was a reason God didn't give people wings!

"Girl, you're so silly!" Michael giggled. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. You're perfectly safe with me", with that Michael grabbed her hand in his. If he felt the shock that Lily did, he didn't let on. For the next ten minutes, they stayed still at the top of the ride. Michael continued to hold her hand as he pointed out places on his property that could be seen from where they were suspended high above the ground.

After a while, the Ferris wheel began to move again. When they reached the bottom, they stood up. Michael asked Lily if she was hungry. Seeing as how she hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now after six in the evening, she was starved. Secretly hoping that Michael wasn't the type to eat stuffy, five-star cuisine, she wasn't disappointed. She had laughed when he suggested KFC. It was funny because it was one of her favorite places to eat. A few minutes later, Michael's chef brought out a big bucket of fried chicken. Sharing the bucket, which they managed to finish off between the two of them, they got lost in conversation.

When dinner was finished, Michael suggested they watch a movie in his theatre. Lily thought that sounded like a good plan, so she agreed. First, he showed her to the guest room she would be staying in. Those damn butterflies kicked in again when he informed Lily that her room was right next door to his own. She really needed to get a hold of herself! Leaving her to take a shower and freshen up, he went off to do the same, telling her to meet him in the living room downstairs. Twenty minutes later, Lily walked out of her room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found Michael already waiting for her.

Michael's POV

Michael smiled when Lily appeared on the stairs. Her damp hair was thrown up in a messy bun and she had no makeup on. Frankly, Michael didn't think she needed it anyway. She was wearing a simple pair of black flip-flops on her feet, showing off her red painted toes. Michael's eyes traveled upwards, appreciating the soft curves of her body. They were accentuated by the tight, black leggings she wore. Deciding not to dwell on that, lest he find himself in an embarrassing situation, his eyes kept going. Michael grinned, getting a good look at her top. It was a simple gray, v-neck t-shirt. It had a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, kissing. Not only did he think she looked beautiful like this, he was also happy to note that she must be a Disney fan!

"Cute shirt", Michael said, trying not to sound nervous. He blushed when he realized she'd caught him staring.

"Thanks", Lily replied, giggling shyly. Michael loved her laugh. It was music to his ears.

"Are you ready to watch a movie?" Michael asked her.

"Yep, I'm ready", Lily answered, smiling.

"Alright, let's go!" With that, Michael grabbed her hand, leading her to the theatre. Michael wondered if her hand was tingling the way his was at her touch. Asking if "Peter Pan" was okay, he was even happier when she admitted it was one of her favorite movies.

Could this girl be any more perfect?! Michael thought to himself.

An hour later, the two of them were really into the movie. Michael was having so much fun with Lily. Before the movie started, they had made sure to get plenty of snacks. They each got a soda and decided to share a big bucket of popcorn. Lily had requested Raisinets while Michael, of course, grabbed a bag of Skittles.

By now, they had both devoured their candy. However, most of the popcorn was scattered around them on the floor. They had ended up getting into a food fight, throwing popcorn at each other. Lily had won that real quick, deciding to just dump the still half-full bucket onto Michael's head. He was shocked at first, making Lily think she had gone too far. Just when she began to profusely apologize, he cracked up laughing. When she had realized he wasn't angry, she began to laugh with him.

Lily was pointing at him, still laughing, Suddenly, Michael took her by surprise. She shrieked when he lunged at her, tickling her sides mercilessly. God, he could listen to her laugh all day! It was quite possibly the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Their laughter finally died down and they returned their attention to the movie. Michael wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulder. Surprising him, Lily laid her head down on Michael's shoulder. Resting his head on top of hers, the smell of her apple-scented shampoo filled his senses. He didn't ever want this moment to end.