Michael's P.O.V.

Nightmare isn't a strong enough word to describe how I felt when I walked into that hotel bedroom and found my Christina laying lifeless in that bed, empty water bottles and medications strewn around. I thought that I had lost her then. That very moment I prayed to God for her to make it.

It's in moments like these when you have to put aside all of your differences, even with the man who in my opinion is determined to steal my wife from me. We had to work in unison to get her into an ambulance and get her medical attention.

Now I look over at Christina lying in her hospital bed, her eyes closed, oxygen in her nose and an IV in her arm. What hurts me the most is knowing that I caused all of this. I am so stupid, so selfish and so undeserving of her. It took her almost overdosing on the combination of pain killers and sleeping pills to get me to realize how important she is to me, and how much I no longer want to live without her. I've had her all along and I never understood what it meant. I just hope that she can forgive me.

It's eleven in the morning and I haven't slept at all. An hour earlier her doctor came in and told me she was in stable condition and she just needed to be in observation for awhile. I need some coffee, so since she's asleep I think I'll have James, my ever loyal bodyguard who is standing guard outside the hospital room, to go get me some. I can't really go roaming around hospitals as it were. Reaching for Christina's hand, I pull it towards my lips and kiss it gently as I stand up to leave the room.

"How is she doing?" Jared asks sternly as he slips into the room.

Looking him up and down, I still can't see what Christina ever saw in him. He's dressed casually as always; a white T-shirt with a baggy unbuttoned flannel shirt on top of it, some jeans and blue converse shoes. I bite my tongue. I want to say a million things to this man but now is not the time.

My security guard James is standing patiently at the door as always. "Hey, James, can you bring me a coffee please? I need some caffeine in me." Without a word he leaves his spot and in seconds has disappeared from the hallway.

When I turn around I see Jared sitting in the chair that I had gotten up from and holding Christina's hand in his. He's whispering something into her ear.

Does he have no shame?

"Jared," I shout, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm talking to her." He motions to Christina with his free hand.

"She's asleep, Jared. She needs her rest." He either can't take a hint or doesn't want to. He doesn't budge, which gets my blood boiling.

"Hey, you know what, I think it's time for you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere," he snarls.

"You know what, you helped enough at the hotel, and I thank you for that, but she's okay now, and I think I can take over from here."

"And I said I'm not going anywhere." The tone of his voice gets louder and more defiant.

"Don't you get when you've overstayed your welcome?"

"What's going on here?" demands a nurse with her hands on her hips and her dark hair in a tight bun. She is accompanied by another nurse who rush into the room upon hearing the commotion.

"I'm telling this gentleman that he should leave, but he won't," I accuse.

"You need to leave the room, sir. You can't be here. Only family members are allowed in here," she shakes her head in disapproval. "And we can't have you two bickering in front of the patient either," she declares, casting angry glances between the both of us. She waves her hand at Jared for him to leave. "Follow me sir."

"Fine," he spits. He followed the nurse out of the room but not before shooting a furious look my way.

Christina's P.O.V.

"You could have died," he tells me with a genuine look of worry on his face.

"I know," I murmur, sitting in my pajamas with my back against the headboard of my bed, and my legs up to my chest, hugging my pillow. Michael is sitting at the foot of the bed, wearing a blue blazer, a white shirt and black slacks.

The doctors discharged me from the hospital in London yesterday, and after a long flight back home to Los Angeles, I'm very tired. My parents have just left my home and Michael insisted on staying with me to talk.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Tired."

Michael sighs deeply. "I feel so bad about everything. It's all my fault."

"Don't feel bad, Michael. It's not your fault."

"But we had just had that fight..."

"It was an accident. I didn't take all those pills on purpose. I just wanted the pain in my head to go away, I didn't realize how much I was taking," I interrupt.

"I know, I still don't feel any better, though." He gets up from the foot of the bed and sits on the opposite side of the bed. He signals to his feet. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." he rests his back on the headboard and stretches his legs out on the bed.

"Comfortable?" I giggle with raised eyebrows.

"Oh yeah," he declares moving his shoulders cheerfully. "Listen, I think we should talk."

I sit quietly without responding.

"Look, all of this has really gotten me thinking about so many things. Things that I never thought about before." He takes a deep breath. "I guess what I want to say first is I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything, Christina. For being so detached from you all the time. You didn't deserve it."

Turning my head, I stare at him in disbelief.

"When I first met you, I had- and I guess I still do have- problems trusting people. A lot of people have done me very wrong. You know that."

"Yeah," I respond, coaxing him to continue.

"You know I started to have feelings for you. I didn't know what to do with those feelings. My head told me to stay away from you, and my heart told me it never wanted to leave you. I was torn all the time. And I made you suffer for that, and I'm sorry."

Shocked beyond words, I cover my mouth with my hand.

"And then I thought to myself that I deserved to be happy. I started listening to my heart. I became to become myself again. I never thought I'd be this happy again. I didn't think I deserved it to be honest."

My hand falls onto his shoulder. "Michael, everyone deserves to be happy."

He sighs.

"You couldn't have known all this, and yet you still were there for me." His head falls.

"I was still there for you, because the few times you let me see who you are, was intoxicating. I mean, you were like my drug. I wanted to be up there with you again."

He looks me in the eyes. "I felt the same way. But as soon as I started listening to my heart, the rest of my world crumbled down around me. The police were at Neverland again, I was going to be charged with that horrible, unthinkable crime. I didn't know what to do with myself again. It was just easier for me to shut down again. Just like I had done before."

I rub his shoulder and wipe a single tear that had escaped from my eye. "That's like your escape mechanism. You just shut down."

"Yeah, I mean, I go through this trial, and I'm crushed. I feel like I'm worth a grain of sand on the beach. I don't even feel human anymore. I know I pushed you away, I know I did, but my feelings for you deep inside never left me. When I saw Jared around you always, I was too numb to even feel jealous, but it did bother me. I'm sorry I never let you explain. I was going through so much. I just wasn't myself. I'm so sorry." I hold him as he sobs, I feel literal pain in my heart.

"No, Michael, it's okay. Please don't cry. I can't bear it."

"Please say you can forgive me."

"Of course I can forgive you, Michael. Of course I can," we hold each other awhile more. It feels as if the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders and the resentment I had felt all this time had been washed away.

"I never knew why you acted so distant with me. In the beginning I felt so alone, I really did. I mean I didn't have any family around. Rachel, the only friend I had disappeared. Luisa hated my guts. You were always off working. I felt like such an outsider."

"I'm so sorry for that. If I could go back and change it I would."

"But then we got closer, we got more intimate. I felt like it was the start of something beautiful."

"It was the start of something beautiful."

"But then the raid happened, and you were gone again. Gone physically and gone emotionally. Again. And that's actually the very same day I met Jared."

"Really," Michael says.

"And it's never ever been that kind of relationship, I swear to you, but I finally had someone I could talk to. I wasn't alone anymore. I knew you were going through a hard time, but you were shutting me out, and he was the only person I had. The only person in the whole world that I could talk to. That's why he's not easy for me to let go of."

"He told me he loves you."

I sigh. "He told me that too. He told me that day the paparazzi took that photo of us. He made the stupid mistake of kissing me, and I pushed him away. I swear I did!"

"I believe you."

"I swear that's what happened. I never had felt for anyone else what I do for you. I never have and I never will."

Michael takes my face into his hands and wipes my tears away with his thumbs. He is looking deep into my eyes. His eyes are mesmerizing. Captivating. It feels like we are in our own universe. He kisses me softly and gently on the lips.

"Christina, let's start over again."

"What?" He lets go of my face and throws his hands up into the air in excitement.

"Yes!" A wide smile spreads across his face and he grabs both of my hands again enthusiastically. "Forget everything that's happened, forget everything that canhappen and just live in the moment with me!"

"Michael," I stutter, "I don't think it's that easy."

"It can be if you want it to!" There is a sparkle in his eye and happiness in his smile. "I love you, and you love me! What else do we need?"

"Well..."

"Well, nothing! You do love me, don't you?"

"More than anything in this world."

"And I love you more than I can ever describe. And I got the rest of my life to prove it to you."

Michael embraces me so strongly as if he were afraid to lose me again. His hand moves up and holds my head affectionately as he covers my forehead, cheeks and lips with baby kisses.

"Come home with me, Christina."

"Come home with you? Michael, I just bought this place."

"I want you with me. I don't ever want to say goodbye to you again. I need you by my side."

My heart flutters. "Where is home for you now?"

"Vegas," Michael winks and grins as widely as he can.