Reviews:
"My first review is for Darchangel's fic "Death Shall Rise". I really loved this fic because it wasn't at all like any other on the site. The fact that Marshall actually ran over Britney Spears suprised me. Not many writers would have chosen to write something like this, and that makes it even better. My favorite part of the story was when he actually picked up her body, put it in the car and then threw her in the river. The suspense in this fic was insane. I couldn't wait to find out if they found out that he did it or if they came to arrest him... there isn't much more I can say, I just really thought this was completely different than the normal fic you find anywhere and that made it one of my favorites." ~ Dani, June 2003
Death Shall Rise
It was a dark night, as nights often are. The rain beat down fiercely and it was threatening to thunderstorm. Only an idiot would be out driving in this weather, Marshall thought.
How ironic that he was behind the wheel.
“’No, man, I don’t need a ride,’” he mocked his side of a conversation with Denaun before be left. “’If I’m not drunk then I can drive my own car. I know it’s rainin’, man, but I don’t care.’ Dumbass!” He pounded the steering wheel in his stupidity, then again at what he realized he was doing. He was talking to himself again and that was bad shit. Only people going Section 8 did that.
“Never mind, man, never mind,” he muttered, not catching himself this time. His big concern was getting home before the rain got worse. No doubt Iris was waiting for him, and tomorrow Hailie would be home for her visit.
It won’t be this way forever. Once Iris and I are married, Hailie’ll be mine, all mine. He flipped through his tapes and stuck a 2Pac in the deck to calm his nerves.
The rain was starting to come down harder. Marshall put his foot down on the gas to speed up a little. He wanted to be home now. The atmosphere was too creepy- it was like something out of his videos.
-Then everything came too fast.-
-The shadow in the headlights.-
-The human figure.-
-“Hey, where the fuck you goin’!?”-
-HONNNNK.-
-The scream.-
-THUMP, THUMP-
-The screech of brakes.-
-Silence.-
-Dead silence.-
Marshall held onto the steering wheel with white knuckles. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and his eyes were impossibly wide.
“No,” he whispered, and leapt out of the car. The rain continued to pour and it hit him like needles, but he didn’t care.
“Yo, you okay?!” He ran over to where the body lay facedown. Long blond hair, torn muddy clothing, one missing shoe- obviously a girl. He knelt down and put his hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Can you hear me? Can you hear me?” He shook her fiercely. No response.
“Shit.” Marshall checked the girl’s neck and wrists for a pulse. Nothing. He put his head down lower. No sign of breathing.
“No. Oh shit. No no no no no…” His hot tears mingled with the cold rain, and it hurt. “Oh God, no…” He slumped to the ground and pounded his fists on the hard gravel. “No…” He lifted his head again, sobbing. Why her? Why me?
Marshall shook his head and put his hands on her shoulders again. He’d have to drive the body to a police station or hospital. It was the right thing to do. Carefully he rolled the girl into her back-
Time stopped.
Everything stopped.
The hairstyle. The nose. The eyes. A tattoo. There was no mistaking it.
His mouth barely formed the name.
“Britney?”
Quickly Marshall pulled his hands away and tucked them under his arms. What was she doing out here? What was he going to do?
This was fucking unreal. He’d said he wanted to kill her, but he didn’t mean it!
Shit, there was no way he could go to the police now. He had to do something else. But first-
*RING*
Iris Dawson, Marshall’s fiancée, picked up the phone. There was a little static.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Iris, baby-“
“Marshall! Where are you?”
“Baby, I’m havin’ a little car trouble, so I’ma be late, OK?”
“Are you hurt?” She sensed something scared in his voice.
“NO! I’m fine! Just the car all fucked up, so I’ma call for towin’ or somethin’. If Hailie gets there before me, tell her not to worry, OK?” The static was getting worse, he was almost screaming.
“Okay…” her throat closed up with nervousness.
“I’ma see you later then-“ More static- “I love you-“ More static, and then a click. The connection was lost.
“Baby?” Iris whispered.
Marshall now zoomed down the road at an impossible speed, Britney’s body lying on the floor in the back.
“Shit shit shit shit,” he kept saying under his breath. This night was getting worse and worse. He'd stepped into one of his videos and couldn’t get out.
“It was a fuckin’ accident, man!” he screamed out loud. Yes, he was going crazy. He didn’t care.
Never mind. The dock was a couple miles away. He’d get rid of the body there.
Fuck.
A bridge came into the view, one high above the river. The car screeched to a halt. Fuck the dock, the quicker he got rid of Britney, the better.
He pulled over, leapt out the car, looked both ways to be sure no one was coming, and opened the back door to pull the body out. Shit, you feel like a sack of lead, he thought.
Eventually she was in his arms and he stood at the rail of the bridge. The river below was long and deep. Perfect.
Marshall looked down at the dead girl’s face one last time. One eye was open and stuck, like it was staring at him.
You’ll pay! You’ll pay!
What was that?
You’ll pay! You’ll pay!
Never mind. It was just the wind.
He quickly turned his head away and flung the body from his arms. He didn’t turn to look back, but ran to the car and drove off- but not before he heard the body land with a sickening splash.
It was only when he was miles away from the bridge that the tears started to fall again. Tears of regrets of the past, and fear of the future.
Iris awoke to the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, and looked over at the TV. It was showing a test pattern now. She had fallen asleep waiting for Marshall.
She ran to the door to get it open for him. Her fiancé ran into the house, soaked to the bone, making a beeline for the bathroom. Iris, confused, went in after him.
“My God…” was all she was able to get out of her mouth.
“I know, I know,” Marshall muttered as he stepped out of his wet clothing. “I didn’t hafta call for towin’ after all. Engine just stalled or somethin’.”
“But I had it checked out last week-“
“Well, we’ll hafta check it again,” he turned his head towards Iris, narrowing his eyes. Her expression was so sad and sweet, he immediately felt guilty. He’d been in enough shit tonight as it was. Softening his tone, he said, “I’m sorry, baby, but this ain’t been my night.”
“Mine neither, I missed you.” She wrapped her tiny body around him. He felt good to hug, even if his skin was cold.
Marshall sighed and hugged his fiancée back. If she had any idea how bad his night was-
He shook his head. No. There was no way in hell that she’d ever find out. The bets thing to do was pull it out of his mind completely. Kissing the top of Iris’ head, he said, “You just go to sleep now. I’ll be up there after I warm up.”
“OK.” Iris added an extra squeeze to her hug, picked up the wet clothes, and left, closing the door behind her.
Marshall sighed, stepped into the bathtub, and flicked on the warm shower. The feel of the water was a refreshing change from that bitter rain. Rain at night was always harsh and unforgiving.
He closed his eyes to prevent oncoming tears. ‘Please let this be a bad dream and I’ll wake up soon.’
He barely recalled finishing the shower, getting into warm clothes, and going upstairs. As a matter of fact, when he opened his eyes and found himself in bed, he barely remembered anything.
Iris was downstairs, singing along with the radio as dishes clattered. He looked at the bedside clock, which read 11:30. Man, did he sleep in big-time. Marshall sat up and rubbed his eyes just as she came bounding upstairs, dressed in her workout clothing. He was lucky to have someone as sweet and sexy as her.
“Hello, sleepyhead!” Iris pounced to the bed and kissed Marshall on the tip of his nose. “I’d thought I’d let you sleep in so we all have brunch together.”
“’All’?”
She gave her wide grin. “Hailie’s here,” and went back downstairs. He smiled as well and followed her.
Hailie was already at the table, stirring her cereal. Her hair was shorter than it was last time she visited.
“Hey there, Hay-Hay.”
“Daddy!” Hailie got and rushed to hug Marshall, even if she only reached his legs. He was a lucky daddy, too.
He picked her up, kissed her little face, and asked, “How’s my favorite girl?”
“Okay. Did you see my hair?” She twirled it with her fingers and giggled.
“It’s pretty. When did you get it cut?”
“Mommy went to a hairdresser’s with a friend and she took me, too.”
“Mommy. I shoulda known.” He put Hailie down and sat at his place, and Iris laid out breakfast. She and Hailie began chatting about maybe going to the park while Marshall ate and flipped through the paper.
“…And I’ll have to meet with that florist to discuss arrangements,” Iris was mentioning the wedding plans. She turned her head to Marshall and asked, “Do you wanna come with me?”
He shrugged, “I’m no expert at that stuff,” and kept reading. When he reached the entertainment section, the headline nearly made him choke.
‘Search Beginning For Missing Singer.’
Shit, he thought. The darkness. The rain. The screams. It came back in a snap and it hurt. His eyes roamed down the page, scanning the story.
‘Teen singer/actress Britney Spears is feared to be missing after her car was found early this morning fifteen miles outside Detroit. She was supposed to be visiting friends in the area and did not show up at their home. An examination of the car revealed engine failure, and it is believed she either left to get help or was taken by a passer-by. Her family has been notified and police are combing the area. Chief of Police Richard Harrison stated’…
That was all Marshall could take. He put the paper down and nervously looked at his fiancée and daughter.
Would anyone suspect him? Would any evidence be traced back to him? And what if they found her body, what would happen then?
Shit. If he'd just taken that ride with Denaun nothing would’ve happened. But it was too late now.
Silently he prayed, ‘Please don’t let any of this come back to me. Hailie and Iris wouldn’t be able to take it- and I doubt Kim would handle it, either. I just wanna protect my family. Please, it’s all I ask.’ He cleared his throat and said to Iris, “Maybe I better come with you after all. I don’t have anythin’ to do today anyway.”
She smiled, “If that’s what you wanna do.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Marshall found himself studying her face. He was so glad that Iris, with her messy black hair and intense green eyes, looked nothing like Britney. They shared affections for tattoos, tiny clothes, and treadmills, but that wasn’t enough to have nightmares over.
Soon enough Hailie put her cereal bowl away and went up to her room. Iris scooted closer to Marshall and said quietly, “Honey, if there’s anything you wanna talk about, just let me know.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You just look so out of it. Did something happen last night?”
Did somethin’ happen? You’re damn right somethin’ happened, he thought, I accidentally killed the one person I hate the most and had to dump her body off the bridge. Just like in my songs, funny huh? Ha-ha-ha. Anyway, now they’re lookin’ for her and I’m scared shitless for my life. I don’t know how this is gonna turn out. That’s what happened.
But all he said was, “I’m just pissed about the car, that’s all.”
“I know, but at least you came home fine and that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah,” he leaned in and gently kissed her, “that’s all.”
Later at the floral shop, Marshall and Iris looked over the different arrangements while Hailie followed around offering her comments. He was in his usual disguise- glasses, knit cap, long-sleeve shirt, and no jewelry. He doubted his fans would normally be of all places in a flower shop, but better safe than sorry.
Iris held up two different colors of the same flower. “Which would go better with the tablecloths, red or white?”
“Uh…” Shit, why couldn’t he keep his mind on what was going on? And what color were those stupid tablecloths again? “Um…maybe white. Red ones might clash.”
Iris thought and put the red flower down. “Yeah. Red and violet would be overkill.”
Whew!
Suddenly a noise came barreling down the highway sounding like a cat in the blender. Marshall quickly turned around to see an ambulance passing by.
“Good God,” he said under his breath. He turned back to Iris, who was sketching on a notepad. She hadn’t noticed his panic at all.
He wiped his brow and shivered. If he was gonna act like this every time he heard sirens, there was no telling what would happen.
Silently he turned back to Iris and the flowers. The more work he did, the longer he could keep the unpleasant thoughts away, and that was good.
Marshall thought the day couldn’t get any crazier than that. Oh man, was he wrong.
When the car pulled up to the park, police tape had surrounded the entrance and there were cops everywhere. “What the-?” was all he could get out.
“Daddy, what’s going on?”
“I dunno. Just stay close.” The three exited the car and headed for the entrance. An officer immediately approached them.
Iris asked, “Officer, why is the park closed off?”
“Sorry, ma’am, but we’re conducting a missing-person search and it’s per orders. All lakes, rivers, and beaches in the area have been closed off, and that includes this park.”
“Who’s missing?” Hailie asked.
Marshall twitched nervously, “Now, Hay-Hay, that’s not polite, let’s just go,” and gently pushed his daughter and fiancée towards the car.
“I’m sure it’ll open again while you’re still here,” Iris explained to Hailie. “There were a lot of officers in that park, what they’re doing shouldn’t take long.”
Marshall shivered.
Fortunately nothing was able to torture him for the rest of the day. He was gonna hafta make a point of staying away from media for a while.
At night, however…the night was a different matter.
Riddled with horrifying dreams.
*****
Marshall found himself by the same stretch of road, in the exact same weather. And yet…something didn’t feel right.
He couldn’t feel the rain.
He lifted his hands to his face. There was a faint hint of skin tone, but other than that he could see through himself.
“Shit,” he whispered. He’d become a ghost. No wonder he couldn’t feel anything.
He heard a voice muttering behind him. Turning around, he saw a girl walking his way, hair messy, clothes soaked, and temper foul.
Britney. She was swearing to herself, complaining about her car breaking down.
“I was supposed to be at Fern’s twenty minutes ago! It’s not fair!” she shouted.
Oh man. This was the exact same situation. He had to warn Britney to go back now, run for her car before it was too late.
Marshall ran towards the girl, arms flailing. “Britney! Yo, Britney! Hey girl, I’m talkin’ to you!”
She didn’t hear him at all. She just kept walking. Frustrated, Marshall stepped a few feet in front of her.
“Listen to me, girl. If you don’t turn back now a car’s gonna come rollin’ down this road and it’ll hit you and you’ll die! Do you want that?”
No answer.
“GODDAMMIT, YOU STUPID BITCH, LISTEN TO ME!!!” He reached to grab her shoulders and shake her silly-
His hands totally went right through her shoulders. She walked through him.
She couldn’t hear him. She couldn’t see him.
There was no way he could help her.
“Fuck,” he said quietly.
Then he heard the noise. He knew it as well as his own name. A car headed this way.
He turned his head. Yep, that was his car, swerving everywhere because of the rain.
This was horrible. Marshall was going to witness Britney’s last moments and there was nothing he could do. He shut his eyes so as not to view the misery.
The car horn honked, Britney screamed, and then the sickening sound of the thumping wheels.
No brakes, though. The car just kept on driving.
“Fuck. That’s NOT what happened!” Marshall ran over to the body that lay absolutely lifeless on the ground.
She looked even worse. A set of muddy tire tracks was prominent on her body, blood streamed down her arms and legs, and…something else that didn’t look right.
Something even more disturbing.
Marshall wiped the tears from his face and knelt down to Britney’s body. He laid a hand on her back- which was stupid, he still couldn’t feel anything- and looked over for what else was wrong. Then he found it.
Around the collar, nothing but shards of gray bone and crimson flesh. And above that, nothing…nothing…
He found his voice, and yet when he screamed, it seemed to come from all around him. “Where is her head? WHERE IS HER HEAD?!?”
*****
“Aah!” Marshall gasped and sat upright in bed. Sweat poured down his brow and his heart was beating madly.
Only a dream. Only a horrible, horrible, dream. But everything felt so real.
He turned to one side. Iris was asleep, curled up tight, and holding a death-grip on her pillow. She looked at absolute peace.
‘I need to stay that way too. For her sake and Hailie’s.’ He lay back down and wrapped his arms around his fiancée’s waist, and gently kissed her shoulder. The tiny red griffin tattoo there seemed to glow. He sighed, kissed her again, and closed his eyes to try to get back to sleep.
In a rare instance, he was awake before she. Iris was just stirring while he was still debating whether or not to get up.
‘Shit, if I gotta keep this whole front up, I gotta act normal.’ He swung himself out of bed and slowly made his way downstairs. He could briefly hear the footsteps of Iris running to the bathroom.
The paper was there outside, but some of its innards had become outtards on the doorstep. Marshall scooped up the pages and mused if it was possible for paperboys to develop early Alzheimer’s.
He decided to wait until he was inside before he looked at the paper. When he dropped it on the table, the headline was there in bold black text, screaming at him.
‘Britney Spears Found Dead At Riverbank.’
Oh, NO. How could they have found it so fast? Why did it have to be plastered on the fucking front page?
The nightmare had come true.
Oh, fuck.
Iris came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. “Boy, am I starved,” she said groggily. “Marshall, I might have to go to the d-“ She stopped short at the look of horror on his face. “Honey, are you okay?” When he didn’t answer, she ran down to see what he was staring at. She saw the headline and put her hands to her mouth. “Oh, my…” she gasped.
Marshall blinked and shook his head to bring him back to reality. “This cannot be happening,” he muttered.
“My God,” Iris picked up the paper and turned to the Britney story. “Like, not that I liked her or anything, but this is so awful. Oh,” she put it down and shook her head. “Hailie’ll be heartbroken.”
That hit like a punch in the stomach. He and Iris definitely did NOT like Britney, but it didn’t stop Hailie from adoring her. If she knew what he did, she’d hate him forever. Iris kept looking at the article. “How do we break this to her? I mean, the media’s already all over it.”
“We’ll hafta find a way to do it gently,” he said calmly as possible. He dipped his head, sighed, and looked up at his fiancée. “You said you had to go somewhere?”
Iris shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
It was another few minutes before Hailie came downstairs, all freshly dressed. “Morning,” she said happily.
Marshall and Iris turned to each other with a “what now?” look, and then he turned to his daughter. “Hi,” he said not-so happily.
Hailie blinked and tilted her head, oh, how she looked so innocent! “What’s wrong?”
Iris sighed and beckoned for Hailie for follow them into the living room. When they were in there, the little girl sat between them on the sofa, still innocent-eyed. Marshall put an arm around his daughter and said, “Hay-Hay, there’s somethin’ we hafta tell you…it’s kinda hard to say, but there’s no other way to put it. Taking a deep breath, he thought, ‘Whatever the hell you do, man, don’t fuck this up.’ “You know about Heaven, where God’ll call up people to be with Him, that it’s their time to go?” Hailie nodded. “Well…Britney Spears got called up there the other night. She didn’t want to go, but she had to. It’s the way things happen sometimes.”
“She’s…she’s gone?” Hailie’s eyes looked ready to well up and Marshall’s heart nearly broke. Iris tenderly embraced the little girl.
“It’s all right, honey,” she crooned. The Iris Dawson All-Purpose Croon, Patent Pending. “It’s okay to feel sad when you lose somebody, even if you didn’t really know them. But you know what?” She looked down into Hailie’s little face and smiled. “When people go to Heaven, they become angels, so they can watch over everybody. That means Britney’s an angel now, and watching over all her fans and the people who care about her.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh.”
God, Marshall knew he did NOT have the sensitivity Iris had to come up with that stuff.
Iris kissed Hailie’s forehead- the first time he remembered her doing that- and said, “Everything’ll be all right, hon.” Hailie leaped off the sofa and went into the kitchen to make her own breakfast.
Marshall scooted over to his fiancée and whispered, “You pulled that off perfect.”
She shrugged. “It’s the way I was raised. Besides, people’s spirits have to go somewhere, right?”
He bit his lip. “At least Hailie’s takin’ it okay. I thought she was gonna bawl her head off.”
“She might cry sometimes. Just don’t panic if it happens.”
The rest of the week was one of the tensest Marshall had ever gone through. He stayed up late as long as possible, either reading or writing, because he knew if he slept the nightmares would come, and they would not be pleasant. He and Iris checked over any news material that would be talking about Britney. Anything involving police interviews Hailie couldn’t watch, and they knew she wouldn’t handle the funeral coverage. The service itself would be private, but cameras would be there when they’d take her body to be buried.
Hailie did cry a couple times during the week, but she’d be up in her room, and her sobs were very quiet. It amazed Marshall that she was being the most mature about the whole thing.
The day before Hailie was supposed to go back to Kim’s, Marshall got a letter from the news department at MTV. They were calling together different artists to interview for a special- about Britney, natch. He was asked to be in New York City whenever he could.
“So you’re really going?” Iris asked that night.
“I don’t see why not,” he said as he stuffed clothes and such into a suitcase. A bodyguard would be picking him up and driving him to the airport in the morning. “There’s just one weird thing about it.”
“What’s that?”
“I checked the MTV webpage to see who else they’re plannin’ to interview- I’m practically the only rapper.”
Iris shrugged and said, “That’s kinda weird. But Britney wasn’t a rapper anyway. I guess they’re talking to ‘N Sync and Christina Aguilera-“
Marshall ticked off on his fingers, “Backstreet Boys, Mary J. Blige, Pink, Destiny’s Child, Aaron Carter, Mandy Moore, Dido, Janet Jackson- wouldn’t that make you feel like the odd man out?”
“I can just picture Kurt Loader asking the stupidest questions,” she said with a laugh. “’Bet you got mixed feelings about this, huh? Are you gonna keep making jokes about her, or have you gone soft now?’”
“I don’t know what the fuck I’d do,” he sighed and sat down on the bed. “Like, how am I supposed to act now? Laugh or cry, what?”
Iris shrugged again. “You could just be yourself.”
He turned his head, looked her square in the eyes, and said, “I’m even havin’ trouble figurin’ out what that is anymore.”
Iris half-smiled and hugged her lover around his shoulders. “Just promise you’ll be careful over there. New York’s a scary place.”
“I will,” he promised and lay down beside her. “I’ll call when I get there and dream about you every night.”
“Yeah, like you don’t already.”
Marshall smiled. “I try.”
Before the sun had barely risen on the horizon the next morning, Marshall was in the bodyguard’s car, half-asleep, and hugging the suitcase on his lap as something to lean against. He hated going through these neighborhoods as a kid and he hated going through them now. If he had his way, he’d make it so he’d never have to travel again.
Eventually the car jerked to a halt. “OK, end of the line, man,” the bodyguard said. It took every ounce of energy for the young man to drag himself out of the car. Once he got on the plane, he could just fall asleep there. It was only about 400 or so miles to New York, no big deal.
After going through security without incident he was eventually on the plane, another bodyguard sitting across from him. Same old thing every bloody time. If I had a nickel for every time I was getting sick of this-
Tucked in the pocket in the seat in front was a People magazine. Marshall pulled it out, not caring what it was about, he needed some fluff to occupy him during this trip.
Dammit. He rolled his eyes upwards as he saw what was on the cover. It was a picture of Britney and her mother at her 21st birthday party with an inset of her at 12. “Britney Spears’ Mysterious Tragedy,” huge white text read, “An Investigation Surrounding The Death Of A Pop Princess Leaves Nothing But Confusion.” Trust People to come up with something like that.
What the hell. He opened the rag-mag and turned to the lead story. Another picture of her on the front page led off. The article was peppered with quotes from friends, family, and other singers, and various released reports surrounding the circumstances of her death. It had been figured that her death was by murder, either by someone who knew she would be in the area she was, or a random person looking to off anyone. [Oh, for Chrissake, was Marshall’s reaction to this…] Even though her body was found by a riverbank, the autopsy confirmed she was dead before she had been in the water, either struck by a car or repeatedly hit with a heavy, blunt object. Any evidence of what car might have hit her was washed away, so a paint-chip search would be of no use at all. There was no evidence whatsoever to provide the police with a lead. The article finished by stating when her funeral would be. The ceremony itself would be private, but fans and media were welcome to participate from outside the church in Britney’s hometown.
Marshall closed the book when he finished the article and looked back at the cover. “Nothing But Confusion.” That was certainly how he felt. He shut his eyes, let his head rest back, and felt himself drifting away.
(TBC eventually… ^-^)
Part II, updated 8-3-03
******
He could see Iris standing on the balcony of the grand reception room, looking up at the moon. The back of the white sheath dress she had picked out months ago was cut low enough to show the feminine curve of her spine. A filmy gauze draped off from the ends of her flowery headband. Everything was simple yet beautiful, just like her. Just like his princess- make that his queen.
Iris turned her head, eyes wide and her little mouth curved in a smile. “Now how did you find me?”
“Everybody was wonderin’ where you were,” Marshall said, stepping toward his bride. “I figured you’d be stargazing, even tonight.”
“I couldn’t help it, it’s just so beautiful.” She turned all the way around. No matter how the sky looked, there was no way it could be as beautiful as she was now. Her jewelry twinkled brighter than any star. Iris looked surprisingly fuller around the waist, but Marshall supposed that was just the material of her dress. Besides, she still looked great.
“Come here, baby,” he beckoned and slyly grinned. Iris giggled and stepped closer to embrace her husband. Once his arms were around her, she turned again and clasped his hands.
”I love you,” she whispered.
Marshall sighed, kissing the top of his wife’s head, and slowly began running his hands over her body. Around her thighs, between her legs, over her waist, brushing past her chest, and resting on her shoulders in a soothing motion. Iris moaned at every touch. “Ooh, that feels fantastic,” she sighed.
“So do you,” he said with a smile. Her skin and dress almost felt the same, so smooth and delicate, almost fragile. She was fragile. “I love you, Iris. You know I’ma always be here to protect you.”
“That’s so sweet.” She turned again, wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders, and placed her mouth directly on his. Her kiss was so warm and full of life-
Then everything suddenly went cold.
*I told you you’d pay.*
‘Huh?’ Marshall opened his eyes in time to see Iris fall away from the kiss. She collapsed to the balcony.
“iris!” H e kneeled down to her body and cradled it in his arms. She was so cold…
“Iris…oh no, baby, wake up, Iris…wake up!”
Her eyes didn’t open, but her mouth did. The color in her cheeks faded as if her energy was leaving. What she said wasn’t in her voice- but it was a voice he still knew.
“I told you you’d pay.”
After Britney’s words left her, Iris closed her mouth for the last time and her body fell still.
“No…no…Iris, noooo,” Marshall’s pleas melted into tears and he slumped over her body, sobbing for everything he had lost…
******
A sudden jolting of the plane awoke Marshall, and he gasped sharply.
‘Just a dream. Oh thank God it was just a dream.’ He placed a hand on his heart, it was indeed beating madly. A look out the plane window told him it was pitch-black, save for some dim city lights. He’d be landing any time now.
Now he really needed to talk to Iris as soon as he got to New York; his nerves were shot, even if it was just a nightmare.
“You’re not gonna win, Britney. No fuckin’ way,” he whispered.
The moments between the plane handing and getting to the Plaza Hotel were a blur in Marshall’s recollection. He just knew he had to talk to Iris. As soon as he was in a room, he changed into some comfy sweats and pulled his cellphone out of the suitcase. ‘She should still be awake. God, she better be.’
Lazily he punched out the number and stretched out on the bed. Ring, ring, ri-
“Hello?”
“Hey, babes.”
“Marshall! I-“ Her voice rose in a squeak, then went low and jittery. “I didn’t think you’d be calling now.”
“I promised to call when I got here, and here I am, right?”
“Right,” Iris sighed. “So…was the plane over ok?”
Marshall joked, “Not counting the twenty or so would-be hijackers that I had to take down with my bare hands, fine,” and smiled at his lover’s giggle.
“Oh, you…”
“’Oh, you,’” he mocked back. “Guess Hailie ain’t there, huh?”
“No, Kim came to get her around eight. Had that man and baby with her too. How phony-looking can you get? I mean-“ her voice squeaked again.
Marshall raised an eyebrow. “Iris, are you okay?”
“Oh god…” There was a wheezy breath over the connection. “I felt so awful this morning, so I went to see Dr. Madison and…and…”
“And?” He hated egging on his fiancée like this, but he hated being left hanging even worse.
There was another wheezy breath, and Iris began sobbing. “Marshall, I’m pregnant.”
“Iris-“ he tried thinking rationally through her sobs, then eventually said, “Honey, it’s ok.”
“What do you mean, ‘ok’?! You said you didn’t want any more kids, remember?”
Marshall sighed, “Right, like I said I didn’t wanna get married again. But that was before you.”
The young woman sniffled. “Oh, cut that out. I’m not that influential.”
“Yes, you are,” he silly-cooed into phone, which got Iris giggling again, “yes you are, my sexy lady.” She kept giggling until any remnants of her crying faded, and he sighed again. “How long has it been?”
“About six weeks. I never noticed since I’ve only thrown up a couple times, but then my mother was never sick when she was expecting me.”
“Your mother,” Marshall said matter-of-factly, causing another round of laughter, “is too cruel for any illness to invade her. The germs are scared of her, seriously.” He took a more serious tone himself and said, “Iris, I asked you to marry me because I love you and I knew you’re not gonna cause any shit like Kim. Any other woman would just tie me down and fuck everythin’ up, but I know you’re not like that.”
“You’re saying?…”
“We can keep the baby.”
“Oh!-“ Iris squealed and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. I promise, this’ll be the only time.”
“I know I can take your word for it.”
The young woman sighed again. “I love you, Marshall.”
He smiled. Her voice was so whispery and sweet over the line, especially when she said those words. “An’ you know I love you, Iris. Now,” he dropped his voice to the same tone, “can you be a good mommy for me and get some rest?”
Iris giggled. “Oh you…OK. But when I wake up, I wanna be in your arms again.”
“I’ll see what I can do. G’night, babe.”
“Night.” She blew a kiss into the phone and hung up. Marshall closed his cell, tossed his aside, and flopped back-down on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he began mulling everything over. Having to go through all this Britney shit, and now with Iris pregnant…well, that latter bit of information was one worry he didn’t mind having. Maybe it’d help him get through this.
He did a little backtracking. Iris said she’d been about a month and half along, so…yep, he was able to zero in on a date they’d made love that was no doubt the one. Marshall had been preoccupied with business matters before that time and had, unfortunately, been neglecting other things. He knew Iris missed being with him, and on that beautiful night, they caught up on a lot of things…
*****
Iris had been so pretty that night, lounging on the bed in her favorite nightgown- a little blue thing that hid nothing. Marshall had just come into the room and smiled when she sat up and noticed him.
“Hey there,” she cooed, puckering her lips.
“Same to you,” he purred and slinked onto the bed beside her. “Don’t you look hot, huh?”
“You like this?” She stretched and placed her head in his lap. “Mmm, you feel good.”
“Love it.” Marshall gently pulled his lover up to him and kissed her sweet mouth. He let his hands roam around her body, untying everything possible. Iris giggled and broke away from the kiss.
Smoothly she whispered, “Naughty boy,” and curled back in to let him continue. Soon her tiny body was cool, vulnerable, and pressed tightly against him.
“Beautiful,” Marshall murmured. He lay Iris down on the bed, stripped off his shirt, and gently lay atop her. “You’re so beautiful,” he said again, and began to run his fingertips over her body. Iris hummed and giggled at every touch.
“Baby.” Deeply she kissed his lips- was anything as sexy as that dip in his upper lip?- and reached down to undo his pants. His skin was so warm and smooth underneath her hands, like touching him would burn her if she wasn’t careful.
But they both knew to be careful, and gently Marshall slid his way inside, inching along, breathing deeply, wanting everything he did to be gentle and loving. Iris hummed even deeper and wrapped her legs around him. “I love you,” she said and wiggled her hips, wanting what he was giving even more.
He began kissing all over her face and mouth, not wanting to stop, wanting to give her everything he could. He tightened his embrace as well and hooked his fingers around her sides.
“Iris…” Nuzzling his face into her neck, he briefly stopped moving to let the rhythms of their bodies catch up with each other.
The young woman sighed, she had never felt so much in love. She ran one hand up and down her fiancé’s strong arms, and the other through that soft head of hair. His eyes were shining with need as they kept looking at her.
“Don’t stop, baby,” she murmured. “You’re so close, I know it.”
Marshall sighed as well, gently kissed her face, and began moving again with renewed determination. Iris moaned at the pleasant jabs inside her and the tender weight on top. Her moans became deeper as her climax overtook her. “Yes…”
Soon Marshall was groaning too, feeling the release and everything seeming to darken around him. He nearly crushed her lips with a kiss and tightened his embrace even more, as if letting go would mean forever.
Eventually their bodies calmed down as their climaxes came to an end. He released the embrace and stroked her soft body. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.
“I know you wouldn’t,” Iris whispered and kissed those sexy lips. Marshall nodded and slowly pulled out, their bodies slick and wet from each other’s orgasms. She always felt so good to be with…
“Mmm…” Gently Iris pulled her lover down to be next to her. “Don’t leave me tonight love, I want you here.”
“I’d never leave you,” he said with sincerity and hugged her. They felt so warm and tender next to each other.
“I love you,” Iris’ sleepy voice drifted through the darkness.
Marshall smiled lightly. “I love you,” he answered, kissed her beautiful eyes, and slowly closed his to drift into dreamland.
*****
Yes, that had been a beautiful night. And now it would be even more beautiful because of the result.
Looking back on that night, Marshall almost swore he felt a tear trickle down his face.
Late in the next morning, Marshall got out of the guarded car pulled up at MTV headquarters. Same ol’ tall gray building.
‘OK, man,’ he thought. ‘You’re gonna get through this like a man. Don’t crack, stay normal.’ He entered a door at the side of the building to be greeted by a cameraman and Kurt Loader.
“Morning, Marshall,” Kurt said and shook hands. “Had a good trip over?”
“Yeah. Just kinda tired.”
“Family doing all right?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t want to mention Iris’ pregnancy just yet, it wasn’t the right time. He followed Kurt and the cameraman into a promo room.
Kurt explained, “We’ll be doing the interview here. Carson’s in the TRL area with ‘N Sync, so I doubt you wanna go there,” and all three of them laughed.
“Nah, I’m not in the mood,” Marshall said honestly. Once in the promo room, he and Kurt sat on stools while the cameraman stood off to one side.
Kurt began the questions with, “Which event did you hear about first, that Britney was missing or that she was dead?”
The young man had expected certain questions and this was one of them. He repeated the answer that he’d rehearsed in his head, “That she was missin’. It was in the papers and there was a search goin’ around the parks and that. The whole situation- y’know, that she’d left her car behind- it was too weird.”
“You certainly weren’t the only one who found it unusual. How long was it until you heard they found the body?”
Marshall sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Like, 24 hours later, not even. The papers were just all over it. It was terrible.” He sighed again. “I feel bad for her family, I really do.” That part was certainly truthful.
“Could you ever say that to them?” Loader asked.
A little laugh. “Nah. They wouldn’t believe me.”
“You said the media’s been all over this. I’m not one to talk, since MTV News is airing the funeral coverage later tonight-“
Marshall interrupted, “The funeral’s tonight?”
“Yes. Anyway, do you feel the whole coverage is right?”
He shook his head. “Not the way the tabloids are doin’ it. They turned it into some trash grue thing when it’s real sad. No one deserves that kinda treatment.”
“Good point. Now,” Kurt leaned back a little, “your daughter Hailie is a fan of Britney. How has she handled it?”
The young man smiled lightly, thinking of his daughter and of the baby he could soon hold and love. “She’s handlin’ it real good for someone her age. I mean, she’s been upset, but Iris and I talked to her and she’s handlin’ it. We’re makin’ sure she doesn’t read or see anythin’ that could upset her worse.”
So far, so good. Any wavering in his voice couldn’t be treated as suspicious. Why would anyone be suspicious? Hahaha. He just had to go through a few more minutes of this and he was home-free.
“OK, so Hailie’s been a little upset, how about you?”
Oh, shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. Marshall knew this was gonna be asked sooner or later, but he dreaded it anyway. ‘Iris, you psychic,’ he thought.
“You’re thinkin’ I’m happy about it, right? Prolly everybody’s thinkin’ that I’m happy, but I’m not.” Kurt had a quizzical expression but he let the young man keep talking. “I feel bad for Britney’s family, but I feel bad for her as well. I know I said a lot of shit about her, but I was talkin’ about her music and image, not herself as a person!” Marshall felt the anger rising in his voice. “I just wished she would stop singin’ and go away, I didn’t-“
His voice choked, and tears suddenly burned in his eyes like acid. This wasn’t what he wanted, but it happened. “I didn’t want her to die,” he finally choked out. He covered his mouth to control the sobbing and looked up at Loader, whose expression was now shock.
“Umm…” the older man said eventually, “maybe we should stop here.”
“Yeah,” Marshall wiped his eyes.
Kurt reached over to shake hands. “Again, thank you for coming, Marshall.”
“Yeah,” he said again, “where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the hall to the left.”
The young man ran out without saying anything more, mouth still covered. Blindly he stumbled into the men’s room, and luckily there was nobody else in there. He turned on a faucet and splashed the cool water on his face. When he looked up in the mirror, he could see his eyes were red-rimmed.
Why did he agree to this interview? MTV wouldn’t end up using this footage, and if they didn’t, the Enquirer or some shit would make a big deal out of it. ‘Bad Boy Rapper Bawls Over Britney! Tearful Footage Inside!’ Shit. Double shit. Triple shit.
‘Goddamn you Britney. Goddamn you.’
The door creaked open and Marshall looked up quickly. A younger but taller brunette man strode in, a jacket over his shoulders and wearing a black tanktop with ‘Britney’ spelled out in pink studs. Good God, it was that bratty ‘N Sync kid. Of all the…
Justin stopped in his tracks and stared at the older man. His expression was one of deep, pure shock. He opened his mouth slightly, “Uh-“
“Believe whatever you want, kid,” Marshall grumbled and barged right by him, out of his sight, leaving Justin standing in his own confusion.
The plane ride home seemed even longer and more torturous than the first. It felt like no matter what Marshall did, this secret agony was visible to everyone else. And there was no way in hell he could close his eyes, he didn't want to risk another horrible vision. He just wanted to be home now.
Iris was waiting for him. So was their child.
Those thoughts were enough to keep him going for now. He’d read, scribble any random rhyme that came to his head, even look around at the other passengers- anything to keep his mind away from this Britney crisis.
When sleep finally claimed Marshall and he shut his eyes, he silently prayed for this sleep to be dreamless.
(tbc eventually…^-^)
Author: slimshadygirl75@hotmail.com
These stories are for entertainment purposes only. They are completely fictitious, and the authors mean no harm to EMINEM, his family, friends, or anyone else that may have been depicted as a 'real life' character. No money was made on the fiction here, either directly or indirectly, i.e. paid advertising. In other words - it's just a bunch of shit we wrote for fun. Please don't take it seriously.