Chapter 96 - Need To Go Their Separate Ways

The band makes their exit, that would later be aired all over the world - but they didn't think about that.  They just wanted to leave and leave any questions regarding Doc behind them.  

In the hallway, gathered as a gang, they made their way back to their dressing rooms.  Walking and talking, boasting about how cool they were in the interview Monica seizes the opportunity and jumps on Jon's back.  He, like her knight in shining armor, hooks her legs and holds on to her.  Laughing she tells the guys what she thinks about Doc, "You know, even though it's bad press, it's press.  It never hurts completely."

"Yeah, but we don't want to be associated with him or that whole mess that he got himself into."  David responds to Monica, "It going to get really ugly for him."

Their dressing rooms were ready for them, all of the key people were in place.  They went their separate ways and each started to prepare for the show.  

Monica is with Jon, in his dressing room.  At the table she starts to go over and prepare her equipment.  She has video camera's set up in various locations throughout the arena and plans to record each night.  She is determined to put together a live video of the band and sell it.  "I have two camera's pointing at you and one at everyone else, do you think that will be enough?"  She asks Jon, as he's laying on his massage table getting himself limbered up before the show.  She looks over at him, he turns his head to look at her and he just smiles.  "Well, is that too much or not enough?"

"Mon, you know what you're doing.  I'm sure it will be fine.  Where are you going to hang out?" he replies, "I see you're going to take pictures, are you going out front or staying back here?"

She shrugs her shoulders, really undecided about where she's going to shoot from, "I was thinking I would go into the crowd and get shots of the fans or shots from the fans point of view."

"I don't think you should do that."

"Why?"

"You have cameras set up for that."

"I have video cameras set up for that, not still cameras." she explains to him, "I want to get pics of the people that pay our bills." she smiles, "So I think I will mingle among them and just take pictures."

"I wish you wouldn't." he states, firmly as he rolls over so he can get his back worked on, "I really wish you wouldn't."

"Why?" she asks again, "What wrong with going out and hanging with the girls?"

"Monica, you're my wife.  Not their favorite person, I don't think it'll be safe."

She laughs, as she loads a roll of film into one camera, "They won't even see me, they will be focused on you guys."

"I still think it's a bad idea."  he reiterates to her, not really liking the thought of her out there in the middle of 30,000 woman with no security.

"I'll be fine."

"I want you to take security with you." he tells her and he tells her in a way that she can see that she doesn't have a choice.

"That will draw attention to me, that's a dumb idea." she snaps at him, "You're worried I'll be recognized, so you send me out with a bulls-eye, that's dumb."  she shakes her head, tucking a camera in it's case.  "I don't want one of the meat heads with me."

"I don't want you out there alone."

With her attention focused on her many lenses now, she lifts her eyes and looks at him, "Jon, I'll be fine. I'll wear a hat or something."

"I don't like it."

She stands up and walks over to his massage table.  His face is resting in the hole so she kneels down and lays under him on the table.  He smiles at her.  He smiles that she can sometimes be so silly and other times be serious as hell, "You have to trust me.  I can't do my job, as a photographer if you're worried because I'm your wife.  If it keeps being a concern for you, I guess we need a divorce."  she chuckles, even more so with the look on his face.  DIVORCE that's a word that has never entered his mind.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." was as far as he could get before the knock on the door came.  It's the Obie knock, they hear 10 minutes, Jon.  Monica rolls out from under the table and gets up - getting here gear ready to go.  She needs to leave before he does, so she can get the walk out shots.  

"I guess that's my cue." she says to him, with her back to him, "I'll see you out there."  She pulls her all access pass over her neck and is startled by the arms that go around her waist.  The fear goes away in seconds, as she rests her head on his shoulder.

In her ear he whispers, "Please be careful out there."  She smiles, turns around and lays her lips on his. 

"I will.  Have a great show and I'll see you when I see you."  she kisses him again, "You better hurry."

They kiss goodbye and she is out the door, making her way to the center of the sold out arena.  She radios to her crew to start rolling and instructs each camera to focus on one member as the show starts.  Two cameras on her neck, she firms her position at the back of the first set of chairs and waits.

The lights go out and Monica can feel the surge of people trying to get closer to the stage.  Steady, she holds her position and starts to photograph the madness, getting great shots of hysterical crying girls and men that are waiting for the show to be over, waiting for their reward for taking their girl to a Bon Jovi concert.  

The band comes out, one by one.  As they get to their instrument, they all start to play the beginning of She Don't Know Me and by the time that Jon walks out on stage, they are in perfect tune, playing the song just like it sounds on the album and the crowd goes beyond crazy.  

The silhouette of Jon walking up to the mic was the only thing that could cause the surge that just happened.  Monica is crushed in the group and is moved forward with everyone around her.  She's hoping that they will disperse a little and give her room, she can't even get a camera up to take pictures.  Packed in tight, she tries to move back, tries to get out but isn't having much luck.  She's stuck in a mob of Bon Jovi fans with no exit in sight.  They push harder, move in closer and she goes with the flow.  The camera's around her neck are pressing into her chest, causing her a great deal of discomfort.  She looks around for security, hoping to see anyone that could help her out.  She can't move back, she can't move forward - she is stuck in a mob that she doesn't understand.  

The only thing she can do is radio her crew.  "Guys, I'm in the front middle section, unable to move.  I can't draw too much attention to myself, can someone come get me out of here?" she releases the button on her mic.  

In her ear piece, she hears "Monica, we can't see you.  Wave your hands."

"Seriously, you think you'll be able to see me by my hands?  My hands are stuck at my sides, I'm behind a tall blonde that keeps waving a marry me Jon sign."

Little did Monica know, Jon had the technicians feed their conversations into one of his ear pieces, he did this weeks ago when they were getting all the equipment ready to  hit the road.  He needed to know what she was doing and that she was okay.  Actually, he just wanted to know what she was doing, on a professional level.  Jon hears what's going on and when he's finished with She Don't Know Me, he can see security moving in Monica's direction.  He knew that she would get out if they could get to her.  So, he decides to help the situation as soon as he seen them in place.  "Okay, okay - I need you guys to back up a little bit and make some room in this center section."

The crowd moves closer, thinking that the center section was the place to be and that something awesome was going to happen.  The crowd gets louder, the push gets harder and Monica is getting irritated.  The two security guards in position look up at Jon and then try to get the crowd around Monica to back up.  It only made them worse.

From the stage, Jon can see that a normal situation is getting out of hand and it's only getting out of hand because his wife was in the crowd.  "Ok, I need this center section right here to back up, my wife is in the crowd and security is trying to get her out.  Back the fuck up."