Romeo shook his head, dizzy with contemplation. "So... You're going? To the fight? What use will a wom-"

"Shut up! Perhaps a woman will make them see sense, just as their mothers should do!" Maria shouted, spitting out the words. "Now evening is approaching soon! Now hurry, I will follow you!"

Romeo frowned, slow and confused. "I will not attend the fight."

"Why, in the Lord's Middle Name, will you not? Your wife, your married love, her family is being threatened! Your family is in peril! Yet you stand here, lame as a cripple, unable to move! Romeo, stand tall and show them your strength as the heir of the Montague's!"

Romeo scratched his perfectly groomed head as his perfectly manicured hands slipped through his perfectly kept hair. "I suppose I should go."

Maria barely contained herself, as she began to fly off to the meeting site. She was stopped by many of her family, but these distractions ended only seconds after their inception, flying beyond them, pushing them aside. My family is in danger! Oh gods, what is Mercutio going to do?

As much as she hated thinking of that man, that infuriating, shallow, impossibly complex man, she knew how excitable he was, and how quickly he came to fight. "He's going to get himself killed..." She whispered.

"Who?" The Prince of Verona asked, coming up behind her and blocking her path.

"Let me through!" She commanded.

The Prince smiled and reinforced his pose. "My my Maria, you are quite forceful. Where are you off to so quickly?"

Maria shook her head. "There is a fight to be between the Montague's and Capulet's, I'm going to try and stop it, please get out of my way!" The Prince was so shocked at this wisp of servant commanding him with the authority of a queen. Maria quickly rushed past him, running faster than any pampered man could. She came across her cousin Tybalt aggressively challenging Mercutio. Maria stood, panting, exhausted by her sprint.

"You think you're so great?" Tybalt was screaming at Mercutio. "Your man doesn't seem to be coming. Will you take his place then?"

Mercutio grabbed his saber quickly. "Gladly. I'll not have you stand here and insult my friends, my family!"

Maria took a few steps forward.

"No!" Romeo screamed, jumping between them. "Stop this pointless fighting!"

Voices combined, raised high in all manners of protests and congratulations, Maria trudging slowly forward, unsure of what to do.

Mercutio had his teeth clenched, ready to defend his friends. His family.

Tybalt screamed manically, red-faced and insane with rage and bloodlust.

Romeo frantically pawed at the two of them, trying to enlarge the distance of the swords.

Tybalt aimed...

Swung...

(AND IT'S TIME FOR A CLIFF HANGER!

JOKING)

And moved around Romeo to slice Mercutio.

Or at least he would have, had Maria not jumped in the middle of the fight and taken the blade. She grabbed on to the swords, hands bare, causing her hands to gush.

"WILL YOU GROW UP?!" Maria cried; filled with adrenaline, pain, and fear. "This is ridiculous! Why are you even fighting?!" She screeched in quick succession. Tybalt dropped the blade, horrified.

"Cousin..." He murmured vaguely. "What...?"

"Cousin? Impossible! She is Montague!" A friend of Lord Montague called.

"No, she is Capulet!" Tybalt's brother called.

"I am both!" Maria hissed, falling to her knees, the world spinning around her, dizzy from blood loss, unable to stand the burning pain.

The voices and people blurred together, colors blending into impossible combinations. A strong voice cried out above the din.

"Enough! You heard my decree! This fight is-" The voice blended into darkness. For a moment light and the noise returned. "Maria! Wake up!"

She fell into darkness, unconsciousness, her body attempting to heal and her mind trying to forget and consolidate memories simultaneously.

Maria lay in Tybalt's arms, Tybalt screaming for her to awaken. "Maria! Please, oh god, don't die!"

The Prince came, and was scattering most of the crowd. Mercutio saw the scene between Maria and Tybalt, and became enraged. He swiftly punched Tybalt on the bridge of his nose, effectively breaking it, and grabbing Maria from his arms.

"How dare you! You stabbed her! You would abandon her for money!" Mercutio screamed.

"How dare you! I love her! You know nothing, for how can a noble love the ones that serves him?"

Mercutio and Tybalt continued screaming, and the Prince calmly came over and pulled both of the ears skywards. "I am going to take Maria to my quarters. I'm sure my wife and daughter will know how to care for her."

Maria persisted through raging fever and infection, while the Capulet's and Montague's steamed.

"Altimer," Lord Montague began severely. "You have betrayed this family. You will henceforth be banned from entering under our roof and banished from our presence." Maria's father nodded stoically, tending to stay emotionless.

Lady Capulet gently prodded her husband, whispering in his ear worried comments. "Wait." Lord Capulet stepped forward. "The Capulet's value family," He began to boast, before he paled again, remembering what that lead to. "We have already Angelique and Maria... I mean," he amended after seeing Lady Capulet's glare. "If he is not... One of our own has fallen in love with him, and he has produced a proud and strong child. We would be more than glad to welcome the father into our family." Lord Capulet finished, lowering his head gently.

The Montague's glared at him. They obviously had different values.

A servant came rushing down, breathless and smiling. "Maria's fever broke!" He announced joyfully. At this news, Tybalt and Mercutio slowly slipped to where she was staying with the Prince.

She was leaning against a wall, breathing heavily. She had, against advice, began to walk around and had herself fully dressed.
She began to gather her things, believing her to live again as a servant. Mercutio and Tybalt ran it, slightly elbowing each other.

"Maria," Tybalt said relived. Maria unconsciously took a step back and her hands fluttered to her bandaged side.

"You shouldn't be up!" Mercutio scolded smiling, gently leading her back to the bed.

"I need to return to my duties."

The men stood in silence. "I'm afraid something's happened." Mercutio finally said. Maria sat, warily eying the two of them. "Of course it has."

"The Montague's have... banned your family. But the Capulet's are gladly welcoming you." Tybalt interjected, his face worried with no indication of the bloody rage that had been plastered across it before. Maria shook her head gently, laying back on the bed.

Mercutio glared at Tybalt before kneeling before Maria. "Maria, you don't need to work yourself to the bone. The Capulets... They view you as nothing more than a servant... I don't want to see you... I can't see you kill yourself for them." Tybalt looked aside, his face flushing.

Maria covered her face, so confused. She lay on the bed, motionless, until she sat up, eyes bright. "What do you suggest."

"Marry me?" Mercutio asked quietly, cupping her hands and staring into her eyes. (I know, stupid romantic)

Maria smiled, and laughed despite herself. She heard more than saw Tybalt storm out of the room. Maria's smile was tainted now, remembering; sad. Tybalt used women. Mercutio didn't. Tybalt barely noticed her. Mercutio saw her twice and remembered her.

Mercutio saw her, when everyone else was blind.

"Yes," Maria said finally "I would be happy to marry you."

(Yeah, sugar and happiness and THE END, sorta!)

Epilogue

Maria rocked gently, sewing a delicate pattern onto a scrap piece of cloth, listening to her old friend complain as she neglected her 2 children.

"I don't think you understand!" Juliet sighed and Maria finished the stitching and gave it to Juliet's daughter, Hannah.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Maria asked Hannah quietly. To Juliet she merely said, "I don't think I do."

"Romeo is just so dull! And I can't seem to get rid of him! Everyone is just star struck with the concept of our marriage, but I just cannot stand him anymore."

Maria gently pulled Tobias, Juliet's son, away from the fire, and quickly gave him paper and some colors to doodle with his sister.

"I wish I had never married him! Honestly, I don't know what came over me... I don't know why I despised Paris so..."

Maria smiled, used to listening to her cousin's endless complaints. She, of course, had always known that Romeo was dull and ill-suited to Juliet. "Well, dearest, Paris is happily married. I hope your not planning on starting anything."

Juliet bit her lip. "No... I know it would end badly."

Maria sat again, happy that Juliet's children were adequately distracted. Mercutio walked in the room and nearly tripped over Tobias and Hannah. "I see you're here again, Juliet." Mercutio stated blandly. He knew her dissatisfaction with Romeo, and also knew that Romeo was still obsessed with her. "I hope you haven't been working my wife." He chided lightly, coming over to kiss Maria on the head.

"No, of course not." Juliet stood coolly, beckoning to her children. "I should leave."

"Visit anytime." Maria said sincerely.

After she had left, Mercutio sighed and sat across from his wife. "I don't know why you still allow her here."

"I think it's interesting to see how our fortunes have changed." Maria smiled, attempting to stand.

"Maria," Mercutio chided. "You are due any second now. Tell me what you need, and I will get it for you. Isn't that what husbands are for? To get things for their very pregnant wives?"

Maria sighed and sat down. "Perhaps you could get my mother then for me, and tell her that her grandchild is coming."

Mercutio suddenly became very pale, and rushed out to find his mother-in-law, terrified of what was going to come next. Maria smiled. It wasn't painful yet, and she was happy she lead the life she did, and waited for her latest, though not quite as exciting, adventure to begin.