A/N: Set in season 1 in Independence Day.
A/N: Inspired by India Aries Ready for love
Summary: Maria wants some acknowledgement.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, literally and figuratively, so please dont sure me.

Acknowledge

Maria let the hot water roll down her back. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back, exposing her neck. The water sending tingles down her spine. The same effect his kisses had.

She sighed as her thoughts went to him.

Everything she did lately reminded her of him.

Suddenly feeling weak, Maria slumped against the wall, letting the water hit her chest. She didn't understand. She didn't understand anything anymore.

He obviously liked her in some way otherwise; he would not have kissed her, right?

Maybe he liked her; he just did not want her.

Her breath hitched as tears filled her eyes. Was there something so terribly wrong with her that he would make-out with her but not want her? Or give her a status? What was she to him; a make-out buddy, an accomplice? Heck she would even settle for friend.

Just something.

She wasn't stupid. She wasn't some girl that would just sit at home and wait to be told what to do. She had already wasted years waiting for her father. Every night she would go to sleep wishing, hoping that he would come home, and every morning she would wake up disappointed.

She had learned not to expect anything from others. She had learnt to put up a barrier that no one could penetrate. Only to have that trusted barrier she had spent years building come crashing down the moment he kissed her in the Crashdown. God she truly was pathetic, one kiss and she was a goner.

A goner, for Michael Guerin.

She pushed herself away from the wall, grabbed the shampoo bottle and applied some to her hair, massaging it in.

What hurt was the way he ignored her. As if she meant so little to him that, he didn't even have the time to look at her let alone talk to her.

She could handle him not wanting her, a little, but the acknowledgment she wanted.

She needed.

She swiped away the tears with the back of her hand in annoyance, resenting herself for crying over someone who barely acknowledged her.

What was so wrong with her?

She thought of Liz and the way Max stared at her, the adoration on his face palpable for the world to see.

Marias chest tightened as it always did whenever she thought of them.

Yeah she was jealous; she was woman enough to admit it. Who wouldn't want to be that adored? Who wouldn't want the guy they liked liking them back, wanting them, loving them.

The sad thing was when she was in his arms, she didn't care what people thought, she didn't care if people knew she was with him, she didn't care if people called her names for being with him, she was with him and that was all that mattered.

Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she applied the conditioner.

Maybe he was afraid. Not like, he acted it. He'd spent his whole life hiding in plain sight. Hiding from the FBI, from Sheriff Valenti, from everyone.

Maybe he felt the need to hide from her too.

Snap out of it Deluca

She switched off the shower and stepped out. The shower was a bad place to be when you were upset. The sobs were easier to hide with the running water. Her bedroom however, she couldn't cry in there, positive her mother would hear her. Wrapping her towel around herself she left the bathroom, walked down the hall and into her room.

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Grabbing her brush from her dresser, she walked over to her window seat and sat down. The talk with Amy had gone pretty well. Maria sighed. Take it slow? who was she to give advice.

Well at least the Sheriff seems to like her mom, so that was something. But then saying that, with the way Michael was kissing her in the Crashdown, definitely would've been mistaken for him liking her.

Things truly are never what they seemed.

There must definitely be something wrong with her family.

She leaned her forehead on the cool window, the sound of the rain pelting it comforting. Sensing someone watching her, she looked up and blinked. Pulling herself back, her heart racing she grabbed the grief relief bottle and drained it.

Taking a deep calming breath, she turned back to look outside again. He was there. Standing in the rain. His hair and clothes, soaking wet.

Oh god

"What are you doing out there?" she asked her defence mechanism kicking in. Shoot first before he could. She watched as he walked closer to her window, panicking she tried again. "No, you can't come in. No. I know why you're here. All right, I know what your plan is, I know what you want, but it's not gonna work this time, mister, ok, no matter what you say. My answer is no. No, no, no, no, no."

He was right outside now and she could see him shivering. Her heart constricted in her chest and she knew she was going to let him in. How could she not? She stared into his sombre eyes, his chin trembled and before she realised what she was doing her hand pulled at the latch, with both hands she pushed the window up and stood back giving him room to enter.

He climbed in smoothly, as if he was well used to climbing through windows. Before his other foot touched the ground, Maria had her towel wrapped around him.

"God, you could get pneumonia." She looked into his eyes and her stomach clenched. For the first time since she had known him, he wasn't blocking her out. His eyes filled with tears and her heart broke.

"Here, take your shirt off. Hold on. You're shivering." Pulling his shirt off him, she let it hang on her chair next to his jacket, leaving them to air-dry. Wiping his hair with the towel, she moved the towel back to his neck. A tear slid down his cheek and unable to resist she gently wiped it away. Questions buzzed through her mind but she could somehow tell he didn't want to talk.

He was hardly moving, just standing there watching her as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Come here. Shh, it's ok. You don't have to tell me, it's ok." She smiled encouragingly, taking his hand she lead him to her bed. He lay down and she slid in behind him.

Her heart went out to him as he cried. Not knowing what else to do, she soothingly stroked his arm, and lightly kissed his shoulder, comfortingly.

She may not know where she stood with him, or what their status was, but tonight he had come to her. In his time of need, he had come to her. He had acknowledged her.

A smile graced her features as her heart soared. He had acknowledged her.

For her, it was enough.

The end

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