Author's Note : Hey,…. Actually I have lots of things to do and promises to keep but I saw the scene where Max asked Maria: Wait. Didn't you just tell me that you like left 5 messages for Michael in the past 2 days?
That got me thinking: What kind of messages would Maria leave for Michael? Naturally the juices started flowing and Waa-lahh! This ff hatched! Happy reading.
Thank you for reading my last ff. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Special thanks to lonegreywolf, bjq, ValentineBabe and B4C for reviewing.
Summary : What if Maria left messages for Michael all through the summer? He didn't return any of her calls. But he listened to each and every one of them and have his own private conversation.
Disclaimer : You know thoses spaces between the title 'Roswell'? I don't own them either.
Which Episode : Between Destiny and Skin and Bones. And Heart of Mine.
xox
Day 1
"Just who the hell do you think you are Guerin? Some King higher than Max? Even if you are, you just can't tell me that you love me and walk off! Do I look like a freaking ball to you? You love me so much that you can just throw me away and expect me to bounce back? What the hell is that? Is that how you aliens love? Coz if that's how you love me, I don't want to know what if you don't.
"Goodbye? You dare say goodbye to me? Listen here, Pal! You can bet your sorry alien butt that no way I'm gonna let you say goodbye to me. I'm gonna find you and make you take it back. There's no where you can run and hide, Michael.
"This Pierce thing. You saved us all. If you hadn't kill him, who knows which one of us is already dead right now. What you told Max about you being bad is not true. You know that's not true. You are not bad. How many times do I have to tell you that? Maybe all that gunk in your hair acts as a protective shield preventing you from hearing me.
"Tell you what Spaceboy. I'm gonna give you space. Let you be on your own and think things over for a while. Ok?
"Since, I don't give a hoot of your little Goodbye speech, I'll be here when you need me. Don't run and hide Michael coz I swear I'm gonna drag your butt back here if I have to!"
That was the first of the many messages that awaited him every time he pressed the playback button on his answering machine for the next three months.
Day 4
"I gotta say that you are good with this hiding thing. Where the hell are you?"
"I'm here. Trying very hard not to miss you." Michael whispered to the second message from a frustrated Maria a few days later.
Day 5
"Ok. So I've noticed that you've change your shifts. You wanna play it like that? Fine! Know what, Oh Mighty Commander? I hope there's a big group of burger fanatics that come during your shift and have you flip those patties by the thousands till you flip your stubborn alien head off!"
"You are scary DeLuca" He sighed as he closed his eyes and pray that he will meet a better tempered Maria in his dream.
Day 8
"You are really serious about this goodbye thing, aren't you? Ok. Alright. Fine. For what it's worth, at least you didn't just leave like my father did."
"I'm sorry Maria. I'm so sorry." Michael willed his tears to stop but failed.
Day 13
"I see you got a bike. Why? No spaceships on sale? Btw, I left your Metallica CD in your locker. I found it in the Jetta last night."
"Thank you." He whispered as he traced his fingers over his name and hers on the CD cover.
Day 15
"I miss you Michael."
"I miss you too, Maria." He hugged his T-shirt. The one that Maria had used the last time she was at his apartment.
Day 18
"Hey, it looks like it's gonna rain tonight. If you need.. I can ..Look if you need to use the Jetta, I'll leave it at the Crashdown after my shift. I just… I just don't want you riding in the rain. Ok? Call me?"
"Maria." He gripped the edge of the kitchen counter. "You know I can't do that anymore."
4 hours later
"What the hell is so difficult about picking up that freaking phone of yours to let me know if you need the Jetta. Arrggh! You know what? Why should I care if you get soaking wet and freeze your ass off? If you are gonna be stubborn about this, FINE! I hope you get pneumonia, you , you, you…. Space Hairball! Arrghh! "
"You don't mean that." He whispered sadly.
15 minutes later.
"I don't want you getting pneumonia. And you are not a Space Hairball. I don't even know what that is. But you gotta admit it's catchy.
"Listen, just stay out of the rain ok? And please don't ride your bike in the rain. Call Max or Alex. Or Valenti. Just don't ride in the rain. And don't forget your jacket. Please?"
"I won't." He promised while taking his taking his jacket out of his wardrobe. The one that matches Maria's.
Day 19
"You called Max. Thank you."
"No. You called Max to call me to call him. Great technique DeLuca." He toasted his Snapple to the answering machine.
Day 20
"I need a favor. My grandpa died in his sleep this morning. My Mom is going back there to, you know, make the necessary arrangements and all. I don't have to go. Grandpa was good to me but my Grandma, she's ..er.. Let's just say me and her, we don't mix. I've never talked about it but she still have not forgiven my Mom for having me. So there's no point me being there. She never talked to me anyway. Act like I don't exist.
"And Michael? I didn't tell my Mom about us. So, here's the deal. She might ask you to keep an eye on me if she sees you today. Just nod or give her a thumb up if she does, ok? I don't want her to worry about me. She loves her Dad and I don't want her to miss seeing him for the last time.
"I know what promises means to you. So don't say anything. I figure if you don't say it, then you don't have to keep your promise. I don't know… just…just… Maybe you should just keep away from her too. You seem to be good at that.
"You know. Forget what I just said. Just forget the whole thing. Erase this call. I don't care. You probably have anyway."
"I care Maria." He picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. He took a deep breath when the other party answered.
"Ms DeLuca? It's Michael."
Day 21
"You must have known by now that Liz has gone to Florida this morning. Max is totally inconsolable. Anyway, with Liz away, it means that you and I will have our shift clashed on some days.
"If you're still not gonna talk to me, fine. Just don't mess up my orders so I don't have to yell at you or the wall."
"Will your orders have little drawings of hearts and spaceships like always?" He spoke to the open fridge. "I guess not." He slammed the door.
Day 23
"I don't know why I'm calling you for this. Not like I'm gonna get a grunt or a beep out of you.
"Anyway, my Mom needs me to do some deliveries. I was wondering if you wanna tag along. But what was I thinking right? You're probably smirking and have your finger over the erase button right now.
"You are already avoiding me. So why would you want to be confined in the Jetta with me for the next five hours, right? I'm gone."
"Don't forget to pull on that chokey thing." He mumbled as he walked into his room. But he stopped to look back at the answering machine. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "Come back Maria. For me."
Day 24
"You have 0 messages"
Day 25
"You have 0 messages"
"She's in the morning shift."
8 hours later
"You have 0 messages"
Day 26
"You have 0 messages"
Two hours later
"You have 0 messages"
1 1/2 hours later
"You have 0 messages"
1 hour later
"You have 0 messages."
"Maria where are you?"
½ hour later
"You have 0 messages."
"Damn it! Where the hell are you DeLuca?"
Day 27
"You have 0 messages"
"NOOOO!" Michael grabbed his keys and ran out of the apartment to look for Maria.
Day 28
"You have 0 messages"
"That's ok. You are safe, just avoiding me. I watched you in your room the whole of yesterday. But why were you crying?"
Day 29
"You have 0 messages."
"You won't even look at me. Why Maria? Why?"
Day 30
"You have 0 messages."
"Tell me what's wrong my Maria Girl. You didn't even flinch when I drop that pan beside you."
Day 31
"Hey. "
"Hey? That's all?" He paced the space in front of the telephone, willing it to ring. He jumped when it actually did.
"I can't take this anymore. I got to let it out. I don't care if you blast me to oblivion but I just have to tell you. You can hate me all you want. It's not like you want to be with me anymore anyway. I can't do this avoiding you anymore. I need to be able to look you in the eye even if we are not talking.
"Remember your Metallica shirt that you really love? The one that you left at my place? The black one. Of course it's the black one. What other colors can there be? Well, see, I had it on when I was painting my nails and…. And… Well… I accidentally splashed some colour on it. It, as in your shirt. Sorry.
"Just don't pull your hair off yet ok. Coz there's more.
"I tried to wash it off. Well, the short story is that…that…er.. erm…Bleach is not recommended for black. Are you into tie-dye perhaps? Coz if you are, then maybe it wouldn't look too bad.
"Sorry. I left it in my locker just in case you wanna take a look at it. If you need to blast me, just make sure I don't splatter the walls. Especially at the Crashdown. It's bad for business you know. Look, I'm really sorry. If you want to start yelling, I'll hang up now."
"AARRRGGGHHHHH!" Michael raked his hair and stomped his feet. He stopped yelling when the phone rang again.
"Don't yank your hair too hard ok? Coz you don't look good bald."
Day 32
"Mom asked how come you haven't been around lately. I told her you're busy.
"Busy avoiding me. But of course I didn't tell that to her face.
"So, it's Saturday. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. One alien boy is still avoiding sweet little me. I wish you Happy Busy Day, Michael!"
"You are sweet and spicy. You know that." He placed her diamante hair pin back on his dresser. Next to her hairbrush and lip gloss.
Day 33
"Do you whine? I've never heard you whined before. Maybe Commanders aren't born, or hatched, to do those things. Any idea how to stop a guy from whining?
"But of course you wouldn't know coz you are a growling kind of guy. Yes Mister! You growl. Even in sleep. Not gonna mention all the other times when we were ….er…. busy.
"So, Mr Guerrrrrin. Any ideas on how to stop a guy from whining?"
"Maria. Please don't remind me of growling." He whined.
Day 34
"If you are bent on avoiding me on this glorious beautiful day, I suggest you stay out of the Mall. I'm going shopping with Isabel."
"Great! You find a Metallica Tee-shirt. Don't forget to replace mine." He grumbled but paused in mid-stride when another message from Maria came on.
"Can't guarantee a Metallica but if I see a Tee that has a "I Alien-nated My Girlfriend" printed down the front, I am definitely getting you one."
Day 35
"I hate you Michael Guerin!"
"Now what?" Michael sighed as he lay down to rest on the couch. He has had a long day and can't wait to sleep.
He closed his eyes. Four hours later, he was still waiting for her to call back and tell him why she hates him. He didn't sleep till 6.30 in the morning.
Day 36
"How could you do this to me?" Her voice broke through his sleep at 7 in the morning. "All the time that we were together, you didn't say anything .Not one word! How could you Michael?"
"What? Say what?" He picked up the answering machine and shook the gadget for answers.
8 hours later
"You have 0 messages."
"Arrggghh! You've got to be kidding me!" Michael slammed his hand on the table top.
Day 37
"So. You finally figured out what you didn't tell me?
"No? Well, allow me to highlight it for you. All the time that I was trying to hide the hickeys you gave me, never, not one time, did you ever say that you could lengthen the length of my hair to hide them!
"Noooooo. You let me put on that damn turtle neck in the blazing heat. And remember when I had to place my hand on my neck the whole time in History class? Do you know how physically draining that was? Good thing I can write with my left hand too!
"Well Isabel has told me what you are capable of. So the next time Isabel is unavailable and I need a new hairdo? Guess who will be my Personal Hair Genie?"
"If she comes as much as an inch near me with that new long curly do, I'm a dead man." Michael clenched his hands and trying not to visualize Maria's hair wrapped around his fingers.
Day 38
"If my Mom asks, just say you have another job and can't come with us. We'll be gone for a few days. Gotta go. She's here."
"Going? Where? How long? MARIA! I'm supposed to leave you. Not you leave me!" He raised his hand and the answering machine was blown to pieces.
"Oh crap!"
Day 50
"You have 0 messages."
1 hour later
"You have 0 messages."
1 hour later
"I'M BACK!"
"Thank you." Michael whispered and finally fell asleep. He has thirteen days' worth of sleep to make up for.
Day 51
"I got you a whole carton of hair gel!
"We were at this big warehouse sale and I saw it. I thought: Michael's home planet might not have this. How would Spaceboy survive without his gel? How would his spikes survive? You think they have a convenient store up there? How about Snapple? Michael! How are you gonna survive without Snapple?
"I wanted to get you a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. But they all smell like something a Commander wouldn't use.
"Just imagine how the enemies would be falling all over the place laughing when you attack them smelling like a Strawberry Shortcake! Hey! Maybe it's a good combat strategy. What do you think?"
"I think you are driving me insane." He groaned. Reaching out, he replayed the message 5 times more, just to hear her break into her giggling fit at the end.
Day 52
"My throat hurts. My body aches. I don't feel so good."
Michael picked his jacket that he had just discarded and step out of his apartment again to see her. To be more precise, to watch her through her window.
Day 57
"Do not come near me. Do not visit me. Do not even think about peeking at me through my window. Do not try to at look me.
"I am having Chicken Pox! UUURRRGGHHH!
"Don't you dare laugh Guerin! I'm itching all over. *sniff* Even aliens don't look this bad or scary! *sniff* I've got them on my face too! *cries* Ow!*sobs* Uurrgghhh! I wanna SCRATCH so bad! *sniff* Help me Spaceboy *cries*."
"Chicken pox. Aren't they supposed to be contagious?" He frowned. His hand was already reaching for his keys.
Day 58
"I dream of you last night. We were in the desert but I could hear the sound of the ocean. You were applying suntan lotion on me. But know what? It doesn't smell of coconut but of Calamine lotion.
"Thing was, you looked very sad. You even had tears in your eyes.
"What's wrong Michael? Are you alright? It hurts that I can't be the one to comfort you. You know that I more than just care about you, right? Please Spaceboy, how can I help?"
"I was crying coz I couldn't bear to see you so restless in your sleep. I couldn't take you in my arms and hold you like always. When I dabbed the lotion on you, you don't know how much I wished I could take away every blister there was on your flawless skin. I love you Maria, I still do. How can you help? Just get better. That's all I ask for." Michael gently fingers the lock of hair that he took from her last night, while she was sleeping.
Day 59
"Would you know if Isabel is back from her holiday? I need to check with her something. It seems like my hair colour is a shade lighter. And some parts have been trimmed. Is it an after effect or something?"
"Ooops!' Michael smiled and patted his pocket where her hair was kept.
Day 60
"MICHAEL!
"Don't worry. No alien invasion or anything. Just have nothing better to do, that's all. Thought I'd shout out your name for fun.
"MICHAEL!"
"You are a weird one DeLuca." He shook his head as he added the finishing touches to his drawing of her face.
Day 61
"I'm bored! I'm bored! You know it! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
"Come on Michael sing with me!
"100 bottles on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer, You knock one out, ….Michael! Get with the beat will ya! And one fell out, 99 bottles on the wall,….Can't hear you Spaceboy! 99 bottles ….."
"Oh no! Please Maria anything but that! I don't want it stuck in my head!" He plugged his ears with his fingers.
4 hours later
"Hey Micheal, it's me. Guess what?
"10 in a bed and the little one said, Roll over, roll over. So they all roll over and one fell out! 9 in a bed and the little one said ….."
"Mareeeeeeeyyahhhhhh!" He groaned.
Day 64
"I dreamed of you again. You were singing. Actually you were rocking out to '100 Bottles On The Wall' on stage. Alex was playing the guitar and Valenti on drums!
"Oh! And get this. Tobasco bottles were rolling all over the floor!
"Weird huh? What do you think the dream meant?"
"It means the songs are still stuck in my head." He groaned and hid his head under his pillow.
Day 63
"I'm in a mood to paint. How about you bring your bike over and let me paint it green with purple and yellow polka dots. You know kind of like a tribute to my spots.
"If you are tired, I can get Max to bring your bike over."
Michael pushed his bike into the safety of his apartment.
Day 66
"The doctor gave me another week before I'm allowed to be let out into the world. What world?
"Liz is in Florida. Alex is at his cousin's wedding in Seattle. Max and Isabel are in Vermont. Kyle, at some soccer camp. Tess? Ugh! Get her away from me!
"And oh yeah! That boyfriend of mine who said he loves me and then dumped me like some useless ton of bricks, he is avoiding me like the plague. Or maybe it's the Chicken Pox?
"You know, we could have done so much over the summer if you hadn't walked away. I've even made a list of things to do. One of them would be lying under the stars and you reading James Joyce's Ulysses, to me. I thought we could also get one of those super high-tech telescopes and explore the night sky. Maybe we'll find your home planet.
"Guess we will never get to do that huh?"
Michael took out a pen and a piece of paper. He began writing his own list.
DAY 70
"I found your boxer in my drawer this morning. Since I have ran out of things to do, I thought I'd sew your name on to it.
"Just to be sure, is your name spelt 'Micheal' or 'Michael'? Or would you prefer Spaceboy? Commander Guerin sounds really cool.
"One last thing, I only have pink colored thread. I hope that works for you."
"Please tell me you are kidding Maria." Michael groaned as he raked his already messy hair.
Day 80
"First day back at work. I am so so so exhausted!
"Right Buddy, can't talk now coz I'm all naked and about to immerse myself up to my shoulders in a foamy Vanilla scented bubble bath. I don't want to drop the phone in the soapy water and probably have it end up between my …. Oohhhh! This feeeels so so so deliciously goooood...Mmmmmmmm."
Michael dropped the glass that he was holding.
Day 97
"Hey. Summer is almost over and school's starting soon. I should congratulate you on your determination of not answering any of my calls. You've made it Buddy! Not one call answered. A round of Snapple for everyone!
"I've never agreed to a break up. I've never stopped hoping that you'll come back to me. I can't stop missing you. I don't know if you still love me now. I don't know if you have been listening to my one-sided conversation all summer. I don't know if you still care just one tiny bit for me.
"All I know is that if you are destined to be the soldier, then I am destined to be the chick that waits for you to come home. Even William Wallace saw his Murron waiting for him at the end in Braveheart.
"I love you Michael. If you are making the sacrifice of throwing me away in order to protect me, then I am making the sacrifice by giving you the space that you need. I'm not giving you up. I'm not gonna let you go. I'm just giving you space. I'll be here for you whenever you are ready.
"Goodbye Michael."
xox
Six months later ….
"Thank you. I really had a wonderful time tonight."
"You're welcome." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Like I said, I knew it was a big deal for you and I just wanted you to have whatever best that I can give."
She looked up at him as he placed the garland back on her head. He waved his hand over it and the flowers came afresh.
"I hope I your feet are ok. You should have danced with your shoes on. I'm sorry if I coz any personal injuries. I never meant to ruin .."
Maria placed her fingers on his lips and shook her head. She then stepped forward to stand between his outstretched legs as he leaned against his bike. She took his arms to wrap them around her waist before resting her palms on his chest.
"You didn't ruin anything. You gave me the best Michael. You took dance lessons for me. You came to be with me even when Prom scares the hell out of you. You took me for a midnight ride on your bike. Brought me out to the desert to sit under the stars and read Ulysses to me. Keeping your promise to my Mom by delivering me right to my doorstep before dawn. And, have been a perfect gentleman all night.
"What more can I ask for from you? What more can you possibly give me?"
He pulled her closer.
"All my love? Never to take you for granted anymore? Never to leave you, if I can help it? Giving my best to never ever hurt you again? Sharing my secrets with you? Sharing my fears with you? Sharing my happy moments with you? Protecting you? Promising to always love you wherever I go and in whatever I do? To be with you always?"
Maria burst into tears.
"Maria, please don't cry. That's the other thing on my list that I want to give you. Never to make you cry."
"Not even when you make me so happy?" She spoke through her tears as he wiped them off gently with his thumbs.
"Maybe I should consider rewriting that one." He smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too, Michael."
For the first time since many months, they shared a kiss that overshadowed the ones they had before. This one was full of promise and giving. The soft rays of dawn breaking through the clouds gave them light that signify a new beginning to their relationship.
Placing a soft kiss on her nose, Michael placed a finger under her chin to look into her eyes.
"Maria?"
"Hmmmm?" She tilted her head and smiled adoringly at him.
"I need a favor of you."
"I love you Spaceboy. But I'm not ready to strip out of my clothes, right here on my Mom's driveway, and worship the sun in all my glory with you. Yet."
"Yet?"
"Stop drooling. What's the favor Spaceboy?" She tiptoed and kissed his chin.
"Could you keep something safe for me?"
"Sure. What is it? Some alien related thing?"
"It's something that I truly treasure. If I have to go away someday, I want to know that it's in safe hands. And I'll still have it when I come back."
"I promise to keep it safe. Do you have it with you?"
"I left it on your bed before I went to be with you at the Prom, last night."
"Do I get to see what is it?"
"Yeah." He nodded and lifted a lock of her hair to his lips.
"Michael…." She moaned at the gesture.
"Have I told you how beautiful you are?"
"Hate to break the moment. But say anything more like that, I gonna shock the neighbors by ravishing you right here in your bike. Come on." Maria pulled his hand and moved towards the house. "You fix us some breakfast. I go see what your treasure is and find a good hiding place for it. After that, you can say all those nice things about me again."
"Pancakes?" He gave her a quick kiss before pulling back his sleeves and headed towards the kitchen.
"Yes please. Thank you Honey!" She blew him a kiss and a wink before going into her room.
Five minutes later, Michael heard Maria crying in her room. He put down the pancake mix and made his way to her room.
"Maria?"
Maria was sitting on her bed crying. Michael didn't need to ask why she was crying. He had anticipated it. He came over to sit by her side.
She looked up to him and whispered, "You kept them. All of them."
"All 97 days of it." He rubbed his eyebrow.
"Why?" She ran through the dates on the tapes that Michael had marked carefully.
"Your daily messages are the only thing that kept me from going crazy from missing you. Each time I hear a message from you means that you are safe. There were days when I hear nothing coz you were away. It really defined the terms 'missing you' and "scaring the hell out of me'.
"You kept me alive Maria. You made me sat down and understand what losing you really meant. I didn't really get it till the last message."
"Why?" She reached up and wiped his tears.
"You said: Goodbye Michael. You never said that in any of your messages before." He lifted her and sat her on his lap. He held her face and whispered, "Promise never to say goodbye to me."
"Let us both promise it." She whispered.
"Absolutely promise."
"Ditto."
They sealed it with a kiss.
"Michael?"
"Hmmm-hmmm?" He replied against her neck.
"Did you ever come to see me during all that time?"
"A few times." He started playing with her hair. "I think I prefer you in this color."
He smiled when she suddenly jerked out of his arms.
"You changed my hair colour?"
He nodded.
"You cut off locks of it too?"
"Just a few tresses." He reached out and twirled his finger around the soft curls. "They had Calamine lotion on them. But that was not my fault coz you kept moving when I put it on you."
"You saw me with the Chicken Pox?"
"And you say we aliens look scary."
"Michael. I looked horrible." She winced.
"Listen." He took her face in his hands. "I love you for who you are." He kissed her forehead before adding, "The face and body are a bonus."
"Love is blind?"
"Not when it comes to ruined Metallica Tee-shirts." He narrowed his eyes.
Maria crawled over and straddled him. Picking on his shirt buttons, she pouted, "Awww Spaceboy. How can I ever make it up to you?"
"A foamy Vanilla scented bubble bath for two sounds like a reasonable payback." He suggested huskily in her ear.
"Hmmmmm." Maria bit his earlobe and whispered, "But to show how really sorry I am, how about I sing for you too?"
"As long as it doesn't have any numbers in them."
"Anything you want Guerrrrrrin." She smiled and flashed her eyes at him as her fingers pulled his shirt out of his waistband.
"And growling. Lots of growling. Please?" He whined.
THE END
Ok, I got carried away with this one. But I hope you had fun reading it. Wanna share what you think of it?