DISCLAIMER: Own I do not. Sue me you will not. Happy now, we all are. Yoda doing impersonations of am I.
A/N Di Pekka for beta reading I thank.
Review you must.
Stop with the Yoda thing now shall I.
I know a lot of people weren't happy with the fact that I made Michael blonde and tan. I'm sorry! But, the story would work without it. If I go down on my knees and beg, will you forgive me?
HAPPY NEW YEAR
She stood up and stretched. "Tina, I'm going to go and paddle in the sea for a bit," said Mia. "Do you want to come? Or shall you just stay here and read?"
"I'll just stay here and read. Go and flirt with the lifeguards by yourself!" Replied her friend with a small smile. "I'll look after your stuff."
"I'm not going to flirt with the lifeguards!" Cried Mia, indignantly. "As if I would do a thing like that!"
"Mia, how many boyfriends have you had since you broke up with Michael?" Asked Tina.
"Umm...well, if you don't count the numerable princes Grandmere tried to set me up with, none," replied her friend.
"Exactly!" Stated Tina, triumphantly.
"Er...exactly?" Asked Mia, confused. "Exactly what?"
"You need to spice up your love life!"
"Tina, just 'cause they're fit doesn't mean I want to get off with-" began Mia.
"No, I didn't mean the lifeguards!" Dismissed Tina. "Although that cute blonde one keeps staring at you!" They both turned to stare at him.
"Tina, one, this isn't high school, two, you're married! And three, I have to marry Mr Right-For-Genovia, not Mr Right-For-Mia!" Snapped her friend. "I'd love to spend my time on the beach, eyeing up fit men, but some of us have a country to run!"
Tina looked hurt.
"I know Mia. I know you're a Princess. I know you have to marry for your country. I know this isn't high school. And I know I'm married- I am allowed to have eyes, though, aren't I?" Asked her friend, making her eyes big wide and innocent. "And anyway," she added, the mirth leaving her voice, "I don't think Boris would give a damn if I eloped with another man."
"Oh, Tina," anger left her friend's voice, to be replaced with sadness. "Don't talk like that. I was teasing!"
"I know, Mia, I know," replied Tina. "When I work up the courage, I'll have Words with Boris. And they'll be words with a capital 'w'!"
Mia giggled. "Tina, I can't imagine you having 'words' with anybody!"
Tina smiled. "You never know, Amelia, you never know! Now, go have a swim- and have fun...nobody knows you're a Queen, do they?"
Mia smiled and slipped off her sarong. She sauntered down to the sea, earning five wolf-whistles on the way. She pretended not to notice, though the curl of her lip into a small smile as she walked past the lifeguard Tina had pronounced as fit was obvious.
There she was. Michael, alias John Weston, lifeguard on a Californian beach, spotted her a mile off.
He could pick her out in a crowd as easily as he could pick out his own mother...he'd stared at the photograph of her he'd received constantly.
She looked so different from the girl he'd known as a teenager...yet he knew she must be the same person.
He wondered if she still kept a diary. She was talking with her friend; someone he should know, but he couldn't place...Tina! Tina Hakim-Baba! That was her name-
They were staring at him. Hastily, he looked down, finding the rock he was sitting on the most interesting thing since...well, since anything.
Hopefully they would think he was staring at Mia's body, not for any other reason (the reson being the fact he was a special agent assigned to protect her) and, for the love of all that was holy, he hope they hadn't recognised him.
He was pretty sure they hadn't- he had hardly recognised himself when he looked in the mirror to shave that morning.
She began to pick her way down to the sea front, wearing a pink bikini that was made out of less material than a flannel, and gaining four wolf-whistles along the way.
Just to be sure that she didn't guess what he was really here for; he also gave her a whistle.
Her lip curled into a small, unwilling smile and she looked at him flirtatiously out of the corner of her eye, blushing.
He smiled easily back. She ignored him, and waded into the sea.
This was the life.
It really, really was.
The sea was warm, the sky was clear; everything was perfect!
Mia lay on her back and closed her eyes. Everything was perfect.
Not quite everything.
She worried about Tina. Last night had been OK; in fact, if she hadn't known that there was something going on between Tina and Boris, she never would have guessed.
He came home, they got "re-introduced" as she hadn't seen him since...well, anyway, Tina made dinner whilst he showered and changed, they had dinner, watched some television, talked and went to bed.
It was only later, when Tina came into her room at about 10:30, to check everything was OK, that Mia saw pain in her eyes and face.
She realised her friend really did believe Boris was cheating on her.
She resolved to talk again to her friend later that day.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and Holy--!
What the hell is going on?
I can't breathe!
I'm being pulled underwater!
Someone has a hold of my legs!
They're pulling me backwards.
I'm underwater!
Somebody do something!
She managed to bring her head above the water for a few seconds.
"HELP!" She screamed. "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!"
She was vaguely aware of her assaulter letting go of her legs, but it was too late.
She was exhausted from struggling. The tide leapt around her, pulling her under...why was it that she could only seem to take breaths when she was underwater?
She was choking. No, she was drowning.
Drowning...
Drowning...
Drown... ...
What was happening to her?
She was failing around, her head popping above the water for a few seconds, gasping for breath, her face a mask of pure terror.
Bloody hell, Michael! You're a lifeguard! You're also a special agent! You're being paid to protect her! And... you loved her. This was the side of him that sounded like the director speaking.
Love her. He corrected himself.
Then get your ass in that sea NOW!
He ran out into the water, the tide pushing against him. People scattered out of his way like Moses parting the Red Sea. He struck out as soon as possible, his strong body propelling him through the water.
She was bobbing around like a cork when he reached her. He grabbed her and turned her over. Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing, thank God.
"Mia," he cried. "Mia!"
She opened her eyes and tried to sit up.
Remembering he was not supposed to know what she was called he said, "Miss? Miss, are you OK?"
Drowning...
Drowning...
Drowning...
From a long way off, she heard her name being called.
"Mia. Mia!"
Tina?
No, it was a mans voice.
Michael?
No! She hadn't seen him for years...not since that fateful day when she had...
Opening her eyes, she struggled to sit up.
"Miss?" the voice asked. "Miss, are you OK?"
She was being held in the arms of the voice- or rather, the voice belonged to a body (a fit body at that) and the body was holding her close.
She opened her mouth to reply. I'm fine was what was meant to come out. What actually came out was the seawater she had swallowed whilst being dragged underwater.
When she had finished chocking, the man began to help her gently back to the shore.
"What's your name?" She asked when they were about waist deep in the water.
"Me?" Asked the man. "Oh, I'm... John Weston."
"Well, John Weston, you've just saved my life," replied Mia. She buried her face in her hands. "I was going to die!" She gave a muffled sob. "You saved my life!"
"Oh, well, you know... Just doing my job and all that!" Michael responded, awkwardly.
"You've still just saved my life!" Mia repeated. She calmed herself down. "I'm Isabel Brown." Her voice was still slightly shaky.
Isabel Brown? Where the hell did that come from? Couldn't I have just told him I was called Mia Thermopolis? He'd have no reason to link me to the Queen of Genovia!
"Pleased to meet you, Isabel Brown," said John Weston, holding out his hand for Isabel to shake.
"Pleased to meet you John Weston," replied Isabel.
They shook hands.
"Look, I know its all part of your job, and all that, but are you sure I can't do something to repay you?" Asked Isabel. "How about if I take you to dinner tonight?"
"I...I..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. You might have something on tonight. It was pushy of me to ask. I just thought that I ought to repay you for saving my life and-"
"Oh, no! It's not that! If the offer still stands, I'd love to!"
They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Little did they know what was going to happen that night...
A/N This was meant to be the shortest chapter, but it turned out to be the longest. But then, I'm like that.
Cool Kitten 12 you flatter me. But I like being flattered. So thanks!
I was asked in a review if Mia would be Queen of Genovia, because Genovia is a Principality. I have looked everywhere but cannot find the answer. Can anybody help?
I know that in the movie she was Queen , but the movie did change an awful lot of things.