Michael has his memories (with special guest appearance: his chest)

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Chapter 10

It was late afternoon and sunlight filtered throughout Michael's loft from the high windows, giving the place a golden glow.

When Michael returned to the loft, he had a pounding headache. After a few words with Elizabeth, he decided to take a nap. There were too many ideas running through his mind. He hoped that with the additional rest, he would be able to think more clearly.

Sleep came quickly for him.

As he slept, Michael relived his visit with Fiona. But this time, no snow-globes would be involved.

Fiona opened the door.

At his first sight of her, Michael was aware of a peculiar sensation in his chest, a deep throb of happiness. His gaze drank in the sight of her.

Her hair trailed over her shoulders and down her body in gleaming auburn strands, the natural light from the room streaking tiny glints of gold and red in the dark lengths.

"Michael," she smiled at him, "I'm glad to see you."

"Fiona," he responded softly.

He walked in and after she shut the door, he reached out for her. His hands felt the warm flesh of her waist. The feel of her beneath her thin silk top was enough to make his mouth go dry. He tried to control the bursting excitement that filled him, for he had been without her for too long.

Her hands reached for his shirt, tugging at buttons, pulling at fabric until his shirt hung free of his trousers. Recklessly Fi pushed his shirt open, exposing him from neck to navel, and she drew in her breath. She gazed at his chest as though it was a masterpiece of muscle and sinew. Possessively, her hands roamed over his chest before sliding her hands down to the hard, rippled surface of his stomach.

He made a sound of pained pleasure as he caught her wrist and pulled her hands away. He leaned in and kissed her with delicious roughness, the feel of her driving him wild. The embrace ended too soon as Fi watched him with a caressing look.

"Michael, are you staying this time?"

"Yes, Fi, I'm here to stay."

He lowered his head again and..

"Mike." Her voice sounded so very different now. He felt a need to call Fi back, as the image of her seemed to be fading.

"Fi..."

It came out like a whisper on his lips. He could no longer feel Fi's touch on his body. Instead, his whole physical being felt heavy. He sensed a shaft of light warming his closed eyelids.

The illusion of Fi had completely dissolved.

Michael sat up, wide eyed and dazed. He was back in his own bed, up in his loft, his shirt securely buttoned. He looked around the high- ceiling room, taking note of the obvious items in the room such as the outdated fan and the suspended punching bag.

He turned his head as his eyes focused on the lone figure who was sitting in a chair next to him.

It was a beautiful female, but it was not Fiona.

Elizabeth was smiling at him. She had the type of smile that lit an entire room. The few moments she had spent with him thus far had been uneventful and polite. They had discussed neutral subjects, choosing their words carefully.

Elizabeth leaned forward in her chair once Michael had awakened.

"Mike," she said, smiling, now that he was awake, "that must have been some dream you were having."

Michael felt too lethargic from the nap to feel embarrassed. He wanted to sink back into the mist of sleep to be with Fi again. His dream somehow felt more real to him. Still sitting up, he shook his head hard in an effort to wake himself and ran his hand through his hair.

"What time is it?" he asked, thinking his voice sounded like a croak.

"It's four in the afternoon, " Elizabeth reminded him, "we were enjoying a nice talk over coffee and you said you were tired and needed to lie down. And before I realized it, you had fallen asleep!"

Michael scowled. That was so unlike him.

He looked towards the kitchen at the two coffee cups on the counter. His mind was working quickly. He had been sleeping for almost an hour. Why had he suddenly needed a nap? He remembered that the coffee had a slightly metallic taste to it. Now his throat felt parched and dry and there was a sluggishness to his awakened body. A disturbing thought entered his head.

Could Elizabeth have drugged his coffee?

He looked back at her as she watched him with huge, innocent eyes. Her warmth was almost palpable. For a moment he let himself bathe in her smiling face.

Elizabeth really did look fabulous this afternoon. She wore a snug green pullover that clung exactly as it should with white jeans. Her blonde hair was tied carelessly yet appealingly back in a ponytail, giving her a fresh look.

Then his gaze went over to the sink with the two coffee mugs placed beside it. He swung his legs off the bed and plodded over to the small pile of used dishes. His headache was slightly abating, but he still felt he was in a stupor as he tried to focus on what was in front of him.

One of the coffee cups held his interest. He picked it up and rolled it around to view it from all angles in the light. He couldn't be sure, because his sight was hazy, but was there some telltale white powder at the bottom of the mug? Using his pointed finger he tried to dig...

"Oh, that's right, Michael, " Elizabeth came from behind him and practically snatched the cup from his hand, "I had said I would wash the morning dishes, hadn't I?"

She proceeded to fill the entire sink with suds and the first item she dipped in the dish-washing bubbles was the questionable mug. Whatever evidence that remained was washed away. Michael watched her profile, but there was no giveaway to what she was thinking.

As she washed, she told Michael about how she had met Ruthie. They had shared everything during their college days- clothes, makeup, boyfriend stories. It was almost as if Ellizabeth was rambling, but she seemed as cool as a cucumber.

Out of nowhere, she switched subjects, as she rinsed another dish.

"What about you, Mike? Anyone... special in your life?"

She had stated it so casually, but Michael heard the slight catch in her voice, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time. Elizabeth had stopped washing and turned towards him for the answer.

His gaze moved over her with detached interest. She was just a drop of time in his past, a short memory. He really did not know her at all.

Previously, he felt he had been drawn to Elizabeth, not only because of her beauty, but because she was the opposite of Fi. There was a simplicity to Elizabeth. With Fi, it had always so complicated, so very complicated. But despite the intricacies of their relationship, being with Fi has been uniquely incredible. There was no one like her.

Fi. He felt terrible over how they had ended. He truly missed her.

Michael looked at the suspicious coffee mug now on the dish drying rack. Perhaps he may have been wrong with how he viewed Elizabeth. Once again, he wondered if she really was how she appeared to be.

"Michael?" Elizabeth interrupted his thoughts, "So is there? Anyone special in your life?"

"Yes."

No hesitation. He just hoped it was still true.

She dropped her gaze so he couldn't read what she was thinking. Elizabeth turned back and finished stacking the rest of the dishes. They were silent for a time.

"Now I have a question for you, Elizabeth," Michael said.

Elizabeth wiped her hands and looked at him with curiosity, "Oh, of course. Yes?"

He wanted to believe she wasn't involved in all this kidnapping scheme. He closely observed her expression as he questioned her.

"Did you put something in my coffee?"

She appeared baffled at his random question.

"What? You mean like sugar or cream?"

"No, Elizabeth, I mean, did you purposely put a drug in my coffee, something to knock me out?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes wide.

"I can't imagine why you would think that, Michael." She sounded a bit cold at the accusation.

Some people cannot tell a lie, others cannot tell the truth. Spies are trained to tell the difference. They watch to see if a person's words are incongruent to his/her body language gestures. Revealing signs could be: the person in question is unable to make direct eye contact, continually blinks rapidly, or subconsciously touches his or her hands to the face, throat or mouth.

Elizabeth did none of those things but stared directly at him.

Michael did not take any training on how to tell if a person is telling the complete truth.

Interesting, however, that she never really actually denied it.

Their interaction was interrupted by the sound of the loft door opening.

Sam strutted in with a video tape in his hand, followed by Nate, carrying some equipment. Michael made formal introductions to Sam and Elizabeth. Surprisingly, Sam did not make a play for Elizabeth. Of course, that could be due to the well-rehearsed expression that Elizabeth sent Sam's way to let him know of her lack of interest. It must be a look she had used numerous times to many disappointed men.

"So what's up, Sam?" asked Michael, actually relieved in the change of situation.

Nate looked very impatient and agitated.

"Michael! Whatever he shows you, don't believe Sam!"

Nate was trying to grab the video tape from Sam, who held it just out of his reach.

"Calm down, Nate! I need to hear what Sam has to say first!" said Michael, "Sam?"

Sam nodded.

"Nate was able to obtain this bank video tape, which had Ruth making a withdrawal on the day she disappeared," Sam explained, showing the video, "On this tape it showed she was with someone on that day. I viewed it at Maddie's already so that I could edit it and show you the good parts."

"Don't believe what you see on that tape, Bro!" warned Nate, again, "I bet it's been doctored!"

"Nate, why are you talking nonsense?" said Elizabeth, "Why don't we just watch the tape? You said Ruthie's on it, right?"

"Clear as a bell," said Sam.

"Sam..." said Michael, pointedly, "I guess it's too much to expect that the video will also show the face of the other person who may possibly be the kidnapper?"

"Well, that's the thing," Sam explained, "if you look at the video, it shows that Ruth was not kidnapped at all."

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(Note: My inspiration for this chapter was Purdy's Pal and Amanda Hawthorn...so if you didn't like this chapter, please blame them. I'M KIDDING...Hi, you two! ...They are absolutely wonderful!)

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