"Just try and get through the day, ok? Just keep moving forward, keep breathing . . ."

Interlude II: I'll be

"She's doing it again" Maria said, resting her forearms on the order window and looking worriedly over at Liz who was staring out of the window blankly.

"I know" Michael answered pensively, looking over at Liz too. "But what can we do?"

Maria looked at him hopefully. "I think you should talk to her. She came to you for help before, maybe you can help her again."

Michael sighed.

"I tried talking to her awhile ago. I got nowhere" he said, frustration hitting him once again. Maria's shoulders slumped as hope deflated and Michael felt even worse. He followed Maria's line of sight back to Liz. She was talking with Alex who managed to coax a small smile out of her. Even though it disappeared quickly, it was there . . .

Then they both watched as she left the table Isabel, Alex, and Kyle were sitting at and went back to staring out of the window.

"Honestly?" he said, lowering his voice. "I think you and Alex should talk to her together. I mean, you're her best friends right? If anybody besides Max can get through to her, it'd be you two."

Maria's head tilted contemplatively. "You know, Isabel kinda said the same thing, but I discounted it."

"Why?"

"I didn't want her to feel like we were ganging up on her." She chewed on her bottom lip reflexively. "I guess we have to do something though, huh?" she said with a shaky inhale.

Michael didn't answer and looked at her for a minute before saying "Could you come back here for a minute?"

She nodded absently as she sent another worried look in Liz's direction and then proceeded to the kitchen. Michael stood waiting, leaning with one hip against the counter. When she entered, he outstretched a hand and said softly "Give me your hand Maria."

Without preamble she placed her hand in his. Just as he suspected, it was shaking. His brow furrowed as he took his other hand and sheltered her shaking one between his. He looked into her eyes and watched as she dropped the facade of keeping it together and her face crumbled.

"I'm so scared Michael" she said as he pulled her to him, enclosing her in his warmth. He just held her closer.

"We could be in our final days here and . . . and I can't change that one way or another . . . But I'm watching one of my best friends fall apart, right before my eyes and I can't seem to do a thing about that either . . . I'm just, I'm not doing too well with all this." Her arms tightened around him as she buried her face in his chest.

"I know Maria, I know" he said, holding her tighter. "Liz will be ok. We'll make sure of it."

Maria shook her head.

"There's something I should tell you" she said as she listened to the solid thump of his heart in her ear. It reassured her . . . Made her feel calmer, safe . . .

"What is it?" he murmured, once again hating the useless feeling that came over him, realizing how scared Maria was.

"Liz told me something awhile back and it scared me at the time, but I'm even more afraid now . . ."

"I'm listening" he said patiently, running a hand soothingly up and down her back.

Maria took a shaky breath and closed her eyes. "In that other timeline . . . after Max and Alex . . . died . . . Liz tried . . . she tried to kill herself . . ."

"What?" Michael said as his hand stilled. He looked down at Maria as she looked up at him. He went back to rubbing her back.

"She tried to kill herself Michael" Maria repeated in a calm voice that belied the turmoil she was feeling inside. "She said that it just became too hard for her, so she gave up . . . Oh god" she said, collapsing against him. "I can't lose her Michael, I just can't" she sobbed as she gripped the back of his shirt in her fists.

Michael held her tightly and murmured soothingly to her until she calmed down, while in his head he was reeling with this new information. As bad as things seemed, it had never occurred to him that they should be on a suicide watch for Liz . . .

"Wait, Maria, you said she tried to commit suicide. What stopped her?" he asked, thinking they could just do whatever had helped the first time.

Maria looked up at him pensively as she answered "You."

Michael looked down at her, shocked speechless. Finally he managed to get out "Me? H-How?"

"She said that you pulled her back from the ledge . . . I don't know how you knew to be there, but you were . . . I love you Spaceboy" Maria said, pulling him down for a sweet kiss.

Michael's heart flipped. He still wasn't used to hearing those words. He didn't think he'd ever get used to hearing them. But he'd always want her to say them . . . Always . . .

"I love you too Maria" he said, holding her tightly again. She nodded against his chest, too emotional to revel in him uttering those words like she normally would. "And Maria?" She looked up at him curiously, eyes still full of unshed tears for her friend. "When you and Alex talk to Liz, count me in too . . . I want to be there."

"Ok" she said, feeling some of her tension lessen, now that she had shared her fears with Michael.

"Ok, I should get back out there" she said, stepping back. Michael's arms reluctantly loosened, not wanting to let her go.

He watched as she straightened her uniform, replaced her antennae that had fallen at some point and wiped her face. He wondered not for the first time how he had managed to get someone like Maria to fall for someone like him . . .

"How do I look?" she asked, interrupting his reverie.

He waved a hand across her face, taking away any indications that she'd been crying. "You look beautiful Maria, as always" he said, kissing her briefly on the lips and then pushing her lightly out of the kitchen, gruff manner fully restored; Only the soft look in his eyes reminding her of the Michael of a few moments ago.

"Thanks Michael" she said softly before she left the room, returning to work.

As he looked back out through the order window, he frowned.

Liz still hadn't moved from the spot she'd been standing in . . .

~Fade~

Title from song by Edwin McCain