Authors notes: I'm soooo sorry that I haven't updated in long (I have my reasons). And I know this part isn't all that good, but the next will be much better. I hope you still like the story...

Goodbye forever?

When you go through a stonewall in the middle of nowhere you don't really expect to see all your friends sitting in a booth at the Crashdown, do you?

Well that's what Michael saw when he followed Maria.

"How did we get here?" he asked looking at Maria.

"I'm a ghost, I can do stuff like this," she explained.

"I thought that was the angels jobs?" Michael said confused.

"Fine, call me an angel, alienboy!" Maria said and threw her arms out in the air. "Anyway, now we're here so go join your friends."

"Okay," Michael said and went to sit next to Isabel in the booth.

"Hi guys!" he said. When he had no reaction what so ever, he turned to Maria.

"Haven't you watched TV?" she said with a sigh. "They can't see or hear you, you're here to observe."

Michael did as told and listened to his friends conversation.

"I just don't think it's a good idea for him to come home yet. He's not well," Max said and took a sip of his coffee.

"But Max, he needs to be with his friends," Isabel insisted. "How would you feel being stuck in that hospital with no freedom?"

"But Michael doesn't need us, he needs to find himself," Alex said. "It's like he lost hold of reality when she died and now he needs to find it again."

Michael froze. They were talking about him in a hospital, why?

"What is this?" he asked Maria who stood by and observed.

"It's the future," she answered. "You were taken to a mental hospital when they couldn't take care of you. You started yelling at everyone, blaming them for my death and they couldn't take it anymore."

"I would never do that!" Michael protested.

"I'm just giving you the facts," Maria said.

Michael turned his attention back to the conversation around the table.

"I feel so unbelievable helpless," Liz said and Max put his arm around her.

"I know, I think we all do," Tess said. "But there's nothing we can do."

"The only one he would listen to is...Maria," Kyle stated.

No one said anything. Apparently it was still a sensitive topic.

"I miss them," Isabel suddenly said.

What does she mean with them? Nobody else was gone were they?

"Michael will come back Iz," Alex said and took her hand in his. "He just needs time."

"He's had 6 years Alex," Isabel said. "And besides, we don't even live here so we can't help him as much as I would like."

"Actually, I don't think anyone can help him now," Tess said sadly. "He doesn't even talk anymore. He just sits in his room and feels sorry for himself."

"I can't take it anymore," Michael said to Maria and turned away from his sad friends. "Take me out of here."

"Of course," Maria said. "Just come with me..."

"I guess you got the point," Maria said when they were out in the desert again.

"Load and clear," Michael said. "Although I don't buy it."

"There's nothing to buy," Maria said. "I showed you the future and now it's up to you to change it."

"But how?"

"You move on," Maria said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"What if I can't?" Michael said and started walking.

Maria followed him. "What's standing in your way? Nothing!" she said. "You are young, you have an incredible talent. You've got lots of amazing friends. Michael, you have every right to a decent life and I think you should get yourself together now."

"Yeah, well one thing is missing in this amazing life of mine," Michael said. "The will to live."

"That is such bullshit Michael," Maria said, raising her voice. "If you didn't want to live you would have done something about it five years ago. But you didn't, you know what that tells me? It tells me that you are just afraid to face the big scary world on your own, cause everyone around you have already moved on, and you were left behind." Maria knew that she had to get through to him somehow and maybe this was the way to do it.

"Wow," Michael said and sat down on a big stone. "Now I'm starting to remember your annoying sides too. Your babbling," he joked.

"Good," Maria exclaimed. "Because I have to go soon."

"I understand," Michael said. "Can I tell them about you?"

"You did, remember?" Maria said. "They didn't believe you."

"This time will be different," Michael reassured her. "I know what to do."

"In that case I guess it's alright," Maria said and smiled.

Michael stood up from the stone and closed the distance between them. "I'll always love you," he said.

"Me too," Maria said and wished she was able to reach out and touch him. But she couldn't, she reminded herself, she wasn't real.

"So will you come see me again?" Michael asked hopefully. "Or is this goodbye forever?"

"It will never be goodbye forever," Maria said and felt tears sting her eyes. Michael dried away his and took one step forward so that he was standing as close as possible without going through her body. He raised his right hand and Maria raised her left.

His big hand went through her small and for a moment it felt like they touched.

Maria knew she had to go back now. Back to the place with no family, no friends and no Michael.

"Close your eyes," she whispered to him.

Immediately he did what she asked and while he couldn't see, Maria slowly faded until she was gone. And by the time Michael opened his eyes, he no longer saw the one person he'd ever let inside…

TBC...          Please let me know what you think!