Part 6

"What did you just say?" Michael asked her.

"I said I deserve it." Maria repeated. Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could she think that?

"Why in the hell do you think that?" Michael asked her.

"Because of what I did to you. I left you for the biggest asshole. I just always thought it was punishment for what I did." Maria told him looking down. Not wanting to see Michael's eye's. Michael gently grabbed Maria and made her look at him.

"Maria don't ever say that again. Do you hear me? It isn't your fault, it isn't my fault. The only one to blame is John. He did this to you." Michael told her, Maria began to cry. She didn't want to but she did.

"I want to believe you Michael. I wish I didn't feel this way, but I do. I just want to forget everything about it. But I can't. I CAN'T! I cry late at night knowing it's my fault. Knowing that I deserve what has happen to me." Maria told him.

Michael's heart ache. He couldn't stand seeing Maria like this. He held Maria in his arms. She had so much pain in her and she that she deserved every last drop of it. Michael held Maria tighter. He knew she didn't deserve that. She deserve much better than that.

She deserved to be treated like a queen. She deserved to be held at night and told that she was loved. She deserved to be happy. Michael lifted Maria up and walked to his bedroom. He placed Maria on the bed and looked into her eye's.

"I think I should be the one helping you out." Michael told her.

"You already have." Maria told him. Michael smiled while he got up and headed to the bathroom and got every cut cleaner and healer he could find. He headed back to his bedroom and sat in front of Maria. Michael put one of the cut cleaners on a cloth. Maria moved back.

"Does that sting?" She asked him. Michael chuckled.

"Just a little. Don't worry." He told her. Maria nodded her head and let Michael put it on the cut that was on her lip.

"Ouch!! Oh my gosh! That stings. Michael, you said just a little." Maria yelled. Michael chuckled again. "Its not funny." Maria said as she playfully hit Michael on the shoulder.

"Don't be such a baby. And stop moving." Michael told her while fixing the other cut's on her face.

"Baby. I haven't heard you say that to me in a while." Maria told him. Michael looked at Maria and took her arm.

"I use to call you babe, not baby." Michael told her. Maria smiled and nodded her head.

"I remember."

"So do I." He replied. After Michael fixed up Maria he let her sleep in his bed and he took the couch. He remembered when they would sleep together. He would wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. She once told him that was when she felt the most safe, in his arms.

Michael walked to his bedroom to see if Maria had fallen asleep. Michael opened the door and saw his Maria sound asleep. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. When they were together, sometime he would spend hours just watching her sleep.

Michael walked to the bed and knelt down next to Maria. He ran his hand over her smooth hair. He missed doing that to her. He missed it so much. Michael leaned forwards and kissed Maria's lips. He wanted to bring her into a passionate kiss so badly. He sighed and brushed a piece of hair away from her face.

"Sweet dreams, babe. Sweet dreams."

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Maria woke up from a nightmare. She looked over at the clock it was 3:00 in the morning. She sighed to herself and got off the bed and walked to the living-room. Maria saw Michael sleeping on the couch. She smiled and walked over to him.

She sat down on her knee's and sighed. She thought back when Michael would sometimes fall asleep on the couch and she would have to wake him up. She laughed at how much of a 5 year old Michael would act sometimes. She looked his face, he was so peaceful.

Maria thought about going back to the bedroom but she didn't want to be alone. She was afraid she would have another nightmare. Maria sighed to herself. She got up and got on the other side of the couch. She pulled some of the blankets on her. She looked over at Michael making sure he was still asleep she leaned over and gave him a kiss on his temple. Maria laid back down and closed her eye's. Within minutes she was back asleep.

Michael was woken up by someone kicking him. He sat up and saw Maria sleeping on the other side of the couch. Michael smiled he had almost forgotten how she hated being alone sometimes. Michael got off the couch and picked Maria up, trying not to wake up her.

He walked to his bedroom and laid her on the bed. He thought about going back to the couch but he couldn't. He got on his bed and laid next to Maria. He heard Maria moan. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered in her ear. Maria stopped moaning and moved closer to Michael. Michael sighed and pulled Maria as close as he could. He closed his eye's and fell asleep.

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