This is it. The final part. I posted the whole thing...its pretty long, and included the epilogue. Enjoy
Part Twenty.
"Okay, everybody out," Michael ordered when he noticed them all getting comfortable,
"I need to talk to Maria."
"But, Michael," Tess whined, "We want to hear what you say."
"This isn't some soap opera, Tess. You don't get to watch," he replied.
Maria didn't say anything. But the others made sure that there protests were unmistakable as they filed out the room. They didn't go far.
"Well, aren't you going to say something, yell at me or something," Michael asked a silent Maria. Her silence was not a good omen. At least when she shouted at him, he knew that they would come out of whatever they going through at the time, alright.
"You wanted to talk. So talk," Maria said quietly. She wasn't going to help him out.
"I… I don't know what to say. Yes, I do," and in that second all his good intentions flew out the window and his voice rose, " Why didn't you tell me the truth. Why didn't you try to defend yourself?"
Maria was shocked. Then, again not so much. This was Michael after all – a simple apology would be too much. And then she got mad. Really mad. And her decision to stay quiet, to remain calm was discarded in a single second, and her mind, her body, her soul reacted as it always did to him. She stood up and moved to stand directly in front of him and yelled right back, "Me. I didn't do anything wrong, Michael. You the one that believed that stupid skin. Not me. I don't have to defend myself to you. To anyone."
"I would have believed you, you know. If you said anything. I wanted so badly to not believe what I saw that night. If you said one thing to me, I would have believed you. Why didn't you fight for us, Maria? You always fight for us. Why not this time?" he asked tiredly. The last question was rhetorical – he knew why. He sat down on the sofa and she collapsed next to him, equally tired. It had been an emotional day – she just didn't have the energy to fight.
"I'm tired of being the one that always fights, Michael. Did you ever think that? Do you know how much it hurts to know that you don't matter enough for people to make the least bit of an effort for you."
"Yes, I do. You…you were the only person that ever did. for me, not because I was the same species, but me, the person. Maria you do matter. You matter more than anything else in the world."
"Then why didn't you fight for me, Michael. Our relationship has never meant anything to you at all. It was always second, all I ever was to you was some make-out buddy – I just wanted to be important to you. Like you were to me," she said softly.
"How can you say that, Maria. You know that I love you. I always loved you. That's why it hurt so much when I saw you with Max. It was like my whole world ended in that second."
"That wasn't me, Michael and you should have known that. I always seem to be the one doing all the work in this relationship. Because you have more important things to do."
"That is nor true. The most important thing has always been you. Always, even when I didn't show it," he said his voice urging her to believe.
"Please, Michael. I know you think I am not that smart, but don't insult my intelligence. Even I know, I did all the chasing. Or did you forget about those three months. God, I must have left like 200 messages on your machine. Not once did you phone back, or even answer the phone. Knowing you, you probably deleted all of them before you even heard them."
"You want to know what I did with those messages,. Fine I'll tell you. You, the messages they were only thing that kept me from giving up. Everytime you phoned… for those few minutes when I listened to your voice, I felt that I wasn't a killer - that at least in your eyes I was still the same. I couldn't tape over them, so I bought another cassette, and another and another. I have a whole box full lying in my cupboard," Michael told her, avoiding her eyes. He always hated admitting what he was feeling.
"You kept them?" she asked wondrously. And it was reminiscent of another conversation, a long time ago over a treasured napkin holder.
"Yeah," he answered, a little embarrassed.
And they were silent for a few minutes.
"I used to watch you, you know. During the summer. With Max. I knew you were just taking care of him, while I couldn't. And being his friend. But…" he started. Since he was admitting things, he might as well tell her everything.
"But?" she asked when he stopped. She knew he used to watch her. She could feel him.
"I was jealous. Not because I thought something was going on, but because I …," he stopped again unsure of how to continue. "I used to envy, Max you know," he started again., "He always had this perfect life. The perfect family, the perfect house. He got Isabel as a sister - everything was always perfect in his life. And there I was, this kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Max and Isabel would probably have had nothing to do with me if we weren't the same species. Then there was you. And for the first time in my life I had something that was all mine. And she didn't even care about where I was from, or any of that." Michael said so softly, you could hardly hear him.
"And you thought Max took me away from you," Maria finished for him, saying what he didn't.
"I didn't always think that. Just sometimes, you know. He got to hold you and wipe away your tears and laugh with you. I hated that the most – that you would laugh with him. You used to do that with me. When that kiss happened, I didn't want to believe what I saw. But at the same time there was this voice inside me telling me I never really deserved you, that you need someone better than me and Max – he was perfect."
"I never wanted Max, Michael. Only you. And you want to know the truth - I used to think that you deserved someone better too. Someone that wasn't so scared, that could see flashes, and was smart like Liz, someone beautiful like Isabel. That why you didn't just love me the way I loved you.
"How can you say that Maria. You… you're the most beautiful girl I ever saw, and if I
wanted advise I come to you – we all do – how can you think that you are not smart, and as
for being brave, I never met anyone that was so brave. You would do anything for your friends, no matter how scared you were, " Michael defended her passionately, surprised. It never occurred to him she would think she wasn't good enough for him. "The flashes are my fault. I… I was so scared if you saw what was inside me, saw everything you would leave me."
"I would never have done that Michael. But I guess all of this is moot now.," she said sadly.
Michael took his wallet out, and pulled a folded paper out. He handed it to her, and too surprised to do anything she took it.
"What is it?" she asked, staring at the page in her hand.
"You wanted to know how I feel about you, and what I did all summer – that's what I did," he replied, his voice nervous, wary of her reaction.
She looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his before unfolding the page. Its corners were creased, like they had been unfolded many times before. And there staring at her, was a sketch, of her. Detailed, beautiful, vibrating with energy. It was fading slightly as if it been handled a lot.
"I have 3 sketchbooks of you," he said, his voice quiet so as not too disturb the silence as she stared at the picture.
"Its so beautiful, Michael. You made me beautiful," she turned to face him, a tear in her eye. Then she stood and began to pace, "I can't do this again, Michael. I am not strong enough to survive being hurt again. its hurts so damn bad," and Maria burst into tears.
He took her in his arms as she cried, her tears soaking his shirt, "I am so sorry, Maria. So very sorry," he said over and over to her, into her hair, his eyes suspiciously wet.
She leaned back a little and looked at him, "Why didn't you ask me, Michael?"
"I…wanted to Maria. I wanted to so badly but I was so scared that if I did, you would tell me it was true. As long as I didn't ask, a part of me could just hope," he swiped an impatient hand over his face, removing the moisture.
"I don't know what to do, Michael. I can't get back on the roller-coaster that our relationship was – its too hard," Maria said unhappily.
"Okay, Maria."
"Okay! Okay! That's it. That's all you can say. Don't you want to…" Maria's voice rose as she glared at him, hurt filling her eyes.
"Maria!" She ignored his call.
"Maria!" This time he shouted, "If you would just let me finish, Michael said pointedly, "I was going to say that we can start at the beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Yeah, you know. Build tracks – friendship tracks and when you're ready we get back on the train. I promise it won't be a scary roller-coaster," he said, looking at her shyly. He would do anything not to lose her.
"Friends, Michael? I don't know if we can. Do you even know what being a friend means?" and she smiled a little to take away the harshness of her question.
Sensing victory, he smirked back at her, "Sure I do. What we were except kisses are limited to 30 seconds."
"Kisses. Friends don't kiss Michael. And definitely not 30 seconds. Two at the most," Maria replied.
"20 seconds," he answered back, negotiating.
"Five, and that's pushing it." she said feeling normal again.
"Ten seconds. Final offer. Take it or leave it," he said, relief flooding his system at getting to argue with her again.
"Deal!" she held out her hand to shake.
He stared at it like it was a foreign object, "Uh-uh. I think we should seal it with a kiss," he said hopefully.
"You wish, spaceboy," and she laughed at his chagrined expression.
And then the silence took over again.
"I know you're really mad at me, Maria," Michael broke the silence, "I need you to forgive me."
"Forgiving you isn't the problem, Michael. I …. I can't fight for us anymore, Michael. I'm not sure I even believe in us anymore." She didn't look at him, staring at her hands.
"You don't have to fight for us any more, Maria. Its my turn," Michael said softly. He turned to face her, and taking her chin in his hand he gently turned her face towards him, "I WILL fight for you, Maria. Believe that, if you don't believe anything else."
She looked at him, searching his eyes, reading them as she always did, to his soul, to his innermost thoughts and fears – that was her power. And then she nodded slowly, "Okay, Michael I'll believe that." And again his eyes showed his relief, and that tiny kernel of hope that always just refused to die.
She leant back against the seat and he followed her. They stared at the ceiling, their minds dealing with everything, sorting all the pain and hurt, the hope filling the empty spaces. Their silent moment – there was no need to fill it. It was his gift to her to get her to accept him again.
He broke it, again – a part of him needing to tell her everything, but as usual, as was Michael's way when it came to his feelings he took the indirect route. "Max's greatest fear isn't torture, you know or getting caught – its losing control. He'll handle everything but that. And Isabel's – her's is to be alone. Tess is more complicated, she has been taught her whole life all about destiny, and now the unknown looms ahead, that's her fear."
Maria waited for him to continue when he stopped. She knew him, knew saying these things were hard.
He waited for a few minutes, gathering the courage to say it – a strange superstition that if he said it aloud it would come true. "Mine…my greatest fear – the thing that scares me the most, Maria is you. That I love you too much, that I will lose you, that you will get hurt because of me, that one day my powers will go out of control and you'll be the one that suffers, that someone is going to use you to get to me, that you will die," his voice choked after the rush of words that came out, "because of who I am."
He lifted a hand and absent-mindedly wiped his face in an impatient gesture. She lifted her hand and smoothed it over his face, a gently wiping the tears away.
"I made my choice, Michael, a long time ago. People die, Michael. And if I do, it won't be your fault. Everything I ever did, I made a choice to do. My choice, Michael." She smiled sadly at him, "You can't run away from that, Michael. You can throw me away but my choices would still be the same."
"I can't lose you, Maria. Giving you up before was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I can't do that again," he said. And her words somehow managed to get through the walls of guilt, pain and loneliness, his voice grew determined, "I guess you're stuck with me." He smiled at her, a real smile – not a smirk.
"Heaven help me," Maria joked softly, smiling back. He laughed at her tone in reply.
"So, friend, when do I get to see these sketchbooks of yours?" she asked, breaking the sombre mood.
"No way. I can't have my FRIEND think I have an obsession with her," he said smugly, paying her back.
"Michael," Maria whined, "Friends show each other everything."
"Everything…mmmm," he jokingly leered at her.
"No flirting. That's not allowed," Maria said grinning at him, a slow electric feeling uncurling in her stomach at the familiar look.
"Is too," Michael said.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not. Fine, lets ask Isabel."
"Fine. Isabel," Michael yelled.
There was a loud crash and the sound of glass breaking. The door swung open and 6 people fell through, landing on the ground. Max and Alex on the bottom, with Kyle and Isabel on top of them and Tess right on top of the pyramid of bodies. Liz had been flung to the side.
A number of groans were heard and shouts of "Get of me," screamed.
"Kyle, that better be your elbow."
"Man, you're heavy!"
"Excuse me. Are you calling me fat, Alex. You better not be calling me fat."
"Not you, Isabel, " came the quick panicked reply.
"You're a dead man if you're talking a bout me, Alexander Charles Whitman."
"I wasn't talking about you Tess."
"Then who?"
"Get off me. I am being crushed here."
"I was talking about… Kyle… yes, Kyle."
"I am not fat. Those are muscles."
"Kyle isn't even on top of you, Alex."
"Liz, honey. Help me. I'm being crushed."
"Hang on baby, I am coming."
"I am not FAT."
With a number of moans, the 6 scrambled to their feet, glaring at each other.
Michael and Maria glanced once at each other and bit back the laughter.
Michael gave the six a stern look, "What precisely do you think you were doing?" he said , his voice serious, radiating disapproval.
And immediately the eavesdroppers looks changed to slightly apologetic, ashamed looks of those that had been caught red-handed, reacting to Michael's tone.
"We were um…" Alex trailed of, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation. He shot a helpless look at the others and Tess, forgetting his earlier gauche about the slight weight issue thought quickly and said the first thing that came to her mind.
"Umm…we were testing the door." It wasn't her best effort.
Maria took over, her voice equally stern, "Of course. What else would you be doing?" she said
sarcastically, "Its good to know my door…"
"Opens," Michael supplied helpfully.
"Yes, opens. Thank you, Michael. I'm sure my Mom will be glad to note that the doors have no defaults and swing open if someone turns the knob," Maria continued.
"This behaviour is totally unacceptable. You should be ashamed. What do you have to say for yourself," Michael asked , and starting with Liz, he gave her a his most intimidating glare, one few (with the exception of Maria) ever could withstand.
Liz cracked immediately. Pointing to Max, she shouted, "It was his idea."
"Was not," Max yelled back, "It was Kyle's."
And then everyone turned on each other, and at the top of their voices accusations rang out as the debate raged on whose idea it was to eavesdrop.
Maria looked at her newly returned friends, smiling inwardly and then at Michael. It was the amused look in his eyes that had her bursting into mad giggles. Then Michael started to laugh as well and before long they were both on the floor, killing it. Their amusement, however went unnoticed by fervent debaters.
The subject in contention had already moved from blame back to the fat issue and right now poor Alex was being given the silent treatment by Isabel, Tess and Kyle. Max wasn't talking to Liz and Kyle wasn't talking to Max. Despite that, everyone was still yelling, at least until Alex grabbed Isabel's hand and pointed to Michael and Maria on the floor.
Isabel gave a war cry and yelled, "Get them!" and everyone dived for the two.
Ten minutes later, 8 exhausted teens collapsed on the sofas and couches in the room, too tired to do much but sit quietly in a silence that was comfortable – one amongst friends. That is, they were quiet until loud escalating voices had them looking up to see Michael take of running, Maria right behind him, yelling loudly. A football tackle had both landing hard on the ground, Maria on top of Michael. Not pausing, the two continued their argument which had been reduced to:
"Can Not."
"Can too."
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Ah. Back to normal," Alex said, sighing happily.
"Aren't they cute?" Liz repeated the sentiment.
"I taught her that football tackle," Kyle added proudly.
"Not!"
"Too!"
"What are they arguing about anyway?" Max asked.
"Beats me. I don't think they know," Tess replied, her head moving side to side like the others, watching the two on the floor.
"We all still have a lot to talk about," Alex said sombrely, remembering some of the things that had already been said.
"Yeah. Just not today," Isabel answered and changed the subject to a happier one,
"Who would have thought I would miss the two of them fighting?"
"Definitely not me. How long do you think they are going to keep up this friend thing?" Max asked curiously.
"I'll give them a day," Alex replied.
"I don't know… I figure she'll make him suffer for at least a week," Liz said confidently.
"I think he's serious about the friendship thing, a month," Isabel put in thoughtfully.
"I think she's serious about it – definitely going to hold him to it," Tess added.
"Half an hour tops."
Everyone turned to stare at Kyle.
"What? Look at them," he said defensively.
And they all turned to look.
"He's got a point. That's an interesting position," Tess observed, staring at Maria lying on top of Michael, her hair flowing down the side, his fingers resting lightly on her tiny waist.
"Do you think they notice?" Isabel asked.
"I'm pretty sure they do," Max answered after all of them studied the two, objectively of course.
"She looks like she likes it," Liz said, a scientific observation from a scientific person.
"I'm pretty sure he's liking it," Kyle said in his jock, locker room voice. Tess hit his arm warningly.
"Maybe we should leave," Alex suggested, "Give them some time to… what they say?"
"Build tracks," Isabel replied.
Max gave a mock bow to Liz and held out his arm in invitation. "Shall we, milady?"
"Of course, kind sir," Liz answered, slipping her arm in his and they led the way out the room.
"Man, those two are nauseating," Kyle said, in a disgusted tone, to the total agreement of the rest. But it was with a sense of relief that Max and Liz had returned to their usual behaviour.
"At least Michael and Maria are interesting to watch," Tess said, and taking Kyle's hand, followed the Max and Liz out the room.
Alex smiled at Isabel and the two reached for each other's fingers, and also left giving their friends one last relieved look.
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Ha! Gotcha!" Maria yelled triumphantly and sat up on Michael's stomach swinging her legs on either side of him.
"You cheated," he accused half-heartedly, a little distracted by her new position.
"Still beat you," she replied, automatically.
She looked around, "Where did everyone go?"
The end.
A/N THat's it the end. Hope you'll enjoyed...Domino.
THank you for all the feedback during. I really appreciated it. Its nice to know that someone is reading what you write, even if its just a one-line to say that they like it.
Part Twenty.
"Okay, everybody out," Michael ordered when he noticed them all getting comfortable,
"I need to talk to Maria."
"But, Michael," Tess whined, "We want to hear what you say."
"This isn't some soap opera, Tess. You don't get to watch," he replied.
Maria didn't say anything. But the others made sure that there protests were unmistakable as they filed out the room. They didn't go far.
"Well, aren't you going to say something, yell at me or something," Michael asked a silent Maria. Her silence was not a good omen. At least when she shouted at him, he knew that they would come out of whatever they going through at the time, alright.
"You wanted to talk. So talk," Maria said quietly. She wasn't going to help him out.
"I… I don't know what to say. Yes, I do," and in that second all his good intentions flew out the window and his voice rose, " Why didn't you tell me the truth. Why didn't you try to defend yourself?"
Maria was shocked. Then, again not so much. This was Michael after all – a simple apology would be too much. And then she got mad. Really mad. And her decision to stay quiet, to remain calm was discarded in a single second, and her mind, her body, her soul reacted as it always did to him. She stood up and moved to stand directly in front of him and yelled right back, "Me. I didn't do anything wrong, Michael. You the one that believed that stupid skin. Not me. I don't have to defend myself to you. To anyone."
"I would have believed you, you know. If you said anything. I wanted so badly to not believe what I saw that night. If you said one thing to me, I would have believed you. Why didn't you fight for us, Maria? You always fight for us. Why not this time?" he asked tiredly. The last question was rhetorical – he knew why. He sat down on the sofa and she collapsed next to him, equally tired. It had been an emotional day – she just didn't have the energy to fight.
"I'm tired of being the one that always fights, Michael. Did you ever think that? Do you know how much it hurts to know that you don't matter enough for people to make the least bit of an effort for you."
"Yes, I do. You…you were the only person that ever did. for me, not because I was the same species, but me, the person. Maria you do matter. You matter more than anything else in the world."
"Then why didn't you fight for me, Michael. Our relationship has never meant anything to you at all. It was always second, all I ever was to you was some make-out buddy – I just wanted to be important to you. Like you were to me," she said softly.
"How can you say that, Maria. You know that I love you. I always loved you. That's why it hurt so much when I saw you with Max. It was like my whole world ended in that second."
"That wasn't me, Michael and you should have known that. I always seem to be the one doing all the work in this relationship. Because you have more important things to do."
"That is nor true. The most important thing has always been you. Always, even when I didn't show it," he said his voice urging her to believe.
"Please, Michael. I know you think I am not that smart, but don't insult my intelligence. Even I know, I did all the chasing. Or did you forget about those three months. God, I must have left like 200 messages on your machine. Not once did you phone back, or even answer the phone. Knowing you, you probably deleted all of them before you even heard them."
"You want to know what I did with those messages,. Fine I'll tell you. You, the messages they were only thing that kept me from giving up. Everytime you phoned… for those few minutes when I listened to your voice, I felt that I wasn't a killer - that at least in your eyes I was still the same. I couldn't tape over them, so I bought another cassette, and another and another. I have a whole box full lying in my cupboard," Michael told her, avoiding her eyes. He always hated admitting what he was feeling.
"You kept them?" she asked wondrously. And it was reminiscent of another conversation, a long time ago over a treasured napkin holder.
"Yeah," he answered, a little embarrassed.
And they were silent for a few minutes.
"I used to watch you, you know. During the summer. With Max. I knew you were just taking care of him, while I couldn't. And being his friend. But…" he started. Since he was admitting things, he might as well tell her everything.
"But?" she asked when he stopped. She knew he used to watch her. She could feel him.
"I was jealous. Not because I thought something was going on, but because I …," he stopped again unsure of how to continue. "I used to envy, Max you know," he started again., "He always had this perfect life. The perfect family, the perfect house. He got Isabel as a sister - everything was always perfect in his life. And there I was, this kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Max and Isabel would probably have had nothing to do with me if we weren't the same species. Then there was you. And for the first time in my life I had something that was all mine. And she didn't even care about where I was from, or any of that." Michael said so softly, you could hardly hear him.
"And you thought Max took me away from you," Maria finished for him, saying what he didn't.
"I didn't always think that. Just sometimes, you know. He got to hold you and wipe away your tears and laugh with you. I hated that the most – that you would laugh with him. You used to do that with me. When that kiss happened, I didn't want to believe what I saw. But at the same time there was this voice inside me telling me I never really deserved you, that you need someone better than me and Max – he was perfect."
"I never wanted Max, Michael. Only you. And you want to know the truth - I used to think that you deserved someone better too. Someone that wasn't so scared, that could see flashes, and was smart like Liz, someone beautiful like Isabel. That why you didn't just love me the way I loved you.
"How can you say that Maria. You… you're the most beautiful girl I ever saw, and if I
wanted advise I come to you – we all do – how can you think that you are not smart, and as
for being brave, I never met anyone that was so brave. You would do anything for your friends, no matter how scared you were, " Michael defended her passionately, surprised. It never occurred to him she would think she wasn't good enough for him. "The flashes are my fault. I… I was so scared if you saw what was inside me, saw everything you would leave me."
"I would never have done that Michael. But I guess all of this is moot now.," she said sadly.
Michael took his wallet out, and pulled a folded paper out. He handed it to her, and too surprised to do anything she took it.
"What is it?" she asked, staring at the page in her hand.
"You wanted to know how I feel about you, and what I did all summer – that's what I did," he replied, his voice nervous, wary of her reaction.
She looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his before unfolding the page. Its corners were creased, like they had been unfolded many times before. And there staring at her, was a sketch, of her. Detailed, beautiful, vibrating with energy. It was fading slightly as if it been handled a lot.
"I have 3 sketchbooks of you," he said, his voice quiet so as not too disturb the silence as she stared at the picture.
"Its so beautiful, Michael. You made me beautiful," she turned to face him, a tear in her eye. Then she stood and began to pace, "I can't do this again, Michael. I am not strong enough to survive being hurt again. its hurts so damn bad," and Maria burst into tears.
He took her in his arms as she cried, her tears soaking his shirt, "I am so sorry, Maria. So very sorry," he said over and over to her, into her hair, his eyes suspiciously wet.
She leaned back a little and looked at him, "Why didn't you ask me, Michael?"
"I…wanted to Maria. I wanted to so badly but I was so scared that if I did, you would tell me it was true. As long as I didn't ask, a part of me could just hope," he swiped an impatient hand over his face, removing the moisture.
"I don't know what to do, Michael. I can't get back on the roller-coaster that our relationship was – its too hard," Maria said unhappily.
"Okay, Maria."
"Okay! Okay! That's it. That's all you can say. Don't you want to…" Maria's voice rose as she glared at him, hurt filling her eyes.
"Maria!" She ignored his call.
"Maria!" This time he shouted, "If you would just let me finish, Michael said pointedly, "I was going to say that we can start at the beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Yeah, you know. Build tracks – friendship tracks and when you're ready we get back on the train. I promise it won't be a scary roller-coaster," he said, looking at her shyly. He would do anything not to lose her.
"Friends, Michael? I don't know if we can. Do you even know what being a friend means?" and she smiled a little to take away the harshness of her question.
Sensing victory, he smirked back at her, "Sure I do. What we were except kisses are limited to 30 seconds."
"Kisses. Friends don't kiss Michael. And definitely not 30 seconds. Two at the most," Maria replied.
"20 seconds," he answered back, negotiating.
"Five, and that's pushing it." she said feeling normal again.
"Ten seconds. Final offer. Take it or leave it," he said, relief flooding his system at getting to argue with her again.
"Deal!" she held out her hand to shake.
He stared at it like it was a foreign object, "Uh-uh. I think we should seal it with a kiss," he said hopefully.
"You wish, spaceboy," and she laughed at his chagrined expression.
And then the silence took over again.
"I know you're really mad at me, Maria," Michael broke the silence, "I need you to forgive me."
"Forgiving you isn't the problem, Michael. I …. I can't fight for us anymore, Michael. I'm not sure I even believe in us anymore." She didn't look at him, staring at her hands.
"You don't have to fight for us any more, Maria. Its my turn," Michael said softly. He turned to face her, and taking her chin in his hand he gently turned her face towards him, "I WILL fight for you, Maria. Believe that, if you don't believe anything else."
She looked at him, searching his eyes, reading them as she always did, to his soul, to his innermost thoughts and fears – that was her power. And then she nodded slowly, "Okay, Michael I'll believe that." And again his eyes showed his relief, and that tiny kernel of hope that always just refused to die.
She leant back against the seat and he followed her. They stared at the ceiling, their minds dealing with everything, sorting all the pain and hurt, the hope filling the empty spaces. Their silent moment – there was no need to fill it. It was his gift to her to get her to accept him again.
He broke it, again – a part of him needing to tell her everything, but as usual, as was Michael's way when it came to his feelings he took the indirect route. "Max's greatest fear isn't torture, you know or getting caught – its losing control. He'll handle everything but that. And Isabel's – her's is to be alone. Tess is more complicated, she has been taught her whole life all about destiny, and now the unknown looms ahead, that's her fear."
Maria waited for him to continue when he stopped. She knew him, knew saying these things were hard.
He waited for a few minutes, gathering the courage to say it – a strange superstition that if he said it aloud it would come true. "Mine…my greatest fear – the thing that scares me the most, Maria is you. That I love you too much, that I will lose you, that you will get hurt because of me, that one day my powers will go out of control and you'll be the one that suffers, that someone is going to use you to get to me, that you will die," his voice choked after the rush of words that came out, "because of who I am."
He lifted a hand and absent-mindedly wiped his face in an impatient gesture. She lifted her hand and smoothed it over his face, a gently wiping the tears away.
"I made my choice, Michael, a long time ago. People die, Michael. And if I do, it won't be your fault. Everything I ever did, I made a choice to do. My choice, Michael." She smiled sadly at him, "You can't run away from that, Michael. You can throw me away but my choices would still be the same."
"I can't lose you, Maria. Giving you up before was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I can't do that again," he said. And her words somehow managed to get through the walls of guilt, pain and loneliness, his voice grew determined, "I guess you're stuck with me." He smiled at her, a real smile – not a smirk.
"Heaven help me," Maria joked softly, smiling back. He laughed at her tone in reply.
"So, friend, when do I get to see these sketchbooks of yours?" she asked, breaking the sombre mood.
"No way. I can't have my FRIEND think I have an obsession with her," he said smugly, paying her back.
"Michael," Maria whined, "Friends show each other everything."
"Everything…mmmm," he jokingly leered at her.
"No flirting. That's not allowed," Maria said grinning at him, a slow electric feeling uncurling in her stomach at the familiar look.
"Is too," Michael said.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not. Fine, lets ask Isabel."
"Fine. Isabel," Michael yelled.
There was a loud crash and the sound of glass breaking. The door swung open and 6 people fell through, landing on the ground. Max and Alex on the bottom, with Kyle and Isabel on top of them and Tess right on top of the pyramid of bodies. Liz had been flung to the side.
A number of groans were heard and shouts of "Get of me," screamed.
"Kyle, that better be your elbow."
"Man, you're heavy!"
"Excuse me. Are you calling me fat, Alex. You better not be calling me fat."
"Not you, Isabel, " came the quick panicked reply.
"You're a dead man if you're talking a bout me, Alexander Charles Whitman."
"I wasn't talking about you Tess."
"Then who?"
"Get off me. I am being crushed here."
"I was talking about… Kyle… yes, Kyle."
"I am not fat. Those are muscles."
"Kyle isn't even on top of you, Alex."
"Liz, honey. Help me. I'm being crushed."
"Hang on baby, I am coming."
"I am not FAT."
With a number of moans, the 6 scrambled to their feet, glaring at each other.
Michael and Maria glanced once at each other and bit back the laughter.
Michael gave the six a stern look, "What precisely do you think you were doing?" he said , his voice serious, radiating disapproval.
And immediately the eavesdroppers looks changed to slightly apologetic, ashamed looks of those that had been caught red-handed, reacting to Michael's tone.
"We were um…" Alex trailed of, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation. He shot a helpless look at the others and Tess, forgetting his earlier gauche about the slight weight issue thought quickly and said the first thing that came to her mind.
"Umm…we were testing the door." It wasn't her best effort.
Maria took over, her voice equally stern, "Of course. What else would you be doing?" she said
sarcastically, "Its good to know my door…"
"Opens," Michael supplied helpfully.
"Yes, opens. Thank you, Michael. I'm sure my Mom will be glad to note that the doors have no defaults and swing open if someone turns the knob," Maria continued.
"This behaviour is totally unacceptable. You should be ashamed. What do you have to say for yourself," Michael asked , and starting with Liz, he gave her a his most intimidating glare, one few (with the exception of Maria) ever could withstand.
Liz cracked immediately. Pointing to Max, she shouted, "It was his idea."
"Was not," Max yelled back, "It was Kyle's."
And then everyone turned on each other, and at the top of their voices accusations rang out as the debate raged on whose idea it was to eavesdrop.
Maria looked at her newly returned friends, smiling inwardly and then at Michael. It was the amused look in his eyes that had her bursting into mad giggles. Then Michael started to laugh as well and before long they were both on the floor, killing it. Their amusement, however went unnoticed by fervent debaters.
The subject in contention had already moved from blame back to the fat issue and right now poor Alex was being given the silent treatment by Isabel, Tess and Kyle. Max wasn't talking to Liz and Kyle wasn't talking to Max. Despite that, everyone was still yelling, at least until Alex grabbed Isabel's hand and pointed to Michael and Maria on the floor.
Isabel gave a war cry and yelled, "Get them!" and everyone dived for the two.
Ten minutes later, 8 exhausted teens collapsed on the sofas and couches in the room, too tired to do much but sit quietly in a silence that was comfortable – one amongst friends. That is, they were quiet until loud escalating voices had them looking up to see Michael take of running, Maria right behind him, yelling loudly. A football tackle had both landing hard on the ground, Maria on top of Michael. Not pausing, the two continued their argument which had been reduced to:
"Can Not."
"Can too."
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Ah. Back to normal," Alex said, sighing happily.
"Aren't they cute?" Liz repeated the sentiment.
"I taught her that football tackle," Kyle added proudly.
"Not!"
"Too!"
"What are they arguing about anyway?" Max asked.
"Beats me. I don't think they know," Tess replied, her head moving side to side like the others, watching the two on the floor.
"We all still have a lot to talk about," Alex said sombrely, remembering some of the things that had already been said.
"Yeah. Just not today," Isabel answered and changed the subject to a happier one,
"Who would have thought I would miss the two of them fighting?"
"Definitely not me. How long do you think they are going to keep up this friend thing?" Max asked curiously.
"I'll give them a day," Alex replied.
"I don't know… I figure she'll make him suffer for at least a week," Liz said confidently.
"I think he's serious about the friendship thing, a month," Isabel put in thoughtfully.
"I think she's serious about it – definitely going to hold him to it," Tess added.
"Half an hour tops."
Everyone turned to stare at Kyle.
"What? Look at them," he said defensively.
And they all turned to look.
"He's got a point. That's an interesting position," Tess observed, staring at Maria lying on top of Michael, her hair flowing down the side, his fingers resting lightly on her tiny waist.
"Do you think they notice?" Isabel asked.
"I'm pretty sure they do," Max answered after all of them studied the two, objectively of course.
"She looks like she likes it," Liz said, a scientific observation from a scientific person.
"I'm pretty sure he's liking it," Kyle said in his jock, locker room voice. Tess hit his arm warningly.
"Maybe we should leave," Alex suggested, "Give them some time to… what they say?"
"Build tracks," Isabel replied.
Max gave a mock bow to Liz and held out his arm in invitation. "Shall we, milady?"
"Of course, kind sir," Liz answered, slipping her arm in his and they led the way out the room.
"Man, those two are nauseating," Kyle said, in a disgusted tone, to the total agreement of the rest. But it was with a sense of relief that Max and Liz had returned to their usual behaviour.
"At least Michael and Maria are interesting to watch," Tess said, and taking Kyle's hand, followed the Max and Liz out the room.
Alex smiled at Isabel and the two reached for each other's fingers, and also left giving their friends one last relieved look.
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Ha! Gotcha!" Maria yelled triumphantly and sat up on Michael's stomach swinging her legs on either side of him.
"You cheated," he accused half-heartedly, a little distracted by her new position.
"Still beat you," she replied, automatically.
She looked around, "Where did everyone go?"
The end.
A/N THat's it the end. Hope you'll enjoyed...Domino.
THank you for all the feedback during. I really appreciated it. Its nice to know that someone is reading what you write, even if its just a one-line to say that they like it.