Maria looked at Monk suspiciously. "Where's Michael?" she asked, her voice making it clear that she wasn't somebody to be messed with.
"W-well," stuttered Monk, receiving the full impact of a glare that even Michael was spared from, "I'm not sure. He said something about starting over, but..."
Starting over? Well, thought Liz, I don't think it's possible for that to be any more confusing.
Maria, however, seemed to have found some meaning in it, and was headed straight for the Jetta. "Liz, are you coming with me, or do you want Monk to drive you back to Max's?"
Liz paused. If she went with Maria, she would be there when Michael and Maria met again. There would either be a fight, which she didn't want to see, or there would be a reunion. Knowing Michael and Maria, the reunion probably wasn't something she would want to see either. "I'll go with Monk."
"Fine with me." Maria got into the Jetta and sped off, leaving Liz and Monk alone.
"Is she always that scary?" Monk was looking extremely relieved now that Maria was gone.
"No," laughed Liz, "You just caught her on a bad day."
******
Maria pulled up to the Sultan's Hideaway Motel and looked around. It was dark, but she would have recognized the figure by the vending machines anywhere. "Michael!"
Michael turned around, shocked. Maria was the last person he was expecting to see. "Maria? What are you doing here?"
"What do you think? I'm tired of all this running away, Michael."
"I still don't know why you're here."
Maria looked up at him and smiled. "Do you want to hear the long and boring version, and the short and sweet version?"
Michael thought about that for a minute. Knowing Maria, if he asked for the long version they'd be there all night. "Short version," he answered, still wondering what could have brought her here.
"Suit yourself," she replied. The next thing Michael knew, her lips were on his. He put his arms around her and held her close, losing himself in the sheer bliss of having Maria in his arms again. When they eventually broke apart for air, she hugged him and rested her head on his chest. "That's why I'm here," she told him.
"Fair enough, Blondie. But what brought that around?"
Maria paused for a moment. "You." Seeing Michael's puzzled expression, she continued, telling him everything that had happened that day.
"...so that's when I decided that I couldn't go on with the just friends idea anymore, and I had to be back with you, where I belong. Michael, I'm sorry for---"
"Don't, Maria. You don't have to apologize for any of it. I love you, and that's all that matters."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Really?" It was barely a whisper, but he heard her and nodded. "I love you too, Michael. I'm just sorry it took so long for something to bring me back."
"So," said Michael, grinning. "Did you get a flash this time?"
Maria smiled mischievously. "Not this time. We should try again, and make sure we get this kiss right."
It was several minutes later when Maria broke away, smiling. "That was beautiful, Michael. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"I seem to remember a number of occasions that you helped me through problems, enough to deserve anything. My life is perfect because you're in it, Maria, and I'll do my best to make all your dreams come true."
"You're all I'll ever need, Spaceboy. And now that we're officially together again, I was thinking we could celebrate."
Michael smiled at that idea. "Just follow me. I think you'll find the room familiar, only this time the others won't be barging in."
"I hope not," laughed Maria, "They know us better by now, don't they Mister Guerin?"
"They should, Miss De Luca." He unlocked the door and held it open. "After you, Blondie." They stepped inside, and soon they forgot everything but each other.
"W-well," stuttered Monk, receiving the full impact of a glare that even Michael was spared from, "I'm not sure. He said something about starting over, but..."
Starting over? Well, thought Liz, I don't think it's possible for that to be any more confusing.
Maria, however, seemed to have found some meaning in it, and was headed straight for the Jetta. "Liz, are you coming with me, or do you want Monk to drive you back to Max's?"
Liz paused. If she went with Maria, she would be there when Michael and Maria met again. There would either be a fight, which she didn't want to see, or there would be a reunion. Knowing Michael and Maria, the reunion probably wasn't something she would want to see either. "I'll go with Monk."
"Fine with me." Maria got into the Jetta and sped off, leaving Liz and Monk alone.
"Is she always that scary?" Monk was looking extremely relieved now that Maria was gone.
"No," laughed Liz, "You just caught her on a bad day."
******
Maria pulled up to the Sultan's Hideaway Motel and looked around. It was dark, but she would have recognized the figure by the vending machines anywhere. "Michael!"
Michael turned around, shocked. Maria was the last person he was expecting to see. "Maria? What are you doing here?"
"What do you think? I'm tired of all this running away, Michael."
"I still don't know why you're here."
Maria looked up at him and smiled. "Do you want to hear the long and boring version, and the short and sweet version?"
Michael thought about that for a minute. Knowing Maria, if he asked for the long version they'd be there all night. "Short version," he answered, still wondering what could have brought her here.
"Suit yourself," she replied. The next thing Michael knew, her lips were on his. He put his arms around her and held her close, losing himself in the sheer bliss of having Maria in his arms again. When they eventually broke apart for air, she hugged him and rested her head on his chest. "That's why I'm here," she told him.
"Fair enough, Blondie. But what brought that around?"
Maria paused for a moment. "You." Seeing Michael's puzzled expression, she continued, telling him everything that had happened that day.
"...so that's when I decided that I couldn't go on with the just friends idea anymore, and I had to be back with you, where I belong. Michael, I'm sorry for---"
"Don't, Maria. You don't have to apologize for any of it. I love you, and that's all that matters."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Really?" It was barely a whisper, but he heard her and nodded. "I love you too, Michael. I'm just sorry it took so long for something to bring me back."
"So," said Michael, grinning. "Did you get a flash this time?"
Maria smiled mischievously. "Not this time. We should try again, and make sure we get this kiss right."
It was several minutes later when Maria broke away, smiling. "That was beautiful, Michael. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"I seem to remember a number of occasions that you helped me through problems, enough to deserve anything. My life is perfect because you're in it, Maria, and I'll do my best to make all your dreams come true."
"You're all I'll ever need, Spaceboy. And now that we're officially together again, I was thinking we could celebrate."
Michael smiled at that idea. "Just follow me. I think you'll find the room familiar, only this time the others won't be barging in."
"I hope not," laughed Maria, "They know us better by now, don't they Mister Guerin?"
"They should, Miss De Luca." He unlocked the door and held it open. "After you, Blondie." They stepped inside, and soon they forgot everything but each other.