This is it....enjoy...sorry for the wait!
Mia:
I had to be careful as to where I placed the tattoo. I mean, this was a rather private thing that I was doing. Only meant for one person (well, other than myself and the artist) to ever see. I had to consider the dresses I normally wore and bathing suits. I mean, no matter what people would see it in my bathing suit. I mean, then again who would care? The only people around me while I was in my bathing suit were my dad and now probably Michael. Or people who wouldn't care. Grandmere would have flipped out though.
"It's very subtle," the artist said as she finished up. "Feminine."
I smiled and looked at the heart on my pelvic bone, just the same spot Michael had gotten his broken heart. I simply got Michael's name in fancy green lettering within the heart. I know it's kind of soon and early in our relationship to get this, but no matter where we end up I want to make sure he knows that he is important in my life and always will be.
I emerged from the room. "Hey there handsome," I said as he stood up. He looked at me expectantly. He looked at my bare sholders for a sign of my ink. "Whatcha looking for?" I teased, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Are you okay? Did it hurt you?" he asked, looking adorably worried.
I shook my head. "No silly." Okay, that was a lie. It did hurt. A lot. But I used the lesson that Grandmere had taught me when I was younger. On how to not show your physical pain.
He could tell I was lying though. "Yeah right. Where is it?" he asked, looking me over.
"You'll see. Wanna go back to the hotel?"
MICHAEL:
Uhm, duh. I'm a guy, when a girl offers to go back to a hotel, you go. Especially if it happens to be the one you are in love with.
We walked back to the hotel, stopping for some chocolate in a candy store (which is open all night, I could get used to European living now...). She teased me mercilessly (sp?) about her tattoo. I kept trying to guess what it was, and where it was, but she refused to answer.
We got back to the hotel room and she headed off to the bathroom to change. She didn't want me to see the tattoo until it healed, which wouldn't be for another two days or so. I liked her sleeping clothes, a pair of my favorite boxers and my Columbia rowing t-shirt (yes, I actually joined a team...I had to keep up my upper body muscles right?)
She crawled into bed next to me and we watched some old TV re-runs on the only channel that spoke English. For a bit we watched and Icelantic soap opera, and made up our own dialog, which is one of the funnest things to do.
"No, I slept with your pet monkey!" she said with a funny accent.
The guy on the TV lifted up the monkey in question. "That's cool. I like doing that too," I said, holding back my laughter.
Suddenly the two characters started making out and fell onto the bed. I looked at Mia, "We have to keep in character," I teased.
I leaned on my elbows and let the rest of my body lie on top of her. She rubbed the peach fuzz that was now my hair. "I love you Michael Moscovitz."
I kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you too Mia Thermopolis." I refused to call her by her royal name. It didn't suit her.
She sighed and closed her eyes. "You don't even understand how happy I am to hear you say that."
"I kind of have an idea," I replied with a half smile.
"No, you really don't. I had always thought that maybe, just maybe, you had thought of us as...well, a sex thing. Nothing more. But hearing you say that you love me...."
"Where would you have gotten a dumb idea like that?" I asked, surprised.
"Huh?"
"That I was in this just for the sex?"
"Well....sometimes guys do that..."
"Not me though. Come on Mia...think about it. If I only wanted sex, would I have spent every possible moment with you? Spent nights just cuddling with you? Listened to your problems. Tried to help you get past your history? No...I mean, well, sure the sex part was, and still is, great. Phenomonal really, but just hanging out with you is great. Waking up next to you...makes me feel...I dunno, right. Like, before a part of me was missing, ya know? Damn, I sound like a really bad pop song huh?"
She laughed. "I like really bad pop."
"Good. Think we should catch some sleep? I have big plans for you tomorrow girlie."
She rolled her eyes at the nick name 'girlie'. She hated that name, which is why I called her that. To get back at her for not showing me the tattoo yet.
"Sure thing boy-ie," she said, making up a word.
The next day, and the ones after that we started off in a small cafe for breakfast. A family owned it and always set us up in the back. They knew who Mia was and treated her accordingly. But she wouldn't let them give her food for free. "I have enough money, they should maybe give free food to the homeless or something," she explained as she tossed a few bills onto the table.
We ate lunch in the country side on Friday afternoon...by a waterfall by the way, Iceland has amazing waterfalls. We waded in the pool of the falls, causing my khaki's to get soaked. She was wearing a skirt so she was fine.
She had shown me the tattoo the previous night, and that is what is causing me to give her my gift now instead of right before we left.
She had once said she would get a tattoo when she was free of Joshua. I had half expected it to have something to do with him, but it didn't. It was a simple heart that simply said Michael in it...and it was on her pelvic bone. It was totally about me. Only me. Not Joshua. Not that I was competing with the guy...he's dead after all. But it's nice to know that a little bit of me is on her. I teased her a little, "Think we could get a 'Property of:', above my name?"
She grinned. She knew that I was using my jokes as a cover for my surprise. My happy surprise.
So anyways, we were by the falls of Ericson ( a/n, this location is made up...no more research for this story!). She had put her hair into a French braid ( I don't see what is so French about it though), and was wearing a long peasant skirt. She looked almost like a hippie, and smacked me when I said that out loud. "I am not a hippie, I'm just wearing what is comfortable."
But she looked gorgeous. Her skin was sun kissed and perfect. So smooth and blemish free. I watched her as she picked some flowers from the field behind us. How the hell did I manage to get a woman like her? Such a perfect woman?
"Mia!" I called out to her. She looked back and waved.
"One sec!" she called back. She took one more handful of flowers and rushed back to our blanket.
She slid a flower behind my ear, "Aw, so pretty," she joked with a smile. "What's wrong?" she asked after she saw my serious expression.
"I have a gift for you."
"Oh...but I thought the trip-"
"This was part of it too, but I have something else for you."
She looked around, "Um, okay, shoot."
I sat up on my knees. "You know I love you, right?"
"Yeah."
"But I don't want to rush you."
"Um, okay...."
"So," I started as I took out her small velvet box. "This isn't an engagement ring until you want it to be," I said opening it.
Her mouth dropped, but slowly developed into a smile.
"I mean, it can be a friendship or a promise ring for now," I explained hurriedly.
She stared at the ring intently. What was she thinking?
MIA:
I could tell he was up to something when he suggested a picnic in the country. He was NOT a country boy. But now I realize he wanted privacy and quiet.
I stared at the ring for a few minutes quietly. It was very much different from the one Joshua had given to me. This was more me though, I do believe. It was square cut and small. Platinum. I smiled, it'd match his cuff links.
The ring Joshua had given me was not what he had actually wanted to give me. But he had Grandmere to impress. That ring had a big diamond in the middle with small rubies surrounding it. I never much liked it, but Joshua had designed it so I couldn't say too much about it.
Michael never felt like he needed to impress anyone but me. These two men were so much alike, and yet so very different. Right down to the kind of ring they picked out for me.
I then looked into his peat bog eyes, and let myself sink into them. "I," I started slowly, "Do believe the word friendship is highly overrated with us."
He looked confused.
"And if you don't mind I'd like to look at the ring differently."
He still didn't get it.
"And I want to be your wife," I explained.
His face exploded into a huge smile, "Are you sure?"
"I'm completely sure," I replied, stroking his face. I couldn't help but compare this to when I got engaged to Joshua. I had been a nervous wreck. I stammered and barely managed to answer him. "I want to spend all my life with you," I explained.
He kissed me and we fell onto the blanket.
May 12, 2004
I was in New York for my granddaughter, Mia's graduation over this past weekend and met up with a very old friend. I must say, I am terribly surprised to see him again.
He's a trustee at Amelia's school now, his grandson is currently in his junior year at the school.
I recognized him immediately. He still had those cheeks that reminded me of a babies. I called him Billy, but he corrected me, " It's William Holden now," he explained. "I changed it when I got to Harvard. They weren't so keen on the Jewish people being there so I made it sound more Christian."
I nodded. He'd always be Billy to me though.
-C
June 1, 2004
William and I have been corresponding a great deal, even using that blasted internet that Mia demanded be placed into the palace. I invited him to come to the palace over the summer months, but he said he couldn't possibly. He has a a job over in New York. He'd lose it if he left the city for more than a week or two. And he knew he wanted to spend more time with me...we have over fifty years to catch up with.
So I made a proposition to him. I invited him to come live here as my assistant, and he agreed. Aren't I so modern? Inviting a strange man I havne't seen in over fifty years to come live with me? I'm bursting inside to tell someone, but no one must know of my affair with our hired help. No one.
-C
July 2004
Mia is away doing some volunteer work over in South America, she might end up a good princess yet. Maybe she'll be as popular as Princess Di was...yes, that woudl be good publicity wouldn't it?
But on a more personal note, she has become a very stunning young lady. Her speech is impeccible, at least when I am around. I am sure she is more loose with her vocabulary around others, but so was I at her age. She reminds me of myself at times. Her uncertainty. She had her own dreams until we told her she was a princess. But she has to give them up for the good of her country, just like I had to give up Billy. But I am sure she'll find what she is looking for in no time...even if he is in America
-C
July 2011
Mia's beloved Joshua has passed on today. I thank God he has finally passed on. I never showed it, but I truly liked that boy, after I got past all of his youthful transgressions. I couldn't bear to see him though. Not like he was. He didn't deserve to die like this, to suffer for weeks. And Mia didn't deserve to have to watch him go through all this.
I am happy that she at least has her old friends around to help her cope. Especially that Michael Moscovitz boy. I can tell they love one another, but it will take time. He will help her through her pain. I don't know what it is, but I trust him. Even if he is common.
I have not gone onto discuss my own pain now. William has been ill as of late, and therefore has not been working. I visit him in his quarters every night after dinner while Mia is with her friends and Phillippe is with his new girlfriend.
I am sorry to say, however, my Billy has gone on as Joshua has. I haven't mentioned it to anyone though. I had to act like he was any other servant. It was killing me inside. I pretended to mourn for Joshua, but I was really crying for William. I had lost out on so much time with him...and didn't get to nearly make up for it. The Lord will take me soon...I can tell. I cannot continue watching those I love suffer.
I can't live anymore like this. I need to move on and be with the men I have loved in my life. I know it will hurt Phillippe, and possibly Mia, but I need to go onto the next stage, whatever it may be. They'll survive though. They are strong. They are Renaldo's.
-C
Author's Note: This is it, my friends. Maybe a short sequel about their wedding and the band's fate. That is only if I get enough requests for it. And that wouldn't be until like, July. And it would be posted at the same time as the prequel.
Yes, there is a prequel that will be posted right after I finish up with "...And then A Couple". It will show what Mia did in the years between seeing Michael (that is, how she got together with Joshua, and her dating some other dudes...while still pining for the one that got away...kind of)
I hope you enjoyed this story. I'll admit it, I was surprised so many liked it. So thank you to each and every person who reviewed, and to those quiet ones who simply read. I really appreicate it. See ya on the flip side!