MIA:

He said we would make them come true. We. As in he and I would make them come true. This frightened me a little, I won't lie. When he said we it signified that he wanted to marry me. That he wanted to be with me and only me.

"I-I think we should go to the reception now," I stammered. He had no idea how much of an effect one little word had on me.

He smiled his million dollar smile and took my hand. "I love you baby."

But will that be enough?

We arrived at the reception fashionably late. Lilly asked if we had been necking and demanded to see both of our necks for hickeys. "Lillian, we were not making out," I hissed. "We have more of a relationship than that."

She smiled skeptically. "Anything happen that I should know about?" she asked, practically jumping up and down.

I shook my head, "No. Why? Was something supposed to happen?"

She glanced at Michael, "Oh, no. Nothing."

Michael was off talking to some friends and left me alone with Lilly. "Mia, do you suppose you will marry him? I mean, I know it is still early but…"

"I don't know," I replied honestly, surprising her. "I want to...but I still don't know if it would be right to. OR if my parents would allow it. They expect me to marry within the Genovian aristocracy."

She shook her head, "That's silly. My parents say that one cannot help who they fall in love with. It just happens. No one chooses, it's fate. They don't care if we marry outside of Judaism."

"Lilly, I'm just nervous…What if he meets some busty nurse who saves him from a deadly fever when he's over there?"

She nearly spat out her drink, "Mia, that's foolish.First of all, don't be so obbessive with your lack of breasts. He clearly doesn't care about it," she teased. "Secondly, he doesn't look at anyone else. He's totally gone on you. Everyone is jealous about it. He's the ideal boy Mia. He only has eyes for you."

"But if I'm not there-"

"Mia, there was no one before you, and no one will come after you. If he were to propose, and I'm not saying that he is right now, but if he were to then he would treat you like a queen. And you best say yes to him. Then we would be real sisters! Oh just imagine it Mia! I could be your maid of honor…that is if you don't have a best friend over in Genovia?"

I shook my head. We weren't allowed to. The closest thing to a best friend was Lars, and I highly doubted he would look nice in a dress. "No, I do not. Things are very different other there for me Lilly. Very."

I was still filled with doubt even after this conversation. I loved him more than anything. I was still scared though. I could very well lose him in the war. Or my grandparents could bar this marriage based on his religion.

I watched him chat animatedly with Kevin during the dancing. I was with Lilly at our table. "Did you know that Jill Weinberger has a crush on him?"

"What?" I snapped, shocked.

"Yeah. She was going to try something a few weeks back, but saw him holding your hand. Isn't she just a floozy?"

I nodded and looked back to watch Michael, but he was no where to be seen.

"Care for a dance?" Michael asked, popping behind I turned and smiled. I took his hand and let him guide me to the floor. His parents looked over at us and smiled. They accepted that they could no longer keep us from being with one another.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, my head on his shoulder.

I sighed, "Of course I am. Doesn't Randa look like a perfect bride? It's just too bad they won't have a honeymoon…"

He laughed, "They don't have engagement rings in Genovia, but they have honeymoons?"

I put on my vixenish smile, "Of course they do. How else would one make the marriage official?"

He laughed and kissed my cheek, "You never cease to amaze me Mia Thermopolis."

The more he said Thermopolis the more I liked it. Better than Renaldo. Better than Princess. How had this man managed to change my outlook on myself in a mere three and a half months?

But looking at him that night with his family made me realize how much I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be part of his family. To be part of this life forever, not just for a little while.

How would I return to Genovia? I couldn't. I would stay here, in Michael's beloved New York City forever. I would…

"Mia, you ready?" Michael asked, interrupting my daydream of our lives together.

I half smiled and took his hand, "Yes. Yes I am."

We said our good byes to the newlyweds and started walking home. His parents had left about an hour before because Dr. Moscovitz wanted to see his mother (who was still rather ill). "Don't worry about me," Lilly called out to us. "I'll walk with Josie Parker!"

Michael didn't pay attention to her sarcasm; he put his jacket around me because I was shivering. "You looked rather handsome tonight," I said as we reached a corner park. We laid down on the very cold ground. I rested my head on his chest.

He kissed the top of my head, "You didn't look half bad yourself baby," he whispered.

I started seeing snowflakes coming down on us, and I started giggling. "Snow!"

He laughed, "Yes, snow."

"I've never….We don't have snow in Genovia! I've never seen it before!" I said jumping up and spinning around.

He got up as well and laughed at my childish behavior. "Then I am proud to be the one you share your first time with…" then he turned red.

I stopped spinning and took his hands, "Don't be embarrassed sweetheart," I said catching my breath. "You will be my first everything. You have been my first kiss. My first love…but that will be it. You will be my only love."

He smiled in a way that only curled up on one side, then swirled up on the other side a few seconds later. "May I have this dance?"

I curtsied and he bowed. "Is this how they do it in Genovia?" he asked. Swaying me to the pretend music.

I smiled, "I never got to have my coming out party. Technically you are not supposed to be dancing with me."

"Oh I am so sorry," he said, still not pulling back. Months ago I would have seen this act as rude, but now it was perfectly Michael.

He remained quiet for a long time. "What's wrong?" I asked, enjoying the snow falling.

"Marry me," he said quickly. "I mean, will you marry me?"

I pulled away, "What?"

"I want to marry you. I- I got you this," he said pulling a ring out of his pocket nervously. "If you don't want-"

"Will you let me answer?" I said with a nervous laugh.

He swallowed hard, "Okay."

"Of course I will marry you," I whispered, my forehead leaning against his. "But-"

"If the ring is too small I want you to know I intend on getting you a bigger one once we get jobs and-"

"But what about my parents?" I asked, not focusing on the ring.

"What about them?"

"You never asked-"

"I wrote your father. He approved. He said he understood what it meant to be young and in love. I mean, eventually things will have to change, but he's okay with us being together."

I smiled. He really was the perfect man, not a boy, a man. I extended my ring finger. "I will be your wife," I whispered.

He placed the small ring on my finger. It was just right for me. A gold band with a tiny emerald and even tinier diamonds on the sides. "If it's too small-"

"Michael, it's perfect. You will never take this ring off of me. It's mine to keep," I teased.

I have never seen a bigger smile on a human being before. "You'll…you'll marry me?" he said in a whisper, finally taking it all in. For such a smart boy he is often slow.

I nodded, "If your offer still stands…"

He answered me with a kiss. A perfect kiss in the snow.