Thanks for the reviews jellybee201 and orly.
jellybee201 - I'm glad you like Zan and Beth, I enjoy writting them. And yes this is a M/M chapter.
orly - Candy love as I promised! Hope it's to your likeing.
AN: (F) Michael or (F) Maria - means Future Michael or Future Maria. (P) Michael or (P) Maria means Past Michael or Past Maria.
Chapter 14 - Saying Sorry
Previously:
"And Beth what is wrong with you? Why are you so quiet? Why aren't you angry with Zan for fighting with Andon? (F) Maria asked completely baffled by her daughter's reaction or lack thereof. Since when is Zan the one who yells back when fussed at and Beth the one who stands back and takes it? (F) Maria thought.
"I......ummm........we......." (P) Maria stammered, unsure of what to say, luckily the door bell rang.
"We'll finish this later." (F) Maria said as she walked into the other room to see who was at the door.
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(F) Maria left the kitchen to see who was at the door. When she left (P) Michael and Maria set down at the table, while (F) Michael leaned against the counter.
"Well I see you've learned how to control your powers, Zan." (F) Michael said trying to break the tension in the room.
"What do you mean?" (P) Michael asked confused. Why would I not teach my kids how to control their powers? (P) Michael thought.
"What do I mean? I mean how you would normally blow up everything in the house if you got too mad!" (F) Michael said, shocked that his son could forget something like that. (P) Michael was about to reply but stopped when (F) Maria walked back in with their guests.
"Here we go." (P) Maria whispered to (P) Michael when she saw her mother and Jim Valenti walk in.
"Michael! I'm so glad you're here! I haven't seen you in days!" Amy said as she gave (F) Michael a hug.
"Sorry, Amy, I've been working a lot lately." (F) Michael said as they pulled apart. (P) Maria stared at the two in amazement, while (P) Michael was thinking that it was all for show.
"How many times am I going to have to tell you to call me mom?" Amy says as she playfully hits (F) Michael on the arm.
"Amy look grandkids!" Jim said to his wife to take her attention off Michael.
"Fine. I'll leave him alone." she said as she walked over to see her "grandkids". (F) Michael mouthed "Thank you" to Jim, he nodded in reply.
"So how have you two been?" Amy asked (P) Michael and Maria.
"Fine." they said in unison, not sure what else to say.
"How's school?" she asked.
"Okay." they said in unison again.
"How are you coming along with your powers?" At her words the teens quickly looked at each other. Thinking their look was for another reason she asked, "What did you do?"
"Ahhh……um……" (P) Maria stammered.
"They changed their hand prints to Maria's and mine again." (F) Michael said.
"They did what!" (F) Maria said.
"You can't keep your mouth shut for nothing can you?!" (P) Michael yelled at his double.
"I think we'd better go. Coming Jim?" Amy asked. If Zan was yelling this was not going to be pretty and she did not want to get in the middle of it.
"Right behind you. Bye." Jim said as he followed his wife out of the house.
"What is your problem, Zander?!" (F) Michael yelled not able to hold back anymore.
"What's my problem! I'll tell you what my problem is! It's you! I'm ashamed to even be associated with you!" (P) Michael yelled, standing up so fast that he knocked his chair over. (F) Michael looked like he had been punched in the face, but he quickly masked it. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough for (P) Maria not to notice. Seeing the hurt on his face broke her heart.
"How dare you say that." (P) Maria said. (P) Michael turned to look at her and was shocked at what he saw. Hate! Hate for him!
"I can't believe you would say something like that! He's ten times the man you'll ever be!" she said, slapping him across the face and running out of the room.
"Beth! Beth, wait!" (F) Maria called after her. (F) Michael was shocked not only at what his son had said to him, but also at how his daughter had reacted to it. (P) Michael was frozen in place his hand on his face staring at the spot where she had been standing.
"I'm going to talk to her." (F) Maria said.
"No, I'll go." (P) Michael said and left without so much as a glance at either of them.
"He didn't mean it." (F) Maria said to her husband when his younger self had left.
"I'm not so sure." he said, obviously hurt.
"Of course he didn't. I said things worse than that to my mother when I was his age. You should know, it usally happened in a fight that had something to do with you." she said laughing. Michael couldn't help but smile. She could always make him feel better and vise versa. He pulled her to him and said "Thank you" by kissing her.
Upstairs:
Michael stood in front of Beth's door wondering if he should go in or wait until Maria calmed down. He finally decided he'd give her the choice. Michael knocked twice.
"Go away." came the stern reply.
"Maria, come on let me in." he pleaded.
"What part of go away don't you understand?" Frustrated, Michael turned the knob, only to find that it was locked. Like that can keep me out. He thought as he used his powers to unlock the door so he could get in.
When he opened the door he found Maria sitting on the bed clutching a pillow, with tears streaming down her face. She didn't even look at him she just continued to stare out the window.
"Maria, I'm sorry." he said as he walked over to her.
"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?" she asked coldly.
"I was a jerk. I got mad at him for no reason." he said as he sat down on the foot of the bed.
"You were more than a jerk!" she said finally looking at him. "Did you see the look on his face? I ca…." she started crying again, not able to finish her sentence. Michael pulled her to him and comforted her while she cried into his chest.
"I've never seen you so hurt before." she sobbed.
"Really?" Michael asked, wondering what had hurt him so bad. At his words Maria lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
"Michael, you broke his heart."
"What? How?" he asked.
"He thinks you're his son." she said.
"So." he said still not sure what she was getting at.
"He thinks you're his son and then you tell him that you're ashamed to even be associated with him. When you said that he…he…" Again the tears fell at the memory of the hurt on the face of the man she loved.
"Oh." was all Michael could say when the power of his words had sunk in. They sat on the bed holding each other not saying a word for sometime, both lost in their thoughts. Maria finally sat up and looked at Michael only to see the still red imprint of her hand on his face.
"Michael, I'm so sorry." she said as she touched his cheek.
"Did it hurt much?" she asked worried.
"No, I barely felt it." he lied.
"I'm sorry. So much has gone on the last couple of days. And then seeing the hurt on his face, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sorry." she said.
"Maria, why are you apologizing? I'm the one who should be saying 'I'm sorry' not you. You haven't done anything wrong."
"But."
"No 'buts'. Ria, I'm sorry I went off at him for no reason. If I can't keep anything from you now, there's no way I'd be able to do it after we've been married for who knows how many years." he said as he wiped away the tears still on her face.
"So can you forgive me for being a jerk earlier? Excuse me more than a jerk earlier." he said mocking her ralier words. Maria couldn't help but smile and laugh.
"Alright, Spaceboy, I'll forgive you on three conditions." she said still smiling.
"Three? Okay. I'll do anything you ask." he said trying to hide the fact that he was a little scared. Maria had a wicked sense of humor at times.
"Number one. You have to kiss me." Michael smiled as soon as she finished, then leaned in and kissed her.
"How was that?" he asked confidently when they had stopped.
"It'll do." she said sounding slightly bored.
"It'll do?" he said shocked. I'll show her. Michael grabbed Maria and then passionately kissed her. Flashes immediately came rushing forward. When they had finally pulled apart Michael didn't even have to ask what Maria had thought of his kiss, he could see it on her face.
"Number two?" he asked smiling at her reaction.
"Number two is you have to stay with me until I fall asleep." she said still reeling from the kiss.
"I like where this is going. Number three wouldn't happen to be what I think it is, would it?" he asked.
"Michael!" she said shocked.
"Ow! Hey! I was joking. Ow!" he said while trying to dodge the pillow she was hitting him with. He grabbed her arms and pinned her down on the bed tickling her.
"Okay!….Okay!….I give!….Michael stop!" she said while laughing. He finally let her go and fell down beside her on the bed.
"Well obviously that's not number three, so what is?" he asked turning his head to look at her.
"You have to tell my future husband sorry."
"What? No way!"
"It's a deal breaker, Michael. If you don't tell him you're sorry and mean it, then I won't forgive you." she said seriously.
"Fine, Blondie." he said defeated. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."
After a few minutes Michael started laughing. "What's so funny?" she asked starting to laugh herself.
"You said he's ten times the man I'll ever be. You do know we're the same person right?"
"Shut up!" she said as she hit him with a pillow, unknowingly starting another war.