A/N- I turned in my research paper! Yay! In celebration, another chapter!

Chapter 6

I collapsed in one of the white chairs at the front table, tired, but happy. I watched as Lilly and Boris pranced their way around the dance floor. I had never seen her so…content. She deserved this.

I slipped off my shoes discreetly and massaged them under the table when Michael walked up to me and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I gave him a pained expression, but nodded. I slipped my shoes back on and took his hand as he led me on the dance floor. His strong, rough hand felt so good around mine, but I tried my best to ignore it. I was still slightly angry with him for the night before.

As the band struck up a slow waltz, Michael led me expertly around the dance floor, while I pondered why his arms around me felt so relaxing. Then after a few moments he took a deep breath and said, "Mia, do you really hate the Phantom Phoenix?"

I shook my head. "No. I just don't understand why she has to wear a mask."

"Neither do I."

We danced in silence for a few moments. Then I asked, "Why do you care so much about her?"

He looked at me carefully, then asked, "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Promise." It was an indication of how far we had come as friends.

He paused tentatively, then said, "I like her. A lot. The kind of like that's bigger than a crush, the kind that might lead to love later on."

I raised my eyebrows. "Have you met her before?"

He nodded. "Remember when I showed you the stitches on my stomach? She was the one who did that."

"I didn't know that she was a medic."

"Neither did I. But I guess that's what happens when she has to take care of herself."

"Why do you like her so much?"

"Because…I don't know. Whenever I see her or feel her approach me, I get this pounding in my heart. And she's so strong, and intelligent. She's everything that I look for in a woman."

I nodded as he continued.

"She's got this presence around her too, you know? She's really mysterious, and I just wonder what happened to her that makes her the way she is." He sighed. "But I think I might've…"

"…you think you might've what?"

"I think that I might have insulted her."

"What did you do?"

"I asked if anyone knows who she is."

After pretending to think about it, I suggested, "Maybe she thinks that you're only trying to find out who she is so you can sell her identity to the media or something."

He looked taken aback. "I wouldn't do that!" Inwardly, I smiled. Good to know. "I don't care who she is, I just want to get to know her!"

"Well if you get to know her, then it kind of defeats the purpose for the mask, doesn't it?"

He thought about that for a while. "Yeah, I guess. I just wish that—"

Before he could finish his thought, Edward walked up and tapped him on the shoulder. "May I cut in?"

Michael politely stepped aside, bowed and walked away while giving me a meaningful look that clearly said, "I need to talk to you later."

As Edward gathered me in his arms, he asked, "Who was that?"

"That was Michael Moscovitz. He's a new prosecutor."

He nodded. "That's nice."

We finished the song with a final twirl and he gave me a quick hug. "I've got to be seeing to more details. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

I nodded. "Okay."

He smiled, pecked me on the forehead and left the dance floor, simultaneously pulling off his white silk gloves.

I sighed in relief as I plopped down in my chair, hoping this time that no one would ask me to dance too soon.

As I took a sip of water, Michael pulled up a chair next to mine and asked, "Who was that guy?"

"My fiancé."

His eyes widened in shock. "What?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Didn't you read that in the papers? That one editor of the Genovian Herald won't leave me alone about it."

"Then how come you never wear you ring?" He accused.

I shrugged to show my discomfort with the subject. "I just don't like to wear it. It's kinda heavy and gets annoying after a while."

He stared at me, then opened his mouth and slowly said, "That's the worst bullshit I have ever heard an engaged woman pull. And I've been listening to Lilly rant on and on about how wonderful Boris is for the past nine months."

"What do you want me to say? I don't like wearing the ring because I like flirting with other guys?"

He paused. "Is that true?"

"No!" I cried. I was beginning to feel a definite pressure in my temples and it wasn't getting any better.

"Then why don't you like wearing it?"

I ignored the question. I spotted Lilly and Boris and gave them a small wave, trying to get Michael to drop the subject.

"Mia, why don't you like wearing your engagement ring?" He asked, refusing to let the topic go.

"I just don't, alright?" I put my shoes back on and was getting ready to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. The unexpected touch sent shivers throughout my body.

"You don't want to marry him, do you?"

I couldn't lie, so I just nodded my head.

"Then why are you?"

Now that was a question I was definitely not answering. I shook my head and pulled my hand out of his grip while trying to gather my thoughts.

That night, as I lay in my bed, I pondered the answer to his question. I couldn't even admit it to myself; I just plain didn't like Edward, not like I should. I guess I was trying to fool myself. If I told myself that I liked him, if I tried to convince myself that I felt something for him, I could marry him and eventually fall in love, making everything alright.

The truth was, I couldn't love him. Not when he spent a maximum of one hour with me everyday. He was always too busy with business to spend any time with his fiancée.

I grabbed a pillow and smothered my face in it. Why was I like this? Why couldn't I love anyone? I wanted to, I really did.

Maybe I was meant to be like this. My heart was supposed to be cold and lonely and empty for the rest of my life. I wasn't meant to be loved.

I wasn't worth it.

"Michael's upset with you," Lilly announced as she plopped her freshly tanned body on my bed.

I rolled my eyes. It was the first day back from her honeymoon, and the first words that pop out of her mouth are about her brother. "I know," I told her. "He won't talk to me. It's kinda like when we first met."

"You know, you're the closest thing he's had to a real friend in a long time," She said as she handed me a shell from her suitcase.

I admired it from every angle, then set it on my dresser. "It's not my fault he's acting childish. I want to talk, but he doesn't."

"He told me about the conversation you two had."

"About Edward?"

"Yeah. He doesn't like the idea of you getting married to someone you don't like."

I shrugged. "He'll get over it. I'll get over it."

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "You're kidding, right? Look Mia, I know how you feel about Edward. I know that you think he's nice, and I guess he is. But he doesn't care about you like he should. You deserve better."

I shook my head dismissively. "Well 'better' isn't coming my way, so I have to take what I can get."

"Mia," she began warningly.

"Lilly, I don't want to get into this, alright. I really don't."

She went on anyway. "You deserve so much more than you give yourself credit for. Don't marry Edward, he doesn't deserve you."

My eyes began to tear. "Then who does?"

I couldn't take it anymore. The people around me were too happy. I needed to get out of here. I needed to be alone with my thoughts.

I escaped to the garden and threw myself underneath my favorite apple tree. I remembered when it was first planted; I was five and I absolutely loved this tree. I would go out everyday and talk to the small sapling and tell it every fairytale I knew in hopes that it would grow into a wonderful, healthy tree. To this day, I still considered it mine. It knew everything about me, it comforted me when I cried. I definitely needed its consolation now.

I sobbed. I sobbed about my inability to do anything. I was backed in a corner and even Phantom Phoenix couldn't help me get out of it.

I heard a shuffle of feet and jumped a mile when I felt a pair of arms surround me. I looked up and found Michael giving me a soft grin. "Hey."

I couldn't say anything. My mouth was dry and there was a huge lump in my throat. The tears just continued to stream down my face. He pulled me closer to him and I took this invitation to bury my head in his shoulder.

We stayed like that for a few moments and he whispered into my hair, "I'm sorry for ignoring you. Especially when you needed a friend."

I nodded slowly. "It's alright."

And we sat there, underneath my apple tree in silence. After a while, I fell asleep, but not once did those arms leave me.

"Give her back her wallet," I said menacingly as I threw him against the brick wall.

Shakily, he pulled it out of his jacket and handed it to her. As soon as the woman had it safely clutched in her pale hands, she ran. I turned my attention back to the criminal and stared him straight in his watery blue eyes. "This is the fifth time I've caught you. If I catch you one more time, you'll wake up a week later in Monaco, you hear me?"

He nodded, eager for me to let him go.

"Good." I released my grip of his shirt and he scrambled away, not looking back.

I was feeling a rush, a great natural high as the adrenaline pumped faster in my blood. I couldn't slow down; no, that's not right, I wouldn't slow down.

"So that's five robbers, a drug bust at the port, two rapists and one burning building," Lilly told me as she tallied up my night for me.

"Yep."

"I think it's time you come home, Wonder Woman."

"Hey, hey, get it right. Phantom Phoenix, duh."

She chuckled. "I haven't seen you this happy in a while."

"Yeah, well I just had a great night."

"Most people listening in on this conversation would think you just had sex."

"Can we not talk about my virginal status, please?"

"You are most definitely missing out," Lilly said cheekily.

I grimaced and made sure that she could hear it in my voice. "I don't want to hear about you and Boris in bed, okay? It's just a little too much personal information for my taste."

"Alright," She sang. "But let me tell you, it's always hot."

"Officially tuning you out now."

When I got back the lab, I peeled off my suit and stepped into the shower. I got out and announced, "I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up unless it's important."

She nodded as she turned off the lights in the lab. "Agreed."

Unfortunately, someone didn't seem to get the memo.

"Mia! Mia!"

I groggily opened my eyes and found an excited Michael poking and prodding at me to wake up.

"Michael? What the hell are you doing here?" I said as I tried to pull the covers over my head. "I'm trying to sleep."

"I won my case against the rapist!"

That woke me up. "Congratulations!" I cried as I sat up and brought my arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you."

He grinned. "Yeah, I thought you would be." When we pulled apart he frowned. "What happened?" he asked as he brought his fingers to the bruise on my upper arm.

I pulled away from his touch. "I fell." I said shortly. "Hey, let's go celebrate your first victory."

He wasn't going to let the subject drop so easily. "Mia, you're not that clumsy. What happened?"

"I fell. Believe it or not Michael, I'm human and I'm bound to fall sooner or later."

His eyes narrowed. "He's not hitting you, is he?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Who?" I asked, puzzled.

"Edward."

I blinked, then burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "No, Michael. He's not abusive. I barely see him enough for him to hit me anyway."

He still gave me a suspicious glance, but let the subject drop. "I'll get you some ice."

I shook my head. "Nah, I've got it."

I got out of bed, went into the bathroom and pulled out an ice pack from the mini-fridge.

"Why do you have an ice pack in your bathroom?" He asked as he walked in.

I grinned. "I used to be really accident prone. Grandmère kept saying how hopeless I was and told the staff to keep an ice pack in close proximity to wherever I was."

He smiled. "Wow. I never knew that Clarisse was so…accommodating."

"She used to be a lot different," I said reminiscently. "She used to command respect with one glance." I giggled. "She used to be really powerful."

"What happened?"

I put the ice pack away before answering the question. "Her son was killed."

The air was heavy with unsaid words of sympathy. "Mia—"

I interrupted him. "Hey, I promised you a celebration! And I know the perfect place too."

I ran off to ask Lilly if she wanted to join us. I knew that she probably didn't want to, considering that she and Boris had a date everyday around this time, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from that bathroom and the tense atmosphere.

A/N- So there wasn't really much going on in this chapter, but I promise if you stick with the story, there is a lot more drama to come. Trust me. Please review!