A/N-Exams are over, Christmas is close...YAY!

Chapter 8

Lilly woke me up at eight o'clock with a sandwich and a glass of water. "Wow, you were out."

I sat up and found myself in my bed. "What happened to me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You fell asleep, Mia."

I glared at her. "Way to state the obvious, doofus. I meant how did I end up here? I thought I fell asleep in the gardens."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just know that I found you here three hours ago and I didn't want to wake you up."

I rubbed my eyes as I gave a huge yawn. "Alright sleepy ass, get up. You should have been up a long time ago."

I nodded as I swung my feet to the side of the bed and stood up. At that moment, Michael burst into my room. "God, you idiot!" Lilly screamed. "Ever heard of KNOCKING?"

He just gave her a big grin and said, "Why yes. It's just a practice that I never found necessary."

She rolled her eyes.

"So, Mia. You wanna go do something tonight? It's the first off night I've had in a while and I figured you must be hungry."

Lilly and I exchanged glances. "Uh, I can't, Michael. I'm really sorry."

"Why not?"

"I've got other plans."

"What are they?"

"I'm going out with Edward tonight," I lied.

It might have just been my imagination, but it looked like his face fell and he was slightly disappointed. "Oh. Okay. Maybe tomorrow then, huh?"

I looked at Lilly, giving her a pleading look. She nodded and said, "Michael, Mia's night schedule is gonna be kind of full for a while. You know, she and Edward are getting married, they'd like to get to know each other more before the wedding."

I hated lying to Michael like that. He didn't deserve it. It's just…I had a more important job. He nodded, although I could see the regret shining in his dark brown eyes. "Okay. We'll just hang out tomorrow then." And before I could reject him again, he hurried out of my room.

I sighed. "I guess I shouldn't tell him that I'm volunteering at the hospital again."

Lilly didn't say anything. She just grabbed my hand and led me down into the lab.

I was at the hospital, filling out some forms next to Michelle. She was telling me about her boyfriend troubles and I was listening sympathetically. Then she abruptly stopped. I looked up to give her a strange look, only to find her staring in an opposite direction, her mouth visibly and widely open.

I turned my eyes in the direction of her gaze and saw Michael standing in front of me with a small smile. "Lilly told me you'd be here."

I grinned. "Michelle, I'm gonna take a little break, okay? The forms are all filled out." I handed her the clipboard, but she just nodded as she took it loosely into her hands. She continued to gawk at Michael.

"Hello," He said genially to her.

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing back. Instead I took Michael by the arm and steered him away from Michelle before she had the chance to start squealing about his beauty.

I led him into the cafeteria and sat him down with a can of coke. "So," I said as I popped the tab. "What brings you here?"

"I thought we were going to hang out today," He said with a playful pout.

I grinned. "I'm sorry. I never got the chance to tell you that I was gonna be volunteering here for a while."

"Why? I know you like to help people, but why everyday? Don't you have other stuff to do?"

I sighed. "No. Parliament won't give me anything to work on and I can't discuss the wedding plans without Edward and the only time we spend together are mealtimes and those only last fifteen minutes. At most."

He nodded as he reached for my hand across the table.

"And then Lilly's off with Boris and you've got a job…" I took a long drag of coke, enjoying the tickle of the bubbles in my nose. "I'm just bored."

"I'm sorry," He said as he comfortingly rubbed his thumb across my knuckles.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "So why are you here?"

"I just told you, didn't I?"

"No, I mean why are you really here?"

He sighed. "I have to talk to some witnesses who're hospitalized and I figured I might as well drop by and say hello."

I grimaced. "So nice to know that I'm just an afterthought."

"No, I just…okay, so you were an afterthought."

I laughed. I didn't mind; he had a job and I just happened to be near.

"So…any luck with Phantom Phoenix?"

He took a swig of coke and said, "No. I haven't run into her for a while."

"Let me see your stomach."

He lifted his shirt and showed me the scar. "Who took out the stitches?" I asked as my eyes trailed over his finely shaped stomach.

"Lilly. She was amazed at the handiwork. She said it was really good and that Phantom Phoenix must have been taught by some amazing teacher." I smiled inwardly. Lilly was the only person I knew who could compliment me and herself at the same time.

"It's looking good."

He raised his eyebrows. "How would you know?"

I rolled my eyes and gestured around. "Hello, hospital."

He grinned. "So what's it like working here?"

"It's never boring, I'll tell you that much."

At that moment, my beeper went off. "Speaking of which, I better get going. Caroline's calling me."

He got up with me. "I'll go with you."

"Why?" I asked, not bothering to look back at him.

"Because I want to see you in action."

I smiled. You have no idea, I thought.

When I finally reached the floor she was on, I found Caroline holding a young, pregnant girl's hand, telling her to breathe deeply. "Mia, get this girl into a bed."

"How much is she dilated?"

"Two centimeters."

"What? What's that mean?" The woman demanded.

I gently helped her into the wheelchair that one of the resident interns brought in. "It means that we'll have to wait a while before you can give birth."

"WHAT?" She screamed as I felt the grip she had on my hand tighten excruciatingly. "I CAN'T WAIT! I WANT THIS BABY OUT NOW!"

"It's alright, we're going to get you into a bed, and you'll be much more comfortable."

She gave a scream of anguish. "LIKE HELL I WILL!"

I rolled her into a nearby room and helped her change into a hospital gown as she climbed into the bed. "AAAAAHHHHH!" She yelled.

"Breathe…breathe deeply…"

After ten minutes, Caroline walked into the room and checked her. "Four centimeters."

"What does that mean?"

"That means that you can push this baby out now." Caroline said soothingly as she pulled the bed away from wall. "Okay, let's go." She said as the young woman gave another roar of pain.

I followed Caroline and the girl and watched her go from the waiting room. Michael stood next to me. "Wow," I said in awe. "Just wait. Lilly's gonna be just like that in a year or two."

Michael shuddered. "Please don't say that."

I grinned at him. He smiled back and said, "I'm impressed."

I scoffed. "What, did you think I was going to buckle underneath the pressure?"

"Yes."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Thanks a lot."

"Anytime."

An hour later, I was walking out of the hospital with Michael next to me. Michelle insisted that I take the afternoon off (after winking at me more times than was necessary) and go, "paint the town red." (Her words, not mine)

"Where did we leave off?" He asked.

I looked at him with a confused expression on my face. "Huh?"

"The Truth game. Whose turn is it?"

"You still want to play?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah. So whose turn is it?"

I thought carefully for a while, then said, "I think it's your turn to ask me a question."

"Okay…have you picked out a wedding dress yet?"

I shuddered. "No. I don't even like thinking about the wedding. Lilly's been ragging on me for weeks now, telling me we have to go." I pulled my coat closer around me as a strong breeze blew around us. "My turn. What color underwear are you wearing right now?"

He raised his eyebrows then pulled his pants a bit so he could peer down. "Blue."

I giggled. "Nice."

"Okay, my turn. Which do you prefer, Granny panties or thongs?"

"Oh, thongs, definitely."

"Ooh, kinky."

The questions just kept getting sillier and sillier. And then he asked me, "Do you know who Phantom Phoenix is?"

I knew he asked this question out of jest, but I still felt my stomach drop all the same. Should I tell him the truth? Should I lie? I felt for some reason, I couldn't lie to him. Not in this game. He had answered truthfully, and so should I.

"Yes."

I also knew that wasn't the answer he was expecting. His eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. "You do?" He asked excitedly.

"My turn," I said, desperately trying to get off this subject. "So who's this Judith Gershner that Lilly keeps talking about?"

He shuddered. "An ex-girlfriend. We didn't end on the best of terms."

I gave him an amused glance and continued walking. He caught up with me, then asked, "Who is Phantom Phoenix."

Damn. I thought I distracted him. Should've known better. "Pass."

He was disappointed. "I should have expected that."

We walked on in silence. "Okay, let's put the game on pause for a moment. How do you know who she is?"

"She works for Genovia," I said. "As the reigning monarch, I have a right to know. Plus, she's like a sister to me."

He stopped for a moment then looked at me, his face completely drained of all color. "Is it Lilly?"

I grimaced. "Ew, no. Can you really see Lilly kicking ass like that?"

He shook his head. "No, not really."

"So you have nothing to worry about."

I continued to walk, but he grabbed my upper arm. I winced and said, "Michael, not that arm. That's where my bruise is, remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry." He let go immediately. "Has she talked to you about me?"

I glanced at him bemusedly. "She might have said a thing or two."

"What has she said?" He asked eagerly.

I giggled as I carefully gauged what I should tell him. "She's said that you always seem to find trouble."

"No!" He said indignantly. "Trouble always seems to find me!"

"But," I continued like he hadn't said anything. "She says that you're a really good fighter."

He beamed.

"And you're pretty cute."

"She said that? For real? She really said that?" He asked joyously. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Michael, I'm not lying." I said with a grin. "She thinks you're cute."

"Do you think I could meet her?"

The grin was immediately wiped off my face. "No."

"Why? I don't mean like, without her mask or anything, but like tonight or something. Do you think I could?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. She doesn't like being around people." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and said, "She just seems to run into you a lot."

"I know. But that doesn't guarantee that I'll see her."

"Maybe that's what she's hoping for."

"Mia, please, could you tell her that I want to see her?" He begged. He even got on his knees and put his hands together. "Mia, you know how much I like her. Please? Please? Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alright. I'll tell her you want to meet her, but I'm not promising anything."

He immediately jumped up and threw his arms around me. "Thank you!" And he started dancing around in happiness. I had to look away, in fear that people might think that I knew him. I started to walk away to leave him in his own joy when he caught up to me and asked, "Could you tell her to meet me on your balcony?"

I stared at him in shock. "The balcony? Of my chambers?"

"Why not?"

"Because that's just outside where I sleep, you idiot! Besides, how the hell are you going to get there?"

"Lilly." He said simply.

"Michael…" I began warningly.

"Please?" His eyes widened and he stuck his mouth out in an irresistible pout.

I groaned. "Oh, alright."

He jumped up and started dancing again.

"But don't do anything embarrassing in front of her, alright? She's gonna blame me and I really don't want that right now. And stop dancing!"

He stopped and followed me into a coffee shop. "Hey, does Lilly know who she is?"

"No."

"Does Lilly know that you know who she is?"

"No, and you better not tell her."

"Why not?"

"I don't want it getting around that I know Phantom Phoenix," I whispered softly. "People will start asking favors and I'll never get a moment's rest. So leave it!"

After the waitress came around to take our orders, Michael leaned in and asked, "So is that why you always pretended to hate her? So people wouldn't know that you know her?"

I shrugged. "Basically."

"Mia, you are the coolest person ever!" And he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

I came home to the palace still thinking about the kiss. I know he only meant it as a friendly kiss between friends, but it meant so much more to me than he thought. That kiss sent chills down my spine. That kiss set my lips on fire. That kiss made me blush so red that I looked like a chili pepper.

That kiss was my first.

A/N-Christmas break has officially begun! Sweeeet...

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