A/N-This is my Christmas gift to you. I know many of you were hoping that Michael finds out in this chapter...but he's not. And how come you guys think that he's gonna find out at all? Hmmmm?

Chapter 9

"WHAT?" Lilly shrieked.

"I know, I know!" I said miserably. "I couldn't help it, he was just so happy."

She looked at me disbelievingly, then said, "Mia, have you lost your mind? You can't meet with my brother!"

"Why not? I told him that I would."

She shook her head and threw up her hand exasperatedly. "My brother is this close," she put her forefinger and her thumb an inch apart to exaggerate her point, "to falling in love with you. You can't let him!"

"He's only falling in love with Phantom Phoenix."

"Yeah. You!"

"But he doesn't know that!"

"What are you going to do when he tells Phantom Phoenix that he loves her?"

I scoffed. "How do you know that he even loves her in the first place? I really doubt it."

"Mia, I'm his sister. I share this special sort of mind wave with him and she's all he can think about! Whenever I talk to him, that's all he can talk about, that's all he'll ever say! It's always 'Phantom Phoenix this' and 'Phantom Phoenix that' and there's never a moment in between when he won't shut up about her!"

"Lilly, Michael can't really love her. He doesn't even know who she is."

She gave me a cold, hard stare. Then a wave of realization passed across her face. "You love him!"

"What?" I asked as I inwardly panicked. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"You'd never let anyone meet Phantom Phoenix unless they were really special. Unless you loved them."

"Lilly, you're losing it," I scoffed as I made my way down into the lab.

But as I was fighting crime that night, I was still completely shaken on how close to home Lilly had spoken. I couldn't help but realize that she was right.

I was in love with Michael Moscovitz.

Shit.

"Lil," I muttered softly as I scaled the walls of the palace.

"Yeah?" Her voice answered back in my ear.

"I think you're right."

There was a pause on the other end. Then she whispered, "It happens to the best of us."

When I got to the balcony, I found Michael already standing there with his hands in his pockets. He smiled when he saw me. "Hey."

I tried my best to remain aloof and nonchalant. "Hello."

He lifted his shirt to show me his scar, and once again, I feasted my eyes on this beautiful abdomen. "It's getting better. Thanks to you."

I started making my way back down the wall. This was starting to sound like a bad idea. "Good to hear."

"Wait!"

I turned back around, ready to snap. "What?"

"Don't go. Please."

"Mia told me you wanted to meet me. If you're just going to thank me, I've got to get going. Is there anything else you want to say?"

"Yeah." And before I could protest, he closed the gap between us, took my face in his hands and placed his lips on mine.

And that one tiny kiss he had given me before was nothing compared to this. This kiss was exhilarating, liberating, amazing…all at once. His touch left tingles on my skin as he brought his hand to the back of my neck. His lips softly caressed my own as he coaxed me out of my shell. His smell—the smell of fresh grass and a hint of aftershave—sent my senses into overdrive. His mere presence set my heart aflutter (Oh God, I'm using words like "aflutter". I'm in it deep).

Just when I thought I was lost and there was no going back, Lilly's nagging voice sounded in my ear. "Hey, Juliet, get your ass out of there NOW!"

I jumped with a start and pulled away. Without another word I jumped off from the balcony, leaving a slightly confused Michael.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Lilly asked as she tended to one of the wounds on my legs.

"I wasn't thinking!" I retorted. "And besides, it wasn't me who started it, your brother was the one who made the first move."

"But you didn't have to meet him there, did you?"

"He would have just been waiting there the whole night!" I said as a blush crept up my cheeks. "Leaving him waiting would've been rude and unbecoming of a queen."

"Cut the royalty crap. You're just leading him on."

"I know."

"You've got to stop this."

"I know."

"You've got to get him to fall in love with Mia Renaldo."

"I—what?"

"Mia, you love him. You said so yourself."

"I'm not seeing a point here."

"If he fell in love with you then you wouldn't have to marry Edward."

"Uh, news flash! Parliament!"

"Who cares? Screw Parliament, screw what they think! You're in love with my brother and he could make you really happy!"

"So? He's already in love with someone else!"

"Who just happens to be you!"

"Lilly, I can't talk about this anymore. I'm going to bed." I hobbled out of the lab and into my room. I went out to close my window when I spotted Michael still sitting on my balcony.

"Michael!" I cried out in surprise.

He turned his head and gave me a sad smile. "Mia. Hi."

"What are you still doing here?" I asked as I took his hand and pulled him inside. Genovian autumns tend to be very cold, especially at night. "You must be freezing."

"I feel like such a dork." He murmured as I sat him in one of my comfortable chairs.

"Why?" I asked as I sat down next to him.

"I kissed her."

I paused. Then I asked, "Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know. She looked so beautiful standing there and…I…"

"You couldn't help yourself," I finished for him.

"She's going to think that I'm a total asshole."

I didn't know what to tell him. So I settled for patting him gently on the back and said, "It's alright Michael. It's understandable."

"How is it understandable?"

I sighed and started to talk, not recognizing the words that were coming out of my mouth. "It's hard. You know, standing in front of someone that you really want to kiss but you know you can't."

Too late, I realized the words I said, wishing I could take them back. The conversation was no longer about Michael. "Really?" He raised his eyebrows as he shifted in more comfortable position. "How would you know?"

I blushed. "I just know."

He sensed my distaste for discussing this topic further and let it drop. "Look, Michael if you need a place to stay, you're welcome to sleep in one of the palace suites for tonight."

"Really? They're not already full?"

"No. Actually, the palace is kind of empty." I said, trying to keep my tone light, but failing miserably.

It might have been my imagination, but I swore he gazed at me with pity in his eyes. "Okay. I don't think I can drive home anyway without falling asleep."

I grinned. "Here, I'll show you to one of the rooms."

I found an appropriate one at the end of the hall. He looked around and grinned at me. "You people don't spare an expense, do you?"

I shrugged. "Goodnight, Michael."

I turned my back to leave, but he placed his hand on my shoulder first. "Wait." I turned around and looked into his chocolate eyes. "Mia, if you love someone else, then I think that you should marry them instead of Edward."

Tears welled up in the pits of my eyes. I couldn't talk about this, not right now and not with him. "Michael…I…just can't." And I fled before he could stop me.

When I was safely tucked underneath the rose print comforter, I let my tears fall freely as I analyzed my affection for Michael. Why did I love him? What made him different? I certainly couldn't love him because of the way he treated me when he first met me. We didn't agree most of the times and he was always challenging my authority.

Just as I was about to drift away into an uneasy sleep full of nightmares and heartache, I realized why I loved him. He found the time to spend with me. Whenever I needed a friend, he was always there.

He saved me from my loneliness.

I woke up the next morning to an absolutely fuming Lilly. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN HERE?" She screamed.

I heard an additional, and really groggy, voice answer her. "Mia let me sleep here last night, you idiot. And stop yelling, she's asleep!"

I sat up in bed and stared hazily at the two of them. They were standing at the foot of my bed, five yards away from each other. "See, look what you did. You woke her up, you moron."

Lilly rounded on me. "Did you let him sleep here last night?"

I rubbed my eyes and gave a huge yawn, signaling that I would rather be asleep right then. "I let him sleep in the room down the hall, yeah."

Michael stuck his tongue out. "See?"

She glared at me angrily. "Why," She asked dangerously, "Would you allow my BUM OF A BROTHER to sleep in the palace?"

"Because he was tired and if he drove home, I doubt he would've made it there alive," I said, avoiding her eyes. "Is there anything on the schedule today?"

At that moment, a soft knock came at the door. "Mia," Edward's voice drifted. "Um…I need to talk to you."

I got up and grabbed a bathrobe. As I tied it around me, I opened the door and found Edward in all his impeccable properness. He frowned at my bathrobe, and I appropriately blushed. "Um, Mia, dear, Prime Minister Lukas suggested that we go for a walk in the gardens."

I nodded. "Okay. Just let me get dressed."

He nodded as he peeked in a little. "I thought I heard screaming."

"Oh, um, Lilly and her brother were just getting in an argument."

He stuck his head in further and glanced at Lilly and Michael. "Oh. Hello. I'll meet you in the foyer in fifteen minutes."

I nodded. "Okay."

When he was gone, I was fully aware of the strange look that Michael was giving me. I tried my best to wipe my face of any disappointment and gave my assistant and her brother a chipper smile. "Well you guys, I'd better get ready, so if you don't mind—"

"I do mind," Michael said coldly, glaring at me. "I'm arguing with my sister here, and I argue best when I'm uninterrupted."

I rolled my eyes. "Michael, I've got to get ready. Please don't argue in my chambers. Go somewhere else."

"Mia, I really don't like that guy." He said firmly.

I sighed. "Well if you got to know him, I'm sure you'd like him a little more."

"I doubt it," He mumbled.

I was beginning to lose my patience. "I'M NOT GOING TO DISCUSS HIS LIKEABILITY WITH YOU RIGHT NOW! JUST GET OUT OF MY ROOM SO I CAN CHANGE!" I screamed.

Lilly and Michael backed towards the door with their hands up in a sign of retreat. "Okay, okay. Sheesh."

"Who was that young man in your chambers today?" Edward asked as we strolled through the apple orchard.

I loved the crunch of the red and gold autumn leaves beneath my feet and was thoroughly enjoying the sensation. "Michael. He's the new prosecutor, remember? He's also Lilly's older brother."

"Lilly…your assistant Lilly?"

"Yeah."

"Why was he in your chambers?"

"Because he and Lilly were in an argument. They woke me up."

"Well that's inconsiderate of them," He sniffed. "You should have told them off. I would hate to be awoken by the hired help in such a crude manner."

I felt a stab of annoyance. "I don't consider them hired help, Edward. They're my friends."

We walked on in silence for a few more moments, then Edward said, "Prime Minister Lukas has recently informed me that he wishes for the wedding to take place on November 7."

I felt the blood rush out of my face. "W—what?" I stuttered. "That's only four weeks from now!"

"I believe he said, 'the sooner the better'."

I let my arm drop in shock. "I…I'd better go then…" I trailed off slowly. "You know…prepare…" And I slowly stumbled back to the palace to tell Lilly the news.

A/N- All I want for Christmas are...REVIEWS!