Title: Pieces Of Me

Author: Katie

Summary: After Michael spent the night in Independence Day, he did not get arrested or go talk to Mr. Evans. Instead he went back with Hank. This is what happened. A Michael/Maria Fan fiction.

Spoilers: Up to and including Independence Day

Pairing: Michael and Maria

Authors Note: Feedback is appreciated.

Distribution: Please! Just let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Roswell. I wish I did though.

Chapter Four: Taking Care of Things

Michael woke up and smiled down at the girl in his arms. He slowly slipped out of bed as he realized that there was something he had to do. He sat on the edge of the bed and shook Maria lightly. She slowly woke up and smiled at him, "Hey" he whispered.

"Hi, what are you doing?" She asked.

"There's just something I have to do, I wanted to wake you up and tell you…you know, so I would be here when you woke up" He smiled as did she.

"Come back when you're done?" She asked knowing this wasn't something he wanted to talk about, not right now anyway.

"Of course" He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. When the kiss ended Michael stood up and smiled at her. "I'll be back in a few hours, go back to sleep"

"Okay, love you" Maria mumbled, and then she realized what she said and sat up. "I didn't mean to say that, not that I didn't mean it because I did, but I didn't mean to say it and…" Maria babbled on. Scared that her telling Michael she loved him would scare him. She knew that he loved her but that in no way meant that he was ready to start admitting it out loud.

Michael didn't say anything. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. She kept babbling and he smiled. That was his Maria. He leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled back she was quiet and so was he.

They just looked at each other for a long moment. "I love you, Maria" Michael whispered and Maria smiled. "That scares me so much" He admitted, still whispering to Maria. "No one has ever picked me before…I was sent to Hank and he kept me for the monthly check, Max and Isabel are stuck with me, if we weren't aliens I probably wouldn't have even ever met them. No one has ever chosen to be with me or around me before and I'm scared that I can't be what you want me to be or need me to be, or that in the end, when I have to leave, you'll regret this." Michael admitted to her, staring intently at the bed spread.

Maria didn't know what to say for a long moment. "I would never regret this. I love you so much, no matter what, no matter when you have to leave, I love you." Maria moved a little closer to him, "I don't want or need you to be anything other than who you are." Maria rested her hand lightly on his cheek, trying not to press down on the scratches and bruises that were even more evident now that they had the overnight time to form. Maria realized that he had confessed his fear to her, and she hadn't told him her fear. "I'm scared that you'll leave me, before you have to leave, that you'll stop loving me, or find someone else, like another alien, someone who you have more things in common with, that you'll stop picking me" Maria said, it was now her turn to study the bed spread. Maria felt tears coming to eyes but didn't move.

"Maria…" Michael's voice caught in his throat. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Michael placed his hands over her cheeks and brought her eyes to meet his. "I love you…I would never want to be with anyone else." Michael promised her. He had no idea what to say, all of this…him caring about someone, someone caring about him, love, the worry of someone leaving…all of it was so new to him. "I love you" He whispered again.

Maria smiled; "I love you" she whispered and kissed him. It was a long, passionate kiss. Maria finally pulled back, "Go, get out of here, and go do whatever you were going to do" Maria smiled.

Michael kissed her lightly, "Two hours, three tops" Michael promised.