Sorry about the wait! I've been bogged down with quasi-vacations and school orientation. Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys are too awesome. Hopefully this chapter isn't a disappointment.

Ch. 19

Even tougher than turning down Michael's advances was crawling into bed with him shortly thereafter. No matter what I told Michael, we couldn't exactly slip under the sheets "like normal" after the events of the day.

I laid there, sheets pulled up to my chin, practically trembling like a schoolgirl as Michael walked out of the bathroom.

God, he's still every bit as hot as he was back in high school. And this new responsibility thing he's got going doesn't exactly hurt.

He lifted up the covers, loosening my kung-fu grip, and snuggled in right beside me. "Hey," he whispered, an arm snaking around my waist.

"You smell nice," I couldn't help but giggling.

One eyebrow shot up. "Just soap."

How is it that "just soap" turns me on and yet calms all my nerves at the same time? Maybe it's just the continuity. I've been to bed with this guy before. Never with his daughter in the next room—at least not when we were 'together' together.

But still…he's Michael Moscovitz. And after datinghim for seven years, I'm not so intimidated.

When I told him this, he looked even more confused. "You used to be scared of me?"

"Not scared so much…more like…like I didn't know how you wanted me to be?"

His lips brushed against the top of my head. "Why would I have risked my dignity and Computer Club membership if I didn't want you?"

I remember Judith Gershner's wrath at Michael and I becoming a couple and laughed out loud.

Michael continued. "I never told you this, but…uh…I once recorded this video confession of how much I love you, right? And I was gonna switch it out with Sixteen Candles or whatever you guys were watching that night—"

"When was this?"

"Uh, the summer before my senior year. I think I had heatstroke. Anyway, I had everything in place and then Lilly popped in the tape. The, uh, wrong tape."

"Ohh, that tape?"

"Yeah, well, I didn't mean—"

"With you in the headgear, waving around the lightsaber?"

My hysterical laughter at the memory seemed to offend him greatly. "I was fourteen, okay? And Star Wars is a masterpiece. Anyway, now you know that I was trying to make an ass out of myself in a completely different way."

I quickly shifted gears and gave him a sweet smile. "I'm honored."

"Maybe I should have combined my efforts," he laughed into my hair. "I could've won your hand by defeating Kenny in a lightsaber duel."

- - -

The plan for the next day came off as a little contrived when I tried explaining it to Olivia. Leaving out, of course, the part where Michael and I were going to, uh, solidify our relationship.

"Why aren't you guys coming too?" she asked as I fixed her pigtails.

"You're the one with all the friends over there," said Michael easily. "Mia and I will be over later. I'm just gonna help her…balance her checkbook."

"I can do that!" said Olivia. "I've got a clackilator. You know, Dad. My Barbie clackilator."

"And then…" I said quickly. "We're going to clean the whole house. Really get down on hands and knees and scrub the place down."

Olivia seemed to change her mind. "Well, Polly really wants me to come over. But you guys can still use my clackilator if you need it."

"Thanks, Liv," I grinned, feeling a teensy bit awful at the ease with which Michael and I deceived her. It was like we were teenagers again, our hormones turning us into pathological liars. Except Olivia was far from being either of our parents.

- - -

No sooner had Michael closed the door on Sebastiano and Olivia and had pounced on me, knocking me back into the couch, did someone knock on the door again.

"Forget something?" Michael asked, lifting his face from where it'd been buried in my neck.

"She must have," I told him, pushing him gently off.

"Shh," he said, pushing me back down. "If we just ignore it she'll leave without it."

We waited in silence for a minute, until we heard the shrill voice of my grandmother call out, "Open the door, Amelia! I know you're in there!"

"Damnit," Michael cursed, jumping off me faster than I'd ever seen him move. "What's she doing here?" he hissed.

I shrugged and stepped towards the door, making sure that my clothes were on straight.

"Hi, Grandmere!" I said with fake exuberance as I enveloped her in a light hug. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here to make sure everything is running smoothly. You refuse to return my calls, Amelia, I have no other choice. Now tell me, what is Olivia doing running off with Sebastiano when she should be here bonding with you and learning how to curtsy?"

Yeah, like I'M going to be giving Olivia princess lessons. Sometimes I still think I need them myself.

"Um, we were just trying to get her acquainted with her Genovian family," I lied quickly. This one ought to get her off my back. "Next week we're inviting Rene to stay."

"Well, get her back here!" Grandmere barked. "She needs to be acquainted with me most, right?"

I nodded and pulled out my cell phone.

"Would you like some tea?" Michael offered her while I waited for Sebastiano to pick up.

Fifteen minutes later Sebastiano knocked on the door again. "What's going on?" he asked in French.

I stepped aside slightly so that he could see Grandmere sitting uncomfortably at the table with Michael.

"Oh," he chuckled. "I see. Well, I won't keep you. Au revoir."

He turned around and skipped off down the cottage steps.

"Come on," I said to Olivia, taking her by the hand. "There's someone waiting for you."

"Daddy?" she asked innocently.

"No...someone else."

I felt bad walking her into the kitchen, completely unaware of the monster sipping her tea, just waiting to lash out there at the table. And I felt even worse when she finally saw her and hid behind my legs.

"What's wrong with her?" Grandmere asked rudely.

"She's just shy," I said, biting my tongue to keep from adding, "She hates you!"

"Yeah," Michael agreed. "Actually, maybe she should change out of her beach clothes. Come on, Liv, let's go put on some better clothes."

I saw the pointed look he was shooting me and jumped on board. "I'll join you. We'll be back in a minute, Grandmere."

"Surely she can dress herself!" Grandmere called out as we made a break for Olivia's room.

Once we were locked safely inside, Michael knelt down to Olivia's level while I rummaged around for a dress.

"Olivia, sweetie, I know you don't like Grandmere, but you have to be nice to her, okay? She's a very important person and we can't make her upset...unfortunately," he added under his breath.

I ignored the last comment and threw the dress I'd found over her head.

"It won't be that bad, Michael," I told him, scowling a little. "But we should warn her about us."

"Oh, right. Another thing, Liv, can you not tell Grandmere about me and Mia being...friends like we are?"

She frowned. "You don't want me to tell her that you kissed?"

"That's right," I agreed. "Can you keep a secret?"

"From her?" She scrunched her nose up and nodded.

"Good girl. Now let's go back out there. And remember to be nice."

We walked back out and Grandmere made a passing comment on how pretty Olivia looked in her dress before saying, "Now where am I going to sleep?"

"Sleep?" I choked. "Are you ready for a nap now?"

"Don't be absurd. Princesses never sleep during the day. I'll be staying her for a few days."

Behind Grandmere I could see Olivia shaking her head at me and throwing a cautious look at her now closed bedroom door.

"Uh, of course. Well, I guess you can have the bedroom over there," I pointed at mine and Michael's room.

"Fine," she said, gritting her teeth. "I assume you have clean sheets for me?"

"I'll make it up for you," I told her, throwing a look at Michael who was resting his head in one of his hands.

This is not going to be a pleasant visit, I just know it.

- - -

Later that night, Michael was sprawled uncomfortably on the floor and I was almost as uncomfortable on the couch.

"You realize I'll never be able to sleep on this floor, right?" Michael whispered to me after about half an hour.

"You realize I was just drifting off," I lied, shifting my position to attempt a more comfortable spot.

"You were not," Michael said. "I can see your eyes glistening in the moonlight. You've had them open this whole time. What's on your mind?"

I sighed. There was never a point in lying to Michael, he could see through me like polished glass.

"I'm just wondering what Grandmere's got in store for us. Obviously she didn't just come for a 'visit.'"

"What do you think she really came for then?" he asked.

"Olivia," I said simply. "And I just know she's going to stuff things up."

I closed my eyes to stop the tears spilling out, and Michael surprised me by slipping onto the couch behind me.

"Michael, there's really no room for two people on this tiny thing, you know," I told him, opening my eyes to look at him and feeling the tears coming down my cheeks.

"What can I say," he said softly, reaching down and wiping my tears away with his thumb. "I like to live outside the rules. We can make room. Just like we can make things work out how we want them to."

I admired his optimism, especially where my grandmother was concerned, but also thought he was being careless about it all. You can't just dismiss what Grandmere says. And she doesn't tolerate people living outside of the rules.

I stayed silent for a minute, while Michael's arm wrapped around me to keep himself from falling off the couch.

"Do you want to banish me to the floor again?" he whispered softly in my ear.

"No," I told him, enjoying his warm breath on my cheek. "Don't leave." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't ever leave."

He squeezed me closer to him and we fell asleep in minutes.

School starts soon, but I'll try to update in the next few days.