Ramona was napping on her couch when her doorbell rang. She jumped up, startled and straightened her shirt and her hair before answering it. It was Luke standing there in a leather jacket and a bouquet of flowers. 'How original' Ramona thought.

"Hi Luke," she said, fighting back a yawn.

"Hey gorgeous," he handed her the flowers and kissed her cheek. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, sort of," she said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a guy come by and see his woman every now and then?" he asked.

Ramona narrowed her eyes. "Your woman?"

"Yeah. You can't deny you have some sort of feelings for me. I see the way you look at me at work and I can see past your little game of hard to get," he winked.

Ramona was growing very irritated. He had no idea who she was at all. She liked him as a friend, but he was making her more uncomfortable by the minute. "I didn't realize I was looking at you a certain way, Luke. You're a good friend, that's it."

Luke ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Ramona, when are you going to give your feelings a chance? Give me a chance. I know you haven't dated in a long time and I want to show you what it's like to have a real man."

He leaned forward to kiss her and she squinted her eyes shut, trying to force herself not to move. What was one kiss going to hurt? Amber suggested she let him kiss her at least once. She claimed you can tell if you have feelings for someone when they kiss you. Ironic, she thought, how much feeling she had when she and Michael…

Her phone rang just as his breath reached her lips and her eyes snapped open. She backed away from the door. "Excuse me, Luke." She backed up until she reached the bar in her kitchen and snatched the phone up. "Hello?"

Hey you. What are you up to?

"Hey," she whispered low so Luke couldn't hear her. "I'm glad you called."

What's wrong? You don't sound like yourself.

"I have an unexpected visitor," she growled.

Uh oh, did I interrupt something?

"Yes. Thank you for doing so," she said.

Michael laughed. You're welcome?

Ramona paused when she heard Luke calling for her in a very irritating sing-song voice. She grumbled and then sighed. "Mike, please save me," she begged.

Oh, he's that bad, is he?

"You have no idea," she mumbled.

"Who are you talking to, Ray?" Luke came around the corner and leaned seductively against the counter next to her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Tell him it's business and I'll pick you up in 5

"It's a business call. Sorry, Luke, I have to go," she said to him and then turned to the side. "You're driver will be here in 5? Okay, see you soon," she smiled and hung up.

"You really have to go?" he asked.

"Duty calls," she shrugged and weaseled her way past him to walk to her bedroom. "I need to change. Thanks for stopping by."

"Do you need any help on this trip?" he asked.

"Not this time," she said as she changed shirts in her bedroom. She heard Luke sigh and then a car horn outside. A limo had pulled up and Ramona smiled and grabbed her purse before heading out and locking the front door.

Luke stood on her porch with her and put his hand under her chin and leaned down to kiss her. She turned away at the last moment and he kissed her cheek once again. "When are you going to stop being so afraid of me?"

"I told you, I'm not afraid. I have to go," she said as she walked off the porch. Luke reached for her arm and pulled her back to him and it made Ramona nervous. "Luke…"

"We will talk about this sooner or later," he said as his piercing blue eyes bore into hers.

She gulped and nodded before she jerked her arm away and walked quickly to the limo. The driver came out and opened the door for her as she practically dove in. She looked out the tinted window once the door closed and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Luke climb into his car and leave. She leaned back in the seat and sighed.

"What was that all about?" Michael's voice made her jump and she slapped her hand over her chest. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "I am now. Thanks for rescuing me."

"He's lucky I stayed in the car," he grumbled as he folded his arms over his chest.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused by his sudden anger.

"When he grabbed you like that it took every ounce of strength I had not to go and break his face in," he grumbled and Ramona giggled. Michael looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Ramona shook her head. "I just love you, tomcat." She reached over and hugged him and he kissed her cheek as he hugged her back.

"I love you too, babygirl," he said with a smirk.

She blushed and brushed a hair behind her ear. "So, where are we going?"

"Well, since it's the weekend and Lisa went out of town until Monday, I figured we could use a little vacation get away."

"Really? That sounds so nice, but I don't have any of my clothes," she said.

"It's okay. It's getting a little colder outside and if my memory serves me well, I recall you don't have any winter clothes. So, our first stop is the mall. We will get you some warmer clothes and then we will head out to our next stop."

"Michael…"

"I know what you're going to say, babygirl. Save it, alright? I want to do this for you. Let me do this for you, as your best friend, please?" he begged and gave her the saddest face he could come up with. Ramona sighed and shook her head. He smiled, knowing he had won.

2 hours later and a trunk full of warmer clothes for Michael and Ramona, they were headed out to the city. They stopped by a KFC and parked in the parking lot to eat it. Michael pulled out a bucket of fried chicken legs and Ramona's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked as he lay a napkin across his lap.

"I thought you only ate organic things?" she said.

Michael bit his lip and looked down, then piece by piece, he began to peel the skin off of the chicken. Ramona stared as he carefully peeled each piece and laid it in the KFC bag next to him before he took a bite. "There, see? Now it's organic," he said with a smile.

Ramona rolled her eyes and giggled. "Very clever, tomcat."

They ate and giggled together for a few minutes before they headed out to their favorite amusement park. Ramona made sure to avoid the Zipper and Michael refused to go near the theater that played his movie. They spent the entire day dancing with Disney characters, riding rides and taking a few pictures together. One photo really made Ramona laugh. She went to get cotton candy for her, Mike, and Derek when Michael was playing with bumper cars. As Derek attempted to get a close shot of Michael in his little car, he accidentally ran over Derek's foot.

"Dang, Mike!" he yelped and grabbed his foot.

Michael giggled. "Sorry, Derek. You know I'm a horrible driver!" he laughed out.

"I'm gonna tell Ramona on you!" he whined and Michael continued to laugh as Derek finally got a decent shot.

"Hey! That was bright!" he yelled and ran into a nearby wall.

Ramona came back shortly after to find the boys bickering in a playful way. "What's up?" she asked.

"Michael ran over my foot!"

"Derek stuck his foot in the way!" Michael retorted.

"Michael sucks at driving!"

"Derek flashed me!" Michael yelled even louder and received a few glances from people walking nearby. Ramona rolled her eyes and held up 2 sticks of cotton candy in front of them. They both froze in mid argument and their eyes grew wide. Derek snatched his and smiled at Ramona, while Michael snatched his and jumped up and down like a kid. "Yum!"

Ramona shook her head and they ate their candy and left just as the sun began to set. Ramona stretched and yawned and Michael grinned. "So, back to the hotel, right?" she asked.

"Nope." Michael grinned when she sat up to stare at him. "I have a surprise for you, actually."

"What?" she asked with a wary look.

"You'll see," he grinned.

About an hour later, they arrived at the Santa Monica pier. Michael put on his fedora and shades and Derek with a few other guards escorted them inside a rather large tent on the pier. Ramona grasped Michael's hand, making sure not to lose him in the crowd, and she glanced up to see a sign that read "Cirque du Soliel tonight!"

Ramona looked back at Michael and watched his face. He glanced around as they made their way inside and found their seats. She made a note of how much he paid attention in public. He wanted to make sure he saw everything in case something were to happen.

"What is this?" Ramona leaned over to Michael and asked.

"Cirque du Soliel. It's an amazing show full of aerialists and acrobats. I thought you would enjoy this. I have been a fan for years," he grinned.

Ramona made a note of that and sat back as the show began. She was in awe throughout the entire performance. Michael watched her reactions and laughed when she cringed at the right times. He loved watching her expressions, since he rarely got to see them. As the show came to a close, they headed back home. Both fell asleep in the limo and when the driver stopped, Michael woke up to Ramona lying across his lap in a deep sleep.

He smiled warmly. "Wake up babygirl, we're home," he said as he shook her lightly.

Ramona mumbled and sat up with her eyes barely open. "Mmkay," she said. They both jumped slightly when lightning lit up the sky and loud thunder vibrated the ground beneath them.

Michael chuckled and helped her out of the limo. Derek carried her bags inside and Michael carried her to her bed and tucked her in. He kissed her head and stood to leave when her arm shot up and grabbed his hand. "No, please, don't go."

Michael held her hand and turned back toward her. "Why not?" he asked.

"I don't like storms," she admitted shyly. "Please?"

Michael nodded and stepped out for a moment. Derek was standing in the entry way with an umbrella waiting for Michael. "I'm gonna crash here tonight," he said carefully.

Derek raised a brow. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"It's not like that, Derek. She's afraid of storms. I don't want to leave her alone and scared," Michael said firmly.

"Alright, just be careful," he said. "Don't forget you have a meeting tomorrow morning. I will be here at 7 to pick you up."

Michael nodded. "I'll be ready."

Derek nodded once more and Michael walked him to the door and watched him leave. He stood on the porch for a moment in deep thought before a lightning bolt hit nearby and made him jump. "Michael?" he heard Ramona call for him in a frightened tone. Michael turned and ran inside, locking the door behind him. "Michael, where are you?"

Michael noticed the power had gone out and it was pitch black in the house. "I'm here, babygirl. I'm right here," he said. He felt his way around until he ran into Ramona. She was shaking a little and Michael hugged her. "Don't be afraid. I'm here," he whispered into her hair.

"Thanks, tomcat," she whispered. "Um, there are some candles in the kitchen."

Michael nodded and walked toward the kitchen to light some candles. He lit them and put them around the living room, adding a dim light to the entire room. Ramona lit the fireplace when she could see well enough. She lay down on the white carpet in front of the fireplace and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked her as he leaned over her.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Luke," she said.

"What about him?" he asked as he sat down beside her.

"I don't want to be so mean to him all the time, but every time he tries to kiss me I turn away and he gets this look of hurt on his face that I can't bare to look at anymore," she said almost all in one breath.

Michael thought for a moment before he lifted her head into his lap and began to play with her hair. This always relaxed her and he loved the feel of her soft hair between his fingers. "Maybe you should let him kiss you then."

Ramona looked up at him and he smiled down at her. "Why? What will it prove?"

"If you have some kind of feelings for him, you will feel something. You should at least give it a try before you shoot it down," he said encouragingly.

"Is that how you were with Lisa?" she asked.

Michael paused. "Yes. I did the same thing you're doing now with her for quite some time. She would try to kiss me and I would turn away. Janet finally talked me into giving it a try, and when I did the feeling was very new to me."

"Do you still get that feeling?" she asked, looking away from him now.

He hesitated and another bolt of lightning hit nearby and made them both jump. "Why don't we get to bed? The house will get cold soon and I don't want you to freeze to death," he smiled at her and she smirked up at him and nodded. They blew the candles out and Michael helped her back to the bed and they curled up side by side, both staring at the ceiling in deep thought. As another bolt hit, Ramona slid against Michael and he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. They slept together for the first time and neither could deny how nice and right it felt. What that meant, however, had them both utterly confused.

The next morning…

"Ramona….Raybug…babygirrrllllll…." Michael sang as he shook Ramona. "Hellloooooo?"

"No…its Sunday…Ramona sleep in on Sunday…" she grumbled and rolled to her side.

Michael moved around to her face again. "That's not fair. Michael wants to sleep in too…" he whined.

"Then sleep," she mumbled, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him back into the bed.

"I can't. I have a meeting to get to. Get up!"

She rolled over again and Michael grumbled. "No. You go. I sleep. I win…" she mumbled.

Michael rolled his eyes and grabbed a spray bottle with ice water in it. He stood up at the foot of the bed and let her have it. She jumped up and scrambled, fighting the water until she rolled off the bed. Michael fell back off the bed in laughter.

"Michael!" she growled.

"I win. See you later, babygirl!" he smiled innocently as he skipped out the door.

"That's what you think…" she thought evilly as she walked to the shower. "I'll get you for this, tomcat."

At the meeting…

"So, Michael, have you decided what song you plan on playing some chords for?" Frank asked Michael about 10 minutes into the meeting.

Michael paused. "What chords?" he asked.

"You know, on the guitar. You're idea, remember?"

"I…I said…wait, what?" he stumbled for words. He didn't know what he was talking about.

"In that last meeting you said you wanted to play the guitar for your fans since no one knew you could play. I thought it was such a grand idea that I took it to the rest of the crew working on the tour and they loved it!"

Michael chewed on his lip. 'Ramona,' he growled mentally. She was the only one outside his family and Lisa that knew he could play. He was going to get her back for this.

"So…?" Frank asked.

"Oh, I don't know yet. I will have to experiment with some chords before I decide. It has to be perfect," he said carefully.

After the meeting, he had gone straight home to change clothes. He was planning on having a talk with Ramona about this. He wasn't really mad, but he was surprised. He paced as he thought about today's events. It's not like she did it purposely to embarrass me. She knew I could play, so she didn't subject me to embarrassing myself on stage.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed an empty glass from the cabinet. Meanwhile, Ramona was peaking in the window. She had set him up for her favorite prank of all time. He reached forward and flipped the sink on and water shot out from the sprayer and soaked him. He stumbled back and yelled as he scrambled to shut it off. Once he did, he heard a familiar giggle outside. He turned and saw Ramona cover her mouth and take off running from the window.

"Ramona Greene! Get back here!" he yelled as he took off after her. Marie stood by the door she had opened for him and laughed as he passed her. She loved it when someone got the better of Michael.

Ramona ran as fast as she could back to her place. She could hear Michael yelling her name and it made her adrenaline rise up. She laughed as she darted inside and slammed the door. His voice came closer and she ran to the guest room and crawled under the bed. She barely got control of her breathing when she heard the front door slam open.

"You can't hide from me, Ray…" he said in a low voice. She bit back a giggle as he checked every room, one by one. She was wiggling her toes in anticipation as she saw his feet appear in the doorway. "Oh Ramona…" he sang. "Where are you?" She put her hand over her mouth trying not to laugh. She watched his feet walk into the guest bathroom and she slithered her way out of the bedroom and took off running back toward Neverland. "I saw you! Come back here!"

"Never!" she yelled as she ran. Derek saw her coming and opened the gates as she slid past and laughed when Michael ran through, right on her trail. The entire staff on the ranch stopped what they were doing and laughed at the sight. They rarely got to see Michael play like this with anyone other than kids, and even then he had to take it easy on them and let them win. This time, he was really putting forth the effort to win.

She grabbed a water gun from his back patio and shot him with it and giggled when she saw it had slowed him down. "Hey! Don't you think you soaked me enough?" he asked as he continued to chase her. She finally lost sight of him and found herself climbing the giving tree. She sat very still and silent, thinking she was well hidden in the leaves. Michael suddenly appeared under her feet and grabbed her legs. She fell backward instead of straight down like Michael planned and hung off the branch.

Michael grabbed her hands before she fell and pulled her back up, cradling her in his lap. "You almost killed me!" she yelped and smacked his chest.

"Hey I wouldn't let you fall, you know that."

Ramona breathed in deeply before the adrenaline got the best of her. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Thank you," she sat back and blushed.

Michael blushed and helped her climb back down. As she began to walk away, he grabbed her hand. She looked into his eyes and saw confusion in them. She probably overdid it by kissing him, but she felt more like it was a thank you kiss. Michael seemed to have other ideas, from the looks of things.

In Michael's mind, he was replaying what advice he had given Ramona the night before. If you have feelings for someone, you would feel something when you kissed them. He knew he felt something when they accidentally kissed in her closet, but they were also caught up in the moment of hiding from Lisa and Luke. Then she kissed him again after she almost fell out of his tree, when it was his fault she fell in the first place. He had to know for sure, though.

He pulled her against him and ran his fingers through her hair. Her eyes slid halfway closed and he tilted her back a little and kissed her with as much passion as his heart would allow. Ramona's stomach tied up in knots and she curled her toes. She tangled her fingers in his hair and sighed into his lips. He was just about to slide his tongue forward when he heard a gasp. They both broke apart to find Lisa standing nearby, glaring at them.

"What the HELL?" she shrieked.

Ramona pushed herself away from Michael and put on her expressionless mask. She curled her arms around herself and stood away like a scared little girl.

"Lisa, I can explain," Michael put his hands out defensively.

"Don't bother, I saw it for myself!" she yelled at him. "And to think I was trying to be nice to you!" she yelled at Ramona.

Ramona looked down. She was so ashamed for kissing Michael like that. She didn't know what to say.

"Michael, how could you?" she said to him angrily.

"I don't know, Lisa. I'm sorry, I was just confused and I wanted to see…"

"Experimenting with your fans isn't the way to handle confusion! Why didn't you just come to me? My God, what is wrong with you? Why am I even with you? You're a liar and a cheat…" she went on.

Ramona looked up and saw the agony in Michael's eyes. That was enough for her to swallow her fear and step forward. "Look, don't yell at him, Lisa, please. This was all my fault and my idea," she said carefully. Michael held up his hand to stop her but she continued. "I was wrong, I know. Michael is covering for me, please don't leave him. It was all me, I promise…"

Ramona was acknowledged with a hard slap across the face. She stumbled back a few feet and her head was turned to the side from the force of the slap. She closed her eyes, taking in the stinging pain she felt in her face. Lisa took a step forward into her face and growled low. "You stay away from Michael, or you will regret it," she said.

"Lisa!" Michael reached forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from me. "How could you…" he began to scold her before Ramona cleared her throat.

"No, it's okay, Michael. She's right. This was my fault. I'm sorry. I deserved that. I'm gonna go now…" she said quietly before turning and walking back home.

"Now look what you've done," he glared at Lisa. "I had her so close to opening up and now she's back to where she started," he said angrily.

"She's been on her own for a while, Mike. She doesn't need a taken man to teach her how to feel. Besides, she has a boyfriend, remember? Now, let's go. You have a show to prepare for tomorrow," she grabbed his arm and dragged him inside.

Michael made a vow to himself as he walked toward the house. He wasn't going to give up on Ramona. It was his fault she got slapped and she was blaming herself. Whether he felt something from that kiss or not, he needed to try and back away. Maybe Luke would have better luck getting her to open up. He won't stop being her friend, but he will stop flirting with her like he has been. Perhaps it would help her to be less confused about life. At least, that's what he was hoping for.