Part 23
Maria kept a tight hold on Michael, practically wedging him between her and the wall as they walked back downstairs. He seemed to be particularly amused by her behavior and he was feeling no pain as he once more assured her that he was fine. That had become his mantra since they had discovered what was in Edward's secret batter recipe. And she could tell that he honestly believed it; he was certain that there wasn't a thing wrong with him and that he was stone cold sober.
As soon as they reached the first floor he got away from her, shaking his head at her assumption that he was under the influence of what… a beer? Not even that since most of it would've cooked off. He wandered into the kitchen feeling good and glancing around to see what he could do to help.
Edward was nowhere to be seen but Julia was at the sink washing dishes and Maria nearly had a heart attack when he made his way over to her, grabbing a dishtowel and a plate from the drain.
"Here, lemme help." He glanced at Maria with another 'I'm fine' look. He dried the dishes and carefully stacked them on the counter one by one, reaching for each new dish as Julia placed it in the drain.
"Something tells me you didn't get to read Maggie a story," she said as she rinsed off a pot before handing it to him.
"She was down for the count when we got there," Michael answered. "Miss Cindy was keepin' watch over 'er."
Maria kept an eye on Michael as he spouted off bits of information in a manner that was just sooo not Michael.
Julia turned around to check and see if there were any dirty dishes or pots and pans that had escaped her notice the first time around. "Did she have 'Santa Bear's First Christmas' book out?"
Michael's mind went over everything he saw as he repositioned Maggie to tuck her in. "Is that the one with Santa on the front with a polar bear an' a little girl?" he asked with a grin.
Julia dried her hands off on a hand towel and turned to face her guest with a thoughtful expression on her face. "That's the book," she said with a warm smile. "It's her favorite Christmas story all about a polar bear that's accidentally separated from his family." She folded the towel over and hung it on the oven handle. "We're a close-knit community here; everyone knows everyone. When Tony found out she was having nightmares about polar bears, the same year the boys bought her Cindy, he came over to the house on Christmas Eve dressed as Santa to give her the book."
"Aww, that's sweet," Maria said, her eyes on Michael when he finished drying the last pan and set it aside. Her eyes widened when he moved to lean up against the counter and the hand he stretched out to brace his weight on slipped when he missed the counter altogether.
Maria could feel her nerves stretching thinner with every minute that passed. "Is there anything I can do to help you finish the kitchen, Julia?" she asked as she reached for an unopened bottle of soda on the counter next to Michael. "Maybe put this away?"
"Oh, you can leave that out. I'll drink it after we're all finished up in here."
Michael rolled his eyes at Maria and handed her the pan he had been drying, motioning to the table when she just looked at him. He could see how badly she wanted to roll her eyes at him but for whatever reason she held back and carried the pan to the table instead.
Maria reminded herself of her manners as she set the pan down and turned to observe Michael once more. She was just waiting for the jagged flashes of electricity to start rolling off of him at any minute.
"So, that's kinda cool about Mr. Tony," Michael said, keeping the conversation ball rolling when it was obvious that Maria was ready to leave. He had no idea why she was in such a hurry.
"Oh, he was a lovely man," Julia continued. "It's been hard on everyone without him here this year." She smiled at Michael. "Last week she asked me to read it to her and when I got the book out she cried." Her heart constricted at the memory. "It was good of you to be willing to read it to her. All she talks about is how you're gonna get her picture to Santa."
"Which brings us to Maggie believin' you know Santa," Edward spoke up from the doorway.
Maria nearly jumped out of her skin, so on edge worrying about what Michael might do or say that she had never heard the man come up behind her. She glanced at Michael when his lazy gaze shot to Edward and she could see the surprise in his eyes as he tried to figure out where the man had come from and why he hadn't noticed his approach.
Michael's expression was completely clueless in the wake of Edward's statement.
Maria cringed at his response. He might just as well have added a 'huh?' in there for good measure.
"Edward," Julia stepped in, attempting to derail her husband.
Edward shot a dismissive glance in his wife's direction before continuing. "Maggie doesn't fully understand Tony's absence. It's been hard on her so please don't promise her anything that you won't be here for."
Michael jerked when something behind him popped and the soda erupted all over the counter. He grabbed the dishtowel he had been using to mop up the soda that was still foaming as it spread across the counter.
"Michael, it's been a long day," Maria said as he rinsed the towel out in the sink. "We should really go." Preferably before a large, flashing neon sign that reads 'alien' starts flashing over your head. "I think that cold medicine you took's really hit you all wrong."
Edward was watching them as they got into their coats, Maria smacking Michael's hands away when he made a fumbling attempt to snap his coat closed, succeeding in doing two of the snaps up wrong before she caught him.
Maria paused, one hand on the doorknob, her right arm around Michael and her fingers clenched around the pocket of the coat to hold him still. "We would never do anything to hurt Maggie," she said, her tone quiet and sincere. "Or anyone else for that matter."
He shook his head after they had said their goodnights and headed out the door. "Ya know, if I didn't know better I'd swear that boy's drunk," he said with a glance at his wife.
Julia rolled her eyes. "Edward, some people have a really low tolerance for cough medicine."
"Um-hmm," he murmured as he moved to the window to watch the couple make their way down to the cabins, Maria doing her best to support Michael as they clumsily tromped through the snow.
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"You wouldn't see anything like this in Roswell," Michael commented as they followed the deep footprints left by their friends.
Maria glanced up at the snow that was already falling again and then around at the miles of white fields surrounding them. "No, you wouldn't." The rare occasion when snow had fallen on their hometown it hadn't been anything like this. Well, at least if he started exhibiting symptoms like he had last year on New Years' Eve, feeling like he was on fire, there was plenty of cold snow around to put out the 'fire'. She was pulled out of her thoughts when he somehow tripped over the snow or his feet and he pitched forward, his arm around her shoulders ensuring that she went face first into the white stuff with him.
Michael laughed when she bolted up out of the snow as fast as she could get her feet under her and he wasn't terribly cooperative when she tried to pull him up.
"C'mon, Michael, it's cold out here… we've got hot chocolate and a fireplace waitin' for us." She rolled her eyes when he suddenly got to his feet and slung his arm around her shoulders and as she turned them back towards the path she noticed the figure standing at the window up at the house. "Just for the record, our preapproved lie for your behavior tonight is that you have a cold and you took some of my cold medicine. Possibly the whole bottle," she muttered under her breath.
"Why would I take cold medicine when I don't catch colds?" he asked, the question logical and delivered with a serious expression.
She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Nevermind, we'll talk about it when you're not all…" she waved her free hand over him, "happy."
They finally reached the front door of their cabin and before she could even attempt to locate the key he pressed his hand over the old lock and the tumbler gave a squeaky protest as it turned. He stepped inside, pausing on the threshold to glance around.
Even in his slightly inebriated state his first thought was for her safety, she thought as she watched him. As soon as he determined that things were as they had left them he made a beeline for the fireplace, crouching down to add wood and arranging it to his satisfaction before waving his hand over it and getting the fire going. He stood up slowly, his gaze moving over the two scented candles on the mantle.
Maria shivered slightly as she closed the door that he had overlooked, already feeling frozen from her dip in the snow and the walk from the house. His expression caught her attention and she smiled when he suddenly grinned.
"Look what I can do," he said and snapped his fingers. The wick on each candle burst to life, the tips burning brightly with dancing flames.
"That's impressive," she agreed.
"I know." His tone was smug as he rubbed his fingertips over his chest.
Maria shrugged out of her coat and took her boots off, hurrying across the room to the fireplace to hold her hands out to warm them. "Michael, you should get out of your boots and coat. Here," she turned to him, "let me help you."
He stood there quietly and allowed her to unsnap his coat, his brown eyes tracking every nuance of her features in the firelight. Her blonde hair shimmered in the flickering light, her emerald green eyes sparkled, and the sheen of something red covered her full, pouty lips reminding him of candy apples at a carnival. He could feel the familiar tug of want and need inside of him as he reached out to cradle her cheek, his thumb brushing over her lips.
He wasn't expecting the flash when it hit him out of nowhere. A short burst of moments in time, feelings and emotions that gave him more insight into her than he'd had in way too long. That moment just after they had tucked Maggie into bed when her heart had felt full enough to burst. The look in her eyes when he showed off his prize catch. The weight of regret for the distance between them. The moment their first night in the cabin when she had stood up in the bathtub… water running over her body that was perfect in his eyes and the feeling of disappointment later after she'd calmed down from the mouse attack and she'd realized that she had been naked in front of him and he'd walked away from her. "What color is it?" he asked huskily, his eyes locked on her lips.
"Candy apple red," she answered with a look up at him. It was something he would probably never even notice or ask sober. She recognized the look in his dark eyes and she took his hand, leading him over to one of the chairs. "Okay, Spaceboy, time for you to sit down."
He stilled her hands when she reached for the laces on his boots, tugging her up and nudging her to the side to sit on the arm of his chair. "We need to get you warmed up," he said as he leaned over to unlace his boots. He got up and carried his boots over to the front door, dropping them on the rug next to it. "Wanna take a hot bath?"
His mind was not on just a simple bath. It would be so easy to take what he was offering, to push everything else aside and just for tonight be together. But what would tomorrow morning bring? Doubts? Regrets? Would he even remember it? She shook her head. It didn't matter if he remembered it the next morning or not, there was too much at stake to risk for one night of passion.
"No, I'm too tired for that now," she said with a shake of her head. "Why don't I make us some hot chocolate instead?"
He didn't respond, walking over to the bed and grabbing a blanket off of the end. As he jerked it up it disturbed the air and caused a paper on the nightstand to slide a couple of inches closer to the edge. He braced one hand on the mattress and leaned over to grab the paper, holding onto it as he walked back over to Maria.
Michael shook the blanket out and wrapped it around her shoulders before gently pushing her down into one of the overstuffed chairs. "I can make the hot chocolate." He handed her the piece of paper. "Keep this safe for Santa?" he asked as he handed it to her.
Maria accepted the paper, watching him walk into the kitchen and wondering how safe it was to turn him loose around appliances. When nothing immediately exploded she glanced down at the paper, carefully unfolding it and smoothing out the creases that ran vertically and horizontally through the center of the picture. Recognizing it, she turned it to the correct angle to get the perspective necessary to see the yellow dog Maggie had hand-drawn on the paper for Michael.
She snorted softly. "Maggie's adorable and so's the picture of the puppy she wants for Christmas." She looked up at him, silently observing him as he watched the timer ticking down on the microwave. "You're wonderful with her, Michael. You know that."
The little chime rang, indicating that it had fulfilled its duty and he pulled the door open and pulled out the two mugs of steaming hot water. He added the instant cocoa mix to the mugs and stirred it as he smiled. "She makes it easy." He glanced around for the bottle of Tabasco sauce he had seen her pick up earlier that day at Big Dave's, locating it near the stove. He unscrewed the cap and poured a liberal amount into his mug, stirring it again before carrying both of them over to her.
He leaned against the back of her chair, handing her the Winnie the Pooh mug and keeping Tabasco Tigger for himself. He reached for the picture she held, his fingers brushing against hers in a slow caress as he took possession of it. "That little girl's a fighter," he said with a touch of pride in his tone. "Reminds me of someone."
Maria shivered when his breath ghosted across the exposed skin of her neck. "Yeah, she is that," she said, trying to distract herself. Not an easy thing to do when he was so close and so… open. "The Stevens have a lovely family home," she said.
"Yeah, they do." Michael shuffled around the side of her chair to drop down in the one next to her, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he stared into the fire.
Maria turned to look at him, noting the thoughtful look on his face. She could see him trying to formulate a thought into words as he watched the flames dancing merrily in the fireplace.
"Hey, Maria?"
"Um-hmm?"
"I was wonderin'… do you see me in a family like that one day? I mean, like Edward has… he's a good dad an' a husband." He shrugged one shoulder and took a gulp of his hot chocolate. "Whatever."
"Yeah, of course! Michael, you're so good with kids! I saw it last Christmas, and it wasn't just me. Liz and Isabel saw it too." His jaw tightened as he contemplated her answer and she could see the thought starting to form… the thought that he was unfit to be in anyone's family. "No, Michael, don't go there. You're nothing like Hank." She took a long drink of her hot chocolate and waited.
His lips thinned for a moment. "He's not the one I was thinkin' of."
Maria shook her head. "No. You're not Rath, Michael. Yeah, he's part of your DNA but he's not who you are. Think about Laurie. You reminded her of her grandpa and not just because of your looks. She trusted you and if you remember, she didn't trust anyone. But when it came to you… it was different and a lot of that can be attributed to the way you treated her." She took a sip of her hot chocolate and her fingertip traced over the raised image of the yellow bear. "And have you considered that maybe your creators knew who they chose to mix into Rath's DNA? Maybe you've got the best of both of them at your disposal."
A slow smile spread across his face. "So, you think my rep's still intact after that whole Snowflake an' Santa incident in the elf house?" he asked. "You sure I'm fit for kids?"
She watched him for a moment, certain that he was redirecting the conversation, but letting it go when he tipped his mug up and chugged the rest of his hot chocolate. Her eyes followed him as he got up to go and get the remote for the TV, leaving his mug on top of the set. "Yes, I'm sure," she said quietly.
Michael dropped back down into his chair and he slouched down comfortably, feeling a little better after hearing those three words. "Wanna watch a little TV 'fore bed?"
"Gee, I don't know. Do I get to pick what we watch?" His snort indicated that the answer to that particular question was no. "Uh-huh, so we're looking at six seconds of this and eight minutes of that?"
Another snort as he reached up to scratch his eyebrow. He frowned when he turned the remote over in his hand and stared at it.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, um, nothin'… just, the remote kinda got cracked last night an' I forgot to have Max fix it today."
She could see the intent in his eyes as he studied the crack in the plastic casing and before that thought could come to fruition she was up out of her chair, collecting his cup and carrying it along with hers into the kitchen. She was placing them on the counter when his forefinger started to slide along the crease, his brow furrowed. "No, Michael, don't."
He lifted his head to give her a winning grin. "Watch me."
She lunged for the remote and even in his slightly inebriated state he was a formidable opponent and he didn't want to let go of his toy. She gave it a hard pull and before she knew what had happened they were rolling around on the floor, their push and pull motions sending them towards the kitchen. They struggled for ownership of the remote and fought for the dominant position but in the end it came down to sheer size. She could've won the fight for dominance but it would've required injuring delicate parts of his body and really, there was no reason to be cruel. She lost her grip on the remote and the quest for dominance when he finally pinned her, sitting on his knees above her as he peeled her fingers off of it.
Michael pulled both of her wrists together and held them in one hand as he held the remote up in the other one, his grin wide and victorious. "Do you surrender?"
"If you promise to let Max fix it in the morning."
"Terms of surrender?" He shook his head. "I don't think so." His face was inches from hers, his body covering hers and she still thought she could control how he was going to deal with the remote? The fate of the remote became inconsequential and all of his senses went on alert as his eyes locked on her red, pouty mouth.
His breathing slowed as he lowered his head, his mouth settling over hers in a kiss that stole her breath. He gently nipped her bottom lip with his teeth before his tongue swept over the tiny bite in a request for entrance.
Maria's fingers clenched in his iron grasp and she moaned quietly as she granted his request. His hot chocolate and Tabasco sauce flavored tongue swept into her mouth, slowly exploring before tangling wetly with hers. It was so tender and so thorough that when he finally released her mouth she was left stunned.
She stared at him wordlessly when he released her wrists and sat up, leaning back on his heels to fix the remote he held. She watched him as his expression became focused intently on the crack and after a moment he ran his forefinger along the smooth edges, sealing it and removing any evidence that it had ever been broken. She saw the look in his eyes as he moved forward to drop down on his hands again and she wiggled out from under him.
He frowned at her until she shot him a smile and then tossed out a dare.
"Aren't you gonna try the remote out on the TV? Make sure it works?" she asked to distract him.
Michael stood up, steadying himself on the arm of the chair as he aimed the remote at the TV, shooting a smug grin in her direction when he scanned all 10 channels with ease. He settled on a station airing Hockey Night in Canada highlights and he yawned widely as he dropped down in the chair once more.
Maria could see the day catching up with him, could see the exhaustion in his features that he wasn't in control enough to try to hide from her. She could see it in the slightly unfocused gaze as he stared at the television, the lack of attention being given to a sport he loved, and the relaxed sprawl of his body.
"C'mon, Spaceboy, it's late. It's past time for all good hybrids to be in bed."
He snorted at that and continued to watch TV even though he had passed watching and was merely staring at the little blurs skating across the screen now.
Maria crossed the room to turn the covers back before going back for him. The last thing she wanted to have to do was try to get the covers out from under him once he hit the bed. She put the fire out before taking the remote from him, not having to work too hard since he didn't put up much of a fight this time. He gave in after a token protest and she turned the TV off, tossing the remote in her chair and taking his hands to pull him to his feet.
"'m tired, M'ria," he mumbled sleepily as she got him into bed.
"I know." She turned away from him as she got out of her clothes and pulled on one of his clean tee shirts to sleep in.
Michael's eyes were slightly unfocused but they traced over her, taking in the moonlit lines of her body. "So beautiful…" he whispered.
Maria slipped into bed beside him and pulled the covers up over them. "Sleep now, Michael."
His arm slipped around her to pull her up against him and he buried his nose in her hair, breathing her scent in deeply. "You smell good…"
She lifted her head to look at him, remembering hauling him out of the party the year before when all of his senses had been on overload and he had dared to ask what that stench was.
"Like the apple smell better though," he whispered.
The apple smell? Her eyes widened at the memory of his economy-sized gift of all-in-one shampoo and conditioner on the double date from hell with Max and Liz. She had actually used every drop of that cheap two-in-one just because he had bought it. She opened her mouth to say something but the comment died on her lips as she smiled at his sleeping features. Her Spaceboy was down and out for the count.