Chapter 1

Author: heavenly-vixen aka Ally
Email: team_x_4eva@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: My words only.
Summary: Tag to Season 2 Episode “How the other half Lives” with references to “The End of the World” Maria and Michael make a connection one night and past indiscretions re-surface.

Michael fell down on the bed. The room was huge, along with every other room in the mansion. Spending time in the world of power and wealth was definitely fun but Michael couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness the house seemed to radiate. It was clear to anyone who stepped through the doors; the vibes were so strong they couldn’t be ignored. The door creaking open brought him out of his thoughts and instinctively he jumped up, hand held high, ready to attack. When Michael saw the flash of blonde, curly hair he lowered his hand immediately.

“What are you doing? You scared the hell out of me, I almost blasted you”

“I’m sorry, I’ll leave” Maria replied sheepishly.

“No, don’t leave, sorry, you caught me off guard” Maria looked at him. Michael was only wearing boxer shorts and a wife beater. He looked cute, and unbelievably sexy.

“What’s wrong Maria?” God how she loved the way he said her name.

“I just kinda got freaked out on my own, do you mind… if I stay here tonight?” She asked cautiously. Maria really didn’t feel like fighting tonight. She was so tired, tired of all the fighting, it was all they seemed to do anymore. No longer did they have moments of tenderness they used to share. It was all a distant memory; at least she hoped it wasn’t.

Michael nodded his head slowly. For the first time since she entered the room he took in her appearance. There his little pixie stood clad in the tiniest pair of baby blue shorts he’d ever seen, with a matching singlet and a light cotton robe hanging, open, off her shoulders. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft curls and Michael could swear, at that moment she had a halo, magnified by the moon shining through the windows and illuminating her skin to give the appearance that she was glowing. She was beautiful and he was in awe. He couldn’t help the small smile that tug at his lips. Maria let her eyes wander to his face, she’d been avoiding it, afraid she’d see rejection etched across his strong features but was surprised to see a slight smile. She smiled back, the connotations of that grin raising questions.

“What?” She only made him smile more. Michael shook his head slowly.

“Nothing” He spoke so softly, Maria hadn’t heard him speak that softly in a long time.

“I’m tired, do you mind if we go to sleep?” Maria shook her head, truth be told she was spent. Michael pulled the covers back on the fittingly gigantic bed and climbed in. Maria watched.

“Well?… Are you going to sleep standing up?” Maria smiled and joined him under the covers. It was a little awkward at first; it had been a long time since she’d shared a bed with Michael. Well actually she’d only ever shared a bed with him once. Sure they’d slept beside each other in that cheap motel in Marathon, but he was on the floor, and the Jetta didn’t exactly count. Finally she rolled onto her side and felt Michael slip his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.

They lay spooned against each other, Michael’s head buried in the crook of her neck.

“I so am getting a big ass bed like this one day” She felt him smile against her neck.

“Yeah? I’ll have to try it out with you” His breath on her neck caused a pleasant shiver through her body. Maria felt his lips brush a light kiss against her neck and drifted off. Maria opened her eyes and found herself staring though the window of Michael’s apartment. He was sitting at the counter eating and watching TV. There was a knock at the door, Michael stood and answered it. What was a very angry Alex walked through the door. Maria had never seen him like that. She leaned closer trying to hear what they were saying.

MICHAEL: What's up?
ALEX: Nothing. Nothing at all.
MICHAEL: Well, I was kinda watching the game, so if you got something on your mind...

Maria watched as a determined Alex grabbed the remote and switched the TV off.

“ALEX: Do you have any idea what you've done to Maria?
MICHAEL: Dude, it was a misunderstanding.
ALEX: Look. I don't care that you've got 30 pounds on me or...or that you can kill me with some...some twisted alien power. I will not let you treat her like that. I...I don't care that Isabel treats me like crap, but no one does that to Maria, all right? She's not just some girl!
MICHAEL: You gotta believe me...I have nothing...”

Courtney knocked at the door and Maria found herself wanting to leap through the closed window and rip her throat out. But something remained, was this what happened that night or was this just a dream. It felt too real to be a dream. Maria watched, her breath stuck in her throat as Alex punched Michael. Now she knew it was real. Alex had bruises on his knuckles the next day but refused to tell her what had happened, that she remembered. This must be real.

“ALEX: Ow!
MICHAEL: You realize you just risked your life?
ALEX: Yeah.
MICHAEL: You're a really good friend, man.
ALEX: Call me that again, and I'll really kick your ass.”

Alex turned to leave, Maria couldn’t help but feel a little good. Alex had done that for her, but what she saw next certainly didn’t.

COURTNEY: Are you ok?
MICHAEL: Yeah. I'm fine.

Michael and Courtney started making out. Maria watched on, mouth agape, her heart ripping into pieces. She knew that something had happened, but that part of herself that instinctively stopped her from thinking about that stuff had shielded her from the possibilities. Now here it was, as she looked in on Michaels memory, the cold had truth and there was no where to run. She watched as Michael reached around and started pulling Courtney’s top up, Maria was having trouble breathing. She couldn’t watch, yet she couldn’t look away. She watched as he pulled a part of her skin off and looked at it in shock.

MICHAEL: You're a skin? Stop!

Courtney turned and ran, straight towards her, Maria started to back away. As Courtney crashed through the window Maria woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Immediately she started to cry but her sudden movements woke up Michael.

“What? What’s going on?” His half asleep voice rang through her ears and she realised how close she was to him. She jumped away from him like he was fire. Maria took a few steps back, breathing even heavier she stared at him in shock. Michael watched her confused. Fear rushed through his body. What was going on? Why was Maria acting this way? He stood up and took a step towards her.

“Maria? What’s wrong?” He asked cautiously, he slowly took a few more steps towards her. When he was close enough, he reached out and took her hand. Maria pulled it away quickly and choked out between sobs. “Don’t touch me” Maria started to back away from Michael. Every step he took towards her, she took one back. She looked at him with so much pain in her eyes. Tears streamed down her face, not a sound coming out of her open mouth. All she did was stare at him and back away. Michael tried to get closer, but Maria continued to back away, shaking her head, along with her body uncontrollably. She looked terrified, hurt, angry, everything all rolled into one quivering mass. Michael looked on, the worry building inside him fast. How could he help her if she didn’t let him near her?

“Maria… what’s wrong? Please tell me” he pleaded with her.

“H. How c.could you do this t.to me?” She stuttered out. Maria saw the stupid confused look on his face and actually wanted to laugh. She calmed down enough to say what she needed to say.

“I caught you, but I still didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, how could someone I love so much, hurt me like that? How could you hurt me like that? All the while telling me over and over that nothing happened, did you think you could keep this from me?” Michael continued to watch and listen to her confused as the tears streamed down her face.

“How far did you get Michael?” He used to like the sound of his name on her lips, but now it was said with so much pain and anger that it sounded horrible.

“Did she give you what I wouldn’t? Did you F*CK her?” Realization dawned on him, Courtney.

“Maria…” He shook his head but she cut him off.

“I don’t understand it. You were supposed to love me… But it was all a lie, it was nothing”

“No” He couldn’t believe she would think that.

“I can’t believe I fell for it. I always thought I’d be smarter than that. So much for that, I guess I proved that I am an airhead… you still didn’t answer me… did you f*ck her? Don’t lie to me”

“Maria… No! Of course not, nothing happened at all” Maria closed her eyes as she shook her head at him. When she re-opened her eyes more and more tears fell.

“I SAW you Michael, I saw you” Maria noticed the confused look on his face.

“The one time you actually let me in, I see that, better now I guess, than…” She never finished what she was saying, a sob tore through her body and a tortured cry left her lips. Michael thought he’d die at the sound. Maria’s body sank to the floor. Michael tried to discern what she was saying, and then it hit him.

When they drifted off to sleep they had made a connection. Maria had seen the memory, the scene had played out right in front of her eyes. Michael slowly took a step towards her, she didn’t move she he rushed to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she violently shrugged away from him. She lifted her head to look at him.

“Don’t EVER touch me again” Michael pulled his hand away and looked down. He looked back into her eyes a moment later, and saw a flash of anger.

“I would have done ANYTHING for you, anything”

“Please Ria, let me explain” She looked at him for a moment and nodded once.

“I was never with her” Her eyes widened.

“How can you look at me, and lie like that?” Michael shook his head.

“I was with you… I really thought there was something up with her. Then you said that thing about her wanting in my pants” Maria cut in

“Oh so now it’s my fault” Michael shook his head again.

“No, I mean, you said that, and I thought that if I lead her to believe she’d get what she wanted I’d find out what her deal was. Every second I was with her, I was thinking about you”

“You don’t actually expect me to believe that, do you?”

“It’s the truth. There’s no one else Maria, only you”

“How far would you have gone? I saw you raising her shirt, just before you pealed her skin off. How far would you have gone if you hadn’t discovered she was a skin?” Michael didn’t know the answer to that himself. His silence was not a good move. Maria nodded her head, stood up and turned to leave the room. Michael stood after her.

“Maria” She raised her hand to silence him. She grabbed her robe, slipped it on and opened the door. She ran from the room.

“Maria, wait please” Michael ran after her. He caught up to her, he grabbed her and whirled her around to look at him. The tears were streaming down her face, her body shaking as sobs wracked through her body but he didn’t even notice.

“You have to listen to me” he held her tighter and slightly shook her. Maria’s tears turned from heartbreak to fear. He was scaring the hell out of her. She’d never really been scared of him until this moment and he didn’t even notice.

“Everything I have done over the past year has been to protect you” he yelled at her and slightly shook her after every third word.

“Why would that change now? I thought she was a danger, I had to protect you” When she didn’t bite back at him for that comment, Michael realized what he was doing and immediately loosened his grip on her. His face softened and he now held her gently. Maria stood completely still, terrified. “Oh god” was all that left his mouth as he pulled her into his arms.

“I’m so sorry Maria, I’m so sorry. You have to believe me. I’m so sorry. Please Maria, I would never intentionally hurt you, you have to know that, I love you” Maria stood perfectly still, Michael’s arms around her. Sensing her discomfort, he pulled away. Looking into her eyes he saw something he’d never seen from Maria, mistrust. They were times when her demeanour projected this, but never her eyes.

“Maria… I promise you, it was NOTHING” He emphasized the word. She saw the truth in his eyes, but her heart was still broken. It was going to take more then words to earn her trust back.

“I’m going to bed” Her face was completely void of all expression. Michael watched as she turned and walked towards her room. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and sighed aloud.

“What’s wrong?” Michael turned towards the voice coming from behind him….

TBC...

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