ForcedTogetherpart11

Maria was sitting in the living room curled up on the bench looking out the bay window watching the moonlight dancing off the trees. After Michael had left she had gone outside and brought all their things inside. They had gone to the grocery story on their way over and used the rest of their legit money to stock up the fridge and pantry.

After Maria had put away all the groceries and the few pots and pans they had bought while they were on the run she dragged their clothes upstairs. Maria stopped outside the master bedroom and decided to put Michael�s bags inside then sighing she turned and brought her bags down the hall to next room. It wasn�t as grand as the other room but it was cozy. The furniture was similar just a smaller version of the furniture in the master bedroom. Their was even a small wood burning stove in the corner.

After she had unpacked her clothes and placed her toiletries, including some rose scented bubble bath she had picked up when they went shopping earlier, she went downstairs and went out to the wood shed that was off to the side of the cottage to get some wood for her stove. She made several trips making sure that she got enough for Michael�s room as well.

She padded into the kitchen and made herself some hot chocolate before she settled down for the wait. It was almost 11:30 before she heard the car pulling into the driveway. Jumping up she ran to the front door and had it open before Michael had a chance to reach for the handle.

Michael was hanging his head low and wouldn�t look Maria in the eyes, if he had he would have seen all the love he was hungering for. The smile that had found it way onto Maria face fell when Michael walked past her and went into the living room.

Sighing Michael sank down onto one of the couches and waited for her to join him. Taking a deep breath Maria followed him in and sat down across from him on the other couch. Clearing her throat she got ready to apologize for her earlier outburst but he cut her off.

�Don�t, just let me talk.� He begged and looked up to see her shake her head yes. �First I�m sorry about the way I acted, I shouldn�t have walked out like that.� Taking a shaking breath he continued, dreading having to say out loud the one thing he had feared the most. �Look I get it alright Maria. You�ve pretty much have made it clear, you don�t want what I want and I told you before that I would accept it and learn to move on.�

�No Michael.� Maria cried out. This was getting all mixed up and she had to straightened it out. �Your wrong, your so very wrong! Tonight when you left I realized just how much I truly care about you.�

Jumping up Maria walked over to where he was and sat on the coffee table letting her knees bump against his. �Oh Michael, when I thought that you might never come back it hit me how foolish I�ve been since that night you told me how you feel. Michael, I��

Michael placed his index finger over Maria�s lip shushing her. �Please don�t say it. Don�t say it because you would be saying it for all the wrong reasons. Look tonight I abandoned you and right now your just saying what you think you should say so that I don�t leave you again. So just please give me a little respect and don�t proclaim your undying love for me when it just isn�t true.�

�How can you know what is in my hart!� Maria fought, she had to convince him. �You told me not try and say whether your feeling for me are true or not so how can you turn around and do just that!�

�Because I realized something while I was driving around. If you felt the same way about me as I do about you, you should be able to say it. I convinced myself that maybe you weren�t ready to say the words but that your actions were conveying how you really felt. And they do, you treat me the same way you treated Liz or Alex, Hell even the way you started to treat Max and Izzy.� He tried to explained.

Michael hung his head and pretended to study the floor for a few seconds before he continued. �Look Maria your just one of those huggy feely type of people. I wanted to make believe that it was different with me, that they way you touched me was different but I was wrong. And I just made it worst by smothering you with all the affection I was showering on you. It just felt so good, but that�s the thing about you. You make people feel good about themselves. You bring out this need, almost like a craving to gather you in a hug and to protect you from the world and all the bad things in it.�

Maria felt like crying at what he was saying. �Are you saying that you were wrong about your feelings for me? That your not in love with me?�

Michael gave her a sad smile. �I wish that was the case, it would make everything easier if that was true. No Maria, I am in love with you. But that is my problem, not yours. I�m just not going to try and make myself believe that you will fall in love with me anymore.�

Maria�s mind was running a mile a minute. �How am I going to make him change his mind and make him believe that I am in love with him too?� She thought franticly. She was getting ready to make another argument in her case when Michael stood up.

�Look, I�m really tired and want to go to bed. Lets just agree never to talk about this again, it�s a little embarrassing for me to say the least. We�ll stay here for a few months and save our money. In the spring we can split and go our separate ways and put this all behind us.� He said.

Maria couldn�t stop the tears from spilling any longer. �How can you just give up on us just like that?� Her hart was breaking as she saw how his shoulders were slumped in defeat.

�Because there never really was an us. It was just me acting like a fool trying to make you feel something you don�t.�

�What about now, what happens now?� She asked.

�We go with the story we came up with at the motel. We�re Michael and Maria Gulliver from Winnipeg. Your 19 and I�m 20 and we got married six months ago. We worked our way to the island after we got hitched. Your parents died in a car crash when you were eight and my mother abandoned me when I was three. We met in a foster home when you were 16 and I was 17. You moved in with me, when you left the system after you turned 18. We got married after you graduated and then we hit the road.�

She shook her head deciding that fighting him anymore tonight would just make things worst. �What if someone decides to check up on us?�

He reached over and grabbed his jacket that he had tossed aside when he sat down and pulled out an envelope. �That�s what I ended up doing after I drove around. Thank God we live in a hick town. I broke into the county records office and hacked into the system. Everything is in there, we even have tax identification numbers. I printed off dummy birth certificates, wedding license and diplomas for us. I made sure I went into the foster care system and added our histories just incase anyone checked that out.�

Maria looked into the envelope and pulled out all the paper work examining everything he had created. She couldn�t help running her fingers over the marriage license over and over again. She was deep in thought when she heard Michael stand up and walk over to the stairs.

�Which room did you put my stuff in?� He asked without even looking at her.

Quickly Maria stuffed the papers back in the envelope and joined him by the stairs. �I put your stuff in the master bedroom.�

She cut him off before he could argue with her. �Don�t worry, I took one of the other rooms. I figured you would really prefer the bigger room, besides I know how much you love to look at the stars. That it makes you feel more at home.� She added softly.

Michael looked down at her and forced himself not to make believe that the look on her face was that of a woman in love that it was just his fantasy. �Are you sure, I know you really wanted the room?�

Maria couldn�t help smiling at him. �For now.� She said, silently adding to herself. �Until I convince you that I want to share the room with you as your lover and mate.�

Michael nodded his agreement and Maria watched as he climbed the stairs. He was half way up when he turned and looked at her. �Aren�t you going to bed?� He asked.

�In a few minutes, I have to clean up a little in the kitchen and do a few things.� She explained. The number one thing was to plan on how to show Michael Guiren that she is in love with him and that they are meant to be together even if it kills her or him, depending on how difficult he makes this for her.

TBC