ForcedTogetherpart8

Michael found himself telling her about him, Max and Isabel. About coming out of the pods and being separated from them that first night and not seeing them again for almost three years...

FADE IN

�When we came out of our pods we were together at first. But for some reason Max wouldn�t leave the cave. I tried to holding onto Isabel�s hand to get her to come with me but she held back to stay with Max.� He explained while watching Maria towel drying her hair. She had finally convinced him to change her hair back to her blonde bob.

�So you left them in the cave?� She asked as she walked over to the rope Michael had strung up to dry their clothes on before she sat next to Michael in front of the campfire.

�Yeah, I don�t really know why. I just felt like we weren�t suppose to stay in the cave that we were suppose to get out of there. I don�t know when they came out, I just know it was later that night. I followed them for a while.�

�Followed them. Why would you do that?�

Michael couldn�t help but to flash her a devious grin before answering her. �Would you believe me if I told you that I can be very suspicious of people and situations.�

�NOOOO!� She gasped jokingly while smacking him on his shoulder. �Now stop being a bone head and tell me what happened next.�

�Oh very nice, calling me a bone head.� Michael shot back but decided to continue when he saw that she was opening up a bag of marshmallows and that she wasn�t about to share if he didn�t finish telling her is story.

�I finally went up to them after I followed them for a while. It was weird, we couldn�t talk, but some how we were able to read each others thoughts. We all started to walk together, I don�t know how far we got when we finally saw lights coming towards us.�

�What kind of lights.� Maria asked as she handed him a stick with a few marshmallows on it for toasting.

�Head lights. It was a car, to be more specific it was Phillip and Diane Evans car. Max grabbed Isabel�s hand and reached out for mine, but I didn�t take it. Instead I hide while the two of them walked towards the lights.� Michael said, barely able to hide the envy in his voice.

�And let me guess, the Evans took them with them, brought them to the sheriff or child welfare or whoever and then began adoption procedures for the little boy and girl they found on the side of the road.� She said finishing that part of the story for him.

�Exactly, because of my fear I ended up watching the only two like me drive off with two people, not knowing if I would ever see them again.�

�But that means that you had to be picked up too at some point.�

Michael nodded his head. �A day later a farmer found me in one of his fields. He brought me up to his house. Put some clothes on me and let his wife get a little food into me before he brought me to the state hospital.�

�State hospital?� She questioned.

�Yeah, they examined me to make sure I was ok before sending me to the orphanage. I can�t even begin to tell you what it was like.� He explained while popping one of the marshmallows in his mouth.

Maria looked up and shook her head. �Remind me to teach you better table manners.� She teased him, but saw by the look in his eyes he wasn�t feeling like joking around. �I�m sorry, you must have been terrified. You were just a baby and you didn�t even speak. Were you able to understand the doctors and nurses when they spoke to you?�

�Not at first, but after a while I began to understand them. After a few days I was even able to speak a few words. By that time I was in Social Services custody. I was sent to my first foster home around a month later.�

�First, how many were there?�

�Before I settled with Hank, six or seven.�

�Wait a minute, you were around five when you came out of the pods you were sent to Hank when you were around eight. In three years they shuffled you through all those homes. Jesus, that says something about our child care system doesn�t.� Maria ranted. �I mean this is what our taxes go for. You hear stories like this all the time. Those people are all over worked and under paid and that�s how scum like Hank get approved to be a foster care parent.�

Her tirade about the injustice of the child care system was enough to raise a smile from him. �Easy there Norma Rae, calm down.� He said while placing a hand on her knee.

�Sorry. I promise no more going off the deep end. Please tell me when you finally met up again with the others.� Maria said.

�The third day at Roswell Elementary. I was standing by a tree just watching all the kids playing when I heard a girl scream in excitement. I turned and saw that it was her from the pods and that she was with the other one.� He said with a sad smile.

�Then what happened.� Maria urged.

�Isabel tackled me to the ground practically trying to hug me to death.�

Maria laughed. �That doesn�t really sound like the Ice Princess to me.�

Michael chuckled at the old nickname the kids in school had given Isabel. Most girls would have been hurt by the name, but not Izzy. She wore her title proudly. �I know. The more she tried to hug me the more I tried to get away. Max just stood there. I think he was in shock, he had probable written me off and figured they never see me again.�

�You�re awful. I really don�t think Max wrote you off.� Maria said.

�Well I couldn�t blame him if he did. Not out of the pods a night and I already proved I was nothing but a F-uck up! I�ve always been the F-uck up and Max always been the one to fix everything. Now here I am dragging you all over the place, I'll probable end up getting you killed!� He shouted as he got up and stormed over to the car.

Maria watched him in surprise for a few seconds as he took out his frustration by kicking the tires. She hopped up when she heard his soft crying as he began to pound his head against the top of the car.

�Please Michael, please your scaring me.� She beg softly.

Michael buried his head into his arms and she could barely hear him mumble �Sorry�. She only hesitated a moment before she put her hand on his shoulder, gently urging him to turn and face her.

Maria hart broke when she saw how lost and scared he looked. For the past two weeks its been Michael keeping it together and giving her the strength to go on and know she was finally seeing the toll it was taking on him.

�Oh God Baby. How can you even think any of what you just said is true.� Maria said as she wrapped her arms around him.

�Because it�s true.� He whispered as he nuzzled Maria�s neck.

Maria couldn�t help getting angry at what he was saying. She also could feel herself getting angry at Max and Isabel. From everything that he had told her, neither of them had ever really taken enough interest in him or his thoughts. Isabel always treated him more like a child that needed to be mothered and Max had a tendency to make him feel as if he was more of a burden than a brother and friend. Even Maria had heard Max lecturing him on numerous occasions.

�Enough.� Maria commanded as she gently pushed Michael away. Michael hung his head and she reached out and urged him to look her in the eyes. �You are not and never have been a F-uck up. You have done nothing but take care of me and made sure that we were safe since this happened. And God forgive me but we wouldn�t be here now if Max hadn�t been selfish and exposed him, you and Isabel to heal Liz. So if anyone f-ucked up it was him.�

Michael couldn�t help looking at Maria in shock. He didn�t know what to say. No one had ever said that anything Max had done was wrong before. �Maria.�

�No, I�m sorry but it�s true. I will always be grateful to him for saving Liz, but it still was selfish. He once told Liz that he couldn�t play God when she asked him to save her Grandmother, but why was it ok for him to play God with Liz�s life and put yours and Isabel in danger.� She said and then added, �and I was wrong and I want to apologize for ever saying that you were worthless because it wasn�t true. Not then or now.�

�Maria.� Michael said. He moaned softly when he saw the look in her eyes. For the first time he couldn�t control his impulses and slowly lowered his mouth and captured Maria�s lips in a searing kiss. Tentatively he slid his tongue out and ran it across her lips seeking entrances. Slowly, Maria opened her mouth and allowed him in. Both got lost in the kiss and only parted when the need for air became necessary.

Maria sighed as Michael placed feather light kisses along her jaw and neck and felt her knees start to give as he opened his mouth and ran his tongue along the trail he had just completed.

Maria felt dizzy as Michael brought his mouth back to hers. She heard herself moaning softly as she ran her fingers through his soft spikes and slowly lowered her hand to rest on Michael shoulder. She barely notices that he had maneuvered her so that she was leaning against the car.

Michael let his hands drop to her waist and gradually ran a hand up to cup one of her breasts, forcing her against the car. Michael was so lost in the feel of Maria kisses and the heat rolling off her body that he didn�t notice her pushing him away at first.

He was surprised to see that Maria was physically shaking and he reached his hand out to take her by the hand. He wasn�t sure what to do when Maria snatched her hand away from his.

�Don�t, please don�t.� Maria sob softly.

Michael was confused and didn�t know what he was suppose to do. All he wanted to do was grab her and hold her until whatever was wrong passed, but didn�t think she would allow him to.

�Maria, tell me.� He pleaded.

�I�m sorry I freaked out on you.� She said she slipped pass him and sat down again by the campfire. Michael followed her and knelt down in front of her with his hands outstretched and almost shouted with joy when Maria finally took them with hers. �It just was happening so fast and when you pushed me into the car I just felt like I wasn�t in control and is scared me.�

�I shouldn�t have pushed you like that.� Michael said as he sat down next to her.

�Michael it�s not you, it�s me. I�m the loser who freaked, you didn�t do anything wrong.�

�Your not a loser. I had promised you that I wouldn�t rush anything between us and here I go and push you up against a car.�

�But don�t you see, you have been more thoughtful and sweet than you should have to be about all of this. If I was any other girl you two would probable already have had sex by now.� Maria said.

Michael smiled and shook his head. �I don�t care about having sex with some other girl Maria. I want to make love with you.�

Michael confession brought on a fresh wave of tears. �Oh God, don�t you see that is what I�m afraid of, what if I�m never able to give myself to you. You deserve more than what I can give you.�

Michael took a deep breath, turned and made sure Maria was looking him in his eyes before he could tell her how he felt. �I don�t agree with you there. Look Maria I don�t know how or when it happened exactly but I fell in love with you and I�m not going to lose you. I can wait as long as I have to until your ready to be with me.�

Maria couldn�t say anything, she opened and closed her mouth several times but wasn�t able to get anything out. Michael chuckled when he saw that he had been able to render Maria Deluca speechless and stood up and held out his hand.

�Come on, you can make a witty comeback tomorrow. I�m tired and want to go to bed.�

Maria smiled and took his outstretched hand. �Don�t get carried away you. I still have a few things I want to say to you.� She said as she walked past him and went into the tent.

�That�s what I�m hoping for.� Michael said to himself as he smiled and joined her�

FADE OUT

TBC