The Song is by Lene Marlin. The characters aren't mine, altho if they need adopting I'm always here ...

Summary: Songfic about Michael and Maria

Comment: My first fanfic! Wow! Feedback much appreciated! TTFN,

Rating: G

Michael watched as the Whits stood up on the stage. Maria stood, preparing to sing. Michael watched her, eyes dark. Max and Liz sat near him, arms around each other. Kyle and Tess sat together in blissful silence. Isabel exchanged looks with a grinning Alex on the stage.

The opening bars played, and Michaels heart constricted. He knew this song. It always made him think of Maria. It would be worse, watching her sing it. She opened her mouth to sing, and in that instant, Michael knew he wasn�t going to survive this.

�Kinda lose your sense of time

Cos the days no matter no more

All the feelings that you hide

Gonna tear you up inside

You hope she knows you tried�

He did hope she knew. He�d tried not to let her get to him. But she had. She�d gotten to him real bad, but she wasn�t his, and his loneliness would tear him up inside. Normally he could handle being lonely. But when you�re lonely and you know exactly what you want, it�s 100 times worse.

�Follows you around all day

And you wake up soaking wet

Cos between this world and eternity

There is a face you hope to see�

************************************

Maria stood there, watching his reaction. He was lost in thought. She wished she knew what he was thinking. But now, as she tried to tell him how she felt, maybe she didn�t want to know.

�You know where you sent her

You should know where you are

You're trying to ease off

But you know you won't get far

And now she's up there

Sings like an angel

But you can't hear those words

And now she'd up there

Sings like an angel

Unforgivable sinner�

He�d nearly killed her, with his pushing her way. While Max and Liz grew closer, while Kyle and Tess fell in love, while Isabel finally let Alex in, Michael had pushed Maria away. She was up here, singing but he couldn�t hear those words. She doubted he was even listening

************************************

He watched her sing, listening to every word, every note.

�You've been walking around in tears

No answers are there to get

You won't ever be the same

Someone cries and you're to blame�

Maria always made him feel guilty. He�d hurt her, he realised. But no, he knew that. He�d always known. This made it crystal clear. Maria had changed him and he would never be the same.

�Struggling with a fight inside

Sorrow you'll defeat

The picture you see

It won't dissapear

Not unpleasant dream

Or the voice you hear�

He dreamed about her: the expression on her face when he told her he had to be a stone wall, when he told her he loved her too much, when he told her not to miss him. Sometimes, he�d wake up and realise he couldn�t handle watching her heart break again.

�You know where you sent her

You should know where you are

You're trying to ease off

But you know you won't get far

And now she's up there

Sings like an angel

But you can't hear those words

And now she'd up there

Sings like an angel

Unforgivable sinner�

At that moment, everything he�d said or done in the time he�d known her all flew back in his face. Watching her up there, like an untouchable angel, made him feel strangely sick. He was the one who made her untouchable. That was an unforgivable sin. He was the unforgivable sinner.

************************************

�Maybe one time lost

But now you're found

Stand right up before you hit the ground�

It�s not too late! Maria�s heart screamed. But Maria didn�t always follow her heart. Maria�s head could be boring and logical. But most of the time it was right. Her head remembered all the hurt. Her heart could forgive and forget. Her head couldn�t.

�Maybe one time lost

But now you're found

Stand right up before you hit the ground�

Maybe it wasn�t too late!

**********************************

Maybe it wasn�t too late, Michael thought suddenly. Maybe not for them.

�Hit the ground�

The realization hit his stomach � hard. Maria didn�t think it was too late. He could see it in her eyes, her face, the way she sang. Maybe it wasn�t too late!

*********************************

�You know where you sent her

You should know where you are

You're trying to ease off

But you know you won't get far

And now she's up there

Sings like an angel

But you can't hear those words

And now she'd up there

Sings like an angel

Unforgivable sinner�

Maria felt, rather than heard, the last bars. She felt her wet cheeks. She felt her pain. And she could feel his pain. This is killing both of us, she realised.

As the final chord played, she forced herself to look at him. His eyes locked on hers.

Look what we�ve done.

[ Fanfic ]