At the next rest stop they had to put on their winter parkas to get out of the car. As well,
they had to wear sweaters when they got back in the car. This was completely unlike
Christmas back in Roswell.
Michael had fallen asleep in the seat beside her despite his protests that he was
completely wide awake. Maria stared over at him. In sleep he had a vulnerable
expression that was never present while he was awake. A tuft of hair fell over his face.
Maria longed to reach out and brush it back, but Isabel was in the back seat, this time
wide awake.
She watched him though. Well, as much as she could without running the car off the
road. Could he have actually forgotten what had happened between them. In the car
when they went to Texas, and then when he kissed her in the Crashdown? She couldn�t
believe that the kiss meant that little to him. It meant a lot to her. Even though she didn�t
express anything at the time.
�Could you please watch the road instead of Michael,� Isabel said sharply from the back
as the car began to drift into the next lane.
Maria turned her head back to the road, embarrassed
**********************************************
It was nearly midnight when they pulled into the city about half an hour from the border.
Maria looked for a hotel to stop at for the night. They couldn�t afford a pricey one, but
she refused to stay in a rat infested motel.
�How about that one?� Michael said, pointing towards the travelodge along the side of
the road. Maria took stock of it. It looked reasonably clean and well kept. She pulled in
with Max and Liz following.
Maria slipped on her jacket and stepped out of the car. �How many rooms should we
get?� she asked Liz who stepped out of the car.
Liz shrugged, �3? 2 people in 2 rooms and one person gets their own room.�
Max came around to the two of them, �I�ll go book us 3 rooms.� he said and went to the
front door.
Michael and Isabel came to stand beside them. �Who�s rooming with who?� Isabel
asked.
Liz shrugged, �Well Max and Michael can share a room. As for the 3 of us, two of us
will have to share.�
�Well Isabel, want your own room?� Maria asked.
Isabel looked embarrassed, �Normally yeah. But you see, I have this phobia about being
alone in hotels.�
Maria laughed, �You? I never would of guessed. Well Liz, which of us lucky people gets
to be with her.�
Isabel shrugged, �Want to room with me Liz? I�ve been in a car with her for about 36
hours straight.�
�You don�t mind Maria?� Liz asked, turning to her.
Maria shook her head, �Nah, not at all.�
Max came back with the room keys. �We have 3 rooms on the third floor.�
Maria grabbed one of the keys, �Well, let�s get inside. We�ll have to start early again
tomorrow.�
She grabbed her backpack and suitcase from the trunk. She took out Isabel�s luggage as
well as Michael�s and set them in the snow. Maria locked the doors to the car after
making sure everything had been taken out.
�Well,� she said to the assembled group, �Let�s go inside.�
****************************
Maria opened the door to her hotel room and flipped on the light. The newly illuminated
room looked reasonably clean. It had a single bed as well as a couch. Maria tossed her
suitcase on the couch and flopped down on the bed. She grabbed the television remote
and flipped it on.
The Charlie Brown Christmas special was on. As she watched Charlie Brown pick out a
Christmas tree, tears sprang to her eyes. She should have insisted on rooming with Liz
and Isabel be damned. She felt so alone. Even though it was Christmas Eve which she
would have been alone on anyway, she still felt so isolated from everyone else.
Maria wiped the tears away furiously, refusing to cry. She was strong, she was used to
being alone. And, besides, it didn�t really matter. It didn�t.
There was a knock on her door and Maria dried her eyes, hoping they weren�t all red and
puffy. She walked over to the door and opened it. Michael stood there, hands in his
pockets.
�Can I come in?� he asked Maria, who nodded and moved aside so that he could
enter.
�Liz is in our room giving Max a Christmas present,� Michael said by way of
explanation, �I wanted to get out of there. Mind if I stick around awhile?�
Maria shrugged, �Suit yourself.� she refused to show how happy she was that he was
here.
Michael motioned to the TV, �You think they would make a new Christmas special for
Charlie Brown after all these years.�
Maria shrugged, �I still watch this one every year.�
Michael nodded, �Me too.�
The gaze they shared was broken as Maria cleared her throat and reached into her bag. �I
have something for you.� she said, pulling a wrapped present out of her bag, �I wasn�t
sure whether I was going to actually give it to you or not, but well, here. Merry
Christmas Michael.�
Michael took it from her outstretched hands. He ripped off the carefully wrapped paper
and held the gift in his hands. It was a beautiful bound copy of Ulysses.
�I didn�t know if you had a good copy or not,� Maria said nervously, �But I saw this and
it looked so nice I had to get it for you.�
�It�s amazing,� Michael said, his throat constricting. He couldn�t believe that she had
done this for him. It was incredibly thoughtful.
�Do you like it?� Maria asked hesitantly.
Michael nodded, �Maria....I....thank you.�
Maria shook her head, �It�s not much, but you�re welcome.�
Michael took something from his pocket. He tossed it in his hand. �I actually wasn�t
sure whether I was actually going to give this to you either. �
He tossed the box to her. Maria grabbed it before it fell to the ground and opened it.
Inside the box lay a delicate necklace. It was a shimmery silver.
�Michael, it�s beautiful,� Maria breathed, lifting it out of the box. �Thank you so
much.�
Michael ducked his head, �It was nothing.�
She held it out to him, �Will you fasten it for me?�
Michael grabbed the necklace from her outstretched hand. Maria turned around. He
looped the necklace around her neck and fastened it carefully at the back. Her hair
smelled like strawberries was what he realized as he caught a whiff of her
scent.
�Maria,� he said quietly, his mouth near her ear, �Before that day at the crashdown, I�d
never kissed anyone before.�
Maria turned around slowly. They were so incredibly close to one another, but not
touching. Not yet. �So I asked you to be a �guy� and the first thought that came to mind
was to kiss me?� she asked with a crooked smile.
Michael shook his head, �Actually that thought had been in my mind for
awhile.�
�Michael,� Maria said breathlessly, �What are you trying to say?�
Michael reached up and touched her face with his hand, �Maria, I know we fight and
everything, but that means nothing when I�m with you like this. I�m not the most
eloquent speaker, but, well, I like you. A lot. Things have been happening between us,
things I thought would never happen. You haven�t known me well for very long, and
already you know a lot more about me than most people.�
Maria felt herself getting all choked up. �You really feel that way? About
me?�
Michael shrugged, �Yeah, I do. You, well we�re more alike than I ever thought possible.
Maria, you drive out all the loneliness in me when I�m with you. With you, I feel like I
belong.�
Maria smiled gently, �For someone who isn�t a very eloquent speaker, you�re doing a
damn good job. And for the record Michael, I like you too. A lot.�
Michael smiled and cupped the back of her head with his hands. He lowered his face to
hers for a kiss. Their kiss turned hungry as they lost themselves in one another. They
were together now, and would not have to be alone. Soon, their passionate kisses
subsided and they just held each other. Michael�s head was buried in Maria�s
neck.
�You know Michael,� Maria said softly, stroking his hair, �For someone who�s never
kissed a girl before, you�re pretty damn good at it.�
Michael just laughed quietly and held her tightly to him.
*****************************************************
Michael awoke in the middle of the night with a severe krink in his neck. He looked
around and tried to figure out where exactly he was. He felt someone move against him
and he looked down to find Maria curled into his side. They were on the couch in her
room. They had sat cuddled together, talking. Eventually, they must have fallen
asleep.
He flashed back to events the night before. Michael was incredibly glad he had been
brave to come here last night instead of going to talk to Isabel. He still couldn�t believe
he was attracted to Maria of all people, but he wasn�t going to complain.
Michael stroked the cheek of the sleeping Maria gently. She didn�t wake, but stirred in
her sleep and burrowed closer into his chest. Michael sighed, he knew he should go back
to his own room. Max would probably notice he wasn�t there when he got up in the
morning. However, Michael didn�t really want to leave and he couldn�t think of a way to
disentangle himself without waking Maria.
P>
As he examined her sleeping face, he noticed she had a contented smile on her face. He
wondered what she was dreaming exactly. That of course led him to thoughts that it
might be about him.
Michael decided to enter her dream. He had never actually done this before, but how
hard could it be. He didn�t know what to do exactly. Michael simply shut his eyes and
willed himself into her dream.
***********
The first thing Michael saw was Maria, standing in the Crashdown cafe in her work
uniform. He was standing behind the counter, and as he looked down at himself, he was
wearing a tuxedo.
�So, this is what you dream of,� he remarked to Maria who was standing there.
�Michael?� Maria said, �What do you mean? This is a dream?�
Michael nodded, �Yeah. If you think real hard, you�ll remember the two of us are in
your motel room in a city just before the Canadian border. This is you dream.�
�Then what are you doing here?� Maria asked, �If it�s my dream.�
Then the realization hit her, �You�ve entered my dream, just like Isabel did that one time.
Oh God, at least you didn�t enter in on my dream in the car last night.�
Michael refrained from telling her that he had wanted to, �So, why am I in a tuxedo?
Have you had this dream before?�
Maria blushed and averted her eyes, �Yeah, but you weren�t real then. Why don�t you
just leave so I don�t get too embarrassed here.�
Michael smiled and shrugged, �Maria, it�s still your dream. Have your way with me and
I promise I will try not to remember in the morning.�
Maria hit him on the shoulder, �Michael!�
Michael grabbed her hand, �Come one, I�m serious. Consider it our first date, except we
can do anything, anywhere you want.�
�You know,� Maria said, eyeing him up, �I never really pictured you as a �date� type guy.
I always thought maybe more the �love-em and leave�em� type. However, I�m not
complaining.�
�So is that a yes?� Michael asked.
Maria sighed, �Sure. This will be embarrassing though. Why couldn�t you have chosen
a night when I wasn�t having a dream involving you.�
Michael laughed, �So Maria, what usually happens next in this dream?�
As if on cue, music cut in the background. It was a soft piece of classical music.
Slow-dancing music. Maria mumbled something in answer to his question which he
could not hear.
�What was that?� Michael asked.
�I said, �we dance�,� Maria said frustratedly, embarrassed as anything that this was
happening.
Michael grinned and held out his hand to her. �May I have this dance?�
Maria nodded reluctantly and placed her hand in his. Michael grabbed her close and
began twirling around the empty space where the tables were supposed to be. He held
her extremely close to his body as he danced.
�I didn�t know you could dance,� Maria said as they moved to the music.
�Despite what I said,� Michael said softly in her ear, �There is still a lot you don�t know
about me. I�m a complex guy.�
His voice sent shivers down Maria�s spine. Dream or no dream, this was incredibly
realistic. �I can see that,� she whispered back, looking up at him.
All of a sudden the music became quieter and the lights dimmed. Candles magically
appeared along the countertop. Michael had the urge to laugh, but didn�t want to spoil
the mood. Besides, he would only get hit for his troubles.
Slowly, he lowered his head to hers. The kisses were as light as air and Maria hungered
for more. She put her hands on the side of his head and drew his head closer to
her.
They broke apart what seemed like years later. Michael looked down into Maria�s
upturned face, �Now what?� he asked, his mouth turning up at the corners.
Maria turned away, �Michael this is ridiculous. I�m not telling you. Any minute now
I�m going to wake up and this will be all over.�
Michael shook his head, �If you�re not going to tell me, I�ll make it up
myself.�
Maria shrugged, �Fine, you do that. Me, I�m going to concentrate on waking up. Maybe,
if I think about it really hard....�
Michael watched as she squeezed her eyes shut and proceeded to pinch herself. When
she re-opened her eyes and saw him standing there, she got a crestfallen look. Michael
laughed as she closed her eyes again, and then opened one to see if he was still
there.
As Maria proceeded to continue trying to make herself wake up, Michael happened to
glance out of the cafe window into the street. A limousine was parked in front.
�For us?� he asked Maria, raising his eyebrows.
Maria opened her eyes and sighed, �No Michael, it�s not.�
Michael looked back at it, �So you�re telling me this limousine appears in your dream
and it�s not for us.�
�Yes Michael,� Maria snapped, �That�s exactly what I�m telling you. It�s just part of the
scenery.�
Michael shook his head and grabbed her hand, �Let�s go see if anyone is in it.�
�Michael, for God�s sake,� Maria groaned as he dragged her out of the Crashdown, �Just
stop it. This whole thing with you being in my dream is ridiculous. I want you to leave
on your own right now since I can�t seem to make myself wake up.�
Michael shook his head, �I don�t know how to pull myself out, and besides, I don�t want
to. Now come on and relax, try and have some fun.�
Maria sighed as Michael dragged her to the limousine parked on the curb. As they
approached, a man in a chauffeurs uniform hopped out of the drivers side and came
around to the sidewalk. He opened the door to the back of the limo for them, �Here you
go sir,� he said to Michael.
Michael just shrugged and climbed into the back of the limo, pulling Maria in with him.
He crawled over to the window seat. The chauffeur closed the door behind them and
walked around to the drivers side. He got in and rolled down the window separating the
2 halves of the car. �Home sir?� he asked Michael.
Michael nodded, �What the hell, let�s go �home�.� he turned to the sullen Maria beside
him, �So Maria, where is home in this dream.�
She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back against the seat, �I don�t know Michael.
The dream usually ends right now and I wake up. Oh, and by the way, I like my usual
dream �you� better. He listens to me and well, acts a lot nicer than you.�
Michael leaned over to her. Maria, since her eyes were closed was startled when she
heard him say right by her face, �But can dream Michael do this?�
He leaned in and kissed her, hard. Michael wrapped his arms around her as his lips met
hers. Maria forgot all else, and threw her arms around his neck and returned his kiss
wholeheartedly. Michael leaned her down on the long seat of the limousine. He dragged
his mouth away from hers and trailed kisses down her neck. Maria shivered and pulled
his mouth back to hers. Michael put his hand on her stomach and began to move it
up.
�Michael,� he heard a voice call out. The window in the limo had been rolled down and
the chauffeur was talking to him, except this time it was Max, �Michael!�
�Michael,� the voice said and a hand shook his shoulder, �For God�s sake, wake up. It�s
7 already and we have to go.�
With that all traces of the great dream began to fade from his mind. He looked up to find
himself staring at the face of Max. He felt Maria stir against his chest and realized she
too was now awake.
�What are you doing in here Max?� Michael yawned, wincing as Maria pushed herself
off of him and accidentally jabbed him in the ribs.
�We have to start driving again,� Max said. He watched Maria stand up, looking
embarrassed, �But, I suppose I should ask you what you are doing here too.�
Michael shot him a murderous glance, �Actually Max, it�s none of your damn business.
But, if you must know, I came here to talk to Maria when you and Liz were hanging over
each other in our room. We obviously fell asleep in each others arms.�
Max tossed his arms up in the air �Listen, whatever you want. I just came to tell you
we�re moving out in half an hour.�
Max stood up and walked quickly out of the hotel room. Michael glanced over at Maria
who was fishing through her bag. She pulled out her makeup kit and a clean outfit. �I�m
going to take a shower,� she said, and walked into the bathroom before he could say
anything.
Michael watched her go in. He hoped she didn�t regret the things they had said last night,
or the things they did in her dream. In fact, when he thought about that dream, the more
laden with significance it was. The whole part with him taking her home in a limo.
Michael remembered their conversation that night in the motel on the way to Texas. She
had told him about her old fantasy of her dad sweeping her off in a limo away from
Roswell New Mexico. How much of a coincidence was it that that was the theme of her
dream now?
Maria stood in the shower stall. The water was coursing over her body, but she wasn�t
washing. The stood with one hand bracing her on the shower wall, the other on her
stomach. The same place Michael�s hand had been only minutes before in her dream.
The funny thing was, she hadn�t wanted it to stop. Quite the contrary. Maria knew the
consequences of what she wanted, but in her head right now, they didn�t seem to matter
so much. Maria sighed and grabbed the soap from the shelf.
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