Disclaimer: I don't own them... blah, blah.. but I wish I did!! Esp M&M...

Spoilers: Nada

Rating: PG

Category: Michael & Maria

Summary: Was it just a hallucination, or did Michael really say...

Author's Note: I had so much fun playing with the episode titles/song titles. Hope you have as much fun reading it! (PS: The songs listed were on the show in on epi. or another)

***

One early morning, (7am, to be exact) Maria was talking to her Pilot cousin over the phone in her room, The Morning After they went to the Monsters bar for a drink.

"I'm still feeling the after effects of that darn brew. Makes me feel like I'm Leaving Normal or something..." Jolie said, slurring her words.

"Yup, I can tell." Maria quipped, "I could sense that your sobriety was Missing."

At least Jolie wasn't the one who drove back via 285 South. In fact, Maria was thankful that she didn't drive. Period. As she didn't feel the effect of her drink yet, she was the one that drove. Somehow, she could feel a little side effect from the River Dog brew she had. She only had a sip, but she was feeling a little funny, but still very sober.

"So, you were talking about Madison's step-brother...?" Maria prompted.

"Naww..." Maria could hear her hiccup and giggle on the other line, "Scott is her Blood Brother... anyway, I'm not in the mood... I'll call you back! Bye!"

Before Maria could speak, the click at the other end beat her to it. All she could hear was the dead dial tone.

***

"Whew... what a Heat Wave we're having..." Maria said out loud. She turned on the fan and stood in front of it. The cool air that blasted back at her felt so cooling.

"Trying to Balance your temperature, Deluca?"

She knew that voice. With out turning around, she asked, "How did you get in?"

"The front door. Amy let me in. What a sweetheart." Michael fingered a Toy House on Maria's study as he spoke.

Maria smiled. Amy Deluca had a soft spot for her 'little wrestler'.

"So space-boy, what brings you to this neck of the woods so early in the morning?"

"Well earth-girl, I just so happened to be In the Woods, so I decided to stop by."

She turned to face him. "You're kidding, right? At 7 in the morning?"

"Well, I felt like taking a walk, okay?"

She shrugged and smiled. "Whatever... anyway, not going to visit Max at The UFO Convention today?" Maria casually inquired, fingering a blonde lock of hair.

"Nah..." Michael gave a small smile, "Got tired of seeing Maxwell in a green alien mask." They both laughed & she shuddered at the thought of Max in a gigantic puke-green alien mask. Maria was secretly happy that he had chosen him over his best friend.

She walked up to her bed and curled up on it. "So, what's up with you lately?" she inquired a 2nd time, looking at him.

"What's this? 20 questions?" They both laughed.

"Well, if you must know, I was almost set up on a Blind Date by Isabel, but with you in mind, I refused. Then, I had to do a bit of spring cleaning, 'cos my apartment looked like one of those disaster scenes from Independence Day, otherwise, you wouldn't even go a mile near my place. And since no-one looked me up the last couple of days, I just spent my time listening to 'Sexual Healing' by Marvin Gaye, singing it in the shower & pondering about us. Other than that, nothing interesting."

Maria was shocked and pleasantly surprised that all his activities included her somehow or another. She lay on her back and laughed at the thought of Michael singing in the shower.

"Hope the azaleas I gave you haven't wilted," she quipped, recalling that he had placed the potted plant in his bathroom. He jokingly shot daggers back at her, and then they both laughed again.

My, she thought. Aren't we in a good mood today?

She suddenly became thoughtful, and smiled at his last remark. "Us? Why us?" Michael walked over to Maria's bed, and lay his head on her stomach, and she started playing with his hair. "Guess it sounds Crazy, huh?"

Michael could hear her murmur, "No... no, not at all."

"Well, after that 'Tess, Lies & Videotape' fiasco, I just started thinking, y'know? I mean, Max was getting all these weird visions of Tess, even though he was with Liz. So I was thinking, would I get these kinda visions when I'm with you? Of someone else, I mean."

Maria stopped tracing the Four Squares on Michael's shirt. "Wh-what are you implying? That you want to stop seeing me 'cos you're afraid that you'd get visions of someone else? Not from this earth? Fine. Stonewall? Whatever. But this? Totally Max To the Max!" She crawled over him and walked to the window & just stood there with her arms crossed.

Michael jumped up and calmly walked over and stood behind Maria. "Can you just hear yourself? Me, stop seeing you? Just because of a few visions that are probably going to be another one of Tess's mind-games? What a laugh." Michael paused and looked around the White Room, before redirecting his gaze to the back of Maria's head again.

"I'll never do that, Deluca. You mean too much to me." He put his arms round Maria's waist and gave her a light hug. "You're my Destiny, " he whispered in her ear.

Maria gasped at his last few words. She'd never imagine that he'd say that. She wondered if hallucinations were part of the after-effects of her drink.

"I don't think so, Maria," Michael jokingly whispered in her ear. She gasped again, and hit his hands lightly, which were snugly fastened round her waist. It felt like they were meant to be there.

Michael put his head to hers, and they just stood there, staring at the beautiful scenery ahead of them. Well, houses, cars and trees didn't seem like the ideal scenery to gaze at, but for some funny reason or another, she felt that it was beautiful. Anything she was looking at seemed beautiful as long as Michael was there.

Maria suddenly felt a bit dizzy. "Michael... I think I have to..."

Michael wordlessly helped her to her bad, and lay her on it. He stood back to look at her. God, she's beautiful, he thought.

She opened an eye, "So if I am, will you kiss me?"

Michael laughed. Seems like her sense of humour hasn't left her. He bent down, so that his face was aligned with hers, and then he kissed her lightly on the lips. When he broke the kiss, she opened her eyes and shuddered.

"Are you cold?" he asked, standing up, "I'll just get your blanket..."

Maria caught hold of his hand. "Don't leave me. I don't want to lose you again... can you stay Here With Me? Please? I'll be Ever So Lonely..."

Maria was delirious, Michael realized. He smiled and crawled into bed next to her. "I'll NeverLet You Go, Maria, don't worry. I Love You."

Maria felt like she was Fumbling Into Ecstasy - he finally said it! She smiled dreamily as she drifted off to sleep...

***

"Maria dear, have you..." Amy Deluca said as she opened Maria's room door. She saw the two teenagers lying side by side on her daughter's bed, sleeping soundly. One of Michael's arms were wrapped protectively around Maria's waist, and there was a peaceful smile on Maria's lips.

Amy smiled at the sight. She thought it was so cute. She had this urge to Take A Picture, but decided against it. The last thing she wanted was Maria screaming that she'd invaded her privacy.

She definitely wouldn't go, "Hey Man, Nice Shot." Not her Maria.

She decided not to disturb them. After all, she couldn't possibly hit Michael with a half-eaten Candy bar, right? Amy chuckled, recalling a previous caper with Michael that involved finding him in bed with Maria, a newspaper & his head. She was Honestly OK with it this time.

She was so glad that Michael said, "Please Let Me In." earlier on. Even if he didn't say it, she would have done so all the same. Must be the Woman in Me, she thought.

She knew that he had a thing for her daughter, and vice-versa. And she knew that Maria made the right choice. And she was glad.

Someday, she thought hopefully, as she closed the door, it'd happen to her too.

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