Don't own these characters... nope, they belong to the creators and etc etc etc you know the deal...

***

"Wow, I can't believe this, my own place!" Michael said, looking around at his new-- okay a little shabby and dinky-- one bedroom apartment.

"Yep, ol' boy, it's all yours," Maria said, holding the last of his boxes of random stuff he cleaned out from Hank's trailer a month ago.

Maria. There were no words to explain his relationship with her. It was dynamic. Explosive. No, those words weren't even close.

Since that rainy day two months ago where he finally let himself feel the love for her that had been locked in, he hadn't looked back. He spent all his free time with her, even if he sometimes felt like he never spent any time with Max and Isabel, sometimes he just felt that if he didn't spend time with her that she would leave him.

Yeah, he knew he was stretching it a bit, but he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk not having her by his side.

"Max and Isabel should be over in while to help you out, right?" Maria asked as she placed the box down.

"Yeah, they should be, but I'm glad that they're not here now. Time for us to be alone," he said, pulling her into his arms, and holding her tight. He did that a lot these days.

"We're always alone these days, Michael," Maria said, giggling.

"And that's a very good thing."

He couldn't help feeling protective of her, she was all he had, excluding Max and Isabel.

"Liz and Alex should be by too. Their bringing some stuff so that we can clean this place up a little and make it look more homey," Maria said as she moved out of his arms and started unpacking his boxes. "And we have to hurry this up, unless I stay here with the rest of the gang, but you have to go to work."

"Maria..." he groaned. He knew had to go but she was such a nagger these days.

"Don't Maria me, Michael. You know you have to work and keep your grades up in school. That was the deal."

"Yeah I know, you never let me forget it," Michael mumbled.

"What was that?" she said as she stopped what she was doing and glared at him.

"I didn't say a thing, hun," he said, grinning at her as he started doing some unpacking himself.

"Uh-huh."

***

It was great to have the whole gang at Michael's place. She giggled to herself as she thought about the fact that Michael had a place. He was only sixteen.

She sat on the floor and just watched everyone. Max and Liz were trying so hard not to let their feelings show but it was so obvious that they wanted to be together, and she wasn't even going to think about the Alex thing with Isabel. That was interesting in itself, but she wanted Alex to be happy and if Isabel could let down her alien defenses maybe they would finally get somewhere.

"Hey," said a soft voice behind her.

Oh, and Michael. She couldn't forget him. The love of her life, her broken wall.

"Hi yourself," she said, turning her body around and kissing him softly.

"Mmmm... what was that for?"

"No reason, it just looked like you needed a kiss."

"Well, by all means you're free to act out any of your urges," he said, grinning broadly.

"Hey guys, place looks pretty good," Alex said as he walked out of Michael's kitchen, if you could call it that.

"Thanks to you guys. I think this place could use paint to it too. That would be fun thing to do together," Michael said.

"Sure, if you want to get paint all over yourself," Isabel said, wrinkling her nose."

"You'd look good with paint spots, Izzy," Alex said.

"I know you would think so, Alex," Isabel said, grinning at him.

"Someone has to get ready for work," Maria said in a high pitched voice.

"Yes, Mother," Michael said as he squeezed her tight.

"Ow... Jerk," she said, wiggling out of his arms. "I think it's time we left."

"I think you're right, Maria," Max said, grinning at Michael. "I think we should leave Michael alone as he gets ready for his late shift at the House of Pies."

"Shut up, Maxwell," he said.

Obviously Max was referring to the nice House of Pies uniform that Michael had to wear.

***

He was alone. He looked around his apartment and sighed. He hated feeling alone, but he'd gotten used to the feeling at Hank's place. However this time it felt different. The loneliness didn't consume him like before. This time he felt like he needed to be alone, because he knew he wasn't going to be alone any longer.

He smiled. Yup, in a couple of hours his friends would stop by the House of Pies and nag him, and Maria would come by during his break so they could spend it together. So right now being alone felt quite good, because he knew he didn't have to be alone any longer.

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