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Disclaimer: These things certainly are irritating aren't they? Anyway, to my disappointment, I do not own Maria, Michael, and/or any other plots or characters related to them. The people over at the WB and Melinda Metz have that honor. Futhermore, the lyrics throughout are those of the Dixie Chicks from their new album, "Fly".

Rating: PG-13

Category: M&M (Is there any other???)

Spoilers: Up to "The White Room", this story was written right after it and thus the plot conflicts with that of "Destiny" in several areas.

Feedback: I'll accept it in any form! Criticism, suggestions, compliments (hah!), *please* send it my way. I'd be more than appreciative considering this is my first fic!! ;)

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"I'm leaving."

Two simple words and yet they didn't fail to confuse the hell out of Maria. For what seemed like the longest minute in Michael's life she just stood there, returning his hesitant expression with one of utter confusion. He continued to watch as her face changed from confusion, to anger, to sadness, and back to confusion again.

"What?" Although her question seemed simple enough, it was anything but to Michael.

After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously replied, "I found Nasedo. He says we can go home."

Michael had considered just leaving, but knew that she deserved an explanation. He owed her that much.

He was about to elaborate but was distracted by the pained expression on Maria's face. He reached for her, trying to do something...anything, just to comfort her but she angrily pushed him away.

"Don't! Just let me be, I need to think."

As she spoke, she took three determined steps away from him and whirled around, leaving him with only the back of her shirt to stare at as she wrapped her arms around her body, which she was trying to keep perfectly poised and steady.

A thousand questions erupted in Maria's head at once, and although she wished to voice them all, she wisely chose to organize her thoughts first. It wasn't as if she had never expected him to leave. Then again, she hadn't. They'd been living together even since college, not married, but this was as good a commitment as any that she could get out of Michael. She convinced herself to accept and be satisified with what she had. But now she would finally allow herself to face her doubts and fragile emotions.

She had always wondered why they hadn't gotten married. They loved each other. Though they never said it in so many words, she knew he loved her. Their silences spoke many words. An affectionate hug, a gentle kiss, a steady hand holding hers were a constant reminder of his love. And yet, he never considered a further commitment, or if he did, he never mentioned it to her. Why? Was it because he still held onto his dream of going home? She cringed at the thought. Such an earnest dream, and yet one that would ultimately destroy their relationship.

After everything they had been through together, how could he leave her? Did his home mean so much more to him than she did, that he could just pick up and leave? She shuddered again, running her hands up and down her arms, trying to warm herself from an imaginary cold.

You said that we were gonna last forever
You said that our love would never die...

Michael steadily watched her, not knowing what to expect, not knowing what to do. He desperately wanted to tell her, that it wasn't her who was driving him away...that he loved her more than words could express.

But he couldn't, that would only make things worse...he had to leave, and declaring his true feelings would only hinder his cause. It was something he had been waiting for his whole life...to go home, to finally find the answers that had been plaguing him since the day he discovered his origin.

It was only now, over a decade later, that he finally had that opportunity to find the long-sought out truth. He couldn't just let it pass him by.

Abruptly, she turned and faced him again. The moonlight seeping through the blinds only served to display the immense pain that he had once again inflicted upon her. He could see the tears clearly welling up in her beautiful eyes. What he wouldn't give to wipe them away. To cradle her as she cried and assure her that everything would be okay. But how could he do that if he wasn't even sure himself that things truly would be?

"How did you find him?"

Ever since that horrible day when Max had been captured by the FBI and they had then rescued him, they had lost track of Nasedo. Michael had gotten Max back to Liz with the help of Sheriff Valenti as promised, but Nasedo had never rejoined them.

They had assumed the worst, that the FBI had taken Nasedo and ultimately had killed him. Tess was particularily convinced of this because she was no longer able to feel his presence as she had in the past.

With wariness in his voice, Michael spoke up. "He contacted us, the four of us, in a dream a few days ago." Michael glanced away.

He was anticipating Maria's bitter, angry reaction upon finding out that he had not informed her of the dream, but she was unusually calm...too calm, in fact. He could sense unsettling undertones of coldness beneath her voice. She sounded dead and unfeeling, and Michael was genuinely afraid.

"Where has he been all of this time?"

"He said the FBI shot him after I left, but since he has alien organs, he went unharmed except for the human blood that he lost. Pierce thought that he had been effectively shot and incapacitated him and ordered his men to take him back to the white room. Nasedo played along, acted as if he had passed out, until he had only one guard watching him. He then killed Pierce and made his escape. All this time they've been looking for him though, so he shut off any sensors that would enable Tess to feel his presence. He thought it would be safer that way, so that if he was caught, the FBI couldn't use him to find any of us."

"But why did he come to you now?"

"Apparently Pierce's operation has been shut down. Well, not completely... You see, Pierce is still as ruthless as ever, but the FBI is tired of funding a project that has no results. Especially after Max and Nasedo got away before any confessions or proof of their alien origin could really determined."

"But what about the blood? Max said that they got a hold of that and said that it wasn't human."

"They did, but it didn't sever as evidence enough for the FBI to go on, so they shut down the program. And just in time too! Nasedo says that our patience has paid off and that it is finally safe for us to go home."

'Our patience has paid off. Our patience has paid off.' This statement floated through Maria's mind again and again until she felt like screaming. The blood in her veins boiled.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

Maria was not surprised...this was just the sort of behavior Michael would exibit. Why should Michael hang around here any longer than he had to?

All this time Michael had just been waiting for Nasedo to come for him. Even though he suspected that Nasedo was dead he just couldn't give up his dream. Somewhere in his subconscious, Michael still had faith that a damn spaceship would come down and sweep him away from this awful planet...from Maria.

And yet she had given up on her limosuine coming to take her away. She had given up on it entirely because she was finally content when Michael was at her side. What a fool she was. How stupid she had been to give up her dream...to truly believe that Michael cared about her!

How could she have been so stupid? He had told her that short of Pamela Lee Anderson proposing to him he would never leave her. At the time, she had laughed hysterically, comforted by Michael's warped sense of humor. And yet she had believed him. What a fool.

You always said that the day you would leave me
Would be a cold day in July...

"When do you meet Max and Isabel?" she asked, showing more interest in them then she had in Michael.

Automatically she feared for Alex and Liz. Had they been informed of their spouses' departure? Of course they had, only Michael would wait for the last minute to drop a bomb shell like this on her.

"Actually, they're staying."

Maria heart swelled wildly and shattered in the same instant. Relief for her friends gushed over her. At least they were not going to be left behind.

And at the same instant, rage overcame her. Max and Isabel loved Liz and Alex enough to stay with them, but obviously Michael did not share that affection for her.

Time moves so slow and promises get broken
On this cold day in July...

Michael watched, horrified, as Maria charged to the closet in their bedroom, and lugged out their large suitcase from the top shelf. "What...what are you doing, Maria?"

"Over the years you have pushed me away, hurt me and left me countless times, Michael. I'll be damned if I let you do it again!"

Maria felt tears welling up in her eyes and quickly brushed them away with annoyance. She would not allow Michael to see her cry. To let him see that he might have well as pulled her heart out and crushed it into a million pieces. She had to be strong.

She paused and looked out the window, trying to give herself a minute to clear her mind so that she could figure out what she had to pack.

It looks like spring and
It feels like sunny weather
But it's a cold day in July...

"Maria, please...just look at me...just, don't do this."

'Don't do what?' Michael thought, what exactly did he not want her to do? He just felt so helpless, watching her pack her bags like there was no tomorrow. Perhaps there wasn't.

"Don't do what, Michael? Don't get mad? Don't leave? So what? It's okay for you do so but not for me??"

She stormed away into the bathroom, grabbed her things and threw them into the bag with all of her clothes. He watched her in silence, not knowing what to do or say. Or how he could even begin to answer her questions.

Your bags are packed not a word is spoken
I guess we said everything with good-bye...

He continued to watch her as she packed all her belongings, carefully leaving behind any reminders of them...any belongings that might trigger "Michael" memories. She added the cyprus oil on the dresser to her bag but failed to even glance at the picture of her and Michael lovingly placed but two inches away.

As if in a daze, he vaguely saw her hoist her bag on her shoulder and lift the suitcase in her other hand. As she made her way to the door, he sprang forward.

"Maria, wait, you can't just leave like this...I..."

"Give me one good reason why I can't! You were going to, and with no consideration either. Sure, you've left me plenty of times before with no problem, what's one more final time, right? Well, for once things are different: I'm leaving YOU. Let's see how you like it, okay?"

"One good reason? Maria, how am I supposed to..."

"Goodbye, Michael."

"Maria, wait...I want you to know that I..."

The door shut in his face before Michael could finish.

"...I want you to know that I love you."

He slumped against the door in defeat, not knowing that on the other side of the thin apartment door, a single tear was sliding down Maria's cheek as she heard his final words.

The moon is full and my arms are empty
All night long I've pleaded and cried...

But she had made up her mind. She couldn't fight the inevitable anymore. Michael was leaving her. And that left her to do the only thing she could: to try and piece back together the few remains of her shattered existence.

Ever so slowly, she made her way down the familiar hallway, to the stairs that she and Michael hand climbed hand in hand so many times. All the while, never bothering to wipe away the continuous flow of salty tears. She couldn't bear it anymore. She took off running down the remaining stairs, burst through the door and into the little Jetta that smelled so much like Michael.

Heartbroken and defeated, she laid her head on the steering wheel, allowing the stifled tears to rush out with an energy she had never before seen. Despite the heartache, she knew that she had to go on. She knew Michael would. So, gunning the engine, she pulled out into the dawning day, ready to start a new life.

Sun's comin' up comin' up down on Main Street
Children shout as they're running out to play...

When Michael had gained some assemblence of control a few minutes later, he went outside just in time to see Maria driving away into the gently rising sun. Michael fell to the ground with his arms wrapped protectively around his rough knees, as he watched the love of his life drive away into the new morning light, the winding road following her, as he never could.

Sun's comin' up comin'up down on Main Street
Children shout as they're running out to play
Head in my hands here I am
Standing in my bare feet
Watching you drive away
Watching you drive away...

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