Title: Miracle
Author: Caroline
Email: caroline_114@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: No money is being made, don't sue!
Category: Michael/Maria mostly, but a tad M/L
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Michael realizes he could have been wrong about his relationship with Maria, but does she still want him?

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Chapter Three
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'I didn't come this far
For you to make this hard for me
And now you want to ask me how
It's like How does your heart beat
and why do you breath
how does your heart beat and why do you breath?'

Michael continued to take Maria into the cave. "Michael, can't you answer me one question, why did you take me here?"

Once they entered the cave Michael dropped her hand. "You ask too many questions Maria. Is it so unusual to leave school and go away, and bring someone with me?" Michael was staring at the walls of the cave like he was looking for something.

Maria wondered what he was doing. "Yes it is Michael. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me? Wasn't that the deal? You had to be a stone wall and I made you crack?" Maria raised her hand in mockery. "That's the story isn't it? I'm not going to be that girl who is there whenever you want her but when you face reality you realize that you don't want her anymore. No Michael I won't be her. You don't want me, yeah I accept that. But you have to realize that it was your decision, not mine, this is completely one-sided, your choice. Just take me back to Roswell Michael." She let all her anger for him come to the surface. In her speech she let out all the things she felt inside. Everything she thought was true.

Michael winced in pain a bit as she was speaking to him. He knew he had hurt her while he was keeping his distance, but he honestly didn't know he had hurt her this much, or that she actually wanted to be with him. It had been his stubbornness and insecurities that kept them apart. "Maria would you just listen to me? I didn't come here to fight with you." He was more serious now than he had ever been Maria could see the seriousness in his eyes. "I do have to be a wall, I have to be strong for Max and Isabel. So when they're both weak I can be the support. It's the same way with them, if I'm weak then they're the strong ones for me. It's the way it's always been, and always will be. When you, Liz, and Alex entered our world rules were changed and rules were broken. Especially with Max and Liz."

Michael was cut off by Maria. "Listen, Michael you don't have to explain yourself to me ok?" Maria took one step closer to Michael.

He swallowed hard then returned his gaze to Maria. "Would you let me finish?" He saw her nod and continued. "When Max first took interest in Liz a long long time ago, me and Is tried to talk him out of it. He kept his distance for the most part. When he healed her we knew all bets were off. Now Isabel has learned to trust Alex and who knows what will happen between those two, Max has Liz and I've come to learn that Liz is probably good for Max. Then there is you and me. I backed off because of fear. I didn't want something to happen that would cause you to feel all the pain I knew you would. But seeing Max with Liz I came to terms that they were making the most of their time. We could be here for life, or we could be here for another week. They're willing to take that chance of happiness even if it's for just a little while." Michael paused and took a deep breath in. "And I think that I'm ready to take that chance also. So that's it, are you game?"

The fate of them was in the hands of Maria's decision. Michael kept his eyes on Maria the entire time. Maria leaned against the wall for support. Her mind was going a mile a minute, thoughts racing, contemplating what to do. Finally she spoke. "Michael, I have some theories. One is that I am still sleeping and this is a massive dream I am having due to the amounts of caffeine I had last night. The next is that someone hit you over the head with a large baseball bat and now you are completely delusional. The last is that you're not thinking clearly and as soon as you realize the consequences you will come to me, explain that you didn't know what you were saying and that you take everything back and return to being a loner. So at this point I really don't know what to think." Maria took another deep breath in to regain control of her frantically beating heart.

Michael had his lips pursed together. "So that's what you think? You think this is some massive lie or scheme or some sort? You can't accept the fact that I just might like you, or you don't want to accept that fact that I do like you? Then maybe I was wrong in coming here with you. Maybe I was wrong in thinking you could have the capability to return someone's feelings. Come on, I'll take you back to Roswell." He turned and walked back to the jeep running a hand swiftly through his hair.

Maria stood there for a moment. 'God, he was telling the truth.' She thought to herself. She forced her tears back in her eyes, walking towards the jeep.

'Why did you come here
You weren't invited
You were on the outside
stay on the outside
and now you want to ask me why
It's like How does your heart beat
and how do you cry
how does your heart beat'

Their whole ride home they sat in silence. Nobody said a word, they both barley even moved. Even when Michael stopped the jeep at Maria's house to drop her off nobody said a word.

Maria practically ran into her house. She slammed the door shut, stomped her foot against the floor and finally broke down into tears. Her breath was shaky as were her heartbeats. She had basically ruined all her hopes that Michael might come around one of these days.

Maria composed herself, wiped her eyes and then walked into her room. She kneeled on the floor right where her window was and stared outside. She gulped in the fresh air that swept into her room because of the open window.

Michael sat on his excuse for a bed with his hands on his head. Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind would replay the situation out in the desert. How could she not have believed him. His whole life was a joke, and this just proved it more for him.

'It's like how does your heart beat
and how do you cry
How does your heart beat
And there are something
I'd like to figure out
there are some things
That I can do without'



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