Title: Truth Part: 1 Author: Jane Email: mango_17@gurlmail.com Disclaimer: I own nothing Summary: Christmas fic ... for the soft at heart. Category: Michael/Maria Rating: PG
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To Maria, it seemed as though a miracle had occurred. Her mother was out of
town, it was the day before Christmas, and for and for the first time since she
could remember it was going to be a white Christmas. It was blizzarding outside
and she was in her cozy house cooking up some fresh gingerbread. *It's like a
picture out of one of those holiday magazines* she thought *Minus the guy. The
guy. Michael. Who the hell did he think he was? Too intense ... too intense?!
Whatever, just who was it who was getting to intense? It sure as hell wasn't
me! Okay, maybe I was getting a little attached ... but so was he. Why ... why
is it whenever I find myself thinking about him I'm not thinking of how he broke
me, I'm not thinking about the humiliation I went through, or the pity everybody
felt for me ... I'm thinking about the god damned eraser room.* She threw down
the dish towel in disgust and headed up stairs for a shower.
The scalding water felt heavenly as she was trying to rid herself from the
feeling of self-disgust. She was in there for a good half hour but her hands
were getting too pruney and the gingerbread had to get out off the oven so she
forced herself out of the refreshing stream of water and changed into her
khakis, a black tank top with a red sweater left open. Running a brush through
her hair she ran down stairs and took the gingerbread out of the over just as
the phone rang. She jumped to get it, her heart in her throat hoping for the
impossible.
"Hello?" She answered
"Hi, honey!" It was her mother. "I'm still in Santa Fe and by the looks of
things with the weather and all I'm going to have to stay the night."
"Alright, that's fine." Maria replied, she was almost pleased at this news,
thankful for the time alone.
"Okay, I'll be home tomorrow, though, I promise I won't miss Christmas. Did you
make the gingerbread?" She asked.
"Yeah, I got it covered."
"Okay, don't forget to decorate them and hang them on the tree. I was hoping
for some of yours and Liz's creations this year, but I guess the weather's too
bad. Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Kay, see ya."
"Bye, hun!"
Maria hung up the phone and turned on the radio. There was some kind of weather
warning and talking about power outages around the city then "The Right Kind of
Wrong" by Leann Rimes came on. *How typical ... a song that voices me entirely*
she slammed her hand down on the radio turning it off. She decided on her
Lauryn Hill CD, turned it up to full and started to make the icing for the
gingerbread men. In the middle of her singing, dancing and singing into the
spoon she spun around and screamed.
"Jesus Christ! Do you not know how to knock?!" She exclaimed while turning her
music down.
"I did," Michael replied looking rather amused. "As it turns out your music was
too loud or you were too caught up in it to notice."
"Thank you, I've had enough." She said almost without flinching "And now you can
leave." She said sounding almost as hard-assed as she wanted to. *Be strong, be
strong, be strong*
"You're honestly going to make me go out in that?" He challenged her.
With a sigh she continued to mix up the sticky mixture, listening to him take
off his jacket and wipe the snow off his hair. *How did I ever let her go.
She's adorable! No ... I can't get attached. I'll just hurt her. Hurt me.
Hurt.*
"Well, seeing as you're here, do you want anything?" she interrupted his
thoughts.
"What are you doing?" He asked ignoring her attempt at being hospitable.
"Making icing for the gingerbread men? You can help of you want." She said
almost biting off the words. *Why is he here? Why is he here looking so good?
Why can't I forget?*
"Whatever."
*May as well make the light in the situation* "Whatever?! Michael, Michael,
this is Deluca tradition! You're here, you may as well help out while you're
here, Liz was supposed to but the whole weather thing. And Max thing." *Stupid
stupid ... why did I have to mention Max and Liz*
"Yeah, well, I guess."
Silently she filled the icing tubes. Deciding it was too quiet she turned to
her cd player. She changed to cd to Matchbox 20 and sat down. They both went
to work, both content in the situation.
It's amazing
How you make your face just like a wall
how you take your heart and turn it off
how I turn my head and lose it all
it's unnerving
how just one move puts me by myself.
"I'll go change the cd, I think" she ran up to change it. *Good choice, Maria,
good choice, you're an idiot.*
"Yeah, good idea." *Did she do that on purpose? She wouldn't do that on
purpose. She knows I still want her. Still love her. She would never ...*
The mellow sounds of Ivanna Santilli drifted through the room and they continued
on their task. She started to giggle as she started her third gingerbread man.
She made it have a funny face with spiky hair and put on his ‘shirt' Michael.
He glanced up, saw it and laughed in spite of himself. From then on a war
started and they ended up with around twenty Michaels and twenty Marias. Her
mom was in for a surprise.
It didn't surprise either of them when the power blew, not only was the radio
predicting it but it seemed almost appropriate. They had just finished hanging
the men on the tree and they just kind of stood there, wondering what to do
next.
"I guess we should look for some candles and batteries before it gets dark. You
check the bedrooms, I'll check around here." *I need distance, and the last
thing I need to look at is a bed.*
With a small salute he ran to her bedroom. While in there he couldn't help but
look around. It had been so long, months since he was in here. He glanced at
the bed and tried not to remember the night when he let his guard down.
*Candles, batteries.* He ordered himself. There were numerous candles spread
around her room with each one he picked up he remembered a little more. Until
he came across her notebook, just a small journal. He stood over it wondering
what to do next ... *I can't read it, invasion of privacy, Michael. She would
freak out. Just one peak. Just one. The last one.*
Today like any other I couldn't not think of him. Every little thing, I found
some way to relate it to him. But he doesn't think of me. He doesn't think of
me ... then why can't I pass by the eraser room without getting that feeling
that I used to get. Yup, that settles it. I'm screwed.
Maria
*She thinks of me. She wants me. Why would she want me, it's not like I even
deserve her.* He ran out to the room where they had been and looked around.
Maria was nowhere to be found so he carefully placed to candles around the room
and went searching for her. He heard the door open.
"Michael!! Can you come get these?" Maria called. He went over and took the
pieces of fire wood she had gathered. He quickly put his shoes and jacket on
and joined her in bringing in the wood. On his last trip back he felt the thump
of a snowball landing promptly on his back. A smile spread across his face when
he looked at her mischievous smile. *God, she's beautiful.*
He then proceeded to drop the pile of wood he was carrying and they engaged in a
snowball fight. Laughing and carrying on they managed to stay out until it was
dark. Maria then found the perfect patch of snow that hadn't been disturbed and
laid down to make a snow angel. Half way through she got hit right on he nose
with a snow ball. She sat up disgusted and with a laugh started yelling. "That
was such a cheap shot!" She cried.
"May have been cheap, but it got you. And got you good, might I add." He said
with a smile.
With that she leaped up and with two handle fulls of the snow she jumped on his
back and dropped them down his jacket.
"How's that for good?" She laughed as she got off his back.
"Cold, very cold!" He than tackled her and the both ended up in the snow,
Michael on top of Maria. They stayed there then, wondering where this was going
to lead, if anywhere. Their eyes kept wandering from each others eyes to each
others lips.
"We should get inside before it's too dark to see the candles." Maria said,
hating herself right after she said it.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Was all Michael could get out. They stood up both
still laughing from the earlier events.
After lighting the candles she headed upstairs to get changed. *What is
happening? I thought ... I thought ... I don't think I have met anybody who
annoys me more ... less annoys ... more ... frustrates, I guess* She though
while changing into her dark blue jeans and a black fitted sweater and just as
she was about to leave she noticed her journal. *Could be in a more obvious
place? Earth to Maria, Michael's here ... journal goes away. She quickly put
it away and went into then living room where Michael was making the fire.
"What do you want for dinner?" She asked while pulling her socks on.
"Whatever's good for you, give me Tabasco ... I'll eat it." He said distantly.
As she walked into the kitchen Michael was thankful she left. *So, I can't be
with her why? I don't want to hurt her. Don't want to hurt her. Then why
can't I take my eyes off of her? Why ...*
She walked in with a plate full of crackers and cheese in one hand and Tabasco
in the other. She threw him the bottle and joined him on the floor next to the
fire. There they sat in silence for a good few minutes until ...
"So what do you want to do tonight?" Maria asked in hopes of some kind of
response. It seemed as though she woke Michael from a daze.
"Sorry?"
"What do you want to do tonight? We have Scatagories, Monopoly, Balderdash ..."
While she was listing the games she had Michael couldn't help but notice fire
reflecting in her eyes or the way they shone when she looked at him. He also
noticed her lips which seemed to be a natural rose colour which entranced him
for a while.
"Whatever." He answered, not meaning to be uncooperative, but was caught at a
moment where he couldn't think.
"Monopoly it is!" She exclaimed as she jumped up and ran for the game in her
room. He looked around him and was astounded at how well tonight turned out.
He just came in hoping for some shelter for a few minutes and ended up with
this. An enjoyable day, yet frustrating knowing that she still didn't forgive
him.
She came back with the game and called "I get the hat!" She came so close to
muttering "You can be the dog, you deserve that." But decided not to make
tonight bad. *Just forget about everything that happened and try to make the
best out of tonight.*
They played for an hour or so but decided to stop once Maria caught Michael
cheating money out of the bank. They were both laughing so hard they were
crying, but once everything got settled down again they caught each others eye.
Maria quickly turned her head and started to clean up. "So, ummm ... what do
you want to do now?"
"I don't know ... how about a game of truth?"
"Are you serious?" She asked in absolute astonishment.
"Yeah, I mean, unless you have something to hide ..." He challenged her.
"Not a thing. Let's go, you first." She said, not looking in his eyes.
"Kay, we'll start easy. If you could be anything in the world you would be ..."
*You're destiny* "A singer" she replied solemnly. "If you could change one
thing about yourself, what would it be?"
*You'd be with me* "I'd be stronger, mentally, I mean." He couldn't even look at
her. The game carried on like this for a while until Maria spoke up.
"You know, it's funny how a game like truth is so full of bullshit." She said,
not with any kind of expression, just like facing the facts.
"What?" Michael said with a bit of shock. He agreed with what Maria was saying
but wasn't about to admit it.
"Honestly, were any of your answers the truth? Cause mine sure as hell
weren't."
"You're right." He said stealing a glance at her. He wasn't sure what was
going to happen next until he saw a tear slide down her cheek. She quickly
wiped it away and stood up.
"It's late, Michael, I'm going to bed. You should stay the night, it'll be
easier. I'll make up the guest bed for you." She started to the guest room but
was stopped when he grabbed her hand. It wasn't the force that made her stop
but the touch of his hand on hers. They were both standing now, but Maria
couldn't bring herself to look at him.
"Maria, look at me."
"I can't." She said in a whisper. She couldn't find her mind right now, not to
mention her voice.
He walked around to face her, and tilted her head up. "Maria, I ..."
"Don't ... please, don't say anything." She now had tears streaming steadily
down her face remembering the pain. "I know what you're going to say. You're
going to go on about how you can't get attached because you want to make sure
you'll go home when it's time, but you know what? It's not fair for me, you
being too scared that you're too weak. You're killing me here, you're going to
have to choose ..." She was cut off with his finger placed gently on her lips.
"I was going to say that I was sorry. And that if you were willing to take the
risk, than I am too." She collapsed then into his arms, letting herself being
comforted. As she pulled away slowly he reached up and dried her tears. She
looked into his eyes then and he leaned in to claim her lips. It wasn't one of
the rushed kisses like in the eraser room, but a passionate kiss that made them
both, for once in their lives, complete.
They sat in front of the fire for hours just talking and enjoying the closeness
of each other until the eventually fell asleep in each others arms.
Maria awoke with Michael putting his coat on and anger raised in her throat.
All she could do was say "Don't you ever get sick of running away?"
He turned around then and went to her. He kissed her on the forward "I didn't
figure it would be a good idea for your mom to get home and see us here ... But
I'll stop by later on tonight, kay?"
She smiled as her anger melted away, "Kay, you're spending Christmas with us,
right?"
"Yeah, I am ... see you ..."
She went back to sleep and awoke with the taste of his lips still on hers. *Yes,
this is going to be a great holiday.*
