Title: Believe in the Love

Author: Susan

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: M/M

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all

Spoiler/Notes: Michael’s thoughts after telling Maria that he loved her and road off in Graduation.  Writing in Bold comes from Graduation transcript at Crashdown.com

Muse #19 - A character(s) must remember a time, a place, or a person that has
changed their life.

[Maria is outside her house when she sees Michael sitting out by the curb on his motorcycle. She walks over to him.]

Maria: I thought you were leaving.

Michael: I am... but I just wanted... I dunno.

Maria: --t'say goodbye?

Michael: (struggles to form words, then speaks.) ...I wanted to say that this thing has been screwed up from the beginning. You and me. Us. Just the whole long, stupid story...

Maria: ...Thanks...

Michael: But I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's meant so much to me, y'know. From day one, from the moment I kidnapped you and stole your car... I knew you were the girl for me. I never wanted anyone else...

Maria: Michael... (takes a step towards him, sad, but touched.)

Michael: I still don't. Just... Wherever I'm goin', whatever I'm doin', just know I'll always love you.

[Abruptly, Michael puts on his helmet and starts his bike.]

Maria: Wait. No... wait. You - you can't just say that and then---

[Michael rides off, leaving Maria standing in the street, stunned and lost.]

******************

Riding away from her knowing how she must be hurting, how her heart is breaking in two, was the hardest thing that Michael ever had to do. Michael had walked away before, several times in fact, but this time was different, this time there couldn’t be any going back.

He didn’t want to go, at least he didn’t want to leave her, but she was safer far away from him. The government wouldn’t rest until they found them and gunned them down, if Liz’s vision could be believed. Michael wasn’t entirely sure if he believed what she saw but he couldn’t take the chance that Maria could be hit in the crossfire.

As he rode through the streets of Roswell, he couldn’t stop himself from remembering every moment of every day that he had spent with Maria. From that day he kidnapped her and stole her car to follow his quest to Marathon, Texas, to their day of living the high life at the Dupree estate then watching her live her dream of singing in a Vegas night club, to the night he showed her his heart and they made love and even the gut wrenching day she broke his heart as she walked away from him to find herself and her dreams in New York to his last glimpse of her as he put on his helmet and road away. 

Maria. Everything good that had happened in his life, every happy moment he had centered around Maria. Michael never wanted anyone else, she was the only girl for him and he would always, always love her. She was it for him. Wherever he ended up, he knew that he would think of her every day and remember every moment he had spent with her as clearly as he did today as he drove out of Roswell.

Michael rode all night long getting further and further away from Roswell.  He tried not to think of those he left behind. He tried to forget about how it felt to say goodbye to Max, his brother, to Isabel, his sister and to Kyle and Liz, his friends. But he did not even try to forget about Maria. She was what was keeping him going. It was because of her that he was able to walk away.

He made it to Phoenix, 577 miles away, before he turned back. His heart ached, his body hurt, his mind screamed. He knew he had to go back. Leaving was wrong. Once upon a time he had sworn he wouldn’t run away again, of course he almost had, but in the end he had come back. He came back for his family and more importantly for Maria. That whack, Madame Vivian, said to ‘Believe in the love’. Love meant only one thing to him, Maria. It was because of her that he was able to love. Before her, he had Max and Isabel but he always felt like he was on the outside. Maria made him feel like he was apart of something for the first time in his life. It was because of her that he was able to really open up to his ‘family’. Sure they had their problems, what families don’t but in the end they belonged together. They needed to be together.

So Michael turned his bike around and headed back to the only home he had ever known. Back to Roswell. It was nearly dark by the time he finally made it back. He stopped right outside of town, his mind still racing, trying to decide if he was making the right decision. His hand kept brushing against the card that Madame Vivian gave him so he wouldn’t forget. ‘Believe in the love’. Michael had finally made up his mind what he was going to do when he saw the convoy of black vehicles heading into town. He pulls something out of his back pocket and looks down at it - it is The Lovers Tarot card. He stares after the convoy for a moment, frowning, then dons his helmet and starts the engine. The card lays on the ground.

Michael followed the convoy. They were headed for the high school. Tonight was Graduation. They would all be there, Maria would be there and the convoy of vehicles had to be the special unit. Liz’s flash was going to happen tonight. Michael knew he had to do something.

As the convoy pulled into the school parking lot, Michael noticed four figures quickly sneak out of the school. Michael felt a moment of relief. They were safe. Then he realized that there were four figures not five and he was sure that Max was the missing one. Max, forever the leader, would have made sure that the others were safe. He would have sacrificed himself for the people he loved.  Madame Vivian’s words haunt him ‘Believe in the love’.

Michael saw the group of men walk into the school so he did the only thing he could. He started up his bike and rode in after them. He didn’t think about what he was doing. All he heard was Madame Vivian’s words and all he saw were the faces of his family. Just as they were about to move, Michael used his powers to surge the lights and sped into the auditorium and up the stairs of stage.

Michael: Let's go!!

[Max jumps onto the motorcycle behind Michael, and they roar off down the aisle, bowling over the Special Unit group, breaking open the doors of the auditorium, and racing off down the dark halls into the night.]

Michael said a silent prayer of thanks. They were safe, for now. They headed for the ruins of the Pod Chamber knowing that is where the others would go. As they pulled up next to the others, Michael almost forgot to breathe when he took off his helmet and looked over at Maria. It had been 24 hours since he had seen her last and he felt that it had been years. Getting off the bike, not really knowing what they were going to do next, what was in their future, the only thing he was sure of was no matter what, he would always remember that it was because of Maria and her love that he was able to ‘Believe in the Love’.

The End