Author: Susan

E-mail: susanandtad@cs.com      
Rating: PG-13 - R, for language and sexual situations. Nothing explicit.
Pairing: Maria/Kyle and Maria/Michael

Improv Challenge #3: fire -- shimmer -- reckless -- inspire
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the other characters they
belong to Jason Katims and UPN.
Spoiler: Everything up to Departure

Summary: Sequel to Unexpected Events Brief recap: Michael has been avoiding Maria. Maria and Kyle slept together.

Author’s note: I have decided I am going to do a whole series based on Improv. Challenges. It will be a little unconventional as well as conventional. Not sure how it will end.

I awoke at dawn. Well actually, I didn’t really sleep at all last night. My mind just wouldn’t let my body rest. I can’t believe I did something so reckless as to sleep with Kyle. He is my stepbrother for crying out loud. I could barely look at Kyle last night when I woke him up and told him he needed to go into his own room before our parents came home. I couldn’t help but notice that Kyle was having the same problem. Well the thought of having to sit across from him eating cornflakes was enough to inspire me to get out of this house before everyone else woke up.

I got dressed rather quickly and was able to get out of the house without anyone seeing me. I was determined to confront Michael. I needed to know what has been going on with him. I couldn’t think about anything else until I knew what the status of our relationship was. It was early and I knew he would still be asleep so it was a good time to corner him. When I got to his door my hands started to shake uncontrollably. I’m not sure if it was because of what I did last night or the fact that I was afraid that after today Michael and I would really be over with. In my mind I have always imagined Michael being part of my life, even before the aliens lost their way home. I knew that they would leave but a little part of me knew that Michael would still be apart of me, that we would never be separated for long. This morning that feeling was gone. Maybe I was finally able to accept that it isn’t meant to be, maybe I was ready to move on. I just don’t know. All I know is I was not going to be able to figure out what to do next until I found out what was going on with Michael. So I knocked on the door ready for whatever was to come.

Not for a million year would I have ever imagined what would happen next. Michael came to the door rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and yawning. He seemed very surprised to see me. I didn’t even give him time to say I word. I pushed him to the side and walked into the room demanding he tell me what was going on. I wanted to know why he was avoiding me, why he never had time for me any more, why it seemed like he would rather do anything else then be with me.  I asked him if he still loved me, if he wanted to break up with me but didn’t know how and I even asked him if there was someone else. Michael just looked at me for a moment and walked out of the room. I was about to storm after him but before I had a chance he came back into the room holding a box. He just handed it to me without saying a word. I opened it and I swear my mouth dropped to the floor. I can honestly say I have never been more shocked in my entire life. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. The band was silver, silver from one of his rings that he always wore, and it was designed with one of the designs from his planet and in the center of the design was a piece of one of the healing stones, which seemed to shimmer in the morning sun light. For once in my life I was speechless. My mind was barely able to register a coherent thought. Michael lifted up my chin so that he could look me in the eyes. He explained that he had spent so much time trying to make the ring perfect for me. It took him a lot of practice to get it just right and then he got nervous. He didn’t know if I would like it or what I would say. Plain and simply he got scared that I would reject him, that I wouldn’t want him. And if I wasn’t shocked enough he did the most un-Michael like thing I would ever expect of him.

*Flashback*

Michael took my hand and got down on one knee.

“Marry me Maria. I know that we are young and we haven’t even graduated from high school yet but I know what I want. I love you; more than I ever thought was possible. You are my home and I can’t even imagine my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my life making sure that you never doubt my feelings again.”

“Michael” it is the only thing I am able to say. I know that he is expecting an answer from me, an answer I am not ready to give. “I’m sorry Michael. I can’t…”

Michael gets up and walks away from me. I know he is thinking I am saying no. “Michael, wait.” I run after him and make him look at me “I’m not saying no. You just shocked the hell out of me. I wasn’t expecting this. Please just me a little time. I promise you I will answer you later, after my mind catches up with what just happened. Will you wait?”

“I will wait for you forever.” Michael says and kisses me.

* End Flashback *

So here I am again writing in my journal wondering what the hell just happened. Michael, being so un-Michael like, asked me to marry him. He made me this absolutely beautiful ring, which I am holding in my hand and can’t stop looking at. Michael said the most wonderful things to me, things that I have always wanted to hear. But was it all to late, because that isn’t the most surprising thing that happened today.

I left Michael’s in a rush. I couldn’t stay there any longer so I told him I had to go home and I would come back tonight. He kissed me goodbye. I practically ran out the door and once I did reach my house I did run inside heading straight for my room. I ran right into Kyle right before I got to my room. I fell backwards from the collision but Kyle caught me before I reached the ground. He pulled me up close to him. He asked if I was ok. I told him yes. I was about to pull out of his arms but then I looked into his eyes. I saw something I had never seen in Kyle’s eyes before. Desire. It took my breath away. So instead of pulling away from him I moved even closer. He leaned down and kissed me. This kiss was different then any that we shared the previous evening. It was much more intense. I pulled him into my room and shut the door behind us. My body felt like it was on fire. I can’t even explain all the feelings that were flowing through my body and my mind was literally shut down. It was so overwhelming. Luckily we were interrupted by the telephone before it went to far, this time. I jumped away from Kyle and answered the phone. It was Liz. I told her I would call her back later. When I turned around Kyle had already left the room. I was glad that he had left. I couldn’t let what almost happened to continue. It just wasn’t right.

Four hours later I was still sitting on my bed trying to decide what the hell I was going to do. I knew that I loved Michael with all my heart but then there was this thing with Kyle. It was obvious that there was something going on but for the life of me I couldn’t decide what. After all this time all I knew was I couldn’t agree to marry Michael until I told him about what happened with Kyle. I couldn’t keep that from him. It wouldn’t be fair. And if I was being fair then I guess I would have to tell Kyle about Michael asking me to marry me.  And I guess there was no time was better than the present.

“Kyle.” I shout.

After a few minutes he comes to my doorway.

“I have to tell you something.”

The End… for now