Rating: Child
Disclaimer: Not mine, at least not in the real world
Author: Karin(somewhere87) - karinfreijd@passagen.se
Category: Focus on Maria, but with lots of M&M
Summary: It's father's day, how will Maria cope?
Prologue
“Father’s day. How much I always hated that day, no one will understand. I have hated it for about 10 years. I have dreaded this day. I have felt panic, I have felt sick, I have cried on that day. There is no day that I hate more then Father’s day”
Maria groaned as her alarm clock went of with a sigh she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t wanted to go back, okay so she never wanted to leave her bed. But it felt extra hard today. Why you ask? Today was Father’s day. She hated that day more then anything else. She hated working at the Crashdown and watching all the dads with their children, especially dads with their daughters. She hated the looks she got from Liz and her dad, they always said that she could go with them on their father/daughter day. But she always said no. She didn’t want their pity, she didn’t wanted to be some charity case. She always platted on her smile and told them to go out and enjoy the day. Then she would go back to work like nothing was wrong. In true Maria De Luca style she would do her ´Teflon babe´ act. Act is as nothing could get to her, nothing could ever hurt her. Then after hours of working, she would go home to her house, into her room and cry. Because that is how Maria De Luca spent father’s day.
Michael looked up as the backdoor flung open, and in walked a Maria. He looked down, not being able to meet her eyes. Things had been weird on them ever since the whole Courtney thing. Sure she had forgiven him, saying she understood, but hadn’t really talked or hung out ever since. And as much as he hated to admit it, he missed her like crazy. He heard her throwing stuff into he locker and glanced out in the backroom just in time to see Liz and Mr Parker walking down the stairs. He couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between the three humans
“Maria, why don’t you take the day off, and spend it with me and Liz?”
“Oh Mr P, you know I would love to, but I really need the money”
“Come on Ria, it would be so fun”
“I am sorry Lizzie. Now go and have fun!”
“Are you sure Maria?”
“Mr P go! Have fun! I will be all right! I promise”
Michael heard both Mr Parker and Liz sigh as Maria entered the restaurant. He gave them a short nod as they left. Just a few minutes later Maria walked up and placed an order.
“4 Saturn rings and one galaxy sub!”
She didn’t wait for a reply, instead she went to fix some drinks. With a light frown Michael started cocking up the orders. If this was a few weeks ago, he would be hearing her talk about him, herself and them, he never thought he would say this, but he missed her stupid babbling.
He jumped as he heard her voice behind him.
“So where are you spacebuds?”
“Is and Maxwell are on some camping trip with their dad and Tess tagged along the Valentis to something”
“Oh ok…so how are does orders going?”
“Coming right up”
Maria nodded and turned her back against him and leaned back against the window that separated the kitchen from the restaurant. Her gaze went throw the room, and it stopped on a older man and a younger girl. The young girl giggled at something the older man said. She had blonde hair the reached her shoulders, she wore a light blue dress and a big smile. Maria smiled lightly as the man ruffed around her hair, she got so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even hear Michael.
“Hey Blondie you order is up!”
“Huh? Oh right sorry”
She quickly took the plated out of his hands and darted out to the customers. And so it went on for the rest of her shift. Running from the customers to Michael and then back. Maria sighed as she throw herself into one of the booths, after she had locked the front doors. She jumped in surprise as Michael sat down in front of her and placed a plate with food in front of her
Maria raised an eyebrow as she sat up and looked at Michael. In his fashion Michael stonewall style he just shrugged and pointed at her plate with his fork
“You haven’t eaten all day”
“So?”
“So eat”
“Whatever, why do you care?”
“Because if you don’t eat you gonna bitch and moan all night, I am so not in mood for it. It sucks enough having to be forced closing up”
”Nice to hear you care so much”
“Whatever just eat it will you, I want to get out of here”
Maria sat up and started eating the food, she hated to admit it, but it tasted great.
“Have plans Spaceboy?”
“Hockey finale tonight”
“Oh of course”
“So what are you doing tonight? Yapping all night with Parker?”
Maria just smiled sadly
“Nope she is spending the night with her dad, they have some tradition. Every year”
“Some special event I should know about?”
“Not that you would know but it is fathers day today”
Michael looked up for a second stopping eating
“Well that explains all the families today”
”Yeah every year”
“So…”
“So?”
“So what are you doing tonight”?
“Same old same old, Ben&Jerry, old friend episodes”
“Your mom not home?”
“Nope, some stupid convention, she will be back next week”
”Oh..”
“So let’s clean this mess up, don’t want to make you miss the game”
”Huh? Oh yeah, the game, of course”
They both got up, and started clean up. While Michael dished, Maria mopped the floor. Within an hour they where done. Michael waited in the alley while Maria changes her clothes, she had promised him to give him a ride home. Maria came out, locking the doors, before walking to her car, Michael not far behind. As Maria started the car, she felt Michael’s gaze
“What?”
“Nothing…just wondering..if you don’t want to be alone, you could spend the night with me”
“MICHAEL!”
“Not like that! I mean at my apartment, I could take the sofa, just it’s not good for any of us to be alone. The skins attacked us not long ago..”
“I don’t know..”
“Well I know, let’s stop at your place and get some stuff, and then head to mine”
“Whatever okay”
After getting some things at Maria’s, they drove the short ride to Michael. He walked in first, and she followed, she couldn’t remember the last time she been there. It had to be last year. Michael frowned as she stood in the doorway, their eyes met.
“Are you coming in?”
“Yeah sorry, just I can’t remember the last time I was here”
Michael frowned again, as he too couldn’t remember when that was. She just shook her head and walked in, closing the door behind her. Putting her stuff down on the floor she walked in, and sat down on the couch. Michael did the same, shutting on the TV. Maria expected him choosing hockey, but was surprised as friends showed. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he just shrugged. They sat in silence as the watched the two episodes of friends, Maria then told Michael that he could put on the hockey. After 5 minutes Maria started to feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. She put her feets under herself and curled up to a ball at her side of the couch resting her head on the armrest. She started drift of, as there was a commercial break. Just her luck the first one was about fathers day gifts, there was pictures of smiling dads and their kids.
Maria felt tears building in her eyes and she tried to blink them away, but they kept coming. She let out a small sob.
Michael’s head snapped as he heard Maria’s sob, he saw the tears in her eyes, and his heart broke. With a deep breath he pulled put his arms and gently moved them both so he spooned her from behind. He used his powers to turn the TV off. He felt her struggle for a couple of seconds, so he just hugged her a bit tighter, and whispered in her ear:
“Shh it is going to be ok. You don’t have to tell me”
To tired to keep on struggle, Maria let her tears come, she cried and cried as he stroked her hair and talked to her quietly. After a few hours they where both a sleep.
Maria woke up in the middle of the night, feeling a warm body behind her. She carefully turned around, and faced a peacefully sleeping Michael. Maria couldn’t help but smile, how relaxed he looked. She gave him a light kiss on his lips and whispered
“Thank you”
She then snuggled closer to his cheats, and felt his arms hugging her tighter.
Maybe father’s day wasn’t all that bad
THE END[/list]