Author: Jenny
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Michael/Maria
Rating: YTEEN
Summary: Future fic, set five years after the gang has graduated from high school. Michael and his daughter search for the perfect gift for Maria’s birthday. Fluff to the nth degree.
Author’s Note: Follows show canon through 4AAAB. The gang graduated normally – no FBI was after them so they never went on the run. This is for girl afraid, who won my services in the Support Stacie Author Auction. Hope I do okay with the Candy.
***
Michael Guerin walked along the mall corridor hand-in-hand with a petite little pixie. She looked at him with sparkling green eyes, adoration written all over her beautiful face. She was easily the prettiest girl in the whole place, probably the whole town. Michael couldn’t help the swelling of his heart every time she looked at him.
“Daddy, can we please go to the toy store?” the girl asked in an angelic little voice.
Okay, so maybe he was a little biased, but there was no denying that she was a gorgeous child. Michael still couldn’t get over how much she looked like Maria (and acted like her, too). He could see himself in the little face, too, especially when she smiled. Who would have ever thought that he and Maria could make something so perfect?
And who would have ever thought that Michael Guerin would turn into a softie? But that’s exactly what little Ali did to him – she had him wrapped around her finger so tight that Maria was constantly scolding him for spoiling her too much. He couldn’t help it – she knew just how to turn her daddy into a pile of goo.
But right now he had to resist her pleas to go to the toy store. Maria’s birthday party was tonight, and he still hadn’t gotten anything for Ali to give to her mom. He already had his own present taken care of, and his heart beat a little faster when he thought about giving it to her. It wasn’t something she’d asked for, and he usually ended up regretting it when he didn’t stick to her wish list, but he had a feeling he’d gotten it right this time.
“Maybe later,” he told his daughter. “First we have to buy a present for Mommy. You want to get your mom a birthday present, don’t you?”
Ali pouted for a moment, and Michael bit back a smile. Birthdays didn’t really matter much to four-year-olds unless it was their own.
“Daddy!” Ali suddenly squealed at his side, distracted again from their present hunt. Michael was beginning to think he should have come by himself and picked something out.
“Build-a-Bear!” She was pointing to the brightly colored shop on the other side of the corridor. “Please, can we go? Please?”
Stuffed animals had been Ali’s favorite toy ever since her Uncle Max had bought her a pink stuffed teddy bear for her second birthday. Since then, she’d garnered quite a collection, and the last thing she needed was another one – pretty soon there wouldn’t be any room for her to sleep on her own bed.
Just as Michael was about to tell her no again, his eye caught a sign hanging in the window, and he was suddenly struck with an idea. “Okay,” he told Ali, who was already pulling his arm in the direction of the store. It would do no good to dissuade her now anyway.
“Daddy, can I make a bear for Mommy?” Ali asked, excitement evident in her voice.
A small smile crossed Michael’s face. “You know what, Munchkin? I think that’s a pretty good idea.”
***
“Liz, what is all this?”
Liz Evans turned from where she was hanging a streamer along the Crashdown counter to look at her best friend, Maria DeLuca, who had just entered quietly through the back door. “Maria, you’re early!” she exclaimed.
Maria looked around the small diner and saw that Liz had decorations up everywhere, even a banner that read, “Happy Birthday, Maria!”
“Liz, I told you I didn’t want some big party,” Maria said, but she smiled in spite of herself.
“I know,” Liz replied sheepishly. “But I also know that you always sorta feel like your birthday gets overlooked because it’s so soon after Christmas, and I just wanted to do something special for you this year. A birthday to remember,” she added.
Maria perched on a barstool, setting her purse down on the counter. “Please just tell me you didn’t invite a bunch of people.”
Liz shook her head and smiled. “Just family, like you wanted.” Glancing at her watch, she said, “Speaking of which, they’ll probably be getting here soon, and I need to finish some stuff in the back. Could you finish hanging these?” She held up some more streamers.
Maria rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “I have to decorate for my own party? Some hostess you are.”
Liz stuck out her tongue at her friend and they both giggled. In truth, Maria was really touched that Liz had wanted to throw a party for her birthday and she’d been looking forward to it all week.
“Mommy!” Maria suddenly heard the familiar squeal and turned to see Michael and Ali coming in the back door. The little girl sprinted towards her mother, and Maria scooped her up into her arms with an “oomph.” Boy, she was getting heavy. She was going to be too big to carry soon enough, Maria thought with a pang.
“Hi, baby,” Maria cooed. “Did you have fun with Daddy?”
“Uh huh,” Ali said with a nod. “We had ice cream!”
“Oh, you did?” Maria asked, shooting a glare at Michael, who looked away guiltily. “I hope you didn’t ruin your appetite.”
Ali shook her little blonde head vehemently and Maria put her down, saying, “I bet Aunt Liz could use some big girl help. Why don’t you go see?”
Ali ran off eagerly. Maria loved that she was at the age where throwing the words “big girl” into a sentence could get her to do most anything.
She fixed her glare back on her boyfriend. “You bought her ice cream right before the party?”
Michael was saved from defending himself by the arrival of Max Evans and his parents and the Parkers, followed shortly after by Amy DeLuca and Jim Valenti. Everyone wished Maria a happy birthday and deposited presents on a little table that Liz had designated, much to Maria’s surprise (and glee). She hadn’t expected presents. This party idea really wasn’t so bad after all.
“Where’s my beautiful grandbaby?” Amy asked after she’d kissed Maria hello.
“I’m not a baby!” Ali piped up from behind Amy, who turned and gathered her granddaughter into her arms. “I’m a big girl! Right, Mommy?”
“You certainly are!” Amy exclaimed as she hoisted Ali up. “Lord, what are you feeding this child?”
Maria was about to made another snide remark about the pre-dinner ice cream when a sparkle caught her eye. Something very sparkly on her mother’s left hand. “Mom?” Maria questioned, looking from her mother’s face to her hand.
“Oh.” Amy blushed and held up her left hand for Maria to see, still holding Ali on her right hip. Maria grabbed her mother’s hand and stared at the diamond ring, then looked from Amy to Jim, who both had embarrassed smiles on their faces.
“When were you going to tell me?” Maria asked.
“Well, it just happened last night, and today’s your birthday, so…”
Maria finally recovered from her shock. “Wow! Congratulations!” she said, giving her mother a half hug so as not to squish Ali, and a big hug to Jim. More congratulations were offered as the others heard what was going on, and Maria looked at the happy couple wistfully. She was unbelievably happy for them, but a tiny part of her was jealous. First Max and Liz, now her mother and Jim… when was it going to be her turn?
Thankfully she couldn’t dwell on that thought for long, as Isabel and Kyle had just arrived, completing their little party. “What’s all the excitement?” Kyle asked after he’d wished Maria a happy birthday.
“Looks like you and I are going to be family, Bro,” Maria told Kyle, and Amy showed off her ring yet again.
Another round of congratulatory hugs were offered, but then all attention shifted back to the birthday girl when Liz returned to the dining room bearing a beautifully decorated birthday cake, complete with 23 blazing candles. Maria bit back her laughter at all the out-of-tune voices singing the birthday song, but her heart swelled at the sound of her precocious daughter’s voice, who was singing the loudest of all of them. At everyone’s urging, she closed her eyes and made a wish before blowing out all the candles.
The rest of the party seemed to fly by in a blur. Maria was overwhelmed by her gifts – among them a beautiful sterling silver necklace with her birthstone from Liz and Max, and a new set of fancy aromatherapy oils from her mother – but she couldn’t help but be disappointed that there didn’t seem to be a present on the table from Michael.
But Maria still had a great time, and in the end she was really happy that Liz had gone out of her way to make this a special birthday. It was true what Liz had said – that she often felt like her birthday got overlooked – and it was nice to be the center of attention every once in a while.
The party was finally winding down, and one by one, the guests began to leave, until Liz, Max, Maria, and Michael were the only ones left. The excitement of the party had proven to be too much for Ali, and she’d dozed off on the couch in the back room about a half hour earlier.
“I guess we should clean up,” Maria said, noting the dirty dishes that littered the counter.
“Don’t worry about that,” Liz told her. “I’ll take care of it. I will ask the boys to take out the trash, though,” she added in a sugary sweet voice, directing her eyes at her husband and Michael.
That was all it took for Max to grab one of the trash bags that was tied up next to the back door. “Man, you are so whipped,” Michael muttered, but he picked up the other trash bag and followed Max outside.
The girls laughed. “I hope you enjoyed your party,” Liz said to Maria.
“I did,” Maria said. “Thank you, Liz. And thank you again for the necklace,” she added, toying with the little gemstone that was already hanging around her neck.
“What’s wrong?” Liz asked, and Maria realized that she was frowning. She’d been thinking again about the absence of a present from her boyfriend.
She chanced a glance at the back door to make sure that Max and Michael weren’t about to walk back in, before saying to Liz, “Michael didn’t get me anything.”
“He hasn’t gotten you a birthday present?” Liz asked in surprise.
Maria shook her head sadly.
“Maybe he’s going to give it you later,” Liz suggested. “Maybe he just didn’t want to give it to you in front of everybody.”
“Hm, maybe,” Maria said thoughtfully, but the frown still marred her face. Then Max and Michael came back in from the alley, effectively ending her conversation with Liz.
“You ready to go home?” Maria asked Michael. “It’s getting late, and Ali’s already zonked out.”
“Yeah, I’ll get her.” Michael handed her the car keys. “Why don’t you get the car started and warmed up?”
Maria took the keys and said good night to Liz and Max, thanking them again for the party. By the time Michael made it to the car, Ali was awake again and clearly energized from her little nap. She babbled about the party the whole drive home. “She’s never gonna go back to sleep now,” Maria told Michael with a sigh.
“Okay, Ali-bug,” Maria said to her daughter once they’d made it in the house, “a quick bath for you and then it’s time for bed.”
“No, Mommy!” Ali protested, which was as much as Maria had expected. “It’s time for your present!”
Maria hadn’t been expecting that. “My present?” she asked, glancing at Michael, who had an unreadable expression on his face.
“I got you a present!” Ali said excitedly.
“You did?” Maria was overwhelmed. She’d already gotten much more than she expected in the way of presents tonight, and now her precious four-year-old had another one to add to the pile.
“Go get it, Munchkin,” Michael urged, and Ali ran in the direction of her bedroom. Maria looked at Michael again, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, but he avoided her eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He seemed nervous, and Maria wondered what was going on with him. Maybe he was feeling guilty for not getting her a present.
Ali returned a moment later with a gift bag that was almost as big as she was. “Here, Mommy!” She thrust the bag at her mother.
With a big smile on her face, Maria sat down on the sofa and reached into the bag, sorting past all the tissue paper, until her hand touched something soft. She pulled at the item in the bag, and was greeted with a plush brown stuffed bear, wearing a mismatched little outfit.
“I made him all by myself,” Ali said proudly. “And I picked his clothes.”
Still smiling, Maria said, “Thank you, baby, I love it.”
“And he talks!” the little girl added. “Look – squeeze his hand. Right here.”
Maria did as Ali instructed, squeezing the bear’s hand, feeling a little button inside depress as she did so. Ali’s own little voice sounded from the bear’s voice box. “Happy Birthday, Mommy!” the recording said. “I love you! Now turn around, 'cause Daddy wants to ask you something.”
Maria immediately turned to look back where Michael was still standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Now, instead of being stuffed in his pockets, his hands were in front of him. And in his hands rested a small telltale black box.
Maria gasped, completely speechless, as Michael took the few short steps needed to bring him in front her. Maria watched as if in a dream as Michael lowered himself to his knee and lifted the lid of the tiny box, revealing a small diamond ring.
“Maria, you are the love of my life,” he said in a gruff voice. “I know I don’t tell you that enough, but you are. You are the mother of my child, and you have given me something I never thought I’d have – a family.”
Maria felt the sting of tears in her eyes and she made a tiny sound in her throat when Michael finally asked, “Will you marry me?”
“Michael…” Maria could barely form words. This moment was more perfect than she could have ever hoped it would be.
“Mommy,” Ali whispered at her side, nudging her arm. “Say yes. That’s the right answer.”
Maria laughed loudly at her daughter’s words, despite the tears that were now rolling down her face. She locked gazes with Michael, saw the tears in his eyes, too. “Yes,” she said in a choked voice. “Of course my answer is yes.”
Michael smiled broadly, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto Maria’s left ring finger – it was a perfect fit. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
“I love you, too!” Ali piped up, clearly wanting to be in on the action.
Maria and Michael both chuckled. “Come here, you,” Michael said, gathering Ali into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As Michael leaned in a pressed a feather-light kiss to Maria's lips, she basked in the glow of her daughter and her now husband-to-be... her perfect family.
THE END