The Fight (M/M Mature) 1/1 - 11/17/08

[einah26]

Title: The Fight
Rating: Mature Themes
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they belong to Katims and Metz.
Pairing: Michael/Maria
Timeline: After Destiny
Summary: Maria lies to Michael. The consequences could be enough to break them up forever.


“I can’t tell you what you want to hear!” She yelled at him across the front hood of the car. They had both been standing on either side of the car arguing for what seemed like hours. Michael threw his hands up in the air and walked away. “Get in the car, I want to go.” She hollered after him. He turned and got back in the car. Neither one spoke in the car, Michael slammed her car door in front of his apartment.

Maria pulled away. She drove to Liz’s house immediately; Liz and Max were watching a movie on her balcony when Maria climbed up with tears in her eyes. Max stood up to make himself scarce. “Michael?” He said to confirm what the problem was. Maria nodded.

Liz knew all too well why Maria was upset.

It all started a few weeks ago.
A few weeks ago…

“So Spaceboy, am I going to get my order any time soon?” Maria said towards Michael’s back at the grill. He turned to give her that smirk of his. They had been getting along relatively well lately. No huge blow outs or anything. Since Destiny they had gotten closer, not only physically but emotionally as well. “It’s comin’…it’s comin’.” He yelled to her over the noise of the kitchen.


At the end of their shift they headed out to see a movie. They walked out the back door of the Crashdown into the alley when Maria had to bend down to catch her breath. “You okay?” Michael asked. “Ugh, I just feel sick to my stomach.” Michael walked back over to Maria and rubbed her back. “Do you want to skip the movie?” He asked. “Yeah, I think I am just going to go back inside and lie down.” Maria said barely able to stand up.


Back inside she lied down on Liz’s bed and closed her eyes. She felt so dizzy and sweaty. Liz walked back into the room with a glass of water. “I better not be getting the flu, I am going to be so ticked if I’m sick.” Maria muttered while trying to sit up and take a drink. “Let’s hope it’s the flu and not a baby Michael Guerin.” Liz said while laughing. Maria did not laugh. Liz stopped laughing and turned back around to face Maria. “Maria” Liz said calmly. Maria was looking off into space as if she was trying to figure something out. “Maria.” Liz said again. Maria just sat there zoning out. “Maria!” Liz yelled. Maria finally turned to Liz. “We better get a test.” Was all Maria said. And with that Liz and Maria were out the door to the pharmacy.

After much debating, Maria purchased the test from the male clerk. They had decided that a man would less likely want to repeat that he sold a pregnancy test to a teenage girl than a female one would. And they didn’t need that rumor getting around town.

Back at Liz’s, Maria was in the bathroom with Liz reading the instructions. “Okay, so you pee on this and then we wait 3 minutes.” Liz said reading the directions out loud. “Okay, I can do that.” Maria took a couple deep breaths and closed the bathroom door. Maria sat on the toilet whispering to herself. “Please, please, please don’t be pregnant.” She opened the door, set the test on the edge of the sink after washing her hands and walked back out to Liz’s bedroom. “2:56 it’ll be done.” Maria said solemnly.


Liz was sitting on the edge of her bed holding her head in her hands. Maria looked at her and could see the disappointment and fear she was feeling. “Liz, I am so sorry. I don’t know how this happened. Well, I know how it happened but I didn’t mean for…” Maria didn’t even finish, there was nothing she could say that they weren’t feeling.

“Maria, I know that you didn’t mean for this to happen. Like obviously but, when?” Liz asked pacing the room. “I don’t know, we’ve ‘you knowed’ a bunch of times.” Maria said slightly embarrassed. “Maria!” Liz yelled laughing. “What?” Maria said back. “After we did the first time, then it became not as big of a deal. And he has that damn apartment!” Maria defended laughing. They both sat down on the bed, Liz put her arm around Maria’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, either way it’ll be okay.” Liz assured her friend.

Maria hugged Liz. “Thanks Liz, this is really hard to even let myself think about or even worse for it to be the truth.” Liz hugged Maria back harder to show her that she would be there, always. Maria looked at the clock, it was 2:57 a minute past when the test would be ready. Liz walked towards the bathroom but just as she was about to see the test, she heard a knock on the window. Maria let out a little yelp and stood up and backed away in defense. Max was kneeling in front of the window smiling and laughing. Liz walked over and pulled the window open. “Hey Max.” Liz said trying to be as nonchalant as possible. “Hi, can I come in? It’s starting to rain out here.” Max asked. Liz looked at Maria and shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, of course. Come in.” Liz said, not knowing of another way to avoid the question.


Max took his jacket off. “Hey Maria.” Max said not noticing that they were both acting very strange. Liz sat down on the bed next to Maria. “So, what’s going on?” Max asked. “Um, not much. We were just going to watch a movie.” Liz said trying to divert the attention away. “Sounds good, what movie?”Max asked. Maria blurted out. “Can’t Hardly Wait.” “Love that movie, I just have to use the bathroom first.” Max said walking to the bathroom. Maria and Liz both jumped in and in unison yelled. “No!” Max stopped and turned around. “What is going on with you two?” Max asked, finally starting to notice how awkward they were acting. “Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s just that…” Liz trailed off not able to think of a lie. “The plumbing is bad. Yeah, there is something like stuck in the pipes.” Maria continued on. “Well let me take a look, maybe I can fix it.” Max suggested and walked closer to the bathroom. “No, no, no.” Liz jumped in front of Max. “It can’t be fixed, it’s like a really serious problem.” Liz said lying through her teeth. Max was smiling knowing that they are hiding something. “Come on Liz, I’ll just take a little look and…” With that Max tickled Liz’s side and she squealed and jumped away from him. Max walked into the bathroom and shut the door quickly.


“Max!” Liz yelled through the door and banged it a little bit. Maria stood there petrified that he was going to now know her secret and even worse he would know if she was pregnant or not. This brand new revelation was eating her apart.

Max opened the door and stepped out silent. “Whose is that?” Max asked. The image of Liz and Kyle in bed together was still permanently pressed into his mind. Liz looked shocked. How he could ever think that the test was hers was outrageous. She had not even thought about another guy seriously in too long to remember. Not even Sean Deluca could make her heart waiver.

Max walked over to Liz and picked up her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “Is that yours?” He asked praying that the answer was no. His Liz couldn’t betray him like that again, not after everything that they had been through just to get back to being friends. Liz didn’t know what to do, she didn’t want Max to think the test was hers but she also didn’t want Maria’s secret to be out. She had to follow her heart, but before she could say anything.


“It’s mine Max.” Maria said. The look on Max’s face was relief and he let out a sigh to show it but that didn’t last for long. “How?” Max asked walking over to Maria. “I’m not even sure if I am or not Max.” Maria said feeling so incredibly guilty. “Does Michael know?” He asked. “There may not be anything to know. You came in just as we were about to see.” Maria told him. “Well.” Max said motioning to the bathroom. Max tried to think positive thoughts but this would be catastrophically horrible.


Maria walked over, read the instructions once more. “Two lines for positive, one line for negative.” Maria picked up the stick, flipped the light on in the bathroom to get a better look. The tears started to stream down her face without her knowledge. “Maria, what is it?” Liz asked so worried for her friend. Maria walked out of the bathroom with tears running down her face. “I’m pregnant.”


Max threw his hands up in the air and held onto his head to keep his head from exploding. Liz covered her mouth in shock and then walked to Maria and embraced her in a big hug. “We’ll figure this out. It’ll be okay.” Liz said trying to comfort her. “I can’t be pregnant. Oh my God my mother is going to kill me. I can’t tell her, I just can’t Liz. And Michael. Michael can’t know.” Maria was ranting through her sobs.


“So, it’s Michael’s?” Max asked without trying to sound like there could be a whole lot of other possibilities. Maria nodded her head. Max exhaled loudly. Liz gave him a look to calm down. “Sorry, this is just such a surprise.” Max said sitting on the edge of Liz’s bed. “No kidding Max.” Maria said trying to stop crying. Her attempts were futile though. Liz ran a bath for her and put her in so she could try and calm down and process what was happening. Not that a teenage pregnancy is easy to deal with but it was nothing compared to an alien teenage pregnancy.

Liz shut the door to the bathroom and sat down on the bed next to Max. The sunlight was fading fast, the day had gone by so quickly since this startling revelation. Liz cleared her throat. “Max, what are we going to do? Will she even be able to carry his baby?” Liz asked. Max looked at Liz and fell a little more in love with her. She was so concerned about Maria, probably more so than if it was herself. “I don’t know, this has never happened before.” Max said. “Maybe you could try and connect with her and see if anything is different.” Liz suggested. Max nodded.

When Maria got out of the tub and calmed down a bit with a little help from her aromatherapy bath salts she sat on the bed for Max to try and connect with her. Max placed his hands on her head and looked deep into her eyes. Maria giggled a little. “Wait Max, you’re not going to be able to see everything, are you?” Maria asked cautiously. Max shrugged his shoulders and continued on. “Now focus.” He said. Maria concentrated as hard as she could on opening her mind up. Before she knew it she was lying on the bed out of breath.

“What happened?” Maria said as she sat up carefully. “I connected with you and the baby.” Max said. Maria and Liz’s jaw dropped. “How is that possible Max, she couldn’t be that far along.” Liz stated scientifically. “No, the baby is only a few weeks old but it is definitely part alien.” Max explained. Maria nodded her head. “Go on.” Max stood up. “Well, it’s at least part alien because of Michael and has some ability because he was able to communicate with me.” Max said. Liz smiled. “Him?” She said while looking toward Maria. “It’s a boy.” Max stated. “Can it survive in Maria?” Liz asked the question they were all thinking. “I’m not sure. I don’t know if you feeling sick is just normal pregnancy or something different because of the alien side.” Max was trying his best to be comforting but there was nothing good about this situation.


“Max, I am going to ask you a horrible thing.” Maria said cautiously. Max didn’t even make her say it out loud, he already knew what the question was. “I think I can take care of it without hurting you.” He couldn’t make eye contact with her when he said it. He continued on. “But let’s give it a day to think it over. And we might want to tell Isabel too just to see if she can get anything else from the baby. And Michael of course.” Maria stood up with conviction. “No, not Michael. I don’t want him to know about this. Not now.” She said. Liz looked at her oddly, what could keep Maria from not telling Michael? Granted it was probably a good idea considering his history of flying off the handle but Maria always gave him more credit than that.

Max agreed after much argument not to tell Michael about the pregnancy. They were going to meet the next day at the Evans to do one of two things depending on Maria’s decision. For Maria, it would be the longest 24 hours of her life.


Maria headed home after leaving Liz’s, she felt like she had been marked or something. The paranoia that everyone knew was getting to her. She walked in the kitchen to see her mom making dinner. The smell of garlic was enough to make her throw up, again. In the bathroom her mom held her hair out of her face. “Are you okay sweetie?” She asked. Maria hated lying to her mom but it had become second nature by now. “Yeah. I think it might be the flu. I felt sick all day.” Maria answered. Her mother grabbed her head and laid it on her lap and straightened Maria’s hair down. That was when Maria decided that she was not ready to be a mother. Not ready to take care of a baby, let alone a baby that is a quarter alien.

That night lying in bed Maria heard a tap on her window. She knew who it would be and she knew he wouldn’t go away until she opened that window. She pulled open the window. “Hey.” Michael said. “Can you come out for a sec?” He was asking nicely. That was it, someone must have told him. Maria thought. She climbed out through the window.


Outside he embraced her in a large hug. “Are you feeling any better?” he asked. She felt so at home in his arms, she wanted to tell him that but she couldn’t. “Yeah, a little.” Maria said into his chest. “K, I’ll let you get back to sleep.” He said. “What did you want?” Maria asked as he usually needed something from her to stop by like this. “Just to see you, make sure you’re okay.” He shrugged slightly embarrassed at how much he needed her. She smiled a good one for him. Of all the times for Michael Guerin to be wonderful this was the absolute worst.


The next day Maria cried all the way to the Evans in the Jetta. Liz had offered to drive so she could get herself prepared mentally. Maria could tell that Isabel and Max had gotten into a fight over this but knew that ultimately it was her decision to make. Isabel hugged her and whispered in her ear, “It’ll be okay, not right away but eventually.” These were the kindest words Isabel ever said to her.


Max had performed the pseudo-surgery for Maria, she didn’t feel a thing physically but lying there she felt like the world’s worst person. She was starting to regret her decision of not telling Michael. Just as Maria and Liz were being walked to the car by Max and Isabel, Michael came walking up.


“Hey, looks like a party and I didn’t get invited.” Michael joked. Maria put a smile on her face. “Leave it to you to crash a non-existent party Spaceboy.” Maria jested. Michael looked slightly confused. “So, what’s going on?” He asked. Maria walked towards him. “Nothing, Liz and I were just leaving. Do you work tonight?” Maria asked trying to be an inconspicuous as possible. Michael seemed to go along. “Yeah, you?” He asked back. Maria nodded. Liz stepped forward. “Why don’t you two just drive to the Crashdown and Max or Isabel can give me a ride later, that way we can work on that Science homework Max.” Liz suggested.

Once in the car Maria tried to pretend everything was normal, that she hadn’t just aborted their baby without telling him, and was now lying to him about it. They made small talk on the way to the Crashdown. “I need to eat before my shift starts.” Michael said. Maria nodded her head. “Of course, I didn’t imagine you could go 5 hours without eating.” Michael’s appetite was almost world famous within their group. Michael wolfed down a burger at the Crashdown almost making Maria sick to her stomach. She felt fine physically but the ramifications of her actions would follow her for years to come.

Their shift went by quickly, as boring as it was Maria tried to really listen to the customers just to keep her mind busy. Everything went fine, and she had no reason to think that Michael had any idea. Things stayed relatively normal for the next couple of weeks before Michael finally said something.


Michael and Maria were taking a drive into the dessert, Maria was singing along to the radio when Michael changed the station. Maria said nothing. Michael abruptly pulled the car off the road. “Okay, what’s up?” Michael said while putting the car in park. Maria looked to him confused. “What do you mean?” She asked. “For the last couple weeks you have been acting so weird and just now I flipped the station-which I know you hate-and you say nothing. What’s up?” Michael asked. Maria swallowed deeply and shook her head back and forth. “Nothing.” Michael unbuckled and got out of the car slamming the door. Maria followed.

“What?” She said to him across the hood of the car. “You’re lying to me!” He yelled at her, ever since you were all at Max’s that day. “What is going on?” He continued with frustration. Maria knew that she wouldn’t be able to lie to him much longer without jeopardizing their entire relationship. “Max was helping me with something and I didn’t want to bug you.” She confessed. Michael turned to her. “Why would you go to Max?” He asked, trying to cover the hurt in his voice. “I already told you, I didn’t want to bug you.” She said, starting to get scared that she would have to tell him the actual truth.

He looked deep into her eyes. “What was he ‘helping’ you with?” He asked. Maria turned around so that he couldn’t see her eyes. She was afraid he would be able to see her lying. “I was having these nightmares and I thought Max and Is could help them go away.” Maria lied. She hated lying to him about something so important.

“And you couldn’t come to me?” Michael said sternly. Maria shook her head. “You didn’t think I could help? Of course not, what is Michael even good for!” He yelled. He walked around the hood of the Jetta to stand next to Maria. He looked at her closely. She wasn’t even fighting back with him, and if there is one thing he knows about Maria is that she loves to argue. “You’re still lying.” He said. She turned to him quickly. “No, I’m not.” She defended. ”Yes, you are. Tell me the truth now Maria.” He yelled walking back around the car pacing. “God Michael” Maria yelled. “I can’t tell you what you want to hear!” The words came spewing out of her mouth.


Present Day.

Maria cried and cried, she cried about lying to Michael, cried for the baby, cried for herself because she knew she would never be the same. She would never be the Maria that hadn’t gotten pregnant and hadn’t gotten rid of the baby without telling the father. She barely recognized that person. Liz held onto her tight and just let her cry without asking a single question.


The next morning Maria explained that she didn’t tell Michael but that he would find out eventually and that was even worse. That morning the girls were working their shift at the Crashdown when Max came walking in. He pulled Maria and Liz into the backroom.

“Hey Max, what’s going on?” Liz asked. He turned around to face them with a dark black eye revealed. Pointing to it he said. “This is what’s up. Michael came to my house last night and…” Before he could finish Maria interrupted. “Oh my God you told him, didn’t you?” She started pacing the room frantically. “No, no, I didn’t tell him. He was all ticked about something and then all this other stuff came up. I just wanted to see if you had told him or not.” Max said. Maria shook her head no. “I think you should.” Max stated briefly. He walked over in front of Maria who was standing by the lockers. “You need to tell him, for him and for yourself. You can’t keep this secret forever.” He said. Maria walked out of the backroom without saying a word.


Max turned to Liz. “Will you talk to her?” he asked. Liz shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t make her tell him, and really I don’t know if that’s the best idea. Michael could freak out and do something really stupid.” Max looked at Liz a little differently. “What would you do?” He asked. He couldn’t keep himself from wondering if the situation was theirs to deal with if she would keep this secret. “I don’t know. I hope I wouldn’t be in that situation. And it really depends on the person.” Liz said. Max moved a little closer. “What if it was me?” He asked boldly. “Then I would tell you.” She said frankly. A smile came across Max’s face, a small part of him happy that if they were ever (ever, ever, ever) in that situation that she would be honest.

That night Maria sat in her bedroom staring at the ceiling when Michael opened the window and crawled in. Maria had been lying there trying to fall asleep for hours with no luck. She knew who it would be and didn’t bother to turn around. Michael sat on the edge of the bed.

“Last time I kissed you I saw a flash of you in Max’s bedroom, his hands were on you. I need you to tell me that what I saw is not what I think it is.” He stated. Maria rolled over and sat up. “It’s not that Michael. I would never do that to you. Ever.” She stated. Michael leaned in closer, his eyes staring intently on her bedspread. “Then what is it? You need to tell me the truth because…because…you are the only person I have ever trusted with my heart and right now I am so, so…” He dropped his shoulders and held his head in his hands. He whispered. “Scared. God Maria I am so scared that I am going to lose you.”

His honesty broke Maria’s heart. She picked his head up in her hands and looked him in the eye. “I don’t know if I can tell you. I don’t know if I am strong enough.” Maria said. Michael moved in to hug her. “You’re the strongest person I know, alien or not.” He said into her ear. She held onto him tight to brace for the reaction. “I was pregnant.” Michael pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. She was finally telling the truth. He stood up and climbed out the window. Maria had no more tears to shed. She looked out after him and let the gentle breeze blow through her hair. She would give him some time. He deserved that at least.


It was Monday at school before they saw each other again. Lunch had already passed and Maria had seen him three times already in the halls, each time avoiding her. Finally after 4th period she was standing at Liz’s locker when he grabbed her arm and led her to the eraser room.

He shut the door and slid the lock with his powers. He leaned against the small bookcase while Maria just stood there.

Twenty minutes passed before he said anything.

“What did you mean, you were pregnant?” He asked calmly, not looking her in the eyes.

Maria cleared her throat. “You remember that night we were supposed to go to the movies and I felt sick and stayed at Liz’s?” she asked.

Michael nodded.

“Well I lied down in Liz’s room and she made a joke about me being pregnant cause I felt nauseous and that got me thinking about when I last had my, you know. And I couldn’t remember so we went to get a test. “

Maria went on to explain the story in excruciating detail for Michael. They didn’t even hear the bell ring.

“So, that’s about it.” Maria summed up.

Michael paced back and forth. He stopped and looked at her and yelled. “Were you even going to tell me?”

“Well, I didn’t want to because I thought you would react like this!!!” She yelled angrily back. She felt horrible enough without his judgment.

A small crowd had formed outside the eraser room.

“I can’t believe you would just lie to me—after all that crap about being honest!!” He yelled at her.

“Crap, huh? I was just trying to keep you out of it!” She yelled back.

“Why would I need to be kept out of it? Did you think I would tell you not to have it?!?” he screamed at her. The crowd had grown to almost half the school.

“Come on Maria, why don’t you try telling me the truth! Were…you…afraid I would tell you not to have it?” Michael yelled.

“NO! NO okay? I was afraid that you would want me to keep him!” She screamed back, tears finally welling up in her eyes.

Outside the door, the crowd listened intently on their fight. Max came walking up the same time as Liz. Liz smiled at Max. “Hey, what’s going on?” He asked. “No idea.” Liz said. She walked up to a girl standing nearby listening. “What’s going on?” She asked motioning to the eraser room. “Oh, you know that Maria Deluca girl? She’s in there with Michael Guerin having like the fight of the century.” The girl said with a smile on her face.

Liz turned to Max, who jetted up to the door and knocked as loud as he could. “Michael, open the door.” He said forcefully. The door opened and the crowd made a disappointed sigh all at once. Maria came storming out with Michael not far behind. He breezed past Max not even noticing the large group of people who had been listening in on their fight.

“I’m not done Maria!” He yelled after her as she walked out the doors by the cafeteria. He paused for a moment and then ran after her. Max started to follow but Liz stopped him. “They need to figure this out.” She said.

In the parking lot Maria was trying to unlock the Jetta but she couldn’t see the keyhole through her tears. “Crap, crap, crap.” She yelled at the car door. Michael came walking up behind her and grabbed the keys. She turned around to grab the keys but he wouldn’t give them back. She pounded on his chest. “Give me the keys Michael!” She yelled in desperation.

“Stop, just stop Maria.” Michael said calmly holding her fists in his hands. He pulled her into his chest and held her, squeezed her tightly. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t trust me.” He finally uttered. “We had a son, and I …I…” He stopped talking and dropped Maria’s hands and walked away. Maria didn’t bother to call after him. She deserved anything he could do to her.

The next few days Maria walked around in a haze. She didn’t see Michael at school, but she heard his name everywhere. The whole school was talking about their fight and speculation on whether or not she was pregnant. Maria was in the bathroom when she overheard one such conversation. “I heard that she found out she was pregnant and drove to Las Cruces to have an abortion that day.” A girl said fixing her make up in the bathroom. Her friend added on. “And didn’t even like tell him. That is so cold.”

Maria sat in the bathroom stall and just listened. She did feel cold. She felt dead. She felt like she didn’t even deserve to be alive. She hadn’t seen Michael since he walked away from her in the parking lot. She couldn’t bear to talk to Liz or Alex about it. She was afraid they would look at her differently now.

Thursday Night

Maria sat at the edge of her bed when she heard a knock at the window. She knew it would be him. Through this whole ordeal he had waited until he couldn’t sleep to find her.

She walked over to the window and opened it.

“Hi” He said. She smiled at him. “I’m so sorry Michael.” She said purposefully. “For everything. I should have told you. I should have trusted you.” They stood there for a long moment just looking at each other. Maria, desperately trying to convince him with her eyes that she would never do anything so remotely hurtful again. Michael stared deep within her to see if she was still his Maria, the Maria that he feel in love with and trusted with his whole heart. “Don’t ever do that again” Michael said. Maria swallowed and nodded her head furiously. She leaned out the window from the sill she had been sitting on and touched the side of his face. He leaned into her hand.

The End.