Maria's P.O.V

I was woken up by my reflexes pulling me subconsciously into the bathroom to be sick.

What a way to start off the day I didn't want to ever arrive. I flushed the toilet and slumped onto the floor, trying to get my thoughts straight.

I wasn't sitting there long before I heard a knock on the door.

"M? You okay in there?" Roxanne seemed really concerned for once.

I got off the floor and let her in, my limbs shaking with the effort.

"I'll be alright in a minute" She came and sat by me and gave me a hug.
"I'm worried too M, but we can't let Craig or Jed get the better of us" My mind slammed to the thought of him and his threat, and the fact that they were probably watching the both of us that very moment.

Then I did feel sick, but not in the same way as I had a few minutes before.

"Rox, I... I'm scared. Promise me that this plan of yours will work" She only gave me a weak smile in response.

I could lose the love of my life and I only had Roxanne's unconvincing confidence as a comfort.

Michael's P.O.V

I rarely had dreams but that night all I could see was Maria's perfect face floating in front of my eyes until I fell asleep.

I woke up in my hotel room and I had never felt so disappointed to find the space next to me empty.
I needed to see her again before I went to my press conference that afternoon. Spending some quality time with her would help me out with how I was going to face the cameras and tell them about us for everyone to hear.
She had said that the press didn't bother her if it didn't bother me, but I was bothered by it, every day was a constant battle to fend off speculations and keep the perfect image. One slip and they laughed as they watched you fall while capturing every moment to exaggerate later.
I just hoped that she was as strong as she made out.

Most of all, I was concerned about what the problem was that I sensed before. Was it because she was stressed about us? Or Destiny? I didn't know much about women's emotions, so I couldn't be sure whether it was just the obvious that was bothering her.
Either way I wasn't going to find out any time soon. She had opened up to me before so I knew that if she wanted me to know about it, she would have told me.

I shook my head as I realised how possessive I sounded. Maria was her own person, I had no right to know about her personal life. But she was becoming such a significant part of mine, it would soon be impossible to keep things from each other.
I wanted to make things as official as I could, but not just because I had been told to do so, I started to really want the world to know who I loved.

I crossed to my dresser and saw the little box I had ordered when I left the hospital the day before. I hadn't just gone straight to my hotel, it was too packed with fans. So I decided to take a detour to the nearest jewellers.

If this was going to be official, I wanted to make sure that it was going to be forever. My plan was to protect her at all costs, and the only way I could was to have her as close to me as I could.

I ran through the words I was going to say as I drove to her place, just as if I was going to make a speech. It was in a way, and probably the most significant speech I would ever make in my whole life.

Maria's P.O.V

I had been pacing the room to try and keep myself occupied until Michael arrived. It was like waiting for a tragedy only you knew was going to happen.

What hurt me most was that he had no idea that everything he had promised would all be for nothing and he would have to leave.

I knew Craig was planning on making me look like the bad guy and all I could do would be to agree until Roxanne decided to rescue us with her big plan. I had no idea what it was or what would happen if it worked, or more terrifyingly, if it failed.

I had been drinking wine non stop since I had got up, to calm my nerves I had reasoned with myself but mainly to numb any emotion so I could just be a slave to Craig's words and not cause a scene that would throw Michael into danger.

I was about to pour myself another glass, despite Roxanne's protest, when the door bell rang.

I froze. This was it. Soon everything would be over before it had even started.

Roxanne had opened the door and I heard his beautiful voice cut through my clouded mind.
Soon enough I spotted his figure hanging a familiar jacket on a peg in the hallway. It was definitely him, and my heart sank but at the same time it sped up by his precense.

There was no way of denying the fact that I still felt deeply in love with him.
I knew that I had to go through this hellish nightmare in order to protect him. I loved him and I had to make sure nothing would harm him, even if that meant I had to hurt him and myself in order to do so.

Michael turned and when he saw me he beamed with the beautiful twinkle in his eyes that made my stomach fill with butterflies.

He was about to speak when Roxanne cut him off:

"Well I have to pop out for a few, I have some errands to run. I'll be back soon"
Before I could call out to her, Roxanne had disappeared, leaving me alone with the knowledge that now he was here and she was gone, there was no going back.

He walked over to me and rolled his eyes "Well she was keen to leave... but at least I have you to myself now"
He grinned down at me and pulled me into his arms, making my whole body flutter.

Why couldn't time just stop? Then we could have stayed like that forever.

He pulled away and I quickly tried to fix a smile on my face, but he caught the brief glimpse of sadness I was trying so hard to hide.

"Maria, there's something wrong isn't there? Something that isn't Destiny, something I can't guess, I know there is, I can tell something is bothering you. Look I know you probably don't want to tell me, but it's been bugging me for ages. Please just tell me, don't keep this to yourself, whatever it is, I'm going to be here for you, I won't love you any less, you have to know that"

I looked away from his searching gaze, the fact he had told me he had loved me still echoing in my ears, and sighed, I couldn't tell him about Craig, I wasn't sure if he could listen to us, but he was right, there was something else, but I couldn't tell him about that either.

I sat down on the sofa and he automatically came and sat beside me. It was amazing how in tune he was with me, and I him. It felt natural, like a hand to a glove, we just seemed to fit.

But like Michael's sparkly glove, everyone thought we shouldn't be together, that we weren't supposed to be, we were odd to everyone else, we broke convention and so wouldn't last. And I was growing more and more worried about the fact they could be right.

"I can't tell you Michael, I want to, but I can't. But that's because I don't know what it is either. I haven't been feeling myself recently, and I'm not sure why."

He looked confused for a minute but then seemed to understand, putting his hand on mine.

"When I first met you Maria, you were confident, but shy when you spoke to me" He smiled at me as I blushed then continued.

"I've always been very shy but you've brought out the confidence in me and so we may be opposites but that's why I guess we work. Opposites do truly attract, Maria, I know that now. Anyway I knew that underneath you have always been confident in being independent and you are very bubbly and chatty in your nature, because I've seen how you are with those children you work with. But something has happened and that's not there anymore and I'm worried that maybe it's me that has brought you down because maybe you're worried about us and our future..."

"Michael... I know it isn't you... for years I've been alone and I know that I had those children who love me and I care for them the same. But it was like there was something else missing, but when you came into my life and touched me for the first time, I didn't feel lonely anymore... and now I need you more than I've ever needed anybody. I guess you complete me. There's no other way of explaining it"

He looked at me intensely for a long time before pulling me up to stand with him. Suddenly he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and my heart quickened.

"Maria, I know that this might seem like I'm rushing things but trust me when I say that I have never felt so sure about anything in my life."

He got down on one knee, rubbing my hand with his thumb. I could feel his voice shaking as he said:

"Miss Maria Rose, I have been searching for a person who would love me for who I am, and be by my side forever. I have suffered heartbreak before and I felt like giving up. But then in you I have found that person and with each day I have healed more and more, my heart is full whenever you are near. So would you do me the indescribable honour of being my wife, for me to make the promise to love you and cherish every part of you and to have you by my side forever?"

My heart soared and I was speechless for a few seconds, he loved me and he wanted me to be with him forever. Every worry I had disappeared and I knew that nobody could hurt us as long as we were together as one.

"Oh Michael, I can't believe this, of c-"

I was about to finish my stumbling reply when the door bell rang. Our heads turned as the door flew open, and a large ominous figure stormed into the room.

As soon as Michael spotted him, he jumped to his feet, pushing me behind him in protection.

I heard his deep chuckle from behind Michael's tensed body. "Hello Rosey, did you miss me?"

*