Michael's P.O.V

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The figure I was looking at matched the guy in the photo I had seen before. It was Craig.

He had a sneer on his face that I was itching to wipe off, my blood was boiling and I felt that same urge to protect Maria as I had felt the first time, but now he was standing in front of me, I could.

"The hell are you doing here Craig" My voice was thick and venomous, I was shocked at how I sounded so different.

His gaze snapped to mine.

"I wasn't speaking to you Twinkletoes. Now you better hop skip and jump back to your hole in Hollywood and stop stealing my things"

"She isn't a thing, she's a young woman who doesn't belong to anybody. And I'm not going anywhere so you better leave"
We held a stare for a long while as he advanced towards us. I didn't move an inch.

"Now now, calm yourself down little missy. You're right, she is a young woman, very young, younger than you anyway. But she belongs to me. So are you gonna leave quietly or am I gonna have to get rough with you? You think I'm scared of you just cuz you're some sorta popstar? I ain't afraid of some lowlife that has daddy issues and goes around the place like he's normal without protection. Without your bodyguards, you're nothing. Nothing but a lil' sissy who can't put up a fight. I can snap you in half if I need to, and I wouldn't break a sweat. I'm not gonna ask you again sunshine, get your coat and get out of here before you get wheeled outta here on a stretcher"

I didn't flinch, I just stayed still.

"You've got some real talk in you but I'm not moving until you get out of here. I'm not scared of you. You can hurt me all you want but you're not laying another finger on Maria. I know what you did to her, you're not going anywhere near her again do you understand?"

This time he laughed. It was like those evil laughs you get in the movies. But this was all too real and despite my defiance I knew I would never be able to take him down if it really came to blows. I felt Maria step out from behind me and I grabbed her arm, pinning her to my side.

He looked between the two of us and smiled wickedly, it turned my stomach. I now knew why Maria was so afraid of him and it had started to really bother me.

"Look man, I don't know what game you're playing but it sure ain't worth laughing about. Just leave her alone, she doesn't want you and there's nothing you can do to change her mind. You came around too late, she's not interested in you."

He laughed again and the anger inside me was coming to a head. If he hadn't suddenly shut up I probably would have done something I would have regretted.

"But you see it is funny because you don't understand just how wrong you are. You say you know what I did to her? More like what she did to herself. You don't know anything about her"

My fists clenched. "And I'm guessing you do?"

"Yeah I do. Maria and me go way back, back to our university years. See, Maria was a new student and she was homesick. We were in the same English class together, you should read some of her stuff, she's very good, shame really that you'll never get the chance"

"I'm fully aware of her talent, I don't see what any of this has to do with you" I caught Maria giving me a suprised look out of the corner of my eye, I had forgotten that she didn't know I had read her work.

"Just shut up for a few minutes will you? I'm not done. Anyway, Maria has a bad habit, don't you darling? See, she likes to drink. She drinks when she's stressed and by her being away from home and having plenty of opportunities to go to parties and drink, it became a bit of a problem. So I was being a good friend abd I stepped in to help her. I helped her quit drinking and we got close obviously, so we were in a happy relationship for about two years."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. But when I looked at Maria, she showed no signs of protest.

I thought back to the time I went to her apartment for the first time and how she had wanted wine after her ordeal with Craig. Then I remembered the time when I had visited her here and there was wine that had already been started on the coffee table so when I had had some, it was a nearly empty bottle. I knew I hadn't had as much as Maria had made out.

I couldn't think of a reply so I just let him continue.

"But all wasn't so happy. You see people react differently to alcohol. Some become happy and giggly, some violent and some start to take an interest in other men" He diverted his stony look to Maria, who hadn't said a word since he had arrived.

She still said nothing. This couldn't be true, this wasn't like her, was it? I didn't know her enough to tell. And now I wasn't sure if I knew her at all.

"She isn't as sweet and innocent as she makes out, I assure you. Once she's been on the drink, she becomes very disloyal. I caught her several times with other guys and soon I became fed up with it so I regrettably ended our relationship. Her reputation skewered downhill and eventually she was kicked out of the university because she couldn't keep up with her work. Now she works as a play nurse in a kid's hospital when she could've been so much more. I tried to help her once so now I'm here to try again because I have forgiven her and want to try again. But now I see she's got her claws into you too. She doesn't love you if that's what you're thinking, she just wants you for what she can get out of you."

Both of our eyes were on Maria, who didn't meet our gaze. With each second of Maria's silence, I began to realise that maybe he was right after all.

But I wasn't going to give up just yet.

"I know she loves me. She doesn't love you, she's moved on and she's different. She hasn't had a single drink while I've known her. I don't believe a word of what you say"

Craig shook his head.

"People don't change it's too late for her. Has she ever said the words to you? I didn't think so. And I know she still feels something for me or else we wouldn't have woken up together less than two weeks ago"

My mind slammed to a halt. "You're lying, I know what you're trying to do. You want her back because you realised what you lost and now she's found someone else and you're jealous. She doesn't have to say the words, I know she loves me, I have felt the way I make her feel"

"Fine. Ask her. Ask her if she loves you. Tell her to deny what I've said. If she loves you and if she's different she'll tell you". I had never felt so scared in my life. I wasn't scared of Craig, I was scared of the truth.

Maria's P.O.V

I had managed to keep quiet throughout the whole episode but it came to the part where I had to break my silence.

But what could I say? For the most part, Craig was telling the truth. I did drink when I was stressed and initially he did help me out of the gutter.

I couldn't deny his story. I realised what Craig was doing, he knew that it was true and so he had me in a corner. There was nothing more that I could do to argue otherwise and Michael I knew had put two and two together, he was just hoping that I could prove Craig wrong.

But I couldn't be sure if me and Craig had slept together like he said because I didn't remember that evening at all. I remember us arguing and me drinking and him yelling at me because of it but then I guess I was too drunk to remember anything else.

But if we had...

Suddenly I had a sickening realisation. He said two weeks. I crashed to the floor and cried. I needed Michael's comfort but he was cold and distant, frozen to the spot, obviously thinking the worst.

"You know what Maria, if you had said yes I would have made the biggest mistake of my life" I looked up at him, his eyes were brimming with tears and I saw his hands, balled up in fists, shaking.

"No Michael please, you don't understand" My voice was bearly audible as my mind was reeling from the fact that I suddenly understood why I hadn't been myself, why I was emotional, why I was sick that morning.

"No you're right, and Craig was right. I don't understand. I don't understand you, us, or whatever this mess is. I offered you my heart and soul, Maria, the least you could do would be to attempt to meet me halfway by telling me the truth. But I see now that you're no different from the rest of them."

He was walking out of the room, out of my life.

"Michael please. I love you." I heard a growl from Craig that I tried to ignore. I had to let him leave, but not like this. I didn't want it this way. If he left now, he would never come back. Suddenly I didn't care about Craig or the video, I had to make Michael stay... but he was already nearly out of the door.

Where the hell was Roxanne? What about her plan?

"No Maria, you don't love me. I fooled myself once thinking I had a chance with someone, I'm not going through it again. I'm sorry"
And before I had a chance to get up and run after him, I was grabbed by Craig, holding me back for a second until I broke free.

But he had gone and the door closed. Then I heard a laugh.

"Well that was easier than I expected. I thought he would have brought back up"

He pulled a cassette tape from under the coffee table and handed it to me.

"Here, for being such a good sport, and for being a great actress, you can keep this, I won't be needing it anymore." He came over to me and stroked my cheek, now wet with tears. "You're such a good girl."

I slumped onto the sofa without another word. I couldn't even look at Craig, I was just staring at my stomach.

A few minutes later, the door flew open again. But to my disappointment, it wasn't Michael. It was a lot of black cladded men who as soon as they spotted Craig, jumped on him, pinning him against the wall and cuffing his wrists before he even had time to react.

"Mr Craig Whickham, you are under arrest for the break and entry into the apartment of Miss Maria Rose and for unauthorised video recording of both Mr Michael Jackson and Miss Maria Rose and using it for blackmail. You have violated Mr Jackson's Code of Privacy and Personal Security. You have the right to remain silent but anything you have to say can be used against you as evidence."
With no words from Craig they shoved him out of the door towards the police vehicle.

Soon after, Roxanne strolled in with Matt by her side, a smug grin on her face. She spotted me and winked.

"Told you I had a plan"

Matt took the cassette out of my hands and pulled a face as he realised what the tape was "I'm gonna have to take this for evidence, do you mind?"

I just shook my head. Roxanne looked at me and her smile disappeared. "M, what's wrong? Where's Michael?"

I looked up, tears stinging my eyes "He's gone. You're too late."
She gave me a quizzical look "Well we'll just have to go and get him back"

I shook my head again "No Rox, the damage is done, he's gone. He wouldn't want me back anyway"
"Why not? Just explain everything, he'll take you back no problem"
"Rox, I can't. I'm pregnant. And it's not his."

Both Matt and Roxanne looked at each other, then me. They knew I was right, it was too late.

*