06.

When Michelle woke up the next morning it was still very early so she decided that this time she would be the one making breakfast.

She opened the fridge analyzing its contents before finally making her choice. She made orange juice and banana with yogurt and honey, put them in a tray and walked upstairs to give it to Michael. She knocked on the door but she didn't hear an answer so she knocked again. When she was again met by silence she decided he probably was still asleep.

She carefully opened the door and walked inside his room placing the tray on the nightstand. Turning to look at him she couldn't help but smile; even though he was making a strange face he looked so beautiful asleep.

"Michael?!" She called his name quietly.

She reached and touched his hand to wake him up, but instead she felt how hot his skin was. Immediately she reached to touch his forehead with her other hand.

"Oh my god, you're burning up." She exclaimed and rushed to the bathroom.

A minute later she emerged from it holding a small laver filled with cold water and wet towel inside. She placed the towel on his forehead. He moved from the sudden cold and she realized he was shivering and was pulling the covers up on him in order to get warm. The memory of the previous night hit her and she cursed herself in her mind; it was all her fault he had that fever.

"Don't worry, we'll get your temperature down." She whispered softly to him and took the towel to get it wet with cold water again before placing it back on his forehead.

She checked his room for a thermometer and when she finally found one she put it in his underarm. When she took it back she realized his temperature was very high and apparently the cold towels weren't very useful.

"Now what?!" She thought when an idea struck her.

She pulled the covers off him and put one of his arms around her shoulders. She then somehow managed to carry him to the bathtub and once she gently put him inside she turned on the cold water. He was still unconscious, so all she could was wait. Time was passing by. She was sitting on the ground leaning her head against the edge of the bathtub and deep in her thoughts until at one point she drifted off to sleep.

Michael's eyelids started trembling and he opened his eyes. He looked around himself confused realizing he was in the bathroom. He then saw her leaned against the edge of the bathtub fallen asleep. He moved adjusting himself and feeling a bit sore than quietly sat up. Michelle stirred next to him and woke up to see him sitting up. A smile lit up on her face.

"You're awake."

She reached and put her hand on his forehead.

"And your fever's gone!"

She stood up from the floor.

"I'll go down to make you a hot soup and you take a hot shower and go to bed, ok?!"

"Ok. But..how did I get here?!"

"I carried you. You were burning up and your temperature wouldn't go down, so this is the only thing that came up to my mind."

"Well, thank you."

"Don't thank me. If it weren't for me you wouldn't have gotten sick."

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."

"It is." She insisted and put her hand on the needle to close the door behind her back. "I'm going to the kitchen now for your soup. Oh and uh..I'm leaving tomorrow."

With that last sentence she closed the door leaving him with his eyes widened in shock. Even the very thought of her leaving Neverland hurt. He knew he couldn't let her go, because she was different than everyone he'd ever known and with her he was actually feeling more alive than ever. He felt free and normal and relaxed. Not to mention that in some strange way she reminded him of himself a bit. They both have had similar past, they'd both have felt a lot of pain and loneliness when they were little and they both were feeling emptiness in their hearts and needed someone who would love and care for them. He couldn't help but wonder what had made her change her mind so suddenly after the last time they'd talked she had agreed to stay for at least a week. But he knew he couldn't let her go. He had to think of some way to make her stay.

Down in the kitchen Michelle prepared vegetable soup for Michael mentally kicking herself for being the very reason of him getting sick. It was all her fault that the person who saved her life in that stormy night when she ran away was with fever the whole morning. Not only he took her in his house but thanks to him she started smiling again after such a long time. And what did she do?! She risked his life because she wanted to have fun.

She was grasping the knife she was slicing some vegetables with a bit too hard causing it to slip from her grip and cut her forefinger. Thankfully the wound wasn't deep so she only disinfected it and put a small bandage before returning to making the soup. When she finally ready she went upstairs and to Michael's room. She knocked on the door and walked in. Michael quickly finished putting on the top of his pyjamas still for a brief moment Michelle took a quick look on his body; for a man who appeared thin and slim at first impression, he had quite well built body, six-packs and muscular arms. However it was something else that had caught her attention; there were white spots and blotches almost all over his dark skin. She couldn't help but wonder about that and redness covered her cheeks realizing she saw something she probably shouldn't have.

"The soup's ready." She said, successfully breaking the awkward silence and handling him the tray she was carrying she noticed his cheeks were red just like hers.

"What you said before..about you leaving tomorrow..it's not true, is it?!"

She sighed. She sat on the edge of the bed putting the tray in front of him.

"I can't stay here anymore." Was her simple reply.

"But why? Did I say or do something I shouldn't have?!"

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. He was just..too good and gentle and caring..

"Of course not. It's just..you did everything for me and I..your life's been put on risk because of me."

His eyes widened in shock.

"What?!"

"Last night." She continued. "You saved my life after I ran away from that devious place, you brought me to your house and took care of me and last night..it was cold and windy and I...I subconsciously put your life at risk because all I wanted was to have fun."

She turned her head away not being able to face him.

"Hey."

He reached and placed his fingers on her chin, turning her head so she could be facing him.

"You didn't put my life at risk, ok?! I love water and every game and sport that includes it. In fact it's a rule that when you come here, at my home, you're bound to get wet. Whether it'd be in a super soaker fight, water balloon fight or being pushed into the swimming pool. So don't you dare blame yourself for my fever. And don't you even think about leaving tomorrow. You're going to stay here as much as you want."

Two tears rolled down her cheeks, but he gently wiped them.

"No more tears." He flashed her a smile that could put even the sun itself to shame. "You've suffered enough your entire life. From now on I want to see only your smile."

She gave him a small smile in response.

"Thanks." She said.

"For what?!"

"For being so good, so understanding.."

He smiled again.

"You're welcome."

Their eyes connected and red color rushed to the cheeks of both of them. She suddenly remembered the soup and pointed down to it.

"I want you to eat it all while it's hot."

Michelle took the bowl in her hands and carefully reached to his mouth with a full spoon.

"Come on, open your mouth."

He took her hand with the spoon.

"I can do it by myself." He said gently causing her to smirk.

"I know. But I was the reason for you to fall ill in the first place so let me do this for you."

He let his fingers slip off hers and he opened his mouth letting her feed him the soup. When he ate it all she took the tray and stood up.

"Now you should try and get some sleep. You need it if you want to recover fast. I'll go and check what's in the fridge so I could think of something to cook for dinner."

She gave him a smile and turned around.

"How can I try to get some sleep when it's only-" He checked his watch. "- one in the afternoon?!"

She turned around to look at him and put the tray on the nightstand sitting on the bed again. After fixing his pillows for him she motioned for him to lay down.

"Now close your eyes and relax."

He sighed and reluctantly obeyed. She smiled and put her fingers between his eyes gently doing small motions to the end of his eyebrows. When her fingers touched his skin he opened his eyes to look at her.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a simple massaging technique." She answered simply with a smile. "It'll help you fall asleep. My father taught me how to do it. His sleep isn't very good and this technique always helped him when I was doing it on him. Now close your eyes and relax."

He closed his eyes again and she continued massaging him. He soon felt like all his troubles were leaving him. He felt light and happy and relaxed and slowly drifted off to sleep. She carefully lifted her fingers from his forehead and pulled up his covers onto him.

Taking the tray in his hands she looked at him and a smile crept up to her lips again. Her thoughts brought her back to when she first met him and thought he was like everyone else who'd only hurt her. Now she knew how wrong she was about him.

"You are different than everyone else, Michael." She whispered quietly.

A tear rolled down her cheek, but her smile stayed on.

"You really care."