something from the archives: say goodbye - part 32

it's thursday and time to look back into the fan fiction archives. you can catch up with the story at the links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

read on for part 32.

Part 32

"“Mmm.”" Liz said much later as she lay contentedly in Michael’'s arms.

“"So you liked that, huh?”"

"“You know I did.”" Liz smiled and snuggled closer to Michael’'s body. She loved feeling his hard strength, the heat his body emanated around her. “"Michael?”"

"“Yeah.”"

“"You’'re not sleepy are you?”"

“"No. Why? What did you have in mind?”" Michael said suggestively.

“"I want you to read something."”

“"Read?”" Michael said disappointedly. That hadn’'t been at all what he was imagining. But when he saw the look on Liz’'s face he couldn’t bring himself to say no. “"Sure. Why not?”"

Liz moved out of his embrace to rummage through her bags until pulling out a book. She handed it to him without words.

Michael looked at it for a moment, before realizing why it looked so familiar. “"Baby, this is your journal. Why are you giving it to me?”"

Liz kissed him lightly on the lips, lying her head on his shoulder as she said, “"Last time you read it when my life was very different. When both our lives were very different. What you said to me then has stayed with me. About how this showed the world how I saw Max. About how I had given you another reason to envy Max Evans. Michael, you have nothing on Max. No reason to envy him. And I need you to read this.”"

Michael nodded wordlessly and began reading. He read for two hours straight until reaching Liz’'s final entry dated from the other morning. It read:

Dear Michael,

By now you have read every thought, every feeling I’'ve had over the past two years. No one knows me the way you do. No one sees me the way you do. And your drawings were merely visual proof of something I already knew in my heart. They were so beautiful; in every line I could feel the love you had for me as you drew it. I don’'t remember ever feeling so loved. So precious and treasured. 

I don’'t even have words to express how I feel about you. It’'s so much more than that.
We don’'t even have to kiss for me to see stars. I see them in your eyes; I see them when you take my hand in yours. You walk into a room and all I want to do is run into your arms and tell the world how much I love you. How happy I am to love you. How happy loving you has made me.

I know you fear my past, especially what I shared with Max. The future he and I would have had. But that future is gone, it has faded away with time. And I am no longer the Liz Parker that loved Max Evans. Max isn’'t the man I thought he was. I have moved on with my life. 

And I have found something so much greater than that with you. I found myself in your arms and realized that they were the only place I was meant to be. 

Being with you is what is right. I love you. I want to share my life with you.
I am putting away my past. Closing the book on it so to speak. 

And my future, my heart, my love is what I have to give you. 

With you, things will always be right.

I love you so much.

More than words.

Liz

Michael closed the leather bound journal. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he took Liz’'s head in his hands and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, before pressing a lingering kiss on her lips.

Liz smiled as she wiped his tears away. “"I love you.”"

“"Oh, baby. You..you amaze me. I love you so much, Liz Parker. It’'s a forever thing.”" Michael said in a voice choked with emotion. He tightened his hold on Liz a moment, before saying, “"Hold on. I brought something for you too.”"

He went through his bags and drew out a sheet of paper. He then sat down in front of Liz, setting the paper upside down on the tent floor and began to speak haltingly. “"Liz, you make me happier than anyone else on this planet."”

Michael took off the ring he always wore on his right hand and concentrated on it until it began emanating a soft silver glow. The ring split into two parts, one very thin, the other thick. Michael placed the thicker half back on his finger and continued to speak.

“"There is no one here for me like you. I love everything about you. Your mind. Your body. Your heart.”"

Michael took the half of the ring that remained in his hand and resized it so that it looked to fit a woman’'s finger. He played with the stone until it too began to emanate a silvery glow.

"“I know we’'re young. I know this sounds crazy. But the hell with it. The hell with everyone else. I don’'t think I can spend another night without you in my arms. I want you with me at all times. Always. So I’'m proposing. Liz Parker, will you marry me?”"

Michael opened the palm of his hand to reveal a diamond engagement ring and flipped the sheet of paper around so Liz could see it. It was a portrait of her, lying nude tangled amidst a mess of sheets. In every line, every movement of the pencil there was love, Michael’'s love.

Liz was stunned. Of all the reactions she had been expecting from Michael This hadn’'t been one of them. But he made it absolutely perfect. And he was sitting in front of her, his heart in his hands, fear in his eyes.

Liz didn’'t waste any more time in telling Michael how much she loved him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she flung herself into his arms and slowly kissed him lingeringly, tenderly.

"“So?”" he asked.

“"Yes. Oh God, yes. This is total madness. But yes. I love you. So much.”" Liz said as Michael slipped the ring he had made for her on her ring finger.

“"I know this is crazy.”" Michael said.

“"Screw crazy. Our lives are crazy. You're a freaking alien. I am supposed to be dead. Life is too crazy to sit around and wait. We belong together. Let’'s make love.”" said Liz rather uncharacteristically. But Michael wasn’'t about to complain. Shutting off the flashlight that hung above them, Michael dragged Liz as close as he possibly could and covered her mouth with a searing kiss.