Love Conquers All _The Sequel_

Chapter Nineteen - Harmony

Mary's POV:

My joy is insurmountable today; everyone's happy and normal. ET is dead. I have conquered the world and I know now what I am capable of. Michael is alive, Tex is alive, and truthfully, I'm happy that One Direction is alive again, too. Really my potential is unfathomable, and I am unstoppable in the face of whatever is yet to come. Today, I am ready with a smile for events which may reveal themselves to me.

The sun is peeking over the horizon and warms the crisp sheets through the window. I am woken by bowl of hot porridge being set wobbly onto my chest by Tex, who is handing another dish over to Michael on my left.

He sits down and begins to eat his own meal, and through a mouthful of oats he says, "Just like the good ole days." Michael chuckles and nods, a peacefulness much like mine radiating from his smile.

Today is a day contributing to history, although no one knows it except for me. It's a bit weird knowing everything that happened while everyone else is happily clueless, although I suppose it'd be even weirder to be unknowing in the wake of some strange event.

I shake these profound thoughts from my mind and return to what I've decided is going to be my happiest day yet.

"What're we gonna do today?" I ask, shoveling strawberry and porridge onto my tongue.

Michael quickly chews his food, then swallows and says, "I don't know. It seems like today is the first actually normal day since you got here." He looks down at his bowl and stirs his spoon around in the food.

"Yeah, really," Tex says, "it's kind of a weird feeling." How would he know?

Then I laugh at myself for suddenly becoming so hostile in my head.

"What's so funny?" Michael asks and looks up at me, seeming serious.

"Oh, nothing I was just thinking about this thing," I say, trying to shrug it off.

"What thing?" Tex prods. I look at him and at Michael, they're both staring intently at me, waiting for me to answer, and I can feel my face getting hot.

"Sorry, I didn't know I was in an interrogation room," I snap. I immediately feel bad for ruining the good mood.

Tex drops his spoon in his bowl, which makes a shrill clanking noise, and begins to stand.

I grab his arm. "No, sorry - I just... I overreacted. But what I was thinking wasn't even funny really, anyways. Can we just forget about this and continue our happy day?" I ask, remorse flooding my chest. I look to Tex and Michael, waiting for them to accept my apology.

"Aw, cuz," Tex says, and sits back down, placing a hand on my head and ruffling my hair. Michael laughs and it seems I've healed the situation.

I sigh as I swallow another spoonful of my oatmeal, my vibe died down just a little bit. Michael nudges my leg which forces me to look up.

"We can go swimming?" He suggests.

"It's freezing," Tex says.

"Can you make it warm?" Michael asks me.

"Uh, I can try," I reply quietly.

"We don't have swimsuits," Tex points out, and Michael looks at him like he's an idiot.

"Just wear a tee shirt and shorts or something, it's not that complicated," he says, and I feel even worse about snapping at them earlier because I don't think today will be as happy as it was before that. It's okay, though, we can still have fun...

"Let's go then," Tex says, laughing as he swats my arm, and then I wonder if I over-analyzed the whole thing, because he doesn't seem too upset.

I rise from the bed sluggishly, since I haven't stood yet this morning. I stretch and pop my knuckles, yawning.
We head out of the room, and Michael leads the way to the pool.

Tex was right. Once we're outside, I'm shivering and clutching my own arms for warmth. My teeth chatter as, without warning, Michael places his arms around me, I guess trying to get me warm, too. I forgot that we were married, and images of the service held just yesterday flashes in my mind like a shocking bolt of lightning. I take a deep breath to keep myself from keeling over.

We reach the pool, and stand near the edge, silently looking into the frigid water.

"Work your magic," Tex says, and I don't really know how to respond. What do I do? Boil the water? Make a ring of fire? Channel lava from underground to heat the concrete? What do they expect of me?

I decide to wing it, and hold my hands out toward the water. With shaking hands, I close my eyes and try hard to just simply heat the water. I hold my breath and exert all my energy into my fingertips and out toward the pool.

Gradually, a hissing sound tickles my ears, and I open my eyes too see that steam is emitting from the surface of the water.

"That's all I can do," I say, turning to look at Michael.

"This is perfect," he responds, and pats me on the shoulder. Him and Tex take off their shoes and throw them into the grass, readying to get into my makeshift hot tub.

I'm in the pool first, indulgently soaking in the the heat from the waves, the steam floating upward and clearing my nose. I sink into the water until only my eyes are above level. Tex comes running past Michael and jumps into the pool, screaming "Kalabunga!" in a squeaky, high pitched voice.

On the contrary, Michael tiptoes up toward the edge of the pool and looks down into the crips blue waters. I wade over toward him, and hold out my hand to pull him in.

"C'mon, this was your idea!" I say, laughing, and scrunch my fingers as I gesture for him to take my hand.

He laughs too, but there is some weird glint in his eyes that makes me worry as I watch him stare into the pool.

As if his thoughts were getting away from him, he shakes his head, then looks up, attentive again, and takes my hand, this time without his previous hesitation. He slides into the water beside me, dragging his fingers across the surface.

Tex suddenly pops up from underwater, which makes me jump a big.

"Let's pants Michael," he whispers in my ear, trying to conceal a giggle.

"No!" I protest, laughing.

"C'mon!" He prods, and I shake my head.

"You can do it yourself if you want to so badly," I say.

"Pfft," he starts, "fine. But you splash him so he's distracted!" This, I agree to, because there's no harm done in a little splash.

And so, Tex slips back beneath the water and positions himself behind Michael. He signals for me to start splashing, and so I do.

Grinning at Michael, I coil my arms back, and he shrieks with laughter as he sees what I'm about to do. He shields his face as I shove a wave in his direction, and Tex tries to pants him. Michael clutches to the waistband of his pants, and Tex surfaces again.

Tex and I cackle with laughter, hi-fiving each other and clutching our bellies. As we are busy heckling, we don't notice Michael's heaving cough.

Suddenly, Michael grabs my arm and squeezes so hard I'm surprised I didn't turn purple. Panicked, I look up, and his face is red as his other hand points to his throat.

Just as I begin to move to assist him, something within him gives and he buckles over.

I break his fall, and he leans over my arm, silent and sweaty. Tex is watching worriedly, and my Life Diamond is threatening to come up onto my tongue.

Abruptly, Michael lets out a weird noise and something warm splats onto my arm. My first thought is vomit, but when I look down, I see that there is a puddle of blood leaving Michael's mouth and turning the pool water a sickly maroon color.