PART 11 “Now, close your eyes and imagine it.” Maria said in a soothing and relaxing tone. “You can almost smell it. Taste it... Hmm... Can you tell me what it is now?” Kyle was sitting on the carpet, his legs crossed and his eyes shut in concentration. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and announced his decision. “Chinese!” Maria hopped off the couch and dashed for the phone. “All right, let’s eat Chinese!” The doorbell rang just as she dialled the numbers. “Kyle, you get it, it must be Tom.” Kyle opened the door to reveal Tom in a business suit, clearly coming from work while Maria ordered enough food to feed an army. She had learned in the last couple of weeks that Kyle could eat like a small herd of rhinos and if you don’t put enough food on his plate, yours would never be safe. “So, Kylie babe, how’s it going?” Tom looked him up and down in a not so cheerful way. Kyle was wearing pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, both of which he suspected hadn’t seen water or soap for a long time. His hair was a mess and you could see that he definitely missed shaving for the last week. Kyle’s face contorted in irritation. “Stop calling me that! People will start thinking I’m your boyfriend or something! I haven’t had a date in ages, I don’t need this to top it all...” Tom stayed nonchalant. “Which people Kyle? You don’t even leave the house, how do you suppose you can get a date when you never go out?” “We do go out you know...” Kyle searched his memory for the last time they went out. “Last week we went out to buy the stinking thing that fish eats...” “No, you didn’t. Mars called me and I bought it for her.” “Oh, shit, really? You know it must be those incense things she burns around the house, they make my head fuzzy...” Kyle looked really confused. “Are you sure it was you?” “Yeah, of course I’m sure.” Tom checked if Maria was still on the phone and lowered his tone. “Actually I need to talk to you about this. In private...” he motioned Maria with his eyebrows. “...when she’s not around.” “About what?” “About Mars not working, just moping around all day with you and about what happened in Roswell... I don’t know, I’m just worried about her.” “What do you mean ‘what happened in Roswell’ ?” Kyle’s eyebrows were raised and his face resembled the one of a wild cat in a moment of danger. “Enough with the bullshit Kyle! She doesn’t talk about it but obviously something happened. She is not herself! That woman is not the Maria I know!” Tom closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. He continued in an even tone with gritted teeth. “Look, I just... I need your help. I know you care about her and I obviously do. So lets just not let her break apart okay? I’ve seen this happen before and it took her ages to pull herself back together. She can’t afford another one.” He stopped abruptly and smiled a hollow smile when he noticed Maria coming their way. “We’ll talk later.” He muttered under his breath to Kyle and walked towards his pain-in-the-ass best friend. - - - Later in the evening Kyle and Tom were sitting in Maria’s living room surrounded by a million take out boxes, quietly waiting to hear the sound of the shower. Kyle was the first to talk when he heard Maria’s soft singing muffled by water. “So what was it you wanted to talk about Tommy boy?” Tom was concentrated too much to notice Kyle’s attempt to irritate him. He started pacing while he tried to gather his thoughts and find the quickest way to explain himself to Kyle. “So…” he began finally stopping and looking at him. “Do you know what happened with Michael?” Kyle tried not to look too curious and managed to shape his face in a half clueless expression. “Guerin? Something happened with Guerin?” Tom looked suspicious because of the detective state he was in, but was convinced nonetheless. “Well, that bastard hurt her, but I don’t know how. She implied that she would decapitate me if I brought up the subject ever again so I think it was pretty bad.” Kyle’s eyes flared in anger. “What do you mean hurt her? What the hell did he do to her?” Tom gestured him to keep his voice down but Kyle wasn’t having any of it. Tom had to thank god that Michael wasn’t around. It would be impossible to hold back a man with Kyle’s size and fury. “Kyle, I know you want to kill him…” Kyle cut him in mid-sentence. “You have no idea. NO FUCKING IDEA!!!” He was pacing furiously in the room now. His fists were clenching and Tom expected him to punch a wall any minute. “Look Kyle, you can't do anything about him right now and even if you could, it wouldn’t do any good for Mars. Okay? Now calm down. We have to help her, get her out of this depression. Are you with me on this? Can I trust you to help me?” Kyle shut his eyes, counted to ten and said “Okay. I’ll help you. What do we do?” “Well, I figured we could start with getting her out of the house.” Tom suggested and Kyle’s eyes lit up. “It’s easy…” Kyle said, excited that he found the solution so easily. “That’s a guy problem, right?” Tom nodded tentatively. “Three easy steps. We’ll get her out, get her drunk, get her laid! She’ll forget all her troubles. It’s gonna be great!” Kyle got up and ran inside to get dressed without even letting Tom comment on anything. Tom could hear him talking to Maria about it and then trying to pursuade her to come with them and then yelling at her to get dressed. “This is such a bad idea…” Tom muttered to himself and went inside to help Kyle to get Maria’s ass in a dress. - - - Once they convinced Maria to go out with them, she started to get in the mood. A little too much for Tom’s taste but he tried to stay positive. Just that she wore the smallest, sexiest dress she owned didn’t mean that she was gonna do something wrong, did it? Or that she put on the black eye shadow and blood red lipstick didn’t really mean anything. And she didn’t wear bra anymore anyway… It was nothing. They were gonna have a blast and go home and everything would be all right. Or so he wished… After she drank half a bottle of tequila, even Kyle looked worried. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. That always worked on guys but maybe it was different with women. He wasn’t so sure about that whole getting drunk-getting laid procedure anymore. “Maybe we should go home. I don’t feel well.” He said throwing a worried glance at Tom. Maria wasn’t smiling. Or even talking. Tom knew that this couldn’t possibly mean anything good. This wasn’t her normal reaction to alcohol. She had a determined look on her face that scared Tom. Determined to do what he wondered. - - - Maria was dancing. She wasn’t really hearing the music. She was just aware of a rhythm. Thump! Thump! Like a heart beat. She closed her eyes and let her body sway to the rhythm and pink lights caress her in the darkness. She felt hands on her hips. Big, strong hands. She didn’t protest or open her eyes. She continued dancing. She felt the hot body of the owner of those hands close behind her. He came closer and she didn’t let herself think. She just kept on rocking. She plastered her back to the body behind her and pushed her hips to the mystery guy’s groin. She felt his erection rubbing against her ass and heard his groan. Her body jerked a little to the unfamiliar sound. A part of her kept chanting “It’s not him.” but she tuned it out. She felt a hand moving up her skirt and making its way up to her uncovered core. She didn’t wear panties, it was easier this way. She didn’t flinch at his touch but it didn’t excite her either. Her every move was on memory. She wasn’t thinking. This was something she had to do. This time it had nothing to do with pleasure. She had to do it. She had to break free. She turned around to face the stranger. His green eyes and salty scent made her stomach quiver but she didn’t pull away. ‘You’ll be free.’ She promised herself. ‘Everything will be okay again.’ She let her hand travel down his body to stroke his erection. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip seductively. She could hear his panting. She didn’t even need to try hard or be original. Men were easy, it was textbook. She tried to feel the power she held, she tried to enjoy it, but all she found was a sense of unfamiliarity and wrongness inside her. She tried to concentrate to get back what she once had but she couldn’t. It was gone. Another part of her life she left behind involuntarily. Her reaction to her own lack of control and power was simple and to be expected. She felt hate and rage towards herself. SHE was responsible for what happened not him. It was her that fell for him when he wasn’t even trying. He never gave her false impressions. Never bought her flowers or gave her empty promises. And what did she do? Throw herself at his arms and get all wrecked when he treated her like a whore. She felt pathetic. She wanted power again to stand up on her own. She needed to make herself believe that she wasn’t a miserable little nothing. She needed to be herself again, in control to go on, survive. She pulled the stranger’s head down to her level and whispered in his ear. “Let’s find somewhere private.” - - - Maria pulled him to the empty lady’s room. She pushed him against a wall and started to unbuckle his belt. The guy, being a guy, didn’t protest. He just held back and let her have her way. She avoided his eyes, she was scared that she would see the deep brown ones and she was scared that she wouldn’t. She reached inside his boxers and held him in her hands, making him gasp. She unconsciously expected the smooth skin she wanted to touch and felt sad when she found something else instead. It felt different; different texture, different warmth… She expected the tingles but they never came. She didn’t know how this was possible but it felt like she never ever had sex with anyone but Michael. She couldn’t recall any past experiences, all she knew about sex was what he gave her and now she craved for it. She reached in her bag and retrieved a condom. She wasn’t ready to give in to him, to a shadow, a fantasy that would never be. He helped her put on the condom and turned them around so she could lean against the wall. He pushed her skirt up and guided her legs around him. Then he entered her in one forceful stroke. It hurt. It hurt like hell. And not in a good way. She wasn’t the least bit aroused and she felt every inch of him rubbing against her walls burning his way inside. His smell hit her senses and made her sick. He was pushing her against the wall hard and moving inside her. She suddenly felt claustrophobic. She didn’t want to open her eyes to see a stranger. She wanted it to be over. He was groaning and grabbing her ass while she tried to calm herself down and think of something else. A picture of soft, brown, spiky hair flashed across her mind and she had to open her eyes to make it go away. She felt one of his hands move up to her face and hold her hair. That did it for her. Tears started to trickle down her cheek and a huge, hot knot formed inside her stomach. She started to whisper… “No, no, no…” The guy didn’t even realize the change in her. He kept pounding harder and harder. She pulled her hands free and slapped his hand away from her hair. That finally got his attention. She became hysterical and started shouting between sobs. “No, no, no…” She pushed him away and he dropped her on the floor. He looked at her with confusion for a moment. She was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn to her chest and shaking with sobs. He pulled himself together and walked away from her. But she heard his muttered words before he left. “Pathetic bitch…” - - - Tom and Kyle found her half an hour later sitting near a toilet bowl, wracking with sobs. Kyle gathered her in his arms and carried her to the car. She couldn’t help thinking it was all his fault. His stupid idea. He wanted so badly to hurt something, someone… He wanted to hurt the hell out of Guerin to be exact. That son of a bitch hurt Maria and tried to use Kyle. He trusted him. He respected him. And Michael used him. If only he could get a hold of him! Who the fuck did he think he was, that alien bastard! He would pay… Oh man, he definitely would pay… Tom ran a bath for Maria and helped her in the tub. She wasn’t crying anymore. She just sat there, staring at the wall with empty eyes and rocked softly. Tom ran a sponge up and down her back soothingly unable to say anything to comfort her. How could he possibly comfort her when he had no fucking idea what the problem was? He knew this wasn’t a normal men oriented thing. Maybe Maria finally cracked, maybe all the things she went through finally started to pay up. He hoped not. “I found it Tom.” Her voice was just a notch above a whisper and her face held pain. Whatever she found, she definitely wasn’t glad she did. Tom made sure to sound as he felt. Over-gentle and protective. “What did you find babe?” She looked him in the eye and Tom thanked god that her eyes were focused. So she wasn’t in shock this time. It was weird but she almost looked excited as she talked. “I found the thing, you know, the real thing?” Tom tentatively voiced the name she forbid him to mention, half expecting her to blow up. “Michael?” A small smile found its way to her pouty lips to his surprise. “Yeah…” she whispered. “Michael.” There was something in the way she said his name, that made Tom’s insides warm and fuzzy. Like a mother talking about her child. You wouldn’t believe that this guy hurt her. Her eyes lit up while she whispered his name. It slipped through her lips cherished as if it was a prayer. “You’re sure?” He didn’t know what else to ask to keep her talking without sounding wrong or cruel. “Yeah…” She turned her eyes ahead of her and stared at the wall, like she was looking through a secret window visible only to her. “It was… like… magic. And it wasn’t just sex… I was so far gone before we had sex… If what we had was sex that is.” Tom didn’t want to interrogate her but was determined to understand what she was feeling and thinking and her current state was his best shot. “You mean you made love?” “I don’t know. I thought making love was what I had with Colin, you know? All gentle and caring… This was different… I don’t think there's a word for it. It was… both gentle and wild… and everything I could ever ask for. And now everything else feels empty.” Tom gently caressed her hair and encouraged her to go on. She did, her eyes getting damper every passing moment. “For the first time in my life I didn’t feel alone. I felt complete. But of course there was a catch.” She gave a bitter, soft chuckle. “I used to be afraid of being alone… but now… I'm scared to be without him. I know… Noone else would do. I need him.” She looked at Tom with desperate tears trailing down her cheeks. “I don’t think I can survive without him.” - - - “It’s all my fault.” Tom wasn’t surprised to find Kyle still drinking after two hours he spent with Maria. He sat near him and patted his shoulder. “Come on… She’s better now. She did it herself, on purpose. She needed to test herself, to prove herself. At least now she knows…” Kyle looked at the black haired, tall stranger with a new perspective. “You really know her, don’t you?” Tom offered him a small smile and took a sip from his beer. “Yeah, after all those years I mastered being her best friend I think.” “So tell me then, what is her problem and how can we help her?” What Kyle really wanted to say was ‘How can I help her? What can I do to make it right again?’ He felt guilt settle in his stomach and it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “We can't solve her problem I'm afraid. She is in love with him. Head over heels… Desperately.” “Guerin?” Kyle couldn’t even think about disguising his surprise. Guerin and love? Holy shit! “Yeah. And I was positive that it was mutual. But I guess it wasn’t. Or there were other complications. When it comes to love, you never know…” “What do we do now?” Kyle asked as he planned three thousand different and very creative possibilities to torture and kill a certain Antarian. “We tried your way and it obviously failed and now I suggest we try my way.” “Which is?” “Poker night!” PART 12 “Poker night?!?” “Yeah, poker night…” Kyle couldn’t help but laugh at Tom’s plan. “That’s definitely dumber than my brilliant ‘get her laid’ idea.” “No, you don’t get it. A poker night has everything she needs.” Tom had a dead serious expression and that made Kyle laugh harder. “Oh yeah? And what does she need?” he asked sarcastically. Tom started listing with his fingers. “Well for one she needs to know she’s not alone, right? And she needs to have fun and realize that life’s not over even if she thinks it is. She needs to forget men and that relationship crap for a little while. It’s perfect!” Kyle was considering Tom’s reasons seriously now. He did have a point. “Okay. I get your reasons but how are you planning on doing all this in a poker night?” Tom’s lips curved up in a mischievous smile. “I have just the gang!” - - - Maria stayed in her bed next day, unable to get up and face the world in the revelations she had the night before. She felt like a different person. She didn’t feel like the scarred but careless young girl with fairytale dreams. She was now a woman who knew that she finally found what she searched for all her life. It was weird to stop searching. She felt panic rise from her stomach. What now? That was it? She found him and just lost him like that? Silent tears trickled down her cheeks. What was she supposed to do now? She wiped her tears away fiercely. She wasn’t giving up, that was for sure. But no matter how much she wanted him she couldn’t possibly bring herself to beg him, it wasn’t in her. She had to survive. She had to wait and deal with the pain. And maybe, just maybe, one day she would feel the same way about another man. Someone she can have, someone she can hold and maybe someone human… She smiled and sighed, clutching Bobo to her chest she closed her eyes and drifted off to a land where dreams of what could have happened haunt her. - - - The gang arrived at eight sharp, just like Tom promised. Kyle had cleaned up a little bit, figuring he needed to be a good example for his sister. He wasn’t sure when he started thinking about her as his sister, but now that he did, he knew he had to decide where his loyalties lay. He was surprised how easy it was to make the decision. The five people that entered the apartment with Tom were the loudest group Kyle had ever had contact with. First an extremely tall and thin girl entered holding hands with an equally tall and handsome guy. They were called Nancy and Drew as Kyle found out later. And it was always Nancy and Drew, never just Nancy or just Drew. They were both models –what a surprise- and they worked together, they lived together, they were practically inseparable. Kyle never liked models or celebrities, they had this ‘I’m too cool for you’ attitude which made him uncomfortable near them. Nancy and Drew appeared just like that, the cliche model type. But Kyle sighed with relief when he saw how they reacted to Maria. Nancy had this huge smile on her face and were giggling just like a teenage girl. And Drew, well he looked shorter somehow. Then Kyle saw a red headed girl with curly hair. She was short and had freckles which made her look like a five year old kid. But when she took off her coat, Kyle decided she definitely wasn’t a five year old girl. She was tiny as he expected but with that little piece of clothing that barely covered her upper thighs and cleavage she looked sexy as hell, there was nothing innocent there. He noticed that the dress was a light blue that complimented her eyes. ‘Wow!’ he thought. Maria definitely had some different friends. The next one to enter was the loudest of the group. Sam was a bright, animated, blond girl. She reminded him of Maria. Not the way she was now of course, the normal Maria, the undepressed version. Sam threw her arms around Maria and squealed in delight. “Where have you been doll, we missed you so much!!!! And you lost weight? Didn’t they feed you there? You look so much smaller. But whatever, at least you can wear whatever the hell you want now. You know I put on weight after that horrible, terrible Nick…” Kyle tuned her out. Yep! Definitely like Maria… Kyle heard a deep voice coming from outside and looked in wonder. A guy with the largest shoulders he ever saw came in and hugged Maria. Kyle was almost sure he would break her. The guy was… big! He later learned that his name was Paul and he owned a gym. Paul had known Maria since her high school years and Kyle was relieved to see that they had an almost sibling kind of relationship. Paul wasn’t that bright but he was protective like a big brother. It was a relief for Kyle to know that she was safe when he wasn’t around. Kyle watched the affection and joy pouring out of the people in the room and decided that Tom was right. Maybe poker night wasn’t the worst idea after all. - - - As hours passed Maria realized what that was all about. So Tom was trying to cheer her up. She smiled looking at him arguing with Paul over some stupid TV show. She knew he was worried and wished that she could make him understand. She could always try but… there was no way anyone would understand this. She was glad that Kyle blended in so well with her friends. He was family now. And family was something Maria valued. He was so cute, flirting with Lucy. Maria wanted to hold him tight and squeeze him in her arms but she doubted he would tolerate that. Maria looked around her and thought she could be happy without Michael as long as she had them with her. Her little trip to Roswell had made her appreciate what she already had here in LA. Before that there was always the suspicion that Liz and Alex were the best friends she could ever have and she screwed it up. Now she knew. Liz and Alex were good friends, good people, but they didn’t know her anymore, just like she didn’t know them. It would take time to get to know each other again. And she wasn’t sure that they would like what they found. But her friends in LA, they knew who Maria DeLuca really was. They knew her ups and downs, they had been with her through better and worse and they loved her. That was real friendship and she felt graced for having it. Maria felt the dark, cold place she carried above her heart diminish. God knew she carried that long enough. Long enough to forget what being without it meant. She wanted to cry again, happy tears this time but she didn’t want to get Tom all panicked and worked up. For the first time in her life Maria DeLuca let herself realize that she really truly wasn’t alone… - - - After a night full of laughter and joy, it was finally time to leave. Tom was proud of himself since Maria laughed all night with them and actually had fun. He knew this would work! Tom’s smile turned upside down when he saw Maria’s face when everyone left. She was back to the sad Maria, back to the night before. He was shocked. It was all an act all night then. She never felt better, just pretended. He sat near her on the sofa and put his arm around her shoulders and gave Kyle a desperate look. Kyle shrugged and shook his head. “Mars…” he started in a voice Maria recognized as his understanding friend voice. She held her hand and shushed him. “No, Tom I know what you’re doing and I know you're scared for me but don’t, please.” She looked him in the eye, begging him to understand. She offered him a sad smile. “I will be okay… one day I will… But for now, let me grieve my loss, okay?” Kyle saw the pain in her eyes as she said that and cursed Michael Guerin one more time. He was dead meat once he got his hands on him. Tom watched her face worriedly. He hugged her tight and asked her what he needed to know. “You won't leave me again, right?” He pulled back and looked right into her eyes trying to see the truth buried down. “You won't go there again and leave me, right?” Kyle didn’t know what the hell he was talking about but he could hear the dread in his voice. It was scary to see the two most confident people he ever met in his life so vulnerable. It was like seeing Isabel biting her perfect nails… Christ! What a horrible thought was that! “No…” she whispered reassuring him with a small smile which didn’t reach her eyes. “I won't leave you. This is not like the other times, okay? I'm not suicidal or anything. I’ll be fine. I know I'm not alone now. I have Kyle and mom and you and the gang… I’ll be fine… I just… I just need time to heal. Is that okay?” Tom kissed the top of her head and sighed with relief and weariness. “Of course it’s okay. But we’re here if you need us, don’t you forget that!” She smiled at him and yawned. “Now, I'm off to bed!” She gave him a peck on the lips and walked to Kyle and hugged him. “She really liked you, you know…” She said playfully. Kyle’s instant reaction made her grin. “Really?…… I mean, who?” He tried to act cool but couldn’t stop his grin. Maria hit his head. “Lucy, dumbass.” She kissed his cheek and walked out towards her room. “Thanks for everything guys… I love you both. Good night!” Kyle couldn’t wait one more minute to ask after he heard her door close. “What was that all about?” “What?” “That cryptic talking? Don’t leave again crap? Why would she leave?” “It’s nothing, really.” Tom really wasn’t in mood to have this conversation. It had been a too long night already. But one look at Kyle’s face convinced him that he wasn’t getting out of this that easily. Kyle’s face had lost its innocent young boy look and was serious and demanding all of a sudden. “Look I respect her privacy, you know that. But Tom, I'm here for a reason. I'm here to help and protect my sister. And if there is something I need to know to do so, I think you should tell me.” Tom studied the face of the young man in front of him. He was young and innocent, not jaded like himself or Maria. But there was something about him that made Tom want to trust him. Trust him with Maria and trust him as a friend. Kyle might be inexperienced in life but he was an honest and capable man. And there was something raw and instinctual in the way he called Maria his sister. Tom made the decision with his heart as always and decided to trust him. “Mars had some bad times, Kyle. And I mean really bad. She had to learn to survive on her own too early. She learned to live alone and unprotected. But she somehow made it through. She looks small but she is tough. And I am really proud of what she accomplished. But… all the things she went through didn’t just pass her by, they left scars… Some deep, some shallow… Some healed, some still bleeding… She still carries them around, and most of them are too close to surface with just one little scratch they get infected again…” Tom was deep in his thoughts and looking out the window to the street lights without actually seeing anything. Kyle didn’t want to interrupt him in that stance but he needed more solid things than that if he was supposed to understand. “Tom?” Tom turned towards him and Kyle could swear that he had unshed tears in his eyes. “Tom, I don’t understand a word you’re saying. Can you stop with the metaphors and tell me what happened to her?” Kyle was trying hard to not sound harsh. It wasn’t a good time to piss Tom off. He relaxed when he saw Tom smile. “You jock types are all the same…” He mumbled and continued in a way he hoped Kyle’s jock brain would process. “Well, Kyle, let me tell you exactly what happened then.” Kyle nodded enthusiastically and grabbed another beer. “Her father, as you know, left Maria and Amy when she was just a kid. I never met the guy but as I gathered from what Mars told me is that he is an idiotic headcase.” Kyle was listening carefully. He didn’t expect Tom to tell him her life story but now that he started, Kyle decided that it wouldn’t hurt. He was going to listen and learn both sides and then he would decide how to help Maria and kill Guerin. “He was Maria’s childhood dream. She waited for him to come and make everything better. And one day out of nowhere he came. And he made her choose between a life with him and her current life in Roswell. She chose him. And I always believed it was the right choice but she didn’t think so.” “You see, Amy is a great woman but she wasn’t the perfect mother. She was too young and they weren't financially stable. That’s why I believe she made the right choice back then. Anyone would want to have the better life with a long lost father, right? She had to try it.” “Well, whatever, she left Roswell and came here to live with him. He was rich, you see, so everything she dreamed of became reality. And when he left again, after just like six months or so, it all came crashing down on her. But she is too strong to give up on something so soon. She regretted leaving terribly and blamed herself for everything. She couldn’t talk to Amy or her friends in Roswell because of her shame. That’s when it all started. She started to build her life and did a great job at that, but the ground she was building on was kinda shaky.” Tom stopped for a moment and went to the kitchen to search the contents of the fridge. He came back with a coke and sat on the couch. Kyle, who listened silently till now, asked the thing that bothered him. “Why did he leave again?” He couldn’t understand how a father would do that to his own daughter, not once but twice. “Well, Mars says I analyze people too much and he was just a jerk but I think he got scared.” “Of Maria?” That was ridiculous. Maria was a girl who made it impossible for you to not love her. How could her own father be immune? “He wasn’t the responsible father type. I don’t believe he didn’t love her. It’s just that he didn’t know what to do with a fifteen year old girl. He couldn’t manage. And Maria isn't an easy person. She demands attention. And she wanted him to be perfect. So he split.” “Where? He left her alone in that damn city and went where exactly?” “Europe. He went to Europe on vacation and never came back. She didn’t realize at first but after two months of waiting and no phone calls, she couldn’t deny it. He left the apartment they lived to her use, he owned it, so she didn’t have to pay rent. And there was quite a lot of money left in the house so she wasn’t really starving. But she didn’t want to live there with all those reminders. ‘Reminders of her failure’ as she put it. She found a job in a café as a waitress and moved out. Somewhere he wouldn’t be able to find her again. She even changed her school by paying a guy pretend to be her father. She made herself vanish for everyone she knew and finally she was all alone.” Kyle couldn’t even think what he would do on his own at that age. She really was something. He wouldn’t have lasted a day. Thinking of his little sister all alone and unprotected made him shiver. How the hell did she survive all this shit he wondered and by the way Tom spoke, he suspected this was just the beginning. “That’s when I met her. I used to have my breakfast at that café. I remember thinking that she was the most alive thing I saw in this damn city. She was animated and colorful, seeing her every morning became my addiction. And in time we became best friends.” “She always hated the way I criticized her boyfriends. She always chose big guys with grown-up attitudes. I knew she was trying to replace her father and it was failing miserably. But she couldn’t see that. She said they were her type. And then she found her obsession. Colin. He was the ultimate father type. And she loved it. He made her believe they were in love. I knew she didn’t love him, but did she listen? Of course not!” “She made herself become a mouse with Colin. He was a demanding guy and he wanted her to be the way he wished. He was the authority in her life. She never objected to him. And one day they decided to move in together.” Tom was reliving everything, his face was a mask of horror. “I tried to make her understand but she was determined. I couldn’t just fight her and risk my friendship with her. But she was only eighteen! I found her this job as a party organizer. She was just a rookie back then but I knew she would be good. And she risked everything for that fucking idiot.” “I watched her colors bleach every passing day. I knew a day would come and she wouldn’t know who the real Maria was. He was consuming her like a vampire. But she wanted a family so much it blinded her to what was happening.” Kyle reached across the coffee table and took one of the cigarettes Sam left there. He hadn’t smoke since graduation but he wasn’t about to care right now. This story definitely wasn’t going anywhere good. “Then one day, nearly a year later, Maria didn’t come to work. She doesn’t do that without calling, never. I called her but there was no answer. So I panicked and went to her house.” “She didn’t answer the door but I had a spare key. I had to go back home to find it and it took me like a couple hours or so. Later I thought I should have just barged in from the window or something but I had never let myself think it would be something serious. So, I went in and the place was a mess. Everything breakable were broken. My first instinct was to call the cops but I searched the house first for her. And I found her alone in the bedroom.” Tom sighed, closing his eyes he tried to picture what she looked like at that moment. It was a picture he preferred to forget. “She was sitting on the floor crying silently. The right side of her face was bruised and she was clutching her stomach. And I knew it. I just knew that she was pregnant.” “Apparently, the jerk didn’t want the baby. He accused her of lying to him about taking pills. He told her that he would never marry her, that she would never be good enough for him. He said their relationship wasn’t serious. It was a shock for her ‘cause she thought he would be happy to have a baby with her, she always thought they would eventually get married. It was as serious as it could get for her.” “Well, after that, I wanted to kill him and I would have if I could find him. He vanished. His lawyer called to say he wanted a blood test and even if it was his baby he refused to pay for anything. I told them to fuck off. I knew she wanted the baby and we could just make it work. My priority was to bring Maria back. She was… I don’t know how to describe it. It was bad.” “I told her that it would be great, that we would take care of the baby. We could be a family. But all she saw was failure. Every person she loved had left her and she had left the ones that loved her. She was going to be a single mother at the age of nineteen. She was falling apart. I knew only the baby would make her survive this so I started planing and keeping her busy. I didn’t let her think about anything but her baby… which turned out to be a mistake.” “A couple weeks later she had a miscarriage. Doctors said it was the stress. But Maria later told me that the look on Colin’s face as she told him that she was pregnant killed the baby. It was what she dreaded seeing all her life. She said she saw her father in his eyes and felt a part of her die there at that moment. I think she kinda believed that the baby committed suicide. I know, who would believe that, right? Well, she did…” Kyle couldn’t say anything. Tom was crying but Kyle wasn’t sure if he was aware of it. He wondered once more how a little girl like Maria survived all this. How did she find the strength to go on? Tom’s voice was a whisper now. “She wanted a girl. She was going to name her Apple. How weird is that?” Kyle laughed with him. Only Maria would name her daughter Apple. She was one weird chick. Tom sighed and lit a cigarette himself. He mentally noted to not let Sam leave any cigarettes around next time. Maria hated the smell. He reluctantly started talking again, he had a story to finish. “She stayed in hospital for a week and started to see a shrink. It didn’t help much. She didn’t leave her bed for three months. She was usually asleep or just staring at the ceiling. She attempted suicide a couple of times. At least I caught her a couple of times, I don’t know how much she really thought about it. She didn’t talk much and I didn’t want to push her. But I was scared out of my mind that I was losing her.” “One day I forced her out of the bed. She was kicking and screaming but I didn’t let go. I put her in my car in her pajamas and we went to a friend of mine. He makes tattoos. I gave her that tattoo on her wrist. I wanted her to remember who she was in the future. She didn’t protest. She just sat there and cried. When it was over we talked about everything. And she told me where she had been all this time.” “She called the place ‘The Castle’. It was just a symbol her mind created. I think it represented her loneliness and isolation. She said she found herself there whenever she closed her eyes. A huge black castle without any doors or windows. She was alone. It was cold and dark. She spent most of her three months there, trapped. And she said she could feel it when she was awake. It was always near, waiting for her to fall asleep. I started sleeping at her place after that day. I think I spent like half a year sleeping in her bed. She used to hold me tight in her sleep like she was cold and I was her blanket.” He stopped for a moment to take a sip from his drink. “And one day, after six months, I realized she wasn’t holding me anymore as she slept. So I moved out.” Kyle sighed and rubbed his forehead absentmindedly. He wasn’t expecting this. She was too young for all of this. He knew he was panicking inside. Everything seemed extra scary in the light Tom shed on them. His part in Maria’s life seemed bigger and more important now. He had to be careful. She was way too fragile and valuable to treat careless. Tom looked at Kyle with hope, at last maybe someone would understand and care about her the way he did. Maybe Kyle would help him help her. Maybe Kyle would become what he couldn’t… Her savior… “So, now you know why I panic so much over her distress and depression. It was really a big deal for her to go back to Roswell. She was worried that they would hate her and refuse her. I don’t think that happened. But I have no idea what did happen. She doesn’t want to talk about it and once again I'm not pushing her.” Kyle wanted to help out a little to help Tom put pieces together. “I can tell you partially what happened. Amy never blamed her. I don’t know if they talked or not, but I know that Amy thinks it’s all her fault that they are so distant. My guess is she spoiled her to death.” “Liz and Alex wouldn’t blame her either ‘cause it wasn’t entirely her fault that they fell apart. Liz and Alex had some hard time themselves and they didn’t even have time for their families let alone a friend living in another town. But I don’t believe that she can easily find the friendship she left years ago with them. They changed… a lot. It’s a lot harder and more complicated for them now.” Tom didn’t want to ask for specifics. It was really late in the evening and Liz and Alex didn’t exactly mean anything to him. Just two faces he saw in Roswell. What mattered was Maria and as Kyle put it, it was neither good nor bad for her. “So this is all about Michael then, huh?” Kyle nodded, trying hard not to give away his fury. “And you don’t know what that was all about?” Tom was investigating anymore, he trusted Kyle now, he was just checking. “Nope. But I will find out.” After a moment’s silence Kyle added. “So, are we giving up on the project ‘let’s-get-Maria-out-of-depression’?” Tom smiled at him wickedly. “Kylie babe, don’t be silly, of course not!” - - - After Tom left Kyle checked Maria’s door and trashed his suitcase to find the cell number he scribble on a receipt. He found it and walked over to the weird furry purple phone Maria seemed to adore. It was time to make a much delayed and dreaded phone call to Isabel Evans. PART 13 Maria was a deep sleeper. She never ever woke up for anything. Even when she had nightmares or visited unkind places such as her big, bad castle, she always slept through the night. But that night she just woke up. Yeah, just like that. Not a noise or a light to disturb her, but she woke up. As if Fate decided that she didn’t have enough for one day… Her eyes snapped open in the darkness of her room. For a moment she looked around, expecting it to be another dream. She suspected being in the castle again for a minute but it was warm. Castle was never warm. Her eyes caught the alien shaped clock on the wall, she yawned. What the hell was she doing awake at this hour? Her bed was comfy and warm… Hmmm… Sleepy. She was sleepy. But something bothered her inside, like something wasn’t right. It was the air. It felt different. Wrong. She told herself that she was getting worked up over nothing, but had to get up when he heard Kyle’s voice coming from the living room. “I know what time it is. This is important.” She could hear the irritation in his voice and definitely the alcohol. She hoped he wasn’t getting drunk and stalking Lucy. She opened her door slowly, careful not to make a noise and tiptoed over to the living room. The lights were still on and Kyle was on the phone with his back to her. “Isabel just wake up and listen to me for a second, okay?” Maria flinched at the name. Isabel? Isabel Evans? What the hell was going on? “No, Guerin gave me this number.” Michael? Maria’s heart started to pound in her chest. She felt her knees get weak suddenly. Temperature was definitely intolerable in the room. She cursed herself for being the idiot that she was. His name was echoing in her head. A warmth spread over her stomach. The feeling matched the one she felt every time she saw his t-shirt she borrowed, times three billion. “I want you to tell that bastard to come and see me as soon as possible or I will find him and it won't be pretty.” Maria watched Kyle pause and listen for a moment. His anger was evident from his posture, all guarded and tense. “I don’t care. He told me to call you if anything happened. And guess what? Something did! Now do your voodoo trick and find him!” Maria felt her body go numb. There was a burning knot in her throat. She could taste the poison starting to flow into her blood. Betrayal clouded all her thoughts. Kyle chuckled softly. “Don’t be angry with me Isabel. It’s all that asshole’s fault. Now be a good girl and invade his dreams, okay? Yeah. Okay. Good night!” Kyle slowly put the phone down and turned around to face a very pissed Maria. He jumped at the unexpected sight and cursed under his breath when the realization hit him. Shit! That was bad! Real bad! Maria glared at him with barely contained anger. She wanted her voice to come out in an even tone but shouted instead. Oh well, he deserved it. “How long have this been going on?” Kyle avoided her eyes and was studying the living room carpet. He got carried away for a moment and found himself approving the choice in colors. It really matched the character of the room. Then he mentally shook himself. Not a good time to play interior decorator. He was definitely spending too much time with Tom. That guy was contagious. His gaze found Maria’s and he realized that she was expecting an answer. What the hell was the question? “Uh… Nice carpet.” He said absentmindedly. “WHAT?!?” Maria could feel her face burning. Betrayal was something she couldn’t cope well. And a betrayal from someone she called family was her nightmares coming true. All she could see was her father’s lying face as he told her that he was going to Europe on vacation. She closed her eyes, she was feeling dizzy. She felt her knees get weak suddenly and two strong arms caught her before she collapsed. Kyle placed her on the couch and smoothed her hair. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything. But… please… shout at me all you want, but don’t do this to yourself! Come on sis! Hit me if you’ll feel better.” Maria opened her eyes and looked at his worried expression. Her face softened at the sight. This was Kyle! Her goofy, macho almost-brother. This was the same guy that ate fish food to make her laugh. He wouldn’t hurt her. No. She refused to believe it! She punched his chin with all her might and sat back on the couch. “Ow! Shit! That hurt!!! God dammit Ria!” She smiled and made herself comfortable on the couch. “I feel better already…” Kyle sat near her rubbing his chin, but kept his distance. Can't be too careful, right? Maria sighed and spat out the questions which she wasn’t sure that she wanted answered. She gazed directly in his eyes, trapping him and refusing to be lied. “Now, Kyle, explain to me why you lied to me for a damn month and what the hell that phone call meant? And don’t you dare lie to me or I’ll beat the shit out of you.” Kyle rolled his eyes in order to not look scared but he was sure she would do what she promised. “I didn’t exactly lie to you. I just didn’t tell you everything…” “And why is that?” Her voice was sarcastic and her look said she wasn’t buying any of his crap. “You didn’t want to talk about them, so I didn’t know how to tell you. I don’t know, it never came up.” “Oh, what you mean is, you were too chicken to talk about it! Cause it would have caused other questions. Am I right, Kyle? Other questions such as WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?” Kyle winced at her shouting voice and the well-hidden pain beneath it. He never wanted to hurt her. He cursed himself. Stupid! Stupid! “Look Ria calm down! Michael asked me to come, okay? He said that I needed to take care of you, so I came.” He watched her face as emotions passed through. Anger, happiness, excitement, anger, confusion, anger… Finally a tired expression covered her features. And she sank deeper into the pillows on the couch. She looked small suddenly. Too fragile. “Why?” Her voice was small and almost inaudible. “Why did he send you here?” “I don’t know. That’s why I'm trying to reach him. I’ll kick his worthless ass when I find him!” Kyle was pacing the room furiously, anger taking him over again. Maria felt her defenses rise at the word. Worthless. Michael hated that word. Hank used that a lot. “Don’t call him that!” She was angry at him. She sometimes almost hated him. But that didn’t change the fact that she would protect him at all costs. Kyle threw her an exasperated look. “What is the deal with you guys? I am thrown into this thing and I have no idea what is going on! I have been waiting for a month. But do I get an explanation? Of course not! God! I hate all aliens!” Maria watched him grumble and decided to interfere since he showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. “Look, Kyle… You tell me your part of the story, then I’ll tell you what I know. Maybe we can piece them together or something, okay?” Kyle mumbled something which Maria took as a positive answer. He sat on the carpet, leaning against the wall and took a deep breath. “He’s not really my friend, you know, Guerin…” He raised his eyes to meet hers, just to find her eager to listen to him talk about the man who fucked up her psych. Women. He never understood them. “But I kinda grew to respect him, I don’t really know why. He came to me the day after the wedding and told me that you found out about them. He said they were leaving town for some time and someone needed to make sure you were okay.” Maria looked unsatisfied. “And you didn’t ask him why?” “Well, Maria, Guerin isn't the most talkative of people. He talks briefly and usually doesn’t let you ask anything.” Kyle sighed. He was angry at himself that he didn’t ask him more questions. He could be really stupid at times. “I asked him where they were going though.” Maria’s eyebrows raised in anticipation. “They didn’t have an evident direction. He said they would be on the road till they got rid of the ones that were after them. I asked who and why. He didn’t really answer me. He mumbled something about the baby and Liz and other aliens. I didn’t really want to know. You know, I got into a lot of trouble because of my curiosity about aliens. I nearly died once. It’s not pretty to get mixed up with them.” Maria wanted to ask him twenty million questions. Finally, someone to talk to about this oh-so-secret alien crap! But she couldn’t voice any of them before Kyle continued talking. “I assumed you needed protection, you know, from other aliens. God! I prepared for a battle. I even bought a gun from a friend of dad’s here. But apparently there’s noone attacking you. So I have no fucking clue why I'm here.” Kyle combed his hair with his hand. Bad habit. It always gave away his fear. “You have a gun? In my house?” Maria shrieked. She hated guns. But then a picture of the big, bad, alien guy flashed through her mind and she thought better of it. She calmed down and tried to make sense of what she found out. “And you just came with one word from Michael? Not even asking for an explanation?” Kyle’s head shot up in surprise at her words. “Of course I came! What did you think I would do? Leave you alone in that alien shit? Look, Ria, this is dangerous stuff. It had been a long time since they were last attacked but they are like trouble magnets. And Michael looked pretty serious. He even offered to pay me for it! Bastard.” He expected Maria to flare up again at the bastard comment but she looked like she agreed that. Women! “He told me to not tell you that he sent me. And when I came, you seemed like you didn’t want to hear anything about them, so I didn’t know how to tell you.” He searched her eyes to see if she still had that betrayed look. She looked softer and hopeful. “I'm sorry Ria. I really didn’t mean to betray your trust. I just really suck at that women and emotions thing. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Maria smiled and getting up from the couch, hugged him tight. She put her head on his shoulder, feeling relieved. “It’s okay Kyle, it’s okay…” Then she prepared herself to tell him her side of the story. - - - Max watched him from a distance. He was sitting on a rock, on the side of the small road they had been following, staring at his hands. He was quiet. He was always quiet but this was somehow different. He wasn’t as hostile as he used to be. He didn’t make his usual snide remarks, he didn’t blame him over Liz’s pregnancy and their current situation. Max found it pretty funny to worry over his good behavior but did nonetheless. It was unusual. Unsettling. He suspected it being connected to Maria somehow but couldn’t complete the connection. He asked him about her but Michael shut him up with his firm voice and threatening eyes. It was when they first decided to leave Roswell. The day after the wedding. Max asked him if they could trust her. He didn’t want to worry about that to top all their problems. Michael’s answer was short and final. They were going to leave her alone and she wouldn’t talk. Then he said Maria left town already and that worried Max even more. But looking at Michael, he couldn’t dare ask again. Was she really trustworthy? Liz knew Maria best. At least she did once. And Liz said Maria would do anything for her friends. She was talkative but loyal. But Liz was scared that they weren't really in friendly terms before she left. So Max kept quiet. Not sure what else to do except trust Michael about this. But didn’t his weird behavior start with that same girl? That night, he saw Michael protect a girl –a human girl- against them. His supposed friends. It was confusing to say the least. He would think that there was something between them if he didn’t know better. But he knew better. He knew Michael didn’t like people. He didn’t like people, especially humans, invading his privacy. He didn’t like them touch him. He didn’t like to get emotional or attached. But wasn’t trust an emotion? It was. And it was a strong one at that. Max held on to his prejudices about Michael, but he did have his doubts. - - - Michael didn’t know how long they had been traveling. Time was a hard thing to keep track of. Days passed without him realizing. He was living in a sort of dream state. Suddenly all his life was one long day that didn’t end. He was driving mostly. It kept him busy. Busy was good. It kept his mind from wandering. It kept him sane. There wasn’t a specific direction they were heading. He figured as long as they kept moving they were safe. Max just nodded his head in agreement to that. He really sucked at making decisions. So they just kept going. Only stopping for food and an occasional shower. Pretty girl Liz didn’t really care about her stinking status when her life was in danger. Michael slept longer than usual lately. He told Max that driving tired his eyes but he knew it wasn’t that. It was the dreams. He still dreamt her memories. Something was different though. The ones he saw before that night were her memories before they met. Her past. He suspected he got those when he first connected her. But now he kept seeing himself and their time together in Roswell. It hurt at first. But now he learned to live the dreams. When he didn’t let himself know that it was a dream, it almost felt real. And he felt good. So he slept more and got to know her better every passing night. He was addicted. It was addictive to lose himself in her. To see himself through her eyes. To pretend he was that man she saw when she looked at him. To dream what being that man would be like. He was addicted and there was no cure. No way out. He was trapped in her… deeper every day. And he was glad. He studied his hands for the first time in his life. That was last night’s dream. His hands. It was the time when Amy made him repair her small radio which she used in her store. Apparently Maria had sat there pretending to read a newspaper and watched his hands. Every move. Every curve. Every line. For hours. And she loved them. Why? He had no idea. She was weird. Unpredictable. That was why he never got bored around her. But there was this other part as well. Getting to know her and her routines fascinated him as well. He enjoyed listening to her singing in the shower every morning. And watching her brush her hair every night before she slept. And smelling her scent in the rooms long after she left. And seeing her smile the first thing when she woke up every day. Yeah, the routines weren't bad as well. So, that was how it worked. He had never understood that spending your life with someone thing. It seemed impossible and stupid. Noone seemed to do it anymore anyway. But now, he could see himself growing old with her. He was sure it would be more interesting and better with every passing day. If only he had been that man. If only he could have been more. If only… - - - Max chose to approach his life-long friend at that very moment, making Michael wonder what was it with Max and bad timing. He was uneasy. Michael usually just shooed him away with some rude comment. However Max had no choice but to try and try again. He wasn’t about to give up or get more creative. “Hey.” Michael grunted something like a greeting and kept staring at his hands. Max shifted his weight from foot to foot and thought of something –anything- to say. And blurted out the first sentence he came to form. “What's wrong?” Not too bad, he mentally patted himself in the back. “Nothing.” Of course. What was he thinking? Michael would never answer a question that vague. He needed to get specific. So he took a risk. “Is it about Maria?” Uh-huh! Now he was caught. His head shot up at her name. There was something about Maria. Michael’s eyes became alive and curious and scaringly protective and wild. “What about Maria?” His tone was ice-cold and he looked like he would bite Max’s head off if he said something wrong. But what was wrong to say? Something bad about Maria? Or anything about Maria? Max took another big risk and bluffed with nothing in his hands. He hoped it wasn’t a death wish. He tried to keep an even voice while talking and sat on his slightly trembling hands. “I know there is something between you two. I can guess its nature. Or you can tell me?” Michael was guarded more than normal. Max could see his muscles clenching. But he could also see the weariness in his features. He was tired, even if it was only mentally. Michael sighed, unable to fight back full force. “What do you wanna know Maxwell and why exactly do you want to know it?” Max could get up and dance around with happiness. Michael was talking, even if it was annoyedly. He was responding without barking at him to butt out. He gathered all his strength for the conversation of the century. “I am your friend and family, even if you choose to ignore me. I may have made mistakes but I still worry. And I still care. So I want to know what's happening in your life. If it’s okay with you?” Michael didn’t want to talk. He was tired. Too tired to argue and too tired to have the heartfelt conversation he knew Max wanted to have since like forever. “Max I’m really not in the mood…” Max cut him off mid-sentence. “Michael, you’re never in the mood. I just want to know what she means to you.” Now Michael was officially pissed. Max was pushing it. “You really wanna know Maxwell? You really think you can handle the truth? She means everything to me. She makes me want to buy a stupid house with a hammock in the backyard and marry her and have as many kids as we can! Is that satisfying for you?” Max was about to have a heart attack because of his fear. A shouting Michael was scary. Not just in a normal shouting people kind of scary but more in a Freddy Krueger kinda scary. But when the first shock wore off he couldn’t stop his grin. “Really?” “Yeah really.” Michael said sarcastically. Not feeling least bit embarrassed even he thought he would. Wow. He wondered when exactly did he stop to care about what Max thought. “Then I guess you should get started.” Max suggested, cutting off Michael’s thoughts. “Start what?” Max shrugged. “Buy a house.” Michael knew Max would –of course- miss the point there. Buy a house, real clever. Like he couldn’t think of that. “Not gonna happen.” He retorted. “Why?” Max was really curious and he hoped he could get some reasons before Michael closed up again. “Are you really that dense Maxwell?” Michael looked at him like he really expected him to admit he was. “What? Is it because of the never coming space ship? You can't give up your dreams?” Michael decided he really was dense. “I can give up my dreams. I can sacrifice anything I want. That won't make me a better man. I don’t have any right to corrupt something that bright and beautiful. You think it would be fair to drag her into all this? What is she gonna do when she gets pregnant? Take a fucking world tour?” Max watched his brother in wonder. Did they really know Michael Guerin? Suddenly he wanted to know him more than ever. “I think you should let her decide that. Liz decided for herself. She knew what she was getting herself into. And she never said she regretted it.” Michael offered Max a bitter smile. “I am not you Max.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” For Michael it meant everything. But he offered Max the plain version of the explanation considering his dense status. “You’re the better man. The better alien. You really can't understand this.” Max hated this the most. Michael’s despising attitude towards himself. “Make me understand Michael!” “She is the light. And I am nothingness. Can you understand that? The darkness inside me can't be illuminated. If I stay close enough, long enough, I know the darkness will engulf her too. I can't let that happen. I won't let it happen.” Michael spat out the words, hating Max for making him voice them. Max stood up from his place on the rock and gazed into Michael’s eyes. His voice was firm cause he believed in what he was saying. “You’re wrong Michael.” Michael would have laughed at his words any other time but in his eyes he saw what he never did before; a wise man, a leader, a king… And he almost believed him. PART 14 Isabel walked on the unnaturally bright green grass towards the playground. She could hear children’s voices. Carefree laughter and joy of childhood. Freedom and carelessness. Things she was never allowed to have. It was surprising that she could enter Michael’s dream that easily this time. She was trying for a couple of days now and she had found herself blocked every time she tried. Michael was never easy, he usually was closed off to invaders but this time felt different. It wasn’t the normal mental wall Michael had. She couldn’t reach him this time because there was nothing to reach. She would know if he was awake, that wasn’t an option. So that left one thing. Michael was dreamwalking. Isabel knew it wasn’t possible. Michael couldn’t even heat a cup of tea without breaking it, thinking of him dreamwalk was just insane. But she was out of ideas. She reached the playground and looked around for Michael. She passed a couple of mothers playing with their children and saw him. She held her breath. He was there, sitting under a tree watching the children play. But the thing that made Isabel stop on her tracks wasn’t that. She stopped because what she saw was something she hadn't seen since their childhood and even back then it was a rare occasion. It was something she never thought she would ever see again. Something unfamiliar and strange. Michael Guerin was smiling. She stopped and watched him watch the children. Then she followed his gaze and found the little kid he was watching so intently. It was a little girl with long, blond hair. She was running around with other children and laughing. She had a rich laughter, full of life. Her hair was bouncing around as she moved making her look more animated, more alive. She looked around as Isabel watched her and spotted Michael. She waved her little hand to him and turned back to play with her friends again. Isabel watched the interaction in awe. It was beautiful and weird and unexpected to see Michael like that. She shook her head to clear it. This was just a dream. It was… unusual, that was true, but it was just a dream nevertheless. She reached the tree that Michael was sitting under and sat near him. He didn’t even acknowledge her presence. He just kept watching the little girl with shining eyes and a small smile playing on his lips. “Who is that girl?” Isabel felt everything freeze after she heard her voice. It was her voice, just her normal everyday voice. But somehow it was inappropriate. Time stood still. It was too quiet all of a sudden. There was no laughter or wind or birds, just total silence. Then Isabel felt the shifting in the air. It was changing. She turned her head to look at the now too silent children only to find them gone. They were in the desert when the shifting ended. Nothing but rocks and sand as far as the eye can see. It was cold and empty. She was afraid to talk again. She feared to cause another change in his dream although she knew for sure that she couldn’t possible change someone else’s dream. Michael’s voice took her away from her thoughts. “Isabel.” She looked at his face. That was Michael Guerin alright! No smile, just the worry and scowling lines… His relaxed calm stance was gone, instead he looked tired and guarded. “I…Uh…” She couldn’t gather her thoughts to form a sentence or remember where she was and why she was there for a moment. “What are you doing here?” “Kyle called.” She finally blurted out. She wanted it to be over quickly so she could get out of there. She could feel clearly that she wasn’t wanted. She watched with wonder as his expression changed into a one of panic and worry. “Why? What happened?” “He didn’t say anything. He was pissed. He wants you to contact him or go to him or something. I don’t know what it’s about.” He looked suspicious. “He didn’t say anything else?” “Well, he said that it wouldn’t be pretty when he finds you. And I think he called you an asshole.” Isabel was waiting for a classic Michael fury but was disappointed. Michael just sat there looking at his boots and thinking. - - - “Hey Mars, look what I bought you!” Tom chimed the moment he entered the apartment. Maria didn’t even move from her place on the couch. Tom approached her with caution. When he came near enough he heard the sob escaping her lips. “WHAT HAPPENED??” he shouted panicking. “Mars, what’s wrong.” Kyle entered the room with a huge chocolate bar in his hand and a scowl in his face. “She’s been watching those damn movies again.” He whined. Tom released the breath he’s been holding. “Oh, okay then.” Kyle took a bite from the chocolate and made an approving sound before checking its cover for the name. Maria snatched it from his hands. “Hey!” Her eyes were fierce and threatening. “Mine!” Kyle held his hands up in surrender as she took a huge bite. “Hmm.” He looked at Tom with questioning eyes. He was getting worried. Maria has been crying all day and eating like a cow. He was starting to think that it could be alien related. Tom shrugged. “Mood swings. THAT time of the month.” “Oh.” Kyle wasn’t sure if he was relieved or terrified. This happened every month? God! He needed to move. Fast! Tom gave Maria the bag he was carrying. “That’s for you little lady.” Maria looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “What is it this time?” She took out the bottle from inside the bag and sighed. “Peach?” “Yeah, it’s supposed to be relaxing.” Tom looked proud, Kyle was just plain amused. “Tom this is the fifth one this week. What are you up to?” Tom feigned innocence, opening his eyes big and fluttering his eyelashes. “I just want you to have long, warm, relaxing baths. And it will be good for your cramps, you know it.” Maria didn’t buy it, but her fetish of scents was kicking in at the rich smell of peach. “Oh, okay. I’ll just go try this one.” She smiled. “I’ll smell like peaches.” Her face crumpled in confusion. “Is that a good thing?” “Yes, of course it is.” Tom wiggled his eyebrows to Kyle. Kyle looked confused for a moment then rushed to help him out. “Yeah, sure, peaches are great!” Maria, not aware of the clumsy attempts of the guys, made her way absentmindedly to the bathroom. Tom met Kyle’s eyes and sighed. “That was close.” “Yeah, we need to find another way to do this. Maybe we could give her sleeping pills or something.” Tom threw him a ‘don’t-be-dumb’ look. Kyle gave up easily. “Okay, so we don’t give her pills.” They sat on the couch facing each other and started their daily discussion on how to get Maria back. It had been a week since their last attempt, the poker night, and they have been gathering information and planning since then. “So any bright ideas?” Kyle was sick of this. They weren't going anywhere with those sessions. They’ve talked and analyzed every possibility; parties, therapy, vacation, skiing, forcing her back to work again… Tom had eliminated them one by one. He had a million reasons. She would get drunk, get pissed and kill the therapist, get lost, break her neck or terrorize the soon to be married couples… the list just went on like that. “I’ve been thinking…” Tom began. Kyle rolled his eyes. Oh boy… “…It’s not about forgetting and moving on for her. She doesn’t want to forget. She just wants to…” Tom couldn’t find the word. Kyle saw there was something different this time. Tom was on to something. “To what?” “To deal I guess.” Tom shrugged. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Kyle was expecting something miraculous. What was that supposed to mean now? To deal? “You know, it’s like an open wound. She doesn’t want to just cover it and forget the pain. That’s not what she needs. She needs to look into it and let it heal. Take the time. You know?” Kyle nodded tentatively. Actually he had no idea what he was talking about. All that metaphors again. He hated that shit! Tom got all excited all of a sudden. He knew he solved it. They were finally progressing! He started pacing. “That’s what we did wrong! We tried to cover it. With alcohol or guys or friends! But that’s not how it works. We need to help her find a way to heal!” Kyle felt like he had to say something under Tom’s expectant gaze. “Ooo-kay… How would she heal?” Tom sat on the couch near Kyle and took his ‘telling-a-story’ stance. “You knew Maria from school, right? You know how she looked like back then?" Kyle nodded, not sure where this was heading. Tom continued. “When I first met her, she had short hair. She had cut it really short.” Kyle felt the expectant gaze again. “And?” “When you knew her, in school, she had short hair, right?” “Yes. And your point?” Kyle noticed that Tom had a proud –almost smug- smirk on his face, which was so unlike him. “Her father loved her hair. Long and curly. That was how it used to be when she was little. When they spent time alone together, Mars and that bastard I mean, he used to play with her hair. And she loved it. It was their special thing. She felt like she was important for him. Well, whatever! That’s not the point now.” “After her father left… Well actually after she realized that he was gone for sure, around like when she was eleven I guess, she cut it. As a revenge or something. She kinda wanted to make him mad.” “Did she tell you all this?” Kyle was terrified at Tom’s insight. Tom was just plain scary. He knew too much. How? Kyle had no idea. He didn’t even know that it was possible to know so much about someone else. Hell, he didn’t even know that much about himself. “No, of course not. I figured out the most. She doesn’t like talking about these things.” Kyle agreed Maria for the first time about Tom. He definitely analyzed too much. “Okay, then what does this have to do with us now?” “Wait, I’m getting there. So, she started to grow back her hair when her father returned. Don’t look like that. She wasn’t aware of it or anything. At least she wasn’t till I told her. Anyway, after the bastard left, she cut it again. Really short this time, she really was pissed.” Kyle interrupted. “But you know, women tend to do that a lot. I mean they always cut their hair when they face depression. It might not mean anything.” “Yeah, it might not, but believe me, it does. I know it does.” “I still don’t see the connection.” “Stop interrupting and I’ll hopefully explain before she gets out of the tub! Where was I? Oh, yes, the healing part. After I realized what she was doing, I explained to her that she was subconsciously burying her problems. She cut her hair because it reminded her of her pain every time she looked in a mirror. When she saw a short haired version of herself she didn’t have to deal with her hatred for her father.” “First she refused to listen to me, but then the next thing I knew she was growing it back. And slowly, watching her hair grow every day, she let go of the hatred. It didn’t make her forgive her father, it just helped her deal with her loss. She stopped running. I can't believe I couldn’t think of this before but Kyle this time we forced her to run and she refused.” Tom sighed. “She is growing up. She figured this one out herself. I'm afraid she won’t need me anymore.” Kyle laughed at his words and expression. “You sound like her mother.“ Tom was still serious. “Well, I was, you know. I was practically her everything after Colin. It’s hard enough to see you guys back in her life and now she’s growing up! She’s gonna leave me eventually but this is too soon.” Kyle rolled his eyes. Was it full moon or something? It wasn’t just Maria’s period, there was something in the air. “But, I’m getting side tracked. I didn’t want to believe her wound was this deep. But apparently it is. And she already knows what to do. We just need to find, how?” This much talk and Kyle was still wondering what Tom was talking about. “How what?” Oh man, stupid jock! “How to heal. There must be something to help her. Like growing her hair did.” “And you have no idea what that is?” “Uh… No. Not yet.” “Oh, great! All this bullshit and you have no idea what to do!” “Well, let’s hear it from you. What did you find, jock-brain?” “I found a fucking box full of lyrics and notes!” Tom stopped and thought for a moment. “Where did you exactly find this box?” This smelled of trouble. “Kyle looked down, up, around… anywhere but his eyes. He mumbled something incoherent. “What?” “I said I found it under her bed, okay?” Tom’s hand flew to his chest involuntarily and he held his breath in horror. “You know she’ll kill you, right?” “It’s for her own good.” Kyle reasoned, more to himself than to Tom. “She’ll thank me later.” “Don’t count on it pal.” They tiptoed to the bathroom and headed for her bedroom after they listened to her splash around for a bit. Kyle took out the box and handed him some papers. Tom was amazed. All this time he knew her, she had never mentioned her singing and music. He read some of her lyrics. They were good. Heartfelt. Intense. And unfortunately dark. “I had no idea she could sing.” Kyle felt in advantage for the first time since this ‘quest’ began. So Tom wasn’t perfect. Thank God! “She sang all the time in school. She has real talent. She always wanted to be a singer. I don’t know why she let it go.” It was his turn to look smug now. “She plays guitar.” Kyle walked to her closet and opened its door to reveal a guitar. He heard Tom’s intake of breath and snickered. He was having fun. The guitar was old and dusty. Obviously got out of an attic or some kind of storage. Kyle closed the door and sat near the box again. They looked through the lyrics, Tom’s brain working hard and fast, considering possibilities. “Listen to this… I bleed as I try not to wait I fear it might already be too late And my heart aches as my will breaks Darkness creeps up on me Man, this can’t be good.” Tom had to disagree. He knew Maria. She was an expressive person. She talked about her problems. When she couldn’t talk, she needed another way to get them out. That was it. Songs were her way of healing. Kyle was still reading while Tom celebrated his new perspective. “Hope is sweet But it’s poisoning Feel my need Spaceboy Come to me… “This is NOT good.” Kyle was shaking his head, like he was willing them to go away. He didn’t want it to be this real, solid thing. Reading those lyrics were like holding her bleeding to death in his arms. Those made her pain real. And he hated seeing this. “Are you sure these are new? I mean she could have kept them here forever. They don’t really mean anything.” Kyle shook his head. Spaceboy? They were new alright. “You have to trust me this time Tom. These are about Guerin.” - - - Meanwhile, in somewhere far away from them, Michael Guerin suddenly woke up from his troubled sleep with a feeling of uneasiness and a searing pain in his stomach. PART 15 Max woke up to Michael’s frantic tapping on the car window. He sat up and opened the door. “What is it Michael?” He was whispering. He didn’t want to wake Liz up. She was having enough problems already. He had known that it would be hard. An Antarian-Human pregnancy? Who knew how it would be? What it would cause? A normal pregnancy was hard enough for a woman and Liz’s was multiplied by a million. They had no clue about how the pregnancy was going. At home, they had plan everything. They had had their own lab to examine the progress day by day. But now it was all miles back in Albuquerque and they knew nothing except that it was growing fast. Really fast. The baby was growing in almost a triple rate. Liz was huge and she was only three months along. Max never voiced his worries near her but he feared that she would go into labor any time now. He was prepared to do it himself but being on the road, in a car with hardly any medical equipment present… He had healing abilities but if anything should go wrong he could lose Liz or the baby or both. “I need the car. I need to find a phone.” Michael’s face was contorted in pain. Max panicked. Michael was sick? He was never sick! “What’s wrong? Let me heal you. What happened? Are you hurt?” Michael shook his head. He wasn’t hurt. There was nothing wrong with him. The pain has been there all night but now it was getting out of hand. And if what he suspected was right, he didn’t have any more time ignoring it. “Nothing is wrong, I need to make a phone call.” “Michael you’re in pain!” Max protested as his brother started the car. “Not mine Maxwell… It’s not mine.” - - - Michael was getting fidgety after an hour of driving. Where the hell was the civilization? They passed three gas stations but none of them had any working phones. How the hell did those people live like that? “Why don’t we have a cell Maxwell?” Michael was sitting in the passenger seat, his knees drawn to his chest, his forehead resting on the cool glass. “Cause they are traceable?” Max offered. He had given up long ago asking him what the hell they were doing. Now he was just trying to calm him down. “And how do we know those stupid aliens can trace phones? They are not the FBI you know.” “Well Michael, it was you bright idea to leave the phones in the first place.” “When did you start listening to my suggestions Maxwell? You never listen. And now, when I suggest something stupid, you don’t even question it…” Max had every intention of killing him if he uttered one more word but Michael was saved by the bright lights of a diner on the roadside. “Okay, go on and make your call, I’m waiting.” But Michael was already out the door and running. - - - Kyle jumped from the couch where he fell asleep watching TV. He tried to reach for the stupid purple phone without getting up but he ended up on the floor instead. Fuck! Who the hell was that in the middle of the night? He finally got himself off the floor and grabbed the receiver. “Yeah?” A frantic voice greeted him. “Kyle is that you?” “Yeah. Who the hell…… Guerin?” “Where’s Maria?” Kyle was officially confused now. It felt like the opening scene of a horror movie. They just lacked the soundtrack. “Sleeping?” “Go, check her!” His orders were pissing Kyle off. “What the fuck is your problem?” “Kyle, go check her! She’s not okay!” Kyle wanted to ask him how the hell did he know but something in his voice stopped him. Something he never heard in Michael Guerin’s voice before. Something too much like desperation. “Hang on.” Michael sighed with relief. At least he could reach her. He didn’t want to think what he would do if he couldn’t find her. He probably would run all the way to LA. Running was good, it was a good way to contain his worries and to keep unwanted thoughts away. He leaned his forehead to the cold wall and shut his eyes. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples and neck, making him shiver. He silently prayed and held his breath, both dreading and anticipating Kyle’s return. - - - Kyle didn’t have time for pleasantries. Guerin’s voice and cryptic talking was good enough reason for him to barge in her room without knocking. The guy was a jackass but a super natural one at that, so when he was worried Kyle tended to listen. “Maria?” He had no idea what he was expecting to find there. He hit the lights with caution and found her on the bed lying curled, her knees drawn to her chest. He was near her in a second. “Maria? You okay? What’s wrong?” Tears were spilling down her cheeks. She was awake. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. She saw his worry and tried to smile in a reassuring way. “I’m okay. It’s just cramps.” Her smile faded when another wave of griping pain hit her. Kyle helped her sit up and smoothed her hair away from her face. He then remembered the alien on the phone. He hesitated for a moment. What was he supposed to do now? Tom would have known. But unfortunately he wasn’t there, so he had to make that choice. He cussed under his breath and reached for the phone on Maria’s bedside. He gave her an encouraging smile and handed her the phone. “I think you should take that call.” Then he turned away and left her alone. - - - Maria sat there holding the phone, puzzled at Kyle’s weird behavior. She tentatively brought the phone to her ear and said “Hello?” On the other end of the line Michael’s breath caught in his throat. His whole body turned ice-cold all of a sudden and was engulfed in flames just as quickly. His knees felt weak and he found himself crouching on the pavement. The name that invaded his thoughts but always left unvoiced left his lips in a whisper. “Maria?” Maria’s body stiffened at the familiar, deep, husky voice. Her heart was running and her blood was pounding in her ears. All coherent thoughts left her brain. She could only utter one word. Michael. Michael. Michael. “Michael?” Michael’s brain leaped suddenly and came back to life, reminding him why he was calling her at this hour. “Maria, what’s wrong?” Was that weird or what? The guy was calling after two months and all he could ask was that? Well, what wasn’t wrong? “What do you mean what’s wrong?” She meant to sound angry but ended up sounding only tired. “I know something is wrong. You’re in pain. Why?” He didn’t want to admit that he was feeling it. He wasn’t supposed to talk to her in the first place. This conversation had a very good potential of getting out of hand. “Oh. It’s okay. Nothing important.” She was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even manage to wonder how he would know that. His voice rose in fury. “What do you mean not important? Tell. Me. What's. Wrong. Now!” “It’s just cramps.” She said in a small voice. She felt a little self conscious talking about this with him. This wasn’t exactly the way she fantasized their reunion. Michael sighed with relief and his body sank, involuntarily losing its edgy posture. “Just cramps?” he asked in a soft, hopeful tone. “Yeah.” Silence took over for a moment. Neither of them knew what to say or do. Then Michael’s brain caught another disturbing thought. “Is it always this bad?” “God, no! I kinda fell asleep in the tub the other day, so I guess I caught cold or something…” Her soft voice trailed off. Were they really, seriously talking about this? Maybe she was still dreaming? Yeah, that would explain it. “Oh, okay.” Oh, okay? That was good. Real smooth. What now? What was he supposed to say now? He banged his head to the wall a couple of times but couldn’t do anything more than to listen her faint breathing through the phone. Maria wrecked her brain to find something to say when silence took over again. She wanted to ask where he was and tell him to come home, come to her but she knew it would only scare him more. So instead she asked “How’s Liz?” Michael stopped banging his head and looked at the sleeping figure in the backseat. “Liz is……big.” He chuckled softly. “Big? She’s only three months along, she can't be showing much.” Maria defended her friend. “This is not exactly a normal pregnancy, so believe me, she is big. Max says the baby’s almost equal to a nine months along one.” Maria shrieked. “So she’ll give birth any time? And you’re still on the road? Are you out of your mind?” “The guys just won't stop coming! What else can we do?” Michael was feeling the familiar tingles of irritation he always felt when they were fighting. God, he missed that! “Is Max there? Michael put him on the phone!” Oh, great… Now she was using the motherly voice! “No, I'm not putting him on the phone! That’s not why I called! We don’t have time for this!” It hit Michael the moment he said it but there was no taking it back now. ‘That’s not why I called.’ What if she asked why really he was calling? How the fuck would he explain that? He changed his mind and interrupted her before she could say anything. “Wait, I’ll get Max.” Yeah, let Max deal with her. It wasn’t a good time for answering serious questions like ‘why are you calling?’. That required thinking and after hearing her voice, thinking wasn’t exactly one of his brain’s functions that actually worked. - - - Maria waited, sitting on her bed her legs crossed. She regretted the moment she asked for Max. Talking to Max meant not hearing Michael’s voice and that sucked. Hearing her name from his lips after months felt like finding water in the middle of the desert. She couldn’t even remember why she was supposed to be angry. Oh yeah, ‘cause he fucked her and left her, that was it. But at that moment, she refused to process that's meaning. The thought of Liz alone with two guys on the road nine months pregnant… It was just too much. She couldn’t let that happen. She knew how it felt to be pregnant and alone. Granted, Liz wasn’t alone, Max was with her but with all those hormones working overtime Maria knew Max wouldn’t be enough. She could remember wanting her mother and her best friend with her. There was this constant fear that her baby wouldn’t be alright, she wouldn’t do things right… And Liz’s was half alien to top it all. God, how Liz survived till now was beyond her but she had to rescue her soon, before she went into labor. “Hello?” “Max?” “Maria. Hi.” Max sounded unsure. Of course, God knew how Michael got him there. Probably didn’t make any explanations and just threw him the phone. It was so like him. “Hi. Max, can you please explain to me why my friend is still in a car 24/7 when she is about to give birth to her baby?” This part of Maria DeLuca was new to Max. The protective and bitchy part. ”Uh… Maria what are you talking about?” “Max, listen to me. I know you love her so I'm hoping you would understand this. Pregnant women tend to be fragile; both emotionally and physically. I know you’re trying to protect her but turning her into a nervous wreck wouldn’t help that.” Maria was touching a sore spot. Max knew Liz wasn’t good. She was crying in her sleep, eating only for baby’s sake and never talking. But he had to keep her safe, so he couldn’t take her to her mother, to Roswell. It was the basic rule; if your enemies knew where you were, you just didn’t stay there. “I know. I know. But I have to keep them safe. I can't lose her or the baby. Maria, I don’t know what else to do.” Max’s tired voice was laced with pain. Maria knew this pain too well. Fear of losing a baby. And she knew how it felt to actually lose one too. They didn’t need to feel that. They were a lovely couple, they deserved to be a lovely family. “Look, trust me, she needs to settle down and relax right now. The stress is not good for the baby.” Her voice thickened with unshed tears. “Max I once lost a baby because of stress and I wouldn’t want her to go through that.” Max was speechless. What would you say to something like that? “I'm sorry.” “No, I’m not telling this to you to make you feel sorry. I want you to not make the same mistakes. If you want your family safe and sane, stop running.” After two months of absence Super Maria was back. “Where are you right now Max?” Max looked around. Really where were they? “I have no clue…” “Okay, now I want you to find out where you are and either go back to Roswell or come here to LA.” Max cut her off mid-sentence. “No, Maria, I’m not gonna risk anyone else’s lives. No. We can't come there or go back.” “Max, you’re missing the point here. I make the decision. Liz is practically like my sister and I want her here. And if you can't make it here, you have to take her to Roswell, to her mother and friends.” “But…” “No! No buts! Kyle can help you with the bad guys and I can take care of her. And you know what, call Isabel and Alex. They can help too. The more the merrier.” “Maria, you don’t understand. We can't just…” “Max, don’t make me come there! Just shut up and think about it. Call me in the morning. And Max?” “Yeah.” “Tell that big log I missed him.” - - - “Brought you some breakfast.” Max had bought pancakes for them from the diner. He figured he would need some kind of a peace offering before telling him their new route. Michael just took the package Max handed him and didn’t say anything. His head was full of Maria. Her voice. The dreams lacked that. They were silent. And now after all this time, hearing her say his name… it was intoxicating. She was intoxicating. He could close his eyes and replay everything she had said. And picture her saying them. The way her lips move to form his name and the glint in her eyes… God, she should be illegal. “We’re going to LA.” That got Michael out of his Maria induced thoughts and elicited the expected effect. “What?” “Maria says Liz needs rest and she’s right. This isn't going anywhere.” “Have you lost your mind? No! No way we’re getting her involved in this shit again.” Max looked at his brother with soft eyes. He could understand his protectiveness but there was no other way. “Michael, I just checked the map. Why are we headed for LA if you want to keep her out so much?” Michael couldn’t answer that. No. He didn’t have any answers when it came to the things she made him do. He had noticed that he somehow instinctively started heading for LA two weeks ago. But he just couldn’t turn back. He wasn’t planning on seeing her. Maybe he could just watch her from afar. He didn’t know. All he knew was that he was drawn to her against his will. And that this could be deadly, for both of them. - - - Kyle brought a glass of water and some painkillers for Maria after she hung up. “So they are coming?” She took the pills thankfully and smiled at him. “Have you been spying on me Valenti?” “Not on you but on that jerk. You want me to kill him?” She laughed at his innocent look. He was just too cute for words. “No, no. I think I want him alive.” Kyle got serious suddenly. “You sure you can handle that Ria? I mean I can understand if you want Liz here, but Michael? You sure it will be okay?” Maria offered him a smile which she hoped looked reassuring. “It will be okay Kyle. I can handle it. I have to. And if I can't… Well, you can always kill him, right?” - - - Tom watched Maria’s frantic cleaning for a good ten minutes before giving up and finding Kyle. “Kyle, what the hell is she doing?” “Uh… Cleaning like a lunatic?” Kyle suggested. “Kylie, babe, she NEVER cleans. And I mean never. That thing inside is not Maria! It’s like invasion of the body snatchers or something…” “She talked to Michael last night.” Said Kyle calmly, as if offering an explanation. “Oh.” Tom relaxed. So that was why… Hmm. “What did they talk about?” “They are coming here. To stay.” “Holy shit! You think that’s a good idea?” “Nope. She already started to act all demented, I really don’t want to find out how she would react to his actual self.” Maria came in with a dustrag in her hand and started to dust the perfectly clean door. “Hey Tom!” Her face beamed with a smile. “We need to go shopping today! We need beds, lots of beds. And baby stuff for Liz. And of course food, healthy food for the pregnant lady. And we can stop by the book store and grab some books on delivering babies. Then we should buy some more of these cleaning thingies… The pink ones. They smell great… Ooooh. I gotta make a list or I’ll definitely forget some of them.” She ran out of the room to make a list and left two shocked guys gaping at her retreating back. “Okay, now that was scary! Are you sure she’s not one of those pod people?” - - - Two very tired and pissed guys followed Maria around in the mall, their arms full of packages and bags. “Are we still on for tonight?” “Well, yeah, she looks weirdly out of her depression but Lucy will expect us there.” Tom snickered at the grin that started spreading on Kyle’s face when he mentioned Lucy. Then he saw Maria cooing at some baby shoes. “Kyle, I think this might be demonic possession. We may need a priest.” |
| Parts 11-15 |