Chapter One

Today seemed like it would be like any other day, really. After my momentary freak out when I woke up of course, I'm sure the rest of my morning will be normal. Make coffee, watch bad morning TV talk shows and wonder what the hell Michael is doing.

I miss Michael.

I mean, he's here a lot with me and I go visit Section often enough to get on everyone's nerves; but it's not the same. I knew it would be different. From the moment he told me he had to "fix" Section, I knew it would all change. I don't really expect it to be like the beach where we had all the time in the world to play, but still… I miss just hanging out with him. I won't ever admit it out loud, but there's a little distance thing going on with us. The sex is still amazing and my boy learns new tricks everyday, but there's just something… He hasn’t even called me Sweet Maria in weeks. I miss that.

Maybe it's because we got into this routine. I stay home or hang out with my friends and he goes to Section and does Sectiony things. He comes home, usually; we have amazing sex and devote our souls to each other and then in the morning he's gone. It's really a big good that my nightmares aren't as bad because this arrangement would drive me completely over the deep end.

I knew when the whole thing went down and me and my trusty sidekick Kyle reclaimed the people we loved and took down Section, that things would change, but I never imagined how much.

It wasn't exactly all that long ago that I was in the pokey awaiting certain death and now here I am, all Suzie-homemaker. I don’t think I was cut out to be this person that I've become over the last few months. In some sick way, I miss all the mystery and intrigue. I miss the action. I guess I'm just terribly bored.

Sometimes my mind wanders to the person I used to be, not the new me, but the still in the pokey me and sometimes I miss her. The Maria that didn’t give a shit. The Maria that resurfaced to save Michael and Tess. But she's gone and now I'm just plain old Maria Guerin: Wife.

I took a quick shower and dressed in my new favorite black leather pants and black baby Tee. The pants being a present from Isabel and Alex after my other ones were mutilated in the showdown a few months before. Bra? Nope, still refuse to wear one. I may be just a wife, but I am one hell of a sexy one. At least that's what Michael tells me.

With my black boots I'm ready to take on the day. I'm ready to take on whatever happens during my exciting life of going to the grocery store and the cleaners. You never know when those counter clerks are going to get ugly. I might have to turn all girl-gang on them.

I know I should go running or something constructive like that. I used to work out all the time in the gym at Section, Kyle even came with me sometimes. But lately I haven't had any motivation to do anything. But I do want to stay in shape; you never know when I might have to be a super-hero again. I want to always be ready to kick some major ass. My theory? Better to kick ass than get your ass kicked.

But there's just something missing. Maybe my life is too normal; besides the fact that I'm married to an alien and I know three other ones and consider them my friends. I don't want normal, I want adventure. I want the crazy adrenaline pumping shit that I've had with Michael since the day I met him. Granted I don't want to go through anything like I did when I almost died inside Section. Maybe I need a job. Maybe I need a job at Section. I could be Operative DeLuca-- Guerin. I could be her again. I could be someone again. Someone besides 'Wife'.

When I stepped into the kitchen I almost let out a little yelp. Michael, in all his blackness was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He looked up at me and I fell in love all over again. Again. I tended to do that a lot.

"Maria," he smiled and I swooned.

I wish I had the nerve to ask him to call me Sweet Maria, but I don't. Of all the things I've lost from myself in the last few months, apparently my backbone was one of them and I think I miss it the most.

"You look beautiful."

My nipples hardened as they always do for him. "What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be at Section?" Bitter?

"I'm going in a little late," he cocked his head to one side and had that wicked little smile on his face. "Do you want me to leave?"

I answered him with my body on his lap and my tongue down his throat. I felt those warm soft callousy hands underneath my shirt and on my skin and damned myself for getting dressed already.

I shimmied out of my shirt and tossed it in back of me before I started tugging on his black tailored T-shirt. I still don't know where the hell he gets those from. Without breaking our kiss again, I stood up and kicked my boots off, which was not exactly an easy thing to do. The leather came next and then I was straddling Michael while I fought with his pants.

I won the fight and the pants ended up on the floor in a pile. My hands roamed over his body as if exploring it for the very first time. Although I knew every inch of it like I knew my own, I savored it. His chest…Oh God, his chest will always get me. So perfect and smooth. Flawless. Where a bullet hole scar should be there is nothing.

He murmured something into my mouth but unless he was telling to me stop I didn't care what it was. My mouth was hungry for his. Hungry with a passion that couldn't be quenched.

"Maria," he backed away from me, his hands in my hair holding my face still.

"What?" I got that sick feeling in my stomach and wanted to throw up.

"I was thinking, maybe we could take a little trip to the beach sometime soon?"

Woo hoo! I giggled uncontrollably and squirmed around on his lap like a little kid. Okay, not exactly like a little kid.

"When can we go?" I knew my eyes just turned about a thousand shades lighter with all the hope that was in them. Going back to the beach with Michael? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

"In a few weeks, maybe." He must have sensed the downfall in my face because he added quickly. "Maybe sooner, I just want to get a few things wrapped up."

I nodded and rested my head against his chest. I could almost feel the sand in places it had no business being. The beaches with naked Michael chest. What the hell could be better than that?

"Thank you," I nuzzled the words against him and then kissed his nipple. I saw the gooseflesh break out on that perfect chest and grinned. I will always know how to get to him.

"Anything for you," he said and lifted me up allowing himself to slide into me.

I think I purred.

I stayed on his hips and braced myself by holding onto his shoulders. Every once in awhile I had to look down to see the non-existent bullet hole in my thigh. That was very cool, yet very creepy if I let myself think too much about it. I tend not to think about the creepy too much.

I rocked back and forth on him and knew in that second that I would never tire of having Michael inside of me. I ran my hands through his cropped hair until he faced me. I swear I could fall into his eyes, they were so clear and so deep. But something wasn't quite right. Something was off and he wasn't spilling. Damn! I hate it when he does that. Like I'm not going to know by now when something's up. I may be blond, but dense? Not usually.

He came before I did, but nothing new there. I didn't really want to get off him, I liked, no, make that loved the fact that he stayed home with me for a little while. Maybe he was sensing some of the distancy things I was. Or maybe it was because something was going down and he wasn't letting me in on it. Shit, that was probably it.

I kissed his nose and it was cold, I guess if he was a dog he'd be healthy, at least it wasn't wet. "Are you going to be home all morning?"

He shook his head and pulled me against him. "I should be gone by now, I waited forever for you to come down here."

Waited for me? If I would have known I would have been down here in seconds with bells on. Nothing else; just bells. "Will you be home tonight?"

I watched as he seemed to ponder my question. A simple yes or no would have done without all the dramatics. God, when did I get so impatient? That's right, I think it was around birth.

"I'll be late," he kissed my forehead and eased me up off of him. "I should go."

I guess that was my fucking cue to get off of him, so I did. We dressed in that awkward silence that I hated. With a chaste kiss to my lips and an 'I love you' he was gone and I had that sinking feeling I might never see him again. Of course I've had that feeling before and I am occasionally wrong about some things. Occasionally. Fuck!

Chapter Two

So Michael was gone again, back at Section. Again. By now I should be used to it, but I'm not. Maybe its because things aren't exactly turning out the way I thought they would.

I put my boots back on and sit in the chair where Michael and I have just had our lust filled morning playtime. My head hurts. I don't know if it's because I have a headache or because I'm scared to death that something big and bad is going down and have no fucking idea what it is.

Fuck it. I started pacing, I think better when I'm moving.

I hate the darkness I saw in his eyes when I was on top of him. I also hate the feeling that my husband, my Sweet Michael, may be keeping something from me. Doesn't he know by now that shit never works out?

"What are you doing?"

I spun around at the voice and smiled. Kyle. In all his cuteness, Kyle Valenti was standing at the kitchen door. Good thing he hadn't shown up a few minutes earlier otherwise…I can't even go there.

"Seriously," he stepped closer to me into the kitchen. "What are you doing? You look like you're thinking way too much and your head's going to explode. What gives?"

I sunk back down into the kitchen chair and sighed. He sat next to me and sighed. After a quick kick underneath the table I laughed. "I'm bored."

He sighed for real and I knew why. He'd heard this from me at least a billion times in the last couple of months.

"What do you want Maria?" I wasn't sure I liked that tone. "Seriously. Do you want to look over your shoulder every time you blink? Do you want to worry about every little thing, every move you make?"

"Every breath I take?" We still play our silly games.

Kyle smiled but not the full Valenti grin I was I expecting. "Seriously Maria, what do you want?"

I shrugged and if I were him I would have left or maybe kicked my ass. Morning conversationalist, I will never be. Pain in the ass? Always. "I think I want a job."

He laughed and that alone always makes me smile. "A job? What kind of job?"

I shrugged again and thought about kicking my own ass. "I was thinking…"

"Oh no," he shook his head and I wondered when he had taken those telepathy classes. "Forget it. Are you high?"

"What?" I stood up and began the pacing I've been known to do. "What's so wrong about it? I've been trained."

"To find aliens!" He pointed out. "You found them! Move on!"

"I want to feel like I'm…" Damn! I hate it when I feel all full of self pity. "Like I'm useful."

"You saved everyone's asses Maria! That counts as big time useful in my book for a very long time!"

Kyle had a book too? Hmmm… I think we were going to have compare books. I bet mine was better.

"It doesn't matter what I say, does it?" Kyle stood and I really didn't like the look on his face.

I shrugged for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I just have to do something. I hate doing nothing." I sighed and sat back down; Kyle followed like I knew he would.

"But why in the hell would you want to put yourself back in danger of any kind?" He held up a hand before I could answer with some smart-ass remark. "I know you're bored, but Maria, I think we've all been through enough to last us a lifetime. Why don't you just sit back and enjoy the calmness?"

"Because it's like the calm before a storm." I thought about telling him that I suspected Michael was hiding something but decided against it. I didn't know anything for sure. For all I knew Michael could have been thinking about that pod thing that he knows I want nothing to do with. Riiiight.

"Will you just relax?" Kyle put his arm around my shoulders. "Try to enjoy life for a change, okay? You deserve it."

Did I? I don't know what I deserved. I nodded but if Kyle knew me as well as he thought he did, then he knew that I didn't mean that nod. Ha!

A knock at the front door sent me reeling. Paranoid? Not me. I jumped up with Kyle at my side, just where I liked him. I reached for the gun that I didn't own as we walked from the kitchen to the living room and approached the front door with caution. I wouldn't say I was the really paranoid type, but ever since we took down Section I've had a tingling at the back of my neck that said there was some unfinished business. Everything always seemed wrapped up too nice and neat for me.

Kyle stayed on my guard. We were funny together. Sometimes we'd sink right back into the motions of fighters. Anyone else would think I was crazy…Well, Kyle does remind me all the time that I need professional mental help. But he's still here so maybe we could get a group discount.

I looked out the peephole and didn't see anyone. Great. I took a deep breath and opened the door a little and looked out the slit, Kyle was over my shoulder and I could feel his hot breath on my neck. No one. Maybe it was neighborhood kids playing "Ring 'N Run." They still do that, right? Or maybe it was someone who dropped off the mailing envelope that was sitting in the center of my welcome mat.

I opened the door a little wider and reached for the envelope and brought it into the house. Kyle grinned and I know it was at our paranoia. Like I said, we were funny. You don't go through what we did and not come out a little… Different. Demented? Whatever.

"What'd you get?" He asked looking at the envelope in my hand.

I shrugged and immediately noticed there was no return address. Hell it hadn't even been stamped at the post office. Fuck! The only words on it were "Maria DeLuca." Must be from someone who didn't know I got hitched. Someone who dropped this by knowing I was here. This didn't look like it was going to be a good. Not even fucking close.

My hands began to shake as I slid a perfectly manicured fingernail, thank you Tess, underneath the sealed flap.

"Maria?"

Man, I heard that voice before I didn't like it any better then. Kyle was nervous.

I opened it up while walking to the dining room. I poured the contents out. A blank CD and a folded piece of paper. I looked at Kyle and I know my eyes were as wide as his were. I had that funny feeling I was going to have to get out my super hero cape again.

I reached for the paper and opened it, and then my world fell apart.

"Fuck," Kyle whispered.

I second that whisper.

* * *

Chapter Three

It was one of those moments when time seems to stand still. Already in my young life I've had way too many of these particular moments. I remember when I'd stand on the beach, the tide washing my feet, and I'd watch the water roll away back to wherever it had come from. Time stood still. Of course that never lasted for more than a few seconds and it didn't this time either.

I felt my eyes well up with those stupid tears and my knees go weak as I looked at the paper in my hands.

"Maria?" Kyle gripped my elbow but I don't know if it was to steady me or himself. "What the hell is going on?"

I shook my head. I had no clue was what going on but it had nothing but bad written all over it. Not the paper, just the whole damn situation. Deep breath. It could mean anything, right? Riiiight.

Kyle snatched the paper out of my hands and it was my turn to look over his shoulder. I think I saw this in a bad movie awhile back, maybe in the pokey- I'm not sure anymore.

Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe there was no reason for me to get upset and cry over it. A joke, right? A practical joke. People play them all the time.

"Maria?" Kyle shook the paper in my face and I was forced to come back to reality. "Tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means." He laid the paper down face-up.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know what it means?" I snapped at him. I hated getting mad at Kyle, but I was freaking out and he was, well, he was there. Thank God.

"You don't have to be a bitch about it," Kyle smiled and it made my heart weak. Always Valenti.

"Kyle," I wiped my damp eyes and read the two words out loud. Only two words, but they were scary as shit. "'I know'."

"What do they know?"

I shrugged in a completely over exaggerated way. "I don't know what they know. I don't know who they are. I don't know!"

"It could be anything, right?" He looked over his shoulder and I got goosebumps.

I nodded; it could be anything in the world. 'I know' was as about abstract as it got. Maybe it was the grocery clerk who saw me popping a few grapes in the store. Or maybe it was the next door neighbor lady that I flashed my tits at least once a day just to piss her off for being nosy. It could be anything. No need to jump the gun on it just because my husband was a freaking alien! Oh shit.

"Do you think it's…" Kyle waved his hands in the air as he did many times when discussing the alien thing.

Probably, I thought it but I sure as hell didn't say it out loud. Once you say something out loud, you give it strength. "I should call Michael." Right?

Kyle shook his head but I wasn't quite sure why. Wait, I did have that feeling that Michael was hiding something, right? Maybe the two were connected and this actually a threat of knowledge with some international spy shit that Michael was into. Okay, then why did it come to me?

I was falling fast into a one-sided conversation with myself, so when Kyle picked up the CD and flashed it in my face I was relieved. Sun from the window hit the silver side and almost blinded me, but I was still good. I snatched it out of his hand and bolted out of the dining room and straight to the DVD player. With unexplained dexterity, I managed to get the player on and the tray out. I slid the disc in, hit play and waited. The TV screen stayed dark.

Kyle was beside me again and I knew that's where he'd always stay. He looped his arm through mine and we waited for…Anything. I reached out and jacked the volume up until there was a hum. Nothing.

"What the fuck?" I swore and hit the play button again. I think I might have hit it about a hundred times real fast, but who's counting.

Kyle stepped towards the player and pointed at the read out. "It says 'no disc'."

"There's disc in there, I just put it in there." Rational went right out the window. "What the fuck is wrong with this stupid piece of crap? I. Put. The. Disc. In. There."

"Maybe it's like a music CD?" Kyle offered and popped the CD out of the player and turned off the TV.

"Okay." I nodded glad to see that one of us wasn't going to lose their mind. "So put it in the stereo. Shouldn't the DVD player play it, though?"

He shrugged and I wondered who in the hell would ever imagine that we, Kyle and me, were the masterminds behind taking down Section? We couldn't even figure out how to play a CD.

I watched him slide the disc in the stereo part and turn everything on. I damned Michael for the elaborate entertainment system and the complexity of trying to play a CD.

"Did you hit play?" I asked.

"No Maria, I just tried to send a mental signal to it, I thought maybe it could pick up on my vibes."

"Jackass." I bet Kyle was rolling his eyes at that one.

He turned the volume up until we had the same hum as on the TV. Then a break and a deep silence. I felt the goosebumps on my arms and stomach. I clutched Kyle's arm for support.

" Wait." The CD stopped playing. That was it. It could have been male or female or a fucking robot as far as I could tell. It reality it didn't matter who it was, they made their point pretty damn clear.

"Wait for what?" Kyle asked me. I know he wasn't really looking for an answer, but I shrugged anyway.

"Play it again." I closed my eyes thinking I would get a better handle on the voice if there weren't any distractions, like vision. "Play it."

"I did."

Oh shit. I opened my eyes and saw Kyle hitting the play button over and over just as I had with the DVD player. Nothing was happening.

"Maria?" Damn.

"I don't know."

I popped the disc out and looked at then tried it again. Nothing. Good thing we had the volume up the first time we played it the first time. I looked at Kyle and I bet I saw in his eyes the same thing I saw in my own: Confusion.

Self erasing CD? If I had my own theme music I bet I'd hear it now.

"Well, that was interesting," Kyle nodded. "Those were some pretty big clues there."

"Clues?" I laughed. "We're not detectives."

"You're right, we're not detectives," he gave me that Valenti smile. "You're a superhero and I'm your trusty sidekick."

I laughed again but it felt forced. This was nothing, right?
* * *
Chapter Four

I didn't want to play superhero again, that was final. It wasn't that I didn't have the most bad ass sidekick in the world, but I only wanted a job, not a fucking adventure.

"Are you going to call Michael?" Kyle asked me.

Was I? Of course he was the first person I thought to call, but now I wasn't sure. What was I going to tell him? Telling him what we, excuse me, what I got in the mail wasn't exactly groundbreaking. It really could be anything.

"Well?" Kyle tapped me on the shoulder.

"No." There I said it. I was going to leave Michael in the dark about this one just as I was sure he was leaving me in the dark about other shit. All's fair in love and…Whatever.

"Okay," he managed to stretch the word out into three syllables. "Well, what do we do now?"

"Go out to lunch? Somewhere downtown?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Lunch?" Shit, I heard it in his voice. Kyle thought I was nuts.

"What else can we do? The CD said to wait, so I guess we wait."

"Well, that’s a freaking brilliant idea Maria," Kyle clapped. "I wonder why I didn't think of it."

I rolled my eyes as I've been known to do. "I thought we might go to lunch somewhere downtown. Maybe somewhere near Rogers and Mill?"

"Rogers and Mill?" Kyle repeated as it became clear. "Oh, I get it. You want to interrogate Max, dontcha?"

Duh. Sometimes I wonder about him. Okay, sometimes I wonder about us. "Yeah, I want to ask him a few questions, you know, off the cuff?"

"Maria, you're about as off the cuff as a bullet train," he laughed and took the CD from me. "We should see if the voice can be retrieved."

Voice retrieval? Is that even a real thing? I was beginning to feel like I just stepped into a spy novel that I haven't read and probably wouldn't understand or like too much.

I looped my arm through his and turned us towards the door. I tucked the mysterious note in my back pocket and probably ruined any chance of fingerprints.

"Do you want to drive?" I asked.

"You know I do!" Kyle grinned and we walked outside to where his pretty black Mustang convertible was parked.

I sighed. I really missed that car. Michael tried to make it up to me about a month ago when he had one almost identical to it delivered for me. It was original yellow and I loved it, but I still missed the old Pony. I was just glad that Kyle ended up with her.

I got in and put on my sunglasses and checked myself out in the side mirror, I looked good. I liked that. I turned my head to see Kyle smiling at me.

"Are you checking yourself out?" He asked and I think there was a little giggle attached to it.

"So what if I am?" I retorted and folded my arms over my chest. "Can we just go?" Like I was really excited to talk to the head titty-watcher.

I was never too excited to talk to Max about anything. It's not that I didn't like him, okay, I didn't really. He's rubbed me wrong since day one. Then the whole Liz debacle made me leery of him. Do I trust him at my back? Most of the time. Do I ever want him there again? Nope.

My little cell phone rang and nearly scared the crap out of me. I wasn't used to it and I didn't really like it, but Michael insisted that I have one. I don't know if it was because of the alien conspiracy or so he could tabs on me on his long absences away from me. I bet it was both. I sighed before I answered wondering how I was going to keep the 'I know a secret' out of my voice.

I didn't have to; it was Isabel. Yay! She talked fast and furious and I barely got everything she was saying. She was working all day training some belligerent new female Operative, that sounds vaguely familiar, and invited me and Kyle and Tess to dinner at her house. I relayed the message to Kyle and he nodded.

"Did you mention it to Michael?" I asked.

She informed me that he said he'd be there as long as, and I quote, 'the little woman says it's okay'. Sweet man who keeps secrets. I ignored her questions about where we were going and asked if Max and Marcy would be there. They would. Woo hoo. I hung up with her as Kyle sped down the expressway.

The ride was short with Kyle driving, how he manages not to get more tickets than he does amazes me. He valet parked because trying to find a parking spot downtown was nearly impossible.

We walked in the monstrous brick building that housed Rogers and Mill along with about a billion other things and proceeded to the elevator bank. People stared at us, but I was used to that. Find a girl with a little bit of self-confidence and a cutie guy like Kyle and people stared.

I punched the button for the seventh floor and sighed. "I hate this, you know?"

"I know," Kyle squeezed my hand. "I hate it too."

"I mean really, how am I even going to approach the subject with him? No one has even mentioned her name in so long."

"I'm sure you'll think of a way," he smirked. "You always think of something. Did I ever tell you that you're my hero? You're the wind beneath-"

I whacked him in the stomach as the elevator doors opened. It was a stereotypical law office complete with a tiny receptionist behind a really big desk where we walked in. I had only been here once before, maybe we should have called first. Nah, the element of surprise always works better for me.

Kyle leaned over the giant desk and smiled at the young woman. He told her we were here to see Max Evans and she blushed. I fought the incredible urge to roll my eyes at both of them.

She informed us he'd be out to get us in a few moments, exactly how long is a few moments? We sat in the most comfortable chairs I think my ass has ever been in and waited. Our wait wasn't long; Max came barreling out of a door behind the receptionist within the minute. He was dressed for work complete with suit coat and tie on. Yeah, the tie so did not match the suit but I wouldn't expect anything less from him.

He motioned for us to follow and after he got an eyeful of my tits, we did. We followed him through a complex maze of offices and cubicles that made me feel like a mouse waiting for my cheesy reward. He escorted us into his office and stood behind the desk that took up most of the small room.

"What are you two doing here?" Max sighed and looked at us.

"Where's Liz?" I placed my hands on my hips and decided to play nice.

He swallowed audibly and I saw the surprise wash over him. Damn. If it would have been shock I would have been more suspicious. Even if it was alarm, but surprise? He couldn't hide his feelings that well.

"I don't know. Why?" He looked rapidly between me and Kyle waiting for an answer. Of course I didn't have one for him. "What's going on?"

"Just checking Max," I sighed and shook my head slightly at Kyle. I didn't want him spilling the beans about the mysterious delivery to Max. He was the last one on my list to know anything.

"Have you heard something?"

I watched as he got increasingly nervous. He didn't have a clue. Damn. "Nope, just doing a routine Liz Parker examination." If he bought that then I think I'll lose all respect for him.

He didn't buy it. "That's crap. Is there something going on?"

Kyle answered and it was a good one. "No Max, it's just that its been a few months and we wanted to make sure that everything was still cool around here."

"She won't come here," Max shook his head. "She knows you'll kill her, Maria."

Damn, Max was right. This wasn't from Liz at all. She does know that I'd kick her ass into next week; she's selfish and immoral, but not stupid. This wasn't Liz. This was something new. Fuck.

* * *
Chapter Five

We left the law offices of Rogers and Mill after eluding another round of questions from Max. Kyle and I lied tremendously well and then told him we'd see him at his sister's for dinner. We also made him promise that he wouldn't mention our little drop by to anyone. No need to get anyone else upset yet, I was plenty upset enough for everyone.

We walked back to the pretty pony in silence, which was a rarity for us. It wasn't until we were on the road going back towards home that Kyle finally broke that irritating silence.

"You're not going to tell Michael, are you?"

"I don't know," I answered with complete honesty.

"Why not?"

"I don't know, I mean this is probably… Fuck Kyle, I don't know. I just don't want to bother Michael with it until I know something more."

"It's got to be alien related, Maria." He said in that calm voice he can sometimes have. "Michael and the other's should know."

Oh shit. If Kyle and I were at odds about this then I was screwed. "Can we wait a little while? Maybe until we know something else?"

"What if it's too late by then?"

I looked at him and saw the nervousness he tried to hide. He had almost lost Tess before she was truly his and he was worried about losing her again. I wonder if it had anything to do with that freaking huge-ass engagement ring that was sitting in the bottom of his sock drawer.

"It won't be too late," I chucked him on the shoulder and wondered when I had become so fond of chucking. "It's okay Kyle, I-"

"Haven't let me down before, I know," he shook his head. "I swear Maria, someday we're all going to have to pay you back for being…For being who you are. I don't know what any of us would do without you."

"You're just saying that," I think I blushed and that always pissed me off. "Just remember, paybacks are a bitch."

* * *

Kyle hung out with me at home for a few hours; we watched a silly action movie with the volume down and made up our own dialogue. When Kyle left I felt alone. I was alone a good chunk of the time, but today I was feeling extra lonely. I wasn't sure if it was because of all the mystery mail or the way Michael made me feel this morning. Either way, I wasn't completely happy with anything.

Sure I was hiding a few things; but what I told Kyle was the truth. It really might not be anything. Although secretly, I totally agreed with him that it was probably alien related. Even though I've been around these aliens for like a year, it still freaks me out a little. I try not to dwell on it, but when I'm alone it hits me the hardest. I am married to an alien. My friends are aliens. Actual outer space E.T.'s. It's strange no matter how I look at it.

I still don't want to know a lot and that will probably end up biting me in the ass at some point. But I just can't. I heard enough already. I know my Michael was the one who was supposed to lead with Isabel at his back. Tess was his freaking bride and Max, I still can't put my finger on what Max was supposed to do. Or did. Or whatever. He seemed like he just got sent along for the ride. Maybe I'll make a New Year's resolution to lighten up on Max a little. It shouldn't matter that it's not even close to the end of the year.

All this time I spend alone I totally reflect. I hate it, but for some reason I can't seem to stop. When I look in the mirror at myself I see someone that I'm proud to be. I'm more than perky tits and great hair. I am somebody. I saved some serious ass and I felt good doing it. I'm in love with my husband and I have friends that I would lay my life down for, and almost did. I actually like my life again, although it's not exactly the conventional normal, it's still mine and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Or any other world.

My life hasn't been normal since my dad died. I slipped the necklace and locket out of my shirt and opened up the little heart to see my dad. A gift from Michael before, well, before all the other stuff. I miss my dad. God, I miss him. Sometimes it hits me out of nowhere and I'll just start bawling. I hope he's looking down on me and is proud as hell. I did it, I pulled a woman that I never knew I could be out of my hat. Sure I had some serious help, but in the end, it was mostly Maria.

Dinner should be interesting tonight. I wonder how long I can go before I spill everything I know. Hopefully all night, but knowing Michael, he'll see right through me and I'll get so busted. I hate it that he knows me so well, I hate the fact that I don't think I'll be able to keep anything from him. That is so not fair.

Maybe tonight I can just hang out with Isabel and talk about girl things. Or maybe Tess can fill me in on all the new fashion colors or maybe Marcy will say more than three words to me without looking like she might cry. I hate all the maybes. Maybe I should stay at home and wait.

Wait.

Damn that was irritating the hell out of me. Wait for what? Wait for the new big bad in town to come storming in and make my life hell? Wait for something to happen to Michael and my friends? God, the waiting was going to kill me. I know patience is a virtue, too bad I'm not a big fan of virtues.

The phone rang and I jumped up, my heart pounding uncontrollably. After convincing myself to clam down I answered on the second ring. It was Michael. My sweet Michael.

"Did Isabel call you?"

I nodded then rolled my eyes before I answered him verbally. "Yeah, she did. Dinner at the Whitman's."

"Should I meet you there?"

"You're not coming home?" Damn.

"I don't think I can leave too early, so it might be better if we just meet there."

"Fine," I hope he heard the disappointment in my voice because I was laying it on thick as hell.

"You're upset." A-ha! He is paying attention.

"I just want to see you Michael, I miss you." Damn, I really didn't want to have this conversation over the phone. I heard him sigh. "Never mind, forget I said anything, I'll meet you there and have a kick ass day."

"I miss you too, Sweet Maria." He said the magic words and all was good in my world.

I closed my eyes and pictured his face. His short-again hair, his strong jaw line and full lips. His eyes that conveyed his emotions to me when his words failed. My husband. My love. "Michael."

"There's a few problems here and I'm sorry if you've been feeling neglected," he was sorry, I could hear it in his voice. "What I said this morning? About the beach? Start packing, I think I'll have this all wrapped up here within the week."

Woo hoo! I hung up and bolted upstairs to start packing. Okay, I wasn't really packing all that much so technically it wouldn't take me more than two minutes. And those two minutes I would spend trying to find my black bikini because it was the only thing going with me.

All the thoughts about mysterious mail and cryptic messages scattered. I was on a new high, thoughts of naked Michael chest were prominent. I couldn't wait to get back to the beach and screw everything else. Besides, he called me Sweet Maria again and that made everything okay.

It ended up taking me about a half-hour to find the bottoms to my bikini and I was ready to go. I noticed my nosy neighbor peering into my bedroom from her window across the driveway and it didn't even bother me. Okay, I did take off my shirt and flash her, but I was getting ready to change it anyway.

I kept the leather pants on because, hell, I could live in these, and I put on a white button down shirt of Michael's. I didn't button it, but tied the shirttails in a knot under my breasts. I pulled my hair up on top of my head and secured it with a few bobby pins and some killer hair spray that Tess gave me and I was ready to go. I was a little early, but ready nonetheless.

I remembered the paper in my back pocket and pulled it out hoping the words would still be there and it wasn't like disappearing ink or anything. Oh yeah, they were still there. I know. Crap. I shoved the paper in my nightstand, which Mr. Bear guards with his stuffed life, and underneath some magazines. I decided I'd tell Michael about everything tonight, when we were back home. After a nice dinner with friends I'd come clean. Okay, I may model my bikini while coming clean.

Before I left, I looked around the house for anything suspicious. Finding nothing, I hopped in my own yellow pony and made the short drive to Isabel's. Michael's black SUV was already out front and now I was little pissed. I was early, which meant he had been earlier, which meant that he had plenty of time to come home first and get me. Me thinks I don't like what's going on around here very much.

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PARTS 1-5