* * 3 * *


The Truth

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexia pulled Maria into the nearest bathroom.

Maria stumbled as Alexia shoved her into the bathroom and watched as she checked underneath all the stalls to see that no one was there. When she was sure, she pushed Maria against the wall, hard.

Alexia: Alright! You have one minute to start telling me who you are and where Maria is!

Maria: What are you talking about, Alexia?

Alexia: I saw your hands. They were covered in green static when you were yelling at Original Cindy.

Maria’s head turned to the side as she remembered that happened to Liz as she gained her new powers.

Maria: OK. Alexia, put me down and I’ll tell you what happened… back at your apartment.

Alexia: First you have to convince me your Maria. Tell me something that ONLY Maria would know.

Maria: Oh! When I went to Las Cruces to see you, you told me the truth about your life. And what really happened to your parents…

Alexia: OK. Let’s go.

Fifteen minutes later they made it to Alexia’s apartment.

Maria went into the living room and sat on the Lay-Z-Boy chair while Alexia sat on the couch.

Alexia: So, what are you?

Maria started with the day that changed her life nearly four years ago, when Liz Parker, her best friend was shot and bled to death, only to be brought back to life by an alien.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max was driving as his sister slept and Kyle snored like a cave man. They were passing into Oregon. He couldn’t sleep. He had been having reoccurring dreams about what happened at the Crashdown. It always ended with Maria alive and in Seattle though.

Isabel suddenly sprang out of her seat.

Max: Same dream?

Isabel: Yeah. They’re starting to scare me.

Max: Welcome to the club.

Kyle: Is there room for one more?

Max: Sure. There’s always room in this club. You have to have awful dreams about the people you care about being tortured and murdered by someone you used to trust.

Kyle: Do we get a T-shirt or a pin?

Isabel: Go back to sleep Kyle.

Kyle: No thanks. Max, want me to drive?

Max: No, that’s ok. I’m fine.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexia: OK. So, you killed an evil alien and absorbed her powers because you killed her and now your turning into an alien and to top it all off, you’re the Queen of Antar, the planet where your dead alien friends are from. OK. I just expected you to tell me it was this new kind of freaky drug you got addicted on, on the trip from Roswell to here. Then I could step in as the big sister role and tell you drugs and alcohol are bad. Why? Why do you do this to me? Do you enjoy tormenting me, Ria?

Maria: You know I don’t, Alexia. Hey, you asked!

Alexia: And let me tell you something! I’m sorry I did. Who else knows?

Maria: Except you, that are alive, no one. So, are you ready to tell me what happened between you and that guy?

Alexia: What guy?

Maria: Oh don’t play little miss innocent here, Alexia Krista Harper! I’m talking about the drop-dead-gorgeous guy that was with those two bitches. Alexia: Didn’t like them?

Maria: No. ‘Specially that “Original Cindy” chick. What’s with the Original? Alexia: She wanted to be…

Maria: OK! Off the subject. Who was he?

Alexia: You were right that’s the guy I wanted to kill earlier. His name is Alec. He’s been hiding stuff from me. We’ve been together for a couple of months now but last month he started to get distant. He would smile and Alec smirks… he doesn’t smile. I thought he was just realizing he had a nice perfect normal life. But then he changed. He’d find excuses to brush me off.

Maria watched as Alexia sat down and let tears freely fall down her cheeks.

Alexia: The first time he told me he loved me I knew he meant it. I could see it in his eyes. Then they changed to fear and the only person I know who can help me is the girl with the bruise on her face, Max. She must’ve talked to him into staying away from me.

Maria: Why?

Alexia: Max isn’t the person that trusts anyone. She didn’t trust me and first and I get this vibe from her that she still doesn’t. Plus after the little incident earlier today before I came here and saw you, she probably doesn’t have even the tiniest piece of trust for me anymore.

Maria: You weren’t the one that gave her that bruise were you? Alexia?! What did I tell you about hitting people?

Alexia: Don’t do it unless it’s in self-defense. I know Mother Maria…

Maria: Mother Theresa.

Alexia: Huh?

Maria: Moth… stop trying to derail the subject.

Alexia: Ria, she really made me upset. She pitied me. And you know I hate that!

Maria: We all do Alexia, but it’s part of life. People are pitied everyday.

Alexia relaxed when Maria sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever.

Alexia: Do you miss them?

Maria: Huh?

Alexia: Your friends.

Maria: Yeah. A lot. I wonder why Tess didn’t kill me. She knew I would kill her yet; she never tried to kill me. I mean, the strangling and cutting, she knew when to stop, to keep me alive. I wonder why she was torturing me and not Liz.

Alexia: Maybe she was jealous of what you and Max shared after they found out about their destiny.

Maria: No. Something must have triggered her off.

Alexia: Maybe in some twisted way, she thought that none of it was Liz’s fault, but yours.

Maria: How do you figure?

Alexia: I don’t know how to explain it. But Maria, no matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you. For now and for eternity. What are sisters for? OK. I know we’re not related but…

Maria: I love you, Als.

Alexia: I love you too, Ria. Go to bed. I have to go out for a while but I’ll be back soon.

Maria: Where are you going?

Alexia: Curiosity killed the cat. I have to know what Max wanted to talk to me about. I’ll be home in about two hours. If I’m not home by 2 am. Come looking!

Maria: ‘K. G’night, Alexia.

Alexia: G’night, Ria.