Maria turned more towards the door and put a wall of ice around her thoughts. She couldn't look at him, couldn't face him. He would probably die if he knew what he had touched, what he had kissed, what he had made love to. She shuddered and the tears feel freely from her eyes.
Michael ran up to her and clutched her shoulders but she still wouldn't look at him. "Maria what is it?" he asked.
"Don't!" she yelled. "You don't know yet. You don't want to touch me," she sobbed.
"Don't be ridiculous," Michael cried impatiently and scooped her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "Maria, look at me. Tell me what's wrong."
She shook her head and prepared to push him away when she was distracted by an annoyed voice.
"What's all the racket about?" Isabel cried as she appeared in the kitchen.
Maria glanced towards the girl briefly and wondered if that girl ever looked bad? Even in curlers and after just awakening, she looked beautiful. Maria looked down as quickly as she had looked over. Isabel would probably hate her more if she knew who Maria really was.
Isabel looked from Maria to Michael and back to Maria and her eyes widened in concern. "What's going on?" she asked.
Maria's sobbing grew louder and she tossed Michael aside roughly. "Just leave me alone!" she cried. "I'm a freak! I'm a...."
Michael interrupted her. "A freak? Did something happen?" he asked sharply. "Please talk to us."
"No!" Maria yelled and ran to the staircase. She managed to climb three steps before Isabel's voice stopped her. She didn't turn, but she listened.
"Maria, please. We...we worry about you and we...I want to be your friend. I want you to know that no matter what, I'm here for you." Isabel's voice came out sounding a little uncomfortable at the admission but it touched Maria inside. The girl was really trying.
Still not turning, Maria gripped the hand-rail and said, "If you want to know, then pack your bags."
"Why?" Both Isabel and Michael asked simultaneously.
Maria turned and looked Michael in the eye. "Because, I can't wait for a week to go to Sedona. I'm going tonight."
*****
"MARIA!"
Maria turned to face her friends in surprise. Isabel had woken everyone else up and they had all packed and climbed into the jeep. Before they had left, Max asked if he should call Kyle and have him come as well but Maria had shuddered and said no.
Since they had left, Maria had been looking out the window, deep in thought. She could only think of how they were all going to hate her, to be repulsed.
She locked eyes with Liz, who sat with Alex in the front passengers seat, and saw that her best friend was sick with suspense. She glanced at Michael and he tightened his arm around her. She knew she had to tell them now.
She cleared her throat and looked back out the window, clasping her shaky hands in her lap. She spoke quietly but clearly. "I'm sorry everyone. I...God, I don't know how to say this. I know why I've been having powers and Michael and I have been having sexual blackouts and why I died." She pondered this for a moment and spoke almost to herself. "Well, maybe that's not the reason but it would totally make sense. It's inside of me so our connection must have caused it." She glanced over and saw that everyone was looking at her as though she had lost it. "Look, I'm not who I thought I was. I...oh my god, my mom! All those years." She stopped and felt jagged glass rip through her guts at the thought. Her eyes filled and she placed her face in her palms.
"Maria, you're not making any sense," Isabel said.
"Yes I am!" she demanded. "I'm half alien. Nacerro is my father."
Gasps were heard all around and the jeep swerved. Once Max got control again, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to face her. "Come again?"
Maria looked at Max and said, "Kyle and Nacerro came over tonight, and they told me. It's true."
Michael squeezed her tighter with his arm and turned to face her. He spoke through gritted teeth. "It's not true. I'll kill them!"
Maria looked at him and let some of the walls around her thoughts down. He was flooded with her thoughts and saw some of what had happened. To him alone, she said, "It is true. It explains everything. Don't you see?"
"Tell us everything," Max said tightly.
So Maria told them. She told them of how Kyle had appeared and was acting creepy. She told them of how he had mentioned running into his mother and her father and then how he had introduced Nacerro. She told them of how Nacerro had shapeshifted right in front of her and revealed himself to be her father.
"Couldn't he have been pretending?" Liz asked, unsure.
Maria looked at her and shook her head. "No, it's true. I...I feel it. In here." She clutched her heart. She paused for a moment, taking in a shaky breath and reluctantly continued. "This is the worst part. He told me why. You, Michael, Isabel, and Max, you are special. He told me that an old prophecy said you would be the ones to regain control of your planet for your people. That you were destined for that purpose. And," she stopped to swallow the lump in her throat. "Please believe me when I say I would never do anything to hurt any of you. But, I was created to stop you. To destroy you. Kyle and I both were?"
"Kyle?" Liz asked sharply. "What does he have to do with this?"
She spoke without trepidation. She had nothing more to lose. "He's my brother. We're both half Tyrvanas."
*****
The rest of the ride was extremely quiet. They drove straight to Sedona, only stopping for gas. She could sense nothing but shock from Michael, but there was no revulsion lingering around his thoughts and that comforted her somewhat.
They arrived at the UFO Emporium at ten a.m. Everyone climbed out of the van and stretched their aching limbs. She glanced around at her friends, still unsure of what they thought about what she had told them. They were all staring at her but their gazes weren't hostile. Liz grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. The look in Max's eye let her know that he trusted her, Isabel gave her a small smile, and Alex nodded, his eyes friendly.
She finally looked at Michael. He looked as closed up as every but in his eyes, she saw warmth and love. Tears of relief sprung to her eyes and he collected her in his arms. "Shh," he whispered. Then he switched to their more intimate form of communication. *Everything is going to be alright. I know you would never hurt me. I know that you love me and I love you.*
"I love you," she said aloud and then sighed, relaxing against his strong, sturdy and warm body.
A few minutes later, she mentally collected herself and pulled away, addressing the whole group. "He didn't know I was pregnant. And I saw in my vision that my baby can prevent all of this from happening. He was afraid of my baby."
"That gives us an advantage, right?" Isabel said, looking anxious.
Maria nodded and when she spoke her voice came out strong and hard. "You got it. Now, let's go get some answers and find out what we can do to destroy this fucker."
Maria started to move towards the entrance of the UFO Emporium and Michael grabbed her hand. Silently, he said, *I don't want anymore walls between us. Don't hide anything else from me.*
*I'm sorry. I thought you would hate me or be scared of me.*
*I could never hate you, Maria. I've felt many things about you in my time, but hate has never been one of them.*
She looked over at him and smiled, feeling so much love for him at that moment. They reached the door and she pulled on it but it was locked.
"They don't open till eleven," Alex said, yawning. He pointed towards the sign at the side of the road.
"Then we'll go around back," Maria said, and led them around the side of the large building.
"Will they be upset if we just show up like this?" Isabel asked.
Maria looked back and shrugged. "I hope not. They know we need their help and they said that we can show up at anytime."
A few minutes later, they reached the large white house where the elders lived. Maria glanced at Michael and then knocked. Almost immediately, the door opened and Kisa appeared.
She smiled brightly and cried, "Maria! Michael!" She took Maria in her arms, kissing her lightly on the forehead and then did the same to Michael.
*Wow, that was a much warmer reception than last time,* Maria sent Michael. She felt a sting in her throat at the realization that they would hate her when they found out who she really was and what her purpose was.
"What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Kisa asked. Then she noticed the four other teenagers standing back a little and smiled. "Are they the others?"
Maria nodded. "Yes. We're sorry to show up like this out of nowhere but you need your help."
She cupped Maria's cheek and smiled. "Child, you're always welcome. Now, let's see," she addressed the others and pointed each one out. "You must be Max, Isabel, Liz, and Alex."
"Very good," Maria said. "How did you know which ones were which?"
"I can tell who is one of us and who is not, dear. And from what I gathered last time, you all are a tight group." She stepped aside and nodded inside. "Please, come in. Make yourselves comfortable."
The kids entered the house and all took seats on the couched in the living room. Isabel sniffed the air, smelling sharp, hot spices in the air, and a lingering scent of a cake. She smiled and said, "I guess we're not the only ones who like sweet and spicy."
"I'm going to go get the others," Kisa said. "And then we can talk."
Maria nodded and sat back on the couch. "They're going to hate me," she whispered. "They're going to be afraid of me."
Liz reached over and grabbed her hand. "Maria, you didn't know about who you were and you're not following the path Nacerro wants you to. I'm sure everything will be okay."
"I guess we'll see," Michael sighed, looking up as he heard voices approach.
The eight elders arrived to the living room accompanied by another woman. She was younger than the others and she looked around anxiously at the others. She was a thin woman with long sandy-brown hair and full lips. Her brown eyes were warm and friendly but they looked around at the kids frantically. "Which one?" she asked, glancing towards Ashtar.
The white-haired man didn't answer aloud but something passed between the two and her eyes zeroed in on Michael and her eyes misted.
Michael felt his heart skip a beat. He knew those eyes as well as he knew his own.
*What's going on, Michael?* Maria sent.
"You're my mother," he said in wonder, sitting up straighter. It wasn't a question.
His throat had closed over and his thoughts became muddled. The woman ran up to and threw her arms around him. He was too dumbfounded to return the embrace. "Oh, my beautiful boy," she cried. She pulled back and ran her hands over his cheeks. "I'm sorry, but I thought you were dead," she sobbed. "You don't know how long I've waited, how many years I've prayed that you were alive and here you are." She kissed his cheek and hugged him again. "I'm sorry. I'm Dinah."
Maria could sense so many things inside of Michael at that moment and her heart swelled. There was wonder, joy, shock, and a hint of fear that she would be disappointed in him, running through Michael's head.
Michael finally found that his limbs could now work and he tightened his arms around the woman. He his head in the woman's shoulder and felt his own eyes fill. *My mother,* he though. *I always knew that there was someone out there for me.*
Maria smiled and wiped the tears out of her own eyes. She was so happy for Michael. This is what he'd always wanted and now he had found it. Michael's hand reached out for her and he squeezed it. *My life seems to keep getting better and better,* he telegraphed to her. "First I have you, then we find out you're pregnant, and now a mother. I must be dreaming.*
*No, you're not dreaming. It's all real,* she answered.
She sniffed and then looked around the sea of faces in the room. Liz, Isabel, and the Dilana women were all crying, and the guys were all smiling. They understood.
When the woman pulled back from Michael, he pulled Maria in a little closer. He struggled for a moment to find his voice and figure out how he should address the woman. "M..mom, I'd like you to meet...."
The woman interrupted him. "You're Maria," she said and then hugged her. "You're the love of my son's life." She pulled back and caressed Maria's face. "You're very beautiful. My son has good taste."
Maria smiled and glanced at Michael, feeling a heaviness in her heart. She was scared that the woman would react badly if she found out who she was, what she was. The woman's hand dropped to Maria's tummy and her smile widened. "And you are my grandchild," she said, her eyes filling again. "Three miracles in one day. I don't think I could be any happier."
Maria looked over to where Max and Isabel were sitting and saw them exchange an anxious glance. Finally Isabel spoke. "Is...are...do we have...?"
Ashtar answered for her. "Well, we didn't tell her that you were here. She had only heard of Michael so far. Dinah, Max and Isabel are your other children, too."
Isabel gasped and stood up sharply. "You mean, Michael is our brother?"
He nodded and Dinah cried out. "You mean all three are alive? That means there is hope yet as long as we stop the others from finding them."
Right away, Maria knew what she was talking about. They all did. She knew it was time to get down to business and speak up.
"Actually, that has to do with why were here. We know about the prophecy and we know about the others. About the two who are supposed to stop them." She took a deep breath, her heart beating so hard in her chest that she was sure they could see it through her shirt. She took a deep breath and glanced at Michael who nodded.
*Here goes,* she though. Aloud she said, "And I am one of them."