Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don’t own Roswell or it’s characters, nor do I own ET, MTV or any of the lyrics written.
Rating: PG/R
Spoilers: None, its AU
Pairing: Michael/Maria with some Kyle/Tess
Summary: A stalker wants her dead. What will she do when she finds out that the killer is actually a close friend? Secrets from the past are revealed and a new love is born.
Distribution: Belit’s site, Kraving Candy, Candy is Dandy, Aliens love and Roses, Second in Command, Fanfiction.net, Roswell Desert Skies, Ally’s site, and if anyone else wants it, all you have to do is ask.
Author’s note: This is in response to a challenge issued at Belit’s planet called Bodyguard. As I was reading it all these thoughts just entered my head so I couldn’t not write it. Remember when reading this that I intend this fic to have a sequel so there will be many questions but all with eventually be answered. This is in no way related to the movie. Feedback is appreciated, as is honesty. Challenge can be found here: http://pub10.ezboard.com/fbelitsplanetfrm110.showMessage?topicID=54.topic
Email: sezza43@hotmail.com

****

“Come on Maria, we’re only going to see my sister,” Michael said, banging on her bedroom door.

Maria looked at her reflection in the mirror, ignoring Michael’s banging. She had awoken this morning to the phone ringing and Michael asking if she’d like to meet his other sister, Isabel, and her husband Alex that afternoon. She smiled just thinking about it. Michael wanted her to meet the rest of his family. Now she knew that he liked her. He had to. Why else would he want her to meet his family?

“Hold your horses Michael, I want to look perfect,” she yelled while taking her top off. So far she had settled for tight black leather pants that flared at the bottom but now needed a top to go along with it. Fishing through her cupboard, she found a cream sleeveless turtle neck and started to put it on.

Outside Michael groaned. He had been waiting for the past hour for her to be ready. He distinctly told her to finished by the time he arrived but Amy told him that she had yet to even finish her shower. “Maria, you’d look good in anything now hurry up.”

“Even in a potato sack?” came the reply through the door.

“Even a potato sack,” he agreed. Hell, Maria would look good in anything she wore. He sent a silent thankyou to the heavens when the door finally opened. Upon seeing her, all the breath in his lungs left his body and he stood frozen on the spot. He hoped that he wasn’t drooling because he couldn’t move his arm.

Maria blushed at the way he was looking at her. “Sorry, I couldn’t find a sack but will this do?” she said motioning to her outfit. Michael nodded mutely and managed to step out of the way to let her pass. As she moved out the door, she purposely brushed her backside against his crotch and grinned when she heard him hiss quietly.

She could feel his breath on the shell of her ear as he bent down. “You’re evil.” His voice sent shivers down her spine. She turned her head to the side to look at him and winked coyly as she continued down the hall. Michael groaned as he watched her ass sashay in front of him. ‘This woman will be the death of me,’ he thought as he followed her out of the house and into the car.

The ride over was silent and out of the corner of his eye he noticed her fidgeting in her seat. “What’s wrong?”

“What if they don’t like me?” she asked quietly. She didn’t know why but it was important to her that his family liked her. His family was important to him therefore important to her.

“Maria, they’ll love you,” he told her while taking one of her hands in his. ‘Just like I do,’ he added silently to himself.

Maria smiled but what he said did nothing to calm her nerves. She shook her head. She, a singer who faced millions when on tour was nervous about meeting just two people.

“We’re here,” he announced as they pulled up into the driveway.

The house was nice. A huge two-storey house with a little brown fence and a lawn scattered with bikes and toys. Michael had told her that they had two children, just like Kyle and Tess, with one on the way. As they walked up the stairs to the door, Michael clasped her hand in his and knocked. They didn’t have to wait long before someone answered.

Maria gasped slightly as a beautiful blond answered the door. Michael crouched down to the girl’s height. “How you doing Anna?” he asked as the girl jumped into his awaiting arms. Maria smiled at the sight and couldn’t help but think that he’d make a great father one day.

“Anna Marie Whitman, how may times do I have to tell you not to open the door?” A voice yelled from behind the half open door. Anna turned to look behind her and Maria could see a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Sorry momma,” she said and skipped away.

Isabel shook her head and smiled at her brother. “Michael, you’re late,” she said, ushering the two in.

Michael rolled his eyes and motioned to Maria. “It was her fault.”

Maria gave an indignant scoff and whacked him on the arm.

Smiling at the two, Isabel pulled out her hand. “Hi, I’m Isabel,” she greeted, as she looked the girl up and down.

Maria felt a little intimidated and Michael seemed to notice it.

“Isabel, didn’t I tell you not to analyse Maria the minute she walked in the house?”

Isabel stuck her tongue out at her brother and showed them to the living room. “So Maria,” she started as they took a seat and handed Maria a glass of water. “You and Michael have been getting close lately?”

Smiling, Maria raised the glass to her mouth. “Well he is my bodyguard. It would be weird if we didn’t get to know each other.”

“So true, so true,” Isabel said with a sly grin. “So do you have a boyfriend?”

Maria choked on her drink before shaking her head and Michael glared at Isabel who ignored him. “No, oh well that’s too bad. Michael doesn’t have a partner either but you see, I think that Michael needs a woman in his life.”

“Um well…ah,” Maria stuttered not really knowing what to say. She hadn’t been prepared for these types of questions. What had Michael been telling his family about them?

“Iz honey, stop interrogating Michael’s girlfriend.”

Maria looked over her shoulder to see a tall lanky brunette walk towards them. He extended his hand to Maria who took it. “I’m Alex, I’m also a huge fan.”

Maria smiled politely. “Hi Alex, but ah… I’m not his girlfriend,” she said, pointing to Michael. ‘Not that I don’t want to be,’ she thought as Alex took a seat beside his wife.

“Oh?” Isabel said in confusion, loving the way Michael was squirming in his seat. “The way he talked about you we just thought you were, or will be very soon at least.” She had to bite her inner cheek to keep from laughing at the look on her brother’s face. She’d have these two together in no time. It was obvious to her that both were denying their feelings for each other and the sooner they told each other, the sooner she could start planning their wedding.

Turning to look at Michael, Maria let a small grin slide across her face, loving the way Michael was now the nervous one. “Oh really?”

Michael continued to squirm in his seat while thinking of ways to kill his sister slowly yet painfully. He knew what she was doing and wished to god that she’d stop but knowing that she wouldn’t. He once again damned the day his sisters were born. He looked at Maria and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah I ah… well you see…” he trailed off not knowing how to answer.

“Maria, I’m into music myself,” Alex suddenly announced. He decided that he’d save his brother-in-law in hopes that he’d spare his life when he tried to kill his wife.

Michael mouthed ‘Thank you’ to Alex when Maria turned her attentions away from him.

“Really?” she asked, her face lighting up. “Are you a musician too?”

Shaking his head, he stood. “No I’m a producer, I’m trying to start up my career. I’d love it if you would hear some of the things I’ve been working on. I need a professional opinion.”

Maria glanced at Michael before nodding and following him out into another room of the house. “Well I’m not sure how credible my opinion is but I’ll give it a try.”

Back in the living room Michael turned and glared at Isabel. “What the hell was that?”

Isabel smiled innocently. “She’s very pretty,” she said, ignoring his question. “I wonder why she doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. Maybe I could set her up with one of Alex’s clients. There’s this really cute guy in--”

“Like hell you are,” Michael exploded and Isabel smiled in triumph. She knew he was hiding feelings, now…to get Maria to admit hers. Michael continued glaring at her. “You did that just to get a rise out of me didn’t you?”

“Yep, and it worked I might add. God Michael, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so worked up over a woman before,” she said, amazed. “What makes Maria so special?”

Michael shrugged. “I don’t know, she just is.”

Grinning, Isabel stood, walked over and sat beside him. She placed her hand on his arm. “Well,” she started. “I approve of her. I think she’s nice, beautiful, and totally perfect for you.”

Michael nodded at the beautiful comment, then smiled. “Thanks sis, but I didn’t need your approval.”

“I know, I just thought I’d get my two cents in before Laurie.” She laughed as she hugged him.

Michael nodded and as they separated, he watched Maria as she and Alex re-entered the living room, laughing and berated himself for getting jealous over their laughter. Alex was married to his sister but the adoring look he was giving Maria wasn’t helping matters.

Alex glanced over at Michael and noticed his uneasiness. Smiling to himself, he moved over to the couch and sat next to his wife, unconsciously slinging an arm around her waist to rest on her protruding stomach. Leaning into Alex’s embrace, Isabel sighed happily to herself and Maria watched the exchange with a smile on her face, desperately wishing that she would one day have that; not knowing that at that exact moment, Michael was wishing the same thing.

“We should leave now, I have to get Maria back to her house before her mom goes nut—ouch,” Michael said clutching his stomach from where Maria had whacked him.

“Don’t talk about my mother that way, she won’t go nuts just…she’ll be worried.”

Michael gave her a look as if to say ‘same thing’ to which Maria glared at him.

“Look, her only daughter has been away from her for a year with hardly any contact, she missed me and now that I’m back she wants to mother me while I’m here.”

*~*~*~*

“Maria, why are you home so late dear? I was expecting you 15 minutes ago,” Amy said as she opened the front door. “Michael, why are you back so late?”

Michael smiled smugly at Maria who was sifting through the mail. “Sorry Amy, Maria and Alex got to talking about music and well you know…” he trailed off and Amy nodded in understanding. Whenever music was mentioned around Maria her face would light up and she could talk about it for hours.

“What the hell?” Maria said loudly as she stared at the photos in her hands. Michael who had been startled, stood behind her to look over her shoulder then grabbed the photographs away from her. They were all black and white, enlarged and of Maria, in her home and at the quarry with Max. From the looks of it, some had been taken from the bushes outside of the Deluca residence. The first was of Maria taking off her coat in her room and the second of her taking off her shirt. When he came to a shot of Maria undressing her bottom half he started to blush and Maria snatched the photos away from him. “Perv,” she muttered under her breath.

Michael smiled. “Who, me or the stalker?”

“Both,” she answered, then walked inside and sat at the kitchen table. “I thought…I just thought that by coming out here I’d get away from this. The last thing I expected was for it to follow me.” She said quietly and Michael walked up behind her. Resting his hands on her shoulders he started to massage them, taking all the tension away as much as he could. He leant down beside her ear.

“I’ll protect you, don’t worry.”

Maria smiled up at him in thanks and Amy watched from the doorway. At first she had been worried. Michael was the older, more experienced man and Maria… well Maria was her daughter, her younger daughter. But when she looked at the two together, all the doubts and bad thoughts left her mind. She knew that Maria would be safe with Michael. Safe and happy and for those reasons, she was ok with it, well…with whatever it was.

Jim and Kyle took that opportunity to walk into the kitchen then and saw the pictures sprayed on the table. Kyle asked Michael if they were from whom he thought and Michael nodded. The stalker had followed them. As he looked through the photographs, one in particular captured his attention. Lifting it, he showed Jim. “Does that view look familiar to you?” Jim glanced at the photo. Maria was standing by her car in front of a department store and as the picture had been taken from above, there was only one place it could have been taken.

“Yeah, there’s that apartment block across the street where I used to live before moving in with Tess. It would have to have been taken from one of the units there.”

Kyle looked towards Michael who nodded and moved towards the door. “We’ll go and check it out. See if there are any suspicious names that have rented there or something. We’ll be back later with what we can find out.”

Maria stood and ran to the door grasping Michael’s arm to turn him around. “Be careful,” she said and Michael nodded, his arm tingling from the feeling over her skin in contact with his. Kyle pouted from behind the two.

“Do I get a ‘Be careful’?”

Laughing, Amy walked up to him and pinched his cheeks. “Be careful darling.” Michael chuckled as Kyle rubbed his now sore cheeks and glared at Maria who was uncontrollably giggling beside Michael. The two left and Maria and Amy went into the kitchen.

“So Michael is a nice boy huh?”

Maria narrowed her eyes at her mother. “Mom…” she warned.

Amy feigned an innocent look and started to put the dishes away. “What? I’m just saying that he’s nice.” She grabbed a glass and held it in her hand while pretending to think. “I bet he’s good in bed too.”

“Mom!” Maria gasped in shock. “God Mom, do you have to?” she said with a disgusted look on her face. It was one thing to have Michael’s sister try to set them up but her mother? “Mom, he’s like 6 years older than me, shouldn’t you…I don’t know…have a problem with it?” she yelled.

Laughing, Amy put the glass away and sat next to Maria at the table. “What does age have to do with anything dear? Look at me and Jim, there’s 5 years between us and we don’t mind. Plus, at least with Michael I know you’ll be safe.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “That’s because he’s my bodyguard Mom. Of course I’ll be safe, that’s why I hired him. You know, to keep me safe,” she told her mother like she was a five-year-old.

“Not just with this stalker thing Maria, I mean in general. Michael would protect you with his life even if you weren’t famous and had a stalker. I see the way he looks and you.”

Maria was about to interrupt when Amy put her hand up to silence her. “And I see the way you look at him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mom. I don’t look at him in any special way and he doesn’t with me. It’s all your imagination,” Maria said with a slight laugh unconvincingly. Had Michael really been looking at her like he wanted her?

Amy glanced at her daughter and knew that she had hit something by the way she could see the wheels turning in her head. “So I suppose that it’s all in my imagination if I say that you two will be dating in no time.”

Maria nodded. “Yes Mom, all in your imagination.”

Amy smiled. “Well since it’s all my imagination then I guess it’s ok to imagine a few grandchildren while I’m at it.”

Maria’s jaw dropped in shock. “We haven’t even kissed yet.”

“Exactly, ‘Yet’. You said yet so there’s possibility there.” Amy said trying to hide her grin caused from the look on Maria’s face.

“You’re delusional Mom, really,” Maria said, shaking her head and Amy finally broke out into laughter.

“I only want you to be happy sweetie and I can tell that Michael could make you happy. Anyway, you should be glad that I approve of him.”

Rolling her eyes, Maria stood from her chair and walked over to the sink, placing her mug in. “Mom, I don’t need your approval.”

“Oh yes you do. If I didn’t like him so much then I would have scared him away and then where would you be?” Maria laughed and Amy stood and hugged her daughter. “I only want for you to be happy sweetie and if Michael can make you happy then I approve of him.”

Maria sighed again. She didn’t even know if Michael liked her as much as she liked him yet. What if he only saw her as a client? “Mom…” she trailed off and Amy kissed her forehead.

“Just don’t rule anything out with him yet ok?” She saw Maria hesitate. “Promise me.”

Maria finally nodded and Amy had to stop herself from squealing like a16-year-old. Even though she didn’t want it to happen immediately, there was still hope for her to gain some grandchildren from her daughter.

Maria stared at her mother who looked like she had zoned out. “Ok Mom, I’m off to bed I’ll see you in the morning ok?” After getting no answer she patted her mothers arm and left the room with a small laugh. She still couldn’t believe that her mother of all people was rooting for her to get some. Shaking her head she ascended the stairs. After dealing with two meddling women, she was exhausted. She just hoped that when she awoke that Michael and Kyle would have some good news for her. Like that maybe they had finally caught the stalker and she could get her life back to normal.

Back in the kitchen, Jim walked in to see his wife smiling while looking at nothing. “Amy?”

Snapping out of her thoughts she turned to Jim and smiled. “Hey, heard anything from Michael or Kyle yet?”

Jim shook his head. “Michael phoned me and told me they had reached the apartment complex and were about to question the landlord. They said not to wait up as they’ll be awhile and that they’ll tell us what they find in the morning.”

Amy nodded and wrapped her arms around Jim’s waist breathing in his scent. Jim kissed the top of her head. “What had you so happy before?”

Smiling, Amy turned her head up to meet his eyes. “Maria.”

“Maria?” Jim asked confused.

Amy nodded. “Yes, my daughter will be giving me grandchildren soon. Isn’t it great?”

Jim scratched the back of his head. Maria was pregnant? “Huh?” Giggling at her husband, Amy moved away from him and headed towards the stairs to their room. Jim followed. “Amy?”

“Don’t worry about it dear. It was just girl talk.”

Jim furrowed his brows in confusion but nodded anyway. Those Deluca women were just confusing, but he loved them anyway. Sighing, he walked into their bedroom and hoped that his son and Michael could find something that would help Maria out and keep his family safe.

*~*~*~*

“So where’s he gone to?” Michael asked when he re-entered the room. He and Kyle had arrived at the apartment blocks and while Kyle questioned the landlord he phoned Jim.

“Just gone to get us the list and receipts of the people who have rented the apartments here,” Kyle told him and watched as the landlord walked in the room with a few folders. He was surprised to find that the landlord was so willing to help, but then when you can promise him tickets to the next concert that Maria has in Roswell well…people would do anything.

The man handed Kyle the folders. “Here you go, they are the files on the most recent residents. No one looked particularly suspicious but there was one weird thing.”

“What was that?” Michael asked as he looked over Kyle’s shoulder at the files.

The guy scratched his chin. “Well, there were three people who rented apartments here on the same day and one of them, a woman looked liked she earned a lot of money. You know those types, business suit, expensive jewellery, great hair.” Kyle nodded. Well, it’s just when she rented the room, all I could think about was why would someone like that, rent an apartment here of all places?”

“What about the other two,” Michael asked.

“Oh they seemed normal. They rented an apartment together, I think they were brother and sister; they rented it under his name. But as I said, pretty normal if you ask me. But I’d check out that lady if you were looking for suspicious characters.” He told them.

Kyle read the list of the newest residents. “Leanne Thompson, Bill Parker, Ken Smith, Mary Kline…”

“That’s her,” the landlord said. “Mary Kline, she’s the business suit chick.”

Michael stepped back and furrowed his brows. “Mary?” he remembered the conversation that took place on the first day in LA about the list that Liz and Maria had made up.

“The first name we have is Mary. Who is Mary?”

“Mary’s one of our friends, a back up singer on the tour.” Liz told him. Michael asked why she was on the grudge side. “Well I have overheard her tell a few people that she’d love to be where Maria is and would do anything she could to get it. I also heard from a few people that she has been saying a few bad words about Maria. She’s one of those, ‘Friends to your faces but stabs you in the back’ type of people.”

Kyle glanced at Michael and thought the same thing. This chick was the same Mary they had been talking about that day. “That’s the same girl from the photo Maria showed me, let’s go talk to her shall we?”

Michael nodded and they both thanked the landlord before finding the right apartment. Kyle knocked and they waited until a tall redhead answered the door in her nightwear.

“Hello?” she asked, confused as to why two guys were knocking on her door.

“Mary Kline?” Michael asked and the girl nodded. “My name is Michael Guerin and this is my partner Kyle Valenti. We’re with the Roswell police and we would like to ask you a few questions. May we come in?”

The girl nodded and moved so the two could enter.

“The Roswell Police?” Kyle whispered. “We aren’t here for them.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah but she doesn’t know that does she?” Kyle nodded in understanding and they both sat on her couch as she went to fetch them a drink.

“So what can I help you with?” she asked as she sat on the one seater in front of them.

“Are you a back up singer for Maria Deluca?” The woman nodded so Michael continued. “Well Ms. Deluca has been receiving threatening letters as of late.”

Mary nodded as she sat back. “Yes I heard. I couldn’t believe it.” Michael glanced at Kyle who shrugged. “But what does that have to do with me?”

“We have it on good authority that you have certain…problems with Ms. Deluca. Like say, telling colleagues that you would do anything to get to where she is in her life,” Kyle said, trying to sound as professional as he could.

The girl dropped her jaw in shock. “You don’t think…” she trailed off as she got tears in her eyes. “You don’t think it’s me do you? I could never.”

“But you did say that did you not?” Michael asked.

The woman nodded hesitantly.

“Well Ms. Kline, that gives us a motive then doesn’t it?”

“I know it seems bad but I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, I have been trying for years to make it in this industry when all of a sudden while singing in a pizza place, Maria is discovered and is instantly famous. She has what I want. What I’ve always wanted. I was jealous of that and could admit to that. But I would never try to kill her. I admire her for what she has done.”

“Well then what are you doing in Roswell around the same time that Ms. Deluca returns here and why, if you dress so finely according to the landlord, would you rent an apartment here?” Michael asked.

“Oh, well my father lives here in Roswell and he’s sick so I came to take care of him. I can’t afford to keep him in the home I placed him in so he’s coming to live with me here. I grew up here, I was actually at school with Maria, and you can ask her. I’ll show you my year book.”

Kyle was about to tell her not to worry about it when she went to get it anyway.

“Here we go, see?” she pointed to a picture of herself. “Maria and I didn’t hang out in the same group as I was a year a head of her so she may not have remembered that I went there. But I remembered her, she’s a hard person to forget.”

Michael nodded in understanding.

“But as for the apartment thing, well the only thing I can think of is that the day that I rented the apartment I was dressed in a suit because I had just came from an interview with a law firm as a secretary and if I wanted the job I couldn’t go dressing in anything shabby now could I?”

Shaking his head, Kyle stood. “No you couldn’t, if you can excuse us for one moment I would like to speak with my partner.”

Mary nodded and headed off into the kitchen with the empty glasses.

“She seems genuine enough.”

Michael sighed. “I know, everything seems to fit with her story too, at least with Courtney there was a weird feeling but I get nothing with her. But let’s get someone to keep an eye out on her anyway, we’ll get Pete on it.”

Kyle nodded.

Michael turned to Mary as she re-entered the room. “Thankyou for your help Ms. Kline, we appreciate it.”

“Oh it’s no problem, I just hope that you find whoever it is that is after Maria,” she said and led them to the door.

“Us too,” Kyle told her and waved good-bye as they left her apartment. As they headed for their car, they didn’t see a figure watching them from a few doors down with a phone in their hands.

*~*~*~*

Placing the gasoline can on the ground, a person wearing all black sighed as their phone vibrated. “Hello? Yes I’m almost done, I’ll see you in a few,” they whispered before hanging up. Picking up the can, they walked around the outside of the house until they reached the back near the garage and started to splash the contents everywhere they could. Once finished, the person stepped back, took a lighter out of their pocket, flipped it open and dropped it, smiling as they watched one side of the garage burst into flames.

“Let’s see you make it out of this alive.”

*~*~*~*

Beep…Beep…Beep

Jim woke with a start when he heard the smoke alarm go off and immediately grabbed Amy and ran down the stairs and out of the house. He glanced towards the side where he could see flames and smoke. “Oh god, Amy the house is on fire.”

Looking at the flames in horror, Amy looked around and saw that the neighbours had come out of there houses to see what the fuss was about and heard someone say that they were calling the fire brigade. Suddenly a thought struck her as one side of the house blew up in flames, the side of the house that contained Maria’s bedroom.

“Where’s Maria?” she asked frantically while looking at Jim. Jim paled and looked back at the house as Amy broke down in tears. “Oh god,” she cried. “Maria’s still in there.”

TBC…

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