Standard stuff:
Title:Touch of Death {cryptic huh}
Author: Kathryn C.
Disclaimer: Me No Own.
Distribution: You want it, you take it, just give me
the URL.
Feedback: Send it, or I don't feel like writing.
Well, maybe for some of you, you might want
that.SEND IT, SEND IT, SEND IT. I won't
stop writing, so I can't threaten that, but please
send it. Let me know you're reading.
Rating: Uh, pg-13/14a?
Spoilers: Well, it's mostly speculation based on
spoilers mentioned. But, spoilers for Sexual Healing
and the whole "T" person storyline.
********
The next day found everyone re-gathered at the Evans place. Max and Isabel's parents were still away on holidays, as they had been before. This time, they were there as the request of the sheriff.
The man posing as Tess's father stood in the Evans kitchen as the sheriff questioned the teens in the living room. He had called the police when Tess hadn't come home. Even though the standard 48 hour waiting period hadn't passed, it was easy to speed it up when you were FBI.
"So let me get this straight," Sheriff Valenti said, "Tess simply left in the middle of the movie."
Max nodded, "She gasped and said that she had something important to do that she had forgotten about. She refused to tell us what it was, just that she had to leave right away. I offered to walk her home, but she refused."
The sheriff noted something in his notebook, "And this was the last time you all saw her?"
"Yes," Isabel answered for all of them. "We finished watching the movie and she never returned."
"And you all went home after that?" the sheriff asked of the others.
Michael, Maria, Liz and Alex all nodded dutifully. Valenti just sighed and closed his notebook. "Well," he said, "If you here from her, be sure to let us know. Her father's worried sick."
Michael seriously doubted Nasedo gave a damn, but he said, "I'm sure he is. We'll let you know if she contacts us."
Valenti just shot him a look, and walked out of the living room into the kitchen where the supposed 'father' of Tess stood.
Maria waited until he was out of earshot before saying, "He knows."
"He suspects we were involved," Michael said, "I don;t think he knows that Tess vaporized because Max got angry at her."
Max flinched, but Michael didn't notice. He continued, "I mean, there's no body, no sign of foul play, and it would be pretty hard to kidnap her when we're right here. What charge are they going to arrest us on?"
Maria, like the rest of them, didn't even try to answer the question. She leaned back against the couch in her place sitting there between Max and Liz. She glanced at each of them in turn. This had taken such a toll on all of them. This was the week from hell.
Max looked as if his world had just fallen apart, and in a way it had. He had lost a lot from this, and wasn't sure how to get it back. Not only that, he was now a killer, intentional or not. He couldn't go back to the life he had led before.
One of the very things he had lost was now on the other side of Maria, trying desperately to pretend she wasn't staring at him. Pretending her heart wasn't breaking for him, and for them. Maria knew her friend as well as she knew anyone, and she was feeling more than she had said, more than she had let on to anyone.
Maria sighed softly and closed her eyes as she felt a migraine coming on. The usual cause of her headache sat across from her and began to speak again. "We're home free. She's gone. We pretend last night never happened, and we forget all about it."
"For God's sake Michael," Max said in an anguished voice, "She's dead. Whether she was out to get us or not, she was a person. Show a little humanity for crying out loud."
Maria heard Liz's sharp intake of breath next to her. Dead or not, she realized Liz couldn't help but think of how Tess and Max had been, and if there had been anything real to it at all.
"In case you didn't notice Maximillien," Michael said in a dry voice, " 'humanity' isn't my strong suit." although Michael's voice was light, it contained hurt at Max's statement.
"Just don't forget what you risk if you bring this up again," Michael warned, "These people are playing for keeps Max."
"He knows that Michael," Isabel said sensibly, trying to smooth it out.
"I don't think he does Is," Michael shot back, "We need to forget this. The human tendencies Max has adopted may cause him to feel he may have to turn himself in. He's risked out lives once, I won't let him do it again."
Maria's eyes shot open. Was this the guy she believed herself to be in love with? Before anyone else could respond to Michael's statement, she was over by his chair. "Listen to me Michael," she hissed, "Shut up. If Tess had picked on you, you would have been just as helpless. Don't go all 'holier than thou' on Max. You're not perfect yourself. All you're doing here is causing trouble."
"He nearly got us discovered!" Michael shot back, annoyed at her defending him.
Maria shook her head, "Listen to me Michael, and listen carefully. I may not know Max as well, or for as long as you, but even I can tell that no matter what he said or did, he was not trying to get you caught."
Maria and Michael glared at each other, each refusing to look away as Liz's tentative voice broke in, "Stop it, both of you. This isn't getting us anywhere. Whether it happened like we want, it's over. We shouldn't be pulled farther apart by this."
Maria nodded, "I agree Liz," she said quietly, dropping her eyes from Michael's and settling back on the couch.
"This has caused too much pain," she heard Liz whisper beside her. How true that simple statement was. Liz wasn't the only one hurting.
Maria watched Michael, who was busy staring at anywhere but her. He was so incredibly hard to read. She couldn't even tell if he felt the least bit sorry.
She had wonderful taste in men. Really wonderful. Michael was able to act like an ass at a moment's notice, Michael was unwilling to open at all. Michael was responsible only to himself. All in all, Michael was trouble. But, although she was angry at him right now, she couldn't deny her feelings for him.
"Fine." Michael finally said through gritted teeth, "I don't hold Max responsible. Now, can we just forget last night never happened and get on with our lives?"
"Hush Michael," Isabel hissed. Maria automatically assumed that it was simply because she was annoyed with him as well. However, she finally noticed the sheriff's deputy standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.
"Can we help you?" Michael asked impatiently, "We already gave our statements to the sheriff."
The man said nothing. He just looked at the teens intently, gazing into the faces of each one.
When his eyes rested on her, Maria shifted uncomfortably. His dark, beady eyes seemed to be staring straight into her. Then, the moment passed and he moved onto Liz.
The eerie atmosphere the man brought with him was broken when the sheriff re-entered the room. "We'll be on our way now," he said to them. "If there's anything else you can think of, you know how to reach me."
"There isn't," Max said firmly.
The sheriff clasped his deputy on the shoulder. "Let's go," he said, moving the man from the room. He called over his shoulder. "Remember, if she gets in touch with you at all, call."
"That guy was creepy," Alex said when everyone had left.
Maria nodded in agreement, glas she wasn't the only one who had noticed.
"I need some air," Michael said abruptly, standing up. He quickly left the room and they all heard the back door shut behind him.
Without explaining to the others, Maria got up and followed Michael to talk to him. They just watched her go.
When she entered the Evans backyard, it was to find Michael standing on the porch, just staring at the sky. She didn't say anything immediately, just walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You know," he said thoughtfully as he gazed up into the bright sky, "Max Evans was the closest to family I've ever had. In the past week, he had become as much a stranger to me as anyone."
"He didn't mean to risk everything," Maria said quietly.
Michael gave a bitter laugh and turned to face her. "I know that. Really, deep down I do. It's just I look at him and I get so angry. I need a reason for it."
He continued, "I know, if Tess hadn't had the perfume, there wouldn't have been any worry. We would all still be living happily. I know it affected Max. But, it didn't control him."
"The things he said to you in the library," Maria said, understanding.
Michael turned away from her, "What he said to all of us. Maybe the perfume brought out what he thought."
Maria sighed, "I know it hurts Michael. I know what he said struck a nerve. But, Max is sorry. He doesn't think that right now, he's genuinely sorry. Now, it's up to you. Either you forgive him and forget it, or you don't."
Michael sighed, "I want to. I want to just forgive and forget. But, it's just so hard."
"It's part of growing as a person," Maria said. "You've been doing some of that lately, might as well take another step in the right direction."
Michael sighed, "I know. I suppose I should go apologize to him?"
Maria nodded, "That would be a good idea."
When Michael began to walk back into the house, she grabbed his arm. "Just not yet," she said wickedly.
Michael was surprised when she pulled him into a kiss, however it didn't stop him from returning it whole-heartedly.
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