Author: DocPaul
Disclaimer: M&M belong to someone else, but I treat them better.
Spoilers: Missing behind the scene for the Season 3 premiere of
Roswell.
Summary: Maria and Michael trapped in Utah spend time
confronting their friends, and Maria remembering the past summer.
Notes: Yeah, yeah, sounds boring, but heck did you watch the
premiere? Say no more.
Michael looked down at a crying Maria. Moving his hand comfortingly along the lean lines of her back he sighed, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to make things better. The news that Liz was held over in jail for criminal charges shocked even Michael. How stupid could those two be?
Michael had sworn under his breath when he heard that the two were foolish enough to use a gun. But when Max told him that Liz was wearing a shirt with her midriff exposed, her hair down her back outside the balaclava, and that she talked to the store's clerk in her normal voice, Michael was truly amazed.
"I told the store clerk on my way down, that he'd better listen to her because she's crazy!"
Michael just shook his head. "Maxwell, did it ever occur to you that if you're a stupid enough fuck to let your girlfriend commit a felony with you, to at the very least disguise the fact that she is female? Maybe put her in a long overcoat or heavy leather jacket to hide her figure, or at least her damn belly button? Then the cops would be looking for two male perps and not a stupidass male, and a equally intelligence-challenged female!"
"Michael..."
"And you told the clerk she was female by calling her a "she", but what the hell? Why not? You let Liz talk." Michael stood up and paced around the room, irritated. This was his fault. He was really busy this summer working on his own life and he had left Max alone to get into trouble. And because Max had involved Liz Parker, the girl that could balance a frickin' chemical equation, but had trouble walking down the street without tripping over her own two feet, well, that trouble was now trouble with a capital "T". Damn Utah? Michael just shook his head in disbelief.
"She had to talk!" Max's voice was raised and Michael just went over and calmly pushed him back down in his chair as he tried to stand up. "I was busy and she needed to keep him busy!"
"And now they're holding her because her voice matched, and the store clerk could pick her voice up out of a lineup!" Michael just looked at Max like he didn't know him. "Hell, Maxwell! Liz Parker's baby voice screeching down the house, is like nails on a damn chalkboard!"
"Well the cops were coming." Max just sat back in his chair and cringed. A lecture from Michael Guerin about being responsible and how to treat a girlfriend was...it was... well...just wrong.
"Okay let's recap, shall we? First she goes in with her face covered, but not her body, so the clerk can not only describe her clothes, but her height and build." Michael keeps shaking his head. Why didn't they get tattoos on their bodies to make it even easier? Or hand out business cards? Amateur holdup artist guaranteed to steal nothing but bags of cheetos...the "Cheetos Bandits". "Then she screeches at both you and the clerk in her high whiny voice that no one, and I mean "No One" responds to but evidently you and cows coming home from the fields!"
"Michael, I got rid of the physical evidence!"
"No you didn't Maxwell! You had it with you in the form of Liz Parker, and you left the clerk alive to ID her! But either way you alerted anyone who was interested in what was down in that basement, that the location was compromised."
"They don't know that! They would think it was a robbery by two underage kids!" Michael just moved his head to the side in disbelief. Yeah, that's why they had the store wrapped up in police crime scene tape like it was a normal occurrence.
"Then you run and get into your car, parked out front...the make and color evident to the clerk...and rush off in the night with Liz "Bonnie" Parker as the frickin' wheelman? And when the hell does Liz Parker ever drive? Last time I can remember was when we broke you out of the White Room, and the Jetta got shot up, and you ended up jumping off a bridge and hiding in an abandoned van, and...if it wasn't for Valenti and me coming after you, the two would've been picked up by the Special Unit again." Michael sat back down across from Max and looked at his loco friend in the face. "I got any of this right?"
Max sighed. Michael was on a roll.
"I take it you could've done better?"
"Damn straight, and with Maria at my side, NOT toting some gun and threatening a familyman with his life! I would've sent Maria in to distract the man, and asked him if there was a bathroom I could use. And while Maria entertained him the way only Maria can, I would've discreetly disabled the cameras, and headed back to the area to search it."
"How do you know that Maria would be able to keep the clerk busy?"
Michael just looked at Max like he was a sad idiot boy from nowhere New Mexico. "Wake up Gump Boy! Maria?"
Max has to concede the point. Michael was right. Maria was able to entertain and distract a room full of people with little to no effort. Somehow when she was in the room, all eyes watched her, waiting for her to talk. The woman was able to keep Michael Guerin entertained for over two years and exclusively through the entire summer without much effort on her part. That hurled her into a class of her own. Michael would've probably come up from the hidden basement to find both the clerk and Maria outside with maps on the hood of the car plotting out the best way for her to travel to get to Graceland.
"I don't know why you care Michael! You've never been a fan of Liz or even Liz and me as a couple."
"A couple of idiots? No, you're wrong Maxwell. I think the two of you are perfect for each other, just perfect! But, you're right. I couldn't care less if Liz rots in jail. She picked up the gun and worked out the plan with you. And she's supposed to be the smart one? More like desperate." Max looked at Michael sharply at that comment. "The only reason I care even slightly, is that Maria does. Maria cares more than even you apparently! We already cost Maria one best friend. Do you have any idea how devastating this is for her?!"
Max actually felt bad about that. Maria was his friend too, and he knew how hard she was taking Alex's death. Losing Liz would be intolerable. But he was fed up with the lectures. His guilt was already playing hell with him internally, he didn't need Michael voicing opinions that just made it worse. "Just go find the diamond, Michael!"
Michael just stood up and looked at his friend. In a quieter voice he asked, "Why didn't you come to me for help, Maxwell?"
Max actually turned red at that. Great! Another person who felt let down by him. "Just find the diamond, Michael."
Michael nodded and called down the hall for the guard. Without turning around he made his final comments to Max. "I don't know much about our past lives, but I do know that you once valued my opinion." Michael looked down the hall seeing the guard coming. "Who are you, Max? The King or the Court Jester?" Michael waited as the guard opened the door, and left without looking back. Right! Find the frickin' diamond.
~~~~
Michael held her all night as she cried. Maria couldn't sleep, just thinking of Liz in jail, imagining herself being locked away and trying to appear as if she didn't care. What the hell was going on, and where was her anally precise friend who use to make color charts for the work staff at the CrashDown, ignoring that there were only six workers, not a huge conglomerate? Maria curled her hand on Michael's chest and waited in the dark for something to change, for daylight, when she could wake and find that this was just a long nightmare. It wouldn't be so bad if the whole mess weren't her fault. Maria sighed. She should've handled Liz finding out about her and Michael better. But how was she supposed to know that it would drive Liz off the deep end?
~~~~
Three months earlier.....
It had been a long day... and it was going to get even longer. Michael and Maria were working the same shift together, and Maria smiled to herself knowing he was watching her from the kitchen. They were planning on spending the evening together. Again. Michael suggested they eat at the CrashDown as they worked, to get eating out of the way. Still, Maria decided she wanted a real home-cooked meal. Something with substance. Comfort food. She decided on Michael's spaghetti. Easy to make and the way Michael made it, it beat anything that came out of the CrashDown. It was almost the only thing he could make outside of cold cereal, burgers and hot dogs.
Michael came to the window as Maria was picking up her next order. The buff alien was dressed in his usual tight T-shirt, not-so-tight jeans and a battered pair of Doc Martens, with an apron over his clothes. Maria repressed a moan. Weekends were hell! They really were! It looked like one of those nights where the run of customers was only a handful at a time, but constant.
"You say something , Maria?" Michael leaned over to watch her bend down to grab another full bottle of ketchup, enjoying the view of exposed legs.
"Uh... no, Michael. Will you be ready to go in thirty minutes?" Michael nodded and nabbed Maria's hand, forcing her to look at him.
At least they didn't have a date tonight, not a going-out date. Watching her dress to go out with him made it harder to make it out the door. Usually they never made it out of the bedroom, and Michael was worried that Maria was beginning to think he only wanted her in bed. It wasn't his fault that he liked everything about how she looked and moved. And watching her bend over for the ketchup, showing off those incredible legs and cute ass was torture of the sweetest kind! Michael coughed softly and adjusted his tightening jeans. Damn, looking at the clock, they still had half an hour to go!
They were both too busy staring at each other to notice Mr. Parker approaching. "Good! Just the two I wanted to see." Maria quickly turned to look at her boss feeling a slight blush move up her neck, almost like he could read her thoughts. They weren't open thoughts for just anyone, since they centered around a certain alien badboy and the fact she was the reason he preferred extra room in his jeans.
"Mr. Parker..." Maria was struggling to get words out.
"I need both of you to work until closing. I know you already worked a full shift, but Jose has a family emergency, and Liz isn't back from the errand that her mother sent her on in Albuquerque, yet."
Michael quickly looked at Maria and tried to get them off the hook. "Actually, we sort of had..."
"...plans." Finished Maria, giving Michael a quick smile in relief that he didn't cave in immediately, even though she knew he really could use the extra cash. She really wished she could convince him to let her help him pay some of his bills. But after a few fights, she had backed off.
Mr. Parker looked at the couple and frowned. They were spending a lot of time together lately. He wondered how Amy DeLuca felt about that. But from what he could gather, Amy really felt like Michael was almost part of the family.
"I'm sorry about that, but I really could use both of your help tonight. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an emergency. I'll pay you overtime." Mr. Parker knew he had them when Michael just sighed and nodded his head. He chose to ignore the muttered cuss word under Maria's breath and thanked them, taking himself off before they changed their minds.
"Michael..."
"I know! It's just I could really use the extra cash, and who else was he going to get?" Maria conceded the point. They were grossly understaffed since the new help tended to head out whenever the weather was really nice, finding excuses not work.
"Fine. You owe me, though." Michael smiled at that. "And you do the floors tonight at closing. I better go call my mom."
Michael frowned at that. They had spent so much time together this summer that Amy was starting to get real suspicious. Maria had stayed over his place three times last week and already twice this week, and they were running out of excuses to get her out of the house. Tonight they were planning on spending the evening together and getting her home before one, but now work had just destroyed that. Michael was hoping Maria could think of an excuse to stay out all night with him.
They had worked hard all summer trying to keep their new relationship hidden from everyone, including their friends. It wasn't for any other reason but convenience. Everyone was having a hard time adjusting. Kyle was still upset over Tess, and Isabel was off in some weird world of her own making. Even Max wasn't able to figure out what was happening with Isabel. And Max and Liz were sort of not dating. Together, but not together. They spent alot of time at the CrashDown together, not being together, while Max was trying to convince Liz to date him again. Snailpaced came to mind. Michael usually ignored the entire situation out of boredom.
Maria and Michael knew from past experience that when they were happy in their relationship, and the others weren't, namely Max and Liz, that they came under fire. Since neither of them was willing to listen to lectures from Max or Liz about "being cautious" blah, blah, blah, they felt it better to keep quiet. Michael figured it would take a few more weeks before reality settled in with the others and they started asking. Maria said it would take longer, because self-absorbed people needed a ton of bricks to fall on them before they caught on. Last time it took Liz seeing them together, rolling around on the floor of the CrashDown, before she went shooting her mouth off.
Maria was tired. Working a double shift was hard enough, but they still had to clean up and close. She told her mom about having to work the extra shift, and that she was going to get a late dinner, or stay at Liz's place if Liz made it home before closing. Maria tried to make it sound like Liz would have some real interesting gossip from her trip to Albuquerque. Maria rolled her eyes at how lame her excuses were becoming. Michael was just finishing up the floors and shutting off the lights in the main diner. She covered her frustration by taking out some ice cream from the refrigerator in the back breakroom, adding chocolate sauce and tasting it, her tongue lapping delicately at the teaspoon.
She was suddenly aware of being watched.
Maria looked up and saw Michael gazing at her, with an expression on his face that she was certain she had never seen directed her way at work before. It looked like... hunger.
"Um, hey! I'm almost ready. I was just having a quick ice cream with some chocolate sau...." The words died in her throat as Michael moved toward her and reached out a finger. Maria felt the slightest touch as Michael wiped a smidgen of chocolate sauce off her lips and then sucked on his fingertip. This would not have seemed so weird except that Michael's gaze never left Maria's as he did it.
Maria's lips felt suddenly dry and she couldn't help licking them. As she did, tasting the minute bit of chocolate sauce left, the color in Michael's eyes seemed to darken. Michael moved so quickly, cat-like, that Maria couldn't have evaded it if she'd tried. Michael was strange in that at times he stood so still, and then in a flash he was just there, all over the place at once. One moment her own tongue was licking her lips and suddenly there was a warm, wet mouth on Maria's, a tongue slipping its way inside, hands pulling her against a firm masculine body.
Maria didn't fight the sudden assault. Fight it? Hell!! She had spent all night dreaming of this -- hot, wet, sticky dreams that left her weak while she was watching him work in the kitchen. She began an assault of her own, stripping the apron off his body and tracing the terrain with her fingers moving over his chest, which was covered in his t-shirt. Delightful shivers rewarded her explorations. She loved how sensitive Michael was to touch, her touch. Maria quickly found the hem of Michael's shirt and pulled it over his head letting her mouth follow it along his skin.
Maria rested both of her hands on Michael's chest and curled her fingers to let her nails bite into his skin, as his mouth ravaged the side of her neck. The moan from his throat sent her blood rushing even faster through her veins. Michael reached down and grabbed Maria's hands and placed them up around his neck as he quickly unfastened the front of her uniform and the front clasp of her bra. Pulling her arms around his neck tight, he was able to move even closer to her, plastering himself hard up against her from shoulder to groin.
His zipper slid down, and Michael's hands moved up Maria's legs under her short shirt. Panties were pushed out of the way; bare chests rubbed together. Maria moaned his name passionately as his rougher skinned chest rubbed against her nipples until the friction made them stand out, hard and aching, and the bulge of his erection pressed against her stomach in a subtle, slow motion. Maria found herself pushed back against the fridge. The cold metal on her back contrasted with the heat pressing against her front.
Michael bit into her shoulder, a gentle nip but it went straight to her core and her hips bucked. Maria heard the wild erupting sound from her throat, and she tried to climb him. She was starving to death, and trying to get herself up higher so that hard bulge could do some real good! Michael locked both arms around her and lifted her the last few inches needed. That movement brought his erection in contact with Maria, so he could push up against her softness.
For a second, Maria realized that they were in the back breakroom of the CrashDown up against the industrial stock refrigerator. She didn't care. His tongue was in her mouth, his hands on her ass holding her firmly as she released him from his jeans, and her legs were wrapped around his hips. And that bulge was right were she wanted it as he moved...another subtle thrust, and she damn near climaxed right there! Her nails bit into his back, and she made a guttural sound as she arched into his arms.
He tore his mouth free from hers. He was panting, the expression in his eyes hot and wild. "Condom," he said, the word so low and rough it was almost unintelligible, not much more than a growl. Maria quickly moved her hands down to search in his back pockets of his jeans just barely hanging on his hips, held in place by her legs. Nothing. "I'm out!" Michael rested his head in her the crook of her neck in frustration slowly moving to release her.
"No," she moaned. "Don't stop!" Oh, God, she was close...so close! She arched against him again.
"Dammit, Maria!" He closed his eyes, his expression savage with lust barely restrained. "I can't do this here. We're out of protection. We need to go home!" Maria looked at him and smiled, liking that dark intense look he got whenever they made love. It was like he was someone else, and if it weren't for the flood of sensations and feelings she got from him whenever they were joined, he would be like some beautiful stranger.
Moving her hand down to where her uniform apron was still around her waist, she reached into her apron pocket, past her tips, and pulled out a foil disk. "Ta Da!"
Michael looked at the condom in her hand, and pushed her even harder up against the refrigerator with a smiling glint coming into his eyes, and a full smirk on his face. "That's my girl!"
His face even becoming even more intense and dark as he felt her hand sheath him in the latex, growling her name deep in his throat.
Maria gave a surprised yelp as he pushed into her at full throttle. "Oh, God, yes!" She pulled his mouth back to hers as her nails bit into his shoulders again. Michael moaned in her mouth, shutting his eyes to the movement of light, living in the feel of her, as she, like a sensation of pure energy, moved over him and down his spine.
It felt so good he just had to do it again. And again. The thrusts became faster and harder. The fridge shook and shuddered with each one and Michael reached one hand to grab the top of it, but neither of them intended to stop. His hand held her ass hard against him helping her to move with him.
Maria soon felt hot moisture spreading through her and over and around Michael, as she joined Michael in his orgasm moments later. His taller frame collapsed against her, his weight more on Maria than the appliance holding them both up, even as it leaned against the wall behind it. It was good thing it was an industrial brand refrigerator since they would have murdered a commercial one. Maria pushed at Michael quickly, knowing if he got too caught up in the orgasm they were going to collapse where they stood.
She took the pressure against her as long as she could, but the need to breathe won very quickly. She tightened her arms around her lover and friend, and then patted him. Michael moved off of her slowly, his hands shifting to either side of Maria's head as he looked down on her in wonder. They needed to get horizontal soon, before they collapsed. The energy hits were still rushing up and down his spine, but in a moment or two they would explode again leaving him boneless, and Maria was already wrapping herself around him as they hit her.
Carefully, Michael eased the fridge back to its normal position on the floor from where he had tipped it backwards against the wall. That safely done, he grasped Maria by the ass and moved them backwards trying to stand upright on his own feet. They stood there, gazing at each other with dopey grins until Michael felt something slip under his foot. They both looked down.
"Aw, Shit!!" Maria moved quickly to nip his neck and lean against him, laughing against his skin as he navigated them through the melted mess of the ice cream and chocolate sauce she had dropped on the floor when he grabbed her. Michael quickly backed them up to the breakroom sofa and collapsed with her on top of him. With a quick flip he reversed their positions with Maria under him and her legs still wrapped around his hips. Michael pushed himself back into her and held her tight enjoying the feel of her all around him, inside and out. Pulling her uniform open even more he leaned down to rub up against her breast taking a nipple into his mouth and tasting her.
Then he caught a look at Maria out of the corner of his eye. The expression on his lover's face brought the smile back to his, and he began to chuckle. They shared a long deep kiss, his arms holding her firmly against him, neither of them willing to end their bodies mating. They needed to get up and begin the process of cleaning themselves and the kitchen they had trashed, but both were unwilling to move away from the other.
Michael rested his head in her neck and muttered soft words in her ears making her chuckle lightly as her fingers ran through his hair. Neither of them noticed the figure that had entered the door, or the startled movement as Liz Parker saw them together. Liz just stood there watching, frozen in place, as Michael took Maria's delicate hand in his and kissed her fingers, drawing a few into his mouth to suck on. Then he moved upward, leaning in and gently licking her lips and touching her tongue as it came out to touch his. Liz gasped in disbelief as Michael whispered how much he loved Maria before he kissed her. The couple pulled back and looked towards the door. Maria closed her eyes as she saw her best friend rush out of the room.
"Oh, damn! I think a brick just hit someone!" Maria and Michael shared a moment of understanding as he slowly removed himself from her, sitting up to first put himself back together, and then Maria. They were busted. Michael slowly buttoned up her uniform front, stopping to place a gentle kiss on her breast before closing the bra over it.
"Leave it until later. Come home with me." Michael sneaked a glance at her. Maria lifted her face and smiled, shaking her head.
"I can't. You know I can't." Michael nodded reluctantly. If it had been either Max or Isabel, he would've gone to talk to them immediately. Maria was the only person he gave space to, the only person he left alone. When they had a disagreement, Michael knew that getting in her face immediately would just lead to things getting worse instead of better. They knew each other too well, knew each other's sore spots. It was always better to regain some calm and perspective before they talked again. Sometimes, some people were too important to take chances with.
"Okay, go talk to the Parker beast, but how do you plan to make it up the stairs?" Maria laughed at that and hugged him tight, kissing him again. He was right. Her insides were still shaking with the feeling of him, but she would make it because she knew it was necessary.
"I'll manage. You finish picking up and I'll either call you later or come by." Maria kissed him one last time before slowly standing on not-so-steady legs. "You be careful on your way home." Maria left him and made her way out of the room heading for the stairs.
Michael watched her go and didn't envy her one bit. Slowly getting up, still feeling his whole body tingling, he passed his hand over himself to clean, did the same to the ice cream, and then put his shirt back on. Hanging his apron on a hook Michael noticed a small pile on the floor in front of the refrigerator door. Bending down he picked up a pair of silk and lace panties belonging to Maria. With a chuckle, he pushed them into his pocket and grabbed his coat to go home.
~~~~
Liz sat on her bed and looked up at Maria, standing at her bedroom door. "How long?"
Maria came in and took a seat on the other side of the bed. "Since the night before they almost left."
"Was that why he stayed? Because you slept with him? Because you put out?" Maria's eyes narrowed at the obvious insult.
"He stayed because he loves me, because I was what he chose. Sex had nothing to do with it." Maria tried to keep her patience, but Liz was coming from somewhere Maria couldn't understand. The wave of anger was obvious.
"So when did it happen?"
"Like I said, the last night before they almost left. I had just left Michael's place and come home that morning when you were in my room."
"So you tried to use sex to get him to stay? Maria that's the..."
"I didn't know he was leaving until afterwards. Michael asked me to come over, and it happened, okay? Before he could tell me, it happened." Maria clenched her fist and tried to count to ten giving herself ten reasons not to belt Liz in the chops.
"Oh, that's just great! So he knows he's leaving, and you're willing to put out, so he keeps his mouth shut about taking off for home in the Granilith so he can sleep with you, like a..a sort of...bon voyage fuck!"
That was it! Maria stood up and started pacing. "You know, I know that seeing Michael and me together downstairs was a shocker, but hell, you've got to be some kind of blind not to notice how close we are! He didn't use me for a "bon voyage fuck" as you so tastefully put it, and I sure as hell didn't use sex to get him to stay! Is it so hard to accept that we love each other, and that this is where we are in our relationship?"
Liz let the jealousy pull at her even more. "I just can't believe you didn't tell me! I'm your best friend!"
"What was I supposed to say, Liz? Hey Liz, just to FYI you, Michael and I are balling, and I know that you were pissed that he stayed on Earth for me while your "soulmate" Max was ready to take off on the Granilith Express trip to Antar with his murderous bitch alien wife, and bastard son, so hope this doesn't piss you off too!" Maria paused for breath.
"You can be a real bitch!"
"Yeah, it takes one, you know?" The two young women stood staring at each other fiercely both not in a very good humor.
Liz looked at her friend and felt her stomach drop. What the hell did she think she was doing? She knew how much Michael and Maria had gone through over the last two years. Maybe she felt that what she went through was harder and just...more, but in truth she knew they were sharing a room, and had been practically inseparable since they went to Tucson. It wasn't hard to believe Michael had stayed on earth for Maria. It just hurt that Max didn’t stay for her. "
I'm sorry, it's just with everything that happened, and Max..." Maria sighed and tried not to roll her eyes. Sitting back on the bed because her legs were still weak, she settled down to listen about Max and Liz again. How the hell did her relationship with Michael have anything to do with Max and Liz's?
"...so I told Max that things had changed..." Maria wondered if Michael had made it home okay. They usually were both pretty wasted after they made love, and just cuddled or else simply did it again.
"...so I said, "Max, if you think I'm going to just..." Maria wondered if she was ever going to make it over to Michael's tonight or even get something resembling dinner.
"It's just so unfair that he gets everything his way..." Maria moved uncomfortably on the bed, feeling the soreness in her thighs. Damn, she needed a shower! She could still smell Michael on her, and with that thought she had a crushing blow, like a flash of him, and a desire to go to him immediately. Maria frowned at the sensation as Liz continued to prattle on and on in a low droning tone. It was the ringing of the phone that finally saved her.
Maria watched in amazement as Liz went over to the phone, not even pausing in her endless talk about everything Max. "Hello? Oh hi! Yes she is! Just a second." Liz held out the phone to Maria. "It's your mom."
Maria quickly took the phone, almost like it was her lifeline. "Mom? Hi, you need something?" Maria listened as her mother was just checking in with her and wanted to know if Liz had gotten home, and if Maria was planning on spending the night with Liz. Maria quickly said yes, and after handing the phone back to Liz, grimaced at the look of speculation on Liz's face.
"You're going over to Michael's for the night, aren't you?"
"Yes I am." Maria couldn't place the look on Liz's face. "Look Liz, I know this situation is a big shock to you, but it's not something that just happened. It's been going on for a while, and..."
"How do you know?" Liz asked quietly.
"Excuse me?"
"How do you know he's not lying, that he really loves you? I mean Michael has hurt you before."
Maria looked down at her fingers and sighed. "He has. It's not just him though, Liz. It's me too. Sometimes I want more than he knows how to give, and it's taken us a long time to learn how to communicate, and we're still learning. I'm not saying we're perfect, like...a perfect fit, but whatever we are, we make sense."
"Maria, I just don't want to see you hurt."
Maria laughed at that. "Love hurts Liz. It hurt knowing he was going to leave someday, knowing that he had some alien destiny out there that I could never belong to. It hurt that morning when he got up and walked out the door, and you know what? It hurt when he walked out of the door leading into the pod chamber when he stayed. It all hurts, some of it good, and some bad. He hurts me, but he also makes me happier than I knew anyone could, and that hurts too! It like being this greedy child afraid to lose this wonderful...thing! That something will take it away, and the fear is what hurts." Maria just shook her head. "You're asking me to protect myself from pain by never taking a chance at really living. I can't do that."
Liz frowned at Maria. She knew part of what Maria was saying, but it was beyond her to understand how someone could invite so much pain. "If you know he's going to..."
"All I know is I love him, and that he loves me. Will it last forever? I don't know. No one does. But I know that right now...today...I can't conceive of a minute or a time when I won't love him, and I have to believe that this feeling is strong enough to see us through whatever we have to face in the future. I just know I want to be with him."
"He's left you before, forgotten you." Maria knew that Liz was talking more about herself, than her and Michael. Michael had never really left her, instead he pushed her away a few times. Leaving would have meant he no longer loved her or that he had found someone else, and that had never happened, not in over two years.
"True. It took me some time to understand that about him. But, he's a soldier, a fighter, and part of him will always be in the thick of it. Fighting. I've had to accept that. When he's doing something, it's all he sees, almost like he's engaged in some long campaign. And that doesn't mean he doesn't know I'm there, but he's just not the type of guy that can easily multitask all the time. I can accept that, even if at times I let it bug me and bitch about it. It's just part of the deal. I can't make him over into some "dream" man, because I'm almost positive that if I did, I wouldn't want him anymore. I like him as he is, as he is growing up to be."
"Maria, I just think that you are letting all the physical stuff..."
"It's not just physical, okay?" Maria was losing her patience again. It was late and she wanted to go home and sleep with Michael. "I'll worry about us when I stop feeling him, stop seeing inside him. Until then, I'm going to try to keep learning about him. About us."
It took Maria a few minutes to figure out what she said wrong. "Feel him? What do you mean, feel him?"
Dammit! "I feel him, okay?"
Liz looked at her friend in horror. "Flashes? Michael gives you flashes?"
Damn skippy! All types, but mostly heat flashes from sexual meltdown, but the other type too! "He let me in, okay? He has let me see him."
"When? When did he do that?" Liz could feel her stomach aching, becoming hollow. She and Max hadn't shared a flash in almost a year, and not even when they kissed, not really. He had shared flashes with Tess until almost the bitter end when she left on the Granilith, and now Maria was getting flashes from Michael!
"The first night we spent together, just before he was scheduled to leave. He let me see him, really see him, and I saw me, how he felt about me..." Maria stopped talking as she saw the color drain from Liz's face.
"So he really stayed for you?" Maria just nodded trying to understand where Liz was coming from.
"I'm always trying to stay too safe, acting too cautiously. You take chances. When you heard about Michael's dreams with Isabel, you stuck by him. When you heard he was once engaged to Isabel and he had a destiny, you still stayed, and I ran away to Florida. It worked out for you because in all that time he has never even looked at Isabel. Even when he went to investigate Courtney, he might have kissed her, but that was just to investigate her." Liz could feel the envy and jealousy growing. Michael had always come back to Maria, never really letting her go. Why, if Max was her soulmate, was it so easy for him to go off with Tess? And what would stop him from doing it again?
"Liz..." Maria was sure she liked where this was leading.
"Maybe I need to stop being such a safe girl next door, stop letting Max think he can just walk away and come back. Maybe I need to be more assertive and daring to keep him!"
"Liz, you said you were going to take it slow!"
"Look, how slow? Until the next alien bimbo shows up, or some other woman? I don't want to be without him." Liz looked at Maria feeling her anger rising. Why was everyone else lucky in love but her? "I think you should go if you want to get to Michael's."
Maria stood up to leave, but looked back at Liz. "Just don't be rash and do anything crazy. Promise me!"
"Yeah...whatever!"
Maria didn't like the way her thoughts were running as she drove over to Michael's. A safe cautious Liz was someone she knew, but if Liz pushed herself into a role that wasn't her, God only knew what kind of trouble she would get into. Maria let it worry her until she stood outside Michael's apartment. Deciding not to use her key, Maria knocked instead.
When Michael opened the door, Maria schooled her face to remain firm and unsmiling. "Look buddy, I think you took something of mine!"
Michael laughed and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her.
~~~~
Michael looked down gently at Maria. She had finally fallen asleep after a rather emotional night. Michael frowned at the knock on the door, making his way to it before whoever it was waked her.
"How's it going?" Michael moved aside to let Max into their room. Max quickly looked over at the bed and a sleeping Maria, and then at Michael again. It was hard to miss Maria sleeping in Michael's shirt, the double bed, and the obvious fact they were sharing it.
"Maria's been crying about Liz the whole night." Michael quickly looked over at Maria to check on her. "Other than that, things are great." Michael couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice, or the tinge of anger. What the fuck was up with Max? How did he think things were exactly?
"I need the diamond." Max said ignoring the look of disbelief from Michael. Michael just looked at his friend. He had told both Max and Isabel about the man with the gun and what he said. Maybe he hadn't been firm enough to make his discomfort and fear known to Max, but whoever sent the man meant business. Michael had had to refrain from protecting himself with his powers as it was. He promised himself after he chose to stay on Earth, and with Maria, that he was going to be careful in the future about exposing himself as an alien. It was no longer his life anymore, but Maria's he was protecting from exposure.
"Maxwell, I told you that guy scared the crap out of me. There's someone out there that wants us to stay away. And you know what? He convinced me."
"I'll be careful." Max came further in the room and turned around. "Michael, my son is in trouble. Just give me the-- give me the diamond." Michael was shocked at how far gone Max was from reality. But, Michael knew that if it was his son, his and Maria's, and their son was lost out there somewhere sending messages to him, needing him, that he would do anything to get him back. "I would do it for you."
"You tell Isabel that you came in here and you found it yourself." Michael went to the sofa and took the diamond from under the cushion. Looking at Maria before he retrieved it, he was hoping she stayed asleep. Unfortunately, she didn't.
Max looked at Maria, feeling uncomfortable under her intense accusing gaze. "Hey."
"How could you make Liz hold the gun?" Max stood mutely looking at her, not having any words or excuses that would in any way convince Maria or even himself. Michael handed him the diamond, and Max just left. Michael watched the door close and shook his head. Max wasn't living in a very good place.
Michael went back over and sat on the bed again and looked at an angry Maria. God, she was so beautiful! He just looked at her and waited for it, knowing she wouldn't let it go...
"You gave it to him? Why?"
"Maria..."
"Isn't he in enough trouble, both him and Liz? And now he's going to mess around and alert the FBI or whoever it is that has the ship!"
Michael grabbed Maria and made her listen to him. "Maria, stop it! I know you're angry. I know. But what if it was us? What if it was our child out there...what then? How far would you go, or how far would I go to get our child back?"
Maria leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder nodding. They would go all the way, no matter what it cost. "But the baby isn't Liz's and..."
"The mother is the bitch that murdered Alex?" Michael sank back into the bed, and pulled Maria back into his arms. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that Max is the father. Maria..."
"We don't know that!" Michael looked down at her.
"What do you mean?"
"She lied before, so how do we know she didn't lie about Max being the father?" Michael understood Maria's desire and wish for the baby not to exist or else not be Max's.
"Maria, an alien baby doesn't reach out across thousands of miles of space to contact a stranger. It's connected to Max, so how else do you explain that unless Max is the father?" Maria just shrugged and rested against him. "I can understand Max's motivation, but Liz's still confuses me."
Maria just closed her eyes and felt the familiar sensation of guilt washing over her. She was pretty sure she understood Liz's motivation, and it wasn't a good one. Every since Liz found out about her and Michael she had been on a one woman crusade to prove to the world at large that she wasn’t dull and boring, but wild and crazy. It wasn’t working. The best she was accomplishing was to look stupid and insane.
Maria absentmindedly moved her hand up his t-shirt softly stroking the soft down of his tummy. Michael closed his eyes and groaned. He loved her touch. "Michael, if the situation was reversed, would you let me hold the gun?"
Michael looked down at her sharply. Pulling her head up to look at him directly he shook his head emphatically. "Not even if you insisted or begged! Understand this, woman, no guns! No matching tattoos! And no piercings! I've already given your mother enough reasons to shoot me; there is no need to add fuel to the fire!"
Maria nodded and closed her eyes as he leaned his forehead on hers.