Hey guys! Sorry for not posting for a while - rl has been hectic for us both... but it seems things are slowly easing up so... yes - here is a chapter
But just to make things more interesting Im gonna leave some feedback on the feedback lol
guelbebeck - Thanks! I think everyone can agree that ML need to chat... but is it going to happen... we'll see...
ashleyt - Lol - So... surprised? Come now... everyone knows Billy and Maria are meant to be together.... (looks around a bit)... okay... Thanks hun for the feedback!
alizaleven - hehe sweet and yet horrible? Interesting combination... Now come on cant you see Billy/Maria/Michael as a typical american family...
Maybe not...
xmag - Ahhhh the background of the story.... yes well.... that is interesting *smiles in a secretive way* I'm afraid I can't help ya there but ya certainly have some interesting theories!
emz80 - ohh the secrets of females... thanks for reading hun!
cassie - not quite okay... maybe slightly an understatement there for Liz... and you never know Michael might wake up and smell the... pizza?
Flamehair - hehe your marriage as slavery comment made me laugh - as my mother would say, the wives are the slaves in marriage... but Im not gonne diverge into that issue....
begonia9508 - does anyone feel like our couples are falling down a very deep well.... maybe its just me with the word "doomed"....
(Clearly at this point im very very tired....lol - also replying is hard without giving things away! lol!)
tequathisy - very interesting thoughts there. If only eh? Thanks for your opinions! I do love long reviews... they do certainly get us thinking!
~SavitarOmegrion~ - your the second poster this chapter to ask about Tess..... Well all I can say there is you will have to wait and see!
Frenchdreamer - Lol ah Billy and his love of the womans behind....
nibbles - thanks for the bump!
Incase you all havent seen - please check out the new banner and siggies for this story made by the wonderful frenchdreamer! Thanks again babe!
Also I just wanted to give a quick note to my readers of my other current fic - rocky romances in roswell - part 2 of the three letter series - yes there will be a chapter coming asap!
And now... on with the show
(Disclaimer - we don't own the song anything but ordinary by avril lavinge or the tv show "punked")
Chapter 6
Billy smirked to himself as he poured them both a glass of wine. He smiled as he looked over at Maria. She was so perfect. He’d always had had a crush on Maria. And she did have the finest ass he had ever seen. She was lying on her belly watching the TV, the perfect position for him to check it out. Admittedly, he had been checking out whenever he could on there dates. He thought things were going well… she was probably still thinking about that loser Michael, but that’s Michael’s loss and his gain. He smiled as he made sure the glasses were even before going over to her. “Here we are…” He grinned as he gave it to her before lying down on the bed beside her. “So, what are we watching?”
Maria was enjoying the relaxation that came with being home and since she and Billy often went out, normally not getting home until late, being in early was a nice change. While he was getting the wine, she settled in, the movie that she'd recorded on the DVR the other day was ready to go, but she didn't want to start without him.
As he came over to lie beside her on the bed, she took the offered glass of wine and smiled, "I thought it would be nice to watch an extremely funny yet serious film. I chose that movie with Vin Diesel, the Pacifier." She pressed play on the remote and sipped from her wine as she smiled at Billy.
Billy smiled at her, not really caring what she was going to put on. He was only trying to be polite. The fact was, he wasn’t planning on watching the movie, and with any luck, neither would she. He smiled and leant in close and murmured, “Sounds great…” He closed the small distance between them and gently kissed her lips. He moved back very slightly and gave a grin. “Hmm… I like the wine… it tastes very sweet on your lips… but then again I think that could just be you… can I check?” he said with a little wink.
Maria responded to the kiss, carefully holding her wine so it didn't spill. When he drew back she smiled at his words and shifted so she could set the glass down on the small table carefully before she responded, "How exactly do you propose to check?" She asked her tone teasing even as she turned toward him slightly and lifted a hand to trace his jaw.
Billy smirked as put his glass next to Maria’s before saying, “What about something like…” and with that he quickly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, letting his tongue slowly caress hers. But Billy was hoping for a lot more. He would aim for sex, but he knew she would be thinking about HIM and he wanted her to be thinking about him when they did that… or at least be thinking about him a little bit. He murmured against her lips, “Still not sure… this needs careful examination.” He let his hands trail her sides as he continued kissing her.
Maria sighed against Billy's lips, she couldn't say she wasn't happy, because she was, but that didn't keep her from missing Michael, from dreaming about him. As Billy's hands trailed her sides, she let herself relax, returning the kiss, not wanting it to end because more thoughts came when she wasn't kissing him.
After a moment, she drew back breathless, laughing softly as she said, "Just how much more examination will this need?" She wanted to forget everything else so much at that moment, that she captured one of his hands in hers and boldly led his hand to her breast, something she had constantly stopped from happening before. He'd understood, extremely understanding... and she was grateful for that. She had no idea how much more she would allow, but she wanted to forget what she could, everything outside of her, Billy and her unborn child. Everything outside of her room.
A growl emitted from Billy’s throat as he felt her breast. He smiled and murmured, “However much you’ll let me gorgeous…” He gently brushed his thumb over her breast, wishing that she didn’t have a shirt on. “He leaned in again and gently left a trail of kisses down her neck. “If you want to stop and watch the movie I would understand…” he said, knowing it would sound caring but really didn’t want her to take him up on the offer.
Maria knew she could say no anytime and he'd stop, it was just the way that he was, but at that moment being touched felt far too good and she liked knowing he wanted her. It felt great to be wanted. "I'll tell you if I want to stop at anytime, Billy. Right now, I want you to touch me, need you to." She looked down at him sincerely
With that, Billy quickly used his free hand to tease her t-shirt up her body. He gently stroked her stomach before moving her shirt up further. With both hands he pulled it off her completely and tossed it on to the floor. “Hmm… even better than the fantasy…” Quickly he began kissing her just above her bra, whilst his hands stroked his now bare sides.
Maria moaned at the pleasure that filled her and closed her eyes as she arched her back, with a smile in her tone, she spoke softly, "And what sort of things have you done in your fantasies with me, Billy?" Her hands slid into his hair, welcoming him to do more, wanting him to do more.
Her eyes opened and she lifted her head enough to look down at him with a smile, she wanted to see his expressions.
Billy smirked, knowing that she was putty in his hands. “Oh I’ve fantasised about you in every situation beautiful…” He gently reached round her and unclipped her bra. He slid it off her and groaned as he saw the breasts he had longed for ever since he’d seen them. “Fucking hell you’re perfect...” Quickly he used his hands to gently massage her left breast, whilst kissing the other tenderly.
Maria moaned, arching into his touch, his mouth played havoc with her senses as she enjoyed the knowledge that he desired her, enjoyed knowing that he wanted her. Her breasts were more sensitive then she had expected them to be, but she should have remembered what she'd learned that pregnancy caused because these sensations were roaring through her, filling her with need. "Oh, Billy..." She gasped his name, her hands sliding over his shoulders, gripping his shirt, wanting so much more.
Billy switched his attentions on her breasts, giving each equal treatment. His mind was whirring away, wondering if perhaps he would get lucky tonight. She certainly seemed to want more… a lot more… He snaked his hand away from her breast and let it trail slowly down her body to her jeans. He teased down the zipper, “Hmm… you are too sexy to be true Maria De Luca…”
Maria had a small inkling when his hand travelled lower to stop him, but the pleasure of the moment pushed it away. His words, of course had their own effect and she couldn't help but like hearing them. "You say that now," she breathed, "But, soon I won't have this figure... then what?"
She shifted her body slightly so that she could reach down and take hold of the bottom of his shirt, wanting to touch him in return. As his hand slowly eased her zipper down, she moaned at just that slightest movement, her hips lifting as her body yearned for more.
Billy grinned more as he slowly left her chest and left a trail of kisses down her body. When he reached her jeans he lifted up his head and murmured, “Then I’ll think you’re a yummy mummy.” He slowly put his hands on her hips and eased her trousers down her, continuing to kiss the skin he revealed.
Maria gasped with how close Billy was to her core; his words caused joy to fill her because the one thing she feared was how she would be seen when she was heavy with child. "Billy... you're too good to be true..." She murmured as she sighed, her hips lifting to aid with the removal of her jeans. The jeans she wouldn't be able to wear much longer.
“You say that now…” he joked as he stripped her of her jeans and chucked them on the floor with her top. “Hm…one thing left….” He kissed her hips as he reached for her black silk thong. Gently he eased it down her and groaned as he saw her. “Mmm…” With that he gently put his head between his legs and gently brushed his finger over her clit.
Maria gasped in surprise and pleasure at the feel of his finger there, her hips lifting as her body pleaded for more. "Billy." She moaned his name, her hand delving into his hair, her blood felt as though it were on fire as she filled with an urgency she couldn't understand. Her legs spread wider, opening for him as she closed her eyes.
Encouraged by her moans, Billy trailed his fingers over her folds before delving within her, and slowly slipping them in and out of her. “Ooh yeah Maria… say my name…”
Maria moved her hips, lifting and rising in time with the movement of his fingers as she threw her head back, her breath growing quicker as she moaned Billy's name, feeling herself filling with pleasure, feeling herself nearing the peak of an orgasm, "Oh, Billy... feels... so... good." She gasped out as she dropped her hands to clutch at the blanket beneath her.
Feeling her walls tighten, Billy quickly removed his fingers and stuck his tongue within her depths, wanting to taste her. He licked her gently, his hands roaming her thighs as he continued his assault on her body. He removed his tongue for a moment to murmur, “Come for me baby…” before delving back within her.
Maria couldn't fight the pleasure flowing through her, she could feel herself convulsing around his fingers and then when his tongue replaced those fingers she cried out at the intensity. Her hands clenched the blanket even tighter as she cried his name at the same moment as she felt herself top that peak and fall over, her orgasm complete. Her breathing was sporadic as she spoke, "That's... some... tongue..." For an instant an image of someone else came to mind and she forced it away. He wouldn't ruin this moment for her.
Billy lapped up her juices greedily, licking her completely clean before slowly coming back up her body and kissing her gently. “You taste much better than the wine.” He smiled at her and said, “That wouldn’t have hurt the baby or anything would it?” he said, trying to act more concerned than he actually was. Well…he was concerned… but he just… he wanted her. But he still didn’t want to hurt the baby or her.
Maria laughed as she looked at him and shook her head, "No, I'm allowed to be as intimate as I want until the last few weeks of pregnancy." She kissed him and as she did, her hands lifted his shirt; she drew back only long enough to remove his shirt and then returned to kissing him while her hands roamed his chest. "We still have so much to talk about Billy." She murmured as her lips trailed over his neck while she lost herself in the moment.
Billy sighed in satisfaction. The last thing he wanted to do was talk right now. But he forced himself to. He threaded his hands in her hair and murmured huskily, “Like what baby?” He peppered her face with light kisses. He moaned slightly when he felt her chest moving against his. “But you should know, I’m not going anywhere…we have all the time in the world.”
Maria smiled as she shifted and pushed him onto his back, moving to straddle him. "Right." She began, trailing her fingers down over his chest, letting him see how she desired him. "But, there is this little one to think of." She could feel his erection where she pressed against his trousers and purposely rubbed above him, "I know you want me. I've had plenty of proof of that."
Her voice was almost a purr as she leaned over him, pressing her lips against his while one of her hands slid between them to unzip his pants before it delved underneath the folds of his pants and his boxers to take hold of his length. "In fact, I haven't doubted that for a long time... it's my baby that I worry about." Even as she spoke, she wrapped her hand around his length, stroking her thumb across the tip.
“Maria!” Billy groaned loudly. He couldn’t believe his luck. Maria was touching him… he’d fantasised for so long… of course he knew it would happen at some point. It was bound to… he was irresistible after all… oh and of course Maria and him were friends so he knew what made her tick. But it was meant to be. Stupid Michael kept them apart long enough… and hey he did all the destroying of there relationship, Billy had just waited until he had. And now this hot babe was going down on him.
“Ohh…. Maria you know you don’t have to repay the favour…” he said huskily, knowing perfectly well she was going to. It was bound to happen. Just like him and her was. He knew that ass of her was gonna be his. All his.
Maria laughed almost breathlessly as she licked and nibbled her way down over his chest and to his waist band where her hand released him long enough for her to remove his slacks and boxers in one move.
Looking up at him, she wrapped her hand around his length again and flicked her tongue across the tip of him. "Mmm, salty." She swirled her tongue around his head, watching him all the while.
Billy moaned loudly. “Oh God…” He bucked his head back as he felt his member throb with want for her. “Maria…” he groaned loudly, one hand clutching on to the bed, and the other running through her hair. “You are my heaven…”
To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive
Maria couldn't breathe for a moment as she heard the last words Billy said. His reaction had her feeling both pleased and yet sad as she thought about Michael. She drew in a deep breath before she took his length into her mouth deeply, slowly beginning a rhythm with her mouth, even though she now saw both men in her mind. Michael would never see her the way Billy did. A part of her was dead without him but another part of her felt alive because of Billy.
That last thought had her forcing Michael's image from her mind as she drew his sack into her hand while her mouth continued its assault, determination filling her.
“Fuck!!!” Billy yelled loudly as he felt himself reaching his peak. “Maria, I’m about to… you should pull back baby…” he said, trying to make sure she thought him as a sensitive nice guy… and to make sure she wasn’t thinking of the son of a bitch who had kept them away so long.
Maria shook her head and closed her eyes, her mouth remained wrapped around him and she moaned with him deep in her mouth, not letting her thoughts of HIM interfere with what she was doing with Billy. She wanted this, she knew she did. She wasn't about to let anything stop her from enjoying how much pleasure she was giving Billy. Only after he came and she'd taken every last bit and swallowed did she lift her head to look up at him, "Didn't think I'd want all of you like that, did you?" She questioned once she had her breath back.
Billy had his head back on the bed, his body riding out the orgasm she had brought him to. He smiled at her, “I just… I thought you might not want to baby, so I thought I’d warn you…” He gently reached for her face and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “You mean the world to me, you know that?” he says with a smile. “I just don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Maria smiled and turned her lips to kiss his thumb and then slowly began to work her way back up his body, kissing his skin, her hands roaming until she was once again straddling him, this time both of them had nothing between them, "Billy, I'm not about to do something I don't want no matter what circumstances there might be." She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. She glanced up at the television a moment and laughed, "We missed almost the entire movie." With a smile, she reached for her glass of wine and sipped from it before replacing it on the table and kissing him again.
Billy didn’t look at the tv, he just kept looking at her. “Ah well…maybe we can use it as an excuse to do that again…” he said with a wink. He smiled at her and kissed her again, “That was amazing baby.” He smiled at her and then said, “Um… you’re right before about the needing to talk thing…” He swallowed before saying, “I’ve given up my lease on my apartment.” He gently brushes her hair back and says, “I thought I could get an apartment here… since everything I care about minus my guitar is in this room.” He looked at her nervously for her reaction.
Maria wasn't certain at first how to respond as she looked down at him. "Billy, I... I don't know what to say... I mean... I wasn't even thinking about you having some place else..." She smiled as the full force of his words hit her, "You don't have to get another place, Billy. You're always welcome here."
She was silent again as she slid off him and moved to lay beside him, her head on his shoulder as she asked, "You know, I never even asked you what you'd think... getting involved with me knowing I'm carrying someone else's child, having a ready made family... I mean, I should have... we should have had that talk when we progressed to this relationship status we have now. I care too much about you to become a burden or anything..." She realized she'd begun rambling and clamped her lips shut so he could respond.
Billy looked at her for a moment before closing the distance between them and kissing her gently. He kissed her for a long moment and said, “And now you’ve you stopped your cute little Maria ramble, I’ll tell you that you could never ever be a burden and I will always be here for you and your child. Always.” He smiles at her for a moment before saying, “And I would love to stay here with you. I just… I don’t want us to rush too much. I love where things are going but I don’t want us to get too ahead of ourselves and then you decide that we can’t even be friends.”
He kissed her again gently. “I just think I should be nearer you so I can come at your beck and call whether it’s a cheese craving or you want your pillow fluffed. But I don’t think you’re ready for what you’re suggesting yet… but when you are I will be waiting for you.”
Maria was silent for several long moments as she listened to Billy and shifted so he couldn't see her face as tears welled up in her eyes. When she finally replied her voice was soft and serious, her fingers idly tracing circles, "Billy, nothing could ever stop our being friends, no matter what happens. If anything could have it would have been that kiss when I was involved with Michael. But, I care about you, more then I can even explain right now. And maybe I'm not ready for a permanent sharing of a room and all, but you've been staying here in the other bedroom and I like that. I like you being here."
Once she felt she had control of her emotions enough she looked up at him with a smile, "I'll try not to be a hassle with the entire... craving bit." Her one concern that she knew she couldn't mention to him was that she could very well end up advancing through pregnancy faster then most. Or, even slower...
Billy smiled at her and kissed her gently, “You have an excuse… just try not to use it too often.” He laughed before gently kissing her again. He slowly moved away and picked up his wine and sipped it as the movie started to draw to a close. He smiled to himself as he thought that he had successfully managed to distract for roughly a hundred minutes. He finished off the last of his wine as the credits started to roll. He sighed as he stood up and started to pick up his clothes and put them on. “Well, this was fun…” He smiled at her, “Maybe we can do it again sometime…” he said wriggling his eyebrows at her.
Maria stood and walked over to Billy, her hands taking his, "Maybe we're not done yet." She looked in his eyes as she pressed herself against him.
Isabel went with Max over to Michael's as she prepared to meet him for the first time. It was strange that her brother had met Michael when he did, but at the moment that was a different thought. Right now, she was feeling a bit nervous about meeting him, worried that he might be some form of plant or a trick.
Max knocked on the door and looked at Izzy, "It'll be alright, Izzy. You'll both get along great, I promise." He said for what was probably the tenth time since they'd left his house. She'd gotten in early this morning, decided to sleep two hours and meet Michael refreshed.
Michael was panicking. Just a few days ago he discovered there was someone out there that was like him - and now he was entertaining the only other two aliens like him on Earth… or at least that he knew of. Michael had been hovering like a mad man all morning. He’d cleaned, he tidied… he even dusted. If Maria had come in right now she would…
Michael gritted his teeth as he thought of her. She had someone else now. Clearly he hadn’t meant that much to her if she had moved on this quickly. Maybe he never had…
He shook his head, trying to dislodge the memory of her kissing Billy… Billy! He had always suspected that asshole would make a move on her… He had never liked him. He seemed so… sly.
When he heard the knock at the door he swallowed and tried to take some deep breaths, forcing himself to pay attention to the situation at hand. He had never had anyone who could be called close to family before… and he really didn’t want to screw this up. He walked over to the door, took one final deep breath and opened the door wide. He blinked as he saw Max and the tall blonde. Isabel was definitely a knock out. Clearly she was one of those girls who knew what they had, where as Maria had always been one of those cute...
He coughed and gave a small smile. He quickly itched his eyebrow and said, “Uh…hey… come in…” He moved out of the doorway not really knowing what to say. “Can I get you guys a drink?” He asked, feeling glad that he had gone to the shops yesterday so he would have something other than Snapple.
Max smiled as Michael opened the door and noticed the expression on his new friends face as he started speaking, "I'm good with a Snapple." Max replied and then said simply, "Michael, this is Izzy and Izzy this is Michael." He gave a look to Izzy that said silently for her to relax but she wasn't looking at him.
"Nice to meet you, Michael." Isabel said, there was this feeling of recognition flowing through her and all she knew was that she didn't have to worry at all. "I'll take a soda if you have one." She replied to him, amazed at how right she now felt just looking into those eyes of his and she smiled, relaxed.
Michael smiled at her. She seemed friendly enough. “Sure no problems… please, make yourself comfortable…” He swallowed and quickly got two Snapple’s and a soda. He looked over at Isabel for a moment and made a snap judgment that she would prefer a glass. He swallowed and took out one of the few glasses he owned. It seemed clean enough, so he poured out the soda for her and then carried the drinks over to the coffee table. He put them down on it, feeling nervous and not really having a clue what to say. So instead he just sat down and itched his eyebrow again.
Isabel smiled and took a sip of the drink as she looked at Michael. "There is something about you that feels more then familiar. Not the same familiar as I feel with Max, something else... something extreme." She didn't really know how to explain it as she leaned forward in the seat she'd taken.
Max chose to remain silent, knowing that they needed the time to talk more then he and Michael did.
Michael slowly looked up at her and swallowed. “I… I didn’t feel… I mean I… no offence Max,” he glanced towards him and continued, “but when I met you it wasn’t as if I knew immediately you were… like me…” He then looked back at Isabel. “But there’s this… I don’t know how to describe it… it’s like part of me recognizes you… if that makes any sense.” He scratched his eyebrow nervously before saying, “So how are you?” He snorted at how lame that had sounded, “Sorry… I don’t really know what to do here…”
Isabel smiled, "It's alright, we have time to get to know each other." She looked at Max who had simply shrugged and said quietly, "Do you mind letting Michael and I stay and talk alone? You could come back and get me in a few hours when I call... or something?" She didn't know why but she knew she wanted to talk to Michael alone.
Max nodded, "If you are both comfortable with that, then I can do that." He said simply, a part of him feeling jealous but the other part knowing that they needed time as much as he had in the beginning.
"What do you think, Michael?" Isabel asked him softly, a smile remaining on her lips.
Michael swallowed and then said slowly, “Yeah sure, I mean… If that’s okay with you man…” He didn’t want Max to feel like he wanted him to go, because he really did want to get to know him. But at the same time he felt like he should be talking to Isabel.
Max stood and gave them both a smile, "It's fine. We'll have plenty of time to hang out." He looked at Isabel, "I'll be back to get you in three hours unless you call me otherwise." She gave him a nod and he walked out and left her with Michael.
Isabel smiled, "I love my brother but sometimes he's just too much of a goody good for my liking.” She joked softly and then held out her hand toward him, though she didn't understand why she felt it was important to do it this way. Like somehow if she actually touched him it would give her a reason why she felt so instantly connected.
Michael swallowed a moment before looking up at her hand. Why did he feel like he had to touch her hand? He swallowed and gently took it and smiled at her. “He seems like a nice guy…” he said slowly.
"Max is a great brother, a bit over protective, too serious and overbearing, but I love him. I just..." Isabel found herself pausing as she spoke, images flashed through her mind, heated images of her and Michael, passion filled images, but they weren't here, they were somewhere else. So many strange flashes but all of them were her and Michael kissing, making love, the passion was so strong that it was almost as though she felt it now and Isabel pulled her hand away slowly once the images stopped flowing and looked at Michael, drawing in deep breaths. "Did you... did you just see, what I did?" She questioned, both hoping he did and hoping he didn't.
Michael stared at her for a moment, trying to not let himself tremble.
What on earth was that? he asked himself. He tried to push the pictures out of his mind but he couldn’t help but think about them. The images… they were so full of love… and his heart reeled at the thought of liking someone other than…
Quickly pushing that thought away he slowly nodded to Isabel. Did all aliens experience this when they touched? He certainly hadn’t seen any pictures of Max… although if they were doing what he had just seen with Isabel… yuck…
Don’t be stupid he told himself as he let his gaze settle on the coffee table. “Has…” he found himself saying quietly, “…Has… anything like that… happened to you before?”
Isabel shook her head as she stood and moved over to sit beside him, not certain why she did, "No, nothing like that has happened before. I mean, in moments of emotional highs I can pick and item up and see things because of the item, but... what we... what I just saw, I've never seen before." She dropped her head a moment as she looked at her hand, her wedding band was still there but that was only because she hadn't told Max.
"Hell, what I saw us experiencing is much more then what my ex-husband and I shared." She drew the ring off her finger and shrugged, "I haven't told Max that I'm divorced."
Michael swallowed, trying to process everything. Isabel was divorced, and he was receiving flashes from her about them… together? And Max and Isabel weren’t as close as they immediately appeared? Did that mean Michael would never be very close to them? “I… I’m sorry…” Michael said lamely. He snorted and gave a wry smile, “Well… my girlfriend dumped me because I didn’t want to get married. And now she’s shacking up with another man only a few weeks later.” He looked down, a little crease appearing between his eyebrows. “Guess I didn’t mean that much to her…”
Isabel reached out a hand, placing it on his shoulder as she spoke, "Michael, some women move on to another man because they think that he can give her what she wants even if she doesn't have her heart in it. It's often a rebound relationship that doesn't mean nearly as much as it should. I should know... after my divorce I had one... short lived but still..."
She smiled at him, "You know... most people ask me why I didn't tell Max when it happened. I was married to Jesse for nearly two years when we decided to get divorced because he couldn't handle what I am, what we are... I've been divorced for nearly a year now. I couldn't tell Max because just when I was getting divorced, he was getting married."
She paused a moment before she squeezed his shoulder, "The thing you need to ask yourself is if you love this girl, is she worth fighting for? Or are you really ready to let her go?" Then she gave a wry smile, "And just what do we want to do about these images we saw?"
Michael swallowed painfully. He wasn’t sure how to take her last question. He didn’t really know her, and… he wasn’t sure if she was trying to be nice or suggesting something. Deciding that she seemed a nice person, he guessed the former. “I…” he stuttered as he tried to get his head round the whole, Maria/Billy and Isabel being divorced and giving him flashes thing.
“Well I… I just don’t think I’m the marrying type you know… everyone end’s up getting divorced anyway in the long run. I mean, I’ve only just met you and Max and you’ve both getting or had a divorce… plus I don’t know if I can give a lifetime guarantee you know?” He scratched his eyebrow once more before saying, “And regarding the image thing I… I’ve never experienced any sort of image before let alone…” he trailed off and said, “But they… they don’t mean anything… right?”
Isabel shrugged, "I honestly don't know if they mean anything or not, Michael. They feel real..." She looked straight in his eyes, not planning to force the issue with the girl he was having troubles with. Somehow she was certain things were going to go however it was destined to be. "I think we might... we might want to experiment some, see if we can learn more. Maybe they are some form of link to our past, to who we really are."
Michael swallowed, staring at her for a moment. “Ex… experiment?” Even the word sounded so… alien to him. “Link to our…past?” He looked away feeling slightly strange under his gaze. He took a few deep breaths as his eyes darted around the apartment until he saw a photo... Of Maria. He looked at it for a moment before saying, “What do you mean by experiment?” He forced himself to look back towards her. Whatever was going on with the flashes… he knew that he had to find out the truth.
Isabel shrugged again, she really didn't know what she meant, but it seemed to her that something was going on. The images had been far too real, far too strong not to be something that worked well. "I don't know really." She said as she removed her hand from his shoulder and reached for his own hand, wondering if she would see another image of some sort with just the contact. When her hand touched his, it did seem to happen again, her mind saw images of them kissing under what seemed to be a purple haze, of their hands wandering aimlessly over each other and it was as though she could feel his hands on her skin.
She drew her hand away and gasped at the intense longing that the images evoked and she lifted a shaky hand to run through her hair, "I..." She forced her gaze away from him.
Michael quickly moved his hand away and itched his eyebrow. He knew something was very strange and very alien was going on. The way the images seemed so… so real. Almost as real as Maria had felt to him…. He coughed before saying, “Well… clearly it’s a more than one time thing huh…” He swallowed before adding, “So uh… I don’t really know what to do here… it wasn’t that long ago that I thought I was the only one you know and now I’m receiving…flashes?” He itched his eyebrow again nervously. “What happens now?”
Isabel was silent for a long moment as she tried to collect herself. She was the Ice Queen, she was good at being distant, so that's what she had to make herself do but it was easier said then done and she had to draw several long breath's before she looked at him, "I know it's all coming as a shock," she began and looking at him, she swallowed a bit uncertain, "It seems to happen when we touch and it seems that we... that we were... lovers somehow."
She steeled herself as she made the only suggestion she could think of, "The only way I see an experiment working is if we... let ourselves touch and see if we get other types of flashes, maybe one of them will open up other memories that have been locked away."
Michael stared at the floor for a moment, deep in thought. Was Isabel right? Were they lovers somehow? Was this all some sort of trick or test? He even had the flittering thought hit his mind that he could be on punked… till he remembered that this was alien business and if anyone had been filming this he’d probably be dead already. He took some slow breaths as he thought. When he came to his conclusion he slowly looked up at her and said,
“I think your right.”
Liz stared at the paper in her hands. She knew she had to do it. For both of their sakes… She slowly put the papers down on her desk in her room. Picking up her pen, she twirled her pen around her fingers. “Stop being a coward…” she muttered to herself. She gently put the pen to the paper. She closed her eyes before signing her name. When she had done it, she opened her eyes again. Swallowing she forced herself to continue. She signed in the other places on the form and looked at the place that Max needed to sign. Would he do it? Would he let her go?
She somehow doubted it. She put the divorce papers in the envelope before putting on the front the address that she used to live at. She plonked the papers back on the desk before feeling the tears hit her eyes. Knowing she was about to start sobbing she quickly stood up and headed out of her room. She wiped her tears away as she walked down the hall, forcing herself to not make too much noise. Quickly she went into the bathroom. She needed to feel right now. If she made a physical wound the pain she was feeling would be associated with that. She could feel relief from a different sort of pain… she could just…feel.
Quickly she opened the bathroom cabinet and found her make up bag. She put it down in the sink and tore the bag open. Her hands trembled as she opened the hidden pocket within and her fingers made contact with the pocket knife. Her stomach growled noisily, interrupting the silence. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday. But she didn’t feel the need to eat. She just…wasn’t hungry. She made her hand leave the knife for a moment whilst she rolled up her sleeves to uncover her lower arm.
There was already a criss-cross of red cuts. Some were slowly beginning to heal, but the most had clearly been done more recently. She knew from experience something within her was about to tell her to stop. Quickly she moved the bag on to the side of the sink and turned on the tap to cover any noise she was about to make. Shaking she grabbed the knife like her life depended on it, pulled it out of her bag and brought the cold blade to her skin. She closed her eyes and hissed in pain as she made a large cut down her arm. Tears stung her eyes so she forced her eyes open. As the relief hit her, she sighed. Why couldn’t she just end it? She longed to just go to sleep and not wake up. Then maybe she could get the haunting images out of her mind. The nightmares had been getting worse recently. She found herself waking up and crying out. She didn’t know if anyone had heard but neither Maria nor this Billy guy had come in and stopped her. She felt herself tremble with anger as she remembered that when she had the nightmares at her previous occupancy, she would wake up to find one of three situations.
Situation A was that she woke up Max and he would hold her, telling her it was okay and that he was here. But they would never discuss the nightmare. Then there was situation B, that Max would just sleep through it. But the most frequent was situation C, aka she would wake up and find he had either gone to work early or he hadn’t even come home yet.
She forced herself to concentrate on the pain in her arm. As long as he signed the papers, Max should be able to get on with his life soon, and Liz would… well she didn’t know what she’d do. Liz was just surviving.
She knew she should clean up before someone came her way so quickly she took out some bandages and made a small, discrete bandage on it before rolling down her sleeve once more. She gave the knife a quick wash under the tap, not bothering to be too careful, before putting storing the knife and bag away.