Spacegirl23 – Not an Isabel fan? She is really scared and not used to having humans knowing her secret. She is a bit too focused on herself and Alex will tell her a few home truths.
Lilah – Michael and Maggie are siblings. Fights happen. But the worst is behind them, for those two.
Roswck – well, you might be right!
Shiesty23 – thank you, glad that you still like the story.
Stinebiene – Did you expect Michael to NOT tease Maggie about her apology?
Flamehair – what gave you the hint about the mysterious phone guy?
Tequathisy – Isabel doesn’t need her bitch pills, she is naturally this way.
Skynet – you love Isabel? Then you won’t be disappointed. She’ll be in more parts in the future.
MercedesBenz -
There will be a conflict (come to think of it, one big conflict and one little one, which will throw you off if you think that Michael has the perfect family). But we chose the main conflict because we hadn’t seen it in another fic. So there won’t be a love triangle or evil aliens causing chaos for Michael and Maria.I am interested to know what the central conflict of this story will revolve around. Thus far, it has been a semi-peaceful ride, though I imagine it won't stay that way.
That’s an abomination. Why would someone give such a name to a kid? No, it’s not Aelfreda, for Maria, thank god.And can I take a stab at Maria's middle name? Aelfreda? I met someone with that name today, and I just about fell over when she told me it means elf strength. I'm guessing that isn't Maria's middle name, but you must admit, it is a rather horrible one.
Part 21
Maria checked her reflection in the Jetta’s rearview mirror once more before deciding that she was presentable and took a deep breath before reaching for the door handle. She had gone straight home after school to get ready, changing clothes half a dozen times before deciding on her current outfit. She had spent most of the day debating what she was going to wear because she didn’t want Michael’s mother to get the wrong idea about her and she had finally decided on a pair of black jeans and a dressy white top, hoping that at the very least, being comfortable would allow her to relax.
That theory was completely blown all to pieces when a finger tapped on the window and she turned her head to find Michael’s mother motioning for her to get out of the car.
“You’re early,” Catherine commented when Maria got out of the car and shut the door.
Maria cleared her throat. “Well, I have a tendency to be late for everything and I really didn’t wanna be late for this.”
“I appreciate that.” The older woman smiled. “Especially since I remember how nerve-wracking it was meeting my husband’s mother the first time. C’mon inside and let’s talk.”
Maria followed her into the house and then the kitchen, sitting down at the table when Catherine told her to make herself comfortable.
“My son is quite taken with you,” she said, placing two glasses of ice water on the table.
“Really? He told you that?” Maria winced when the question came out so eagerly.
Catherine chuckled as she shook her head. “I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that Michael is very non-verbal.”
“I suppose that thought might’ve occurred to me once or twice,” she admitted. “He can be very… intense.”
“Yes, that’s a good descriptive for him. There are times when his inability to effectively communicate what he’s feeling can be difficult to deal with.”
Maria didn’t quite agree with Catherine’s assessment. Perhaps it was because as Michael’s girlfriend she had a completely different perception of his feelings. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but you’re wrong. I mean, no, he’s not really forthcoming with his feelings, but it’s not that hard to pick up on what he’s not verbalizing. He’s very expressive, whether it’s with his eyes or his body; you just have to know what to look for.”
Catherine hid a smile when the girl didn’t think twice before stepping up to defend Michael. “Go on, please.”
“Communicating with Michael is kinda like learning a completely different language; he’s guarded about things and sometimes he’s defensive about things, but when you get past all that…” She trailed off and nodded to herself. “He’s worth the time and effort.”
“I realize that you’re aware of Michael’s… differences… but it’s very important for you to understand that this can never get out. The consequences are too numerous to count and there’s no telling what would happen to him if the government ever found out about him.” Catherine was unaware that her voice had steadily risen throughout her speech, but she took her son’s safety and wellbeing very seriously; she had to make this young girl understand what was at stake. This secret was one she would have to keep for the rest of her life, even if their relationship didn’t work in the end.
Maria wasn’t disturbed by Catherine’s warning; she had been raised in Roswell, after all. She had grown up with The X-files and tons of other alien movies, so she knew what could potentially happen to Michael if she talked to the wrong people. “You don’t have to worry about that; I would never do anything to put him at risk. I know you don’t know me well enough to really know that yet, but I swear to you that he will never be put at risk by me.”
Catherine nodded and cleared her throat. “There are a lot of things that I never knew I was going to have to do, and conversations that I never really considered having to participate in when we brought Michael into our family. There was a completely new set of rules that applied.”
“I can imagine.”
“This is one of those conversations that I never would’ve imagined having with my son’s girlfriend,” she said, smiling kindly. “While Michael does appear completely human, there are some differences that are… well…”
Oh, my God, Maria thought, she’s talking about sex. How embarrassing! Talking about sex with Michael’s mother! She’d bet her mother would have a laughing fit if she only knew! She cleared her throat and tried to soothe the older woman’s fears. “Oh, wow, um, y’know, if you’re gonna talk about sex, it’s really not necessary; I mean I already know all about it.”
Catherine nearly choked on the drink of water she had just taken and quickly reached for a napkin to wipe her mouth. She carefully set the glass on the table before she lost complete control of her motor skills and just dropped it on the floor. Good Lord, what could the girl mean by that statement? Was she one of those girls who had multiple partners and slept around at the drop of a hat? This could be one of her worst nightmares come to life! But, no, she had to seek clarification; she had to be sure before passing judgment on her son’s girlfriend. “Do you?” she asked, her voice cracking just a little.
“Yes, I actually know quite a bit about sex…” Her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized what she had just unwittingly blurted out to her boyfriend’s mother. This would be a great time for the ground to just open up and swallow her whole.
The older woman’s expression was horrified for several long moments where time seemed to stand still. “Really?” she finally choked out. “Quite a bit?” Multiple thoughts swirled around in Catherine’s head as she tried to reconcile herself with the fact that her son – who had no experience with girls in general – was dating a girl who seemed to be very experienced on the subject. She felt her heart beating faster; this wasn’t what she had expected. She had never dreamed that her son would be dating such a… knowledgeable girl. This wasn’t part of the plan! She tried to control her growing hysteria as she focused on the girl once more.
“Well, yeah, but what I know can only benefit my relationship with Michael.” She slapped her hand over her mouth to stop the flow of words as she shot to her feet and started to pace. God, could she make things any worse if she actually tried? Maria glanced at Catherine and winced when saw that the woman was immobile, as if she were in shock.
“Okay,” she muttered to herself. “You can do this, Maria, you can do this.” Maria cleared her throat and mentally scrambled for an appropriate response as she tried to compose herself. She dug through her purse and pulled out the small vial of cedar oil, hurriedly uncapping it and inhaling its calming scent.
Feeling suitably calmed she recapped the vial and was placing it back in her purse when she glanced across the table and noticed the other woman’s expression. Great, now she probably thinks her son’s involved with a promiscuous drug addict, she thought.
Catherine watched her, trying to make sense of the contradictions the girl presented. For a girl who, according to her own statements, knew all about sex and the facts of life, she seemed strangely nervous.
“Um, it’s cedar oil… aromatherapy,” she explained, wondering if this meeting could possibly be going any worse. “It’s not a drug or anything, I swear.”
Catherine raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And inhaling this scent calms you?”
“Yes.”
“Um-hmm, and it’s all natural?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Well, then, perhaps I could borrow it?”
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Maria fumbled for the glass vial and placed it in the woman’s outstretched hand.
Catherine studied the oil in the dark red vial as she removed the cap and placed it on the table. Lifting it to her nose, she inhaled the rich, woodsy scent, then leaned back in her chair to wait for it to begin settling her nerves.
“Hmm, that’s amazing,” she said several minutes later. “I actually do feel a bit calmer.” She carefully placed the vial on the table and her gaze dropped to her lap as she smoothed her hands over her slacks. She expertly turned the discussion back to the main topic and when she spoke again her voice was very authoritative and mother-like. “Now, let’s go back to your statement that your extensive knowledge of sex can help your relationship with my son.”
Panicked, and in a hurry to set Catherine straight Maria exclaimed, “No, no, no, that’s not what I meant to say.” She shook her head. “Well, it is what I meant to say, but the way it came across was all wrong. See, my mom is one of those women who feel that it’s very important to be aware of things and to be prepared for any situation that might come up, and her friends – who are the same way – have always been very helpful by giving advice and explaining everything under the sun… including sex. My mom isn’t – ” Maria stopped, her hands flying in the air as she tried to find the perfect words to describe her mother’s personality. “She’s not your normal, typical mom; she’s a hippie and she does things a little differently than most people.”
Catherine released a relieved sigh before asking, “So, when you said you know about sex…”
Maria’s words literally flew out of her mouth in order to explain her liberal upbringing. “I meant that I’ve spent quite a bit of time with my mother and her friends, and as the liberated women that they are, they’ve been very forthcoming with any information that they felt would help me be more informed when it came time to making certain… decisions.”
“Decisions that you maybe haven’t made yet?” Catherine asked hopefully.
Maria looked around, desperately wishing for someone to come in and interrupt the painful discussion. Seeing that it wasn’t going to happen, she nodded. “Decisions that I haven’t had a reason to make yet,” she agreed. “I’ve tried to learn from my mom’s decisions, both good and bad, as well as her advice, and so far I think I’ve done pretty well.”
“But you think with Michael you might have a reason to be faced with that particular decision?”
Maria shifted uncomfortably and took a deep breath.
“I assure you I’m not asking to embarrass you, Maria.” Catherine reached across the table to pat the young woman’s hand. “The truth is that up until now Michael hasn’t shown much interest in any kind of relationship with a girl, and he’s never told anyone about himself. The fact that he’s so easily accepted that you know the truth has been of some concern to both his father and myself.”
“Because you’re afraid I’ll hurt him?”
“When I first found out that you knew, yes, that was my first concern. But, there are other reasons for our concerns, and the biggest worry is the possibility that the two of you will develop a physical relationship.”
Maria winced. She really wished that she was anywhere but here, having this talk. The conversation was turning out to be more than embarrassing; it was completely surreal. Maybe she could laugh about it… say, maybe in ten years or so. “I’m gonna be perfectly honest with you; I’ve never felt this way about any other guy and I don’t know where it’s gonna lead, so I’m not gonna sit here and promise you that our relationship will never reach that level when I don’t even know that myself. I can promise you that if and when we do, we’ll take every precaution available to us.”
Catherine knew perfectly well that teenagers couldn’t promise that. She would have to get used to the fact that her son was going to have sex sooner rather than later, and that she had no idea what could or would come afterwards, both on an emotional and a medical level. “I appreciate your honesty.”
She spun the vial of cedar oil between her fingers and wondered what the effect would be if she just drank the liquid. “I’m not naïve by any standards, so I’m certain that my son has probably had thoughts leading in that direction, but I cannot stress the risks enough. We don’t have any frame of reference for Michael’s biological or genetic makeup, so we don’t have any way of knowing what could happen in the case of sexual involvement.”
“We haven’t had the opportunity to discuss that aspect of our relationship, but I’ve had time to realize the possibility that our differences could make us…” Maria hesitated before finishing the thought, “incompatible in that area of our relationship. But, Michael is very similar to humans, as you know. Physically, and in other areas as well, so maybe it won’t be a problem.” Maria understood Catherine’s worries; they were valid, but it was quite possibly true that apart from his powers, nothing else set Michael apart from humans. Chances were that sex wouldn’t be that different.
Catherine hurried to stress her concerns when she realized that Maria was trying to diminish them. “My concern is for both of you, Maria. There’s no way of knowing if you could have an adverse reaction and if you did…”
“I couldn’t exactly go to a hospital, I know.”
Catherine swallowed hard and cleared her throat at the definitive answer. “You think he’s worth the risk even though he’s not from… here.”
“I think Michael’s worth any risk, and there isn’t a risk I wouldn’t take for him.” She waved one hand dismissively before reaching for her glass and taking a drink. “Maybe he’s not from around here but he needs to be loved just as much as anybody else, maybe even more.”
“Why do you say that?” Catherine asked, confused by the choice of words.
Maria shrugged. “Because I know how it feels to grow up without a father and to always wonder why he left me, why he didn’t take me with him, why he never bothered even attempting to contact me while I was growing up.” She shook her head, thankful that she had been able to turn the conversation in another direction. “I can’t imagine how it would feel to grow up knowing both of my parents had abandoned me.”
Catherine jumped just like she did any time the subject of Michael’s real parents came into a discussion. “He’s talked to you about his biological parents?”
“Briefly,” Maria answered, not wanting to elaborate and reveal Michael’s thoughts on that subject.
Catherine nodded. “I know he searches for them and it worries me every time that he discovers another lead and he takes off to look for them.”
“Because you’re scared of what’ll happen if he finds them?”
“Yes.” She smiled slightly. “But, at the same time I’m scared that he won’t.”
Right. Hmm… Maria wondered if Catherine was being honest with her feelings. Adoptive parents would surely feel threatened by their child’s biological parents, and in Michael’s case, the answers to his apparent abandonment on Earth probably weren’t the usual ones. His family could very well believe him dead, or they might be desperately looking for him… and they could take him away if they found him. Glancing at Catherine’s tortured face, she could see that the older woman was lost in her fear of losing Michael to his real family.
“Michael’s family – you, your husband, Maggie, River Dog, and Eddie – you guys are everything to him, Catherine. Everything. Looking for his biological parents in no way means that your family means any less to him.”
Catherine tried to control her trembling smile, touched that the young woman was trying to comfort her. “I know; he just needs to know where he came from.” She took a drink of water and set the glass back down carefully. “There’s a part of me that worries that if he finds the answers he’s searching for we’ll lose him, whether it’s because he goes with them or because he pulls away from us.”
“Even if Michael found his other family and he decided to go with them, it would never make your family mean any less to him. But why would you be scared that he wouldn’t find them?”
“I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not, but Michael’s been searching for answers for a couple of years now.”
“But he hasn’t found anything concrete,” Maria guessed.
“Not even close. He monitors websites, reads everything about sightings and aliens that he can get his hands on, and he chases down as many leads as he can, but he’s never found any real evidence. And when he comes home, he won’t talk about it except to say that there was nothing to find. But, I know my son, and I know what disappointment looks like on his face.” She sighed. “He won’t really talk to anyone about it; most of the information I get is from Eddie who goes with him when he’s chasing his leads.”
“It must be very difficult when that happens,” Maria sympathized. “Knowing that he’s hurting but he won’t talk to you.”
Catherine nodded. Being a mother wasn’t an easy role, but it was one she wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. “Knowing that he’s hurt and there is nothing I can say or do to make him feel better is one of the worst feelings that exist. He’s gotten much better at communicating and talking about things since we first brought him home, but not this subject.”
“Maybe because it’s so close, and maybe because he’s scared that it’ll hurt you.” Maria nodded at the other woman’s questioning expression. “Michael feels things so deeply and I know he would do everything in his power to avoid hurting you.”
Catherine could practically feel the storm clouds gathering and she knew that change was in the air. She wondered what the future held for her family even as she acknowledged the intuition that Maria was going to be responsible for it, whether directly or indirectly. She stood and handed the vial back to her before straightening back up. “Why don’t you help me with dinner and I’ll tell you all about Michael's childhood.”