The Fate of Destiny Part 12
July 2003
"Mom, I’m fine. Just tired." Maria brushed off her mother as she bagged several items for the customer in her mother’s store. "Emily’s sick. I don’t see you trying to take care of her."
"I’m just worried about you Maria. I haven’t seen you since before you started showing and then suddenly you’re in labor a whole month early looking like death." Amy gave the customer her change and then turned to her daughter. Maria was behind the counter ‘helping’ but really just looking busy. "It scared me to death. Then I knew you were just sick when Michael was being so good with you."
"Mom..." Maria stood up but suddenly felt dizzy. She sat down next to Emily’s carrier. "I’m fine."
"You are not fine. I agreed to let you work here because you need the money. Michael and I agreed that you should not move around too much until you’re better. You need to take it easy."
"It’s been a month and I feel fine."
"You don’t look fine. You look like..." Amy drifted off and went to patrol the store, making sure everything was in its place.
"I look like what?" Maria called but couldn’t go after her when another customer walked to the counter.
"I’m so sorry." The woman said, her face screwed up in pity.
"For what?" Maria shook her head at the woman, while ringing up her purchases.
"How much longer do you have?"
"Excuse me?" Maria’s eyes widened.
"Your aura is dark. My guess isn’t much more time. Is that your baby?"
"Yeah, it is. What are you talking about? My aura?" Maria’s heart started fluttering in her chest.
"I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to upset you. Your daughter is beautiful, treasure the time you have left with her." The woman took her bag and walked out.
"Mom... what do I look like?" Maria demanded, marching slowly over to her mother.
"Maria, honey." Amy blinked rapidly. "You look like a cancer patient. You’ve lost too much weight; you’re pale as death. You need to see a doctor."
Maria turned to look in the mirror; something that she really couldn’t remember doing in the past few months. Her mother was right.
--
Isabel laughed at Liz. Liz was trying to sit Daniel on a blanket so she could take a picture. Every single time she was sure he’d stay upright and took her hand away to grab the camera, he’d topple over. "I know you can sit up. Come on... you did it last week."
"Why don’t you just prop him up?" Isabel shook her head and returned her attention to her own son.
"Or how about I hold him up?" Max joined his son on the floor.
"You know... I don’t have a picture of the two of you." Liz leaned back so she could get Max in the picture. She only got one good picture. The next few looked like Danny was attacking Max’s head and she got one of Max blowing raspberries in Danny’s tummy. Liz laughed and rewound the film. "Max... you’ve got drool in your hair."
"Oh yuck. Dude, you have got to get the drool under control. Girls get grossed out when you get drool in their hair. They don’t care how cute you are." Max reached for the wipes to clean his head. "Nice, you got some cereal in there too. 10 points on the gross-meter."
"Okay, first you tell him drooling is bad then you give him props for making it extra gross." Isabel shook her head at her brother.
"How are you feeling today Miss Isabel?" Max began dangling toys over Danny’s head, listening to him squeal with laughter.
"Oh I’m great but Alex here has got a mouth like a barracuda." She grimaced.
"I think it’s hereditary." Liz looked at Max pointedly.
"Ew." Isabel gagged. "Please don’t share. Come on Alex, it’s nap time."
Liz laughed at her as she left them alone in the living room. She joined Max on the floor. "What are you doing home so early?"
"I got fired."
"What?" She turned to him. "I thought you had classes right now."
"Oh, right." Max gave a strained laugh. "See, well... technically I do have classes. I just haven’t been going..."
"You’re just throwing money away?" Liz’s jaw dropped open.
"No, no. I’m turning homework via classmates and I take tests but I got a second job... which I got fired from today."
"Where?" Liz stared at him hard.
"The cheese factory. Mostly office work though. I’ve still got my job at the stock yard."
"Glad to hear." Liz looked down at her hands. "So were you planning on waiting until you worked yourself to death to tell me about this second job?"
"I just wanted to save a little money. I got paid on the side so I’m not reporting it... it’ll just screw up my financial aid." Max scooted over to her. "You mad?"
"No. I just wish you would tell me these things. You work so hard as it is... I’m staying home next semester." She kept her eyes fixed on her nails.
"I thought you were going to start classes." Max lifted her face to look in her eyes. "Why are you staying home?"
"So Isabel can go to school. We can’t afford a sitter and she’s too emotional to deal with both our babies. I can do it. It’ll be okay."
"I’m sorry." He took her hands in his. "Things should have been different."
"But I wouldn’t take them back or regret them. You just keep going. I know you’re taking a lot of classes and it’s expensive but the faster you get through... the sooner you’ll be a doctor and maybe then I can start taking classes."
"Scanning helps me quite a bit. The advisors are amazed that I haven’t cracked yet. I’m taking 15 hours this semester, I took 21 last semester and 18 the semester before that. I’m already through the basics." Max brought her hands to his lips. "I’ll be done as fast as they let me get done."
"I know... There is something we haven’t talked about..."
"Tess." He sighed. "I know. I don’t know what we’re going to do about her... or the baby."
--
Kyle dragged himself to his room and shut the door, praying he could fall asleep and not be disturbed. Tess entered his mind. She was getting so much more annoying. Two more weeks and she’d go back to normal annoying. But then she’d have the baby, screaming and yelling at all hours of the day and night.
He groaned and pushed himself out of bed. He found his dad and Tess at the table, eating dinner.
"Finally decide to join us?" Jim handed him a plate.
"Figured I might as well eat something." Kyle served himself and sat. "So, you ready to pop yet?"
"I don’t know." Tess whispered. "It’s not like I’ve been pregnant before. I never know what’s going on with my body."
"Read a book. Useful for that sort of thing." Kyle smirked at her.
"I’m not human."
"Yes. You are." Kyle nodded his head. "Max and I have had several conversations about this. You are human... you’re just an advanced human."
"If it makes him feel better, he can believe that. It’s not true... of course." She poured some sugar over her mashed potatoes.
"I talked to Amy today." Jim motioned for Kyle to pass the meatloaf.
"Yeah?" Kyle looked up.
"Michael’s taking Maria to the doctor. I want you to go with them, make sure the doctor is on the same page as them. Got it?"
"Yeah. Is it bad?"
"They don’t know yet. Amy said that Maria insists that she’s fine but she nearly passed out today." Jim clasped his hands together.
"Michael said that he thinks it has to do with her pregnancy." Tess whispered softly. "Liz was fine though. Isabel was fine. I don’t know why Maria would be different."
"I guess we’ll find out." Kyle nodded.
--
Maria sat on the table, clutching Michael’s hand in both hers. The doctor had taken some blood and run off to perform some tests. Kyle stood by the door with his arms crossed and wearing shades to hide his eyes.
"Michael... what if they find something of you in the tests?"
"That’s why Liz took your cells the other day. She said they looked normal. You don’t have to worry about me." He tried to reassure her.
Just then Kyle’s beeper went off, startling him awake. He pulled off his shades to look at the number. "It’s Tess."
"Go, Kyle. We’ll be fine." Michael nodded.
Kyle took off through the hospital, trying to find his way out to get to his cruiser. He hopped in and drove home.
[Kyle walked in on Tess puking in the bathroom. He backed out and watched her. She looked bad, pale, thin, tired. She got up and turned to the mirror. She waved a hand over her face and it became the clean, clear face he was used to seeing.
"Kyle!" She exclaimed when she saw him.
"Hey, you ok?"
"I’m fine. I’m going to be a mommy. I’m happy." She tried to bounce but he could see the strained effort in her eyes.]
Kyle pulled up to his house at the same time that Max did. "Evans, what are you doing here?"
"Tess just paged me. I thought you would know." Max shook his head emphatically.
"Max... I think she’s sick... really sick." Kyle warned him before they entered the house.
The Fate of Destiny Part 13
Max and Kyle found Tess on the floor of the kitchen, passed out with the phone in her hand. Kyle reached her first. "Tess! Tess! Wake up!"
"Tess, wake up." Max knelt beside her. "Open your eyes."
She stirred slightly, lifting her head. "Max?"
"Yeah, what happened?" He looked her over for any injuries but didn’t find any. He looked over her stomach. "When did you drop?"
"What?"
"The baby, when did it drop?" Max looked to Kyle. "Didn’t she read any of those books I gave her?"
"She keeps saying she’s not human and they wouldn’t help." Kyle helped Max get her into a chair.
"Tess, you have a human body." Max made her look at him. "I gave you those books for a reason. So you would know what’s happening to you. Kyle says you’ve been sick. How long?"
"I don’t know... a long time." She shook her head. "I... I called because I was hurting... a lot. I got dizzy and I guess I fell."
"She’s still getting sick. She doesn’t do anything all day." Kyle filled in for Max. "One morning I saw her looking really pale."
"Like Maria?" Max blanched.
"Well-- yeah." Kyle conceded.
"Let’s get her to bed."
"Max..." Tess whispered. "What just happened?"
The two guys looked at her, eyes widened. "Your water just broke."
--
"Mrs. DeLuca..." The doctor walked in with her chart.
"It’s Ms. DeLuca." Maria corrected. "Call me Maria."
"Maria, your tests came back... This is going to be difficult. I’m going to ask you some questions first."
"What kind of questions?" Michael spoke up.
"Could you wait outside please?" The doctor turned to him.
"No. I need him here." Maria insisted. "Tell me."
"I need to ask about your sexual history."
"Why? I’ve only ever slept with Michael. Why do you need to know that?"
"Maria, your immune system is so weak, it’s almost non-existent. I asked because I need to know the chances of you having a disease."
"None." Michael answered. "We’ve never been with anyone else."
"You are undernourished. How have you been eating?"
"I eat when I’m hungry." Maria shrugged.
"She hasn’t really eaten much since the baby was born." Michael shoved ahead. "She keeps saying she’s fine but she’s not."
"The reason I’m asking all these questions is to make sure there aren’t other influences at work here." The doctor paused. "It seems that you have a rare genetic disorder. It’s brought on by strain to your body’s metabolism. In your case I believe it was your pregnancy. The baby?"
"She’s fine. Healthy. She’s got a cold but it’s nothing major." Maria answered softly. "What does this mean for me?"
"That if we can’t get you healthy and get your immune system back up... you could get really sick. A cold could be fatal."
"How do we get my immune system back up?"
"We’re exploring blood transfusions. Only success that we’ve seen is in good first-degree matches. It means a parent or child would need to give blood. I assume your mother’s blood type matches yours."
"No, actually." Maria frowned. "I have my dad’s... but I don’t know who that is."
--
Liz sat at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around the phone. Diane sat across from her trying to feed the unruly Danny. Max had called; Tess was having the baby. Mrs. Evans looked over at her daughter-in-law. "It’ll be okay."
"I just have a bad feeling. Something is not right about something but I don’t know what it is." They sat in silence, with only Danny’s gurgling to fill the room. Liz fiddled with the phone. Suddenly it sprang to life in her hands. She took a deep breath and answered it. "Hello, Evans’ residence."
"Liz." It was Maria. She was on the verge of tears. "Michael’s taking me over there. I need to talk to you."
Before Liz could answer, Maria hung up.
"Who was that?"
"Maria. She sounded upset." Liz whispered. Busy, she needed to be busy. She took her son from Diane and got a bath ready for him. All sorts of thoughts kept running through her head.
["Ah. If it isn’t the lovely Miss Parker." Alex smiled brightly as he strode into the Crashdown. "How’s the morning sickness?"
"Gone." She smiled up at him as he joined her in the booth. "I haven’t seen much of you since you got back."
"Isabel." He grinned.
"Picking up where you left off?"
"Sorta." He ducked his head. "So... How does it feel to be a headline?"
"Shut up." She glared at him.
"They would make great ones. ‘I was impregnated by a Space Alien.’ ‘Help my Alien boyfriend didn’t use a condom.’" He just barely missed getting hit.
"For your information... we did use a condom... it broke." She stared at her hands.
"TMFI, Liz." He groaned.
"You brought it up." She smirked at him.
"And I’m sorry I did."
"Let’s do something before you go back." Liz perked up.
"I’m booked solid for a few days. Tell you what. Come by the 22nd and we’ll do something. You and me." He winked at her.]
Before she knew it, she had Danny bathed and dressed and down for a nap. Liz couldn’t sit still. She grabbed the Pledge and an old sock of Max’s and started dusting.
"I think the table’s clean Liz." Maria spoke up from behind her. She and Michael sat down. Liz found a chair and waited. "I’m real bad off, Liz. If I can’t find my father..."
Michael wrapped his arms around her as she burst into tears. Liz rushed over to them. "What is it?"
"She could die if she gets sick." Michael answered. "She’s already got a cold from the baby. If it doesn’t go away soon... it won’t ever go away."
That’s when Liz noticed that he was crying too. She started to say something when Max walked into the room carrying a small bundle. He looked pale and withdrawn.
"Max?" She stood up.
He sank into a chair and barely looked up. "It’s a girl. Her name is... I guess I didn’t name her yet."
"Max... what happened?"
"She was sick. She refused to believe that she was human and could die." He started. "She didn’t take care of herself. She passed out after the baby was born and she didn’t wake up. Kyle and I tried everything just to get her to open her eyes. It was too late."
"Wait, Max... Tess is... she’s..." Liz couldn’t say it. Maria and Michael stared between them.
"She died." Max whispered. "Right in front of me... she just died... like she gave up."
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 181E CC/UC ADULT 09/02/10 COMPLETE
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, Erina, Forum Moderators
Part 14 and Part 15
The Fate of Destiny Part 14
September 2003
When Max got home from his new job bussing tables at a new restaurant, he found Liz sitting in the living room bawling her eyes out. She had one baby in her arms and three more screaming around her. Liz hiccupped as Max took their son from her.
Max calmed Danny down and put him in the playpen before picking up Jr. and repeating the process. Finally he had all four babies quiet and content for the time being.
"Liz, what’s wrong?" She was still crying uncontrollably. "What happened?" He pulled her into his arms and waited until her sobs had subsided.
"You left this morning at four (hiccup) and your parents were gone by six for Clovis. (Sniff) Michael brought Emmy over because Maria had a seizure. He was taking her to the hospital. Isabel didn’t want to leave me with all four of the kids but I told her I could handle it. (Hiccup)" Liz took a deep breath and continued. "So by eight I had all four of them awake and they were fine. I was trying not to think about Maria because I didn’t want to completely flip out."
"It’s okay. It’s okay." Max stroked her hair.
"After I got them all fed... I thought I was doing fine. Then Michael called. Maria had another seizure around two. They’re trying to keep her stabilized in the I.C.U." She swallowed down a fresh wave of tears and sobs. "Then Kathy started crying and she just wouldn’t stop. Then it was a chain reaction. Emmy started up, then Alex and then Danny. I couldn’t stop them from crying." Tears formed against her will and her breathing picked up at the thought of how helpless she had felt. "They just wouldn’t stop crying, Max. Nothing I did helped. Nothing."
"It’s okay. I’m here." Max held her tighter. "You should have never tried to take care of them all by yourself. Danny and Kathy are enough by themselves."
They rocked together for what seemed like a long time. Danny interrupted the quiet. "Da-da-da-da-da!" he squealed.
"Go wash up. I’ll take it from here." Max let go of her. She gave him a little smile before leaving. She paused in the doorway to watch him.
"Hey there chief. I thought I told you to be good for Mommy. You’re the man, you’re supposed to take care of Mommy and Kathy and Jr. and even Emmy." Max hefted Danny into his arms. "Oh you’re getting big. You’re the oldest. I know from experience that the title comes with a lot of responsibility."
She smiled and continued on her way to the bathroom. She could hear him playfully griping out all the babies.
"Kathleen Evans, what do you have to say for yourself? Huh? You made Mommy cry. And what is it with you girls? Kathy cries so Emmy has to cry? I know you’ll go to the bathroom together but you have to cry together? I’ll never understand how you females work."
Liz shook her head at her reflection with a little laugh.
"Jr. I know you’re Isabel’s son but do you gotta prove it? She’s got enough attitude for all of us." There was silence. "Okay little man, walk to me... Come on Danny... com’ere... com’ere. That’s it. Liz! Get out here."
Liz walked back out to the living room in time to see Danny wobble slowly to Max from the couch. They both held their breath until the small boy had crossed the distance and reached up for Max to pick him up.
"Yeah! Little man is walking!" Max swung Danny around, making him squeal. Just then Kathy started fussing.
"Hey Daddy, someone’s feeling neglected." Liz pointed. She watched him pick up his daughter and kiss her little nose. Poor little girl never even got to be held by her mother. She looked like Max, same dark hair and complexion but she had Tess’s blue eyes.
"Hey princess." Max cooed to her. "Liz, did my parents say when they were coming back?"
"Tomorrow morning." She nodded. "Big case today."
"Isabel?"
"Should be home soon. I wish we could go see how Maria’s doing. Michael couldn’t tell me anything before. Said the doctors wouldn’t talk to him."
"Why not?" Max snapped his head around.
"He’s not family and they aren’t married." Liz sniffed. "He was waiting for her mom to get there."
"And we can’t go because we’ve got the kids." Max blew out a breath.
"We could ask my parents..." Liz trailed off. "Never mind."
"They’ll get over it. At least they came when Danny was born."
--
"Just tell me." Michael growled at the doctor.
"I can’t. Not without her permission." The doctor crossed his arms over her chart.
"She’s. In a. Fucking. Coma. She can’t give you permission." Michael crossed his arms and stared through the window at Maria’s body full of tubes and wires. "Her mother is on her way but she was in Flagstaff. It’ll be a while yet. I need to know what’s going on. My daughter needs me but I can’t bring her here because she’s too young."
"I’m sorry. I can’t help you."
"You ever have to go through this?" Michael turned back to him. "Has the mother of your child, the woman you love, ever been so sick that you couldn’t help her?"
"No. No, I haven’t." The doctor conceded.
"Is she going to wake up?" Michael leaned against the glass.
"It’s hard to say. Unless she gets a blood transfusion from her father... I can’t make any promises."
"But we don’t know who her father is." He grumbled.
"Test me." Both Michael and the doctor turned to face Sheriff Jim Valenti. "I said test me. It’s slim possibility but it’s there."
The Fate of Destiny Part 15
Margaret Whitman just stood in the doorway and glared at Isabel. The two stared each other down for 10 minutes before Isabel gave up.
"Are you going to let me in or what?"
"Or what." Maggie started to shut the door.
"You don’t even want to see Alex?" Isabel tried to bribe her way into the house. "You didn’t get to spend much time with him last time."
"Listen. I don’t like you. If it weren’t for you then Alex would still be here." Maggie’s words hit Isabel like a ton of bricks. "He was always stressing about you. You played games with him over and over and didn’t care what it made him go through."
"That’s not true. I loved him. I still love him. I’m never going to be with anyone else because I love him so much." Isabel’s face crumpled.
"And you just had to go and get knocked up. How do we even know it’s Alex’s?"
"I am not a slut. If you must know... Alex and I lost our virginity to each other. There’s no way it could be anyone else’s." Isabel hissed. "I came over for a reason. Let me in."
"No. You’ve caused this family enough pain."
"Your mother wants to see Alex as much as possible. I have to leave him here. Let me in."
"And where might you be going?"
"Maggie... damn it. I’m going to the hospital. Maria’s sick." Isabel saw the older girl soften.
"Maria? What’s wrong with her?"
"She’s been real sick. The doctors are trying to find something to help." Isabel could see how bad Maggie’s reaction to this news was. "I’ll take you with me. I brought Alex over because my brother and his wife need a break. They’ve already got their own kids and Maria’s to watch."
"That’d be good. I’ll tell Mom." Maggie nodded.
--
"Jim?" Amy DeLuca asked in surprise when she was led into the room to see her daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to save my daughter." He didn’t lift his eyes from Maria’s face. "I don’t know why I didn’t see it before."
"Yes, you do." Amy whispered and took a seat on the other side of their daughter. "You were a 20 year old officer of the law, married and expecting a son. Knocking up a 16 year old would not have been good for you."
"Her eyes are green." Jim whispered.
"My mother had green eyes. My father had blue. I got the blue and Maria got the green." Amy nodded and brushed the hair out of her daughter’s face. "What made you come in?"
"Just a hunch. I’ve always wanted a little girl. I pretended that Tess was mine while she was here. She’s dead and then when Kyle told me about Maria... I couldn’t let another one get away."
"I honestly never knew for sure. Her eyes always threw everyone off." Tears filled her eyes. "I can’t lose her now. I just got her trust back. I freaked when they told me she was pregnant... but Michael’s been good to her. He’s been taking care of her and their daughter. I was wrong about him. He’s the best thing that could have happened to her."
Michael had been standing in the doorway; he backed out and just stared into the window. It was hard to believe that with the way Maria missed having a father, he was right there all along.
"Mr. Guerin. There are some people who want to see you at the desk. You know I can’t let them in." The nurse told him.
He nodded and followed her out to the waiting area. Isabel and Maggie were waiting.
"Hey." He ran a hand through his hair and sat next to him.
"How is she?" Maggie rushed to ask him first.
"Still unconscious. She hasn’t had a seizure in a while... but then the second one was like eight and a half hours after the first." He sighed. "But um... they’re prepping the Sheriff’s blood for a transfusion."
"What? Why?" Isabel immediately spoke up.
"He’s her biological father. The only thing we can do now, is wait and pray." Michael closed his eyes to hide the tears.
"Max and Liz are downstairs. They have Emily with them." Isabel took his hand. "Do you want to go down and see her for a little while?"
"I can’t be away from Maria until I know she’s going to be okay."
"It’s going to be okay. It has to be okay." Isabel insisted. "She has to play with Emily, she has to marry you, she has to have more of your kids. She’s going to be okay."
"I wish I could believe that." He hung his head for a moment then looked up and squinted his eyes at the girl beside Isabel. "You’re Alex’s sister, right?"
"Yeah, Maria and I used to pick on him when we were younger. My parents hadn’t even told me she was sick." Maggie sat back. "She was like the little sister I never had."
"Is. She IS." Michael growled. "We can’t talk about her past tense until she is and she will not be."
"Sorry."
"I’m going down to see Emmy. Isabel, let me know the second there is any activity over there." He pointed down the hall. "Got it?"
"Yeah. Got it." Isabel nodded.
--
"Hey Michael." Max stood up when Michael rushed into the waiting area. He just nodded and took his daughter from the stroller.
"Michael? How is she?" Liz whispered.
"I’m getting tired of repeating this." Michael dropped his head to kiss Emmy’s. Then he reached out and touched Liz’s face, locking eyes with her. Suddenly, she gasped and pulled away, tears falling down her face.
"Max, she’s..." She had to swallow back a wave of sobs. "And the Sheriff?" She turned back to Michael.
"Yeah, blood test confirmed it. She has a dad." Michael never took his eyes off Emily. "You look just like your mom, baby. Yeah, you do."
"Isabel and Maggie still up there?" Max asked softly.
"Yeah. They can’t see her but Iz will let me know if anything goes on. We just gotta pray that she takes to the transfusion." Michael turned to Max.
Liz saw the look. "I’m going to get coffee. I’ll bring some back. Max? You got the kids?"
"Yeah." Max nodded and waited until she was out of earshot. "What is it?"
"You can’t?"
"You know it doesn’t work like that." Max sighed. "I wish I could help her. You know that."
"But you saved Liz. And Kyle." Michael hugged his daughter tighter.
"That was different. It wasn’t their time. You saw it with Liz for yourself."
"Ok, yeah, so it wasn’t Liz’s time. It was Kyle’s..." Michael let the sentence trail off. "You know it and I know it."
"You’re right. There was a consequence for that." Max sank into a chair. "This stuff comes back three-fold."
"What do you mean?" Michael sat next to him. Max just propped his feet on the twin stroller and settled his kids, moving it back and forth steadily. "What. Did. You. Mean."
"When you killed Pierce. You lost Maria. You lost Isabel. You lost me. It was like that for a long time. When Isabel killed Whittaker, she lost her sense of well-being, her center, and then she lost memory of what had happened. I think that when I healed Kyle... it was like a catalyst. First Nasedo, then what happened to Tess, then things started to really fall apart."
"I remember. You think all this stuff happens because of things we do?" Michael thought about what had happened with Courtney then shook his head. It did fit. {This is insane... even for us.}
"I couldn’t heal Liz’s grandmother. I did try to sustain her a little longer but it didn’t work because it wasn’t supposed to." Max slowed his rocking a little. "You see what I see... we can’t help her. I really wish I could."
"I did this to her." Michael let the tears roll down his face. "Having my baby did this to her."
"It’s not your fault. It’s a genetic disorder. If it wasn’t this, it would have been something else. It might have been the flu, or just a trying day at work." Max pointed out. "We have to wait it out."
"You know that three-fold thing you were talking about. I think there’s one in process." Michael shifted his baby in his arms.
"What do you mean?"
"Alex, Tess." Michael whispered. "Alex had no reason to kill himself. Tess had no reason to die giving birth."
"You’re right. We may never know what happened to Alex. Tess, though... It was like she gave up. Once I had Kathy in my arms, Tess just passed out. She fell back, closed her eyes and died. Nothing I did could bring her back... because I wasn’t supposed to bring her back." He gently took Kathy out of the stroller. "If you’re right... who’s next? And what did we do to have this happen?"
"Maria... and Topolsky. We were kinda responsible for her... and I don’t see how we got paid back for her." Michael leaned back his head. "So have you shared this little theory with anyone else?"
"No. You may be right though. We were responsible for Topolsky. Maybe the way she died makes the cuts deeper." Max looked up as Liz approached. She was walking slowly. She didn’t want to interrupt just yet. "We’ll talk about this later."
/Maria walked down the hall behind Liz.\ Michael’s eyes widened. "Do you see that?"
"Yeah. I see it." Max rose and motioned for Liz to turn around. She gasped and nearly dropped the coffee when she saw it.
/Maria reached out for Michael.\
"Who’s doing that?" Max whispered.
"Isabel." Michael took off running for the elevator.
"Max?" Liz set the coffee down and looked back at the image of Maria. Suddenly it fluttered away.
"Isabel just learned a new power." Max whispered. "We wait down here until we know what happened up there."
TBC
September 2003
When Max got home from his new job bussing tables at a new restaurant, he found Liz sitting in the living room bawling her eyes out. She had one baby in her arms and three more screaming around her. Liz hiccupped as Max took their son from her.
Max calmed Danny down and put him in the playpen before picking up Jr. and repeating the process. Finally he had all four babies quiet and content for the time being.
"Liz, what’s wrong?" She was still crying uncontrollably. "What happened?" He pulled her into his arms and waited until her sobs had subsided.
"You left this morning at four (hiccup) and your parents were gone by six for Clovis. (Sniff) Michael brought Emmy over because Maria had a seizure. He was taking her to the hospital. Isabel didn’t want to leave me with all four of the kids but I told her I could handle it. (Hiccup)" Liz took a deep breath and continued. "So by eight I had all four of them awake and they were fine. I was trying not to think about Maria because I didn’t want to completely flip out."
"It’s okay. It’s okay." Max stroked her hair.
"After I got them all fed... I thought I was doing fine. Then Michael called. Maria had another seizure around two. They’re trying to keep her stabilized in the I.C.U." She swallowed down a fresh wave of tears and sobs. "Then Kathy started crying and she just wouldn’t stop. Then it was a chain reaction. Emmy started up, then Alex and then Danny. I couldn’t stop them from crying." Tears formed against her will and her breathing picked up at the thought of how helpless she had felt. "They just wouldn’t stop crying, Max. Nothing I did helped. Nothing."
"It’s okay. I’m here." Max held her tighter. "You should have never tried to take care of them all by yourself. Danny and Kathy are enough by themselves."
They rocked together for what seemed like a long time. Danny interrupted the quiet. "Da-da-da-da-da!" he squealed.
"Go wash up. I’ll take it from here." Max let go of her. She gave him a little smile before leaving. She paused in the doorway to watch him.
"Hey there chief. I thought I told you to be good for Mommy. You’re the man, you’re supposed to take care of Mommy and Kathy and Jr. and even Emmy." Max hefted Danny into his arms. "Oh you’re getting big. You’re the oldest. I know from experience that the title comes with a lot of responsibility."
She smiled and continued on her way to the bathroom. She could hear him playfully griping out all the babies.
"Kathleen Evans, what do you have to say for yourself? Huh? You made Mommy cry. And what is it with you girls? Kathy cries so Emmy has to cry? I know you’ll go to the bathroom together but you have to cry together? I’ll never understand how you females work."
Liz shook her head at her reflection with a little laugh.
"Jr. I know you’re Isabel’s son but do you gotta prove it? She’s got enough attitude for all of us." There was silence. "Okay little man, walk to me... Come on Danny... com’ere... com’ere. That’s it. Liz! Get out here."
Liz walked back out to the living room in time to see Danny wobble slowly to Max from the couch. They both held their breath until the small boy had crossed the distance and reached up for Max to pick him up.
"Yeah! Little man is walking!" Max swung Danny around, making him squeal. Just then Kathy started fussing.
"Hey Daddy, someone’s feeling neglected." Liz pointed. She watched him pick up his daughter and kiss her little nose. Poor little girl never even got to be held by her mother. She looked like Max, same dark hair and complexion but she had Tess’s blue eyes.
"Hey princess." Max cooed to her. "Liz, did my parents say when they were coming back?"
"Tomorrow morning." She nodded. "Big case today."
"Isabel?"
"Should be home soon. I wish we could go see how Maria’s doing. Michael couldn’t tell me anything before. Said the doctors wouldn’t talk to him."
"Why not?" Max snapped his head around.
"He’s not family and they aren’t married." Liz sniffed. "He was waiting for her mom to get there."
"And we can’t go because we’ve got the kids." Max blew out a breath.
"We could ask my parents..." Liz trailed off. "Never mind."
"They’ll get over it. At least they came when Danny was born."
--
"Just tell me." Michael growled at the doctor.
"I can’t. Not without her permission." The doctor crossed his arms over her chart.
"She’s. In a. Fucking. Coma. She can’t give you permission." Michael crossed his arms and stared through the window at Maria’s body full of tubes and wires. "Her mother is on her way but she was in Flagstaff. It’ll be a while yet. I need to know what’s going on. My daughter needs me but I can’t bring her here because she’s too young."
"I’m sorry. I can’t help you."
"You ever have to go through this?" Michael turned back to him. "Has the mother of your child, the woman you love, ever been so sick that you couldn’t help her?"
"No. No, I haven’t." The doctor conceded.
"Is she going to wake up?" Michael leaned against the glass.
"It’s hard to say. Unless she gets a blood transfusion from her father... I can’t make any promises."
"But we don’t know who her father is." He grumbled.
"Test me." Both Michael and the doctor turned to face Sheriff Jim Valenti. "I said test me. It’s slim possibility but it’s there."
The Fate of Destiny Part 15
Margaret Whitman just stood in the doorway and glared at Isabel. The two stared each other down for 10 minutes before Isabel gave up.
"Are you going to let me in or what?"
"Or what." Maggie started to shut the door.
"You don’t even want to see Alex?" Isabel tried to bribe her way into the house. "You didn’t get to spend much time with him last time."
"Listen. I don’t like you. If it weren’t for you then Alex would still be here." Maggie’s words hit Isabel like a ton of bricks. "He was always stressing about you. You played games with him over and over and didn’t care what it made him go through."
"That’s not true. I loved him. I still love him. I’m never going to be with anyone else because I love him so much." Isabel’s face crumpled.
"And you just had to go and get knocked up. How do we even know it’s Alex’s?"
"I am not a slut. If you must know... Alex and I lost our virginity to each other. There’s no way it could be anyone else’s." Isabel hissed. "I came over for a reason. Let me in."
"No. You’ve caused this family enough pain."
"Your mother wants to see Alex as much as possible. I have to leave him here. Let me in."
"And where might you be going?"
"Maggie... damn it. I’m going to the hospital. Maria’s sick." Isabel saw the older girl soften.
"Maria? What’s wrong with her?"
"She’s been real sick. The doctors are trying to find something to help." Isabel could see how bad Maggie’s reaction to this news was. "I’ll take you with me. I brought Alex over because my brother and his wife need a break. They’ve already got their own kids and Maria’s to watch."
"That’d be good. I’ll tell Mom." Maggie nodded.
--
"Jim?" Amy DeLuca asked in surprise when she was led into the room to see her daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to save my daughter." He didn’t lift his eyes from Maria’s face. "I don’t know why I didn’t see it before."
"Yes, you do." Amy whispered and took a seat on the other side of their daughter. "You were a 20 year old officer of the law, married and expecting a son. Knocking up a 16 year old would not have been good for you."
"Her eyes are green." Jim whispered.
"My mother had green eyes. My father had blue. I got the blue and Maria got the green." Amy nodded and brushed the hair out of her daughter’s face. "What made you come in?"
"Just a hunch. I’ve always wanted a little girl. I pretended that Tess was mine while she was here. She’s dead and then when Kyle told me about Maria... I couldn’t let another one get away."
"I honestly never knew for sure. Her eyes always threw everyone off." Tears filled her eyes. "I can’t lose her now. I just got her trust back. I freaked when they told me she was pregnant... but Michael’s been good to her. He’s been taking care of her and their daughter. I was wrong about him. He’s the best thing that could have happened to her."
Michael had been standing in the doorway; he backed out and just stared into the window. It was hard to believe that with the way Maria missed having a father, he was right there all along.
"Mr. Guerin. There are some people who want to see you at the desk. You know I can’t let them in." The nurse told him.
He nodded and followed her out to the waiting area. Isabel and Maggie were waiting.
"Hey." He ran a hand through his hair and sat next to him.
"How is she?" Maggie rushed to ask him first.
"Still unconscious. She hasn’t had a seizure in a while... but then the second one was like eight and a half hours after the first." He sighed. "But um... they’re prepping the Sheriff’s blood for a transfusion."
"What? Why?" Isabel immediately spoke up.
"He’s her biological father. The only thing we can do now, is wait and pray." Michael closed his eyes to hide the tears.
"Max and Liz are downstairs. They have Emily with them." Isabel took his hand. "Do you want to go down and see her for a little while?"
"I can’t be away from Maria until I know she’s going to be okay."
"It’s going to be okay. It has to be okay." Isabel insisted. "She has to play with Emily, she has to marry you, she has to have more of your kids. She’s going to be okay."
"I wish I could believe that." He hung his head for a moment then looked up and squinted his eyes at the girl beside Isabel. "You’re Alex’s sister, right?"
"Yeah, Maria and I used to pick on him when we were younger. My parents hadn’t even told me she was sick." Maggie sat back. "She was like the little sister I never had."
"Is. She IS." Michael growled. "We can’t talk about her past tense until she is and she will not be."
"Sorry."
"I’m going down to see Emmy. Isabel, let me know the second there is any activity over there." He pointed down the hall. "Got it?"
"Yeah. Got it." Isabel nodded.
--
"Hey Michael." Max stood up when Michael rushed into the waiting area. He just nodded and took his daughter from the stroller.
"Michael? How is she?" Liz whispered.
"I’m getting tired of repeating this." Michael dropped his head to kiss Emmy’s. Then he reached out and touched Liz’s face, locking eyes with her. Suddenly, she gasped and pulled away, tears falling down her face.
"Max, she’s..." She had to swallow back a wave of sobs. "And the Sheriff?" She turned back to Michael.
"Yeah, blood test confirmed it. She has a dad." Michael never took his eyes off Emily. "You look just like your mom, baby. Yeah, you do."
"Isabel and Maggie still up there?" Max asked softly.
"Yeah. They can’t see her but Iz will let me know if anything goes on. We just gotta pray that she takes to the transfusion." Michael turned to Max.
Liz saw the look. "I’m going to get coffee. I’ll bring some back. Max? You got the kids?"
"Yeah." Max nodded and waited until she was out of earshot. "What is it?"
"You can’t?"
"You know it doesn’t work like that." Max sighed. "I wish I could help her. You know that."
"But you saved Liz. And Kyle." Michael hugged his daughter tighter.
"That was different. It wasn’t their time. You saw it with Liz for yourself."
"Ok, yeah, so it wasn’t Liz’s time. It was Kyle’s..." Michael let the sentence trail off. "You know it and I know it."
"You’re right. There was a consequence for that." Max sank into a chair. "This stuff comes back three-fold."
"What do you mean?" Michael sat next to him. Max just propped his feet on the twin stroller and settled his kids, moving it back and forth steadily. "What. Did. You. Mean."
"When you killed Pierce. You lost Maria. You lost Isabel. You lost me. It was like that for a long time. When Isabel killed Whittaker, she lost her sense of well-being, her center, and then she lost memory of what had happened. I think that when I healed Kyle... it was like a catalyst. First Nasedo, then what happened to Tess, then things started to really fall apart."
"I remember. You think all this stuff happens because of things we do?" Michael thought about what had happened with Courtney then shook his head. It did fit. {This is insane... even for us.}
"I couldn’t heal Liz’s grandmother. I did try to sustain her a little longer but it didn’t work because it wasn’t supposed to." Max slowed his rocking a little. "You see what I see... we can’t help her. I really wish I could."
"I did this to her." Michael let the tears roll down his face. "Having my baby did this to her."
"It’s not your fault. It’s a genetic disorder. If it wasn’t this, it would have been something else. It might have been the flu, or just a trying day at work." Max pointed out. "We have to wait it out."
"You know that three-fold thing you were talking about. I think there’s one in process." Michael shifted his baby in his arms.
"What do you mean?"
"Alex, Tess." Michael whispered. "Alex had no reason to kill himself. Tess had no reason to die giving birth."
"You’re right. We may never know what happened to Alex. Tess, though... It was like she gave up. Once I had Kathy in my arms, Tess just passed out. She fell back, closed her eyes and died. Nothing I did could bring her back... because I wasn’t supposed to bring her back." He gently took Kathy out of the stroller. "If you’re right... who’s next? And what did we do to have this happen?"
"Maria... and Topolsky. We were kinda responsible for her... and I don’t see how we got paid back for her." Michael leaned back his head. "So have you shared this little theory with anyone else?"
"No. You may be right though. We were responsible for Topolsky. Maybe the way she died makes the cuts deeper." Max looked up as Liz approached. She was walking slowly. She didn’t want to interrupt just yet. "We’ll talk about this later."
/Maria walked down the hall behind Liz.\ Michael’s eyes widened. "Do you see that?"
"Yeah. I see it." Max rose and motioned for Liz to turn around. She gasped and nearly dropped the coffee when she saw it.
/Maria reached out for Michael.\
"Who’s doing that?" Max whispered.
"Isabel." Michael took off running for the elevator.
"Max?" Liz set the coffee down and looked back at the image of Maria. Suddenly it fluttered away.
"Isabel just learned a new power." Max whispered. "We wait down here until we know what happened up there."
TBC
Part 16
The Fate of Destiny Part 16
November 2004
Max held his daughter in his arms, watching her sleep. {I’m sorry, baby. I couldn’t save your mother. Liz really wants to be your new mom. Can’t you let her? For me?} His daughter could never be calmed down by anyone but her daddy, but daddy wasn't always home. Max looked over at his father asleep on the couch with Jr., also asleep, on his chest. {Will you look at that, Kathy? Those boys ate too much today.}
"Liz, can you take her?" Max called into the kitchen.
"We’re not done yet." She called back.
"I’ll finish. Can you just?" He carefully transferred Kathy into Liz’s arms.
"I’m washing." She warned him. The girl had barely stirred and seemed to accept the change of arms without incident.
"I know." He nodded and trotted off to the kitchen where Isabel was trying to feed Danny and his mother was waiting with a dishtowel. He took Liz’s place at the sink. He washed in silence for a while. "Ma... are you okay with this?"
"I just think you’re pushing yourself too hard, Max." Diane dried the dishes and put them away, her tone even and unreadable.
"I hate having to depend on you and Dad like this." He whispered. He hated to have this conversation. They had asked him to come home but he couldn't help but feel he was more of a burden than a help with his family.
"What else are you going to do? You’re 21, you’ve got two babies and a wife. We’ll help you out as much as we can."
"It’s just... I can’t do the med program and keep a job at the same time. They said they couldn’t guarantee I’ll get a paycheck for my internship. The restaurant might be willing to work on getting me hours when I have off... but work at the stockyard is out." Max sighed and scrubbed harder at the turkey pan.
"Max, it’s okay. We don’t mind." Diane hugged her son. "This might not be what any of us planned but we got to do with what we’re given."
"I’m surprised you’re not dead yet with the way you work." Isabel spoke up. "Forget the stockyard. A surgeon needs his hands. What if one of those two x fours or whatever falls on your hands? What are you going to do then?"
"Right. You’re right." Max nodded.
"I fixed some plates to take to Michael’s. I don’t imagine they’re getting to have a Thanksgiving this year either." Mrs. Evans left Max to finish the washing. She stacked the Tupperware containers on the counter. "Will you take them by?"
"Liz will take one to Michael. She’s going by to see Maria later." Max used his powers to clean the rest of the pans while his mother wasn’t watching. Isabel saw him and mouthed ‘cheater.’ He just smiled and shrugged. "I’ll take the others by to Amy and Kyle."
"Where’s Jim?" Diane turned around.
"It’s hard to keep track of him. He’s either working or at Maria’s. Sometimes he sleeps." Isabel answered before turning back to Danny, who had mashed potatoes all over his face. "Kid, did you even get any of that in your mouth?"
"He wants to eat by himself then let him. He’s a man. Aren’t you?" Max nodded to his son.
"Dada! Ee papa!" Danny smiled; he still had teeth yet to come in leaving gaps on the sides of the smile. He waved his spoon around, getting potatoes and gravy in Isabel’s hair.
"Ugh." Isabel threw her head back. "Why are you doing this to me? Huh? Are you even eating?"
--
Michael stroked Maria’s hand in her private room. He had lain Emily inside the crook of Maria’s arm to sleep, hoping that maybe it would trigger a reflex of some kind. "You should see her when she’s awake. She runs around the house terrorizing your mom."
He smiled when Emmy curled into Maria’s side, sighing in her sleep. "I graduate next week. I told you about that technical school... right? I’ll be working at the hospital in no time. I’ll only be transcribing doctor’s notes but it’s something that’ll pay good. It’s got some fancy schmancy name, medical office specialist.
"You just have to be the one to baffle everyone... don’t you." Michael smirked. "You’re breathing on your own, your brain waves seem to be fine, your antibodies are up... why don’t you just wake up? We all miss you. Emmy misses you. Can’t you feel her beside you?"
"You know she’s not going to wake up until she’s good and ready." Liz smiled in the doorway. "Diane thought you might want some actual food."
"Thanks." Michael took the plate from her. "How’s everyone?"
Liz pulled up a chair. "Max was doing the dishes when I left. Isabel had potatoes in her hair. Danny and Jr. were driving Philip crazy and Kathy was still asleep."
"She sleeps a lot doesn’t she?" Michael commented.
"Anything that keeps me from touching her." Liz sighed. "She won’t bond with me... like she knows."
"She probably does. She’ll warm up to you... once she realizes how much Max loves you."
"Why are you comforting me?" Liz playfully smacked him. "I’m supposed to be giving you words of comfort and wisdom."
"Hey, I’m here four to eleven every night. I’m the guru of the third floor." Michael cracked with a painful smile.
"Emily is adorable. Look at those cheeks."
"I’m surprised she doesn’t weigh a ton." Michael shook his head. "I feed her in the morning before I take her to Amy’s. Then I found out Amy feeds her again. She eats lunch there, and then I bring her here with me for a while. We eat the garbage that the cafeteria spits out then I take her back to Amy’s where she’s fed yet again."
"What about you? Have you been eating much?" Liz took in his thin frame.
"Sometimes." He shrugged. "This is the first real meal I’ve had since I started those classes. I’ll feel better knowing that if anything happens... I’ll be working right here."
"Max’s internship starts in January. He’ll be around here more."
"What about you? When are you going to school?"
"I don’t know. Danny is a handful and Kathy... she just... she won’t let me in. It’s hard to imagine such a small thing has walls like that. She’s never completely happy unless Max has got her." Liz sighed. "I’m 20. I’ve got time. It’ll be hard with Max working crazy hours next semester." Michael took her hand and squeezed. She nodded. "How’s Kyle been?"
"He comes in with me some days. He doesn’t like to talk to her in front of me. He’s been putting in a lot of street time. He’s got a girlfriend. It’s pretty serious. He brought her here once. She was a little weirded out."
"And Valenti?"
"He’s been putting in major hours. He comes in once a month to give blood, just in case. She hasn’t needed a transfusion in a while, though. He’ll sit with her and I usually stay outside until he’s gone. Amy comes in when she can." Michael set the plate aside. "He keeps Emmy in here with him when he comes though."
"Well, it’s only natural. He is her grandfather."
"Kinda weird." He nodded. "How’s Isabel really doing?"
"She’ll be done with her paralegal classes in no time. She wants to work with Philip." Liz caught Michael’s look. "She insists that she’ll never love anyone else. She turns down every guy that asks her out. When they flirt with her she pulls out pictures of Jr. and Alex."
"And the guys weigh the baggage with their hormones and just give up."
"Right." Liz turned to look at Maria. "Do you think she can hear us?"
"I hope so. I come in here and tell her all about my day. Sometimes I even try to pick fights with her. I think maybe if I make her mad enough, she’ll sit up and yell back at me. The nurses all think I’m crazy."
"I don’t think you’re crazy."
"Thanks." He nodded. They continued to watch Emily sleep curled up next to Maria. Hoping, just hoping that her arm would curl around the little girl and hold her. [Michael closed his eyes for a minute before looking back at his book. His hand let go of Maria’s for a minute. He felt her hand squeeze his. He squeezed and looked at her face. Her eyes were still closed. Her hand squeezed back once more then stopped. Michael tried again and nothing. The doctor said it was just a reflex, a knee-jerk type reaction.] That was all they had left to cling to.
TBC
November 2004
Max held his daughter in his arms, watching her sleep. {I’m sorry, baby. I couldn’t save your mother. Liz really wants to be your new mom. Can’t you let her? For me?} His daughter could never be calmed down by anyone but her daddy, but daddy wasn't always home. Max looked over at his father asleep on the couch with Jr., also asleep, on his chest. {Will you look at that, Kathy? Those boys ate too much today.}
"Liz, can you take her?" Max called into the kitchen.
"We’re not done yet." She called back.
"I’ll finish. Can you just?" He carefully transferred Kathy into Liz’s arms.
"I’m washing." She warned him. The girl had barely stirred and seemed to accept the change of arms without incident.
"I know." He nodded and trotted off to the kitchen where Isabel was trying to feed Danny and his mother was waiting with a dishtowel. He took Liz’s place at the sink. He washed in silence for a while. "Ma... are you okay with this?"
"I just think you’re pushing yourself too hard, Max." Diane dried the dishes and put them away, her tone even and unreadable.
"I hate having to depend on you and Dad like this." He whispered. He hated to have this conversation. They had asked him to come home but he couldn't help but feel he was more of a burden than a help with his family.
"What else are you going to do? You’re 21, you’ve got two babies and a wife. We’ll help you out as much as we can."
"It’s just... I can’t do the med program and keep a job at the same time. They said they couldn’t guarantee I’ll get a paycheck for my internship. The restaurant might be willing to work on getting me hours when I have off... but work at the stockyard is out." Max sighed and scrubbed harder at the turkey pan.
"Max, it’s okay. We don’t mind." Diane hugged her son. "This might not be what any of us planned but we got to do with what we’re given."
"I’m surprised you’re not dead yet with the way you work." Isabel spoke up. "Forget the stockyard. A surgeon needs his hands. What if one of those two x fours or whatever falls on your hands? What are you going to do then?"
"Right. You’re right." Max nodded.
"I fixed some plates to take to Michael’s. I don’t imagine they’re getting to have a Thanksgiving this year either." Mrs. Evans left Max to finish the washing. She stacked the Tupperware containers on the counter. "Will you take them by?"
"Liz will take one to Michael. She’s going by to see Maria later." Max used his powers to clean the rest of the pans while his mother wasn’t watching. Isabel saw him and mouthed ‘cheater.’ He just smiled and shrugged. "I’ll take the others by to Amy and Kyle."
"Where’s Jim?" Diane turned around.
"It’s hard to keep track of him. He’s either working or at Maria’s. Sometimes he sleeps." Isabel answered before turning back to Danny, who had mashed potatoes all over his face. "Kid, did you even get any of that in your mouth?"
"He wants to eat by himself then let him. He’s a man. Aren’t you?" Max nodded to his son.
"Dada! Ee papa!" Danny smiled; he still had teeth yet to come in leaving gaps on the sides of the smile. He waved his spoon around, getting potatoes and gravy in Isabel’s hair.
"Ugh." Isabel threw her head back. "Why are you doing this to me? Huh? Are you even eating?"
--
Michael stroked Maria’s hand in her private room. He had lain Emily inside the crook of Maria’s arm to sleep, hoping that maybe it would trigger a reflex of some kind. "You should see her when she’s awake. She runs around the house terrorizing your mom."
He smiled when Emmy curled into Maria’s side, sighing in her sleep. "I graduate next week. I told you about that technical school... right? I’ll be working at the hospital in no time. I’ll only be transcribing doctor’s notes but it’s something that’ll pay good. It’s got some fancy schmancy name, medical office specialist.
"You just have to be the one to baffle everyone... don’t you." Michael smirked. "You’re breathing on your own, your brain waves seem to be fine, your antibodies are up... why don’t you just wake up? We all miss you. Emmy misses you. Can’t you feel her beside you?"
"You know she’s not going to wake up until she’s good and ready." Liz smiled in the doorway. "Diane thought you might want some actual food."
"Thanks." Michael took the plate from her. "How’s everyone?"
Liz pulled up a chair. "Max was doing the dishes when I left. Isabel had potatoes in her hair. Danny and Jr. were driving Philip crazy and Kathy was still asleep."
"She sleeps a lot doesn’t she?" Michael commented.
"Anything that keeps me from touching her." Liz sighed. "She won’t bond with me... like she knows."
"She probably does. She’ll warm up to you... once she realizes how much Max loves you."
"Why are you comforting me?" Liz playfully smacked him. "I’m supposed to be giving you words of comfort and wisdom."
"Hey, I’m here four to eleven every night. I’m the guru of the third floor." Michael cracked with a painful smile.
"Emily is adorable. Look at those cheeks."
"I’m surprised she doesn’t weigh a ton." Michael shook his head. "I feed her in the morning before I take her to Amy’s. Then I found out Amy feeds her again. She eats lunch there, and then I bring her here with me for a while. We eat the garbage that the cafeteria spits out then I take her back to Amy’s where she’s fed yet again."
"What about you? Have you been eating much?" Liz took in his thin frame.
"Sometimes." He shrugged. "This is the first real meal I’ve had since I started those classes. I’ll feel better knowing that if anything happens... I’ll be working right here."
"Max’s internship starts in January. He’ll be around here more."
"What about you? When are you going to school?"
"I don’t know. Danny is a handful and Kathy... she just... she won’t let me in. It’s hard to imagine such a small thing has walls like that. She’s never completely happy unless Max has got her." Liz sighed. "I’m 20. I’ve got time. It’ll be hard with Max working crazy hours next semester." Michael took her hand and squeezed. She nodded. "How’s Kyle been?"
"He comes in with me some days. He doesn’t like to talk to her in front of me. He’s been putting in a lot of street time. He’s got a girlfriend. It’s pretty serious. He brought her here once. She was a little weirded out."
"And Valenti?"
"He’s been putting in major hours. He comes in once a month to give blood, just in case. She hasn’t needed a transfusion in a while, though. He’ll sit with her and I usually stay outside until he’s gone. Amy comes in when she can." Michael set the plate aside. "He keeps Emmy in here with him when he comes though."
"Well, it’s only natural. He is her grandfather."
"Kinda weird." He nodded. "How’s Isabel really doing?"
"She’ll be done with her paralegal classes in no time. She wants to work with Philip." Liz caught Michael’s look. "She insists that she’ll never love anyone else. She turns down every guy that asks her out. When they flirt with her she pulls out pictures of Jr. and Alex."
"And the guys weigh the baggage with their hormones and just give up."
"Right." Liz turned to look at Maria. "Do you think she can hear us?"
"I hope so. I come in here and tell her all about my day. Sometimes I even try to pick fights with her. I think maybe if I make her mad enough, she’ll sit up and yell back at me. The nurses all think I’m crazy."
"I don’t think you’re crazy."
"Thanks." He nodded. They continued to watch Emily sleep curled up next to Maria. Hoping, just hoping that her arm would curl around the little girl and hold her. [Michael closed his eyes for a minute before looking back at his book. His hand let go of Maria’s for a minute. He felt her hand squeeze his. He squeezed and looked at her face. Her eyes were still closed. Her hand squeezed back once more then stopped. Michael tried again and nothing. The doctor said it was just a reflex, a knee-jerk type reaction.] That was all they had left to cling to.
TBC
Part 17
The Fate of Destiny Part 17
"She’s not ON a machine." Michael glared at the doctor. "I’ve been through this with too many doctors and I can’t afford this anymore. She’s just asleep and she won’t wake up."
"How many seizures did you say?"
Michael drew in a deep breath to calm himself. Liz put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Four." She said. "The first two were eight and a half hours apart, the third was... six hours after the second. They gave her the transfusion... well they started the IV anyway and she had one ten hours later."
"When did they put her on the machine?"
"You are an absolute moron." Michael stood. "She was never ON a machine. She breathes on her own. Her neurological waves or whatever are fine. She just needs to wake up."
Michael groaned. "Liz, let’s go."
"But... I still have more questions." The doctor protested.
"Sorry but he’s right. You’re a moron." Liz shrugged and took Michael’s hand.
--
Max wanted to pace but he couldn’t. Danny was wrapped around his leg and he had a child in each arm.
"Max, honey, are you sure you got them?" Aunt Steph reached out her arms for one of the kids.
"I don’t know what’s with them. They are usually so good with other people." Max wanted to shrug but it would mean jostling the two youngest and possibly making one of them cry. "Um... see if you can take Jr."
"Jr.?" Steph looked at Danny.
"No, Alex Jr. ... the baby in my left arm." Max turned to offer up the boy. "Kathy won’t usually go with anyone but me when she’s been crying."
"Ok. Come here Alex." Steph cooed and managed to get the small boy into her arms without tears. "Where’s Isabel?"
"She’s still shopping I think. Mom and Dad are on their way back from Clovis now." He shifted Kathy in his arms and slowly made his way to a chair without detaching Danny from his leg.
"And Lisa?" Nathan spoke up.
"Liz." He corrected. "She’s with a friend of ours... doctor shopping. One of our friends is sick."
"Oh really?" Steph made a sympathetic face and was immediately interrupted by her husband.
"I have to say that I’m proud of you." Uncle Barry clapped him on the shoulder. "I heard that you’re in med school."
"I start my internship next semester." Max nodded.
"You know, that little girl is so adorable. Her hair is so curly. She looks like you though." Steph tried once again, to keep the conversation light.
"That’s what everyone says." Max smiled. "She’s got her mother’s eyes though."
"Oh? And where is she?" Steph tried to broach the subject carefully, she hadn't meant to go there.
"She passed on." Max shook his head.
"What’s her name again?"
"Kathleen Evans."
"Why does Daniel have middle name and Kathleen doesn’t?"
"Parker is Liz’s maiden name." Max filled in. {Liz, hurry up and get home...}
--
Kyle met Michael at his apartment. He startled both Michael and Liz. "Guys. There’s some major trouble going on."
"What?" Michael immediately stopped opening the door.
"First of all, Tracy went missing last night. I haven’t heard from her. Then I found one of those skin things by the house." Kyle whispered.
"Are you okay, Kyle?" Liz whispered. "And why are we whispering?"
"I may have been followed. Shouldn’t we get Max?" Kyle fiddled with his hat.
--
Liz rushed into the house, Michael and Kyle on her heels. She stopped abruptly. "Hi."
"Liz." Uncle Barry nodded.
"Uncle Barry, Aunt Stephanie... Hi... how are you guys?" Liz shot Max a look. "Um... Nathan, right. Yeah. These are our friends. Michael Guerin and Officer Kyle Valenti." Max caught the panicked look on her face. "Max... can I talk to you a minute?" Liz gestured down the hallway.
"Yeah. I’ll only be a minute." He told his relatives. He took Kathy down the hall with him. Liz paused in the doorway to their bedroom. "Liz, what is it?"
"Another set of skins." She whispered. "Kyle found one when he was looking for his girlfriend."
"Is he sure?" Max closed his eyes. "Here, take Kathy. I’ll go out with them and hopefully we’ll find it or them tonight. Let Isabel know what’s going on when she gets back."
"But what do I tell them? And your folks?" Liz took the fussy little girl from him.
"I’m just taking care of a little business with Michael. Tell them it’s about Maria." Max kissed her softly.
"You come back to me, ok?"
"Never dream of leaving you alone."
--
"We’ll search the entire area." Max nodded to both Kyle and Michael. "They’re playing with us this time. I can feel it."
--
"Mr. Guerin... I didn’t think you were coming in tonight." The nurse walked into the private room to change the IV bag. "I heard you were looking into new doctors."
"Um... nothing’s panned out yet." Michael leaned back in his chair.
"Sorry to hear that. Where’s Emily tonight? With Grandma?" She smiled and moved to the door.
"Yeah. Quality time with Grandma and Grandpa." Michael nodded. He didn’t notice the strange look that the nurse gave him as she left. He waited until the door was closed before putting his hand over the needle in her hand. A soft light appeared.
When he was done he left. Suddenly the monitors in the room went crazy. Doctors ran into the room.
--
"This is useless." Michael wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I think Maxwell’s right. There’s more than one and they are playing with us."
"Okay, but why?" Kyle turned his flashlight into the bushes. "What do you guys have that they want?"
"Power of some sort. At least they don’t know that Tess is dead. That could give them some advantage over us."
"What about the kids? Hybrids from hybrids have got to be worth something."
"And don’t forget... Kathleen is full." Michael pointed out. "We just gotta pray nothing’s happening. I mean... I’m missing Maria time for this."
"She’s not ON a machine." Michael glared at the doctor. "I’ve been through this with too many doctors and I can’t afford this anymore. She’s just asleep and she won’t wake up."
"How many seizures did you say?"
Michael drew in a deep breath to calm himself. Liz put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Four." She said. "The first two were eight and a half hours apart, the third was... six hours after the second. They gave her the transfusion... well they started the IV anyway and she had one ten hours later."
"When did they put her on the machine?"
"You are an absolute moron." Michael stood. "She was never ON a machine. She breathes on her own. Her neurological waves or whatever are fine. She just needs to wake up."
Michael groaned. "Liz, let’s go."
"But... I still have more questions." The doctor protested.
"Sorry but he’s right. You’re a moron." Liz shrugged and took Michael’s hand.
--
Max wanted to pace but he couldn’t. Danny was wrapped around his leg and he had a child in each arm.
"Max, honey, are you sure you got them?" Aunt Steph reached out her arms for one of the kids.
"I don’t know what’s with them. They are usually so good with other people." Max wanted to shrug but it would mean jostling the two youngest and possibly making one of them cry. "Um... see if you can take Jr."
"Jr.?" Steph looked at Danny.
"No, Alex Jr. ... the baby in my left arm." Max turned to offer up the boy. "Kathy won’t usually go with anyone but me when she’s been crying."
"Ok. Come here Alex." Steph cooed and managed to get the small boy into her arms without tears. "Where’s Isabel?"
"She’s still shopping I think. Mom and Dad are on their way back from Clovis now." He shifted Kathy in his arms and slowly made his way to a chair without detaching Danny from his leg.
"And Lisa?" Nathan spoke up.
"Liz." He corrected. "She’s with a friend of ours... doctor shopping. One of our friends is sick."
"Oh really?" Steph made a sympathetic face and was immediately interrupted by her husband.
"I have to say that I’m proud of you." Uncle Barry clapped him on the shoulder. "I heard that you’re in med school."
"I start my internship next semester." Max nodded.
"You know, that little girl is so adorable. Her hair is so curly. She looks like you though." Steph tried once again, to keep the conversation light.
"That’s what everyone says." Max smiled. "She’s got her mother’s eyes though."
"Oh? And where is she?" Steph tried to broach the subject carefully, she hadn't meant to go there.
"She passed on." Max shook his head.
"What’s her name again?"
"Kathleen Evans."
"Why does Daniel have middle name and Kathleen doesn’t?"
"Parker is Liz’s maiden name." Max filled in. {Liz, hurry up and get home...}
--
Kyle met Michael at his apartment. He startled both Michael and Liz. "Guys. There’s some major trouble going on."
"What?" Michael immediately stopped opening the door.
"First of all, Tracy went missing last night. I haven’t heard from her. Then I found one of those skin things by the house." Kyle whispered.
"Are you okay, Kyle?" Liz whispered. "And why are we whispering?"
"I may have been followed. Shouldn’t we get Max?" Kyle fiddled with his hat.
--
Liz rushed into the house, Michael and Kyle on her heels. She stopped abruptly. "Hi."
"Liz." Uncle Barry nodded.
"Uncle Barry, Aunt Stephanie... Hi... how are you guys?" Liz shot Max a look. "Um... Nathan, right. Yeah. These are our friends. Michael Guerin and Officer Kyle Valenti." Max caught the panicked look on her face. "Max... can I talk to you a minute?" Liz gestured down the hallway.
"Yeah. I’ll only be a minute." He told his relatives. He took Kathy down the hall with him. Liz paused in the doorway to their bedroom. "Liz, what is it?"
"Another set of skins." She whispered. "Kyle found one when he was looking for his girlfriend."
"Is he sure?" Max closed his eyes. "Here, take Kathy. I’ll go out with them and hopefully we’ll find it or them tonight. Let Isabel know what’s going on when she gets back."
"But what do I tell them? And your folks?" Liz took the fussy little girl from him.
"I’m just taking care of a little business with Michael. Tell them it’s about Maria." Max kissed her softly.
"You come back to me, ok?"
"Never dream of leaving you alone."
--
"We’ll search the entire area." Max nodded to both Kyle and Michael. "They’re playing with us this time. I can feel it."
--
"Mr. Guerin... I didn’t think you were coming in tonight." The nurse walked into the private room to change the IV bag. "I heard you were looking into new doctors."
"Um... nothing’s panned out yet." Michael leaned back in his chair.
"Sorry to hear that. Where’s Emily tonight? With Grandma?" She smiled and moved to the door.
"Yeah. Quality time with Grandma and Grandpa." Michael nodded. He didn’t notice the strange look that the nurse gave him as she left. He waited until the door was closed before putting his hand over the needle in her hand. A soft light appeared.
When he was done he left. Suddenly the monitors in the room went crazy. Doctors ran into the room.
--
"This is useless." Michael wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I think Maxwell’s right. There’s more than one and they are playing with us."
"Okay, but why?" Kyle turned his flashlight into the bushes. "What do you guys have that they want?"
"Power of some sort. At least they don’t know that Tess is dead. That could give them some advantage over us."
"What about the kids? Hybrids from hybrids have got to be worth something."
"And don’t forget... Kathleen is full." Michael pointed out. "We just gotta pray nothing’s happening. I mean... I’m missing Maria time for this."
Part 18
The Fate of Destiny Part 18
Michael paced his cell. Valenti strode down the corridor to face him. "So... where were you last night?"
"I was working." Valenti shook his head. "Where were you?"
"With Kyle..." Michael’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We were hunting a Skin."
"That’s what Kyle said. Have they told you anything?"
"They don’t tell suspects anything. I didn’t do it. I would have no reason to do it. I love her." Michael resisted the urge to slam his fist into the wall.
"I know. As soon as I’m finished with the nurses' statements... I’m letting you go. She swears up and down you were in the room just minutes before..."
"How could I be?"
"We’ll figure it out."
--
Liz had her arms around Amy when Michael walked into the morgue. He stayed back, he couldn’t do it. Liz left Mrs. DeLuca and wiped the tears from her face.
"Liz... what happened?" Michael’s voice was barely a whisper.
"They said it was like someone blew a bubble up her IV." Liz’s voice was hoarse with crying. "Nurse said you were in the room right before the machines went off."
"Do you believe that?"
"No. I know you weren’t. It wasn’t you." Liz shook her head. "Are you going to...?"
"I can’t." {Because when you do look... she’ll really be dead, Michael.} "I just can’t." He broke down crying but he let Liz lead him to the drawer where Maria was laid out. That’s when it hit him. "Oh God... Maria."
--
"Isabel... you can’t leave now." Max hissed over Kathy’s screams. "We didn’t catch those Skins and we don’t know what happened to Maria."
"All the more reason for me to leave now. I told you I was shopping yesterday. I was apartment shopping." Isabel continued to pack Jr.’s things. "I got a good deal. I have to learn to take care of myself and my son."
Max shifted Kathy in his arms. "Isabel..."
"I know the timing is bad." She sank to the ground. "She’s really gone... isn’t she?"
"Yeah. She is." He nodded to his sister.
"If I don’t move in today... I’ll lose the apartment. Get Nathan to help and we’ll get my stuff moved in a few hours." Isabel stood back up on her feet. "Please?"
"Isabel... even if you want to... I won’t until we’ve got these Skin problems under control." He shook his head. "And I couldn’t. Liz, Michael, Kyle... they’re all at the hospital. I’ve got the kids and I’m trying to help Mom and Dad entertain Steph, Barry and Nathan."
"Then I’ll do it myself."
"Did you tell Mom and Dad yet?"
"No. I will though."
Max started out of the room. He turned and watched Isabel organize another suitcase full of clothes. She did that when she was upset, when she didn’t want to cry. He let her be. Once she had moved herself into her new apartment, she was going to collapse into tears about everything. The Skins, Maria, Alex... and whatever else was on her mind.
He continued on out and tapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Isabel’s moving out. Want to help me get her furniture into the new place?"
--
It was quiet. Michael had insisted on staying until the grave was filled. His eyes ran over the tombstone again.
Maria DeLuca
Beloved daughter, sister, and mother.
March 8, 1983 - December 21, 2004
He had decided against an epitaph. No words could ever suit her, he said. So Valenti had decided what would go on the marker.
Max had one arm around Liz, the tears no longer falling down their faces. Her hand was entwined with Michael’s beside her. Kyle stood by himself, mirrored sunglasses over his eyes. Isabel hugged herself, grateful for her brother’s arm to hold her steady.
As if as one, their eyes drifted down the row to another headstone. Tess’s. Across the cemetery was Alex’s.
Liz gave Michael’s hand a squeeze. He squeezed back. "Just checking."
"Why is it so hard to accept?" He whispered. "She was in a coma for a year but I was always so sure she’d wake up."
"We all thought she would." Max leaned his head against Liz’s.
"Are we just going to stand around here? Don’t we need to catch the thing that did this?" Kyle spoke up. "I won’t let my sister’s death go un-avenged."
"None of us plans to just sit back, Kyle." Isabel whispered.
"I’ll kill every last one of them myself." Michael growled. "Tell Amy that Emily has to stay with her for a while."
"Where are you going Michael?" Liz whispered.
"Hunting." He let go of her hand and walked off. They all just stared after him. This time no one was going to stop him.
TBC
Ahem... I almost made a booboo. Hehe... I almost posted part 96... That might have been a little confusing.
Michael paced his cell. Valenti strode down the corridor to face him. "So... where were you last night?"
"I was working." Valenti shook his head. "Where were you?"
"With Kyle..." Michael’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We were hunting a Skin."
"That’s what Kyle said. Have they told you anything?"
"They don’t tell suspects anything. I didn’t do it. I would have no reason to do it. I love her." Michael resisted the urge to slam his fist into the wall.
"I know. As soon as I’m finished with the nurses' statements... I’m letting you go. She swears up and down you were in the room just minutes before..."
"How could I be?"
"We’ll figure it out."
--
Liz had her arms around Amy when Michael walked into the morgue. He stayed back, he couldn’t do it. Liz left Mrs. DeLuca and wiped the tears from her face.
"Liz... what happened?" Michael’s voice was barely a whisper.
"They said it was like someone blew a bubble up her IV." Liz’s voice was hoarse with crying. "Nurse said you were in the room right before the machines went off."
"Do you believe that?"
"No. I know you weren’t. It wasn’t you." Liz shook her head. "Are you going to...?"
"I can’t." {Because when you do look... she’ll really be dead, Michael.} "I just can’t." He broke down crying but he let Liz lead him to the drawer where Maria was laid out. That’s when it hit him. "Oh God... Maria."
--
"Isabel... you can’t leave now." Max hissed over Kathy’s screams. "We didn’t catch those Skins and we don’t know what happened to Maria."
"All the more reason for me to leave now. I told you I was shopping yesterday. I was apartment shopping." Isabel continued to pack Jr.’s things. "I got a good deal. I have to learn to take care of myself and my son."
Max shifted Kathy in his arms. "Isabel..."
"I know the timing is bad." She sank to the ground. "She’s really gone... isn’t she?"
"Yeah. She is." He nodded to his sister.
"If I don’t move in today... I’ll lose the apartment. Get Nathan to help and we’ll get my stuff moved in a few hours." Isabel stood back up on her feet. "Please?"
"Isabel... even if you want to... I won’t until we’ve got these Skin problems under control." He shook his head. "And I couldn’t. Liz, Michael, Kyle... they’re all at the hospital. I’ve got the kids and I’m trying to help Mom and Dad entertain Steph, Barry and Nathan."
"Then I’ll do it myself."
"Did you tell Mom and Dad yet?"
"No. I will though."
Max started out of the room. He turned and watched Isabel organize another suitcase full of clothes. She did that when she was upset, when she didn’t want to cry. He let her be. Once she had moved herself into her new apartment, she was going to collapse into tears about everything. The Skins, Maria, Alex... and whatever else was on her mind.
He continued on out and tapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Isabel’s moving out. Want to help me get her furniture into the new place?"
--
It was quiet. Michael had insisted on staying until the grave was filled. His eyes ran over the tombstone again.
Maria DeLuca
Beloved daughter, sister, and mother.
March 8, 1983 - December 21, 2004
He had decided against an epitaph. No words could ever suit her, he said. So Valenti had decided what would go on the marker.
Max had one arm around Liz, the tears no longer falling down their faces. Her hand was entwined with Michael’s beside her. Kyle stood by himself, mirrored sunglasses over his eyes. Isabel hugged herself, grateful for her brother’s arm to hold her steady.
As if as one, their eyes drifted down the row to another headstone. Tess’s. Across the cemetery was Alex’s.
Liz gave Michael’s hand a squeeze. He squeezed back. "Just checking."
"Why is it so hard to accept?" He whispered. "She was in a coma for a year but I was always so sure she’d wake up."
"We all thought she would." Max leaned his head against Liz’s.
"Are we just going to stand around here? Don’t we need to catch the thing that did this?" Kyle spoke up. "I won’t let my sister’s death go un-avenged."
"None of us plans to just sit back, Kyle." Isabel whispered.
"I’ll kill every last one of them myself." Michael growled. "Tell Amy that Emily has to stay with her for a while."
"Where are you going Michael?" Liz whispered.
"Hunting." He let go of her hand and walked off. They all just stared after him. This time no one was going to stop him.
TBC
Ahem... I almost made a booboo. Hehe... I almost posted part 96... That might have been a little confusing.
Part 19
The Fate of Destiny Part 19
November 2005
"Max, put out that cigarette." Liz muttered and brushed past him to get into the house. "Danny, come on."
"Where were you guys?" Max took a drag on the cigarette before putting it out. He was still wearing scrubs from the hospital.
"Shopping. Remember? You were supposed to meet us at the mall." She glared at him. Liz set Kathy down on the couch with her toy.
Max groaned. "I’m sorry I forgot all about the pictures. Did you reschedule?"
"No. We, the three of us, had our pictures taken. I think we’ll just have a cardboard cut-out next time." Liz turned around. "Danny, baby, come here with your sister."
"K’ty." The little boy climbed onto the couch next to his sister. "Meen!"
He snatched the toy from her little hands. She screamed. "Dana! Meen! Meen!"
"No, no, no." Max shook his head. "Play nice. Danny, where’s your toy?"
"It’s in the car with the bags. Could you?" Liz put a hand to her head. "They just both had to go into the terrible three’s."
"I’ll get it." Max held his hands up.
"And no more smoking!" She called after him. She turned to the kids. "Neither one of you is ever going to pick up that habit. Got it?"
"Mama. Hul me." Kathy raised her arms. Liz picked her up.
"Little girl, you are getting too big." Then Danny started bothering to be picked up. "Guys. I can’t hold both of you."
"Did you guys buy out the whole mall?" Max nearly lost half the bags when he made it inside the house. "Were those chairs I saw?"
"Potty training Daddy." Liz smirked. "You get to teach Danny."
"You bought two." He pointed out.
"Kathy does everything Danny does. Two birds, one stone. They bring me the pampers and wipes when they mess. It’s time."
"Little man... come here." Max picked up his son.
"Daddy, stinky." Daniel made a face.
"Yet another reason to stop smoking." Liz gave him a tight smile. They went about putting everything away, distracting the kids.
"I haven’t felt power in a while." Max whispered.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Liz turned to him.
"I hope not." He flipped Danny upside down over his shoulder. "He can take care of himself."
--
Michael squatted on the ground next to the tombstone. "I did it. I killed them. I found the one that shifted into me and killed you. I made him pay for what he did to you.
"I haven’t been to see Emily yet... She’s gotta be like three now but I know she’ll look just like you."
"She does." Kyle’s voice drifted over his head. "She misses you."
"You’ve seen her?" Michael stood and laid a flower beside the grave.
"She sees Uncle Kyle when he’s got a day off." Kyle shoved his hands into his pockets. "I take her sometimes when Amy needs a break. I take her to the station to see Dad. He’s still distant."
"I found Tracy."
"You did?" Kyle gave Michael his undivided attention. "Where is she?"
"She’s dead. I killed her." Michael turned away. "She was a Skin. She was using you to get to us."
--
Isabel put her hand over the book and scanned the chapter into her head. She glanced over and saw Alex Jr. banging away on the keyboard. She had to smile. He didn’t know what he was doing but it kept him entertained while she studied.
A knock at the door broke her trance. She rose to answer it. She almost screamed when she saw who was outside. "Michael! You jerk!"
"Good to see you too, Isabel." Michael smirked and hugged her with one arm, Emily in his other one.
"I haven’t felt power in so long... I thought you were..." She didn’t even finish the thought. "I’m glad you’re home."
"Speaking of home... I kinda don’t have one and I’m trying to give Amy a break." He motioned to a baby suitcase on the ground. "You mind?"
"Come in. Of course you can stay here." Isabel pulled him in and shut the door.
TBC
November 2005
"Max, put out that cigarette." Liz muttered and brushed past him to get into the house. "Danny, come on."
"Where were you guys?" Max took a drag on the cigarette before putting it out. He was still wearing scrubs from the hospital.
"Shopping. Remember? You were supposed to meet us at the mall." She glared at him. Liz set Kathy down on the couch with her toy.
Max groaned. "I’m sorry I forgot all about the pictures. Did you reschedule?"
"No. We, the three of us, had our pictures taken. I think we’ll just have a cardboard cut-out next time." Liz turned around. "Danny, baby, come here with your sister."
"K’ty." The little boy climbed onto the couch next to his sister. "Meen!"
He snatched the toy from her little hands. She screamed. "Dana! Meen! Meen!"
"No, no, no." Max shook his head. "Play nice. Danny, where’s your toy?"
"It’s in the car with the bags. Could you?" Liz put a hand to her head. "They just both had to go into the terrible three’s."
"I’ll get it." Max held his hands up.
"And no more smoking!" She called after him. She turned to the kids. "Neither one of you is ever going to pick up that habit. Got it?"
"Mama. Hul me." Kathy raised her arms. Liz picked her up.
"Little girl, you are getting too big." Then Danny started bothering to be picked up. "Guys. I can’t hold both of you."
"Did you guys buy out the whole mall?" Max nearly lost half the bags when he made it inside the house. "Were those chairs I saw?"
"Potty training Daddy." Liz smirked. "You get to teach Danny."
"You bought two." He pointed out.
"Kathy does everything Danny does. Two birds, one stone. They bring me the pampers and wipes when they mess. It’s time."
"Little man... come here." Max picked up his son.
"Daddy, stinky." Daniel made a face.
"Yet another reason to stop smoking." Liz gave him a tight smile. They went about putting everything away, distracting the kids.
"I haven’t felt power in a while." Max whispered.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Liz turned to him.
"I hope not." He flipped Danny upside down over his shoulder. "He can take care of himself."
--
Michael squatted on the ground next to the tombstone. "I did it. I killed them. I found the one that shifted into me and killed you. I made him pay for what he did to you.
"I haven’t been to see Emily yet... She’s gotta be like three now but I know she’ll look just like you."
"She does." Kyle’s voice drifted over his head. "She misses you."
"You’ve seen her?" Michael stood and laid a flower beside the grave.
"She sees Uncle Kyle when he’s got a day off." Kyle shoved his hands into his pockets. "I take her sometimes when Amy needs a break. I take her to the station to see Dad. He’s still distant."
"I found Tracy."
"You did?" Kyle gave Michael his undivided attention. "Where is she?"
"She’s dead. I killed her." Michael turned away. "She was a Skin. She was using you to get to us."
--
Isabel put her hand over the book and scanned the chapter into her head. She glanced over and saw Alex Jr. banging away on the keyboard. She had to smile. He didn’t know what he was doing but it kept him entertained while she studied.
A knock at the door broke her trance. She rose to answer it. She almost screamed when she saw who was outside. "Michael! You jerk!"
"Good to see you too, Isabel." Michael smirked and hugged her with one arm, Emily in his other one.
"I haven’t felt power in so long... I thought you were..." She didn’t even finish the thought. "I’m glad you’re home."
"Speaking of home... I kinda don’t have one and I’m trying to give Amy a break." He motioned to a baby suitcase on the ground. "You mind?"
"Come in. Of course you can stay here." Isabel pulled him in and shut the door.
TBC
Part 20
The Fate of Destiny Part 20
Liz carried two potted flowers. She set one and a kiss at Maria’s grave before crossing to the other side where Alex’s grave lay. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t see Isabel curled in a ball beside it.
"Isabel?" She whispered. The blond wouldn’t look at her. "What’s wrong?"
When Isabel finally lifted her face, Liz could see the tears that streamed down her cheeks and the fact that no makeup had been applied that morning.
"Liz, I’m a horrible person." Isabel burst into fresh sobs.
"Why are you a horrible person?" Liz knelt beside her, taking her sister-in-law into her arms.
"I’ve betrayed two of my best friends." She whimpered.
"I’m sure that’s not true. What makes you believe that?"
Isabel clung tighter to Liz and cried. Liz rocked her quietly. When Max joined them, she motioned for him to be quiet. Isabel lifted her head and saw him a few feet away, and then she cried louder.
"I’m a horrible awful person."
"Iz, what’s wrong?" Max knelt beside them. "I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think."
"Max, I’m pregnant." Isabel waited but no one said a word. "And it’s Michael’s."
"Have you told him?" Liz whispered.
"No." She shook her head. "How could we do this to them?"
"Come on. We’ll take you home." Max picked her up and carried her to the Jeep. "It’ll all be okay."
"No. It won’t." Isabel whispered.
[Isabel held onto Michael while he cried. Kyle had come over for Emily and taken Jr. with him too. Michael was finally letting himself cry for Maria. Isabel cried too. It was something they could share.
The pain of losing the one person on the planet that they loved.
She didn’t know who started it but they were kissing hungrily, both needing some form of comfort from each other. Their brains had just shut down and their bodies moved of their own accord.
There were urgent kisses and touches. Fire took them both over.
Afterwards, Michael rolled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. Head in hands, he cried again. Only this time she didn’t make a move to comfort him. She had her own tears to deal with.]
--
"Hey Emily. What did you do at grandma’s?" Michael walked her to the motorcycle then strapped her into the baby seat on the back.
"Daddy!" She held her arms out and puckered up. He smiled and let her kiss his cheek.
"Come on Angel. We’re going to our own apartment." He hadn’t spoken to Isabel since the day they had slept together. He would leave early and come home late. He got a job and his own place to live.
When he stopped at a light he turned to find Max’s Jeep beside him. Max gestured for him to pull into the Wendy’s across the street. "Looks like we’re taking a detour sweetie."
Michael met Max inside. Max already had his kids set up with chicken nuggets and French fries. He shrugged at Michael’s look. "Liz just started night classes and I was supposed to feed the kids."
"I’m pretty sure Liz meant for you to cook them something." Michael hefted his daughter into his lap.
"I’m a second-year med intern, not a chef." Max shook his head. "Besides if she’s going to yell at me again, she might as well have some fresh fodder."
"Liz yells you? Liz?"
"The honeymoon has been over for awhile. Married life is great." Max nodded and stared at the table. "You get a warm body to sleep next to at night... with cold feet. Get great kids that insist on beating you up on a regular basis. You could have sex but you don’t because by the time you get home its morning and when you have the energy, she doesn’t. And don’t forget the nights when you got two small children sleeping between you. Did I mention she despises cigarettes?" He pulled the carton out of his shirt pocket, sniffed it then replaced it.
"Someone sounds bitter."
"No, not at all."
"So you wanted me here."
"You’ve been in town nearly a month and we haven’t even seen each other. Kyle filled me in on how things were. I’m glad you came back."
"Me too." Michael closed his eyes. "I have to... I need to tell you something."
"Isabel?" Max raised an eyebrow. "I know."
"She told you?"
"Something like that."
"I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did." Michael held his face in his hands. Emily pouted and hugged him around his neck.
"You need to talk to her. She thinks she’s a horrible person. She needs you to be of some comfort to her." Max tilted his head at his friend. "You owe her that much."
"She won’t even want to see me. I don’t want to see me."
"Daniel Parker Evans. Sit." Max caught the little boy trying to climb off his seat. "Michael, trust me, she’ll talk to you."
"Was it wrong?"
"Was what wrong?"
"I feel like I... I don’t know... like I cheated on Maria."
"Maria’s gone Michael. She’s been gone longer than she’s been dead." He shook his head. "Isabel feels like she’s betrayed Alex."
"It’s just weird."
--
"It’s just really weird." Isabel paced her apartment. "He used to be like a brother... then Tess showed up and suddenly he was a potential mate. Then he was a friend and now..."
"Do you care about him?" Kyle bounced Jr. on his knee.
"Yes but... I don’t love him. Alex is only three and now I’m having another baby. Oh God." She sank into a chair. "I feel like I’ve just spat on Alex and Maria’s graves."
"Maria was my sister. True I didn’t get to know her in that capacity but I still felt that urge to protect her like Max does you." He blinked rapidly as he fought for words. "It’s not like they died yesterday. It’s been two years since Maria could even speak."
"It doesn’t make me feel better." She sighed and hugged herself. "I can’t stop feeling him."
Kyle crossed the room and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms. He stroked her hair and soon he could feel and hear her even breathing.
"Mama nigh-night." Alex Jr. whispered putting a finger to his lips.
"Yeah, buddy." Kyle nodded as he laid her back on the couch. "Let’s say you and me go get some... ice cream. Huh?"
"Yay!" Kyle cringed as the little boy yelled.
"Sh. Come on."
--
"Daddy... sleepy." Emily whined and pulled on Michael’s arm.
"Just talk to her." Max loaded his kids into the Jeep.
"What am I going to say? Sorry I slept with you. I was upset." He shook his head. "I’d slap me for saying that."
"I Mama!" Max’s head snapped around when he heard his daughter yell. A smile broke out on his face. "I Mama!"
"She’s never said that before." He whispered.
"I guess things are changing." Michael nodded. He put Emily in the bike seat. "I kinda wish they wouldn’t."
TBC
Liz carried two potted flowers. She set one and a kiss at Maria’s grave before crossing to the other side where Alex’s grave lay. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t see Isabel curled in a ball beside it.
"Isabel?" She whispered. The blond wouldn’t look at her. "What’s wrong?"
When Isabel finally lifted her face, Liz could see the tears that streamed down her cheeks and the fact that no makeup had been applied that morning.
"Liz, I’m a horrible person." Isabel burst into fresh sobs.
"Why are you a horrible person?" Liz knelt beside her, taking her sister-in-law into her arms.
"I’ve betrayed two of my best friends." She whimpered.
"I’m sure that’s not true. What makes you believe that?"
Isabel clung tighter to Liz and cried. Liz rocked her quietly. When Max joined them, she motioned for him to be quiet. Isabel lifted her head and saw him a few feet away, and then she cried louder.
"I’m a horrible awful person."
"Iz, what’s wrong?" Max knelt beside them. "I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think."
"Max, I’m pregnant." Isabel waited but no one said a word. "And it’s Michael’s."
"Have you told him?" Liz whispered.
"No." She shook her head. "How could we do this to them?"
"Come on. We’ll take you home." Max picked her up and carried her to the Jeep. "It’ll all be okay."
"No. It won’t." Isabel whispered.
[Isabel held onto Michael while he cried. Kyle had come over for Emily and taken Jr. with him too. Michael was finally letting himself cry for Maria. Isabel cried too. It was something they could share.
The pain of losing the one person on the planet that they loved.
She didn’t know who started it but they were kissing hungrily, both needing some form of comfort from each other. Their brains had just shut down and their bodies moved of their own accord.
There were urgent kisses and touches. Fire took them both over.
Afterwards, Michael rolled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. Head in hands, he cried again. Only this time she didn’t make a move to comfort him. She had her own tears to deal with.]
--
"Hey Emily. What did you do at grandma’s?" Michael walked her to the motorcycle then strapped her into the baby seat on the back.
"Daddy!" She held her arms out and puckered up. He smiled and let her kiss his cheek.
"Come on Angel. We’re going to our own apartment." He hadn’t spoken to Isabel since the day they had slept together. He would leave early and come home late. He got a job and his own place to live.
When he stopped at a light he turned to find Max’s Jeep beside him. Max gestured for him to pull into the Wendy’s across the street. "Looks like we’re taking a detour sweetie."
Michael met Max inside. Max already had his kids set up with chicken nuggets and French fries. He shrugged at Michael’s look. "Liz just started night classes and I was supposed to feed the kids."
"I’m pretty sure Liz meant for you to cook them something." Michael hefted his daughter into his lap.
"I’m a second-year med intern, not a chef." Max shook his head. "Besides if she’s going to yell at me again, she might as well have some fresh fodder."
"Liz yells you? Liz?"
"The honeymoon has been over for awhile. Married life is great." Max nodded and stared at the table. "You get a warm body to sleep next to at night... with cold feet. Get great kids that insist on beating you up on a regular basis. You could have sex but you don’t because by the time you get home its morning and when you have the energy, she doesn’t. And don’t forget the nights when you got two small children sleeping between you. Did I mention she despises cigarettes?" He pulled the carton out of his shirt pocket, sniffed it then replaced it.
"Someone sounds bitter."
"No, not at all."
"So you wanted me here."
"You’ve been in town nearly a month and we haven’t even seen each other. Kyle filled me in on how things were. I’m glad you came back."
"Me too." Michael closed his eyes. "I have to... I need to tell you something."
"Isabel?" Max raised an eyebrow. "I know."
"She told you?"
"Something like that."
"I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did." Michael held his face in his hands. Emily pouted and hugged him around his neck.
"You need to talk to her. She thinks she’s a horrible person. She needs you to be of some comfort to her." Max tilted his head at his friend. "You owe her that much."
"She won’t even want to see me. I don’t want to see me."
"Daniel Parker Evans. Sit." Max caught the little boy trying to climb off his seat. "Michael, trust me, she’ll talk to you."
"Was it wrong?"
"Was what wrong?"
"I feel like I... I don’t know... like I cheated on Maria."
"Maria’s gone Michael. She’s been gone longer than she’s been dead." He shook his head. "Isabel feels like she’s betrayed Alex."
"It’s just weird."
--
"It’s just really weird." Isabel paced her apartment. "He used to be like a brother... then Tess showed up and suddenly he was a potential mate. Then he was a friend and now..."
"Do you care about him?" Kyle bounced Jr. on his knee.
"Yes but... I don’t love him. Alex is only three and now I’m having another baby. Oh God." She sank into a chair. "I feel like I’ve just spat on Alex and Maria’s graves."
"Maria was my sister. True I didn’t get to know her in that capacity but I still felt that urge to protect her like Max does you." He blinked rapidly as he fought for words. "It’s not like they died yesterday. It’s been two years since Maria could even speak."
"It doesn’t make me feel better." She sighed and hugged herself. "I can’t stop feeling him."
Kyle crossed the room and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms. He stroked her hair and soon he could feel and hear her even breathing.
"Mama nigh-night." Alex Jr. whispered putting a finger to his lips.
"Yeah, buddy." Kyle nodded as he laid her back on the couch. "Let’s say you and me go get some... ice cream. Huh?"
"Yay!" Kyle cringed as the little boy yelled.
"Sh. Come on."
--
"Daddy... sleepy." Emily whined and pulled on Michael’s arm.
"Just talk to her." Max loaded his kids into the Jeep.
"What am I going to say? Sorry I slept with you. I was upset." He shook his head. "I’d slap me for saying that."
"I Mama!" Max’s head snapped around when he heard his daughter yell. A smile broke out on his face. "I Mama!"
"She’s never said that before." He whispered.
"I guess things are changing." Michael nodded. He put Emily in the bike seat. "I kinda wish they wouldn’t."
TBC
Part 21
The Fate of Destiny Part 21
"Max, honey, have you seen your father?" Diane went out to meet her son when he got home with his kids.
"No. Just Liz was here when I got off. I thought you were both in Clovis today." Max looked his mother over, she looked awful.
"We were." Her hand went to her head. "He went to get lunch and never came back. I had to get a ride with one of the clients home."
Max closed his eyes and suddenly snapped them open when he heard a car pull up. Kyle’s cruiser. Kyle and Alex Jr. climbed out. "Hey guys. I took Alex here out for some ice cream and when we got back to Isabel’s... no Isabel. Is she here?"
"No, she isn’t." Diane shook her head.
"Did you check at Michael’s? They’re supposed to have a talk." Max lifted his kids out of the Jeep.
"I know all about that... she wasn’t there. Neither was Michael."
"That’s right. I was just talking to him." Max shook his head. He turned to his mother. "Mom, I’m sure it’s nothing. Kyle and I will look into it. Go inside and get some rest."
"Ok, come on kids. Come with Grandma." Diane led her grandchildren into the house. They both waited until the foursome had shut the door behind them before speaking. Max pulled out a cigarette but couldn’t get his lighter to work. Frustrated he glanced around and lit it with his powers. He took a long drag before turning to Kyle. "Did you check the cemetery?"
"First place I checked. She was really upset when I talked to her earlier."
"I know." Max’s eyes focused on two people walking down the sidewalk in front of the house. "She and Michael will work it out though. She just has to tell him first."
"She’s not ready for another kid."
"I hate to say it but getting rid of it is not an option. We can’t risk the tests she’ll need." He narrowed his eyes at the couple but kept talking. "I don’t think she’ll be gone too long wherever she is. She used to go down to the quarry when she was trying to make a decision. My guess is she’ll be back before we know it."
"If you say so. All I’m saying was she was so upset, she cried herself to sleep." Kyle followed Max’s gaze to the street where the two people were still standing. "Isn’t that...?"
"Yeah, it is." Max nodded and took a drag on his cigarette. Liz’s laughter reached their ears. "Let’s go introduce ourselves."
Kyle and Max made their way down the lawn to Liz and the guy she was laughing with. Her back was to them so her friend gestured behind her. "Those your brothers?"
Liz turned and her smile faded when she saw the expression on Max’s face. She was about to answer but Max beat her to it. "Actually, I’m Liz’s husband."
"I’m a loyal friend and officer of the law."
"Stephen, her lab partner." The guy shook hands with Kyle but couldn’t with Max because Max was holding a cigarette in his hand. "Um, Liz didn’t tell me she was married."
"Babe, where’s the car?" Max slid his left hand around her waist.
"I was about to ask you, Max." Liz tilted her head at him. "When I got out to the parking lot, your mom’s car was gone but your dad’s car was there and the keys were nowhere to be found... so Stephen walked me home."
"Dad’s car?" Max glanced back at the house.
"Yeah, I thought it was odd too. Isn’t he in Clovis?"
"Actually, no one knows where he is... even Mom." Max turned to Kyle. "When’s the soonest you can put out an APB on the car?"
"He’s gotta be gone with the car 12 hours before I can look for it and 24 before I can file a missing persons on him." Kyle scratched his head. "I’ll talk to my dad. We’ll go looking for your sister too. Later. Nice meeting you Steve."
"It’s Stephen and nice meeting you too, Officer..."
"Valenti." Kyle added with a smirk. The shock on the guy’s face was priceless. The name Valenti did have its advantages.
"Isabel?" Liz looked up at Max. "What’s wrong with her?"
"We don’t know where she is either. She’ll turn up once she’s had a chance to think things through." He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Kathy asked for you tonight."
"She did?" Liz’s face lit up with a bright smile. "Really?"
"Yeah." He nearly got thrown off balance when she pulled him down for a kiss. It deepened quickly but was stopped short when the sound of shuffling feet reached their ears.
"Oh Stephen, I’m sorry." Liz blushed. "Thank you for walking me home. I’ll see you next session. I’ve got to get inside and see my kids."
"Kids, yeah, those are important." Stephen started backing down the walk. "Next session, see you."
Max watched the younger man hurry away as he puffed on the cigarette. "He likes you."
"No he doesn’t." Liz shook her head at him.
"Please he’s a love sick puppy." Max lit his next cigarette with the butt of the first. "What... he’s like 17?"
"19." She eyed the cigarette pointedly. "I will never get how you manage to keep your mouth tasting so good when you continue to smoke those things. You weren’t smoking those around my children were you?"
"No." Max shook his head and pinched it out, sticking it in his pocket. "Let’s go inside. I’m going to make some calls and look for my dad."
"You think everything’s okay?" She whispered. "First your dad... then Isabel..."
"I don’t know what to think. Isabel... I’m not really worried about her. My dad, though... this has never happened before."
--
Kyle pulled into the cemetery lot and knew without looking that his dad’s cruiser was a few spaces over. He walked slowly but surely to Maria’s grave. Sure enough, James Kyle Valenti, Jr. was knelt beside the marker. Tears streamed down the old man’s face... at least lately his face seemed a lot older than it used to.
"Do you know what really kills me?" Valenti whispered to his son. "I killed her."
"No, you didn’t." Kyle whispered softly. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Would his father be this way if he had been the one to die in lieu of Maria? Kyle’s father had gone out of his way for Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz, Alex, Tess and Maria. Would he do the same for his own son?
"I gave her whatever it was that killed her."
"You didn’t kill her... a Skin did."
"I gave it to her and... I gave it to you." Jim Valenti whispered. "I’ve killed you already, gave you this disease and... I couldn’t save her... Does that mean if you get sick like her that I can’t save you either?"
"I’m not sick. I’m right here."
Silence hung over them like a blanket. Kyle couldn’t take it anymore.
"Mr. Evans and Isabel have both gone missing. So far it looks like they are separate incidences."
Valenti pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from his face. "Let’s get busy then."
TBC
"Max, honey, have you seen your father?" Diane went out to meet her son when he got home with his kids.
"No. Just Liz was here when I got off. I thought you were both in Clovis today." Max looked his mother over, she looked awful.
"We were." Her hand went to her head. "He went to get lunch and never came back. I had to get a ride with one of the clients home."
Max closed his eyes and suddenly snapped them open when he heard a car pull up. Kyle’s cruiser. Kyle and Alex Jr. climbed out. "Hey guys. I took Alex here out for some ice cream and when we got back to Isabel’s... no Isabel. Is she here?"
"No, she isn’t." Diane shook her head.
"Did you check at Michael’s? They’re supposed to have a talk." Max lifted his kids out of the Jeep.
"I know all about that... she wasn’t there. Neither was Michael."
"That’s right. I was just talking to him." Max shook his head. He turned to his mother. "Mom, I’m sure it’s nothing. Kyle and I will look into it. Go inside and get some rest."
"Ok, come on kids. Come with Grandma." Diane led her grandchildren into the house. They both waited until the foursome had shut the door behind them before speaking. Max pulled out a cigarette but couldn’t get his lighter to work. Frustrated he glanced around and lit it with his powers. He took a long drag before turning to Kyle. "Did you check the cemetery?"
"First place I checked. She was really upset when I talked to her earlier."
"I know." Max’s eyes focused on two people walking down the sidewalk in front of the house. "She and Michael will work it out though. She just has to tell him first."
"She’s not ready for another kid."
"I hate to say it but getting rid of it is not an option. We can’t risk the tests she’ll need." He narrowed his eyes at the couple but kept talking. "I don’t think she’ll be gone too long wherever she is. She used to go down to the quarry when she was trying to make a decision. My guess is she’ll be back before we know it."
"If you say so. All I’m saying was she was so upset, she cried herself to sleep." Kyle followed Max’s gaze to the street where the two people were still standing. "Isn’t that...?"
"Yeah, it is." Max nodded and took a drag on his cigarette. Liz’s laughter reached their ears. "Let’s go introduce ourselves."
Kyle and Max made their way down the lawn to Liz and the guy she was laughing with. Her back was to them so her friend gestured behind her. "Those your brothers?"
Liz turned and her smile faded when she saw the expression on Max’s face. She was about to answer but Max beat her to it. "Actually, I’m Liz’s husband."
"I’m a loyal friend and officer of the law."
"Stephen, her lab partner." The guy shook hands with Kyle but couldn’t with Max because Max was holding a cigarette in his hand. "Um, Liz didn’t tell me she was married."
"Babe, where’s the car?" Max slid his left hand around her waist.
"I was about to ask you, Max." Liz tilted her head at him. "When I got out to the parking lot, your mom’s car was gone but your dad’s car was there and the keys were nowhere to be found... so Stephen walked me home."
"Dad’s car?" Max glanced back at the house.
"Yeah, I thought it was odd too. Isn’t he in Clovis?"
"Actually, no one knows where he is... even Mom." Max turned to Kyle. "When’s the soonest you can put out an APB on the car?"
"He’s gotta be gone with the car 12 hours before I can look for it and 24 before I can file a missing persons on him." Kyle scratched his head. "I’ll talk to my dad. We’ll go looking for your sister too. Later. Nice meeting you Steve."
"It’s Stephen and nice meeting you too, Officer..."
"Valenti." Kyle added with a smirk. The shock on the guy’s face was priceless. The name Valenti did have its advantages.
"Isabel?" Liz looked up at Max. "What’s wrong with her?"
"We don’t know where she is either. She’ll turn up once she’s had a chance to think things through." He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Kathy asked for you tonight."
"She did?" Liz’s face lit up with a bright smile. "Really?"
"Yeah." He nearly got thrown off balance when she pulled him down for a kiss. It deepened quickly but was stopped short when the sound of shuffling feet reached their ears.
"Oh Stephen, I’m sorry." Liz blushed. "Thank you for walking me home. I’ll see you next session. I’ve got to get inside and see my kids."
"Kids, yeah, those are important." Stephen started backing down the walk. "Next session, see you."
Max watched the younger man hurry away as he puffed on the cigarette. "He likes you."
"No he doesn’t." Liz shook her head at him.
"Please he’s a love sick puppy." Max lit his next cigarette with the butt of the first. "What... he’s like 17?"
"19." She eyed the cigarette pointedly. "I will never get how you manage to keep your mouth tasting so good when you continue to smoke those things. You weren’t smoking those around my children were you?"
"No." Max shook his head and pinched it out, sticking it in his pocket. "Let’s go inside. I’m going to make some calls and look for my dad."
"You think everything’s okay?" She whispered. "First your dad... then Isabel..."
"I don’t know what to think. Isabel... I’m not really worried about her. My dad, though... this has never happened before."
--
Kyle pulled into the cemetery lot and knew without looking that his dad’s cruiser was a few spaces over. He walked slowly but surely to Maria’s grave. Sure enough, James Kyle Valenti, Jr. was knelt beside the marker. Tears streamed down the old man’s face... at least lately his face seemed a lot older than it used to.
"Do you know what really kills me?" Valenti whispered to his son. "I killed her."
"No, you didn’t." Kyle whispered softly. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Would his father be this way if he had been the one to die in lieu of Maria? Kyle’s father had gone out of his way for Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz, Alex, Tess and Maria. Would he do the same for his own son?
"I gave her whatever it was that killed her."
"You didn’t kill her... a Skin did."
"I gave it to her and... I gave it to you." Jim Valenti whispered. "I’ve killed you already, gave you this disease and... I couldn’t save her... Does that mean if you get sick like her that I can’t save you either?"
"I’m not sick. I’m right here."
Silence hung over them like a blanket. Kyle couldn’t take it anymore.
"Mr. Evans and Isabel have both gone missing. So far it looks like they are separate incidences."
Valenti pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from his face. "Let’s get busy then."
TBC
Part 22
The Fate of Destiny Part 22
Diane clutched onto her daughter-in-law’s hands as Sheriff Valenti explained everything to her. "So what you’re saying is you really can’t do anything until it’s been 24 hours."
"I’m sorry. I really wish there was more that I could do..." Valenti wrung his hat in his hands. "I’m just following procedure."
"I understand. He’s just never left like this. He’s never left work like that." Diane whispered. "Where’s Isabel? Does she know?"
"Max went to tell her." Liz lied. Max had gone to look for her. Isabel had not returned the night before. "He’ll be back with her soon."
--
Isabel sang loud. Her voice filled the canyon as she marched back and forth by the water. The quarry was always her favorite place to think. But thinking had left her some time ago. She focused on the words and pushed everything from her head. "This bloody road remains a mystery/ This sudden darkness fills the air/ What’re we waiting for?/ Won’t anybody help us?/ What’re we waiting for?/ We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible!"
[Isabel raised her hand and sent the Skin flying against a wall. Then she sent a ball of energy straight into its chest. It exploded like a pile of feathers.
As the pieces fell around her she suddenly remembered how she had killed Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker back in high school. That memory froze her in place. The pieces disintegrated once they hit the ground. Isabel resumed her walk.]
"This shattered dream you cannot justify/ We’re gonna scream until we’re satisfied/ What’re we running for?/ We’ve got the right to be angry/ What’re we running for?/ When there’s no where we can run to anymore."
[She ran her hand down the pale skin of Alex’s face. Even with the makeup he didn’t look like himself. Isabel had spent most of the day just sitting beside the coffin. She wasn’t supposed to be there until the place opened but she had to be near him.
Isabel kissed her fingers and put them to his eyes. A flash entered her brain. Alex was cleaning his garage. It stopped there. That was all she was allowed. He was nowhere near the garage door. In fact, the door was completely open.
She sat there and sobbed until Max had found her.]
"We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible/ And with the power of conviction/ There is no sacrifice/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible."
[Michael lowered his head to her breasts, taking a proud stiff nipple into his mouth. Isabel’s body shuddered in pleasure. Her eyes fluttered closed as his hands ran down the length of her body.
Her hand wrapped around his erection, pumping lightly in the same rhythm he sucked at her breast.]
Isabel sang louder, trying desperately to free her mind of the horrid memories. "Won’t anybody help us?/ What’re we running for?/ When there’s no where, no where we can run to anymore."
[Isabel’s hand gripped the headboard as Michael pounded into her body. His mouth burned her neck. Her own cries filled her ears. "Michael!"
"God, Isabel..." He groaned as he came, thrusting into her until he was spent.
It was then, as she struggled to catch her breath that she realized what she had just done. Her pants turned into ragged gasps turned into outright sobs.]
Isabel dropped to her knees. Her body suddenly realizing all the energy she’d spent in the last 16 hours. She forced the words out, anything to keep from reliving those painful events. "We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible/ And with the power of conviction/ There is no sacrifice/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible."
That’s how Max found her. She was crying and sobbing into the pools in the desert floor, whispering words to an old song to herself.
He picked her up and put her in the back of the Jeep. "Did you walk out here by yourself?"
"I killed them, Max. I went for a walk and I killed one. Then I kept walking and I killed another... and then another... and then another." She sobbed. "Why can’t they just leave us alone? I don’t want this war."
"None of us want this war, Izzy." He rocked her gently.
"I’m not ready for this, Max. You have to help me."
"Anything for you."
"Do it today."
"Okay. We’ll do it today." He whispered. "I’ll have to do it myself... but we’ll do it today."
--
Kyle watched Liz pace with the phone in hand. He was only half listening to her conversation. "What do I tell your mother?"
"Just tell her we’re checking out a few places." Max’s voice came over the line. Liz hit the button, turning off the little red light. She sat next to her old friend.
"Isabel killed four Skins last night." She whispered.
"By herself?" He whispered.
"Apparently. He’s... taking care of her."
--
Max looked over the rooms on the board. One caught his attention. Evans, trauma 2. "Isabel, meet me on the second floor. Just tell them you’re waiting for me."
She nodded and went up. Max rushed to trauma 2. He threw open the door to find his father sitting up on the bed. "Dad?"
"Max? What are you doing here?"
"I work here. Why are you here? We’ve been worried about you." Max hugged his father.
"Truth be told... I don’t know why I’m here. I was going out to grab lunch for the office and that’s the last thing I remember." Philip Evans shrugged.
"Who’s your doctor?" Max reached over and picked up the chart. "Logan? I’ve never heard of that doctor."
"What’s today?"
"It’s Friday." Max muttered and read over the report. "It’s been almost 24 hours dad. Not quite but almost."
"Geez. I just barely woke up. Strangest thing." He shook his head.
"You seem to be fine except for a contusion on the back of your head. How does that feel?"
"Like it’s in a vice."
"Dr. Evans, I didn’t realize you were working today." A nurse walked in.
"I’m not. This is my father, which brings to question... if you knew his name presumably from his wallet... why wasn’t my mother notified? We've had no clue where he’s been. And who the hell is Dr. Logan?"
"New, just come in this morning." She shrugged. "He was brought in early this morning unconscious. We never received any orders from her."
"Do me a favor. Call my wife; tell her we’ve found my father. She’ll take care of everything else. I have some business to attend to upstairs." Max shook his head. He turned to his father. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?"
"Yeah. Your mother must be worried sick."
"They’ll be here soon." Max hugged his father again before leaving. He had yet another mystery on his hands. So much had happened in such little time... he didn’t know how much more he could take.
TBC
Yes, yes. The 80s cheese is there.
Diane clutched onto her daughter-in-law’s hands as Sheriff Valenti explained everything to her. "So what you’re saying is you really can’t do anything until it’s been 24 hours."
"I’m sorry. I really wish there was more that I could do..." Valenti wrung his hat in his hands. "I’m just following procedure."
"I understand. He’s just never left like this. He’s never left work like that." Diane whispered. "Where’s Isabel? Does she know?"
"Max went to tell her." Liz lied. Max had gone to look for her. Isabel had not returned the night before. "He’ll be back with her soon."
--
Isabel sang loud. Her voice filled the canyon as she marched back and forth by the water. The quarry was always her favorite place to think. But thinking had left her some time ago. She focused on the words and pushed everything from her head. "This bloody road remains a mystery/ This sudden darkness fills the air/ What’re we waiting for?/ Won’t anybody help us?/ What’re we waiting for?/ We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible!"
[Isabel raised her hand and sent the Skin flying against a wall. Then she sent a ball of energy straight into its chest. It exploded like a pile of feathers.
As the pieces fell around her she suddenly remembered how she had killed Congresswoman Vanessa Whitaker back in high school. That memory froze her in place. The pieces disintegrated once they hit the ground. Isabel resumed her walk.]
"This shattered dream you cannot justify/ We’re gonna scream until we’re satisfied/ What’re we running for?/ We’ve got the right to be angry/ What’re we running for?/ When there’s no where we can run to anymore."
[She ran her hand down the pale skin of Alex’s face. Even with the makeup he didn’t look like himself. Isabel had spent most of the day just sitting beside the coffin. She wasn’t supposed to be there until the place opened but she had to be near him.
Isabel kissed her fingers and put them to his eyes. A flash entered her brain. Alex was cleaning his garage. It stopped there. That was all she was allowed. He was nowhere near the garage door. In fact, the door was completely open.
She sat there and sobbed until Max had found her.]
"We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible/ And with the power of conviction/ There is no sacrifice/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible."
[Michael lowered his head to her breasts, taking a proud stiff nipple into his mouth. Isabel’s body shuddered in pleasure. Her eyes fluttered closed as his hands ran down the length of her body.
Her hand wrapped around his erection, pumping lightly in the same rhythm he sucked at her breast.]
Isabel sang louder, trying desperately to free her mind of the horrid memories. "Won’t anybody help us?/ What’re we running for?/ When there’s no where, no where we can run to anymore."
[Isabel’s hand gripped the headboard as Michael pounded into her body. His mouth burned her neck. Her own cries filled her ears. "Michael!"
"God, Isabel..." He groaned as he came, thrusting into her until he was spent.
It was then, as she struggled to catch her breath that she realized what she had just done. Her pants turned into ragged gasps turned into outright sobs.]
Isabel dropped to her knees. Her body suddenly realizing all the energy she’d spent in the last 16 hours. She forced the words out, anything to keep from reliving those painful events. "We can’t afford to be innocent/ Stand up and face the enemy/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible/ And with the power of conviction/ There is no sacrifice/ It’s a do or die situation/ We will be invincible."
That’s how Max found her. She was crying and sobbing into the pools in the desert floor, whispering words to an old song to herself.
He picked her up and put her in the back of the Jeep. "Did you walk out here by yourself?"
"I killed them, Max. I went for a walk and I killed one. Then I kept walking and I killed another... and then another... and then another." She sobbed. "Why can’t they just leave us alone? I don’t want this war."
"None of us want this war, Izzy." He rocked her gently.
"I’m not ready for this, Max. You have to help me."
"Anything for you."
"Do it today."
"Okay. We’ll do it today." He whispered. "I’ll have to do it myself... but we’ll do it today."
--
Kyle watched Liz pace with the phone in hand. He was only half listening to her conversation. "What do I tell your mother?"
"Just tell her we’re checking out a few places." Max’s voice came over the line. Liz hit the button, turning off the little red light. She sat next to her old friend.
"Isabel killed four Skins last night." She whispered.
"By herself?" He whispered.
"Apparently. He’s... taking care of her."
--
Max looked over the rooms on the board. One caught his attention. Evans, trauma 2. "Isabel, meet me on the second floor. Just tell them you’re waiting for me."
She nodded and went up. Max rushed to trauma 2. He threw open the door to find his father sitting up on the bed. "Dad?"
"Max? What are you doing here?"
"I work here. Why are you here? We’ve been worried about you." Max hugged his father.
"Truth be told... I don’t know why I’m here. I was going out to grab lunch for the office and that’s the last thing I remember." Philip Evans shrugged.
"Who’s your doctor?" Max reached over and picked up the chart. "Logan? I’ve never heard of that doctor."
"What’s today?"
"It’s Friday." Max muttered and read over the report. "It’s been almost 24 hours dad. Not quite but almost."
"Geez. I just barely woke up. Strangest thing." He shook his head.
"You seem to be fine except for a contusion on the back of your head. How does that feel?"
"Like it’s in a vice."
"Dr. Evans, I didn’t realize you were working today." A nurse walked in.
"I’m not. This is my father, which brings to question... if you knew his name presumably from his wallet... why wasn’t my mother notified? We've had no clue where he’s been. And who the hell is Dr. Logan?"
"New, just come in this morning." She shrugged. "He was brought in early this morning unconscious. We never received any orders from her."
"Do me a favor. Call my wife; tell her we’ve found my father. She’ll take care of everything else. I have some business to attend to upstairs." Max shook his head. He turned to his father. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?"
"Yeah. Your mother must be worried sick."
"They’ll be here soon." Max hugged his father again before leaving. He had yet another mystery on his hands. So much had happened in such little time... he didn’t know how much more he could take.
TBC
Yes, yes. The 80s cheese is there.
Part 23
AN: You silly Roswellians. You know the Skins are never really gone. '-)
The Fate of Destiny Part 23
Liz helped her father-in-law out of the car. Kyle was right behind them. He ran ahead and opened the front door. "I’m fine, Liz. Really. I don’t need help."
"You don’t look fine." She squeezed his hand. "We were all worried about you."
"I just wish I could remember something." He conceded. Once they had made it inside, Diane had thrown her arms around Philip.
Liz stood there watching them and felt her heart beat triple time. It had just hit her. What if it had been Max? He’d been hurt, he’d gone hunting but never been missing. Never alone and missing. She always knew that he was with Michael or Kyle or the Sheriff.
"It’s scary huh." Kyle whispered as he caught three toddlers making their way out the door.
"Yeah. I don’t know what I would do if Max just suddenly disappeared." Liz shook her head.
--
Michael twirled his daughter around and laughed when she squealed. He set her on her feet. "Guess what Daddy got you."
"Dolly?" Emily tried to move around him to get at the box.
"What do you say?"
"Please." She tugged on his hand. Finally he pulled the doll out of the box. He had made it himself. Well, he bought the porcelain doll, and then he changed its features to look like Maria. He gave it her green eyes and blond curls, her beautiful smile.
"Tank you." She hugged the doll tight. Michael smiled at her glittering green eyes and brown curls. The hair was his but everything else was Maria.
The phone rang, so Michael picked up, never taking his eyes off Emily, dancing with her doll. "It’s Michael. Speak."
"Hi. Michael. It’s Liz."
"Hey, what’s going on? They find either one?"
"Both actually. Max is still with Iz, she’s fine... she had a run in with one or... four Skins."
"Four?" Michael’s eyes widened. "She’s okay?"
"Yeah... Max’s dad had a scare. He doesn’t remember anything though. I just thought you should know what was going on."
"Is something wrong Liz?" He could hear the tears in her voice.
"No. Everything’s fine. Everything’s just... fine." He could hear her take a deep breath. "It’s just a little stressful."
"I’ll bet."
"I’m fine, really. I just wish Max would get home."
"Where is he?"
"He’s still at the hospital with Isabel."
"Whoa. I thought you said she was fine."
"Oh. OH. Um. She is. She’s fine. Unharmed and all that."
"Tell me Liz."
"Michael, um, I shouldn’t. But really she’s fine. Really."
"You’re repeating yourself. You aren’t fine. What’s going on?" His voice rose. She was going to crack any minute now.
--
Isabel let her brother lead her to the guest room of her old house. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead just like she was a child. "You rest, ok?"
"I will." She whispered. "Where’s Alex?"
"Taking a nap with the kids." Max brushed the hair out of her face. "I’ll leave the door open. You need anything and I’ll get it for you... okay?"
"I’m not a child."
"I know. Have you eaten today?"
"No."
"I’ll bring you something later." He kissed her head again and left her to rest.
Max was about to walk down the hall to his own room when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He turned slowly and hugged Liz tight. "God, I thought you’d never get home."
"I’m home." He bent his head to kiss her lips.
"Max, don’t ever leave me. Don’t ever go." She cried, suddenly she shook her head. "I know. I know you can’t promise that. I saw your mother and your father this afternoon and my heart just broke. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you."
"I will promise that I will never intentionally leave you. I will never intentionally hurt you. If I can help it, I will always be right here, with you. Forever."
"I love you so much."
"I love you." He kissed her again. "I will take care of you to the best of my ability." Their lips met again. "I will take care of our kids." Kiss. "If I can help it, nothing will ever happen to you or the kids, or my sister, Michael, Kyle, Em, Jr. No one."
Isabel watched her brother and sister-in-law kissing and reassuring each other just outside her doorway. She felt a pang of jealousy. To love someone so much and have them by your side, she wondered if she’d ever have that again.
["And I love your fingers, and I love your elbows and I love your hair and I love your eyes and your nose." Alex kissed each as he named them. Isabel’s heart fluttered at each touch of his lips.
"Alex..." She closed her eyes then opened them to look into his blue ones. "I love you."
"Wow, that feels so good to hear." He pulled her against her chest. "And you feel so good in my arms."
"I... don’t want anything to ever happen to you because of me." She whispered against his chest.
"Anything for you would be worth it." Alex pulled the blankets up over their bodies.
"Hey Alex, want piz-za?" Maggie’s question broke as the door showed her more about her brother’s life than she ever wanted to know. "Sorry."
"Mags, the door. Please." He muttered, pulling Isabel closer if it was possible.
"Right." She shut the door a little too hard.
"Imagine if we had just had sex." Alex joked lamely.
"She doesn’t like me." Isabel groaned.
"She doesn’t like anybody." He tried to reassure her.
"I wish you didn’t have to leave." She sat up and pulled her shirt back onto her shoulders.
"It’s a really good opportunity. I’ll only be gone until October. I’ll be home for a month before I have to go back. Then after January, we can be together for as long as we want." He pulled his own shirt on and led her out into the living room to be embarrassed by his sister’s withering gaze.]
"Max... Um... I’ve got to tell you something." Liz whispered, casting a glance into the guest room.
"What is it?" Max furrowed his brow.
"Michael knows... about you know. I’m sorry." She immediately apologized. "I let it slip that she was with you at the hospital. And you know how he gets when he knows that you know something that he doesn’t. I really didn’t mean to tell him."
"Liz, Liz, calm down." He brushed her hair out of her face.
"I’m really sorry. I could have hung up. I could have but... I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me. I told him."
"What did he say?"
"He didn’t say anything. Just. 'Oh.'"
Isabel closed her eyes tight. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse. She could only pray that he would understand.
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 23
Liz helped her father-in-law out of the car. Kyle was right behind them. He ran ahead and opened the front door. "I’m fine, Liz. Really. I don’t need help."
"You don’t look fine." She squeezed his hand. "We were all worried about you."
"I just wish I could remember something." He conceded. Once they had made it inside, Diane had thrown her arms around Philip.
Liz stood there watching them and felt her heart beat triple time. It had just hit her. What if it had been Max? He’d been hurt, he’d gone hunting but never been missing. Never alone and missing. She always knew that he was with Michael or Kyle or the Sheriff.
"It’s scary huh." Kyle whispered as he caught three toddlers making their way out the door.
"Yeah. I don’t know what I would do if Max just suddenly disappeared." Liz shook her head.
--
Michael twirled his daughter around and laughed when she squealed. He set her on her feet. "Guess what Daddy got you."
"Dolly?" Emily tried to move around him to get at the box.
"What do you say?"
"Please." She tugged on his hand. Finally he pulled the doll out of the box. He had made it himself. Well, he bought the porcelain doll, and then he changed its features to look like Maria. He gave it her green eyes and blond curls, her beautiful smile.
"Tank you." She hugged the doll tight. Michael smiled at her glittering green eyes and brown curls. The hair was his but everything else was Maria.
The phone rang, so Michael picked up, never taking his eyes off Emily, dancing with her doll. "It’s Michael. Speak."
"Hi. Michael. It’s Liz."
"Hey, what’s going on? They find either one?"
"Both actually. Max is still with Iz, she’s fine... she had a run in with one or... four Skins."
"Four?" Michael’s eyes widened. "She’s okay?"
"Yeah... Max’s dad had a scare. He doesn’t remember anything though. I just thought you should know what was going on."
"Is something wrong Liz?" He could hear the tears in her voice.
"No. Everything’s fine. Everything’s just... fine." He could hear her take a deep breath. "It’s just a little stressful."
"I’ll bet."
"I’m fine, really. I just wish Max would get home."
"Where is he?"
"He’s still at the hospital with Isabel."
"Whoa. I thought you said she was fine."
"Oh. OH. Um. She is. She’s fine. Unharmed and all that."
"Tell me Liz."
"Michael, um, I shouldn’t. But really she’s fine. Really."
"You’re repeating yourself. You aren’t fine. What’s going on?" His voice rose. She was going to crack any minute now.
--
Isabel let her brother lead her to the guest room of her old house. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead just like she was a child. "You rest, ok?"
"I will." She whispered. "Where’s Alex?"
"Taking a nap with the kids." Max brushed the hair out of her face. "I’ll leave the door open. You need anything and I’ll get it for you... okay?"
"I’m not a child."
"I know. Have you eaten today?"
"No."
"I’ll bring you something later." He kissed her head again and left her to rest.
Max was about to walk down the hall to his own room when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He turned slowly and hugged Liz tight. "God, I thought you’d never get home."
"I’m home." He bent his head to kiss her lips.
"Max, don’t ever leave me. Don’t ever go." She cried, suddenly she shook her head. "I know. I know you can’t promise that. I saw your mother and your father this afternoon and my heart just broke. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you."
"I will promise that I will never intentionally leave you. I will never intentionally hurt you. If I can help it, I will always be right here, with you. Forever."
"I love you so much."
"I love you." He kissed her again. "I will take care of you to the best of my ability." Their lips met again. "I will take care of our kids." Kiss. "If I can help it, nothing will ever happen to you or the kids, or my sister, Michael, Kyle, Em, Jr. No one."
Isabel watched her brother and sister-in-law kissing and reassuring each other just outside her doorway. She felt a pang of jealousy. To love someone so much and have them by your side, she wondered if she’d ever have that again.
["And I love your fingers, and I love your elbows and I love your hair and I love your eyes and your nose." Alex kissed each as he named them. Isabel’s heart fluttered at each touch of his lips.
"Alex..." She closed her eyes then opened them to look into his blue ones. "I love you."
"Wow, that feels so good to hear." He pulled her against her chest. "And you feel so good in my arms."
"I... don’t want anything to ever happen to you because of me." She whispered against his chest.
"Anything for you would be worth it." Alex pulled the blankets up over their bodies.
"Hey Alex, want piz-za?" Maggie’s question broke as the door showed her more about her brother’s life than she ever wanted to know. "Sorry."
"Mags, the door. Please." He muttered, pulling Isabel closer if it was possible.
"Right." She shut the door a little too hard.
"Imagine if we had just had sex." Alex joked lamely.
"She doesn’t like me." Isabel groaned.
"She doesn’t like anybody." He tried to reassure her.
"I wish you didn’t have to leave." She sat up and pulled her shirt back onto her shoulders.
"It’s a really good opportunity. I’ll only be gone until October. I’ll be home for a month before I have to go back. Then after January, we can be together for as long as we want." He pulled his own shirt on and led her out into the living room to be embarrassed by his sister’s withering gaze.]
"Max... Um... I’ve got to tell you something." Liz whispered, casting a glance into the guest room.
"What is it?" Max furrowed his brow.
"Michael knows... about you know. I’m sorry." She immediately apologized. "I let it slip that she was with you at the hospital. And you know how he gets when he knows that you know something that he doesn’t. I really didn’t mean to tell him."
"Liz, Liz, calm down." He brushed her hair out of her face.
"I’m really sorry. I could have hung up. I could have but... I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me. I told him."
"What did he say?"
"He didn’t say anything. Just. 'Oh.'"
Isabel closed her eyes tight. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse. She could only pray that he would understand.
TBC