DeDe PR – Well, it’s good that Maria is mature, she is almost 18 after all.
Flamehair – Yes, Amy is dating someone from the reservation. There’s another secret about Gabriel, though.
April – Gabriel is from the reservation. Funny that he meets Maria and knows who she is while Maria has no idea that he is the man her mother is dating.
Cassie – We wanted someone new for Amy. In the show, the Valenti-Amy relationship didn’t’ last so she is free to date other people in fics.
Part 60
Maria stood at the edge of the stream and looked left and right in an effort to see if River Dog was close by. She had knocked on the front door for several minutes before finally accepting that he wasn’t home, and then she had followed the sound of moving water to find the stream the man from the Tribal Office had told her about.
She was certain the old man had to be there somewhere; there was an old truck parked next to the house indicating that he hadn’t gone anywhere. She looked up at the sky when the wind momentarily picked up, turning her head to the side when she thought she heard the sound of chanting. It was barely audible and silence surrounded her once more when the wind died down again.
For the wind to pick up the sound and carry it, the sound and wind both had to be coming from the same direction… right? She nodded decisively; that only made sense. She looked to the left and started walking, following the stream for a while until it forked in two different directions.
“Great,” she muttered, wondering which way would lead to River Dog’s location. If she followed it to the right she was going to have to cross the stream and if she continued to follow it to the left she was going to be walking uphill.
She shook her head and kept moving, staying with the left side of the fork. Nothing with Michael was easy so it only made sense that this wouldn’t be easy either. After twenty minutes of trudging uphill under the sun that was steadily rising higher in the late morning sky she paused to lean over and brace her hands on her knees so she could catch her breath.
Quiet chuckling drew her attention and she turned her head to the right. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she saw River Dog sitting on a large boulder, watching her with an amused glint in his dark eyes.
River Dog was certain that her presence was somehow related to his grandson’s most recent quest to search for answers. He had expected to see Michael early that morning but the boy hadn’t stopped by for a visit. He had a feeling that the young woman’s surprise visit and his grandson’s absence meant that the trip had ended in yet another disappointment.
Red-faced from the exertion of hiking uphill, Maria drew in another gasping breath and used her shirtsleeve to dry the sweat from her face. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you?” she huffed breathlessly. “Hiking across the desert, climbing up hills… between you and Michael my life expectancy is getting shorter and shorter.”
“The well-traveled path is not necessarily the best.”
“What?” Maria shook her head. “My brain is oxygen-deprived; I can’t do riddles right now.”
River Dog chuckled again before his expression sobered. “You’ve come to talk about Michael.”
Maria nodded and quickly launched into an abbreviated version of events over the past eighteen hours.
The old man listened to her as she relayed the information, detecting many emotions in her voice and expressions as she spoke. Her concern for his grandson was evident, as was her uncertainty in regards to the best way to handle the situation.
“I don’t know what to do,” she confessed when she finished going over the events that had occurred. “I don’t know how to help him.” She sighed. “When I took him home and he got out of the car it just felt… final, like he didn’t expect to see me again.”
“What was your first instinct at that point?” he asked curiously.
“Well, my first instinct was to go after him, but then I thought maybe that wasn’t the way to deal with him this time. If he had been pissed off I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but he’s hurt and vulnerable, and I don’t know how far or how hard to push him when he’s like this.”
“Follow your instincts where he’s concerned, Maria.”
“Yeah, well, if I had done that last night I would’ve just let him sleep in the car,” she grumbled.
River Dog shook his head and smiled, well aware that his grandson could be infuriating on occasion. “That was simply an emotional response to his behavior; your first instinct in that case was to take care of him, to keep him safe.”
“How do I do that when he won’t let me in?” she shouted, her frustration with Michael and the situation coming through in her voice.
“It’s going to be up to you to take the first step, to show him that you want him despite his belief that he wasn’t good enough for his biological parents to keep. If you don’t reach him he’s going to spend the next couple of days building his defenses and you’ll miss your opportunity.”
“How do I reach him when I can’t even get a response out of him?” Maria exclaimed, worry showing clearly on her face.
“Provoke him, make him face his fears.” He smiled reassuringly. “Make him believe that you aren’t gonna give up on him even when he’s doing everything he can to push you away.”
Maria paused to consider what River Dog had just said. “So, push him into a fight?”
“Michael is afraid of being abandoned again, Maria; the way he was left in the desert as a child left him with deep emotional scars, and fears he refuses to talk about. He won’t admit it, but there’s a part of him that believes he deserves that fate, that no matter how comfortable he gets with people he’ll eventually do something that will make them leave him.”
“You’re saying he’s distancing himself from me because he thinks I’m gonna leave.” Maria felt pain slicing through her heart as she thought about the situation. It hurt just to think about Michael believing he was so worthless that everyone would leave him sooner or later. Years with River Dog’s family hadn’t erased that insecurity, that belief that he wasn’t worth keeping, being loved, all because his biological parents, his people, had never bothered coming back for him.
“I haven’t spoken to him since you returned from your trip, but after hearing what happened, I’m sure he probably thinks he pushed you too far and you won’t be willing to put up with him, his fears, and his search for the truth. You’ve seen a side of him that he’s never revealed to anyone else and knowing Michael the way that I do, I can only imagine that he’s afraid that you see him as weak, and he’s preparing himself for the worst.”
Maria shook her head. She knew that Michael was complicated, that he had fears, like everybody else, but this was more than she had expected. She knew about abandonment, but she had managed, for the most part, to put it behind her and to never let it bother her too much when she thought about her father. But she hadn’t been abandoned by both parents, dumped in the desert, like Michael had been by his real family. “What could be worse than him thinking that he’s gonna be abandoned again?”
“Thinking that you will be the next to abandon him.” He smiled and motioned for her to join him on the boulder. “I don’t think you know just how important you’ve become to him in the time you’ve known each other.”
“Do you think he still has that fear where his family is concerned? I mean, is he scared that you guys will leave him?”
“It’s not a constant fear any longer, but there are things that trigger it. I remember when he was eight years old…”
River Dog had stopped by on his way back from a trip into the city and Catherine had been frantic when she answered the front door, quickly ushering her father-in-law inside and closing the door behind him. “I didn’t know John had been able to reach you,” she said, leaning around the living room doorway to check on Maggie.
“Reach me for what?” he asked, confused.
Her voice was pitched low when she spoke. “Michael’s missing.”
“What? Since when?”
“He – “
“Grandpa!” Maggie exclaimed, running into the hallway and throwing her arms around his waist.
Catherine glanced over her shoulder when the telephone rang. “I’ll be right back.”
Maggie tugged on her grandfather’s jacket. “Are you gonna go find Michael?” She rolled her eyes as dramatically as a seven-year-old could. “Mom thinks if she talks real quiet I won’t know he ran away, but I know, Grandpa.”
River Dog knelt down on one knee in front of the little girl. “And how do you know?”
“Cuz he took all his ‘portant stuff with him.”
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
She took a deep breath as if she were preparing for a very long story. “Well, me an’ Michael was waitin’ for Dad cuz he was gonna let us ride the horses and we were standin’ on the gate but Dad made us get down cuz Michael kept pullin’ the latch up so we could swing on the gate. Dad said we was gonna let the cows out if we wasn’t careful an’ we can’t ‘ford to lose ‘em so we couldn’t swing on the gate no more, but the big dummy got back up there and did it again soon as Dad went in the barn.”
“The cattle got out,” River Dog guessed.
“Uh-huh,” she confided, nodding. “Dad told Michael he had to stay in his room ‘til they got the cows back an’ he was mad, but he wasn’t mean or nothin’. He was just mad cuz them cows costed a lot of money.”
“Um-hmm.”
“Yeah, Uncle Kade an’ Uncle Matt came over with Uncle ‘lijah to help Dad catch the cows, an’ after they got ‘em all they went home an’ Dad gave Michael the looong talk.” Her eyes widened as if that could convey the length of the talk her brother had gotten. “You know what comes after the long talk, Grandpa.” She nodded solemnly and lowered her voice. “Dad spanked him an’ he wouldn’t come out of his room after that an’ when Mom went to get him for lunch he was gone outta his room.” Maggie paused then and her big brown eyes filled with tears as she met her grandfather’s gaze directly. “He’s gonna come back home, right, Grandpa?”
“We’ll find him, honey,” he promised. “Now, why don’t you go make sure his room’s ready for when he comes home, okay?”
“’kay, Grandpa.”
He waited until she had scampered off before he went looking for his daughter-in-law. He found her in the kitchen and he leaned against the island in the center of the room, watching her as she scrubbed the already-spotless counter. “Catherine, we’ll find the boy,” he said quietly. “Do you have any idea how long he’s been gone? Maggie’s ability to judge time is still a little questionable.”
“It’s been a couple of hours at least,” she said, refusing to look up from the counter. “He took Rath with him and I know that dog’s very protective, but he’s still a little boy.”
River Dog looked out through the window on his left side and nodded to himself. The boy hadn’t gotten too far; he hadn’t been gone long enough to reach any of the major roads that surrounded the Reservation. The most feasible direction for the boy to have taken would have been out into the desert. “I’m gonna take one of the horses out and take a look around, see if I can’t pick up the boy’s tracks.”
It had taken about an hour of searching in a circular pattern before he had picked up the boy’s tracks and from there it had been ridiculously easy to find him. He had gone right back to the place where River Dog had found him two years before, and as the man dismounted he caught a glimpse of the blanket he had given the boy sticking out of the crawl space he had used for shelter.
He crossed the sand silently and crouched down when he was close so he could look inside to make sure the little boy was all right. Rath, the large golden retriever that belonged to the boy lifted his head and his tail thumped in greeting when he recognized the man. Michael was asleep, his body curled up against the dog and his hands wrapped around the straps of his backpack.
Very gently he reached inside and eased the strap out of the boy’s hands, pulling it closer to him and unzipping it. He smiled as he inventoried the contents inside; he found the teddy bear, a handful of pictures of his family, several bottles of water, and some candy. He zipped the bag up once more and set it aside before reaching in to shake the boy’s shoulder.
Michael startled when he felt someone touching him and he pushed himself back as far as he could, pressing Rath against the back wall of the hiding place.
“Michael.”
The boy relaxed when he heard his grandfather’s voice, but only slightly.
“Why don’t you come out here so we can talk,” River Dog suggested. He waited until the boy had crawled out of the cave before he spoke again. “Can you tell me why you ran away?”
Michael’s arms came up, crossing over his chest defensively as he stared at the ground. “They don’t want me no more so I left.” He shrugged one shoulder. “This’s where I really should be anyway; my real mom an’ dad left me here cuz they didn’t want me…” He kicked the sand with the toe of his right shoe and he bit his bottom lip when he felt it starting to tremble.
“What makes you think your parents don’t want you?”
“Cuz Dad spanked me an’ they yelled at me.”
“Do you know why they did those things?” River Dog asked quietly. He nodded when Michael remained silent. “You were told to stop swinging on the gate because of the risk that the cattle would get out of the pen; there’s a reason parents tell children to do things. John and Catherine love you, Michael and there’s nothing that they wouldn’t do for you, but there are rules that are in place for a reason. When they tell you to do something it’s for your own good.”
Maria stared at River Dog in disbelief. “He actually believed that he belonged in the desert?”
“Part of him still believes that, Maria. Most of the time he’s secure in his place here, with his family, but even now at almost eighteen, there are still things that trigger those insecurities. He’s never been easy, and I sincerely doubt that will ever change.”
“Michael wouldn’t be Michael if he wasn’t difficult,” Maria said with a small smile. “I don’t expect things to change and suddenly be easy; I just want him to let me in.”
“Then don’t give him too much time to build that wall around himself,” the old man advised.
*****
Max and Liz sat outside of the little ice cream shop on the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue, discussing the movie they had just watched.
“You’re that surprised that I enjoyed the movie?” Max asked.
“Well, it’s not really a guy movie, y’know? I mean, Alex wouldn’t go see it and he’ll go to just about any movie.” Liz dragged her spoon through the vanilla ice cream in her dish as her thoughts wandered.
Max glanced at her when she became quiet and he worried that her thoughts had moved to her strained relationship with Maria. “What’re you thinking?”
She chuckled, surprising him. “I was just thinking that my mom would’ve totally disapproved of the movie.”
“Really? My mom loved it. My dad, not so much, but he went to make her happy.”
“That’s sweet; I’m sure she appreciated it.”
He laughed and nodded. “She did until he started snoring halfway through it.” He finished his ice cream and leaned back in his chair. “So, you don’t think your mom would like the movie?”
“No.” Liz shook her head negatively. “My mom’s not very… well, she’s kinda rigid, I guess. She’s not horrible or anything, she’s just set in her ways and she doesn’t really have much of a sense of humor. My dad’s the complete opposite; he’s funny and laid-back and really easygoing.” She paused a moment, thinking. “What’re your parents like?”
“I’d say they’re a lot like the way you’ve described your dad. My mom’s the one who does most of the worrying, but I guess that’s pretty typical. Isabel has had Dad wrapped around her little finger since they brought us home.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You should see her in action some time; she wants something she just pulls out this special pout that she only uses on him, calls him Daddy, and it’s all over. Mom sees right through it every single time, so Isabel doesn’t always get what she wants, contrary to popular belief.”
“You guys have a really good relationship with your parents, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened to us without them; they really made the difference for us, y’know?”
“Do you ever think about telling them?”
“All the time,” he admitted quietly. “I know Isabel thinks she’s cornered the market on that particular wish, but it’s not hers exclusively.” He smiled sadly. “I don’t like always being the one to tell her we have to keep it to ourselves, but it helps her maintain the illusion that they wouldn’t freak out if we told them.” He shrugged. “This way she can blame me for them not knowing and she doesn’t have to think about how they’d really react in that situation.”
“You don’t think they’d take it well?”
“Honestly, I’m scared to find out. I know they love us, but… could you imagine your children coming to you with such a fantastic story? Do you know what it would do to Isabel if they didn’t take it well? It would devastate her and I don’t think she could handle that.”
“I’m sure she understands that you’re trying to protect her, Max.”
“I hope so.” He stood and held his hand out to her. “I had hoped that maybe she’d relax and let her guard down a little with you and Alex now that she’s had time to see that you guys can be trusted, but I guess that’s not gonna happen.”
Liz slid her hand into his and they dropped the disposable dishes into a trash receptacle on their way to the jeep. “You worry about her, don’t you?”
Max sighed as he reached past her to open the passengers’ side door. “Isabel’s popular, hangs with the right crowd, goes to all the right parties, and dates all the right guys, but it’s all so superficial.” He shook his head. “None of it makes her happy. I thought if she was around you guys, since you know the truth, maybe she’d be able to actually form a bond or at least become friends, but…”
Liz sat on the edge of the seat and looked up at him. “That could still happen, Max.”
“Liz, I know how my sister is.”
She smiled. “True, but you don’t know how Alex is.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Alex has a way of reaching people, Max. They’ve been spending a lot of time together, working on their history project and I’ll bet she’s already confided in him. He’s easy to talk to; he’s a great listener and confiding in him is just so effortless.”
“I know he’s your friend, Liz, but Isabel hasn’t had a single nice thing to say about him.”
“When’s the last time she had a not-so-nice thing to say about him?” She nodded when he paused, thinking about her question. “She’ll open up to him eventually, if she hasn’t already.”
Max nodded at her confident tone and closed the door after she shifted around to face the front. Maybe she was right, he thought as he walked around to the drivers’ side. He’d think about it later; right now he had plans with the girl he loved and he didn’t want to waste a minute of it.
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child(M/M,TEEN)155 - 8/24/19 - Complete
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ArchAngel1973
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ArchAngel1973
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt61-3/21
Nibbles2 -
Flamehair – Gabriel won’t play such a huge part, sorry, at least not in Michael’s life.
DeDe PR – Back to the Michael flashbacks. This one was needed to explain Michael’s insecurities. This fic is a Michael fic, after all.
Cjsl8ne – Maria will have to show a strong side of her personality as well as her screaming abilities to get through Michael in this state.
Part 61
Michael dropped his bag on the floor and slammed the door, turning to lean back against it. His quest had finally cost him more than he had been prepared to lose. He had waited his entire life for the crazy blond to bulldoze her way into his life and his heart and in a matter of hours he had managed to destroy it.
“Damn it!” he mumbled, kicking his bag across the room. He was so upset that he couldn’t even muster up enough emotion to get angry. Everything inside hurt and he didn’t know how to make it stop, how to go back to who he had been just twenty-four hours ago.
He found himself standing in front of a bookshelf, inexplicably drawn to the ratty old teddy bear wedged into the small space between Ulysses and a stack of CD’s. He reached out to pick the stuffed animal up, holding it in his right hand as he stared at it. The teddy bear was worn from being carried around constantly when Michael was younger and a black button had been sewn on in place of its left eye from where it had been broken when it had been caught in a car door.
His fingers rubbed over the stitches that his mother had redone countless times when he was little, the thread keeping the teddy bear’s right arm attached to its body. The stuffed toy had been his only source of comfort while he had been at the orphanage and it had been his only connection to the people who would later become his family.
He hadn’t understood why he had been taken away from them and left in a place that was so loud and filled with many children. He had fought against the adults when they had taken him from River Dog and John; he had struggled to get away from them but they had been strong and he had been taken to a different place in the large building.
They had pried the teddy bear from his death grip, carelessly tossing the toy across the room before stripping his clothes off of him. He had been terrified when one of the adults turned a faucet on, starting the shower that he hadn’t noticed before. He had tried to get away, but biting, clawing, and screaming hadn’t made them release him. Some deeper instinct prevented him from raising his hands and making them go away; he had a feeling that doing that would be very bad for him. Somehow he knew that it wasn’t safe to do that here… it was only safe to let River Dog see him using his hands and making things happen.
Afterwards they had dressed him in new clothes and taken him into a large room filled with many children and it had been so loud that it had hurt his ears. One of the adults had picked him up and sat him on a bench next to another little boy before placing a plate in front of him and motioning to it.
Michael looked at the food, leaning forward to sniff it cautiously. It looked like the same thing River Dog had been giving him but it didn’t smell quite right. He was hungry though, so he took a tentative bite of the yellow square on the plate, chewing a couple of times before spitting it out.
The little boy next to him had suddenly started to make a lot of noise and then he had shoved Michael, pushing him off of the bench. His head had hit the floor hard, and the adult who had carried him into the room rushed over to pick him up. He tensed up when the woman touched him repeatedly, not understanding that she was trying to make sure he was all right.
After that he had refused to eat anything and he had been taken from one adult to another. They had all made lots of different sounds and every time he had gotten up to wander around the rooms they would make him sit down again. He had quickly gotten bored with the adults and the sterile rooms and he had ignored them, more interested in thinking about River Dog and the others, wondering where they had gone.
Finally one of the adults from earlier had come into the room and she had placed the teddy bear in his arms; he had been exhausted by that point and he hadn’t even had enough strength to fight her when she picked him up.
The next couple of days had been much like that first one and he had become increasingly withdrawn. He didn’t understand the people, he didn’t know what they wanted from him, the other children were loud, and a couple of them kept pushing him around. Any time the adults would leave him alone he would find a quiet corner and make himself as small as possible, trying to be invisible so everyone would leave him alone.
He looked up when something blocked the light and he had frowned when two of his antagonists had moved to stand on either side of him while a third one stood in front of him. They were the same ones who were always messing with him and he didn’t understand why they were always bothering him or what they wanted.
He wasn’t fast enough to control his expression when the boy in front of him suddenly started to make noise and pulled Teddy from behind his back. He was always careful to hide the toy during the day, taking it from its hiding place only after the darkness came and it was quiet.
The boy dangled the teddy bear in front of Michael, jerking it back out of reach when he tried to grab it. The third time Michael got a grip on the toy and they pulled it back and forth, both refusing to release it until the thread finally snapped under the pressure.
Michael stumbled backwards, pleased that he had taken possession of Teddy until he noticed the white stuff sticking out where one of its arms should have been. He stared at it for several seconds, trying to process what had happened. He had looked up at the boy holding Teddy’s arm and he had reacted instinctively; he launched himself at the boy and they crashed to the ground, exchanging blows.
He had been indignant when a couple of the adults had pulled them apart and as soon as he had been released he had grabbed Teddy and the severed arm and run off to find a quiet place to hide. He had found himself in the hallway that led outside and his dark eyes scanned the area in front of the wide doors. A large man sat behind the desk that he had tried to sneak past several times already, but he settled in a corner out of sight where he could watch and wait.
Michael held Teddy tightly in his arms, his fingers gently stroking over the soft fur. He didn’t understand why he had been brought to this place, why he had been taken from River Dog, John, and the others. He had liked being with them and they had been nice to him; he didn’t like being in this place where he was treated differently by everyone.
He looked up when the doors at the end of the hallway opened, squinting when the sun reflected off of the tiled floor and made his eyes water. He pushed himself back further into the corner and rubbed his eyes, waiting for the burning sensation caused by the sudden brightness to go away.
His head shot up when he heard familiar voices and when he was able to focus his eyes on the visitors and he saw River Dog and the others he scrambled to his feet and ran along the hall. He was so close to reaching them when the man at the desk intercepted him and prevented him from going any further.
His protests were loud and inarticulate as he struggled against the man’s hold but he refused to be calmed or controlled. The voices around him got louder, increasing his stress level and his little heart was pounding as he fought harder to free himself. He couldn’t understand what was being said and more voices were joining in, making his confusion even worse.
It wasn’t until it suddenly became quiet and he had been placed back on his own two feet that he had started to calm down. He had immediately run to River Dog, wrapping his arms around one of the man’s legs and refusing to let go. They had given him time and space; waiting for him come to them when he was ready and never rushing him.
Michael had eventually relaxed his grip on the old man’s jeans and leaned around him when he became aware of a familiar smell. Catherine had been sitting close by with John and Maggie, her hands busy unwrapping a piece of cornbread. His eyes had followed every movement she made but despite the desire to move closer to them he had remained where he was. It wasn’t until Maggie had moved to stand next to him, her small hands wrapping around one of his wrists and tugging that he had followed his instincts and gone to them.
He had looked down at Teddy for several seconds before slowly holding it out to Catherine. He wasn’t sure what he expected her to do, but he felt certain that she would make it better. He watched her as she carefully set Teddy down next to her and then stood still when she leaned forward to run her hands over him, somehow understanding that she meant no harm.
She had turned to say something to John and the man had left them for a few minutes, coming back with a damp cloth and handing it to her. She had gently washed his face, removing bits of blood from his earlier fight with the other boy before handing him the piece of cornbread.
He had stood between John’s knees, leaning back against the man’s leg as he watched Catherine fix Teddy’s arm. The fingers of his left hand had been in constant motion, pulling and tugging at the watch on John’s wrist. He had been fascinated with Teddy’s recovery when Catherine handed him back, and he had tugged on the previously severed limb to see if it would stay in place.
Michael stared at the stuffed toy he held, wondering how many times his mother had patched Teddy up over the years. He was reaching up to place it back on the shelf when he heard the door behind him open. He didn’t have to look to know it was Maria, he could feel it; there was a subtle shift in the air whenever she was close by. He wasn’t sure how to describe it, but it was similar to the feeling he got when standing out in the desert before a big thunderstorm started, when the sky was a threatening shade of gray and the air almost crackled with static electricity. That feeling of anticipation that came over him as he would wait to see what fury Mother Nature was going to unleash was about as close as he could get to putting it into words.
“I knocked but no one answered,” she explained, pointing back over her shoulder even though he couldn’t see the motion.
Why had she come back? His thumb stroked over the stuffed toy once more, unconsciously drawing comfort from it before turning to face her.
“I guess you’re the only one home and you kinda left the front door open, so…”
Michael shook his head, scowling. “What’re you doin’ here?” Had she driven all the way back just to break up with him in person?
For just a moment Maria hesitated; she was embarking on new territory with Michael and she didn’t know what to expect from him in his current state of mind. “I’ve been talking to your grandfather…” She trailed off when he started shaking his head. “What?”
“River Dog isn’t home and you don’t know where he lives.”
“It wasn’t easy to find him, but it was far from being impossible.”
“So, you somehow found out where he lives and you went lookin’ for him – which is stupid because you don’t know the desert or this area well enough to be out wandering around by yourself. Why would you do that?” His back teeth started to grind as he realized there was only one reason for her to seek out the old man. “You had no right to go talk to him!” he exploded angrily. “What happened last night is nobody’s business but mine; it’s my problem so stay out of it!”
“Stay out of it?” she repeated slowly.
If he hadn’t been so angry he would’ve paid attention to the warning tone in her voice, but he wasn’t thinking clearly and he charged into the fight blindly. “You don’t need to involve yourself – “
“No,” Maria snapped, interrupting him. “I’ll agree that it’s not my problem because it’s not a problem, Michael, but I am involved and I will not stay out of it. You involved me when you told me the truth about yourself, when you asked me to go with you to chase that sighting, and when you were so devastated last night because it turned out to be another false lead.”
Michael’s eyes turned darker, furious that she had dared to bring up what he felt was a weak moment. “Consider yourself free then,” he yelled, smacking his hand against his desk. “Leave!”
“I’m not going anywhere, you thick-headed alien!” God, she couldn’t believe how dense he was being.
“I’m releasing you from any involvement – “
Maria’s green eyes blazed with anger, unable to believe his audacity. “I didn’t ask you to release me from anything!” she shouted.
“I don’t give a damn whether you asked to be freed of this crap or not – you went behind my back and talked to my grandfather about somethin’ that you had no business talkin’ to him about!” He couldn’t believe that she had done that; gone to the old man to discuss things that were private and should’ve remained that way.
Maria closed her eyes as anger clouded her sight. “You don’t get to decide which problems I can and can’t handle, Michael; I’m not some mindless puppet that you can manipulate. You can’t control my feelings or make them fit into some little box so you can just pick and choose which ones are acceptable.”
Michael’s head was starting to hurt from the constant barrage of shouting from both sides. “I’m not tryin’ to control anything!” he yelled, hands balled into fists at his sides to keep from hitting the desk again. “I’m just sayin’ that what happened last night doesn’t need to be discussed!”
Maria yelled back at him, her voice louder than his. “So, you’d rather hide for the next several days and bury your feelings? I suppose I should just go home and you’ll call me once you’ve succeeded in blocking last night’s events from your memory, is that it?”
“Yeah, that’s it; it happened and it’s over,” he snapped. “There’s no need to keep talkin’ about it.”
“Well, I don’t work that, way, Michael. You might as well accept that I’m not going anywhere; I love you and I care about you, and if going to talk to your grandfather was the only way I knew of to help you then I’d do it again!” That was final and he’d better accept it!
“I don’t want you talkin’ to anyone about – “
“I’m not finished!” she shouted, allowing the hurt from the day before to fuel her temper. “You’re a part of my life, a part of me, and I will not apologize for doing something that I thought would help me find a way to help you through this. Your grandfather seemed to be the best person to go to because you’ve got a very special bond with him and he has an amazing understanding of how you think and how to deal with you. Don’t ever expect me to just stand back and let you suffer the way you did last night, or the way you’re hurting right now, without doing everything in my power to find a way to help you.”
Michael turned around and braced his fisted hands on his desk, his head hanging low between his shoulder blades as his mind went on an internal rant. She wasn’t wrong and he knew it. He had involved her in his life and he had known even before he had revealed his secret that she never did anything halfway. He had to expect her to be involved all the way, and he couldn’t just think that she would only be involved when it was convenient for him.
He could feel some of the tension leaving his body as he started to calm down and see the argument from her side. If their places were reversed he wouldn’t have allowed her to suffer, he would’ve done everything in his power to find a way to help her. He slowly started to straighten up as he realized that was what she had done the night before, it was what she had done by talking to his grandfather, and it was what she was doing now as she fought with him, trying to knock his walls down before he could bury his feelings once again. She wasn’t repulsed by his behavior the night before and she didn’t see him as weak for his loss of control over his emotions; she just wanted to take care of him, which was exactly what she had done then and it was what she was trying to do now… if he would let her.
“Do you even have any idea how important you are to me, Michael? Huh? Important enough that this quest you’re on, this search for answers that drives you, that pushes you to chase sighting after sighting, has become mine as well. We’re in this thing together and from now on I intend to be with you every time you take off to search for answers. And you’d better not ever leave me behind because if you do I will make you regret it for a very long time.”
Michael turned to stare at her, blown away by what she had said. He hadn’t considered that she would be interested in being with him anymore, much less think about ever going on another one of his trips after the fiasco this last one had turned into.
“I don’t want you to get hurt, Michael,” she said, the anger draining from her voice. “Not emotionally or physically, and I know maybe that’s unrealistic, but if you do you have to let me help you.” She shook her head and blinked against the tears she could feel filling her eyes. “Anything less is unacceptable because when you hurt, I hurt.”
Michael was across the room in less than half a dozen steps when he heard her voice crack and saw the first tear slip down her cheek. He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly, hoping he could find a way to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere. Her arms slid around his waist and he felt her relax slightly and let her weight rest against him.
*****
Catherine looked down when John’s hand wrapped around her arm and he shook his head, warning her to stay quiet as he tugged her along with him. They had heard the shouting as soon as they had walked through the front door and they had made it as far as the hallway before John had stopped her from going any further.
“John, where are we going?”
“Outside.”
“Why? I should go make sure he’s okay,” Catherine protested, trying to free her arm from his grasp.
“That’s why.” John led the way around the house and down to the barn, stepping into the dim interior before releasing her. He had just barely kept her from charging in to defend Michael when Maria had called him on his behavior from the night before, knowing that it was a conversation the young couple didn’t need her to be involved in.
“John, he’s upset – “
“Maria’s handling him just fine.” He shook his head at his wife’s stubborn expression. “And it’s not just about whether or not she can handle him – he’s lettin’ her in, Cath, and she’s done nothin’ to deserve your hostility. You of all people know what it takes for him to open up and let anyone in… accept it for what it is, woman. The boy’s in love with her, they’ve got a connection that’s strong and it’s only getting stronger, and you’re not gonna come between them.”
“I can see the connection between them,” she admitted slowly. The depth of their connection was unmistakable and it was becoming more and more difficult to deny. Something inside of her was telling her that Michael was going to be fine with Maria; that the young woman was going to love and protect him with everything she had.
“Then ease up on them. I’ve been where he is, Catherine, and I know it hasn’t been so long that you’ve forgotten. Don’t you remember how my mom started actin’ when we got together?”
“I’m not – “ Catherine started, upset with the comparison.
“Yes, you are!” John interrupted firmly. “You’re actin’ the same way, and if you keep goin’ like this you’re gonna end up expectin’ him to choose between his mother and the woman he loves. Don’t force his hand and make him make that choice.”
“What’re you talking about? Your mom never…” Catherine frowned at him when he braced his right hand against the nearest stall and looked down at the ground. Out of nowhere she realized that while she was aware of the problems her mother-in-law had had with their relationship, John had never told her what had been said the last time he had gone to talk to her, attempting to bridge the chasm that had started to widen between them as his relationship with Catherine grew. “John?”
“I have no regrets about the choices I made,” he stated fiercely. “Yes, it cost me my relationship with my mother, but she made the choice to take herself out of my life when I wouldn’t walk away from you. She thought we were too young, that we were just out lookin’ to get into trouble, that we were bein’ irresponsible and makin’ the biggest mistake of our lives… I never expected her to make an ultimatum like that. Hell, I knew she didn’t approve of us getting together – she certainly didn’t hide her feelings on the subject – but, that night, when she stood in the middle of the kitchen and told me that I had a choice to make…” He shook his head. “I know she thought she was doin’ what was right for me, that she thought she was protectin’ me from makin’ a huge mistake, but it was never a choice for me.” His hand shook as he pointed back towards the house. “It won’t be a choice for Michael either, Catherine. I don’t regret my decision and I wouldn’t do it differently if I could go back, but it still hurts like hell that she went to her grave before we could find a way to fix our relationship.”
Catherine opened her mouth to speak but before she could say a word he turned and walked out of the barn, leaving her alone.
In this case? Lots of screaming. That’s the only way to get through Michael’s thick walls and skull.great part. I wonder how Maria will get through to Michael.
Flamehair – Gabriel won’t play such a huge part, sorry, at least not in Michael’s life.
DeDe PR – Back to the Michael flashbacks. This one was needed to explain Michael’s insecurities. This fic is a Michael fic, after all.
Cjsl8ne – Maria will have to show a strong side of her personality as well as her screaming abilities to get through Michael in this state.
Part 61
Michael dropped his bag on the floor and slammed the door, turning to lean back against it. His quest had finally cost him more than he had been prepared to lose. He had waited his entire life for the crazy blond to bulldoze her way into his life and his heart and in a matter of hours he had managed to destroy it.
“Damn it!” he mumbled, kicking his bag across the room. He was so upset that he couldn’t even muster up enough emotion to get angry. Everything inside hurt and he didn’t know how to make it stop, how to go back to who he had been just twenty-four hours ago.
He found himself standing in front of a bookshelf, inexplicably drawn to the ratty old teddy bear wedged into the small space between Ulysses and a stack of CD’s. He reached out to pick the stuffed animal up, holding it in his right hand as he stared at it. The teddy bear was worn from being carried around constantly when Michael was younger and a black button had been sewn on in place of its left eye from where it had been broken when it had been caught in a car door.
His fingers rubbed over the stitches that his mother had redone countless times when he was little, the thread keeping the teddy bear’s right arm attached to its body. The stuffed toy had been his only source of comfort while he had been at the orphanage and it had been his only connection to the people who would later become his family.
He hadn’t understood why he had been taken away from them and left in a place that was so loud and filled with many children. He had fought against the adults when they had taken him from River Dog and John; he had struggled to get away from them but they had been strong and he had been taken to a different place in the large building.
They had pried the teddy bear from his death grip, carelessly tossing the toy across the room before stripping his clothes off of him. He had been terrified when one of the adults turned a faucet on, starting the shower that he hadn’t noticed before. He had tried to get away, but biting, clawing, and screaming hadn’t made them release him. Some deeper instinct prevented him from raising his hands and making them go away; he had a feeling that doing that would be very bad for him. Somehow he knew that it wasn’t safe to do that here… it was only safe to let River Dog see him using his hands and making things happen.
Afterwards they had dressed him in new clothes and taken him into a large room filled with many children and it had been so loud that it had hurt his ears. One of the adults had picked him up and sat him on a bench next to another little boy before placing a plate in front of him and motioning to it.
Michael looked at the food, leaning forward to sniff it cautiously. It looked like the same thing River Dog had been giving him but it didn’t smell quite right. He was hungry though, so he took a tentative bite of the yellow square on the plate, chewing a couple of times before spitting it out.
The little boy next to him had suddenly started to make a lot of noise and then he had shoved Michael, pushing him off of the bench. His head had hit the floor hard, and the adult who had carried him into the room rushed over to pick him up. He tensed up when the woman touched him repeatedly, not understanding that she was trying to make sure he was all right.
After that he had refused to eat anything and he had been taken from one adult to another. They had all made lots of different sounds and every time he had gotten up to wander around the rooms they would make him sit down again. He had quickly gotten bored with the adults and the sterile rooms and he had ignored them, more interested in thinking about River Dog and the others, wondering where they had gone.
Finally one of the adults from earlier had come into the room and she had placed the teddy bear in his arms; he had been exhausted by that point and he hadn’t even had enough strength to fight her when she picked him up.
The next couple of days had been much like that first one and he had become increasingly withdrawn. He didn’t understand the people, he didn’t know what they wanted from him, the other children were loud, and a couple of them kept pushing him around. Any time the adults would leave him alone he would find a quiet corner and make himself as small as possible, trying to be invisible so everyone would leave him alone.
He looked up when something blocked the light and he had frowned when two of his antagonists had moved to stand on either side of him while a third one stood in front of him. They were the same ones who were always messing with him and he didn’t understand why they were always bothering him or what they wanted.
He wasn’t fast enough to control his expression when the boy in front of him suddenly started to make noise and pulled Teddy from behind his back. He was always careful to hide the toy during the day, taking it from its hiding place only after the darkness came and it was quiet.
The boy dangled the teddy bear in front of Michael, jerking it back out of reach when he tried to grab it. The third time Michael got a grip on the toy and they pulled it back and forth, both refusing to release it until the thread finally snapped under the pressure.
Michael stumbled backwards, pleased that he had taken possession of Teddy until he noticed the white stuff sticking out where one of its arms should have been. He stared at it for several seconds, trying to process what had happened. He had looked up at the boy holding Teddy’s arm and he had reacted instinctively; he launched himself at the boy and they crashed to the ground, exchanging blows.
He had been indignant when a couple of the adults had pulled them apart and as soon as he had been released he had grabbed Teddy and the severed arm and run off to find a quiet place to hide. He had found himself in the hallway that led outside and his dark eyes scanned the area in front of the wide doors. A large man sat behind the desk that he had tried to sneak past several times already, but he settled in a corner out of sight where he could watch and wait.
Michael held Teddy tightly in his arms, his fingers gently stroking over the soft fur. He didn’t understand why he had been brought to this place, why he had been taken from River Dog, John, and the others. He had liked being with them and they had been nice to him; he didn’t like being in this place where he was treated differently by everyone.
He looked up when the doors at the end of the hallway opened, squinting when the sun reflected off of the tiled floor and made his eyes water. He pushed himself back further into the corner and rubbed his eyes, waiting for the burning sensation caused by the sudden brightness to go away.
His head shot up when he heard familiar voices and when he was able to focus his eyes on the visitors and he saw River Dog and the others he scrambled to his feet and ran along the hall. He was so close to reaching them when the man at the desk intercepted him and prevented him from going any further.
His protests were loud and inarticulate as he struggled against the man’s hold but he refused to be calmed or controlled. The voices around him got louder, increasing his stress level and his little heart was pounding as he fought harder to free himself. He couldn’t understand what was being said and more voices were joining in, making his confusion even worse.
It wasn’t until it suddenly became quiet and he had been placed back on his own two feet that he had started to calm down. He had immediately run to River Dog, wrapping his arms around one of the man’s legs and refusing to let go. They had given him time and space; waiting for him come to them when he was ready and never rushing him.
Michael had eventually relaxed his grip on the old man’s jeans and leaned around him when he became aware of a familiar smell. Catherine had been sitting close by with John and Maggie, her hands busy unwrapping a piece of cornbread. His eyes had followed every movement she made but despite the desire to move closer to them he had remained where he was. It wasn’t until Maggie had moved to stand next to him, her small hands wrapping around one of his wrists and tugging that he had followed his instincts and gone to them.
He had looked down at Teddy for several seconds before slowly holding it out to Catherine. He wasn’t sure what he expected her to do, but he felt certain that she would make it better. He watched her as she carefully set Teddy down next to her and then stood still when she leaned forward to run her hands over him, somehow understanding that she meant no harm.
She had turned to say something to John and the man had left them for a few minutes, coming back with a damp cloth and handing it to her. She had gently washed his face, removing bits of blood from his earlier fight with the other boy before handing him the piece of cornbread.
He had stood between John’s knees, leaning back against the man’s leg as he watched Catherine fix Teddy’s arm. The fingers of his left hand had been in constant motion, pulling and tugging at the watch on John’s wrist. He had been fascinated with Teddy’s recovery when Catherine handed him back, and he had tugged on the previously severed limb to see if it would stay in place.
Michael stared at the stuffed toy he held, wondering how many times his mother had patched Teddy up over the years. He was reaching up to place it back on the shelf when he heard the door behind him open. He didn’t have to look to know it was Maria, he could feel it; there was a subtle shift in the air whenever she was close by. He wasn’t sure how to describe it, but it was similar to the feeling he got when standing out in the desert before a big thunderstorm started, when the sky was a threatening shade of gray and the air almost crackled with static electricity. That feeling of anticipation that came over him as he would wait to see what fury Mother Nature was going to unleash was about as close as he could get to putting it into words.
“I knocked but no one answered,” she explained, pointing back over her shoulder even though he couldn’t see the motion.
Why had she come back? His thumb stroked over the stuffed toy once more, unconsciously drawing comfort from it before turning to face her.
“I guess you’re the only one home and you kinda left the front door open, so…”
Michael shook his head, scowling. “What’re you doin’ here?” Had she driven all the way back just to break up with him in person?
For just a moment Maria hesitated; she was embarking on new territory with Michael and she didn’t know what to expect from him in his current state of mind. “I’ve been talking to your grandfather…” She trailed off when he started shaking his head. “What?”
“River Dog isn’t home and you don’t know where he lives.”
“It wasn’t easy to find him, but it was far from being impossible.”
“So, you somehow found out where he lives and you went lookin’ for him – which is stupid because you don’t know the desert or this area well enough to be out wandering around by yourself. Why would you do that?” His back teeth started to grind as he realized there was only one reason for her to seek out the old man. “You had no right to go talk to him!” he exploded angrily. “What happened last night is nobody’s business but mine; it’s my problem so stay out of it!”
“Stay out of it?” she repeated slowly.
If he hadn’t been so angry he would’ve paid attention to the warning tone in her voice, but he wasn’t thinking clearly and he charged into the fight blindly. “You don’t need to involve yourself – “
“No,” Maria snapped, interrupting him. “I’ll agree that it’s not my problem because it’s not a problem, Michael, but I am involved and I will not stay out of it. You involved me when you told me the truth about yourself, when you asked me to go with you to chase that sighting, and when you were so devastated last night because it turned out to be another false lead.”
Michael’s eyes turned darker, furious that she had dared to bring up what he felt was a weak moment. “Consider yourself free then,” he yelled, smacking his hand against his desk. “Leave!”
“I’m not going anywhere, you thick-headed alien!” God, she couldn’t believe how dense he was being.
“I’m releasing you from any involvement – “
Maria’s green eyes blazed with anger, unable to believe his audacity. “I didn’t ask you to release me from anything!” she shouted.
“I don’t give a damn whether you asked to be freed of this crap or not – you went behind my back and talked to my grandfather about somethin’ that you had no business talkin’ to him about!” He couldn’t believe that she had done that; gone to the old man to discuss things that were private and should’ve remained that way.
Maria closed her eyes as anger clouded her sight. “You don’t get to decide which problems I can and can’t handle, Michael; I’m not some mindless puppet that you can manipulate. You can’t control my feelings or make them fit into some little box so you can just pick and choose which ones are acceptable.”
Michael’s head was starting to hurt from the constant barrage of shouting from both sides. “I’m not tryin’ to control anything!” he yelled, hands balled into fists at his sides to keep from hitting the desk again. “I’m just sayin’ that what happened last night doesn’t need to be discussed!”
Maria yelled back at him, her voice louder than his. “So, you’d rather hide for the next several days and bury your feelings? I suppose I should just go home and you’ll call me once you’ve succeeded in blocking last night’s events from your memory, is that it?”
“Yeah, that’s it; it happened and it’s over,” he snapped. “There’s no need to keep talkin’ about it.”
“Well, I don’t work that, way, Michael. You might as well accept that I’m not going anywhere; I love you and I care about you, and if going to talk to your grandfather was the only way I knew of to help you then I’d do it again!” That was final and he’d better accept it!
“I don’t want you talkin’ to anyone about – “
“I’m not finished!” she shouted, allowing the hurt from the day before to fuel her temper. “You’re a part of my life, a part of me, and I will not apologize for doing something that I thought would help me find a way to help you through this. Your grandfather seemed to be the best person to go to because you’ve got a very special bond with him and he has an amazing understanding of how you think and how to deal with you. Don’t ever expect me to just stand back and let you suffer the way you did last night, or the way you’re hurting right now, without doing everything in my power to find a way to help you.”
Michael turned around and braced his fisted hands on his desk, his head hanging low between his shoulder blades as his mind went on an internal rant. She wasn’t wrong and he knew it. He had involved her in his life and he had known even before he had revealed his secret that she never did anything halfway. He had to expect her to be involved all the way, and he couldn’t just think that she would only be involved when it was convenient for him.
He could feel some of the tension leaving his body as he started to calm down and see the argument from her side. If their places were reversed he wouldn’t have allowed her to suffer, he would’ve done everything in his power to find a way to help her. He slowly started to straighten up as he realized that was what she had done the night before, it was what she had done by talking to his grandfather, and it was what she was doing now as she fought with him, trying to knock his walls down before he could bury his feelings once again. She wasn’t repulsed by his behavior the night before and she didn’t see him as weak for his loss of control over his emotions; she just wanted to take care of him, which was exactly what she had done then and it was what she was trying to do now… if he would let her.
“Do you even have any idea how important you are to me, Michael? Huh? Important enough that this quest you’re on, this search for answers that drives you, that pushes you to chase sighting after sighting, has become mine as well. We’re in this thing together and from now on I intend to be with you every time you take off to search for answers. And you’d better not ever leave me behind because if you do I will make you regret it for a very long time.”
Michael turned to stare at her, blown away by what she had said. He hadn’t considered that she would be interested in being with him anymore, much less think about ever going on another one of his trips after the fiasco this last one had turned into.
“I don’t want you to get hurt, Michael,” she said, the anger draining from her voice. “Not emotionally or physically, and I know maybe that’s unrealistic, but if you do you have to let me help you.” She shook her head and blinked against the tears she could feel filling her eyes. “Anything less is unacceptable because when you hurt, I hurt.”
Michael was across the room in less than half a dozen steps when he heard her voice crack and saw the first tear slip down her cheek. He gathered her into his arms and held her tightly, hoping he could find a way to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere. Her arms slid around his waist and he felt her relax slightly and let her weight rest against him.
*****
Catherine looked down when John’s hand wrapped around her arm and he shook his head, warning her to stay quiet as he tugged her along with him. They had heard the shouting as soon as they had walked through the front door and they had made it as far as the hallway before John had stopped her from going any further.
“John, where are we going?”
“Outside.”
“Why? I should go make sure he’s okay,” Catherine protested, trying to free her arm from his grasp.
“That’s why.” John led the way around the house and down to the barn, stepping into the dim interior before releasing her. He had just barely kept her from charging in to defend Michael when Maria had called him on his behavior from the night before, knowing that it was a conversation the young couple didn’t need her to be involved in.
“John, he’s upset – “
“Maria’s handling him just fine.” He shook his head at his wife’s stubborn expression. “And it’s not just about whether or not she can handle him – he’s lettin’ her in, Cath, and she’s done nothin’ to deserve your hostility. You of all people know what it takes for him to open up and let anyone in… accept it for what it is, woman. The boy’s in love with her, they’ve got a connection that’s strong and it’s only getting stronger, and you’re not gonna come between them.”
“I can see the connection between them,” she admitted slowly. The depth of their connection was unmistakable and it was becoming more and more difficult to deny. Something inside of her was telling her that Michael was going to be fine with Maria; that the young woman was going to love and protect him with everything she had.
“Then ease up on them. I’ve been where he is, Catherine, and I know it hasn’t been so long that you’ve forgotten. Don’t you remember how my mom started actin’ when we got together?”
“I’m not – “ Catherine started, upset with the comparison.
“Yes, you are!” John interrupted firmly. “You’re actin’ the same way, and if you keep goin’ like this you’re gonna end up expectin’ him to choose between his mother and the woman he loves. Don’t force his hand and make him make that choice.”
“What’re you talking about? Your mom never…” Catherine frowned at him when he braced his right hand against the nearest stall and looked down at the ground. Out of nowhere she realized that while she was aware of the problems her mother-in-law had had with their relationship, John had never told her what had been said the last time he had gone to talk to her, attempting to bridge the chasm that had started to widen between them as his relationship with Catherine grew. “John?”
“I have no regrets about the choices I made,” he stated fiercely. “Yes, it cost me my relationship with my mother, but she made the choice to take herself out of my life when I wouldn’t walk away from you. She thought we were too young, that we were just out lookin’ to get into trouble, that we were bein’ irresponsible and makin’ the biggest mistake of our lives… I never expected her to make an ultimatum like that. Hell, I knew she didn’t approve of us getting together – she certainly didn’t hide her feelings on the subject – but, that night, when she stood in the middle of the kitchen and told me that I had a choice to make…” He shook his head. “I know she thought she was doin’ what was right for me, that she thought she was protectin’ me from makin’ a huge mistake, but it was never a choice for me.” His hand shook as he pointed back towards the house. “It won’t be a choice for Michael either, Catherine. I don’t regret my decision and I wouldn’t do it differently if I could go back, but it still hurts like hell that she went to her grave before we could find a way to fix our relationship.”
Catherine opened her mouth to speak but before she could say a word he turned and walked out of the barn, leaving her alone.
-
ArchAngel1973
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt62-3/28
PML – Thanks for reading. What about “In Destiny’s shadow”, ready to update it?
DeDe Pr – Yes, John knows what he is talking about. Let’s hope that Catherine will listen to him.
Flamehair – Thanks for reading.
April – Well, Catherine is slowly coming to her senses. But it’s hard for her to let go.
Part 62
Max leaned on his putter and watched with undisguised amusement as Liz used every bit of scientific knowledge she possessed to line up the next shot. When she was finally satisfied that she had everything worked out she hit the golf ball and watched it with anticipation as it raced along the green carpet. When it reached the hole at the other end and slowly rolled around the rim before settling against the edge of the curb she straightened up and frowned at it. He leaned around her and glanced at the small sign on her other side, grinning at her when she looked up and caught him.
“Don’t even say it,” she warned, laughing. “What? You think you can sink it in one shot?”
“Well, I don’t wanna brag or anything, but on family nights when my parents insist that we all go out and play mini golf, I am the reigning champion.”
“You’re the reigning champion… of mini golf?”
“Okay, technically, Isabel holds that title, but that’s only because she cheats.”
“Your sister cheats at mini golf?” Liz asked, laughing.
Max turned to look at Liz when he heard the teasing tone in her voice. “You don’t believe me?”
“How does one cheat at this game?”
He held his right hand up and wiggled his fingers, nodding when her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Huh-uh.” Of course, those alien powers would come in handy.
Max nodded vigorously. “Oh, yeah, every time.”
“Do you guys use those…” She cast about for a suitable word since they were in a public place. “Do you use those abilities very often?”
“On occasion; I think Isabel’s abilities are a little more varied than mine because she likes to test her boundaries to see what she can do. She’s always trying something new out.”
He swung the putter gently, hitting the ball and sending it rolling along the green carpet in a straight line. Seconds later it dropped into the hole with a resounding thunk as it landed in the plastic cup.
Liz laughed at him when his arms shot up in the air in a show of victory. “Okay, champ, let’s see how you do on the next one,” she challenged as they moved on to the next putting green.
*****
Michael loosened his hold when Maria leaned back in his arms to look up at him. “I’ll try to not be such a jerk next time, Maria. This is new for me, y’know?” He cradled her face in his big, rough hands, and leaned down to kiss her. “I’m not used to lettin’ anybody see that much of me.”
“You weren’t weak last night, Michael. I know you think you were and you probably think I feel the same way, but I don’t.” Michael wasn’t so different from men on Earth; showing weakness, or what passed off as weakness in their minds, was forbidden, God only knew why.
Michael sighed. “I know.” It didn’t mean that he was going to behave differently. This was just how he reacted and he had a hard time seeing himself changing.
“Do you?” she asked, studying him intently.
“I know you don’t think so.” He shrugged as he dropped his gaze. “I can’t change the way I feel just like that.”
“You do know I’m not gonna stop trying to change your way of thinking, right?” she asked, a happy smile on her face. She was glad to see him in a better mood.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know.” He turned his head to follow her curious gaze when her eyes locked on something behind him.
She reached out to brush her fingers over the teddy bear’s fur. “Yours?”
“Mine,” he confirmed, picking it up and handing it to her.
“What’s his name?”
“Teddy.”
Maria smirked. “That’s very original.”
A loud voice startled them. “Hey, you guys are back.”
They looked up to see Maggie lounging in the bathroom doorway between the bedrooms.
“Hey, brat.”
“So, guess you didn’t catch an intergalactic flight. Or did they just send you back to Earth when they discovered your tragic taste in music?” Her flippant words hid the fear that he might really leave one day.
“What makes you think I’d go anywhere?” Michael asked, aware of her fears thanks to Maria. “Besides, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet your date from last night yet.”
And you won’t, Maggie thought furiously. “You still might not get the opportunity.”
“Scared him off already, huh?” Michael smirked.
If looks could kill, Michael would be one dead alien. “No, Mom invited him over for dinner tonight, but I’m not sure he’s gonna show.”
“Why?” Michael’s tone was nonplussed.
“Do you know how Dad answered the door last night? With his shotgun, Michael, and he sat right there in the living room and cleaned it while telling them about – “ She looked up when their father knocked on the bedroom door.
“Maggie, your company’s here,” he said, holding back a smile. He glanced at his son and his girlfriend when Maggie hurried away. “I’m glad to see you two made it back safe and sound.”
“Yeah, wasn’t much to see,” Michael said, missing his father’s shocked expression when he turned to set Teddy back on the shelf. “It actually turned out to be a prank.” He shrugged. “Maybe next time. What’s for dinner?”
“I have no idea, but, Maria, you’re welcome to stay and join us.”
“That sounds very nice, thank you,” Maria said, smiling. Michael’s father was the best and he was so lucky to have John in his life. He was overprotective of his daughter, but whose father wasn’t? Well, hers, for one, she thought.
“So, Dad, you threatened the boyfriend with bodily harm, huh?” Michael nodded in approval. “Nice.”
“Date,” John corrected. “He was her date, and I didn’t make a single threat… not verbally, anyway. I thought you said this kid was in the chess club?”
“He’s supposed to be. Why?” Michael asked, surprised at his father’s tone. Was there something wrong with the guy?
“I think your wires got crossed somewhere, Son,” John muttered.
Michael frowned. “He’s here now?”
“Um-hmm.”
The non-comment pushed Michael into action. He had to see this guy, now. Taking Maria’s hand, he dragged her with him on his next mission. “C’mon, Maria, I’m hungry.”
John mouthed a silent thank you to Maria when they passed him on their way to the kitchen. Their trip obviously hadn’t had the desired results in regards to the sighting, but the change in his son was apparent. Normally after one of these trips he was withdrawn and angry, but this was new behavior for him in the wake of another disappointment, and John knew that it could be directly linked to Maria.
*****
Isabel grabbed the ringing phone at her mother’s request when she walked into the kitchen. She smiled when she recognized her grandmother’s voice on the other end and they carried on a lengthy conversation while she sat at the table and watched her mother making preparations for dinner.
After a while the phone changed hands and she talked to her grandfather, laughing and rolling her eyes when he asked how many young men her father had threatened and run off lately.
“Daddy doesn’t run off my dates.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Phillip Evans said as he walked in and caught part of the conversation between his daughter and his father-in-law.
“Daddy!”
He chuckled at her admonishment and opened the refrigerator to fill the glass in his hand with iced tea. He turned to talk to his wife for a moment, letting her know he was going to run to the hardware store for a part he needed to fix the washing machine.
Isabel covered the mouthpiece when she noticed her father checking his pocket to make sure his wallet and checkbook were both there. “Are you going somewhere?” she asked.
“I’m just gonna run to the store; I’ll be back before long.”
“We’re still on for the movie tonight, right?”
“I’m not missing a chance to take my little girl out for the evening,” Phillip said as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her head. “I’ll pick you up at seven, sweetie.”
Diane smiled at their interaction; Phillip had been thrilled when Isabel had asked him if he wanted to go to a movie on a Saturday night. He had finally accepted that dating was something that she was going to do no matter how much he wanted to lock her in her room until she was at least thirty, but he was still adjusting to the fact that his little girl was nearly grown and would soon be leaving for college.
She had declined their invitation to join them, deciding that it would be good for them to spend some time together. She had made plans to meet with some friends later and they were going out for coffee after dinner. She accepted the phone after her daughter had said goodbye to her grandparents, nodding when the teenager said she was going upstairs to get ready for her evening with her father.
Isabel stood in the kitchen doorway, listening to her mother’s conversation as she wondered about her biological parents. Who was she most like… her mother or her father? And why were she and Max so different? He was so trusting, loving, and nice while she was untrusting, cold, and mean most of the time. Shouldn’t they be more alike?
She sighed, knowing that the answers to the questions weren’t going to be revealed unless they found evidence of their past. Could the letter lead them to the answers? Were the answers in the letter? Or was it a waste of time and too risky like her brother believed it to be? She turned to go to her room, no closer to having an answer to the question Alex had asked her the day before.
*****
Michael stood in the kitchen doorway, eyes narrowed as he stared at the guy flirting with his sister. “You’re not in the chess club,” he blurted out, drawing their attention. The guy was a little under six feet tall with dark hair and blue eyes. He wore glasses that he was constantly adjusting and Michael couldn’t decide if that was because they didn’t fit right or because he was nervous.
“Michael, be nice,” Maria said, hitting his chest with the back of her hand as she moved to stand in front of him.
“Uh, no, I’m not in the chess club. I do play chess though.”
The boy held his hand out and Michael only accepted the handshake after Maria shoved her elbow into his ribs.
“Jesse Serrano,” he introduced himself.
“You on the football team?” His gaze turned speculative when Jesse shook his head negatively. “Uh-huh, basketball team?”
Maggie shot a pleading glance at Maria when her brother continued to stare at Jesse without releasing his hand.
Maria took pity on her and decided that a little intervention was needed. “Michael, why don’t you grab your snack and then we can take a walk before dinner?”
“What?” He finally let go of the handshake and his gaze shifted to Maria when she turned to look at him. “We don’t need to go for a walk; I wanna talk to…” He shook his head, unconsciously mimicking her movements. He frowned when she turned to shake Jesse’s hand and introduced herself before sending the boy back to Maggie and turning back to face him.
“We’re going for a walk,” she said firmly.
What? No, he had questions for this guy! “We don’t need to go for a walk, Maria. Besides, didn’t you get enough walkin’ last night? I wanna talk to what’s-his-name and – “
“You need to stop being rude to him, grab your snack because you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, and go for a walk with me.” Maria watched him as he made a face, torn between going with her and taking care of the guy who thought he could date Maggie. He was so cute, being all brotherly. Not that she would ever tell him that.
“What is your preoccupation with goin’ for a walk?”
Maria stretched up to kiss him and leaned back in his arms when they automatically came around her. “I really have no interest in going for a walk; I just think that if your parents catch us making out in your bedroom we’re gonna have – “
“Goin’ for a walk’s a great idea.” He grabbed her hand and turned to lead her out of the room. “Tell Mom we’ll be back in time for dinner, brat,” he called over his shoulder.
Jesse leaned back against the counter next to Maggie and reached up to take his glasses off. “Why exactly are we leadin’ your brother to believe that I’m somebody I’m not?” he asked once they were alone.
“Because trying to figure out who you are is going to drive him crazy.”
“Uh-huh.” He shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”
“That’s because you’re an only child.” She smiled at him. “Don’t worry; it’s not important for you to understand my need to torment Michael.”
Jesse shrugged and slid the glasses back on, willing to forego his regular contact lenses and wear the glasses if it made her happy.
*****
Liz thanked the waiter as he removed the dishes from the table and left her and Max alone once more. She had been trying to get him to talk about himself all day, but every time he had carefully steered the conversation in other directions. Isabel was nice enough… well, okay, she didn’t really seem all that nice… but, Liz wasn’t interested in learning about his sister. She wanted to know more about him, but he was doing his best to avoid talking about himself.
She had asked him earlier about how he had grown up and somehow he had maneuvered the conversation around and now he was talking about how Isabel had adjusted to life with their adoptive parents.
“Max.” She reached out to cover his right hand where it rested on the table and she sighed in relief when he looked at her and fell silent. “Max, your sister is fascinating and I definitely know a lot more about her after today, but you’re the one I want to know about.”
He looked confused for a moment before he realized what she was talking about. He nodded and turned his hand over, linking his fingers with hers. “I’m sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I’m not used to talking about myself, so it’s easier to talk about Isabel while just mentioning something about myself every once in a while.”
“I know you love your family and I do enjoy hearing about them, but I wanna know more about you.”
Max nodded and smiled. “Are you ready to go?”
“Where’re we going?”
“You wanna know more about me, right?”
“Definitely.”
“Then let me introduce you to… me.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. “C’mon.”
DeDe Pr – Yes, John knows what he is talking about. Let’s hope that Catherine will listen to him.
Flamehair – Thanks for reading.
April – Well, Catherine is slowly coming to her senses. But it’s hard for her to let go.
Part 62
Max leaned on his putter and watched with undisguised amusement as Liz used every bit of scientific knowledge she possessed to line up the next shot. When she was finally satisfied that she had everything worked out she hit the golf ball and watched it with anticipation as it raced along the green carpet. When it reached the hole at the other end and slowly rolled around the rim before settling against the edge of the curb she straightened up and frowned at it. He leaned around her and glanced at the small sign on her other side, grinning at her when she looked up and caught him.
“Don’t even say it,” she warned, laughing. “What? You think you can sink it in one shot?”
“Well, I don’t wanna brag or anything, but on family nights when my parents insist that we all go out and play mini golf, I am the reigning champion.”
“You’re the reigning champion… of mini golf?”
“Okay, technically, Isabel holds that title, but that’s only because she cheats.”
“Your sister cheats at mini golf?” Liz asked, laughing.
Max turned to look at Liz when he heard the teasing tone in her voice. “You don’t believe me?”
“How does one cheat at this game?”
He held his right hand up and wiggled his fingers, nodding when her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Huh-uh.” Of course, those alien powers would come in handy.
Max nodded vigorously. “Oh, yeah, every time.”
“Do you guys use those…” She cast about for a suitable word since they were in a public place. “Do you use those abilities very often?”
“On occasion; I think Isabel’s abilities are a little more varied than mine because she likes to test her boundaries to see what she can do. She’s always trying something new out.”
He swung the putter gently, hitting the ball and sending it rolling along the green carpet in a straight line. Seconds later it dropped into the hole with a resounding thunk as it landed in the plastic cup.
Liz laughed at him when his arms shot up in the air in a show of victory. “Okay, champ, let’s see how you do on the next one,” she challenged as they moved on to the next putting green.
*****
Michael loosened his hold when Maria leaned back in his arms to look up at him. “I’ll try to not be such a jerk next time, Maria. This is new for me, y’know?” He cradled her face in his big, rough hands, and leaned down to kiss her. “I’m not used to lettin’ anybody see that much of me.”
“You weren’t weak last night, Michael. I know you think you were and you probably think I feel the same way, but I don’t.” Michael wasn’t so different from men on Earth; showing weakness, or what passed off as weakness in their minds, was forbidden, God only knew why.
Michael sighed. “I know.” It didn’t mean that he was going to behave differently. This was just how he reacted and he had a hard time seeing himself changing.
“Do you?” she asked, studying him intently.
“I know you don’t think so.” He shrugged as he dropped his gaze. “I can’t change the way I feel just like that.”
“You do know I’m not gonna stop trying to change your way of thinking, right?” she asked, a happy smile on her face. She was glad to see him in a better mood.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know.” He turned his head to follow her curious gaze when her eyes locked on something behind him.
She reached out to brush her fingers over the teddy bear’s fur. “Yours?”
“Mine,” he confirmed, picking it up and handing it to her.
“What’s his name?”
“Teddy.”
Maria smirked. “That’s very original.”
A loud voice startled them. “Hey, you guys are back.”
They looked up to see Maggie lounging in the bathroom doorway between the bedrooms.
“Hey, brat.”
“So, guess you didn’t catch an intergalactic flight. Or did they just send you back to Earth when they discovered your tragic taste in music?” Her flippant words hid the fear that he might really leave one day.
“What makes you think I’d go anywhere?” Michael asked, aware of her fears thanks to Maria. “Besides, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet your date from last night yet.”
And you won’t, Maggie thought furiously. “You still might not get the opportunity.”
“Scared him off already, huh?” Michael smirked.
If looks could kill, Michael would be one dead alien. “No, Mom invited him over for dinner tonight, but I’m not sure he’s gonna show.”
“Why?” Michael’s tone was nonplussed.
“Do you know how Dad answered the door last night? With his shotgun, Michael, and he sat right there in the living room and cleaned it while telling them about – “ She looked up when their father knocked on the bedroom door.
“Maggie, your company’s here,” he said, holding back a smile. He glanced at his son and his girlfriend when Maggie hurried away. “I’m glad to see you two made it back safe and sound.”
“Yeah, wasn’t much to see,” Michael said, missing his father’s shocked expression when he turned to set Teddy back on the shelf. “It actually turned out to be a prank.” He shrugged. “Maybe next time. What’s for dinner?”
“I have no idea, but, Maria, you’re welcome to stay and join us.”
“That sounds very nice, thank you,” Maria said, smiling. Michael’s father was the best and he was so lucky to have John in his life. He was overprotective of his daughter, but whose father wasn’t? Well, hers, for one, she thought.
“So, Dad, you threatened the boyfriend with bodily harm, huh?” Michael nodded in approval. “Nice.”
“Date,” John corrected. “He was her date, and I didn’t make a single threat… not verbally, anyway. I thought you said this kid was in the chess club?”
“He’s supposed to be. Why?” Michael asked, surprised at his father’s tone. Was there something wrong with the guy?
“I think your wires got crossed somewhere, Son,” John muttered.
Michael frowned. “He’s here now?”
“Um-hmm.”
The non-comment pushed Michael into action. He had to see this guy, now. Taking Maria’s hand, he dragged her with him on his next mission. “C’mon, Maria, I’m hungry.”
John mouthed a silent thank you to Maria when they passed him on their way to the kitchen. Their trip obviously hadn’t had the desired results in regards to the sighting, but the change in his son was apparent. Normally after one of these trips he was withdrawn and angry, but this was new behavior for him in the wake of another disappointment, and John knew that it could be directly linked to Maria.
*****
Isabel grabbed the ringing phone at her mother’s request when she walked into the kitchen. She smiled when she recognized her grandmother’s voice on the other end and they carried on a lengthy conversation while she sat at the table and watched her mother making preparations for dinner.
After a while the phone changed hands and she talked to her grandfather, laughing and rolling her eyes when he asked how many young men her father had threatened and run off lately.
“Daddy doesn’t run off my dates.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Phillip Evans said as he walked in and caught part of the conversation between his daughter and his father-in-law.
“Daddy!”
He chuckled at her admonishment and opened the refrigerator to fill the glass in his hand with iced tea. He turned to talk to his wife for a moment, letting her know he was going to run to the hardware store for a part he needed to fix the washing machine.
Isabel covered the mouthpiece when she noticed her father checking his pocket to make sure his wallet and checkbook were both there. “Are you going somewhere?” she asked.
“I’m just gonna run to the store; I’ll be back before long.”
“We’re still on for the movie tonight, right?”
“I’m not missing a chance to take my little girl out for the evening,” Phillip said as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her head. “I’ll pick you up at seven, sweetie.”
Diane smiled at their interaction; Phillip had been thrilled when Isabel had asked him if he wanted to go to a movie on a Saturday night. He had finally accepted that dating was something that she was going to do no matter how much he wanted to lock her in her room until she was at least thirty, but he was still adjusting to the fact that his little girl was nearly grown and would soon be leaving for college.
She had declined their invitation to join them, deciding that it would be good for them to spend some time together. She had made plans to meet with some friends later and they were going out for coffee after dinner. She accepted the phone after her daughter had said goodbye to her grandparents, nodding when the teenager said she was going upstairs to get ready for her evening with her father.
Isabel stood in the kitchen doorway, listening to her mother’s conversation as she wondered about her biological parents. Who was she most like… her mother or her father? And why were she and Max so different? He was so trusting, loving, and nice while she was untrusting, cold, and mean most of the time. Shouldn’t they be more alike?
She sighed, knowing that the answers to the questions weren’t going to be revealed unless they found evidence of their past. Could the letter lead them to the answers? Were the answers in the letter? Or was it a waste of time and too risky like her brother believed it to be? She turned to go to her room, no closer to having an answer to the question Alex had asked her the day before.
*****
Michael stood in the kitchen doorway, eyes narrowed as he stared at the guy flirting with his sister. “You’re not in the chess club,” he blurted out, drawing their attention. The guy was a little under six feet tall with dark hair and blue eyes. He wore glasses that he was constantly adjusting and Michael couldn’t decide if that was because they didn’t fit right or because he was nervous.
“Michael, be nice,” Maria said, hitting his chest with the back of her hand as she moved to stand in front of him.
“Uh, no, I’m not in the chess club. I do play chess though.”
The boy held his hand out and Michael only accepted the handshake after Maria shoved her elbow into his ribs.
“Jesse Serrano,” he introduced himself.
“You on the football team?” His gaze turned speculative when Jesse shook his head negatively. “Uh-huh, basketball team?”
Maggie shot a pleading glance at Maria when her brother continued to stare at Jesse without releasing his hand.
Maria took pity on her and decided that a little intervention was needed. “Michael, why don’t you grab your snack and then we can take a walk before dinner?”
“What?” He finally let go of the handshake and his gaze shifted to Maria when she turned to look at him. “We don’t need to go for a walk; I wanna talk to…” He shook his head, unconsciously mimicking her movements. He frowned when she turned to shake Jesse’s hand and introduced herself before sending the boy back to Maggie and turning back to face him.
“We’re going for a walk,” she said firmly.
What? No, he had questions for this guy! “We don’t need to go for a walk, Maria. Besides, didn’t you get enough walkin’ last night? I wanna talk to what’s-his-name and – “
“You need to stop being rude to him, grab your snack because you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, and go for a walk with me.” Maria watched him as he made a face, torn between going with her and taking care of the guy who thought he could date Maggie. He was so cute, being all brotherly. Not that she would ever tell him that.
“What is your preoccupation with goin’ for a walk?”
Maria stretched up to kiss him and leaned back in his arms when they automatically came around her. “I really have no interest in going for a walk; I just think that if your parents catch us making out in your bedroom we’re gonna have – “
“Goin’ for a walk’s a great idea.” He grabbed her hand and turned to lead her out of the room. “Tell Mom we’ll be back in time for dinner, brat,” he called over his shoulder.
Jesse leaned back against the counter next to Maggie and reached up to take his glasses off. “Why exactly are we leadin’ your brother to believe that I’m somebody I’m not?” he asked once they were alone.
“Because trying to figure out who you are is going to drive him crazy.”
“Uh-huh.” He shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”
“That’s because you’re an only child.” She smiled at him. “Don’t worry; it’s not important for you to understand my need to torment Michael.”
Jesse shrugged and slid the glasses back on, willing to forego his regular contact lenses and wear the glasses if it made her happy.
*****
Liz thanked the waiter as he removed the dishes from the table and left her and Max alone once more. She had been trying to get him to talk about himself all day, but every time he had carefully steered the conversation in other directions. Isabel was nice enough… well, okay, she didn’t really seem all that nice… but, Liz wasn’t interested in learning about his sister. She wanted to know more about him, but he was doing his best to avoid talking about himself.
She had asked him earlier about how he had grown up and somehow he had maneuvered the conversation around and now he was talking about how Isabel had adjusted to life with their adoptive parents.
“Max.” She reached out to cover his right hand where it rested on the table and she sighed in relief when he looked at her and fell silent. “Max, your sister is fascinating and I definitely know a lot more about her after today, but you’re the one I want to know about.”
He looked confused for a moment before he realized what she was talking about. He nodded and turned his hand over, linking his fingers with hers. “I’m sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I’m not used to talking about myself, so it’s easier to talk about Isabel while just mentioning something about myself every once in a while.”
“I know you love your family and I do enjoy hearing about them, but I wanna know more about you.”
Max nodded and smiled. “Are you ready to go?”
“Where’re we going?”
“You wanna know more about me, right?”
“Definitely.”
“Then let me introduce you to… me.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. “C’mon.”
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt63-4/4
Flamehair – Thanks for reading. And yes, it’s an interesting question that Isabel is asking herself, one that will have repercussions for the rest of the story, for her.
cjs18ne – Isabel would do that, don’t you think? The answer to the Max question is in this next part. Sisters and brothers will always torment each other… that’s just the way it is.
Part 63
Isabel stood in front of the open closet in her bedroom; her dark gaze was locked on the clothes hanging from the rack but her mind wasn’t on choosing an outfit suitable for hanging out with her dad on a Saturday night.
She pulled the chair from her desk over to the closet and stepped up on it, reaching up to the shelf above the clothes rack to push several things aside. She glanced at the door to her bedroom, making sure it was shut before turning her attention to the wall at the back of the closet. She slid her hand over one of the boards, loosening it from the wall and reaching into the gap to retrieve the shoebox that she kept hidden.
Holding onto it she stepped back down and crossed the room to sit down on her bed. She lifted the lid off and reached inside, picking up the stack of journals that she had kept since her dad had given her one for her seventh birthday. She opened it slowly and flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning over the sentences written in her eight-year-old handwriting. The pages separated and the journal lay open to the date of February 14, 1992; she couldn’t help the feelings that washed over her as she turned to look at the flowers carefully wrapped in cellophane and lined up on the bottom of the box. There were ten in all, one for each Valentine’s Day since the third grade; her fingers brushed over the aged flowers as she wondered once more who thought enough of her to leave them year after year despite her cruel response.
Whoever it was had no idea that she had kept the roses. Each year she had made sure that everyone in class believed that the shredded flower had been thrown away, and each year she had hidden it until she had gotten home where she could put it away where no one would find it… fully restored and just as beautiful as it had been the moment she had first seen it.
For so long she had been afraid of letting anyone get too close, certain that protecting the truth about herself was more important than developing relationships of any kind. She envied Max for having someone to confide in, someone he could open up to without fear of rejection.
You do have that, she thought as she carefully placed the journals and flowers back into the shoebox and carefully placing the lid on it once more. For the first time in her life she had someone she could truly call a friend, someone who would be there no matter who was around or what was going on.
Feeling better than she had all day she put the shoebox back in its hiding place, sparing one more brief thought for the person who had left the flowers on her desk each year on Valentine’s Day, before browsing through her closet in search of an outfit to wear for her evening out with her dad.
*****
Liz glanced around at her surroundings, trying to pinpoint their location without success. She had quickly lost her bearings once Max had driven out of Roswell’s city limits and the fading daylight wasn’t helping her to decipher their surroundings. They had driven for more than an hour before he had pulled over on the side of the road.
“Where are we?” she asked finally.
Max took a deep breath and held it for several seconds before releasing it. “This is where we were found when we were six years old.”
Liz looked around once more. “Here?” There was nothing but open desert in all directions. “Max, there’s nothing out here.”
He nodded. “I know. I don’t even know how many hours I’ve spent out here, walking around, hoping I’d feel something… I don’t know, familiar.”
“Nothing?” she guessed.
“No. I’ve never been driven to find my origins, but I’d like to at least know why we were left here the way we were. When I was younger I really wanted to know, but it always bothered Isabel; she’s terrified of exposure and it didn’t mean enough to me to keep worrying her every time I’d come out here.”
Liz looked at him and she could see the acceptance in his eyes. He wanted answers but he had set aside any expectations to give his sister peace of mind.
“You’re satisfied with your life here?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you ever think about going back to wherever you came from?”
“Not really. I mean, there’s a part of me that wonders what that other place must be like and sometimes I wonder if this is what I looked like before… I don’t know if we look human so we’d blend in here or if this is what we really look like.” He smiled sheepishly. “Is that too weird?”
“No,” Liz insisted. “Max, if you guys didn’t know anything when your parents took you home, how did they explain that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you must’ve reacted pretty strongly to new things, new experiences since you had never seen them or experienced them.”
Max looked as though he had never asked himself those questions. “I guess they just thought it was because we were found wandering in the desert with no memory of anything before that.”
“Was it different for you? Being an alien and growing up human?”
He shrugged. “I guess I don’t really know if it was any different. We never got sick or anything, but I think most of our childhood experiences were fairly normal. If they weren’t it probably would’ve thrown up a red flag or something, right?”
She pondered his question for several moments. “Have you ever considered that your parents know that you guys are somehow different? That maybe they’ve just never said anything because they don’t want you to know that they know?”
“Why wouldn’t they say anything if they suspected we weren’t human?”
“I’m not saying they’ve made that connection, but maybe they know there’s something different about you. They may just think you’re gifted, that you have some sort of abilities that they know they can’t draw attention to.”
Max shook his head negatively. “I don’t think so, Liz.”
She had a feeling that his denial had more to do with the fear that if his parents ever discovered the truth about him and Isabel they wouldn’t want them as their children any longer. “Do you ever worry that someone from your planet will ever show up to take you… home?” Liz asked, wondering if he would go if approached by his own kind.
“Not really. I mean, if someone was gonna come for us, surely they would’ve shown up by now, don’t you think?” He glanced at her, searching her expression in the shadows for her thoughts.
“That would make sense.”
“I used to want that, but now, I’m really not interested. I like it here; this is my home now, I love my family, and I’ve got you.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Liz shifted in her seat, reaching out to turn his face to her as she leaned closer to kiss him. “Neither would I,” she said quietly.
*****
Maria glanced at Michael when he leaned back in his chair and the fingers of his right hand started drumming out an annoyed rhythm on the table. He was staring at the young man seated next to Maggie, his expression perplexed as he tried to match a name to the face.
“You sure you don’t play basketball?” he asked after several minutes.
Jesse looked up from his conversation with Maggie and her father and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
“Uh-huh, and you play chess, but you’re not in the chess club?”
“Nope, not in the chess club either.”
“Michael, why don’t you occupy your mouth with food and stop interrogating Jesse,” Maggie suggested with a warning glare. Inside, however, she was having a laughing fit over her brother’s annoying behavior.
“Why don’t you shut it and let me talk,” he snapped.
“Hey, man, don’t talk to her like that.”
Maggie beamed when Jesse stepped up to her defense, mindless of her brother’s wrath when provoked. His defense was sweet, but totally unnecessary; Michael was just being Michael and she knew to not take his behavior personally when he was like this. Jesse, though, was an only child, so he didn’t understand the dynamic that existed between siblings.
Maria’s right hand settled on Michael’s thigh under the table, squeezing it in warning when she felt him tense up at the other boy’s words. She could understand Jesse’s reaction; it wasn’t that long ago that she had been in his position, witnessing the brother and sister’s interactions for the first time.
Michael suddenly leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest as he nodded in satisfaction. “You’re the one that got special permission to do all your schooling from home at the beginning of the year,” he said. “You come in once a month for testing to make sure you’re keepin’ up with the learnin’ pace… and you don’t normally wear glasses.”
Jesse shook his head. “No, I don’t wear glasses; it’s inconvenient to keep pushin’ ‘em up when you’re chasin’ after cattle all day.”
“You’re not in school?” John asked, his tone inquiring.
“No, sir, not in the traditional sense.”
“Why is that?”
Maggie’s eyes widened in disbelief when her father asked the one question she had hoped to avoid during dinner. “Jess, would you help Mom with that roast? She likes to carve it before she brings it to the table and she’s not very handy with a carving knife.”
“Sure.” He placed his napkin on the table and stood up. “Can I put my contacts in now?”
“Yes, of course.” She waited until he had disappeared into the kitchen before she turned on her father and brother. “Do you think you two could cool it with the inquisition?” she hissed.
“Is it a state secret why he’s not in school?” John asked, confused.
“His father had a stroke during the summer and it left him paralyzed on one side; he can’t talk and he can’t do much of anything for himself. Jesse’s been running the family ranch in his father’s place and the only time he has to do his schoolwork is at night. His dad’s his best friend and this has been devastating for him, so if you two would back off on the questions I’d appreciate it.”
“Honey, why didn’t you just tell me what was goin’ on so I could’ve avoided steppin’ all over the kid’s toes?”
Maggie shrugged her shoulders at her father’s question. “I guess it didn’t occur to me that you’d ask about anything personal since you did meet him at the front door with a shotgun last night. Which was totally unnecessary, Dad; Jesse’s a perfect gentleman.” She looked across the table at her brother, pinning him in place with her dark eyes.
“You don’t get to jump my case either, brat; if you hadn’t wanted to play games with me I wouldn’t have been tryin’ to figure out who he is. One word’s all it would’ve taken and you know I would’ve backed off.”
“Fine, I take responsibility for you sticking your foot in your mouth… this time. Just find something else to talk to him about; he doesn’t get many chances to get off the ranch and do things people our age normally get to do. I’d like for him to relax a little bit, okay?”
*****
Philip Evans glanced at his daughter as they sat on a bench outside of the movie theater; they had half an hour before the movie started and they had decided to wait outside. She had been quiet throughout the evening, not saying much at the restaurant or as they walked to the theater.
“What’s on your mind, honey?” he asked.
“What?” Isabel turned her head to look at her father, not surprised that he had picked up on her contemplative mood. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately… about…” She swallowed hard, unsure of how to approach the subject with him.
Philip nodded, certain he knew why she was hesitant about revealing her thoughts. “Let me guess – you’ve been thinking about your biological parents, right?”
Surprise found its way onto her features this time. “How did you know?”
“It only makes sense that you would wonder about them, honey. You’re almost eighteen, looking at going away to college pretty soon and starting your own life, so…” He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We searched for your biological parents years ago when we first brought you home but we never did turn up anything.” He hugged her to his side and rubbed her shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything about this?”
“Because Max doesn’t want anything to do with it.”
“Ah, you don’t want him to know you’re looking for some answers on your own,” he guessed.
“Well, not exactly on my own,” she admitted. “I um, I have a… a friend, Alex, and he’s been helping me.” She frowned. “Actually, it’s more like I’ve been helping him because he knows a lot more about research than I do.”
Philip raised an eyebrow at her comment. “And who is Alex?”
“Daddy,” she complained when she heard his teasing tone. “He’s my friend… to be completely honest, he’s the best friend I’ve ever had. You’ll like him.”
Her tone was confident and Philip merely nodded in response; they never talked about the guys she dated. He met them of course, but only because he didn’t allow any guy to take his daughter out without meeting him first. Isabel rarely went out with them more than a few times and she had never once spoken of any of the guys the way she had about this young man he had yet to meet. He could hear the respect underlying her words as she talked about Alex and he wondered if her feelings for the boy went deeper than that.
“You won’t tell Max that I’m looking for our biological parents, right, Daddy? You know how he gets and it wouldn’t be fair for Alex to have to deal with him.”
“Not a word, but if you need any help I want you to tell me. Promise?”
Isabel nodded. “Promise.” She couldn’t reveal the whole truth, but it felt good to be able to confide in her father. “Does it bother you that I wanna look for them?”
“Bother me? No, I just want you to be careful and let me know if you need anything.” He tugged her closer to drop a kiss on her head. “I know where your mom and I stand with you, honey, so don’t ever be afraid that looking into your past will change that; we’re gonna love you and your brother no matter what you find.”
“Thank you, Daddy!” She turned to throw her arms around his neck and hug him. “I love you.” She finally had her answer; she knew what she was going to tell Alex when she saw him the next day.
*****
Max leaned back against the windshield and braced his feet on the hood as Liz settled into his arms. He reached around her to pick up the blanket he had brought along, shaking it out and draping it over them. He pointed at the sky, directing her attention to a specific star constellation, easily visible from their location out in the desert.
“That’s Leo,” Liz said, following his pointing finger.
“Um-hmm, just keep watching it.”
They talked for a long time and Liz was content to listen to him as he pointed out different constellations and described the history behind their names. She knew most of them, but he was relaxed and talking with ease so she didn’t interrupt him, letting him ramble on until the first white light sped across the sky. It seemed to come directly from the constellation Leo, and she was startled to realize what Max had brought her out to the desert to see. She sat up suddenly and turned to look at him, just as more of the meteors raced across the sky.
“The Leonids meteor shower?”
Max smiled at her awed question and nodded. “You said once that you’d never seen them.”
She turned back to the sky, her gaze glued to the amazing light show. “Max, I must’ve said that…”
“Ninth grade science class,” he said, finishing the sentence for her.
“Oh, my God, it’s amazing,” she whispered.
Max let the feeling of pure happiness wash over him as he watched her, seeing the joy on her face as she witnessed an event she had waited her entire life to see. He knew it was temporary, but he had succeeded in making her forget about her problems with Maria for the day. It would have to be dealt with eventually, but for tonight, he wanted to pretend that his secret hadn’t caused a rift in her relationship with her best friend, that they were simply two normal teenagers spending a night stargazing.
cjs18ne – Isabel would do that, don’t you think? The answer to the Max question is in this next part. Sisters and brothers will always torment each other… that’s just the way it is.
Part 63
Isabel stood in front of the open closet in her bedroom; her dark gaze was locked on the clothes hanging from the rack but her mind wasn’t on choosing an outfit suitable for hanging out with her dad on a Saturday night.
She pulled the chair from her desk over to the closet and stepped up on it, reaching up to the shelf above the clothes rack to push several things aside. She glanced at the door to her bedroom, making sure it was shut before turning her attention to the wall at the back of the closet. She slid her hand over one of the boards, loosening it from the wall and reaching into the gap to retrieve the shoebox that she kept hidden.
Holding onto it she stepped back down and crossed the room to sit down on her bed. She lifted the lid off and reached inside, picking up the stack of journals that she had kept since her dad had given her one for her seventh birthday. She opened it slowly and flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning over the sentences written in her eight-year-old handwriting. The pages separated and the journal lay open to the date of February 14, 1992; she couldn’t help the feelings that washed over her as she turned to look at the flowers carefully wrapped in cellophane and lined up on the bottom of the box. There were ten in all, one for each Valentine’s Day since the third grade; her fingers brushed over the aged flowers as she wondered once more who thought enough of her to leave them year after year despite her cruel response.
Whoever it was had no idea that she had kept the roses. Each year she had made sure that everyone in class believed that the shredded flower had been thrown away, and each year she had hidden it until she had gotten home where she could put it away where no one would find it… fully restored and just as beautiful as it had been the moment she had first seen it.
For so long she had been afraid of letting anyone get too close, certain that protecting the truth about herself was more important than developing relationships of any kind. She envied Max for having someone to confide in, someone he could open up to without fear of rejection.
You do have that, she thought as she carefully placed the journals and flowers back into the shoebox and carefully placing the lid on it once more. For the first time in her life she had someone she could truly call a friend, someone who would be there no matter who was around or what was going on.
Feeling better than she had all day she put the shoebox back in its hiding place, sparing one more brief thought for the person who had left the flowers on her desk each year on Valentine’s Day, before browsing through her closet in search of an outfit to wear for her evening out with her dad.
*****
Liz glanced around at her surroundings, trying to pinpoint their location without success. She had quickly lost her bearings once Max had driven out of Roswell’s city limits and the fading daylight wasn’t helping her to decipher their surroundings. They had driven for more than an hour before he had pulled over on the side of the road.
“Where are we?” she asked finally.
Max took a deep breath and held it for several seconds before releasing it. “This is where we were found when we were six years old.”
Liz looked around once more. “Here?” There was nothing but open desert in all directions. “Max, there’s nothing out here.”
He nodded. “I know. I don’t even know how many hours I’ve spent out here, walking around, hoping I’d feel something… I don’t know, familiar.”
“Nothing?” she guessed.
“No. I’ve never been driven to find my origins, but I’d like to at least know why we were left here the way we were. When I was younger I really wanted to know, but it always bothered Isabel; she’s terrified of exposure and it didn’t mean enough to me to keep worrying her every time I’d come out here.”
Liz looked at him and she could see the acceptance in his eyes. He wanted answers but he had set aside any expectations to give his sister peace of mind.
“You’re satisfied with your life here?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you ever think about going back to wherever you came from?”
“Not really. I mean, there’s a part of me that wonders what that other place must be like and sometimes I wonder if this is what I looked like before… I don’t know if we look human so we’d blend in here or if this is what we really look like.” He smiled sheepishly. “Is that too weird?”
“No,” Liz insisted. “Max, if you guys didn’t know anything when your parents took you home, how did they explain that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you must’ve reacted pretty strongly to new things, new experiences since you had never seen them or experienced them.”
Max looked as though he had never asked himself those questions. “I guess they just thought it was because we were found wandering in the desert with no memory of anything before that.”
“Was it different for you? Being an alien and growing up human?”
He shrugged. “I guess I don’t really know if it was any different. We never got sick or anything, but I think most of our childhood experiences were fairly normal. If they weren’t it probably would’ve thrown up a red flag or something, right?”
She pondered his question for several moments. “Have you ever considered that your parents know that you guys are somehow different? That maybe they’ve just never said anything because they don’t want you to know that they know?”
“Why wouldn’t they say anything if they suspected we weren’t human?”
“I’m not saying they’ve made that connection, but maybe they know there’s something different about you. They may just think you’re gifted, that you have some sort of abilities that they know they can’t draw attention to.”
Max shook his head negatively. “I don’t think so, Liz.”
She had a feeling that his denial had more to do with the fear that if his parents ever discovered the truth about him and Isabel they wouldn’t want them as their children any longer. “Do you ever worry that someone from your planet will ever show up to take you… home?” Liz asked, wondering if he would go if approached by his own kind.
“Not really. I mean, if someone was gonna come for us, surely they would’ve shown up by now, don’t you think?” He glanced at her, searching her expression in the shadows for her thoughts.
“That would make sense.”
“I used to want that, but now, I’m really not interested. I like it here; this is my home now, I love my family, and I’ve got you.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Liz shifted in her seat, reaching out to turn his face to her as she leaned closer to kiss him. “Neither would I,” she said quietly.
*****
Maria glanced at Michael when he leaned back in his chair and the fingers of his right hand started drumming out an annoyed rhythm on the table. He was staring at the young man seated next to Maggie, his expression perplexed as he tried to match a name to the face.
“You sure you don’t play basketball?” he asked after several minutes.
Jesse looked up from his conversation with Maggie and her father and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
“Uh-huh, and you play chess, but you’re not in the chess club?”
“Nope, not in the chess club either.”
“Michael, why don’t you occupy your mouth with food and stop interrogating Jesse,” Maggie suggested with a warning glare. Inside, however, she was having a laughing fit over her brother’s annoying behavior.
“Why don’t you shut it and let me talk,” he snapped.
“Hey, man, don’t talk to her like that.”
Maggie beamed when Jesse stepped up to her defense, mindless of her brother’s wrath when provoked. His defense was sweet, but totally unnecessary; Michael was just being Michael and she knew to not take his behavior personally when he was like this. Jesse, though, was an only child, so he didn’t understand the dynamic that existed between siblings.
Maria’s right hand settled on Michael’s thigh under the table, squeezing it in warning when she felt him tense up at the other boy’s words. She could understand Jesse’s reaction; it wasn’t that long ago that she had been in his position, witnessing the brother and sister’s interactions for the first time.
Michael suddenly leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest as he nodded in satisfaction. “You’re the one that got special permission to do all your schooling from home at the beginning of the year,” he said. “You come in once a month for testing to make sure you’re keepin’ up with the learnin’ pace… and you don’t normally wear glasses.”
Jesse shook his head. “No, I don’t wear glasses; it’s inconvenient to keep pushin’ ‘em up when you’re chasin’ after cattle all day.”
“You’re not in school?” John asked, his tone inquiring.
“No, sir, not in the traditional sense.”
“Why is that?”
Maggie’s eyes widened in disbelief when her father asked the one question she had hoped to avoid during dinner. “Jess, would you help Mom with that roast? She likes to carve it before she brings it to the table and she’s not very handy with a carving knife.”
“Sure.” He placed his napkin on the table and stood up. “Can I put my contacts in now?”
“Yes, of course.” She waited until he had disappeared into the kitchen before she turned on her father and brother. “Do you think you two could cool it with the inquisition?” she hissed.
“Is it a state secret why he’s not in school?” John asked, confused.
“His father had a stroke during the summer and it left him paralyzed on one side; he can’t talk and he can’t do much of anything for himself. Jesse’s been running the family ranch in his father’s place and the only time he has to do his schoolwork is at night. His dad’s his best friend and this has been devastating for him, so if you two would back off on the questions I’d appreciate it.”
“Honey, why didn’t you just tell me what was goin’ on so I could’ve avoided steppin’ all over the kid’s toes?”
Maggie shrugged her shoulders at her father’s question. “I guess it didn’t occur to me that you’d ask about anything personal since you did meet him at the front door with a shotgun last night. Which was totally unnecessary, Dad; Jesse’s a perfect gentleman.” She looked across the table at her brother, pinning him in place with her dark eyes.
“You don’t get to jump my case either, brat; if you hadn’t wanted to play games with me I wouldn’t have been tryin’ to figure out who he is. One word’s all it would’ve taken and you know I would’ve backed off.”
“Fine, I take responsibility for you sticking your foot in your mouth… this time. Just find something else to talk to him about; he doesn’t get many chances to get off the ranch and do things people our age normally get to do. I’d like for him to relax a little bit, okay?”
*****
Philip Evans glanced at his daughter as they sat on a bench outside of the movie theater; they had half an hour before the movie started and they had decided to wait outside. She had been quiet throughout the evening, not saying much at the restaurant or as they walked to the theater.
“What’s on your mind, honey?” he asked.
“What?” Isabel turned her head to look at her father, not surprised that he had picked up on her contemplative mood. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately… about…” She swallowed hard, unsure of how to approach the subject with him.
Philip nodded, certain he knew why she was hesitant about revealing her thoughts. “Let me guess – you’ve been thinking about your biological parents, right?”
Surprise found its way onto her features this time. “How did you know?”
“It only makes sense that you would wonder about them, honey. You’re almost eighteen, looking at going away to college pretty soon and starting your own life, so…” He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We searched for your biological parents years ago when we first brought you home but we never did turn up anything.” He hugged her to his side and rubbed her shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything about this?”
“Because Max doesn’t want anything to do with it.”
“Ah, you don’t want him to know you’re looking for some answers on your own,” he guessed.
“Well, not exactly on my own,” she admitted. “I um, I have a… a friend, Alex, and he’s been helping me.” She frowned. “Actually, it’s more like I’ve been helping him because he knows a lot more about research than I do.”
Philip raised an eyebrow at her comment. “And who is Alex?”
“Daddy,” she complained when she heard his teasing tone. “He’s my friend… to be completely honest, he’s the best friend I’ve ever had. You’ll like him.”
Her tone was confident and Philip merely nodded in response; they never talked about the guys she dated. He met them of course, but only because he didn’t allow any guy to take his daughter out without meeting him first. Isabel rarely went out with them more than a few times and she had never once spoken of any of the guys the way she had about this young man he had yet to meet. He could hear the respect underlying her words as she talked about Alex and he wondered if her feelings for the boy went deeper than that.
“You won’t tell Max that I’m looking for our biological parents, right, Daddy? You know how he gets and it wouldn’t be fair for Alex to have to deal with him.”
“Not a word, but if you need any help I want you to tell me. Promise?”
Isabel nodded. “Promise.” She couldn’t reveal the whole truth, but it felt good to be able to confide in her father. “Does it bother you that I wanna look for them?”
“Bother me? No, I just want you to be careful and let me know if you need anything.” He tugged her closer to drop a kiss on her head. “I know where your mom and I stand with you, honey, so don’t ever be afraid that looking into your past will change that; we’re gonna love you and your brother no matter what you find.”
“Thank you, Daddy!” She turned to throw her arms around his neck and hug him. “I love you.” She finally had her answer; she knew what she was going to tell Alex when she saw him the next day.
*****
Max leaned back against the windshield and braced his feet on the hood as Liz settled into his arms. He reached around her to pick up the blanket he had brought along, shaking it out and draping it over them. He pointed at the sky, directing her attention to a specific star constellation, easily visible from their location out in the desert.
“That’s Leo,” Liz said, following his pointing finger.
“Um-hmm, just keep watching it.”
They talked for a long time and Liz was content to listen to him as he pointed out different constellations and described the history behind their names. She knew most of them, but he was relaxed and talking with ease so she didn’t interrupt him, letting him ramble on until the first white light sped across the sky. It seemed to come directly from the constellation Leo, and she was startled to realize what Max had brought her out to the desert to see. She sat up suddenly and turned to look at him, just as more of the meteors raced across the sky.
“The Leonids meteor shower?”
Max smiled at her awed question and nodded. “You said once that you’d never seen them.”
She turned back to the sky, her gaze glued to the amazing light show. “Max, I must’ve said that…”
“Ninth grade science class,” he said, finishing the sentence for her.
“Oh, my God, it’s amazing,” she whispered.
Max let the feeling of pure happiness wash over him as he watched her, seeing the joy on her face as she witnessed an event she had waited her entire life to see. He knew it was temporary, but he had succeeded in making her forget about her problems with Maria for the day. It would have to be dealt with eventually, but for tonight, he wanted to pretend that his secret hadn’t caused a rift in her relationship with her best friend, that they were simply two normal teenagers spending a night stargazing.
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ArchAngel1973
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt64-4/11
Flamehair – Isabel is a complex character. But she has a heart. It’s just not open to everyone.
Girlafraid – Thanks, glad that you liked the part, even if it focused more on other characters.
DeDe Pr – Max wanted to offer Liz a day she would never forget, a day where her problems wouldn’t plague her.
PML – Isabel is already being less cold with Alex, you’ll see that more and more in the next part. They have a journey to take, too, and it’s happening soon.
April – Isabel’s development is very slow but it’s in character. She doesn’t open up easily.
Cjsl8ne – Isabel will get a more important place in the story, now.
Part 64
Sundays were usually quiet at the Whitman house but in a completely unexpected turn of events Alex had had found himself sitting on the front porch between his parents while they disagreed about how his recent… run-in with the school bullies should have been handled. He couldn’t imagine a more uncomfortable way to spend the day until his bored gaze lifted from his hands and he saw Isabel crossing the street and coming towards his house.
“Look, Mom, Dad, do you think maybe you guys could discuss this without me?”
“Sit down, Alex,” his father instructed.
“Charles, you’re getting worked up over this and it’s completely unnecessary,” Elaine said as she reached out to pat his hand where it was pressed against the table.
“Unnecessary?” He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and looked at her in shock. “Elaine, you’re encouraging the boy to take a self-defense class.”
“What could it possibly hurt for him to know how to defend himself if the situation calls for it?” She shook her head. “Charles, you didn’t see him when he came home after that fight.”
“Well, three against one isn’t exactly fair odds. Even if I agreed to this self-defense class I don’t see how it would help with odds like that. Fighting back isn’t going to stop bullies from picking on the boy.” He sighed. “Guys like that will always pick on boys who are smaller, weaker, and smarter, that’s just the way it works.”
Alex slipped further down in his chair and wished for the power of invisibility to suddenly become his. There was no way Isabel could have avoided hearing his father’s last comment; thanks to her genetics she had above-average hearing and she wasn’t that far away either.
Elaine turned to follow her son’s disbelieving gaze when he slid down in his chair and she smiled at the young woman who had paused at the bottom of the steps. “Isabel, how are you today?”
“I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”
“Enjoying this unusually beautiful weather,” she said as she motioned to her husband. “I don’t believe you’ve met my husband. Charles, this is Isabel.”
Isabel stepped up onto the porch and shook the man’s proffered hand. “You must be very proud of Alex.”
“What? I mean, yes, of course.” Charles glanced between his son and the beautiful girl. “Um, why?”
Thanks, Dad, Alex thought morosely. Way to be supportive.
“For agreeing to take the self-defense class.” She took the seat across from Alex and smiled at him before turning her attention back to his father. “When my father suggested that I should take the class I didn’t want to do it, but Alex convinced me that you can never be too safe.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’m sure he didn’t tell you, but I only agreed to take the class if he took it too.”
“Oh, so you and Alex…” He waved his hand between them. “You’re friends?”
Isabel met Alex’s gaze across the table and an honest, genuine smile settled over her features. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Elaine bit her bottom lip to control the smile that was trying so hard to escape when she saw her son’s expression. The young woman that he was so crazy about had just declared that he was her best friend; it wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but it was another step in their slowly growing relationship and she could tell he was ecstatic about it.
“Your parents encouraged you to take a self-defense class?”
Isabel nodded. It wasn’t a complete lie; she had taken a self-defense class a couple of years ago at her parents’ urging. She hadn’t really bothered to pay much attention though because she had a built-in self-defense system that they didn’t know about.
“Well, I suppose a young woman can never be too safe in this day and age,” Charles mused. “How much is this class going to set me back?”
“It’s a community-sponsored program, Charles,” Elaine spoke up. “Alex, I’m sure Isabel didn’t come by to talk to us, so why don’t the two of you go on and let your father and I talk for a bit.”
Isabel tried not to laugh at Alex when he jumped at the opportunity to get away from his parents and she managed to hold it in until they were alone.
“Go ahead, laugh it up,” he grumbled as they entered his room and he flopped down on his bed. “Thanks for sayin’ what you said to change his mind though.”
“Your father’s a pacifist, isn’t he?”
He sighed. “Yeah. And as a rule, I tend to be the same way, but it just seems like a guy should be able to defend himself if it becomes necessary.”
“I agree with you, Alex.”
He sat up and looked at her. “So, other than convincin’ my dad that I need to take a self-defense class, what brings you by?”
“You know what we were talking about on Friday night? You asked me what I wanted to do once we find a code talker that’s close enough for us to talk to, remember?”
Alex nodded. “I haven’t forgotten.” He watched her as she settled down in one of the desk chairs. “You’ve made your decision,” he guessed.
“I talked to my dad last night and he knows that I’ve decided to look for my biological parents.”
Alex pulled his legs up on the bed, crossing them Indian-style as he propped his elbows on his knees. “That was a big step. He’s okay with that?”
Isabel smiled fondly as she thought about her father. He was the best. “Yeah. He and my mom actually looked for them when they first brought us home, so he doesn’t think we’ll find anything.”
“We?” Alex asked eagerly. She had talked to her dad about him?
Isabel turned to look at him. He seemed surprised that she had mentioned him to her father. She sighed. Was she that superficial? Is that how she really was up until just recently? “I told my dad about you; that you’ve been doing most of the research and I’ve been helping you.”
He nodded. It was a good thing to have her father’s approval; it was one less thing to worry about. There was still Max, though. “You don’t think he’ll tell your brother?”
“No, I asked him to keep it just between us.” She looked down at her hands, studying a miniscule chip in her fingernail polish. “I told him that you’re my best friend,” she admitted quietly.
“I’m honored.” He shook his head when her gaze shot to him, searching for some hidden meaning behind his words. “I’m not makin’ fun of you, Isabel, I’m bein’ completely honest. Friendship is somethin’ that I don’t take lightly.”
“No, I know you don’t take it lightly.” She sighed as she leaned back in the chair. “That’s why you tried to convince me that your friend Maria could be trusted with our secret, isn’t it? You have no reason to believe that she would ever betray you… or us.”
“No, she would never do that.”
“So, knowing me and Max, knowing our secret, has destroyed your relationship with one of your oldest friends.”
“Isabel, it’s true that this secret is where it all started, but the choice to keep Maria out of the loop was ours. You made threats and you were vocal about your feelings in regards to her knowin’ the truth, but you didn’t make us do what we did to her; the responsibility for that choice belongs to us and we have to live with it.”
Isabel pondered his words. Despite his speech she knew that she was responsible for the destruction of Alex’ friendship with Maria; her fear had overridden everything else and she hadn’t been able to trust Alex and Liz’ opinions about Maria DeLuca. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to fix it?”
Alex heard her hopeful tone. She was definitely on the right path to accepting Maria. The problem now was that Maria might not be on the right path to take him and Liz back. “I have to believe that it’s possible. That at some point you guys will be comfortable enough and feel safe enough to open yourselves up to the possibility of letting her in on the secret. I know how Maria comes across when you first meet her, but she’s got this inner core of strength and loyalty that is unwavering. I don’t know if we’ve pushed her so far away that it’s just a fantasy to think that we can repair our friendship, but I have to believe that she’ll be able to forgive us when the time comes.”
“You trust her that much?” Isabel asked, deep in thought. Would Maria really accept the truth?
Alex’ answer was firm. “More.”
Isabel nodded, seeing for the first time how much losing his friend had cost him on an emotional level. “I guess we’d better get to work on that translation if we’re ever gonna discover my past and fix your future with your friend.” She knew it was the right thing to say as soon as she saw the hopeful smile on his face.
*****
Alex had a free period on Tuesday afternoon and he was making use of it by sitting in the library, studying for Friday’s test in Psychology. He looked up when the library door swung shut with a bang and the librarian standing behind the counter shushed whoever had dared to make so much noise.
He frowned when Isabel ignored the older woman and rushed over to him, her expression filled with worry. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.
“It’s Max and Liz; they’ve been in an accident, Alex.”
He closed his books as he stood up. “Let’s go.”
Several aisles over Maria slid a book about the French and Indian War back onto the shelf and hurried after them. She had her mother’s car so she wouldn’t have a problem catching up with them at the hospital. How had Liz gotten into an accident with Max? she wondered. Liz had class fourth period, so why would she be somewhere else? She grabbed her things and shoved her books in her backpack before running out of the library and heading to the parking lot. She just hoped Liz was okay. They weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment, but she didn’t want anything to happen to her.
*****
Alex followed Isabel as she ran in the direction the nurse had directed them to take and they quickly found the room that had been assigned to Max. He pulled Liz to him, giving her a hug when he saw how shaken she looked, and he listened to her as she recounted Max’s efforts to avoid hitting a horse that had run across the road. His gaze settled on Isabel, watching her as she observed the nurse standing on the other side of the room, labeling a vial of blood.
“Are you sure they said he’s gonna be all right?” Isabel asked, worried by how pale he looked.
“They said he’s gonna be fine,” Liz assured her.
“We have to get that blood,” she hissed when the woman left them alone. “If they run tests they’re gonna see that it’s not human. We have to replace it before they can do that.”
“It’s gotta come from a guy,” Liz said. “They can tell the difference between male and female blood.”
Alex glanced around, knowing that he was the pincushion of choice. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“I’ll get the things we’ll need,” Liz said as she slipped out of the room.
“I hope you know what you’re doin’,” Alex muttered several minutes later as he watched the needle in Liz’s hand inch closer to his skin.
“I volunteered here last summer. I saw them do this a thousand times,” Liz said, her voice shaky. She was still upset about the accident and worried about Max’s condition.
Isabel rolled her eyes as she watched them. Liz’s hesitation wasn’t inspiring confidence and the longer it took for her to draw his blood, the more nervous he was getting. “Okay, look, just let me do it,” she said, taking the needle from the other girl. “We have to hurry up; if we don’t switch their blood before they examine the sample they took from Max they’re gonna call the authorities and you know what’s gonna happen then.”
*****
At the hospital Maria ran inside and the nurse at the front desk gave her directions to the room where she could find her friend. She passed several patient rooms and a waiting room before she spotted the room number she was looking for. She was about to go inside when she heard Isabel’s hushed voice coming from the waiting room.
“We have to hurry up; if we don’t switch their blood before they examine the sample they took from Max they’re gonna call the authorities and you know what’s gonna happen then.”
Maria frowned and started to walk into the waiting room but was pushed backwards when Alex stepped out first and bumped right into her.
“Uh, Maria! What’re you doin’ here?”
Maria’s gaze dropped down to his arm, zeroing in on the tiny white bandage taped to the inside of his elbow. “I think the better question is, what’re you doing here?” she countered. She shook her head when she saw the panic in his eyes as he scrambled for a plausible story to tell her. “Don’t tell me another lie, Alex. I’d like to think we’re beyond all of that now.”
Isabel watched their interaction and her heart went out to Alex as he was backed into a corner. Next to her, Liz was fidgeting nervously and she just barely controlled the urge to snap at the girl. They were counting on Liz to switch the blood samples since she was the one who had volunteered at the hospital and the girl wasn’t moving.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Maria said, turning to look at Liz.
Liz smiled gratefully at Maria. “Yeah, I’m fine; Max is the one who got hurt.”
Maria nodded and her gaze slid down to the vial of blood Liz was trying to conceal. “I know what you’re doing.” She looked from Liz to Alex and back again. “I just hope you know how much trouble you’re gonna be in if you ever get caught because this isn’t the kind of thing that authorities just let go when they discover it.”
“I swear it’s nothing bad, Maria,” Liz swore, worried at the path Maria’s thoughts were taking. Did she believe that she and Alex were drug addicts? She knew that she should correct her; she couldn’t stand the thought of Maria believing that about her and Alex, but what could she say? She bit her lips and turned to silently plead with Isabel but the taller girl was borderline hysterical. The thought of Max being in the hospital and the possibility of his blood being analyzed was pushing her over the edge, Liz could see it. There was no way she could tell Maria what it was really about, she thought desperately.
“I wish I believed you.” She turned and started walking back along the corridor that would take her back to the parking lot.
“Switch that sample,” Alex said before hurrying after Maria.
He caught up with her in the parking lot and his left hand curled around the car door when she opened it. “Maria, don’t leave like this,” he pleaded.
“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on? Because I’m sick of the lies, Alex. How many reasons are there for switching blood samples?” She shook her head and narrowed her eyes as she stared him down. “Tell me the truth, is it drugs? Is that what you’re all involved in?”
“Is that what you think’s goin’ on? Do you honestly believe that Liz or I would get involved in drugs?” Alex asked, sad that it was one of the conclusions she had come to.
The sad look? Not gonna work this time. She was so sick of the lies. “Then tell me what to think, Alex. You start hanging out with two people who you’ve never so much as spoken to in all of our years of going to school together, you suddenly have all these secrets that you can’t tell someone who’s been your friend your whole life, you’re always running off together for these clandestine little meetings or whatever it is you’re doing, and now, after an accident that occurred when Liz should’ve been in class – which I can only assume means she’s ditching class to hang out with Max Evans – I rush to the hospital to make sure she’s alright and I overhear you guys talking about switching out blood samples so no one finds out why they were in an accident in the first place. Am I leaving anything out? Because if I am, I would really appreciate it if you’d enlighten me.”
She dropped down in the drivers’ seat and reached for the door, tugging on it when he didn’t release it. Why did they have to keep lying to her? Why couldn’t they just tell her what was really going on? How had they been friends their whole lives only to come to this?
Alex crouched down in the space between the open door and Maria, hoping she wouldn’t continue trying to close the door on him. “Maria, I can’t tell you what’s goin’ on right now; it’s not my secret to tell no matter how much I want to.”
Maria hit the steering wheel, frustrated with his answer. “Why, Alex? What could you possibly be hiding or protecting that you can’t tell me about? When did I become someone that you couldn’t trust?”
He looked into her hurt, confused green eyes and regret washed over him. “It was never because you couldn’t be trusted, Maria. God, if you believe nothin’ else, please believe that.”
*****
Maggie finished saddling Rascal and led him into the trailer, making sure he was secure before closing the trailer gate. She was walking around to the passengers’ side of the truck when Maria pulled into the driveway.
“Hey, what’s up?” she called, running up to her brother’s girlfriend.
Maria stepped out of the car and paused to glance at the horse trailer hitched up behind a truck she didn’t recognize. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yeah, we’ve got cattle loose out on the old highway; someone knocked one of our fences down. Michael’s already out there,” she said, guessing that the girl was there to see him. “You wanna ride with? This might take a while.”
“Maggie, let’s go!” Sage called as she laid on the horn.
Maria followed after Maggie as they ran to the truck, scrambling to get in and close the door before the girl’s aunt pulled out of the driveway. She had needed to see Michael after the scene at the hospital; she didn’t know what to think about what was going on with her friends and she needed something to anchor her.
She turned to look at Maggie, watching the girl as she pulled her long, black hair through the back of a baseball cap and tugged it down over her head. “Someone let your cattle out on purpose?”
“It’s possible. All Michael said was that we had fences down and cattle on the road, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone pulled one down.” She glanced at Maria, sensing that something was bothering her. “So, you kinda seem like maybe you’ve got something on your mind. Everything okay?”
“It will be.”
Maggie nodded, understanding that whatever it was, Maria didn’t want to talk about it. “So, you’re still stayin’ over this weekend, right?”
Maria smiled. “Yeah.”
“Cool. You’re not gonna take it personally when we take their undefeated ranking, are you?” Maggie smiled wolfishly. She was going to win that game; she was already dreaming of that victory.
“No, although I do have to cheer for my home team.” Maria shook her head. If the rest of the team was anything like Maggie – hungry for blood – the Roswell team was as good as dead!
“Understood. You might have to cheer pretty loud if you wanna be heard though; most of my family will be there, so you’re gonna be surrounded by a pretty loud group.”
“That’s for sure,” Sage agreed, laughing. “And you can bet the guys will be teasing you for cheering for the opposing team.” She pointed at something up ahead and both girls turned to see what she was motioning at.
Cattle were scattered on both sides of the highway but it looked like they had been cleared off of the road itself. Sage pulled off on the side of the road, edging up close to a section of the fence that was intact and shut the engine off. Further up, on the other side of the damaged sections, another pickup truck with a stack of boards in the back was parked and two people were sitting on the tailgate.
“Maggie, get the horses unloaded. Maria, you stay with Shadow and Jacey over at the other truck.”
Maria followed Sage’s instructions, sitting between the cousins and talking while they watched the others mount up and ride out.
“So, rumor has it you’re gonna be joining us for the big game this Friday night,” Jacey said, glancing at the other girl.
“Yeah, you’re not gonna be cheerin’ for that bunch of losers from Roswell, are you?” Shadow asked, elbowing Maria as he shot a teasing grin at her.
Maria laughed. She was still a Roswellian; that would never change. “Well, it is my home team.”
“Your home team that’s goin’ home with their undefeated title in shreds.” Shadow leaned back and nodded at his cousin when she shouted something at one of the other riders. “Y’know, our team’s gonna take that win on Friday night.”
Maria smiled and leaned around Jacey as she tried to locate Michael amid the scattered cattle and other riders. “We’ll see.”
Jacey nudged her. “Grumpy’s further out; you’re not gonna be able to see him from here.”
Maria grimaced, disappointed with that news. She so wanted to see Michael right now. “Oh. So, why aren’t you guys out there?”
“I don’t ride and Shadow has an aversion to getting his hands dirty.”
“Shadow needs his hands undamaged for creating brilliant works of art,” he interjected before his sister could damage his reputation any further. He held his hands up, waggling his fingers in her face. “These babies are gonna make me rich one day and if you behave yourself, I might just acknowledge your existence when I make it big.”
Jacey rolled her eyes. “Aunt Sage called Uncle Aaron to help round the cattle up and he called Mom to have us haul a load of wood out here to repair the fence once the cattle have been brought back in. We’re just the delivery people.”
They watched as their uncle and Maggie brought about a dozen head of cattle from the opposite side of the road, herding them back onto their own land before going back for more.
“I think I see Grumpy,” Jacey announced almost an hour later.
Maria leaned forward again, following the girl’s pointing finger. She started to ask where Jacey saw him when she recognized his tall frame as he brought up the rear. He was wearing a baseball cap and she watched in fascination as one of the cows broke away from the herd and he and Sundance chased it down, turning it back towards the others.
Michael sighed tiredly as he and Sundance neared the road after rounding up the last of the loose cattle. He took his hat off and swiped his right arm across his forehead, wiping away the sweat that had formed there. He still had to repair the fence before he could even think about going home, and he wasn’t interested in thinking about the homework he had waiting for him.
His spirits lifted when he reached up to put his hat back on and he noticed the girl sitting with his cousins. He hadn’t been expecting to see her this early in the week and her presence made the last couple of hours worth it. He reined Sundance in as he reached the truck and he glared at his cousins. “Don’t you two have somethin’ you should be doin’?” he growled.
“I should be doing many things,” Jacey answered with a bright smile. “Unfortunately, we got stuck hauling this stuff out here for you. And now that you’re here you can take it off of our hands and I can go back to doing one of those many things that need my attention.”
Shadow grinned at his cousin. “So, I was thinkin’ that maybe I should do a story about you… somethin’ with a western angle.”
Michael groaned. His cousin had better not turn him into some kind of romantic cowboy in his story or he’d have to hunt him down and kill him. “I’m thinkin’ you should unload that wood and get to work.”
“These hands were never meant for manual labor,” Shadow said proudly.
“Hey, don’t look at me, Grumpy,” Jacey said, shaking her head. “I’ve got study group tonight and since I’m not doing all that well in Geometry I can’t afford to miss it.”
Michael turned his head to look at Maria and just the slightest hint of a smile softened his features. “So, you drive all the way out here just to see me in action?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Maria said quietly.
His eyes narrowed at her tone, easily picking up on the difference that indicated that something was wrong. “Can you hang here with me while I repair this fence and then I’ll give you a ride back?”
“Sounds good.”
Michael nodded. “C’mon, you two, let’s get this stuff unloaded; I’ve still got a ton of homework waitin’ for me when I’m done here.” He dismounted as they started pulling the boards out of the bed of the truck and stacked them on the ground in front of the damaged section. “Hey, you okay?” he asked quietly as he moved to stand in front of Maria.
“I’ve been better,” she admitted, throwing her arms around his neck when he was close enough.
Girlafraid – Thanks, glad that you liked the part, even if it focused more on other characters.
DeDe Pr – Max wanted to offer Liz a day she would never forget, a day where her problems wouldn’t plague her.
PML – Isabel is already being less cold with Alex, you’ll see that more and more in the next part. They have a journey to take, too, and it’s happening soon.
April – Isabel’s development is very slow but it’s in character. She doesn’t open up easily.
Cjsl8ne – Isabel will get a more important place in the story, now.
Part 64
Sundays were usually quiet at the Whitman house but in a completely unexpected turn of events Alex had had found himself sitting on the front porch between his parents while they disagreed about how his recent… run-in with the school bullies should have been handled. He couldn’t imagine a more uncomfortable way to spend the day until his bored gaze lifted from his hands and he saw Isabel crossing the street and coming towards his house.
“Look, Mom, Dad, do you think maybe you guys could discuss this without me?”
“Sit down, Alex,” his father instructed.
“Charles, you’re getting worked up over this and it’s completely unnecessary,” Elaine said as she reached out to pat his hand where it was pressed against the table.
“Unnecessary?” He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and looked at her in shock. “Elaine, you’re encouraging the boy to take a self-defense class.”
“What could it possibly hurt for him to know how to defend himself if the situation calls for it?” She shook her head. “Charles, you didn’t see him when he came home after that fight.”
“Well, three against one isn’t exactly fair odds. Even if I agreed to this self-defense class I don’t see how it would help with odds like that. Fighting back isn’t going to stop bullies from picking on the boy.” He sighed. “Guys like that will always pick on boys who are smaller, weaker, and smarter, that’s just the way it works.”
Alex slipped further down in his chair and wished for the power of invisibility to suddenly become his. There was no way Isabel could have avoided hearing his father’s last comment; thanks to her genetics she had above-average hearing and she wasn’t that far away either.
Elaine turned to follow her son’s disbelieving gaze when he slid down in his chair and she smiled at the young woman who had paused at the bottom of the steps. “Isabel, how are you today?”
“I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”
“Enjoying this unusually beautiful weather,” she said as she motioned to her husband. “I don’t believe you’ve met my husband. Charles, this is Isabel.”
Isabel stepped up onto the porch and shook the man’s proffered hand. “You must be very proud of Alex.”
“What? I mean, yes, of course.” Charles glanced between his son and the beautiful girl. “Um, why?”
Thanks, Dad, Alex thought morosely. Way to be supportive.
“For agreeing to take the self-defense class.” She took the seat across from Alex and smiled at him before turning her attention back to his father. “When my father suggested that I should take the class I didn’t want to do it, but Alex convinced me that you can never be too safe.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’m sure he didn’t tell you, but I only agreed to take the class if he took it too.”
“Oh, so you and Alex…” He waved his hand between them. “You’re friends?”
Isabel met Alex’s gaze across the table and an honest, genuine smile settled over her features. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Elaine bit her bottom lip to control the smile that was trying so hard to escape when she saw her son’s expression. The young woman that he was so crazy about had just declared that he was her best friend; it wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but it was another step in their slowly growing relationship and she could tell he was ecstatic about it.
“Your parents encouraged you to take a self-defense class?”
Isabel nodded. It wasn’t a complete lie; she had taken a self-defense class a couple of years ago at her parents’ urging. She hadn’t really bothered to pay much attention though because she had a built-in self-defense system that they didn’t know about.
“Well, I suppose a young woman can never be too safe in this day and age,” Charles mused. “How much is this class going to set me back?”
“It’s a community-sponsored program, Charles,” Elaine spoke up. “Alex, I’m sure Isabel didn’t come by to talk to us, so why don’t the two of you go on and let your father and I talk for a bit.”
Isabel tried not to laugh at Alex when he jumped at the opportunity to get away from his parents and she managed to hold it in until they were alone.
“Go ahead, laugh it up,” he grumbled as they entered his room and he flopped down on his bed. “Thanks for sayin’ what you said to change his mind though.”
“Your father’s a pacifist, isn’t he?”
He sighed. “Yeah. And as a rule, I tend to be the same way, but it just seems like a guy should be able to defend himself if it becomes necessary.”
“I agree with you, Alex.”
He sat up and looked at her. “So, other than convincin’ my dad that I need to take a self-defense class, what brings you by?”
“You know what we were talking about on Friday night? You asked me what I wanted to do once we find a code talker that’s close enough for us to talk to, remember?”
Alex nodded. “I haven’t forgotten.” He watched her as she settled down in one of the desk chairs. “You’ve made your decision,” he guessed.
“I talked to my dad last night and he knows that I’ve decided to look for my biological parents.”
Alex pulled his legs up on the bed, crossing them Indian-style as he propped his elbows on his knees. “That was a big step. He’s okay with that?”
Isabel smiled fondly as she thought about her father. He was the best. “Yeah. He and my mom actually looked for them when they first brought us home, so he doesn’t think we’ll find anything.”
“We?” Alex asked eagerly. She had talked to her dad about him?
Isabel turned to look at him. He seemed surprised that she had mentioned him to her father. She sighed. Was she that superficial? Is that how she really was up until just recently? “I told my dad about you; that you’ve been doing most of the research and I’ve been helping you.”
He nodded. It was a good thing to have her father’s approval; it was one less thing to worry about. There was still Max, though. “You don’t think he’ll tell your brother?”
“No, I asked him to keep it just between us.” She looked down at her hands, studying a miniscule chip in her fingernail polish. “I told him that you’re my best friend,” she admitted quietly.
“I’m honored.” He shook his head when her gaze shot to him, searching for some hidden meaning behind his words. “I’m not makin’ fun of you, Isabel, I’m bein’ completely honest. Friendship is somethin’ that I don’t take lightly.”
“No, I know you don’t take it lightly.” She sighed as she leaned back in the chair. “That’s why you tried to convince me that your friend Maria could be trusted with our secret, isn’t it? You have no reason to believe that she would ever betray you… or us.”
“No, she would never do that.”
“So, knowing me and Max, knowing our secret, has destroyed your relationship with one of your oldest friends.”
“Isabel, it’s true that this secret is where it all started, but the choice to keep Maria out of the loop was ours. You made threats and you were vocal about your feelings in regards to her knowin’ the truth, but you didn’t make us do what we did to her; the responsibility for that choice belongs to us and we have to live with it.”
Isabel pondered his words. Despite his speech she knew that she was responsible for the destruction of Alex’ friendship with Maria; her fear had overridden everything else and she hadn’t been able to trust Alex and Liz’ opinions about Maria DeLuca. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to fix it?”
Alex heard her hopeful tone. She was definitely on the right path to accepting Maria. The problem now was that Maria might not be on the right path to take him and Liz back. “I have to believe that it’s possible. That at some point you guys will be comfortable enough and feel safe enough to open yourselves up to the possibility of letting her in on the secret. I know how Maria comes across when you first meet her, but she’s got this inner core of strength and loyalty that is unwavering. I don’t know if we’ve pushed her so far away that it’s just a fantasy to think that we can repair our friendship, but I have to believe that she’ll be able to forgive us when the time comes.”
“You trust her that much?” Isabel asked, deep in thought. Would Maria really accept the truth?
Alex’ answer was firm. “More.”
Isabel nodded, seeing for the first time how much losing his friend had cost him on an emotional level. “I guess we’d better get to work on that translation if we’re ever gonna discover my past and fix your future with your friend.” She knew it was the right thing to say as soon as she saw the hopeful smile on his face.
*****
Alex had a free period on Tuesday afternoon and he was making use of it by sitting in the library, studying for Friday’s test in Psychology. He looked up when the library door swung shut with a bang and the librarian standing behind the counter shushed whoever had dared to make so much noise.
He frowned when Isabel ignored the older woman and rushed over to him, her expression filled with worry. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.
“It’s Max and Liz; they’ve been in an accident, Alex.”
He closed his books as he stood up. “Let’s go.”
Several aisles over Maria slid a book about the French and Indian War back onto the shelf and hurried after them. She had her mother’s car so she wouldn’t have a problem catching up with them at the hospital. How had Liz gotten into an accident with Max? she wondered. Liz had class fourth period, so why would she be somewhere else? She grabbed her things and shoved her books in her backpack before running out of the library and heading to the parking lot. She just hoped Liz was okay. They weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment, but she didn’t want anything to happen to her.
*****
Alex followed Isabel as she ran in the direction the nurse had directed them to take and they quickly found the room that had been assigned to Max. He pulled Liz to him, giving her a hug when he saw how shaken she looked, and he listened to her as she recounted Max’s efforts to avoid hitting a horse that had run across the road. His gaze settled on Isabel, watching her as she observed the nurse standing on the other side of the room, labeling a vial of blood.
“Are you sure they said he’s gonna be all right?” Isabel asked, worried by how pale he looked.
“They said he’s gonna be fine,” Liz assured her.
“We have to get that blood,” she hissed when the woman left them alone. “If they run tests they’re gonna see that it’s not human. We have to replace it before they can do that.”
“It’s gotta come from a guy,” Liz said. “They can tell the difference between male and female blood.”
Alex glanced around, knowing that he was the pincushion of choice. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“I’ll get the things we’ll need,” Liz said as she slipped out of the room.
“I hope you know what you’re doin’,” Alex muttered several minutes later as he watched the needle in Liz’s hand inch closer to his skin.
“I volunteered here last summer. I saw them do this a thousand times,” Liz said, her voice shaky. She was still upset about the accident and worried about Max’s condition.
Isabel rolled her eyes as she watched them. Liz’s hesitation wasn’t inspiring confidence and the longer it took for her to draw his blood, the more nervous he was getting. “Okay, look, just let me do it,” she said, taking the needle from the other girl. “We have to hurry up; if we don’t switch their blood before they examine the sample they took from Max they’re gonna call the authorities and you know what’s gonna happen then.”
*****
At the hospital Maria ran inside and the nurse at the front desk gave her directions to the room where she could find her friend. She passed several patient rooms and a waiting room before she spotted the room number she was looking for. She was about to go inside when she heard Isabel’s hushed voice coming from the waiting room.
“We have to hurry up; if we don’t switch their blood before they examine the sample they took from Max they’re gonna call the authorities and you know what’s gonna happen then.”
Maria frowned and started to walk into the waiting room but was pushed backwards when Alex stepped out first and bumped right into her.
“Uh, Maria! What’re you doin’ here?”
Maria’s gaze dropped down to his arm, zeroing in on the tiny white bandage taped to the inside of his elbow. “I think the better question is, what’re you doing here?” she countered. She shook her head when she saw the panic in his eyes as he scrambled for a plausible story to tell her. “Don’t tell me another lie, Alex. I’d like to think we’re beyond all of that now.”
Isabel watched their interaction and her heart went out to Alex as he was backed into a corner. Next to her, Liz was fidgeting nervously and she just barely controlled the urge to snap at the girl. They were counting on Liz to switch the blood samples since she was the one who had volunteered at the hospital and the girl wasn’t moving.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Maria said, turning to look at Liz.
Liz smiled gratefully at Maria. “Yeah, I’m fine; Max is the one who got hurt.”
Maria nodded and her gaze slid down to the vial of blood Liz was trying to conceal. “I know what you’re doing.” She looked from Liz to Alex and back again. “I just hope you know how much trouble you’re gonna be in if you ever get caught because this isn’t the kind of thing that authorities just let go when they discover it.”
“I swear it’s nothing bad, Maria,” Liz swore, worried at the path Maria’s thoughts were taking. Did she believe that she and Alex were drug addicts? She knew that she should correct her; she couldn’t stand the thought of Maria believing that about her and Alex, but what could she say? She bit her lips and turned to silently plead with Isabel but the taller girl was borderline hysterical. The thought of Max being in the hospital and the possibility of his blood being analyzed was pushing her over the edge, Liz could see it. There was no way she could tell Maria what it was really about, she thought desperately.
“I wish I believed you.” She turned and started walking back along the corridor that would take her back to the parking lot.
“Switch that sample,” Alex said before hurrying after Maria.
He caught up with her in the parking lot and his left hand curled around the car door when she opened it. “Maria, don’t leave like this,” he pleaded.
“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on? Because I’m sick of the lies, Alex. How many reasons are there for switching blood samples?” She shook her head and narrowed her eyes as she stared him down. “Tell me the truth, is it drugs? Is that what you’re all involved in?”
“Is that what you think’s goin’ on? Do you honestly believe that Liz or I would get involved in drugs?” Alex asked, sad that it was one of the conclusions she had come to.
The sad look? Not gonna work this time. She was so sick of the lies. “Then tell me what to think, Alex. You start hanging out with two people who you’ve never so much as spoken to in all of our years of going to school together, you suddenly have all these secrets that you can’t tell someone who’s been your friend your whole life, you’re always running off together for these clandestine little meetings or whatever it is you’re doing, and now, after an accident that occurred when Liz should’ve been in class – which I can only assume means she’s ditching class to hang out with Max Evans – I rush to the hospital to make sure she’s alright and I overhear you guys talking about switching out blood samples so no one finds out why they were in an accident in the first place. Am I leaving anything out? Because if I am, I would really appreciate it if you’d enlighten me.”
She dropped down in the drivers’ seat and reached for the door, tugging on it when he didn’t release it. Why did they have to keep lying to her? Why couldn’t they just tell her what was really going on? How had they been friends their whole lives only to come to this?
Alex crouched down in the space between the open door and Maria, hoping she wouldn’t continue trying to close the door on him. “Maria, I can’t tell you what’s goin’ on right now; it’s not my secret to tell no matter how much I want to.”
Maria hit the steering wheel, frustrated with his answer. “Why, Alex? What could you possibly be hiding or protecting that you can’t tell me about? When did I become someone that you couldn’t trust?”
He looked into her hurt, confused green eyes and regret washed over him. “It was never because you couldn’t be trusted, Maria. God, if you believe nothin’ else, please believe that.”
*****
Maggie finished saddling Rascal and led him into the trailer, making sure he was secure before closing the trailer gate. She was walking around to the passengers’ side of the truck when Maria pulled into the driveway.
“Hey, what’s up?” she called, running up to her brother’s girlfriend.
Maria stepped out of the car and paused to glance at the horse trailer hitched up behind a truck she didn’t recognize. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yeah, we’ve got cattle loose out on the old highway; someone knocked one of our fences down. Michael’s already out there,” she said, guessing that the girl was there to see him. “You wanna ride with? This might take a while.”
“Maggie, let’s go!” Sage called as she laid on the horn.
Maria followed after Maggie as they ran to the truck, scrambling to get in and close the door before the girl’s aunt pulled out of the driveway. She had needed to see Michael after the scene at the hospital; she didn’t know what to think about what was going on with her friends and she needed something to anchor her.
She turned to look at Maggie, watching the girl as she pulled her long, black hair through the back of a baseball cap and tugged it down over her head. “Someone let your cattle out on purpose?”
“It’s possible. All Michael said was that we had fences down and cattle on the road, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone pulled one down.” She glanced at Maria, sensing that something was bothering her. “So, you kinda seem like maybe you’ve got something on your mind. Everything okay?”
“It will be.”
Maggie nodded, understanding that whatever it was, Maria didn’t want to talk about it. “So, you’re still stayin’ over this weekend, right?”
Maria smiled. “Yeah.”
“Cool. You’re not gonna take it personally when we take their undefeated ranking, are you?” Maggie smiled wolfishly. She was going to win that game; she was already dreaming of that victory.
“No, although I do have to cheer for my home team.” Maria shook her head. If the rest of the team was anything like Maggie – hungry for blood – the Roswell team was as good as dead!
“Understood. You might have to cheer pretty loud if you wanna be heard though; most of my family will be there, so you’re gonna be surrounded by a pretty loud group.”
“That’s for sure,” Sage agreed, laughing. “And you can bet the guys will be teasing you for cheering for the opposing team.” She pointed at something up ahead and both girls turned to see what she was motioning at.
Cattle were scattered on both sides of the highway but it looked like they had been cleared off of the road itself. Sage pulled off on the side of the road, edging up close to a section of the fence that was intact and shut the engine off. Further up, on the other side of the damaged sections, another pickup truck with a stack of boards in the back was parked and two people were sitting on the tailgate.
“Maggie, get the horses unloaded. Maria, you stay with Shadow and Jacey over at the other truck.”
Maria followed Sage’s instructions, sitting between the cousins and talking while they watched the others mount up and ride out.
“So, rumor has it you’re gonna be joining us for the big game this Friday night,” Jacey said, glancing at the other girl.
“Yeah, you’re not gonna be cheerin’ for that bunch of losers from Roswell, are you?” Shadow asked, elbowing Maria as he shot a teasing grin at her.
Maria laughed. She was still a Roswellian; that would never change. “Well, it is my home team.”
“Your home team that’s goin’ home with their undefeated title in shreds.” Shadow leaned back and nodded at his cousin when she shouted something at one of the other riders. “Y’know, our team’s gonna take that win on Friday night.”
Maria smiled and leaned around Jacey as she tried to locate Michael amid the scattered cattle and other riders. “We’ll see.”
Jacey nudged her. “Grumpy’s further out; you’re not gonna be able to see him from here.”
Maria grimaced, disappointed with that news. She so wanted to see Michael right now. “Oh. So, why aren’t you guys out there?”
“I don’t ride and Shadow has an aversion to getting his hands dirty.”
“Shadow needs his hands undamaged for creating brilliant works of art,” he interjected before his sister could damage his reputation any further. He held his hands up, waggling his fingers in her face. “These babies are gonna make me rich one day and if you behave yourself, I might just acknowledge your existence when I make it big.”
Jacey rolled her eyes. “Aunt Sage called Uncle Aaron to help round the cattle up and he called Mom to have us haul a load of wood out here to repair the fence once the cattle have been brought back in. We’re just the delivery people.”
They watched as their uncle and Maggie brought about a dozen head of cattle from the opposite side of the road, herding them back onto their own land before going back for more.
“I think I see Grumpy,” Jacey announced almost an hour later.
Maria leaned forward again, following the girl’s pointing finger. She started to ask where Jacey saw him when she recognized his tall frame as he brought up the rear. He was wearing a baseball cap and she watched in fascination as one of the cows broke away from the herd and he and Sundance chased it down, turning it back towards the others.
Michael sighed tiredly as he and Sundance neared the road after rounding up the last of the loose cattle. He took his hat off and swiped his right arm across his forehead, wiping away the sweat that had formed there. He still had to repair the fence before he could even think about going home, and he wasn’t interested in thinking about the homework he had waiting for him.
His spirits lifted when he reached up to put his hat back on and he noticed the girl sitting with his cousins. He hadn’t been expecting to see her this early in the week and her presence made the last couple of hours worth it. He reined Sundance in as he reached the truck and he glared at his cousins. “Don’t you two have somethin’ you should be doin’?” he growled.
“I should be doing many things,” Jacey answered with a bright smile. “Unfortunately, we got stuck hauling this stuff out here for you. And now that you’re here you can take it off of our hands and I can go back to doing one of those many things that need my attention.”
Shadow grinned at his cousin. “So, I was thinkin’ that maybe I should do a story about you… somethin’ with a western angle.”
Michael groaned. His cousin had better not turn him into some kind of romantic cowboy in his story or he’d have to hunt him down and kill him. “I’m thinkin’ you should unload that wood and get to work.”
“These hands were never meant for manual labor,” Shadow said proudly.
“Hey, don’t look at me, Grumpy,” Jacey said, shaking her head. “I’ve got study group tonight and since I’m not doing all that well in Geometry I can’t afford to miss it.”
Michael turned his head to look at Maria and just the slightest hint of a smile softened his features. “So, you drive all the way out here just to see me in action?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Maria said quietly.
His eyes narrowed at her tone, easily picking up on the difference that indicated that something was wrong. “Can you hang here with me while I repair this fence and then I’ll give you a ride back?”
“Sounds good.”
Michael nodded. “C’mon, you two, let’s get this stuff unloaded; I’ve still got a ton of homework waitin’ for me when I’m done here.” He dismounted as they started pulling the boards out of the bed of the truck and stacked them on the ground in front of the damaged section. “Hey, you okay?” he asked quietly as he moved to stand in front of Maria.
“I’ve been better,” she admitted, throwing her arms around his neck when he was close enough.
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt65-4/18
PML – hmm, it will take some more parts before the group meets each other, and a few more before they realize (Max, Isabel and Michael) that they are the same.
Ashleyt – Liz and Alex really regret how things turned out but sometimes, you have no choice. And in this matter, they were stuck.
Starcrazed – it was time for Isabel to open up, don’t you think? It’s been a few months now.
Flamehair – Thanks for reading.
DeDe Pr -
Cjsl8ne – The meeting between Michael and Max will be… interesting to say the least. Yes, Alex and Isabel have more screen time coming soon.
Author’s Note: The Lost Child will be going on hiatus for just a few weeks while we post our new fic to introduce a new series we are working on: Guerin & DeLuca, P.I., which will begin posting on April 25, 2009. The Lost Child will return once posting of the introduction to the new series is complete.
Part 65
He could feel the tremors running through her just as soon as her body settled against his. “You wanna tell me what’s got you so upset?” he whispered gruffly.
Maria shook her head in response to his question and he glanced at the activity going on around them. “Tell ya what,” he offered as he leaned back to frame her face in his hands. “I can get rid of everybody pretty quickly if you don’t mind givin’ me a hand with some repairs.”
“Okay.”
Michael controlled the urge to demand an answer from her, not liking the lack of emotion in her voice. “Stay here, okay?”
She nodded and watched him as he led Sundance over to the trailer hitched up behind the truck Sage had driven.
“Hey, you guys interested in getting outta here without havin’ to do any work?” he asked as he joined his cousins.
“What’ve you got in mind?” Shadow asked.
“You guys gonna need the truck for the next couple hours?”
Jacey shook her head as she glanced at her brother. “Nah, I’ve got study group but we’re meetin’ at our house so I’m good.”
Shadow tapped his chin thoughtfully as he considered Michael’s question. He turned to meet his sister’s gaze and a look of silent communication passed between them. “So, your study group’s gonna meet at the house tonight… Talia gonna be there?”
“I hope so; she’s the only one who understands the stuff we’re supposed to be learning.”
“Um-hmm. I don’t know, Cuz.” He’d had a crush on his sister’s best friend for the past two years; he knew the girl was never gonna give him the time of day but he could use this to his advantage. “This could be the night she agrees to let me drive her home, and I can’t do that if you’ve got the truck.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “What’s it gonna cost me?”
“Well, y’know I’m coverin’ the Christmas pageant at the Community Center next month.” He grinned. “The story would be so much more powerful if it had a good photographer behind the camera.”
“You want me to give up an entire Saturday night to take pictures of screamin’ kids and a fat man in a red suit?” Michael roared. God, what a way to spend a precious school-free day!
“Doesn’t it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Grumpy?” Jacey asked with a grin.
“No, it makes me feel nauseous,” Michael grumbled as he glanced back at Maria. She was sitting on the tailgate staring out across the desert, her miserable expression revealing that her thoughts were elsewhere. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He snatched the keys out of Shadow’s hand and shook his head. “I’ll let Maggie know what’s goin’ on; she can take you guys home an’ I’ll drop the truck off later tonight.”
Shadow’s mouth dropped open in shock when Michael looped the reins around the top rail of the fence behind them and left to find his sister. “Did he just agree to photograph the pageant? The same pageant I’ve been buggin’ him about shootin’ for the past two months?”
“It’s all about leverage, big brother, and for once you actually had it.” She thumped his shoulder with her right fist. “C’mon, let’s give Aunt Sage a hand loading the horses so we can get outta here.”
Maggie looked up from the numbers hastily scrawled on the back of her hand when her brother joined her. “Hey,” she said, glancing up at him. “Between Uncle Aaron’s counts and my counts it looks like we can account for all of our cattle.”
He turned to look at their uncle where he was looping a rope around the posts to form a temporary barrier until they could get the new rails up. “That’s a relief.” He rolled his shoulders back as she focused on him. “Look, I need a favor; can you take care of Sundance and drop Jacey an’ Shadow off at home?”
Maggie shot a quick look in Maria’s direction. “She okay?”
“It’s probably those idiot friends of hers again.” He shook his head and scratched his eyebrow with his right thumb. “Anyway, can you do that for me?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
Maria watched Michael as he talked with everyone before finally walking back towards her and she jumped down off of the tailgate when the others began to leave. “What can I do to help?”
“There’s only one thing that gets you worked up like this,” he said, bracketing her body with his arms and wrapping his hands around the edge of the tailgate. “What’d they do this time?”
Maria’s hands came up to pick at one of the buttons on his shirt, focusing her gaze there as she struggled to control her emotions. When she felt that she could speak without letting her emotions get the best of her she told him what had happened and waited for his response.
“So, he didn’t deny it when you asked if they were involved in – “ Michael started, only to be interrupted.
“No, he didn’t deny it.” Maria took a deep breath before looking up at him.
“Did he tell you what they’re hidin’? Did he give you any reason to believe that they’re not involved in drugs and/or alcohol?” He backed away from her and started pacing, his hands gesturing wildly as he fired off the questions. “Did he give you an explanation for switchin’ out blood samples? Did he tell you why they’re takin’ a risk like that?” He was firing off questions without giving her time to answer, but he was really starting to wonder what was behind her friends’ behavior.
“No.”
He shook his head at her soft response. “But you still don’t believe that’s what they’re involved in, do you?”
She sighed heavily. “I know that all the evidence indicates that you’re probably right, Michael… I know that. But, I’ve known them my whole life, and my instincts are telling me that you’re wrong and I just can’t accept that they could change that drastically.”
“How many times are you gonna let them do this to you, Maria? People change, it’s a fact of life; maybe not one we wanna acknowledge or accept, but it happens and we have no control over it. You wanna believe they’re not involved in drugs or alcohol, fine, stick your head in the sand and ignore what’s right in front of you. But you can’t deny that they’re involved in somethin’ that’s illegal; people do not switch blood samples when they don’t have anything to hide.” He wanted to shake her! Liz and Alex had been her friends, but that was in the past now and she was going to have to accept that fact sooner or later.
“I know that,” Maria snapped.
“Do you?” he asked, his tone harsh. “Every time they do somethin’ that makes their behavior suspect you get upset, and when I point out the obvious reason for the way they’re actin’ you suddenly become their biggest defender.”
“You don’t know them, Michael – “
“I don’t give a damn about knowin’ them, Maria! I’ve seen what knowin’ them’s done to you and beyond tellin’ them what I think about that, I have no interest in them.” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. “You’re doin’ everything you can to hold onto the belief that they haven’t gone down that path and you’re usin’ me to do it. You come to me with whatever they’ve said or done, I automatically throw my opinion out there, and you take a stand on the opposite side, defending them and assuming that I’m wrong.”
“What?” What the hell was going on? He was like, turning his back on her, she thought incredulously.
Now that he had started, Michael couldn’t stop. “You don’t wanna be the one to think that they’re capable of takin’ that direction, but you know that’s gonna be my first assumption. You come to me with it because you know I’ll be the one to voice the ugly possibilities that you don’t wanna say aloud, and when I do you can jump to their defense and it allows you to maintain the illusion that your friends can’t possibly be goin’ down that path.”
Maria stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to stand there and pass judgment on my friends!” she shouted as she jumped down to stand on the ground.
“Friends?” he snarled in response to her remark. “You still call them friends in spite of everything they’ve done to you; you have a very interesting definition of the word friend and it’s a helluva lot different than mine.”
“I’ve known them my whole life, Michael! You can’t just expect me to suddenly believe that they could be involved – “
“Y’know what? I don’t care what you believe about them; you’re wearin’ blinders where they’re concerned and you have no intention of seein’ the truth that’s right in front of you.” He shook his head and snatched up the hammer that was lying in the bed of the truck next to a box of nails. “And I’m not gonna stand here an’ lie to you so you can feel better about whatever they’re involved in.”
“I didn’t ask you to – “ Maria tried to interject, but Michael was too angry to let her finish.
“You didn’t have to, Maria! Do you even know why you come to me when they do somethin’ that makes you feel like crap?” It really hurt him that Maria would do that and not even realize it. That she would come to him just so she wouldn’t be the one to accuse her friends of whatever shit they had gotten into.
Maria shook her head, refusing to take the blame. He was her boyfriend and she went to him when she had a problem that was all. “Because for some reason that escapes me at this moment, you’re the first person that comes to mind when I have something that I wanna talk about.” She shook her head. “I never asked you to lie to me and I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to expect a response that’s a little sympathetic – “
Michael interrupted her once again. “You want me to list off all the possible things they could be involved in so you can discard them and make yourself believe that I’m wrong and there’s some plausible reason for their behavior. You can accuse me of a lot of things, but lyin’ to you won’t ever be one of ‘em.” He muttered under his breath as he stalked over to the boards stacked on the ground and picked one up. “You wanna grab that box of nails and get over here?”
“Sure, but only because you can’t do this on your own.”
“I do just fine by myself.” He was perfectly capable of making the repairs on his own; it wasn’t the first time he’d had to work without another pair of hands. And just to prove his point he retrieved the box of nails before she could get to them. His temper was boiling near the surface and he was trying to contain the worst of it before he really told her off but she wasn’t helping matters any with her comments.
Maria watched him as he stubbornly worked on his own, refusing to ask for help even after dropping the first two nails and whacking his thumb with the hammer. Several cows that were close by bolted when he cursed out loud and threw the hammer on the ground between his feet.
He wiped his thumb on his jeans, leaving a smear of blood there before leaning over to pick up the hammer. He frowned when Maria reached for his hand as he straightened up, turning it over to inspect the damage he had inflicted on himself.
“Ouch,” she said, wincing. “That’s gotta hurt.” The skin was split over his knuckle and she could feel the tension in his hand seconds before he pulled it back.
“It’s fine,” he snapped.
“Don’t pretend that you’re not hurt – “
“Why not? Denial seems to work for you.” He picked the board up and placed it against the posts once more, refusing to acknowledge her when she took the opposite end and steadied it for him.
For the next hour they ignored each other, neither of them willing to be the first to break the angry silence that had built between them. When the last nail had been driven in and the fence was suitably repaired Michael loaded the few extra boards and the tools before slamming the tailgate shut.
“Let’s go.”
For the first time since they had met they parted without a single word or touch passing between them. At the house Michael didn’t bother waiting to watch her leave as he normally did; instead he went inside and slammed the door after him.
*****
Amy was folding a load of freshly-laundered clothes when the front door slammed shut and she heard her daughter stomp through the house, muttering under her breath the whole way. When the bedroom door slammed shut moments later she dropped the shirt on the table and went in search of the teenager.
“Maria?” she called, rapping lightly on the door before walking inside.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Maria denied before her mother had the time to form the question.
“Okay.”
“He’s a jerk, Mom! He has no idea what he’s talking about and he’s got the wrong idea about them!” She paced around her room, picking things up and putting them back down in a new location. “He’s wrong!”
Amy’s eyebrows lifted in surprise; there was only one he in Maria’s life right now so she knew who she was ranting about. “What exactly is Michael wrong about?”
“You should see him! Standing there, handing out his advice like he has any idea what he’s talking about! Arrogant, pompous, loud-mouthed…”
Amy was careful to keep her amusement hidden from her daughter as the girl stormed around the room muttering a long litany of unflattering insults aimed at her boyfriend. “Maria?”
“What?” Maria whirled around to look at her mother, still furious with Michael.
“Honey, what is it that he’s wrong about?” Amy asked. To hell with their don’t ask, don’t tell policy!
“Liz and Alex.”
The sensitive subject; no wonder Maria was so angry. “Ah, so you’ve talked to him about the way they’ve been acting.”
“Yeah, and what a mistake!” The erratic pacing finally began to wind down and after a few minutes Maria dropped down to sit on her bed. “He thinks that the reason they’ve been acting all weird is because they’ve gotten involved in drugs or alcohol… or both.” She sighed heavily and flopped back to lie on the bed so she could stare at the ceiling. “He’s wrong.”
Amy bit her lower lip as she considered the best way to approach a topic that was so sensitive and in the end she settled for direct. “Is he?”
Maria shot up into a sitting position so fast that she felt light-headed for a moment. “Mom! How can you even say that?”
“I’m not saying that he’s right, I’m just asking if you’ve considered the possibility. I know it’s not something that you ever want to imagine your friends getting caught up in, but as unrealistic as it might seem, he has a point.” Maria loved her friends to the point of being blind to anything negative about them, but whether she wanted to accept it or not, Alex and Liz had changed recently, and Maria was in the dark about what had caused this change. Amy wished that Maria would at least open up to the possibility that her friends had done something wrong. People changed, especially during their teen years. She should know; she had been there, too, and she had done some unmentionable things back in the day.
Maria stared at her mother, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Mom, you know Liz and Alex… that’s so not even possible! It’s bad enough that my boyfriend is making that accusation – “
“I’m not making an accusation, Maria, I’m simply asking a question.” She sat down beside her daughter and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling the girl against her side. “Honey, it’s not easy to think that your friends could be involved in those things, and yes, I do know Liz and Alex, but the truth is that some of the best and brightest kids have fallen into that trap. Their behavior of late is questionable and I’m sure Michael’s only looking out for you by suggesting possible explanations for the way they’re acting.”
Maria tried to contain her tears. Her own mother was agreeing with Michael! Could they be right? Had she been too blind to see that her best friends were falling into a trap that they might never come back from? No, not Alex and Liz. She sighed and turned to look at her mother. “He’s suggesting it because it’s a problem on the Rez and he’s familiar with it. He would never suggest that if he knew them.”
“Are you so sure about that? Michael may have his own reasons for coming up with that option, but that doesn’t make it any less feasible. I’ve known my share of people who have gotten caught in that trap… people you would never expect to make such bad decisions. They start hanging around with new people, they suddenly don’t have time for their old friends, they become secretive – ”
“But… Liz and Alex? C’mon, Mom!” she protested, still not ready to see the situation from Michael’s point of view.
“I’m not saying that it’s something they’re definitely involved in and my first instinct says that it’s not possible, but maybe you should ask yourself why you’re so mad at Michael.” She paused to smooth a hand over her daughter’s hair and lift her chin so she could meet her green eyes directly. “It’s one thing to be mad at him for doing something wrong, but it’s another matter entirely if you’re mad at him for making you take a hard look at the situation and it’s caused you to question your friends’ behavior.”
“What?” Her mother was getting more and more confusing.
Amy summed up the situation for her stubborn daughter. “Are you mad at him? Or, are you mad at yourself for considering his theories, and you’re just taking it out on him?”
Maria leaned against her mother and rested her head on her shoulder. Was that why she had gotten so angry with Michael? she wondered.
*****
Maggie walked through the house when she got back from taking the truck to her cousins. She had offered to take it for Michael when he had returned from repairing the fence, looking like he was ready to explode. She walked through the house, checking the rooms he usually used when he didn’t want to be disturbed and when she didn’t find him she moved the search outside.
She grabbed his jacket off of the hook behind the front door before pulling it closed behind her and stepping out into the cold night air. Their parents were both working late and neither she nor Michael had eaten yet so she knew he hadn’t gone very far from the house.
She walked around the house, towards the barn where she was fairly certain he had retreated after his shower. He was sitting on the top rail of the corral, his pensive gaze locked on the desert. She was surprised when she came up beside him and he didn’t notice that he had company; he was obviously lost in his thoughts.
“Michael?”
“What’s up, brat?” he asked without looking at her.
So, he had known she was there, Maggie thought. “I brought your jacket,” she said, standing on the bottom rail next to him and holding it out in his direction. She draped it over the fence between them when he made no move to accept it. “You wanna talk about what happened between you and Maria?”
“Who said somethin’ happened?”
Maggie snorted. “Your expression when you came in, the doors being slammed all over the house, the fact that you didn’t wait until Maria had driven off before you came in…” She grinned. “Oh, yeah, and the lack of a heated make-out session before she left – that was a dead giveaway, big brother.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Put your jacket on, you’re making me cold.”
He did as she suggested, wincing when the material dragged over his injured thumb.
“What’d you guys fight about?”
“Her friends,” he muttered.
“The ones you think are involved in drugs?”
“Yeah, apparently I’m not allowed to have an opinion on the subject unless I’m gonna keep it to myself. I don’t know them so I have no right to form an opinion. Well, you know what? I’m not gonna sit back and pretend that what they’re doin’ to her is right; I’m just tryin’ to get her to face facts. They’re the ones who’re up to somethin’ that’s – “
“Is that what you said to her?” Oh, he wouldn’t have dared to say that, and so brutally direct! Wait, who was she kidding? Of course he would!
“Of course that’s what I said to her!”
Oh, boy! “Michael, you can’t just put it out there like that. You could be right about her friends, but what if you’re not? What if their reasons for the way they’ve been acting aren’t related to anything like what you’re suggesting? Look, I know you’re just worried about her, and I know it pisses you off when she comes out here all upset like she was earlier, but…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “But, what if you’re wrong? What happens if she attributes their behavior to your reasoning and it turns out that they’re not involved in anything like that?”
He frowned and looked at his sister. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
Maggie paused for a minute, trying to come up with a way to express her thoughts without hurting her brother. “Have you considered that maybe you’re pushing your opinion on her? I know you well enough to know that you’ve expressed your thoughts on the subject, but you don’t have to make her believe it.”
Was she implying that he wanted Maria to accept his opinion? “Why not? They’re obviously involved in – “
“They’re involved in something, Michael, but what if you’re wrong and it’s not drugs or alcohol? Do you really wanna keep pushing your opinion until you make her believe it?”
Michael groaned. He knew that he couldn’t force a girl like Maria to just follow him blindly. She was the kind of girl who had her own opinions and she stuck with them. “Well, what the hell am I supposed to say then?”
Maggie wished she had all the answers. She hated seeing her brother unhappy. “She already knows your opinion on the subject, Michael; you told me before that you guys had agreed to disagree about their motives, so why are you pushing it now?”
“They keep hurtin’ her, Maggie.” Michael sighed roughly and shook his head, trying to stop the words before they poured out of him. “I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it bothers me when I see her like that and I know they’re the reason for it. She knows my opinion on them.” He turned so that he was facing her. “Y’know why she comes to me when they hurt ‘er?”
She was interested in his point of view. “Why?”
“Because she knows what I’m gonna say. She wants me to say all the bad things I think about her friends so she can defend them.” Michael’s face took on a thunderous expression as he was reminded of the heart of their fight.
“Her loyalty to her friends is strong, but would you honestly want her to be any different? Maybe she does come to you for that reason, maybe that’s part of it, but I’ll bet that she’s also coming to you because she knows you love her and she needs you to be the one to help her deal with whatever they’ve done.” She watched him when he fell silent, waiting for several minutes before she poked him. “Maybe you can think about what I said while you’re making dinner,” she suggested.
He nodded absently, pondering Maggie’s words before her previous comment registered and he protested, “Why should I make dinner?”
“Because you’re the oldest and you’re in charge?” Maggie teased him, happy to see him in a better mood.
Michael shook his head when she pulled that old card. “Several years ago that argument would’ve worked.”
“You’re still the oldest.”
“You’re still the girl.”
Maggie punched him in the arm. “Just for that, I’m really not making dinner now!” She sobered a moment later. “Seriously, Michael, she knows your opinion about her friends, so maybe you should just ease up on her. I know you get mad when she gets hurt, and I have to say that I’m surprised – and impressed – that you haven’t been to Roswell so you could meet them, but they’re her friends and she needs to be the one to decide how she feels about them.”
“I don’t know… maybe you’re right.” He jumped down off of the fence and they started to walk back up to the house. “Let’s just concentrate on dinner for now, okay?” He collared her with his right arm, pulling her close for a quick hug before she wiggled free of his grasp and punched his arm.
“Catch me and I’ll make dinner,” she called over her shoulder as she ran up to the house.
He pushed thoughts of Maria and the problem with her friends to the back of his mind as he took up the chase. He had just been given an opportunity to get out of making dinner and he wasn’t about to waste it.
Ashleyt – Liz and Alex really regret how things turned out but sometimes, you have no choice. And in this matter, they were stuck.
Starcrazed – it was time for Isabel to open up, don’t you think? It’s been a few months now.
Flamehair – Thanks for reading.
DeDe Pr -
Well, it’s good if this fic has helped you understand tv show Alex.great update..... know when u see the story I can understand why alex was so mad in the serie with Maria and Liz but also I understand them because they have to keep the secret.
Cjsl8ne – The meeting between Michael and Max will be… interesting to say the least. Yes, Alex and Isabel have more screen time coming soon.
Author’s Note: The Lost Child will be going on hiatus for just a few weeks while we post our new fic to introduce a new series we are working on: Guerin & DeLuca, P.I., which will begin posting on April 25, 2009. The Lost Child will return once posting of the introduction to the new series is complete.
Part 65
He could feel the tremors running through her just as soon as her body settled against his. “You wanna tell me what’s got you so upset?” he whispered gruffly.
Maria shook her head in response to his question and he glanced at the activity going on around them. “Tell ya what,” he offered as he leaned back to frame her face in his hands. “I can get rid of everybody pretty quickly if you don’t mind givin’ me a hand with some repairs.”
“Okay.”
Michael controlled the urge to demand an answer from her, not liking the lack of emotion in her voice. “Stay here, okay?”
She nodded and watched him as he led Sundance over to the trailer hitched up behind the truck Sage had driven.
“Hey, you guys interested in getting outta here without havin’ to do any work?” he asked as he joined his cousins.
“What’ve you got in mind?” Shadow asked.
“You guys gonna need the truck for the next couple hours?”
Jacey shook her head as she glanced at her brother. “Nah, I’ve got study group but we’re meetin’ at our house so I’m good.”
Shadow tapped his chin thoughtfully as he considered Michael’s question. He turned to meet his sister’s gaze and a look of silent communication passed between them. “So, your study group’s gonna meet at the house tonight… Talia gonna be there?”
“I hope so; she’s the only one who understands the stuff we’re supposed to be learning.”
“Um-hmm. I don’t know, Cuz.” He’d had a crush on his sister’s best friend for the past two years; he knew the girl was never gonna give him the time of day but he could use this to his advantage. “This could be the night she agrees to let me drive her home, and I can’t do that if you’ve got the truck.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “What’s it gonna cost me?”
“Well, y’know I’m coverin’ the Christmas pageant at the Community Center next month.” He grinned. “The story would be so much more powerful if it had a good photographer behind the camera.”
“You want me to give up an entire Saturday night to take pictures of screamin’ kids and a fat man in a red suit?” Michael roared. God, what a way to spend a precious school-free day!
“Doesn’t it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Grumpy?” Jacey asked with a grin.
“No, it makes me feel nauseous,” Michael grumbled as he glanced back at Maria. She was sitting on the tailgate staring out across the desert, her miserable expression revealing that her thoughts were elsewhere. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He snatched the keys out of Shadow’s hand and shook his head. “I’ll let Maggie know what’s goin’ on; she can take you guys home an’ I’ll drop the truck off later tonight.”
Shadow’s mouth dropped open in shock when Michael looped the reins around the top rail of the fence behind them and left to find his sister. “Did he just agree to photograph the pageant? The same pageant I’ve been buggin’ him about shootin’ for the past two months?”
“It’s all about leverage, big brother, and for once you actually had it.” She thumped his shoulder with her right fist. “C’mon, let’s give Aunt Sage a hand loading the horses so we can get outta here.”
Maggie looked up from the numbers hastily scrawled on the back of her hand when her brother joined her. “Hey,” she said, glancing up at him. “Between Uncle Aaron’s counts and my counts it looks like we can account for all of our cattle.”
He turned to look at their uncle where he was looping a rope around the posts to form a temporary barrier until they could get the new rails up. “That’s a relief.” He rolled his shoulders back as she focused on him. “Look, I need a favor; can you take care of Sundance and drop Jacey an’ Shadow off at home?”
Maggie shot a quick look in Maria’s direction. “She okay?”
“It’s probably those idiot friends of hers again.” He shook his head and scratched his eyebrow with his right thumb. “Anyway, can you do that for me?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
Maria watched Michael as he talked with everyone before finally walking back towards her and she jumped down off of the tailgate when the others began to leave. “What can I do to help?”
“There’s only one thing that gets you worked up like this,” he said, bracketing her body with his arms and wrapping his hands around the edge of the tailgate. “What’d they do this time?”
Maria’s hands came up to pick at one of the buttons on his shirt, focusing her gaze there as she struggled to control her emotions. When she felt that she could speak without letting her emotions get the best of her she told him what had happened and waited for his response.
“So, he didn’t deny it when you asked if they were involved in – “ Michael started, only to be interrupted.
“No, he didn’t deny it.” Maria took a deep breath before looking up at him.
“Did he tell you what they’re hidin’? Did he give you any reason to believe that they’re not involved in drugs and/or alcohol?” He backed away from her and started pacing, his hands gesturing wildly as he fired off the questions. “Did he give you an explanation for switchin’ out blood samples? Did he tell you why they’re takin’ a risk like that?” He was firing off questions without giving her time to answer, but he was really starting to wonder what was behind her friends’ behavior.
“No.”
He shook his head at her soft response. “But you still don’t believe that’s what they’re involved in, do you?”
She sighed heavily. “I know that all the evidence indicates that you’re probably right, Michael… I know that. But, I’ve known them my whole life, and my instincts are telling me that you’re wrong and I just can’t accept that they could change that drastically.”
“How many times are you gonna let them do this to you, Maria? People change, it’s a fact of life; maybe not one we wanna acknowledge or accept, but it happens and we have no control over it. You wanna believe they’re not involved in drugs or alcohol, fine, stick your head in the sand and ignore what’s right in front of you. But you can’t deny that they’re involved in somethin’ that’s illegal; people do not switch blood samples when they don’t have anything to hide.” He wanted to shake her! Liz and Alex had been her friends, but that was in the past now and she was going to have to accept that fact sooner or later.
“I know that,” Maria snapped.
“Do you?” he asked, his tone harsh. “Every time they do somethin’ that makes their behavior suspect you get upset, and when I point out the obvious reason for the way they’re actin’ you suddenly become their biggest defender.”
“You don’t know them, Michael – “
“I don’t give a damn about knowin’ them, Maria! I’ve seen what knowin’ them’s done to you and beyond tellin’ them what I think about that, I have no interest in them.” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. “You’re doin’ everything you can to hold onto the belief that they haven’t gone down that path and you’re usin’ me to do it. You come to me with whatever they’ve said or done, I automatically throw my opinion out there, and you take a stand on the opposite side, defending them and assuming that I’m wrong.”
“What?” What the hell was going on? He was like, turning his back on her, she thought incredulously.
Now that he had started, Michael couldn’t stop. “You don’t wanna be the one to think that they’re capable of takin’ that direction, but you know that’s gonna be my first assumption. You come to me with it because you know I’ll be the one to voice the ugly possibilities that you don’t wanna say aloud, and when I do you can jump to their defense and it allows you to maintain the illusion that your friends can’t possibly be goin’ down that path.”
Maria stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to stand there and pass judgment on my friends!” she shouted as she jumped down to stand on the ground.
“Friends?” he snarled in response to her remark. “You still call them friends in spite of everything they’ve done to you; you have a very interesting definition of the word friend and it’s a helluva lot different than mine.”
“I’ve known them my whole life, Michael! You can’t just expect me to suddenly believe that they could be involved – “
“Y’know what? I don’t care what you believe about them; you’re wearin’ blinders where they’re concerned and you have no intention of seein’ the truth that’s right in front of you.” He shook his head and snatched up the hammer that was lying in the bed of the truck next to a box of nails. “And I’m not gonna stand here an’ lie to you so you can feel better about whatever they’re involved in.”
“I didn’t ask you to – “ Maria tried to interject, but Michael was too angry to let her finish.
“You didn’t have to, Maria! Do you even know why you come to me when they do somethin’ that makes you feel like crap?” It really hurt him that Maria would do that and not even realize it. That she would come to him just so she wouldn’t be the one to accuse her friends of whatever shit they had gotten into.
Maria shook her head, refusing to take the blame. He was her boyfriend and she went to him when she had a problem that was all. “Because for some reason that escapes me at this moment, you’re the first person that comes to mind when I have something that I wanna talk about.” She shook her head. “I never asked you to lie to me and I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to expect a response that’s a little sympathetic – “
Michael interrupted her once again. “You want me to list off all the possible things they could be involved in so you can discard them and make yourself believe that I’m wrong and there’s some plausible reason for their behavior. You can accuse me of a lot of things, but lyin’ to you won’t ever be one of ‘em.” He muttered under his breath as he stalked over to the boards stacked on the ground and picked one up. “You wanna grab that box of nails and get over here?”
“Sure, but only because you can’t do this on your own.”
“I do just fine by myself.” He was perfectly capable of making the repairs on his own; it wasn’t the first time he’d had to work without another pair of hands. And just to prove his point he retrieved the box of nails before she could get to them. His temper was boiling near the surface and he was trying to contain the worst of it before he really told her off but she wasn’t helping matters any with her comments.
Maria watched him as he stubbornly worked on his own, refusing to ask for help even after dropping the first two nails and whacking his thumb with the hammer. Several cows that were close by bolted when he cursed out loud and threw the hammer on the ground between his feet.
He wiped his thumb on his jeans, leaving a smear of blood there before leaning over to pick up the hammer. He frowned when Maria reached for his hand as he straightened up, turning it over to inspect the damage he had inflicted on himself.
“Ouch,” she said, wincing. “That’s gotta hurt.” The skin was split over his knuckle and she could feel the tension in his hand seconds before he pulled it back.
“It’s fine,” he snapped.
“Don’t pretend that you’re not hurt – “
“Why not? Denial seems to work for you.” He picked the board up and placed it against the posts once more, refusing to acknowledge her when she took the opposite end and steadied it for him.
For the next hour they ignored each other, neither of them willing to be the first to break the angry silence that had built between them. When the last nail had been driven in and the fence was suitably repaired Michael loaded the few extra boards and the tools before slamming the tailgate shut.
“Let’s go.”
For the first time since they had met they parted without a single word or touch passing between them. At the house Michael didn’t bother waiting to watch her leave as he normally did; instead he went inside and slammed the door after him.
*****
Amy was folding a load of freshly-laundered clothes when the front door slammed shut and she heard her daughter stomp through the house, muttering under her breath the whole way. When the bedroom door slammed shut moments later she dropped the shirt on the table and went in search of the teenager.
“Maria?” she called, rapping lightly on the door before walking inside.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Maria denied before her mother had the time to form the question.
“Okay.”
“He’s a jerk, Mom! He has no idea what he’s talking about and he’s got the wrong idea about them!” She paced around her room, picking things up and putting them back down in a new location. “He’s wrong!”
Amy’s eyebrows lifted in surprise; there was only one he in Maria’s life right now so she knew who she was ranting about. “What exactly is Michael wrong about?”
“You should see him! Standing there, handing out his advice like he has any idea what he’s talking about! Arrogant, pompous, loud-mouthed…”
Amy was careful to keep her amusement hidden from her daughter as the girl stormed around the room muttering a long litany of unflattering insults aimed at her boyfriend. “Maria?”
“What?” Maria whirled around to look at her mother, still furious with Michael.
“Honey, what is it that he’s wrong about?” Amy asked. To hell with their don’t ask, don’t tell policy!
“Liz and Alex.”
The sensitive subject; no wonder Maria was so angry. “Ah, so you’ve talked to him about the way they’ve been acting.”
“Yeah, and what a mistake!” The erratic pacing finally began to wind down and after a few minutes Maria dropped down to sit on her bed. “He thinks that the reason they’ve been acting all weird is because they’ve gotten involved in drugs or alcohol… or both.” She sighed heavily and flopped back to lie on the bed so she could stare at the ceiling. “He’s wrong.”
Amy bit her lower lip as she considered the best way to approach a topic that was so sensitive and in the end she settled for direct. “Is he?”
Maria shot up into a sitting position so fast that she felt light-headed for a moment. “Mom! How can you even say that?”
“I’m not saying that he’s right, I’m just asking if you’ve considered the possibility. I know it’s not something that you ever want to imagine your friends getting caught up in, but as unrealistic as it might seem, he has a point.” Maria loved her friends to the point of being blind to anything negative about them, but whether she wanted to accept it or not, Alex and Liz had changed recently, and Maria was in the dark about what had caused this change. Amy wished that Maria would at least open up to the possibility that her friends had done something wrong. People changed, especially during their teen years. She should know; she had been there, too, and she had done some unmentionable things back in the day.
Maria stared at her mother, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Mom, you know Liz and Alex… that’s so not even possible! It’s bad enough that my boyfriend is making that accusation – “
“I’m not making an accusation, Maria, I’m simply asking a question.” She sat down beside her daughter and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling the girl against her side. “Honey, it’s not easy to think that your friends could be involved in those things, and yes, I do know Liz and Alex, but the truth is that some of the best and brightest kids have fallen into that trap. Their behavior of late is questionable and I’m sure Michael’s only looking out for you by suggesting possible explanations for the way they’re acting.”
Maria tried to contain her tears. Her own mother was agreeing with Michael! Could they be right? Had she been too blind to see that her best friends were falling into a trap that they might never come back from? No, not Alex and Liz. She sighed and turned to look at her mother. “He’s suggesting it because it’s a problem on the Rez and he’s familiar with it. He would never suggest that if he knew them.”
“Are you so sure about that? Michael may have his own reasons for coming up with that option, but that doesn’t make it any less feasible. I’ve known my share of people who have gotten caught in that trap… people you would never expect to make such bad decisions. They start hanging around with new people, they suddenly don’t have time for their old friends, they become secretive – ”
“But… Liz and Alex? C’mon, Mom!” she protested, still not ready to see the situation from Michael’s point of view.
“I’m not saying that it’s something they’re definitely involved in and my first instinct says that it’s not possible, but maybe you should ask yourself why you’re so mad at Michael.” She paused to smooth a hand over her daughter’s hair and lift her chin so she could meet her green eyes directly. “It’s one thing to be mad at him for doing something wrong, but it’s another matter entirely if you’re mad at him for making you take a hard look at the situation and it’s caused you to question your friends’ behavior.”
“What?” Her mother was getting more and more confusing.
Amy summed up the situation for her stubborn daughter. “Are you mad at him? Or, are you mad at yourself for considering his theories, and you’re just taking it out on him?”
Maria leaned against her mother and rested her head on her shoulder. Was that why she had gotten so angry with Michael? she wondered.
*****
Maggie walked through the house when she got back from taking the truck to her cousins. She had offered to take it for Michael when he had returned from repairing the fence, looking like he was ready to explode. She walked through the house, checking the rooms he usually used when he didn’t want to be disturbed and when she didn’t find him she moved the search outside.
She grabbed his jacket off of the hook behind the front door before pulling it closed behind her and stepping out into the cold night air. Their parents were both working late and neither she nor Michael had eaten yet so she knew he hadn’t gone very far from the house.
She walked around the house, towards the barn where she was fairly certain he had retreated after his shower. He was sitting on the top rail of the corral, his pensive gaze locked on the desert. She was surprised when she came up beside him and he didn’t notice that he had company; he was obviously lost in his thoughts.
“Michael?”
“What’s up, brat?” he asked without looking at her.
So, he had known she was there, Maggie thought. “I brought your jacket,” she said, standing on the bottom rail next to him and holding it out in his direction. She draped it over the fence between them when he made no move to accept it. “You wanna talk about what happened between you and Maria?”
“Who said somethin’ happened?”
Maggie snorted. “Your expression when you came in, the doors being slammed all over the house, the fact that you didn’t wait until Maria had driven off before you came in…” She grinned. “Oh, yeah, and the lack of a heated make-out session before she left – that was a dead giveaway, big brother.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Put your jacket on, you’re making me cold.”
He did as she suggested, wincing when the material dragged over his injured thumb.
“What’d you guys fight about?”
“Her friends,” he muttered.
“The ones you think are involved in drugs?”
“Yeah, apparently I’m not allowed to have an opinion on the subject unless I’m gonna keep it to myself. I don’t know them so I have no right to form an opinion. Well, you know what? I’m not gonna sit back and pretend that what they’re doin’ to her is right; I’m just tryin’ to get her to face facts. They’re the ones who’re up to somethin’ that’s – “
“Is that what you said to her?” Oh, he wouldn’t have dared to say that, and so brutally direct! Wait, who was she kidding? Of course he would!
“Of course that’s what I said to her!”
Oh, boy! “Michael, you can’t just put it out there like that. You could be right about her friends, but what if you’re not? What if their reasons for the way they’ve been acting aren’t related to anything like what you’re suggesting? Look, I know you’re just worried about her, and I know it pisses you off when she comes out here all upset like she was earlier, but…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “But, what if you’re wrong? What happens if she attributes their behavior to your reasoning and it turns out that they’re not involved in anything like that?”
He frowned and looked at his sister. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
Maggie paused for a minute, trying to come up with a way to express her thoughts without hurting her brother. “Have you considered that maybe you’re pushing your opinion on her? I know you well enough to know that you’ve expressed your thoughts on the subject, but you don’t have to make her believe it.”
Was she implying that he wanted Maria to accept his opinion? “Why not? They’re obviously involved in – “
“They’re involved in something, Michael, but what if you’re wrong and it’s not drugs or alcohol? Do you really wanna keep pushing your opinion until you make her believe it?”
Michael groaned. He knew that he couldn’t force a girl like Maria to just follow him blindly. She was the kind of girl who had her own opinions and she stuck with them. “Well, what the hell am I supposed to say then?”
Maggie wished she had all the answers. She hated seeing her brother unhappy. “She already knows your opinion on the subject, Michael; you told me before that you guys had agreed to disagree about their motives, so why are you pushing it now?”
“They keep hurtin’ her, Maggie.” Michael sighed roughly and shook his head, trying to stop the words before they poured out of him. “I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it bothers me when I see her like that and I know they’re the reason for it. She knows my opinion on them.” He turned so that he was facing her. “Y’know why she comes to me when they hurt ‘er?”
She was interested in his point of view. “Why?”
“Because she knows what I’m gonna say. She wants me to say all the bad things I think about her friends so she can defend them.” Michael’s face took on a thunderous expression as he was reminded of the heart of their fight.
“Her loyalty to her friends is strong, but would you honestly want her to be any different? Maybe she does come to you for that reason, maybe that’s part of it, but I’ll bet that she’s also coming to you because she knows you love her and she needs you to be the one to help her deal with whatever they’ve done.” She watched him when he fell silent, waiting for several minutes before she poked him. “Maybe you can think about what I said while you’re making dinner,” she suggested.
He nodded absently, pondering Maggie’s words before her previous comment registered and he protested, “Why should I make dinner?”
“Because you’re the oldest and you’re in charge?” Maggie teased him, happy to see him in a better mood.
Michael shook his head when she pulled that old card. “Several years ago that argument would’ve worked.”
“You’re still the oldest.”
“You’re still the girl.”
Maggie punched him in the arm. “Just for that, I’m really not making dinner now!” She sobered a moment later. “Seriously, Michael, she knows your opinion about her friends, so maybe you should just ease up on her. I know you get mad when she gets hurt, and I have to say that I’m surprised – and impressed – that you haven’t been to Roswell so you could meet them, but they’re her friends and she needs to be the one to decide how she feels about them.”
“I don’t know… maybe you’re right.” He jumped down off of the fence and they started to walk back up to the house. “Let’s just concentrate on dinner for now, okay?” He collared her with his right arm, pulling her close for a quick hug before she wiggled free of his grasp and punched his arm.
“Catch me and I’ll make dinner,” she called over her shoulder as she ran up to the house.
He pushed thoughts of Maria and the problem with her friends to the back of his mind as he took up the chase. He had just been given an opportunity to get out of making dinner and he wasn’t about to waste it.
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt66-7/11
DeDe PR – Liz and Alex are a sensitive subject for Michael and Maria. They aren’t going to find a compromise on that one.
Flamehair – That first meeting is going to happen soon.
April – So, you pictured the first Michael-Max-Isabel meeting in your head? How do you think it will happen?
Cjsl8ne – Thanks for reading.
Cassie – Thanks, we have worked on this fic during the hiatus so we have new posts for the readers.
Ashleyt – Michael and Maria always get intense when it’s about something close to their hearts.
Starcrazed – It’s a good thing that Michael and Maria have good counselors around, they are so stubborn and so sure that they are right.
Eva – next part is here, have fun reading it.
Part 66
Maria paced around her bedroom, the music drifting through the speakers creating a perfect mix of angst and anger to compliment her mood. She didn’t know why Michael had to be so adamant that drugs and alcohol were the reason behind the wedge that had been driven between her, Liz, and Alex. He had a very strong opinion on the subject and she could respect that, but he was making an accusation without having all of the facts. And most importantly, he didn’t know Liz and Alex; if he did, he wouldn’t be so quick to make that connection.
Then why haven’t you invited him to meet you here and spend the evening hanging out in Roswell? her conscience taunted. Because you had your suspicions about their behavior before he ever labeled it and you’re scared that there’s some validity to his beliefs.
Damn it! She was doing exactly what he had accused her of doing; she was using him to be the bad guy so she could be the one to deny her own suspicions without ever having to admit to having them. She finished getting ready for bed and crawled under the covers before reaching for her cell phone to call him.
Michael picked up the cordless phone and glanced at the caller ID, letting the phone ring several more times and debating whether or not he wanted to answer it.
“Hey, you gonna get that?” Maggie asked, stepping around him to go into the kitchen.
He glanced at her over his shoulder but the sudden silence pulled his attention back to the phone in his hand. Did he want to call her back? Or should he just leave things as they were for a while and let her think about it a little longer?
Maggie intentionally bumped against him as she passed him on her way back to her bedroom. “Call her back,” she called over her shoulder.
He sighed and walked back to his own bedroom, shutting the door behind him as he dialed the number he knew by heart. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say, but he didn’t think he was wrong for what he had said earlier.
“Michael, hi.”
He heard the surprise in her voice when she answered and he realized that she hadn’t expected him to call back. “Hey,” he greeted, his tone gruff.
“I didn’t know if you’d call back,” she said slowly.
“Yeah, me either.” Michael didn’t try to hide his feelings on the matter; he hadn’t really known if he would call her back or not. If not for Maggie’s advice, he might not have called her back.
Maria winced when he didn’t give so much as an inch and she knew she was going to have to be the one to take the first step. “So, listen, we both said some things earlier and I… I know that you’re not gonna change your mind about your opinion… and you have a right to your opinion,” she rushed on before he could get the wrong idea. “It’s just – “
“It’s just that you have your own opinions about what’s goin’ on and you’re only interested in mine as long as you can tell me that I’m wrong.”
She could hear the underlying hurt in his voice, but she didn’t interrupt him.
“I can appreciate your loyalty to your friends, Maria, but you can’t keep comin’ to me, tellin’ me stuff about them, and then jumpin’ to their defense when our opinions differ. You’re makin’ me the bad guy so you can be the good guy and run in to defend their behavior. You’re puttin’ me in a situation that I can’t win; the only way for me to give you an answer that you’ll like is if I ignore my instincts and lie to you, and if that’s what you want from me…” He shook his head, not considering that she couldn’t see the motion. “It’s not fair to expect that from me, Maria.”
Listening to him, she was really getting a clearer picture of how her reactions to the subject of her friends was hurting him and putting a strain on their relationship. She couldn’t let it continue this way; she had to learn to live with the unexpected path that her life had taken. “No, you’re right, that’s not fair to you and I’m sorry.”
Michael was silent for a few minutes, surprised by her admission. He had thought it would take longer for her to recognize something really wrong was going on with her friends. “Maria, they’re the ones who’re actin’ suspicious; they won’t talk to you, confide in you, or give you any kind of an explanation. What’re you supposed to think? How’re you supposed to keep trustin’ people who don’t trust you? They’re your friends and I know you’ve gotta make choices and decisions that you can live with, but no one can blame you for thinkin’ that they’ve gotten involved in some bad stuff.”
She knew there was a possibility that he was right. Really, she knew it. It was just… hard to accept. “What if they’re not involved in anything like what you’ve suggested? What if they’ve got a good reason for their behavior?”
“Then they have no right to be pissed at you for thinkin’ otherwise; they’re the ones who changed… you’re only speculating based on the evidence they’ve given you to work with.”
She was silent for several minutes. “It’s not easy for me to admit that they could be involved in stuff like that, Michael. I know it’s a part of your world and you’ve dealt with it, but it’s never been a part of my world and I don’t… I just don’t know how to process it.”
Maybe that was a big part of the problem, he thought. Drug and alcohol addiction were just words, things that existed outside of her insulated world. He had mistakenly assumed that having a mother like Amy, she would be more open to the possibilities. Obviously Amy was more of a nature hippie, more concerned with taking care of her body and worrying about what she ate and how it was cooked. Alcohol and drugs must have been banned in her little corner of the universe. “Look, I don’t know the situation and I don’t know them, but as an outsider lookin’ in, their behavior is consistent with drug or alcohol abuse.” He fell back on his bed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “You’re the one who’s gotta be able to live with any thoughts you have or any accusations you might make, so I’m not tryin’ to tell you what you should think or say; I’m just askin’ you to respect my opinion and stop usin’ me as the scapegoat in this little drama.”
“Will you stop trying to convince me to think the worst about them?” She sighed and finally admitted what she hadn’t been able to say aloud up until now. “There’s a part of me that questions whether they could be involved in something bad, but, it’s like, if I actually say it out loud, it’s gonna make that possibility more real.”
“You know you’ve got your head in the sand where they’re concerned,” he said finally, unable to just sit back and let her push those possibilities she had spoken of back into hiding.
“One step at a time, Michael. I just wanted to apologize for – ”
“No, don’t, it’s not necessary.” He laughed, happy that his girl had taken the first step and called him. “We’re good, Maria.” He grinned when he heard her relieved sigh from the other end of the phone. “So, you ready for the big game?”
“Ready to cheer for West Roswell High, you mean?” she asked, teasing him. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
“I’m still pickin’ you up around five, right?”
“I’ll be ready. Would you mind picking me up over at my mom’s shop though? I’ve gotta do a few things for her and I’ll be closer to the shop than home.”
“Nah, that’s cool. Maybe I can get there a few minutes early and we can make up for the opportunity we lost today. Perfect chance for some serious makin’ out and I didn’t get so much as a kiss outta the deal.”
“Well, pick me up a little earlier than five and we’ll see if we can’t rectify that.”
They talked for a while longer before disconnecting, both of them feeling better than they had at the beginning of the conversation.
*****
Michael looked up when his mother knocked on his open door, grateful for any excuse to take a break from his homework. “Hey, Mom.”
“How’s the homework coming along?”
He shrugged. “Most of it’s finished; I think I’ll wait and do the rest of it on Sunday night.”
She frowned. “Why not just finish it now?”
“I’ve gotta take a shower before I go get Maria and there’s really no reason to rush through this stuff and get it wrong.”
“Maggie’s not going with you?”
Michael’s eyebrows drew together in a confused frown. “Why would she go with me to pick Maria up? She’s gotta be back at school with the rest of the team in a little over an hour to get ready for the game.”
“Oh, well, that works out beautifully then, doesn’t it?” Catherine enthused.
“What does?” he asked warily.
“I have some errands to run and your father will be meeting us at the school.”
He didn’t understand what that had to do with him going to pick Maria up. “Okay.”
“Your Uncle Aaron called a while ago; they’re going out of town over the weekend and they need someone to watch Shysie.”
“Okay. What’s that got to do with me?” Understanding suddenly dawned on him and he shook his head as he looked at his mother. “No, Mom, not me! C’mon, I’ve got plans with Maria; we’re goin’ out after the game.”
“What? I trust you to find something age-appropriate so your cousin can participate.”
Michael looked at his mother, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Had she planned that on purpose? Having him take care of Shy was the perfect way to interfere in his plans for some time alone with Maria. “Well, I guess I can take her with me to get Maria and to the game, but you an’ Dad can take her once we get to the game, right?” He loved the little girl, but he was supposed to be spending time with his girlfriend.
“You’d better hurry if you’re gonna get a shower before you leave,” Catherine called over her shoulder.
“You’re gonna take her at the game, right? Mom?” He kicked the door when she didn’t answer him.
*****
Nina was sitting at the counter, keeping an eye on the front while Amy checked the inventory for an item that one of her customers had called to request. She looked up when the bell over the door rang, signaling the arrival of a customer and she tipped her head to one side as her gaze quickly scanned over the young man and the little girl walking beside him.
“Hi there,” she greeted with a smile. “You look a little lost.” Actually, he looked more uncomfortable than anything else as he looked around, his dark eyes traveling over the many shelves filled with aromatherapy products.
“Uh, hey,” he muttered with a nod. He paused to look into a glass case filled with crystals and he shook his head. “No, I’m definitely in the right place.”
She watched him when the little girl at his side tugged on his left hand to get his attention and she signed a question that he responded to without hesitation. Somehow the rough-looking young man didn’t seem like the type to either know sign language or be so fluent in it.
“Michael,” Amy called out as she closed the door to the stockroom behind her. “You’re a few minutes early; Maria just called and said she’d be here pretty soon.”
Damn! He was gonna be stuck in the fruity little shop with a little girl, some woman, and Maria’s mother! “It’s cool if we wait for her?”
“Of course.” She paused to look at him when it registered that he had said we, and she looked down at the little girl standing next to him. “You brought a little friend with you.”
“Uh, yeah, I didn’t get a chance to call Maria and let her know I was bringin’ Shy with me, but…” He glanced down when Shysie tugged on his hand again, this time speaking quietly as she signed her question.
Amy frowned when the word daddy reached her ears and she cleared her throat. “Maria knows about your… um…”
Nina glanced between them and quickly realized what Amy thought she had heard and she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing aloud. She could see the proverbial light bulb go on over Michael’s head as he put the pieces together and came to the same conclusion.
“Yeah, she met Shy the weekend she came out for the ceremony.” He frowned as he pretended to ponder that thought. “I kinda figured she would’ve mentioned her.”
“Yes,” Amy murmured under her breath, “me too.” Out loud, she said, “So, she lives with you or do you have her for the weekend?”
“No, I’ve just got the little monster for the evening. My parents are gonna take her when we get to the game… well, I hope they’re gonna take her.” He ruffled Shysie’s hair and grinned when she giggled. “I’m kinda hopin’ to spend some time with Maria, and that can be kinda hard to do with – “
“Michael! You’re here!” Maria exclaimed as she burst through the front door of the shop. “I’m not late, am I?”
“Surprisingly enough, no.” He frowned at the gray sweatshirt she was wearing with a pair of blue jeans. “You’re not seriously gonna wear that, are you?”
Maria glanced down at her official West Roswell High sweatshirt and nodded. “Yup.” She crouched down in front of Shysie to greet her, exchanging the few words she had learned to sign as they carried on a short conversation.
“Well, you’re gonna hurt Shy’s feelings if you do that,” he declared, nudging the little girl. “She kinda brought you a present.”
Shysie picked up the gift bag she had set on the floor when they first came in, giving Maria a shy smile as she offered it to her. Her dark eyes watched Maria closely as she reached into the bag and lifted out the dark blue sweatshirt with the Ruidoso High logo emblazoned across the front.
Maria thanked the little girl before standing up and moving into Michael’s space. “You do know that was totally unfair, right?”
Michael grinned unrepentantly and closed the space between them to kiss her. “I can’t have you sittin’ with my family wearin’ a shirt for the losin’ team.” He winked at her. “We’ll wait while you change.”
“Why don’t you make yourself useful and get my bag out of my car while I change.” She stretched up to kiss him. “And I won’t forget this, Michael.”
“Maria, why don’t I give you a hand,” Amy suggested, taking her daughter’s hand and practically dragging her into the storeroom.
“Mom, what’re you doing?” Maria asked when the older woman forcefully shut the door behind them.
Amy couldn’t hold it in any longer and she exploded the second she turned towards her daughter. Michael was a father and Maria hadn’t thought it was important enough to tell her about it? This was not the kind of news that mothers of seventeen-year-old daughters took lightly! What was Maria thinking?! “Why didn’t you tell me that he had a child?”
Huh? What was her mother going on about? “A child? Mom, he’s probably only watching her for a little while; his parents will probably be taking her when we get to the game.”
“Do you honestly think that’s fair to them?”
Maria glanced at her mother as she changed shirts. “Mom, what’re you getting so upset about?”
“The two of you plan to just drop that little girl off with Michael’s parents and then spend the rest of the evening hanging out and having fun; does that seem fair to you?” She shook her head. “Maria, you could’ve told me that he has a little girl – “
“Wait, you think Shysie’s his daughter?” Maria couldn’t stop the laughter. “Mom, I think I would’ve told you if Michael had any children at home. Shy’s his cousin.”
Amy couldn’t control the volume of her voice as she practically screamed in response to that information. “His cousin? Maria, are you absolutely sure? Because I’m pretty sure that little girl called Michael daddy.” Okay, pretty sure wasn’t the same as being 100% certain, but it was close enough. Her mind shifted back to the scene she had witnessed between Michael and the little girl. Maybe there was another interpretation? The little girl was around five, and she knew Michael was seventeen, almost eighteen years old. Meaning that the little girl would have been conceived when he was… twelve or thirteen. Very young… too young. But, not impossible. Also not very likely given what she knew of Michael’s character and his upbringing. Uh-oh, that meant that she had been wrong. She watched her daughter and an uncomfortable smile settled on her face as she muttered just one word. “Ouch.”
Maria smirked, pleased to witness that oh-so-rare occurrence of her mother being wrong. One of the joys of being the child and getting the upper hand on a parent! She mimicked her mother, “Yes, mother, ouch! Now, are you gonna get out of here and apologize to Michael for thinking the worst of him? And I’d just like to point out that even though you mistakenly thought he was Shy’s father, you have to admit that he was acting like a good parent. He was present and taking care of her. Not like some dumbass fathers who claim to love their daughter and then run out on them without ever calling or sending birthday cards, or presents, or – “ Maria stopped her rant when she realized that she was venting about her own history with her absentee father. She rarely thought about him, but he still managed to invade her thoughts at the most inopportune moments, bringing up the old feelings and hurting her all over again.
Amy looked at her daughter, hurting right along with her for all the pain the man had caused for Maria. She could happily hit her ex-husband for hurting their little girl the way he had; ignoring her and acting as if she had never even existed. She rushed to her daughter and took her in her arms, consoling her the only way a mother could.
*****
Michael was back in the shop by the time Maria and Amy came out of the storeroom, but his attention was on the five-year-old in his arms and he didn’t notice them.
“You sign very well,” Nina said, watching him with the little girl.
“It was either learn it or not be able to communicate with her.” He shrugged. “Not really an option, so…” He glanced up when Shysie tugged on his collar and motioned at some of the crystals hanging in the window, the sunlight creating a rainbow of color as it reflected off of them.
“Are you two ready to go?”
Michael turned to look at Maria and he took a couple of steps back when Amy advanced on him.
“Can I assume that your… cousin is as close as I can expect to get to having grandchildren any time in the near future?”
“Oh, my God, you did not just ask that!” Maria muttered. She gave Nina a quick hug and then hugged her mother and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, Mom, I’ll see you sometime on Sunday.” She quickly ushered Michael and Shysie out the door and stuck her head back inside to glare at her mother when the older DeLuca woman called her name. “What?”
“If I call you at any time this weekend while you’re staying with Michael’s family and I don’t get an answer…”
“Yes, Mom, I know; you’ll completely embarrass me by driving out there and knocking on his front door.”
“Have fun.” Amy smiled. “I love you.”
Flamehair – That first meeting is going to happen soon.
April – So, you pictured the first Michael-Max-Isabel meeting in your head? How do you think it will happen?
Cjsl8ne – Thanks for reading.
Cassie – Thanks, we have worked on this fic during the hiatus so we have new posts for the readers.
Ashleyt – Michael and Maria always get intense when it’s about something close to their hearts.
Starcrazed – It’s a good thing that Michael and Maria have good counselors around, they are so stubborn and so sure that they are right.
Eva – next part is here, have fun reading it.
Part 66
Maria paced around her bedroom, the music drifting through the speakers creating a perfect mix of angst and anger to compliment her mood. She didn’t know why Michael had to be so adamant that drugs and alcohol were the reason behind the wedge that had been driven between her, Liz, and Alex. He had a very strong opinion on the subject and she could respect that, but he was making an accusation without having all of the facts. And most importantly, he didn’t know Liz and Alex; if he did, he wouldn’t be so quick to make that connection.
Then why haven’t you invited him to meet you here and spend the evening hanging out in Roswell? her conscience taunted. Because you had your suspicions about their behavior before he ever labeled it and you’re scared that there’s some validity to his beliefs.
Damn it! She was doing exactly what he had accused her of doing; she was using him to be the bad guy so she could be the one to deny her own suspicions without ever having to admit to having them. She finished getting ready for bed and crawled under the covers before reaching for her cell phone to call him.
Michael picked up the cordless phone and glanced at the caller ID, letting the phone ring several more times and debating whether or not he wanted to answer it.
“Hey, you gonna get that?” Maggie asked, stepping around him to go into the kitchen.
He glanced at her over his shoulder but the sudden silence pulled his attention back to the phone in his hand. Did he want to call her back? Or should he just leave things as they were for a while and let her think about it a little longer?
Maggie intentionally bumped against him as she passed him on her way back to her bedroom. “Call her back,” she called over her shoulder.
He sighed and walked back to his own bedroom, shutting the door behind him as he dialed the number he knew by heart. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say, but he didn’t think he was wrong for what he had said earlier.
“Michael, hi.”
He heard the surprise in her voice when she answered and he realized that she hadn’t expected him to call back. “Hey,” he greeted, his tone gruff.
“I didn’t know if you’d call back,” she said slowly.
“Yeah, me either.” Michael didn’t try to hide his feelings on the matter; he hadn’t really known if he would call her back or not. If not for Maggie’s advice, he might not have called her back.
Maria winced when he didn’t give so much as an inch and she knew she was going to have to be the one to take the first step. “So, listen, we both said some things earlier and I… I know that you’re not gonna change your mind about your opinion… and you have a right to your opinion,” she rushed on before he could get the wrong idea. “It’s just – “
“It’s just that you have your own opinions about what’s goin’ on and you’re only interested in mine as long as you can tell me that I’m wrong.”
She could hear the underlying hurt in his voice, but she didn’t interrupt him.
“I can appreciate your loyalty to your friends, Maria, but you can’t keep comin’ to me, tellin’ me stuff about them, and then jumpin’ to their defense when our opinions differ. You’re makin’ me the bad guy so you can be the good guy and run in to defend their behavior. You’re puttin’ me in a situation that I can’t win; the only way for me to give you an answer that you’ll like is if I ignore my instincts and lie to you, and if that’s what you want from me…” He shook his head, not considering that she couldn’t see the motion. “It’s not fair to expect that from me, Maria.”
Listening to him, she was really getting a clearer picture of how her reactions to the subject of her friends was hurting him and putting a strain on their relationship. She couldn’t let it continue this way; she had to learn to live with the unexpected path that her life had taken. “No, you’re right, that’s not fair to you and I’m sorry.”
Michael was silent for a few minutes, surprised by her admission. He had thought it would take longer for her to recognize something really wrong was going on with her friends. “Maria, they’re the ones who’re actin’ suspicious; they won’t talk to you, confide in you, or give you any kind of an explanation. What’re you supposed to think? How’re you supposed to keep trustin’ people who don’t trust you? They’re your friends and I know you’ve gotta make choices and decisions that you can live with, but no one can blame you for thinkin’ that they’ve gotten involved in some bad stuff.”
She knew there was a possibility that he was right. Really, she knew it. It was just… hard to accept. “What if they’re not involved in anything like what you’ve suggested? What if they’ve got a good reason for their behavior?”
“Then they have no right to be pissed at you for thinkin’ otherwise; they’re the ones who changed… you’re only speculating based on the evidence they’ve given you to work with.”
She was silent for several minutes. “It’s not easy for me to admit that they could be involved in stuff like that, Michael. I know it’s a part of your world and you’ve dealt with it, but it’s never been a part of my world and I don’t… I just don’t know how to process it.”
Maybe that was a big part of the problem, he thought. Drug and alcohol addiction were just words, things that existed outside of her insulated world. He had mistakenly assumed that having a mother like Amy, she would be more open to the possibilities. Obviously Amy was more of a nature hippie, more concerned with taking care of her body and worrying about what she ate and how it was cooked. Alcohol and drugs must have been banned in her little corner of the universe. “Look, I don’t know the situation and I don’t know them, but as an outsider lookin’ in, their behavior is consistent with drug or alcohol abuse.” He fell back on his bed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “You’re the one who’s gotta be able to live with any thoughts you have or any accusations you might make, so I’m not tryin’ to tell you what you should think or say; I’m just askin’ you to respect my opinion and stop usin’ me as the scapegoat in this little drama.”
“Will you stop trying to convince me to think the worst about them?” She sighed and finally admitted what she hadn’t been able to say aloud up until now. “There’s a part of me that questions whether they could be involved in something bad, but, it’s like, if I actually say it out loud, it’s gonna make that possibility more real.”
“You know you’ve got your head in the sand where they’re concerned,” he said finally, unable to just sit back and let her push those possibilities she had spoken of back into hiding.
“One step at a time, Michael. I just wanted to apologize for – ”
“No, don’t, it’s not necessary.” He laughed, happy that his girl had taken the first step and called him. “We’re good, Maria.” He grinned when he heard her relieved sigh from the other end of the phone. “So, you ready for the big game?”
“Ready to cheer for West Roswell High, you mean?” she asked, teasing him. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
“I’m still pickin’ you up around five, right?”
“I’ll be ready. Would you mind picking me up over at my mom’s shop though? I’ve gotta do a few things for her and I’ll be closer to the shop than home.”
“Nah, that’s cool. Maybe I can get there a few minutes early and we can make up for the opportunity we lost today. Perfect chance for some serious makin’ out and I didn’t get so much as a kiss outta the deal.”
“Well, pick me up a little earlier than five and we’ll see if we can’t rectify that.”
They talked for a while longer before disconnecting, both of them feeling better than they had at the beginning of the conversation.
*****
Michael looked up when his mother knocked on his open door, grateful for any excuse to take a break from his homework. “Hey, Mom.”
“How’s the homework coming along?”
He shrugged. “Most of it’s finished; I think I’ll wait and do the rest of it on Sunday night.”
She frowned. “Why not just finish it now?”
“I’ve gotta take a shower before I go get Maria and there’s really no reason to rush through this stuff and get it wrong.”
“Maggie’s not going with you?”
Michael’s eyebrows drew together in a confused frown. “Why would she go with me to pick Maria up? She’s gotta be back at school with the rest of the team in a little over an hour to get ready for the game.”
“Oh, well, that works out beautifully then, doesn’t it?” Catherine enthused.
“What does?” he asked warily.
“I have some errands to run and your father will be meeting us at the school.”
He didn’t understand what that had to do with him going to pick Maria up. “Okay.”
“Your Uncle Aaron called a while ago; they’re going out of town over the weekend and they need someone to watch Shysie.”
“Okay. What’s that got to do with me?” Understanding suddenly dawned on him and he shook his head as he looked at his mother. “No, Mom, not me! C’mon, I’ve got plans with Maria; we’re goin’ out after the game.”
“What? I trust you to find something age-appropriate so your cousin can participate.”
Michael looked at his mother, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Had she planned that on purpose? Having him take care of Shy was the perfect way to interfere in his plans for some time alone with Maria. “Well, I guess I can take her with me to get Maria and to the game, but you an’ Dad can take her once we get to the game, right?” He loved the little girl, but he was supposed to be spending time with his girlfriend.
“You’d better hurry if you’re gonna get a shower before you leave,” Catherine called over her shoulder.
“You’re gonna take her at the game, right? Mom?” He kicked the door when she didn’t answer him.
*****
Nina was sitting at the counter, keeping an eye on the front while Amy checked the inventory for an item that one of her customers had called to request. She looked up when the bell over the door rang, signaling the arrival of a customer and she tipped her head to one side as her gaze quickly scanned over the young man and the little girl walking beside him.
“Hi there,” she greeted with a smile. “You look a little lost.” Actually, he looked more uncomfortable than anything else as he looked around, his dark eyes traveling over the many shelves filled with aromatherapy products.
“Uh, hey,” he muttered with a nod. He paused to look into a glass case filled with crystals and he shook his head. “No, I’m definitely in the right place.”
She watched him when the little girl at his side tugged on his left hand to get his attention and she signed a question that he responded to without hesitation. Somehow the rough-looking young man didn’t seem like the type to either know sign language or be so fluent in it.
“Michael,” Amy called out as she closed the door to the stockroom behind her. “You’re a few minutes early; Maria just called and said she’d be here pretty soon.”
Damn! He was gonna be stuck in the fruity little shop with a little girl, some woman, and Maria’s mother! “It’s cool if we wait for her?”
“Of course.” She paused to look at him when it registered that he had said we, and she looked down at the little girl standing next to him. “You brought a little friend with you.”
“Uh, yeah, I didn’t get a chance to call Maria and let her know I was bringin’ Shy with me, but…” He glanced down when Shysie tugged on his hand again, this time speaking quietly as she signed her question.
Amy frowned when the word daddy reached her ears and she cleared her throat. “Maria knows about your… um…”
Nina glanced between them and quickly realized what Amy thought she had heard and she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing aloud. She could see the proverbial light bulb go on over Michael’s head as he put the pieces together and came to the same conclusion.
“Yeah, she met Shy the weekend she came out for the ceremony.” He frowned as he pretended to ponder that thought. “I kinda figured she would’ve mentioned her.”
“Yes,” Amy murmured under her breath, “me too.” Out loud, she said, “So, she lives with you or do you have her for the weekend?”
“No, I’ve just got the little monster for the evening. My parents are gonna take her when we get to the game… well, I hope they’re gonna take her.” He ruffled Shysie’s hair and grinned when she giggled. “I’m kinda hopin’ to spend some time with Maria, and that can be kinda hard to do with – “
“Michael! You’re here!” Maria exclaimed as she burst through the front door of the shop. “I’m not late, am I?”
“Surprisingly enough, no.” He frowned at the gray sweatshirt she was wearing with a pair of blue jeans. “You’re not seriously gonna wear that, are you?”
Maria glanced down at her official West Roswell High sweatshirt and nodded. “Yup.” She crouched down in front of Shysie to greet her, exchanging the few words she had learned to sign as they carried on a short conversation.
“Well, you’re gonna hurt Shy’s feelings if you do that,” he declared, nudging the little girl. “She kinda brought you a present.”
Shysie picked up the gift bag she had set on the floor when they first came in, giving Maria a shy smile as she offered it to her. Her dark eyes watched Maria closely as she reached into the bag and lifted out the dark blue sweatshirt with the Ruidoso High logo emblazoned across the front.
Maria thanked the little girl before standing up and moving into Michael’s space. “You do know that was totally unfair, right?”
Michael grinned unrepentantly and closed the space between them to kiss her. “I can’t have you sittin’ with my family wearin’ a shirt for the losin’ team.” He winked at her. “We’ll wait while you change.”
“Why don’t you make yourself useful and get my bag out of my car while I change.” She stretched up to kiss him. “And I won’t forget this, Michael.”
“Maria, why don’t I give you a hand,” Amy suggested, taking her daughter’s hand and practically dragging her into the storeroom.
“Mom, what’re you doing?” Maria asked when the older woman forcefully shut the door behind them.
Amy couldn’t hold it in any longer and she exploded the second she turned towards her daughter. Michael was a father and Maria hadn’t thought it was important enough to tell her about it? This was not the kind of news that mothers of seventeen-year-old daughters took lightly! What was Maria thinking?! “Why didn’t you tell me that he had a child?”
Huh? What was her mother going on about? “A child? Mom, he’s probably only watching her for a little while; his parents will probably be taking her when we get to the game.”
“Do you honestly think that’s fair to them?”
Maria glanced at her mother as she changed shirts. “Mom, what’re you getting so upset about?”
“The two of you plan to just drop that little girl off with Michael’s parents and then spend the rest of the evening hanging out and having fun; does that seem fair to you?” She shook her head. “Maria, you could’ve told me that he has a little girl – “
“Wait, you think Shysie’s his daughter?” Maria couldn’t stop the laughter. “Mom, I think I would’ve told you if Michael had any children at home. Shy’s his cousin.”
Amy couldn’t control the volume of her voice as she practically screamed in response to that information. “His cousin? Maria, are you absolutely sure? Because I’m pretty sure that little girl called Michael daddy.” Okay, pretty sure wasn’t the same as being 100% certain, but it was close enough. Her mind shifted back to the scene she had witnessed between Michael and the little girl. Maybe there was another interpretation? The little girl was around five, and she knew Michael was seventeen, almost eighteen years old. Meaning that the little girl would have been conceived when he was… twelve or thirteen. Very young… too young. But, not impossible. Also not very likely given what she knew of Michael’s character and his upbringing. Uh-oh, that meant that she had been wrong. She watched her daughter and an uncomfortable smile settled on her face as she muttered just one word. “Ouch.”
Maria smirked, pleased to witness that oh-so-rare occurrence of her mother being wrong. One of the joys of being the child and getting the upper hand on a parent! She mimicked her mother, “Yes, mother, ouch! Now, are you gonna get out of here and apologize to Michael for thinking the worst of him? And I’d just like to point out that even though you mistakenly thought he was Shy’s father, you have to admit that he was acting like a good parent. He was present and taking care of her. Not like some dumbass fathers who claim to love their daughter and then run out on them without ever calling or sending birthday cards, or presents, or – “ Maria stopped her rant when she realized that she was venting about her own history with her absentee father. She rarely thought about him, but he still managed to invade her thoughts at the most inopportune moments, bringing up the old feelings and hurting her all over again.
Amy looked at her daughter, hurting right along with her for all the pain the man had caused for Maria. She could happily hit her ex-husband for hurting their little girl the way he had; ignoring her and acting as if she had never even existed. She rushed to her daughter and took her in her arms, consoling her the only way a mother could.
*****
Michael was back in the shop by the time Maria and Amy came out of the storeroom, but his attention was on the five-year-old in his arms and he didn’t notice them.
“You sign very well,” Nina said, watching him with the little girl.
“It was either learn it or not be able to communicate with her.” He shrugged. “Not really an option, so…” He glanced up when Shysie tugged on his collar and motioned at some of the crystals hanging in the window, the sunlight creating a rainbow of color as it reflected off of them.
“Are you two ready to go?”
Michael turned to look at Maria and he took a couple of steps back when Amy advanced on him.
“Can I assume that your… cousin is as close as I can expect to get to having grandchildren any time in the near future?”
“Oh, my God, you did not just ask that!” Maria muttered. She gave Nina a quick hug and then hugged her mother and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, Mom, I’ll see you sometime on Sunday.” She quickly ushered Michael and Shysie out the door and stuck her head back inside to glare at her mother when the older DeLuca woman called her name. “What?”
“If I call you at any time this weekend while you’re staying with Michael’s family and I don’t get an answer…”
“Yes, Mom, I know; you’ll completely embarrass me by driving out there and knocking on his front door.”
“Have fun.” Amy smiled. “I love you.”
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
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Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt67-7/18
Eva – The meeting between the two groups… expect it to happen very, very soon!
Starcrazed – The meeting is something most readers are impatient to read. Well, you won’t have to wait for too long. Hmm, any ideas as to how Michael, Max and Isabel will react to each other? Keep in mind that we are trying to have them being as in character as possible, despite this being an AU story.
Chrissie1218 – Thanks, glad that you love “The Lost Child” so much.
Cjsl8ne – Their PI hats? Hmm, there will be some investigation, that’s all we are revealing for now.
Flamehair – It was funny how Amy pictured the worst case scenario immediately, despite what Maria had told her about Michael’s upbringing and about his parents.
Part 67
The crowd in the gym was loud as they entered the school almost an hour later and they were making their way through the stragglers in the hallway when a large… wildcat suddenly ran towards them.
“Michael! Thank God you’re finally here!”
Before Maria had a chance to ask what was going on the mascot for the Ruidoso Wildcats took his arm and started tugging him back towards the deserted locker rooms. As soon as they were through the double doors, standing in the silent hallway that led to the boys’ locker room, the mascot reached up to remove the oversized head.
“Linda! I had no idea you were under there,” she said, surprised.
The girl grinned. “I’d love to talk, but I’ve got a major emergency! Look, Cam was supposed to help me with this bit I’m doing before the game begins, but he sprained his ankle while we were practicing half an hour ago and now I don’t have the most essential part to my skit.”
“Essential part, huh?” Michael asked warily. “What’s that and why’re you tellin’ me about it?”
“Well, y’know how Roswell’s big thing is the ’47 crash and the whole alien conspiracy, right? We got this really cool alien costume and – “
“No.”
“But, it’s gonna be a great skit, Michael,” she whined. “All you’ve gotta do is put on the costume – I promise no one will ever know it was you – and let me beat you up. It’ll be good for morale… team spirit… it’ll get the crowd hyped up…” She frowned. None of her arguments were working. “Okay, I didn’t wanna have to bring it up, but you do owe me a favor, and I’m calling in my marker.” She shook her head when he stared at her in disbelief. “C’mon, Michael, I let you borrow my jeep, and you know I don’t ever let anyone borrow it.”
Michael released Shysie’s hand so he could pace around, agitated. “No way, Linda. There is no way in hell that I’m gonna dress up like some freak just so you can put on a show. Do you have any idea how completely humiliating and ridiculous that would be?” He had promised her that he’d owe her a favor for letting him use the jeep, and he didn’t wanna go back on his word, but this was going way beyond what he owed her! He was never making another deal with anyone without knowing what the payback was gonna be first. “Y’know, when we made that deal I figured I’d just be fixin’ the jeep or somethin’; I never would’ve considered this.”
“Michael, if you don’t do this they’re gonna cancel my opening skit… I don’t have anything else prepared.” She was whining again, but she didn’t care. Michael couldn’t do this to her! This was for a good cause!
“That’ll teach you, won’t it?” Michael asked, stressing his point.
Linda nodded sadly. “Okay, I’ll go let the coach know that – “
Maria had remained silent during the exchange, but now it was time to step in. She was planning something in her head and if it went the way she wanted, Linda would have her alien mascot, and Michael would be the one beneath the mask. Damn, she was just dying to see that! She wasn’t doing it just for Linda; she had her own personal agenda too. She would most likely never have another opportunity to see Michael in an alien costume. “Hey, Linda, do you think you could take Shy and give us a few minutes alone?” she asked.
The girl glanced back and forth between the couple. “Okay, but I’ve only got fifteen minutes before I’ve gotta be out there.”
Michael leaned back against the wall and shook his head when Maria walked up to him. “I’m not doin’ it, Maria; there is nothin’ you can say that could possibly make me put on some alien costume and walk out in front of several hundred people so Linda can kick my ass all over the gym.”
Maria rested her weight against him and ran her forefinger down the center of his chest as she looked up at him from beneath her lowered eyelashes. “Really? Nothing at all?”
“Nothin’,” he confirmed.
“Nothing I can say…” She trailed off, knowing that she had his attention with the seductive tone.
Oh, he was gonna be in so much trouble if Maria kept hinting around with that sexy voice. But, no. He had his pride, and he just couldn’t wear that costume! “Maria, you know what I am; how could you possibly ask me to do this?”
Was he afraid that she would mock him? Or that it would somehow change her opinion of him? “It’s a costume, Michael, it’s not who you are. You think that’s what I see when I look at you?”
“No.” He shrugged. “It’s what the rest of the world would see if they knew.”
She couldn’t deny his statement; most people were small-minded. “But, they don’t know. I can understand why you have an aversion to doing this, but what’s it gonna hurt to put on the costume and play a role for a few minutes?”
Michael growled low in his throat and thumped his head back against the wall. “So, you have no aversion to costumes?” he asked as his arms came around her.
“They have their place.” She leaned back in his arms and studied his intent expression. “What’ve you got in mind?”
His dark gaze slid over her and he smiled slowly. “I’m seein’ somethin’ along the lines of Lara Croft… the second movie.”
Maria snorted. “The shorts outfit? With the boots and the guns? Seriously?”
“An alien costume? Seriously?” he mocked.
“Okay, you’ve got a deal.”
“I hope you know I’m getting the raw end of this deal,” he said as he turned his head and called Linda. “The two of you are swearin’ on your lives that no one’ll ever find out about this.” His hands shot up to cover his ears when Linda overheard his comment and her loud squeal threatened to shatter his eardrums.
*****
Isabel followed Alex up into the stands and wrinkled her nose in distaste as something crunched under her boots. She wasn’t happy that she had been talked into an hour-long drive so they could go to a basketball game that she wasn’t even interested in. She had let them convince her that it was a good idea for them to get away for a while and spend some time just hanging out. Obviously this was a mistake of gargantuan proportions, she thought as she looked at the bench Max and Liz had selected to sit on.
They couldn’t possibly expect her to sit there! God, only knew who else had sat there or what had been spilled on the bench; there were any number of germs just waiting to attack. She wasn’t about to sit her designer-jean-clad backside down on that filthy bench! She was on the verge of telling her brother exactly what she was thinking when Alex pulled a small packet out of his pocket, ripping it open and pulling out the little anti-bacterial wipe inside. He ignored the comments from a group of guys nearby as he scrubbed the bench and then pulled a handkerchief out of another pocket to dry the spot he had just cleaned. He carefully wrapped everything up and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket and waited for her to sit before he took his own seat.
Max turned to look at them when Isabel didn’t make a single comment about the seat, and he watched as Alex handled the situation in a way he never would’ve thought of. The guy certainly knew how to deal with Isabel, but he was most surprised by the fact that she was allowing it.
“I’ve heard their mascot’s pretty good,” Alex commented. “Puts on a really good show.” He pointed at the double doors at one end of the gym when they opened and the Wildcats’ mascot ran out onto the court dragging a large… alien behind it.
Max winced as he waited for the scathing comment from the other end of the bench.
“Yes, I’m enjoying the show already,” Isabel muttered, watching as the Wildcat dragged the alien all over the court, pausing occasionally to pounce on it and pummel it.
“Hey, it’s a costume,” Alex said, keeping his voice as low as possible with the shouts and cheers resounding through the auditorium. He leaned in closer to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “They’re the Wildcats and our team happens to be from Roswell; we don’t have a mascot, so it only stands to reason that this is the way they’d choose to get the crowd all hyped up before the big game.” He shook his head when she turned to look at him. “Don’t take it personally.”
“Is that what people would see if they knew the truth?” she asked quietly.
His gaze never wavered as he met her dark eyes directly. “It’s not what I see.”
Max was holding his breath as he waited to see what his sister said next. Her smile was genuine and he did a double-take when he saw her right hand settle on her leg, her pinky finger extending to wrap around Alex’s. Somehow Alex had managed to do something that no one else had ever been able to do; he had broken through Isabel’s cold exterior and she was responding to him.
*****
Michael was feeling more and more stupid as the minutes ticked by so slowly that it felt like time was standing still. Linda had sworn that this stupid skit was only supposed to last about ten minutes and he felt like he had been out in front of the crowd for an hour already. He tried to ignore the booing from the crowd as he followed the cues she had been drilling into him as he changed into the stupid costume and then as she led him out to the double doors at the entrance to the auditorium where the fans from both sides were waiting.
He hated this! He felt like a freak in a sideshow. He stood up awkwardly, trying to keep his balance with the heavy costume threatening to give in to gravity and drop him on his big, green, rubber face. He wondered where they had managed to find the offensive outfit and he considered confiscating it after the game and burning it. How had he let Maria talk him into this?
He shifted to the side, his focus temporarily leaving his opponent as he tried to locate Maria. She had agreed to stay back out of sight with Shysie so his family wouldn’t know that they had made it in time for this insane opening skit that Linda had dredged up from the depths of her demented little brain. It would look suspicious if she and Shysie joined his family and he didn’t show up until after the skit. He finally located her, standing back near the opposite entrance where no one in his family could see her unless they came down out of the stands.
This was about as fake as it got, but as he scanned the crowded stands and heard the loud booing being shouted from the people he couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it would be like if his identity were ever revealed. His gaze was once more drawn to Maria, searching to see if she was having the same reaction.
Maria watched her alien-costumed boyfriend as he lumbered around the court, following Linda’s cues and playing the enemy while she trounced on him repeatedly, much to the crowd’s pleasure. She was more concerned with watching him than she was with keeping up with the crowd, but when he pushed himself to his feet once again after Linda clobbered him from behind the people in the stands got louder, hissing and booing. She suddenly felt a wave of mixed emotions hit her and she realized that they had to be coming from Michael; anger, fear, and discomfort washed over her and she wondered if pushing him to participate in Linda’s little skit was a mistake. It was all in fun, there was no malicious intent behind it, but dressed like that and standing in front of the crowd while they cheered every time he was knocked down and booed every time he got back up was probably bothering him pretty badly right about now.
She smiled in his direction, hoping he could feel her confidence in him and that he could take comfort from the feelings of strength and reassurance she was trying to convey to him.
Michael stood up straighter when Maria’s gaze met his directly, though he knew there was no way she could know that. He could feel a wave of calming vibes rush through him and he knew it was her, knew that she was watching him act like a fool in Linda’s skit, but all she was seeing was him.
He turned his head when he heard Linda stomp her big wildcat feet on the floor and within a matter of seconds the auditorium resounded with the sound of stomping feet as the entire hometown crowd joined in. Finally, he thought, the end of this stupidity he had allowed himself to be talked into was there! He prepared himself for the final onslaught, reminding himself to be careful to fall properly so that when she pounced on him for the last time he didn’t get hurt. He took a deep breath and let Maria’s calming influence settle his nerves as he moved around, assuming the stance that Linda had showed him as they were heading for the auditorium.
*****
Maria was waiting on the other side of the double doors, carefully out of sight, when Linda burst through them, triumphantly dragging the defeated mock mascot for the opposing team. As soon as the double doors swung shut they hurried to help Michael to his feet and he motioned for Linda to go back out to entertain the crowd.
“Go on,” Michael muttered. “The crowd loves you and it’s gonna look suspicious if you don’t get right back out there.”
“Thanks, Michael.”
He growled when he was suddenly enveloped in a hug by the wildcat mascot and he did his best to extract himself from her furry grip. “Linda.”
She released him and stepped back when she heard his warning tone; she had known him long enough to know when he was reaching the end of his patience. Without another word she turned and hurried back out to take her place while the announcer introduced the teams.
“We’ve probably got about ten minutes before tipoff,” he said, his words muffled by the mask he was wearing. “Maggie’ll be pissed if we miss it.”
“Well, if we hurry up, we can join your family before we miss it.” She reached out to take his arm and lead him back along the hall to the locker room. “C’mon, let’s get you outta this getup.”
*****
Max turned to look at Liz when her hand tightened around his and he shifted to follow her gaze, quickly locating the reason for the tension he could feel in her. Maria was moving up into the stands with the guy Liz had described as the other girl’s boyfriend, both of them rushing to keep up with the little girl running ahead of them.
“That’s him,” Liz hissed, staring at the couple.
Alex glanced at her when she spoke, surprised by the look of irritation on her features. “What’re you talkin’ about, Liz?” he asked, unaware of the topic of conversation; he didn’t know if her comment had been aimed at him, Max, or if she was just talking to herself.
“Maria’s boyfriend,” she said, pointing into the stands across from them. “That’s him.”
Alex turned to follow her pointing finger and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw Maria and the guy Liz was insisting was the boyfriend joining a rather large group of people seated in the center of the stands. It was obvious from the way they were greeted by the group that they all knew each other and it was easy to see that Maria knew them well enough that she was at ease with them.
He was so busy watching Maria engaging with people he didn’t know that he missed the tipoff and the first few minutes of the game.
*****
Maria watched the two teams battling it out for points, shoe soles squeaking against the waxed floor as the players ran back and forth on the court in an effort to either maintain or regain control of the ball. A lot of Michael’s family had come out for the game and she was pretty sure they had the loudest cheering section in the auditorium. The buzzer sounded, announcing the halftime and her gaze followed the teams as they left the floor and headed for their respective locker rooms. Maggie waved as Ruidoso’s team passed the bleachers where her family was sitting and she grinned up at them when they cheered in unison.
“You wanna grab a drink or somethin’?” Michael asked. “We’ve got time before the next period starts.”
Maria started to decline, but changed her mind when the dance squad ran out onto the floor and moved into formation. She rolled her eyes as she glanced over their skimpy outfits and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Michael smirked but didn’t comment; she wasn’t subtle in the least and he had to admit he enjoyed knowing that she got a little jealous. He liked that she wasn’t so full of herself that she just assumed he wouldn’t bother looking at another woman. Sure, he looked, he could admit that; he hadn’t suddenly lost the sense of sight or put on a pair of blinders when he and Maria got together. But looking at them didn’t mean anything. He was pretty sure that she knew he wasn’t going anywhere, but it was nice to know that she had no intention of letting him go either.
“Hey, Cuz, wait up,” Shadow called as he stood along with Jacey. “We’ll go with you.”
Michael frowned when everyone in the family started reciting their orders and before he knew it he was headed for the concession stands with a list as long as his arm and Shysie in tow.
“I’ll meet you at the concession stands, okay? I’m gonna run to the restroom real quick.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jacey said as she took Shysie’s hand.
Michael nodded. “Don’t take too long; I’m not carryin’ everything back myself.”
Maria hurried along the crowded corridor and made the necessary trip as fast as possible. She was on her way to the concession stands with Jacey and Shysie when she looked up and found herself walking towards Liz, Alex, and her replacements.
“Maria, everything okay?” Jacey asked when she felt the other girl tense up beside her.
“What is takin’ you guys so long?” Michael asked as he came up behind them and lifted Shysie up onto his shoulders. He had recognized Liz as soon as he had noticed her and the others standing several lines over at the concession stands. As soon as they had gotten their order and turned to go in the direction he knew Maria would be coming from he had left Shadow in charge of waiting for their rather large order and hurried to intercept his girlfriend before she ran into them.
Maria smiled up at Michael when his right arm draped around her shoulders and he altered their path enough to take them away from the impending collision course they had been on with her old friends. She averted her gaze as they passed the others, focusing her attention on him. “I thought you were taking care of everyone’s orders?”
“I’ve got Shadow coverin’ it,” he answered, glaring at the dark-haired guy walking next to Liz, their arms wrapped around each other. Had to be the boyfriend. He smirked when the guy said something to Liz and turned back to look at him, his eyes assessing as if he were weighing how much of a threat Michael was.
“Wait,” Jacey interjected, “you left Shadow in charge of food? You know better than that; he eats everything in sight, Michael!”
“That much is true.” He glanced at his cousin and laughed. “Guess you’d better run ahead and make sure the food’s safe then, huh?” Michael waited until Jacey took the hint and took off, leaving them alone before he tugged Maria a little closer to his side. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just weird running into them here of all places.”
“Well, c’mon, they’re not gonna bother you here; let’s catch the rest of the game and then we’ve got the rest of the evening…” he grinned, “and I promise I’ll make you forget all about them.”
*****
Isabel turned to look at Alex when they settled back into their seats; his gray gaze was focused on something across the gymnasium and she knew without looking that he was studying Maria’s boyfriend. “Alex?”
“Yeah?”
“What’re you thinking?” she asked.
“I was just thinkin’ about the way Liz described the guy with Maria.”
She tipped her head to one side as she studied his thoughtful expression. “You don’t agree with her?” She reached over to rest her hand on his forearm when she noticed how torn he looked.
“I can understand how she might think he’s dangerous, but I’ve been watchin’ him since she pointed him out and… I don’t see it, Isabel. Maybe it’d be different if I had met him one on one, but just watchin’ him with Maria…” He shook his head. “I don’t see it.” He rubbed his right hand over his face. “Did you see her expression in the hall?”
Isabel bit her bottom lip when she saw the regret in his eyes and heard it in his voice. He didn’t deserve to suffer like this and it wasn’t right that he had been put in a position that had cost him one of his oldest friends. “Maybe we could go say hi after the game? Just to say hi,” she rushed to add, not wanting him to misunderstand what she was saying.
Alex smiled, knowing how much it had taken for her to make the offer. “We?”
“I meant it when I said I’d help you try to fix things with her. I know it’s only a small step, but…”
“Every great journey begins with a single, small step, right?” He reached over with his right hand and covered hers where it still rested on his arm. “I’d like to take it with you, and it means more than I can tell you that you’re willin’ to take it with me.”
A genuine smile broke across Isabel’s perfect features, settling there for several long seconds before she became aware of it.
“You shouldn’t try to hide it.”
Her gaze shot back to Alex when he spoke. “What?”
“You have a beautiful smile, Isabel.” He shook his head and grinned at her, leaning back and pulling his hand back when he saw Max and Liz coming up to join them. “You should use it more than you do; the real one that makes you light up from the inside out. Not that fake one you use most of the time to make people think you’re happy.”
He thought she had a beautiful smile. Isabel was having a difficult time containing her happiness at his compliment. No one had ever said that to her before. Well, her parents, of course, but they didn’t count. She kept her gaze focused on the court as the two teams prepared to battle it out for the win, unable to hear the conversation between Alex and Liz over the noise of the crowd.
*****
Maria was having a hard time trying to keep her attention focused on the game because her gaze kept shifting back to the four people sitting together on the opposite side of the gymnasium. Since when did Liz and Alex go to sports events of any nature? She looked down when a small hand settled over hers and she turned her head to the side, smiling at Shysie when she met the little girl’s concerned gaze.
“I’m fine,” she said with a small smile, hoping to reassure the little girl. Michael had told her that his cousin was learning to read lips and as long as she spoke slowly and kept her sentences short Shysie would be able to understand what she was saying. She had been making an effort to learn to sign and she was always adding new words and phrases to her repertoire, but in this case she couldn’t remember the correct sign for the word fine.
Michael’s attention was drawn to them when his cousin shifted in his lap and he watched the interaction between the two girls. Shysie tilted her head to the side and her eyes traveled over Maria’s face, taking in every nuance of her expression as she tried to figure out what was wrong. After a few long moments she moved her hand so that she could grasp Michael’s, tugging it from around her waist and guiding it to take Maria’s hand.
Her perception where people were concerned always amazed him, and with the small gesture, she was showing sympathy for Maria, but she was also showing that she accepted the girl as part of his life. He shifted her to the right so he could wrap his free arm around her waist to hold her in place and keep her from falling as he looked at Maria.
She shrugged as she gave him a small smile. “I still miss them; how stupid is that?”
Michael turned his head to look at the group across from them. “It’s not stupid, Maria. It’d be a hell of a lot simpler if you didn’t miss them, but you were a part of each other’s lives for so long that you’re practically family.” He shrugged. “That’s not an easy loss to deal with, so it only makes sense that those feelings are gonna exist.”
She looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.” She tightened her hand around his, jumping when the crowd around them suddenly rose to their feet and started cheering.
They quickly turned their attention back to the court in time to see the Wildcats take control of the ball, sinking a shot that put them two points ahead of the other team. The point spread had been almost nonexistent throughout the entire game; both teams were the best in their division and neither one wanted to end the night with anything less than a win.
*****
As the game came to a conclusion Maria laughed at something one of the people surrounding her said and Liz couldn’t look away from the expression of happiness on her face. She had wondered what Maria was doing at the game since the only interest she had ever expressed in sports had been in the ninth grade when a guy she liked had been on the football team. She laughed quietly as she remembered the fiasco that had followed Maria’s brilliant idea to get closer to the guy.
“What?” Alex asked. The stands were already thinning out so he heard her with no problem when she chuckled.
“I was just wondering why Maria would go to a basketball game when she doesn’t care about sports and it made me think about ninth grade… remember that?”
Alex grimaced at that particular memory. He had always been on the thin side, but in ninth grade he had been tall and skinny, still trying to adapt to his lanky frame and limbs that felt too long and awkward most of the time.
“What happened in ninth grade?” Max asked curiously.
“Can you picture me in a football uniform?”
Isabel tried not to laugh at that image and almost choked. “I’m sorry,” she said when he turned to look at her, “go on.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction too. Maria had this huge crush on one of the guys on the team and her big plan to get close to him was to sign me up for football try-outs. Which, just for the record, was not one of her brighter plans; Kyle took it upon himself to pound my skinny ass into the ground at every available opportunity. I had to be carried off of the field.” He glanced at Liz and grinned. “You remember what happened after that?”
“How could I forget?”
“What happened?” Max asked, glancing up at the people filing by in the row below them.
“As soon as Maria was convinced that Alex was still alive she walked right out onto the field and she charged Kyle.” Liz laughed at the memory. “Ran right out there and knocked him down, gave him a bloody nose that he’ll probably never forget. Of course, after that she completely lost interest in her crush because he had just cheered Kyle on while he was…” Was there a delicate way to say it?
“Beating me to a pulp,” Alex supplied when he saw her struggling to find the words.
They turned to watch Maria walk down out of the stands with her boyfriend and the others and Isabel exchanged a concerned look with her brother.
Starcrazed – The meeting is something most readers are impatient to read. Well, you won’t have to wait for too long. Hmm, any ideas as to how Michael, Max and Isabel will react to each other? Keep in mind that we are trying to have them being as in character as possible, despite this being an AU story.
Chrissie1218 – Thanks, glad that you love “The Lost Child” so much.
Cjsl8ne – Their PI hats? Hmm, there will be some investigation, that’s all we are revealing for now.
Flamehair – It was funny how Amy pictured the worst case scenario immediately, despite what Maria had told her about Michael’s upbringing and about his parents.
Part 67
The crowd in the gym was loud as they entered the school almost an hour later and they were making their way through the stragglers in the hallway when a large… wildcat suddenly ran towards them.
“Michael! Thank God you’re finally here!”
Before Maria had a chance to ask what was going on the mascot for the Ruidoso Wildcats took his arm and started tugging him back towards the deserted locker rooms. As soon as they were through the double doors, standing in the silent hallway that led to the boys’ locker room, the mascot reached up to remove the oversized head.
“Linda! I had no idea you were under there,” she said, surprised.
The girl grinned. “I’d love to talk, but I’ve got a major emergency! Look, Cam was supposed to help me with this bit I’m doing before the game begins, but he sprained his ankle while we were practicing half an hour ago and now I don’t have the most essential part to my skit.”
“Essential part, huh?” Michael asked warily. “What’s that and why’re you tellin’ me about it?”
“Well, y’know how Roswell’s big thing is the ’47 crash and the whole alien conspiracy, right? We got this really cool alien costume and – “
“No.”
“But, it’s gonna be a great skit, Michael,” she whined. “All you’ve gotta do is put on the costume – I promise no one will ever know it was you – and let me beat you up. It’ll be good for morale… team spirit… it’ll get the crowd hyped up…” She frowned. None of her arguments were working. “Okay, I didn’t wanna have to bring it up, but you do owe me a favor, and I’m calling in my marker.” She shook her head when he stared at her in disbelief. “C’mon, Michael, I let you borrow my jeep, and you know I don’t ever let anyone borrow it.”
Michael released Shysie’s hand so he could pace around, agitated. “No way, Linda. There is no way in hell that I’m gonna dress up like some freak just so you can put on a show. Do you have any idea how completely humiliating and ridiculous that would be?” He had promised her that he’d owe her a favor for letting him use the jeep, and he didn’t wanna go back on his word, but this was going way beyond what he owed her! He was never making another deal with anyone without knowing what the payback was gonna be first. “Y’know, when we made that deal I figured I’d just be fixin’ the jeep or somethin’; I never would’ve considered this.”
“Michael, if you don’t do this they’re gonna cancel my opening skit… I don’t have anything else prepared.” She was whining again, but she didn’t care. Michael couldn’t do this to her! This was for a good cause!
“That’ll teach you, won’t it?” Michael asked, stressing his point.
Linda nodded sadly. “Okay, I’ll go let the coach know that – “
Maria had remained silent during the exchange, but now it was time to step in. She was planning something in her head and if it went the way she wanted, Linda would have her alien mascot, and Michael would be the one beneath the mask. Damn, she was just dying to see that! She wasn’t doing it just for Linda; she had her own personal agenda too. She would most likely never have another opportunity to see Michael in an alien costume. “Hey, Linda, do you think you could take Shy and give us a few minutes alone?” she asked.
The girl glanced back and forth between the couple. “Okay, but I’ve only got fifteen minutes before I’ve gotta be out there.”
Michael leaned back against the wall and shook his head when Maria walked up to him. “I’m not doin’ it, Maria; there is nothin’ you can say that could possibly make me put on some alien costume and walk out in front of several hundred people so Linda can kick my ass all over the gym.”
Maria rested her weight against him and ran her forefinger down the center of his chest as she looked up at him from beneath her lowered eyelashes. “Really? Nothing at all?”
“Nothin’,” he confirmed.
“Nothing I can say…” She trailed off, knowing that she had his attention with the seductive tone.
Oh, he was gonna be in so much trouble if Maria kept hinting around with that sexy voice. But, no. He had his pride, and he just couldn’t wear that costume! “Maria, you know what I am; how could you possibly ask me to do this?”
Was he afraid that she would mock him? Or that it would somehow change her opinion of him? “It’s a costume, Michael, it’s not who you are. You think that’s what I see when I look at you?”
“No.” He shrugged. “It’s what the rest of the world would see if they knew.”
She couldn’t deny his statement; most people were small-minded. “But, they don’t know. I can understand why you have an aversion to doing this, but what’s it gonna hurt to put on the costume and play a role for a few minutes?”
Michael growled low in his throat and thumped his head back against the wall. “So, you have no aversion to costumes?” he asked as his arms came around her.
“They have their place.” She leaned back in his arms and studied his intent expression. “What’ve you got in mind?”
His dark gaze slid over her and he smiled slowly. “I’m seein’ somethin’ along the lines of Lara Croft… the second movie.”
Maria snorted. “The shorts outfit? With the boots and the guns? Seriously?”
“An alien costume? Seriously?” he mocked.
“Okay, you’ve got a deal.”
“I hope you know I’m getting the raw end of this deal,” he said as he turned his head and called Linda. “The two of you are swearin’ on your lives that no one’ll ever find out about this.” His hands shot up to cover his ears when Linda overheard his comment and her loud squeal threatened to shatter his eardrums.
*****
Isabel followed Alex up into the stands and wrinkled her nose in distaste as something crunched under her boots. She wasn’t happy that she had been talked into an hour-long drive so they could go to a basketball game that she wasn’t even interested in. She had let them convince her that it was a good idea for them to get away for a while and spend some time just hanging out. Obviously this was a mistake of gargantuan proportions, she thought as she looked at the bench Max and Liz had selected to sit on.
They couldn’t possibly expect her to sit there! God, only knew who else had sat there or what had been spilled on the bench; there were any number of germs just waiting to attack. She wasn’t about to sit her designer-jean-clad backside down on that filthy bench! She was on the verge of telling her brother exactly what she was thinking when Alex pulled a small packet out of his pocket, ripping it open and pulling out the little anti-bacterial wipe inside. He ignored the comments from a group of guys nearby as he scrubbed the bench and then pulled a handkerchief out of another pocket to dry the spot he had just cleaned. He carefully wrapped everything up and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket and waited for her to sit before he took his own seat.
Max turned to look at them when Isabel didn’t make a single comment about the seat, and he watched as Alex handled the situation in a way he never would’ve thought of. The guy certainly knew how to deal with Isabel, but he was most surprised by the fact that she was allowing it.
“I’ve heard their mascot’s pretty good,” Alex commented. “Puts on a really good show.” He pointed at the double doors at one end of the gym when they opened and the Wildcats’ mascot ran out onto the court dragging a large… alien behind it.
Max winced as he waited for the scathing comment from the other end of the bench.
“Yes, I’m enjoying the show already,” Isabel muttered, watching as the Wildcat dragged the alien all over the court, pausing occasionally to pounce on it and pummel it.
“Hey, it’s a costume,” Alex said, keeping his voice as low as possible with the shouts and cheers resounding through the auditorium. He leaned in closer to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “They’re the Wildcats and our team happens to be from Roswell; we don’t have a mascot, so it only stands to reason that this is the way they’d choose to get the crowd all hyped up before the big game.” He shook his head when she turned to look at him. “Don’t take it personally.”
“Is that what people would see if they knew the truth?” she asked quietly.
His gaze never wavered as he met her dark eyes directly. “It’s not what I see.”
Max was holding his breath as he waited to see what his sister said next. Her smile was genuine and he did a double-take when he saw her right hand settle on her leg, her pinky finger extending to wrap around Alex’s. Somehow Alex had managed to do something that no one else had ever been able to do; he had broken through Isabel’s cold exterior and she was responding to him.
*****
Michael was feeling more and more stupid as the minutes ticked by so slowly that it felt like time was standing still. Linda had sworn that this stupid skit was only supposed to last about ten minutes and he felt like he had been out in front of the crowd for an hour already. He tried to ignore the booing from the crowd as he followed the cues she had been drilling into him as he changed into the stupid costume and then as she led him out to the double doors at the entrance to the auditorium where the fans from both sides were waiting.
He hated this! He felt like a freak in a sideshow. He stood up awkwardly, trying to keep his balance with the heavy costume threatening to give in to gravity and drop him on his big, green, rubber face. He wondered where they had managed to find the offensive outfit and he considered confiscating it after the game and burning it. How had he let Maria talk him into this?
He shifted to the side, his focus temporarily leaving his opponent as he tried to locate Maria. She had agreed to stay back out of sight with Shysie so his family wouldn’t know that they had made it in time for this insane opening skit that Linda had dredged up from the depths of her demented little brain. It would look suspicious if she and Shysie joined his family and he didn’t show up until after the skit. He finally located her, standing back near the opposite entrance where no one in his family could see her unless they came down out of the stands.
This was about as fake as it got, but as he scanned the crowded stands and heard the loud booing being shouted from the people he couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it would be like if his identity were ever revealed. His gaze was once more drawn to Maria, searching to see if she was having the same reaction.
Maria watched her alien-costumed boyfriend as he lumbered around the court, following Linda’s cues and playing the enemy while she trounced on him repeatedly, much to the crowd’s pleasure. She was more concerned with watching him than she was with keeping up with the crowd, but when he pushed himself to his feet once again after Linda clobbered him from behind the people in the stands got louder, hissing and booing. She suddenly felt a wave of mixed emotions hit her and she realized that they had to be coming from Michael; anger, fear, and discomfort washed over her and she wondered if pushing him to participate in Linda’s little skit was a mistake. It was all in fun, there was no malicious intent behind it, but dressed like that and standing in front of the crowd while they cheered every time he was knocked down and booed every time he got back up was probably bothering him pretty badly right about now.
She smiled in his direction, hoping he could feel her confidence in him and that he could take comfort from the feelings of strength and reassurance she was trying to convey to him.
Michael stood up straighter when Maria’s gaze met his directly, though he knew there was no way she could know that. He could feel a wave of calming vibes rush through him and he knew it was her, knew that she was watching him act like a fool in Linda’s skit, but all she was seeing was him.
He turned his head when he heard Linda stomp her big wildcat feet on the floor and within a matter of seconds the auditorium resounded with the sound of stomping feet as the entire hometown crowd joined in. Finally, he thought, the end of this stupidity he had allowed himself to be talked into was there! He prepared himself for the final onslaught, reminding himself to be careful to fall properly so that when she pounced on him for the last time he didn’t get hurt. He took a deep breath and let Maria’s calming influence settle his nerves as he moved around, assuming the stance that Linda had showed him as they were heading for the auditorium.
*****
Maria was waiting on the other side of the double doors, carefully out of sight, when Linda burst through them, triumphantly dragging the defeated mock mascot for the opposing team. As soon as the double doors swung shut they hurried to help Michael to his feet and he motioned for Linda to go back out to entertain the crowd.
“Go on,” Michael muttered. “The crowd loves you and it’s gonna look suspicious if you don’t get right back out there.”
“Thanks, Michael.”
He growled when he was suddenly enveloped in a hug by the wildcat mascot and he did his best to extract himself from her furry grip. “Linda.”
She released him and stepped back when she heard his warning tone; she had known him long enough to know when he was reaching the end of his patience. Without another word she turned and hurried back out to take her place while the announcer introduced the teams.
“We’ve probably got about ten minutes before tipoff,” he said, his words muffled by the mask he was wearing. “Maggie’ll be pissed if we miss it.”
“Well, if we hurry up, we can join your family before we miss it.” She reached out to take his arm and lead him back along the hall to the locker room. “C’mon, let’s get you outta this getup.”
*****
Max turned to look at Liz when her hand tightened around his and he shifted to follow her gaze, quickly locating the reason for the tension he could feel in her. Maria was moving up into the stands with the guy Liz had described as the other girl’s boyfriend, both of them rushing to keep up with the little girl running ahead of them.
“That’s him,” Liz hissed, staring at the couple.
Alex glanced at her when she spoke, surprised by the look of irritation on her features. “What’re you talkin’ about, Liz?” he asked, unaware of the topic of conversation; he didn’t know if her comment had been aimed at him, Max, or if she was just talking to herself.
“Maria’s boyfriend,” she said, pointing into the stands across from them. “That’s him.”
Alex turned to follow her pointing finger and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw Maria and the guy Liz was insisting was the boyfriend joining a rather large group of people seated in the center of the stands. It was obvious from the way they were greeted by the group that they all knew each other and it was easy to see that Maria knew them well enough that she was at ease with them.
He was so busy watching Maria engaging with people he didn’t know that he missed the tipoff and the first few minutes of the game.
*****
Maria watched the two teams battling it out for points, shoe soles squeaking against the waxed floor as the players ran back and forth on the court in an effort to either maintain or regain control of the ball. A lot of Michael’s family had come out for the game and she was pretty sure they had the loudest cheering section in the auditorium. The buzzer sounded, announcing the halftime and her gaze followed the teams as they left the floor and headed for their respective locker rooms. Maggie waved as Ruidoso’s team passed the bleachers where her family was sitting and she grinned up at them when they cheered in unison.
“You wanna grab a drink or somethin’?” Michael asked. “We’ve got time before the next period starts.”
Maria started to decline, but changed her mind when the dance squad ran out onto the floor and moved into formation. She rolled her eyes as she glanced over their skimpy outfits and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Michael smirked but didn’t comment; she wasn’t subtle in the least and he had to admit he enjoyed knowing that she got a little jealous. He liked that she wasn’t so full of herself that she just assumed he wouldn’t bother looking at another woman. Sure, he looked, he could admit that; he hadn’t suddenly lost the sense of sight or put on a pair of blinders when he and Maria got together. But looking at them didn’t mean anything. He was pretty sure that she knew he wasn’t going anywhere, but it was nice to know that she had no intention of letting him go either.
“Hey, Cuz, wait up,” Shadow called as he stood along with Jacey. “We’ll go with you.”
Michael frowned when everyone in the family started reciting their orders and before he knew it he was headed for the concession stands with a list as long as his arm and Shysie in tow.
“I’ll meet you at the concession stands, okay? I’m gonna run to the restroom real quick.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jacey said as she took Shysie’s hand.
Michael nodded. “Don’t take too long; I’m not carryin’ everything back myself.”
Maria hurried along the crowded corridor and made the necessary trip as fast as possible. She was on her way to the concession stands with Jacey and Shysie when she looked up and found herself walking towards Liz, Alex, and her replacements.
“Maria, everything okay?” Jacey asked when she felt the other girl tense up beside her.
“What is takin’ you guys so long?” Michael asked as he came up behind them and lifted Shysie up onto his shoulders. He had recognized Liz as soon as he had noticed her and the others standing several lines over at the concession stands. As soon as they had gotten their order and turned to go in the direction he knew Maria would be coming from he had left Shadow in charge of waiting for their rather large order and hurried to intercept his girlfriend before she ran into them.
Maria smiled up at Michael when his right arm draped around her shoulders and he altered their path enough to take them away from the impending collision course they had been on with her old friends. She averted her gaze as they passed the others, focusing her attention on him. “I thought you were taking care of everyone’s orders?”
“I’ve got Shadow coverin’ it,” he answered, glaring at the dark-haired guy walking next to Liz, their arms wrapped around each other. Had to be the boyfriend. He smirked when the guy said something to Liz and turned back to look at him, his eyes assessing as if he were weighing how much of a threat Michael was.
“Wait,” Jacey interjected, “you left Shadow in charge of food? You know better than that; he eats everything in sight, Michael!”
“That much is true.” He glanced at his cousin and laughed. “Guess you’d better run ahead and make sure the food’s safe then, huh?” Michael waited until Jacey took the hint and took off, leaving them alone before he tugged Maria a little closer to his side. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just weird running into them here of all places.”
“Well, c’mon, they’re not gonna bother you here; let’s catch the rest of the game and then we’ve got the rest of the evening…” he grinned, “and I promise I’ll make you forget all about them.”
*****
Isabel turned to look at Alex when they settled back into their seats; his gray gaze was focused on something across the gymnasium and she knew without looking that he was studying Maria’s boyfriend. “Alex?”
“Yeah?”
“What’re you thinking?” she asked.
“I was just thinkin’ about the way Liz described the guy with Maria.”
She tipped her head to one side as she studied his thoughtful expression. “You don’t agree with her?” She reached over to rest her hand on his forearm when she noticed how torn he looked.
“I can understand how she might think he’s dangerous, but I’ve been watchin’ him since she pointed him out and… I don’t see it, Isabel. Maybe it’d be different if I had met him one on one, but just watchin’ him with Maria…” He shook his head. “I don’t see it.” He rubbed his right hand over his face. “Did you see her expression in the hall?”
Isabel bit her bottom lip when she saw the regret in his eyes and heard it in his voice. He didn’t deserve to suffer like this and it wasn’t right that he had been put in a position that had cost him one of his oldest friends. “Maybe we could go say hi after the game? Just to say hi,” she rushed to add, not wanting him to misunderstand what she was saying.
Alex smiled, knowing how much it had taken for her to make the offer. “We?”
“I meant it when I said I’d help you try to fix things with her. I know it’s only a small step, but…”
“Every great journey begins with a single, small step, right?” He reached over with his right hand and covered hers where it still rested on his arm. “I’d like to take it with you, and it means more than I can tell you that you’re willin’ to take it with me.”
A genuine smile broke across Isabel’s perfect features, settling there for several long seconds before she became aware of it.
“You shouldn’t try to hide it.”
Her gaze shot back to Alex when he spoke. “What?”
“You have a beautiful smile, Isabel.” He shook his head and grinned at her, leaning back and pulling his hand back when he saw Max and Liz coming up to join them. “You should use it more than you do; the real one that makes you light up from the inside out. Not that fake one you use most of the time to make people think you’re happy.”
He thought she had a beautiful smile. Isabel was having a difficult time containing her happiness at his compliment. No one had ever said that to her before. Well, her parents, of course, but they didn’t count. She kept her gaze focused on the court as the two teams prepared to battle it out for the win, unable to hear the conversation between Alex and Liz over the noise of the crowd.
*****
Maria was having a hard time trying to keep her attention focused on the game because her gaze kept shifting back to the four people sitting together on the opposite side of the gymnasium. Since when did Liz and Alex go to sports events of any nature? She looked down when a small hand settled over hers and she turned her head to the side, smiling at Shysie when she met the little girl’s concerned gaze.
“I’m fine,” she said with a small smile, hoping to reassure the little girl. Michael had told her that his cousin was learning to read lips and as long as she spoke slowly and kept her sentences short Shysie would be able to understand what she was saying. She had been making an effort to learn to sign and she was always adding new words and phrases to her repertoire, but in this case she couldn’t remember the correct sign for the word fine.
Michael’s attention was drawn to them when his cousin shifted in his lap and he watched the interaction between the two girls. Shysie tilted her head to the side and her eyes traveled over Maria’s face, taking in every nuance of her expression as she tried to figure out what was wrong. After a few long moments she moved her hand so that she could grasp Michael’s, tugging it from around her waist and guiding it to take Maria’s hand.
Her perception where people were concerned always amazed him, and with the small gesture, she was showing sympathy for Maria, but she was also showing that she accepted the girl as part of his life. He shifted her to the right so he could wrap his free arm around her waist to hold her in place and keep her from falling as he looked at Maria.
She shrugged as she gave him a small smile. “I still miss them; how stupid is that?”
Michael turned his head to look at the group across from them. “It’s not stupid, Maria. It’d be a hell of a lot simpler if you didn’t miss them, but you were a part of each other’s lives for so long that you’re practically family.” He shrugged. “That’s not an easy loss to deal with, so it only makes sense that those feelings are gonna exist.”
She looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.” She tightened her hand around his, jumping when the crowd around them suddenly rose to their feet and started cheering.
They quickly turned their attention back to the court in time to see the Wildcats take control of the ball, sinking a shot that put them two points ahead of the other team. The point spread had been almost nonexistent throughout the entire game; both teams were the best in their division and neither one wanted to end the night with anything less than a win.
*****
As the game came to a conclusion Maria laughed at something one of the people surrounding her said and Liz couldn’t look away from the expression of happiness on her face. She had wondered what Maria was doing at the game since the only interest she had ever expressed in sports had been in the ninth grade when a guy she liked had been on the football team. She laughed quietly as she remembered the fiasco that had followed Maria’s brilliant idea to get closer to the guy.
“What?” Alex asked. The stands were already thinning out so he heard her with no problem when she chuckled.
“I was just wondering why Maria would go to a basketball game when she doesn’t care about sports and it made me think about ninth grade… remember that?”
Alex grimaced at that particular memory. He had always been on the thin side, but in ninth grade he had been tall and skinny, still trying to adapt to his lanky frame and limbs that felt too long and awkward most of the time.
“What happened in ninth grade?” Max asked curiously.
“Can you picture me in a football uniform?”
Isabel tried not to laugh at that image and almost choked. “I’m sorry,” she said when he turned to look at her, “go on.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction too. Maria had this huge crush on one of the guys on the team and her big plan to get close to him was to sign me up for football try-outs. Which, just for the record, was not one of her brighter plans; Kyle took it upon himself to pound my skinny ass into the ground at every available opportunity. I had to be carried off of the field.” He glanced at Liz and grinned. “You remember what happened after that?”
“How could I forget?”
“What happened?” Max asked, glancing up at the people filing by in the row below them.
“As soon as Maria was convinced that Alex was still alive she walked right out onto the field and she charged Kyle.” Liz laughed at the memory. “Ran right out there and knocked him down, gave him a bloody nose that he’ll probably never forget. Of course, after that she completely lost interest in her crush because he had just cheered Kyle on while he was…” Was there a delicate way to say it?
“Beating me to a pulp,” Alex supplied when he saw her struggling to find the words.
They turned to watch Maria walk down out of the stands with her boyfriend and the others and Isabel exchanged a concerned look with her brother.
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt67-8/25
Eva – Yes, the feelings were exactly the same, for Michael, Max and Isabel, even if they don’t know each other. They have the same fear deep inside.
Ashley – The famous meeting is coming!
Cjsl8ne – Let’s just say that the after game is going to be interesting.
Flamehair – Max, Michael and Isabel have been separated for such a long time, they can’t connect like that, from afar. But what happens once they come face to face?
Part 68
Maggie was not happy as she stepped out of the locker room and looked around for Linda and Christina. They were leaning up against the wall as they talked about the guys on the boys’ basketball team who were horsing around at the other end of the hall. “You guys ready to go?”
“We’re ready,” they said in unison. They exchanged a glance when she just grunted and kept walking.
“Somebody’s pissed,” Christina muttered under her breath as they fell into step beside her.
Linda rolled her eyes and debated which conversation tactic to employ under the circumstances. The Wildcats hadn’t lost the game, but they hadn’t won either; the game had ended with a tied score and as far as Maggie was concerned the game was a loss. “So, Mag, you and Jesse are going to the team party, aren’t you?”
Maggie stopped and turned to face them. “Go to the party?” she repeated incredulously. “The victory party? We didn’t win the game, so what is the point of celebrating?”
“Well, we didn’t lose the game, either,” Linda stated, shrugging as they continued walking. She refused to be drawn into her friend’s bad mood. “I mean, you played two extra periods before they called it – “
“Hey, where’s Cameron?” Christina asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from the game. “He’s usually waiting for you after the games.” Maggie was incredibly competitive and she didn’t like walking away from any game without a win.
“His parents took him to have his ankle checked, but he said he’d meet us at the party as soon as he can get away.”
“What’s wrong with his ankle?”
“He um, he sprained it while we were working on the skit.” There, she thought, that wasn’t a complete lie. “What about Morgan? Is he gonna be there?”
“If he knows what’s good for him he’ll be there.” She glanced up and noticed the guy standing at the end of the hall, waiting for Maggie. Hopefully Jesse would be able to put her in a better mood because she wasn’t going to be a lot of fun to be around if she was like this for the rest of the night.
Jesse straightened away from the wall when the girls neared him and he reached out to take Maggie’s hand, tugging her against his side and draping his arm around her shoulders as he joined them. “Are we all goin’ to the party together?” Say no, he thought to himself.
“Maggie doesn’t wanna go to the party,” Linda offered helpfully.
“What? Why not?”
“Because it’s a victory party and we were not victorious,” Maggie growled.
“It was a good game; you played your heart out, darlin’.”
What the hell? Why was everyone acting like a tied score was a good thing? Had they all completely lost their minds? How could they be so… so… so stupid? They hadn’t won the game!! Her voice was angry when she spoke. “But it wasn’t a winning game.”
“Okay, well, I’ve got my truck, so why don’t we go get somethin’ to eat and we’ll decide what to do from there?” he suggested, unwilling to let her drag him into an argument.
“We’re gonna meet up with the team and head on over to the party,” Christina said as they walked out of the school and moved towards the parking lot. “If we don’t see you guys at the party we’ll see you tomorrow, Mag.”
Maggie nodded absently, mentally going over every play and trying to identify where it had all gone wrong. She never noticed when Jesse leaned back and mouthed the words we’ll see you there to her friends.
“Maggie, honey, good game.” John and Catherine smiled as their daughter forced a smile in response to her father’s congratulatory words. “Jesse, I trust you’ll have my daughter home at a reasonable time.”
“Of course, sir.”
Maggie looked down at the little girl standing between her parents, holding their hands. “I thought you guys were going out? Wasn’t Michael supposed to take Shy tonight?”
Catherine frowned. “He said you were taking her.”
“Can you guys wait just a minute while I go find Michael?”
John chuckled when she stalked off, pulling her boyfriend behind her. “I see more of you in that girl everyday, Cath.” He shook his head. “That boy had better be prepared to hold onto his hat.”
*****
“Michael Guerin, I cannot believe you told Mom and Dad that I was taking Shy tonight,” Maggie snapped as she finally reached the area of the parking lot where her brother and cousins had gathered.
He was sitting on the tailgate next to Maria having a conversation with Yancey when his sister’s voice cut right through their words. His grin slipped just a fraction when he looked up and saw her stormy expression.
“Aw, c’mon, what’s the big deal? We’re goin’ out tonight and it’s highly doubtful that you have any plans now anyway.”
“Michael!” Maria shoved her elbow in his ribs at his thoughtless comment.
“What? As far as she’s concerned they lost tonight’s game, and believe me, she’s not a graceful loser. She’s gonna be temperamental and moody for the next few weeks. You have no idea what she’s like when she doesn’t get the win she’s expecting out of a competition.”
“Uh-huh, and you’re just a saint, aren’t you? You’re just gonna pour fuel on the fire.” She shook her head. “And you have no room to talk, considering your temper.”
Maggie ignored her brother’s taunt and reached out to poke him in the center of his chest. “You’re taking her tonight.”
“No, I’m not. I told you, me an’ Maria have plans – “
Yeah, well just because she had no intention of going to that stupid victory party for a game that they hadn’t won, it didn’t mean she was going to spend the evening babysitting Michael’s number one fan! He could take care of her himself because she wasn’t in any mood to keep an eye on the little girl. She loved her, but all she wanted to do was go home, scream, and break something. Or spend some time with Jesse. She’d see which way the night went, but whichever direction it took, Shysie was not gonna be a part of it. “So do we and they don’t include a five-year-old chaperone.”
“Okay, as much as I enjoy the fights you two have, I’m ready to go,” Yancey said before things got too loud between his cousins. “Where’s the party?”
“Party’s at Amber Brown’s place,” Jacey answered.
He rubbed his hands together and grinned in delight. “Perfect, I noticed her sister in the crowd; must be home for the Thanksgiving break.”
“Hey, did you say the party’s at Amber’s house?” Shadow interrupted, elbowing his way into the group. “Is Talia gonna be there?”
“Are you kiddin’?” Austin groaned. “I thought we were gonna skip the party and hit the arcade?”
“It’s a pool party, moron,” Shadow growled.
“So? It’s cold out.” He rolled his eyes. “What’s the big deal? No one’s gonna be in the pool.”
“Amber Brown.” He spoke slowly, trying to get the importance of those two words across to his cousin. He rolled his eyes when Austin continued to stare at him without a single ounce of understanding. “Her parents own the house up on the hill… the only house in town with an indoor swimming pool?” He shook his head. “Nevermind. If there is any chance of me seein’ Talia in a bathing suit, then I’m afraid that takes precedence over beatin’ you at video games all night.”
“C’mon, kid.” Yancey collared his clueless younger brother and pulled him along as he walked away. “One of these days you’re gonna get your head out of those video games and you’re gonna discover girls. Just accept that you’re never gonna win if your competition is a girl in a bikini.”
Jacey grabbed her brother’s arm and hauled him along after her so they could catch a ride with their cousins. “Shadow, I swear to God, if you embarrass me in front of…”
Her threatening voice faded as they moved further away and within a matter of minutes Michael and Maria had been left alone with Maggie and Jesse.
“C’mon, Maggie, it’s only for a couple of hours.”
“All right.”
He frowned at her sudden capitulation. No way, that was too easy.
“No, you’re right, it’s only for a couple of hours. I was gonna take her with me when Linda, Christina, and I go to the mall tomorrow, but since I’m taking her tonight, you can take her tomorrow.”
Michael glared at her when she smirked. She knew he had plans with Maria the next day and that they were finally going to get a chance to spend some time alone. “And if I take her tonight you’ll take her tomorrow? You swear?”
“Of course.”
He sighed and glanced at Maria. “You mind if Shy goes with us to the movie?”
Maria smiled at him, knowing that their plans for making out at the movie had just been blown out of the water. “No, that’s fine.”
“Perfect,” Maggie announced. “We’ll go get her for you that way it’ll save you all of the parental warnings.” She was moving back towards the school, dragging Jesse with her before Michael had a chance to form a response.
“It won’t be that bad, Michael,” Maria said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“It won’t be that bad?” he repeated incredulously. “Have you forgotten why we were goin’ to see a movie that neither of us cares about?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten, but if taking your cousin for a couple of hours tonight means your sister will take her tomorrow then it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
“You know what this means, right? There’s only one thing at the movies right now that’s got a ratin’ her parents allow. Monsters, Inc., Maria; a movie about these goofy monsters who go through the doors in the closets in little kids’ rooms and scare them… big patchy, blue monsters and little round, eyeball-shaped monsters.” He shook his head. “Do I look like a guy who spends his time checkin’ out…” He shifted, putting some space between them when she laughed at him. “What? You think that’s funny?”
“I just think that for a guy who doesn’t spend any time checking kids’ movies out, you seem to know quite a bit about this one.” She bit back another smile at his affronted look. “It’ll be fine, Michael, I promise. We’ll take Shy to the movie tonight and then tomorrow’s all ours; it’s an exchange that’s more than fair.”
“Yeah, okay,” he grumbled, “but I’m only doin’ this so we have tomorrow all to ourselves. I mean, I don’t mind takin’ Shy to the movies, and I know she really wants to see this one, but it’s just not what I had planned.” His dark gaze traveled over her as he dropped down off of the tailgate and moved to stand in front of her. He felt her thighs settle against his hips when he leaned in closer to her and curled his hands around the cold metal on either side of her. “You have any idea how much sleep I’m gonna lose tonight knowin’ that you’re sleepin’ less than twenty feet away?”
“Who says I’m gonna be sleeping?” she asked, her voice low and teasing.
Michael froze when someone cleared their throat behind him and he slowly straightened up, expecting to see his parents standing there when he turned around. His entire body tensed when he saw Maria’s old friends standing in front of them with the two people who she believed had replaced her. “You want somethin’?” he asked, not bothering with pleasantries that they didn’t deserve.
“Just to say hi,” the one that had to be Alex said.
“Uh-huh, because you’re such good friends, right?”Michael growled. So, what, now he was tryin’ to crawl back into Maria’s good graces? Not gonna happen, buddy.
“Look, we’re not looking to get into a fight. We just stopped to say hi and move along.”
Michael’s eyes were cold as they raked over each of them in turn. “At what point will you be movin’ along?” He felt Maria’s hand tighten on his arm and he forced his muscles to relax.
Alex took a step forward and held his hand out in Michael’s direction, waiting for several long seconds before he lowered it back to his side. He wasn’t really surprised that the guy had ignored the gesture. “Maria, I know there’s nothin’ I can say to make up for what’s happened between us, but – “
Michael shifted when Alex took another step forward, making sure that there was no clear path to Maria. “No, there’s nothin’ you can say, so why don’t you leave without tryin’ to say anything at all.”
“I just – “
“Did you come over here because you wanna explain why you’ve treated her the way you did? Or to tell her what the big secret is that was so much more important than a lifetime of friendship?” He shook his head when Alex glanced away regretfully. “No, you didn’t. You’re here to make yourselves feel better and personally, I couldn’t give a damn whether you feel better or not.” His gaze shifted to Liz, sweeping over her in disgust.
“This animosity isn’t necessary.” Max finally spoke up when he felt Liz shiver next to him. “And I don’t care for the way you’re looking at Liz.”
“Oh, you don’t care for that?” He took a couple of steps forward, bringing him mere inches from the other guy. “What’re you gonna do about it?” His eyes narrowed as he waited to see if Max would make the next move. “Go ahead,” he taunted, “I dare you to throw a punch.”
Max could feel his temper simmering below the surface. He was surprised to realize that his hands were curling into fists at his sides. He had never met anyone who had caused such a primal reaction in him. Then again, he had never been in love and been faced with someone who had threatened the girl he loved.
“Max, let’s just go,” Liz said, tugging on his arm.
“Yeah, Max, why don’t you just go.” Michael’s tone was challenging. “You’re not gonna make a move anyway.”
“You have no idea what I could do to you.”
Isabel moved between them when her brother responded to the other guy’s baiting tactics, pushing Max back several steps. Her left hand shot out and settled against the guy’s chest when he moved forward again. She turned to look at him, meeting his threatening gaze directly. The tension between them was unbelievable, she thought, amazed that he had provoked Max into a near-physical confrontation. She could practically feel the negative energy pulsing in the air between them and her instincts were screaming at her to get Max out of there before he did something that would reveal the truth about them. There was something about the guy, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but for now she just wanted to get her brother away from him. Where Liz was concerned, Max had shown that he was ready to do anything, including throwing caution to the wind.
“Maria, please…”
Liz’s voice drew Maria’s attention and she snapped out of the trance she had been in as she watched Michael and Max stand toe-to-toe. She slid down off of the tailgate and moved over to take Michael’s right hand, relieved when she felt the tension in him ease after a few minutes.
“Max, let’s just go,” Liz repeated.
Michael watched them as the little group walked away and he tensed up when Max paused halfway across the parking lot and turned to look at him one more time. They were gonna meet again, he thought. He could practically feel it. His attention was pulled away when his sister called his name and he turned to see Shysie running towards him. Oh, well, no reason to waste any time thinking about his next meeting with the guy. He let Maria pull him towards his sister and cousin, and he shoved all thoughts of the others out of his mind.
Ashley – The famous meeting is coming!
Cjsl8ne – Let’s just say that the after game is going to be interesting.
Flamehair – Max, Michael and Isabel have been separated for such a long time, they can’t connect like that, from afar. But what happens once they come face to face?
Part 68
Maggie was not happy as she stepped out of the locker room and looked around for Linda and Christina. They were leaning up against the wall as they talked about the guys on the boys’ basketball team who were horsing around at the other end of the hall. “You guys ready to go?”
“We’re ready,” they said in unison. They exchanged a glance when she just grunted and kept walking.
“Somebody’s pissed,” Christina muttered under her breath as they fell into step beside her.
Linda rolled her eyes and debated which conversation tactic to employ under the circumstances. The Wildcats hadn’t lost the game, but they hadn’t won either; the game had ended with a tied score and as far as Maggie was concerned the game was a loss. “So, Mag, you and Jesse are going to the team party, aren’t you?”
Maggie stopped and turned to face them. “Go to the party?” she repeated incredulously. “The victory party? We didn’t win the game, so what is the point of celebrating?”
“Well, we didn’t lose the game, either,” Linda stated, shrugging as they continued walking. She refused to be drawn into her friend’s bad mood. “I mean, you played two extra periods before they called it – “
“Hey, where’s Cameron?” Christina asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from the game. “He’s usually waiting for you after the games.” Maggie was incredibly competitive and she didn’t like walking away from any game without a win.
“His parents took him to have his ankle checked, but he said he’d meet us at the party as soon as he can get away.”
“What’s wrong with his ankle?”
“He um, he sprained it while we were working on the skit.” There, she thought, that wasn’t a complete lie. “What about Morgan? Is he gonna be there?”
“If he knows what’s good for him he’ll be there.” She glanced up and noticed the guy standing at the end of the hall, waiting for Maggie. Hopefully Jesse would be able to put her in a better mood because she wasn’t going to be a lot of fun to be around if she was like this for the rest of the night.
Jesse straightened away from the wall when the girls neared him and he reached out to take Maggie’s hand, tugging her against his side and draping his arm around her shoulders as he joined them. “Are we all goin’ to the party together?” Say no, he thought to himself.
“Maggie doesn’t wanna go to the party,” Linda offered helpfully.
“What? Why not?”
“Because it’s a victory party and we were not victorious,” Maggie growled.
“It was a good game; you played your heart out, darlin’.”
What the hell? Why was everyone acting like a tied score was a good thing? Had they all completely lost their minds? How could they be so… so… so stupid? They hadn’t won the game!! Her voice was angry when she spoke. “But it wasn’t a winning game.”
“Okay, well, I’ve got my truck, so why don’t we go get somethin’ to eat and we’ll decide what to do from there?” he suggested, unwilling to let her drag him into an argument.
“We’re gonna meet up with the team and head on over to the party,” Christina said as they walked out of the school and moved towards the parking lot. “If we don’t see you guys at the party we’ll see you tomorrow, Mag.”
Maggie nodded absently, mentally going over every play and trying to identify where it had all gone wrong. She never noticed when Jesse leaned back and mouthed the words we’ll see you there to her friends.
“Maggie, honey, good game.” John and Catherine smiled as their daughter forced a smile in response to her father’s congratulatory words. “Jesse, I trust you’ll have my daughter home at a reasonable time.”
“Of course, sir.”
Maggie looked down at the little girl standing between her parents, holding their hands. “I thought you guys were going out? Wasn’t Michael supposed to take Shy tonight?”
Catherine frowned. “He said you were taking her.”
“Can you guys wait just a minute while I go find Michael?”
John chuckled when she stalked off, pulling her boyfriend behind her. “I see more of you in that girl everyday, Cath.” He shook his head. “That boy had better be prepared to hold onto his hat.”
*****
“Michael Guerin, I cannot believe you told Mom and Dad that I was taking Shy tonight,” Maggie snapped as she finally reached the area of the parking lot where her brother and cousins had gathered.
He was sitting on the tailgate next to Maria having a conversation with Yancey when his sister’s voice cut right through their words. His grin slipped just a fraction when he looked up and saw her stormy expression.
“Aw, c’mon, what’s the big deal? We’re goin’ out tonight and it’s highly doubtful that you have any plans now anyway.”
“Michael!” Maria shoved her elbow in his ribs at his thoughtless comment.
“What? As far as she’s concerned they lost tonight’s game, and believe me, she’s not a graceful loser. She’s gonna be temperamental and moody for the next few weeks. You have no idea what she’s like when she doesn’t get the win she’s expecting out of a competition.”
“Uh-huh, and you’re just a saint, aren’t you? You’re just gonna pour fuel on the fire.” She shook her head. “And you have no room to talk, considering your temper.”
Maggie ignored her brother’s taunt and reached out to poke him in the center of his chest. “You’re taking her tonight.”
“No, I’m not. I told you, me an’ Maria have plans – “
Yeah, well just because she had no intention of going to that stupid victory party for a game that they hadn’t won, it didn’t mean she was going to spend the evening babysitting Michael’s number one fan! He could take care of her himself because she wasn’t in any mood to keep an eye on the little girl. She loved her, but all she wanted to do was go home, scream, and break something. Or spend some time with Jesse. She’d see which way the night went, but whichever direction it took, Shysie was not gonna be a part of it. “So do we and they don’t include a five-year-old chaperone.”
“Okay, as much as I enjoy the fights you two have, I’m ready to go,” Yancey said before things got too loud between his cousins. “Where’s the party?”
“Party’s at Amber Brown’s place,” Jacey answered.
He rubbed his hands together and grinned in delight. “Perfect, I noticed her sister in the crowd; must be home for the Thanksgiving break.”
“Hey, did you say the party’s at Amber’s house?” Shadow interrupted, elbowing his way into the group. “Is Talia gonna be there?”
“Are you kiddin’?” Austin groaned. “I thought we were gonna skip the party and hit the arcade?”
“It’s a pool party, moron,” Shadow growled.
“So? It’s cold out.” He rolled his eyes. “What’s the big deal? No one’s gonna be in the pool.”
“Amber Brown.” He spoke slowly, trying to get the importance of those two words across to his cousin. He rolled his eyes when Austin continued to stare at him without a single ounce of understanding. “Her parents own the house up on the hill… the only house in town with an indoor swimming pool?” He shook his head. “Nevermind. If there is any chance of me seein’ Talia in a bathing suit, then I’m afraid that takes precedence over beatin’ you at video games all night.”
“C’mon, kid.” Yancey collared his clueless younger brother and pulled him along as he walked away. “One of these days you’re gonna get your head out of those video games and you’re gonna discover girls. Just accept that you’re never gonna win if your competition is a girl in a bikini.”
Jacey grabbed her brother’s arm and hauled him along after her so they could catch a ride with their cousins. “Shadow, I swear to God, if you embarrass me in front of…”
Her threatening voice faded as they moved further away and within a matter of minutes Michael and Maria had been left alone with Maggie and Jesse.
“C’mon, Maggie, it’s only for a couple of hours.”
“All right.”
He frowned at her sudden capitulation. No way, that was too easy.
“No, you’re right, it’s only for a couple of hours. I was gonna take her with me when Linda, Christina, and I go to the mall tomorrow, but since I’m taking her tonight, you can take her tomorrow.”
Michael glared at her when she smirked. She knew he had plans with Maria the next day and that they were finally going to get a chance to spend some time alone. “And if I take her tonight you’ll take her tomorrow? You swear?”
“Of course.”
He sighed and glanced at Maria. “You mind if Shy goes with us to the movie?”
Maria smiled at him, knowing that their plans for making out at the movie had just been blown out of the water. “No, that’s fine.”
“Perfect,” Maggie announced. “We’ll go get her for you that way it’ll save you all of the parental warnings.” She was moving back towards the school, dragging Jesse with her before Michael had a chance to form a response.
“It won’t be that bad, Michael,” Maria said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“It won’t be that bad?” he repeated incredulously. “Have you forgotten why we were goin’ to see a movie that neither of us cares about?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten, but if taking your cousin for a couple of hours tonight means your sister will take her tomorrow then it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
“You know what this means, right? There’s only one thing at the movies right now that’s got a ratin’ her parents allow. Monsters, Inc., Maria; a movie about these goofy monsters who go through the doors in the closets in little kids’ rooms and scare them… big patchy, blue monsters and little round, eyeball-shaped monsters.” He shook his head. “Do I look like a guy who spends his time checkin’ out…” He shifted, putting some space between them when she laughed at him. “What? You think that’s funny?”
“I just think that for a guy who doesn’t spend any time checking kids’ movies out, you seem to know quite a bit about this one.” She bit back another smile at his affronted look. “It’ll be fine, Michael, I promise. We’ll take Shy to the movie tonight and then tomorrow’s all ours; it’s an exchange that’s more than fair.”
“Yeah, okay,” he grumbled, “but I’m only doin’ this so we have tomorrow all to ourselves. I mean, I don’t mind takin’ Shy to the movies, and I know she really wants to see this one, but it’s just not what I had planned.” His dark gaze traveled over her as he dropped down off of the tailgate and moved to stand in front of her. He felt her thighs settle against his hips when he leaned in closer to her and curled his hands around the cold metal on either side of her. “You have any idea how much sleep I’m gonna lose tonight knowin’ that you’re sleepin’ less than twenty feet away?”
“Who says I’m gonna be sleeping?” she asked, her voice low and teasing.
Michael froze when someone cleared their throat behind him and he slowly straightened up, expecting to see his parents standing there when he turned around. His entire body tensed when he saw Maria’s old friends standing in front of them with the two people who she believed had replaced her. “You want somethin’?” he asked, not bothering with pleasantries that they didn’t deserve.
“Just to say hi,” the one that had to be Alex said.
“Uh-huh, because you’re such good friends, right?”Michael growled. So, what, now he was tryin’ to crawl back into Maria’s good graces? Not gonna happen, buddy.
“Look, we’re not looking to get into a fight. We just stopped to say hi and move along.”
Michael’s eyes were cold as they raked over each of them in turn. “At what point will you be movin’ along?” He felt Maria’s hand tighten on his arm and he forced his muscles to relax.
Alex took a step forward and held his hand out in Michael’s direction, waiting for several long seconds before he lowered it back to his side. He wasn’t really surprised that the guy had ignored the gesture. “Maria, I know there’s nothin’ I can say to make up for what’s happened between us, but – “
Michael shifted when Alex took another step forward, making sure that there was no clear path to Maria. “No, there’s nothin’ you can say, so why don’t you leave without tryin’ to say anything at all.”
“I just – “
“Did you come over here because you wanna explain why you’ve treated her the way you did? Or to tell her what the big secret is that was so much more important than a lifetime of friendship?” He shook his head when Alex glanced away regretfully. “No, you didn’t. You’re here to make yourselves feel better and personally, I couldn’t give a damn whether you feel better or not.” His gaze shifted to Liz, sweeping over her in disgust.
“This animosity isn’t necessary.” Max finally spoke up when he felt Liz shiver next to him. “And I don’t care for the way you’re looking at Liz.”
“Oh, you don’t care for that?” He took a couple of steps forward, bringing him mere inches from the other guy. “What’re you gonna do about it?” His eyes narrowed as he waited to see if Max would make the next move. “Go ahead,” he taunted, “I dare you to throw a punch.”
Max could feel his temper simmering below the surface. He was surprised to realize that his hands were curling into fists at his sides. He had never met anyone who had caused such a primal reaction in him. Then again, he had never been in love and been faced with someone who had threatened the girl he loved.
“Max, let’s just go,” Liz said, tugging on his arm.
“Yeah, Max, why don’t you just go.” Michael’s tone was challenging. “You’re not gonna make a move anyway.”
“You have no idea what I could do to you.”
Isabel moved between them when her brother responded to the other guy’s baiting tactics, pushing Max back several steps. Her left hand shot out and settled against the guy’s chest when he moved forward again. She turned to look at him, meeting his threatening gaze directly. The tension between them was unbelievable, she thought, amazed that he had provoked Max into a near-physical confrontation. She could practically feel the negative energy pulsing in the air between them and her instincts were screaming at her to get Max out of there before he did something that would reveal the truth about them. There was something about the guy, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but for now she just wanted to get her brother away from him. Where Liz was concerned, Max had shown that he was ready to do anything, including throwing caution to the wind.
“Maria, please…”
Liz’s voice drew Maria’s attention and she snapped out of the trance she had been in as she watched Michael and Max stand toe-to-toe. She slid down off of the tailgate and moved over to take Michael’s right hand, relieved when she felt the tension in him ease after a few minutes.
“Max, let’s just go,” Liz repeated.
Michael watched them as the little group walked away and he tensed up when Max paused halfway across the parking lot and turned to look at him one more time. They were gonna meet again, he thought. He could practically feel it. His attention was pulled away when his sister called his name and he turned to see Shysie running towards him. Oh, well, no reason to waste any time thinking about his next meeting with the guy. He let Maria pull him towards his sister and cousin, and he shoved all thoughts of the others out of his mind.
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Doo 'awéé ééhoozIIh da-The Lost Child-M/M(CC-Teen)Pt69-8/1
Araxie HRH – Max, Michael and Isabel don’t know about each other’s existence. They don’t remember when they were born, it’s too far away in their memories. But Michael and Max reacted instinctively because they have this intense relationship in the show, they both love each other as brothers and they still fight. Now, Isabel is another story. There was a hint of something, when she met Michael.
Eva –
Flamehair – The moment where they will all find out… not happening soon. Hell, we haven’t written it yet! But we are up to (in our writing) where one group will learn that there are other aliens and will investigate. Not telling which group, though.
DeDe PR – Poor Michael, all dressed up as a green alien. Not an easy moment for him.
Part 69
Alex walked into his house early Saturday afternoon and called out for his mother; he shrugged and continued on his way when she didn’t answer. His father was away on business again and it didn’t look like he was going to be home in time for Thanksgiving again this year.
He made a stop in the kitchen and was reaching for the refrigerator door when he glanced up and saw his mother moving around in the backyard. Putting his hunger on hold he went out to see what she was up to and to ask if she needed any help with whatever she was doing.
“Hey, Mom.”
Elaine looked up from her perusal of the backyard when she heard her son’s voice call out in greeting. “Hi, sweetie. I thought you were going over to Nicky’s house to practice with your band?”
“We just had a short practice today; Nicky’s parents are getting ready for the trip to Denver next week, Marcos had to go because his dad wanted him to help move some stuff to the garage because they have family coming in for the holiday weekend, and Chris has to babysit his little brother while his mom goes shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“So, you’re on your own for the day?”
He shrugged. “I’m gonna work on my history project for a while, see if I can find any new information for it.”
He was working on his project alone? “Where’s Isabel today?”
“What?”
“Isabel, where is she? Normally the two of you are thick as thieves working on that project.”
“She’s helpin’ her mom do some stuff to get ready for Thanksgiving; they’re goin’ to her grandparents place up in Santa Fe.”
“Will they be gone all weekend?”
“Yeah, they’re leavin’ after school on Wednesday and they’re supposed to be back on Sunday afternoon.”
Elaine smiled at his dejected expression. “How was the game last night?”
“It was great.”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise at his enthusiastic response. Alex wasn’t a very sports-oriented young man and athletics had never been one of his strengths, so she was fairly certain that it had more to do with the company at the game. “Really?”
“She let me compliment her last night and she’d deny it to the ends of the earth and back, but she blushed.” Alex grinned. “She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen, Mom, and when she really just lets go and she allows it to come out…” He whistled under his breath as he shook his head. “You wouldn’t think it’d be possible for her to be anymore beautiful than she is, but when she smiles that way it’s like she just lights up from the inside out, y’know?”
Young love, she thought, smiling indulgently at her only child. “Does this mean you’ve asked her out?”
“No, she’s not ready for that yet. She’s still tryin’ to adjust to the fact that for once she has a friend who she can trust and who’ll be there for her no matter what.” He leaned back against the fence and his hands wrapped around the rail at his lower back. “Hey, Mom, d’you think it’s stupid to hope that Isabel will look at me one day and see the possibility of somethin’ more?”
“What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?”
“Well, it’s just that…” He scratched his chin and shrugged one shoulder. “I know what people say at school. I’m not deaf; I hear the comments they make – “
“Alex, you’re a young man that any girl would be lucky to have in her life, whether it’s as a friend or a boyfriend, and I think Isabel is going to see that one of these days.”
He lowered his head and grinned. “You’re biased, Mom.”
“Of course I’m biased,” she agreed as she moved to stand in front of him. She reached out to lift his chin up. “But, biased or not, I’ve seen the way that girl watches you when you’re not looking, and I’ve watched her open up a little more each time you guys spend time together. You see something in her that no one else has ever looked for, you’ve taken your time getting to know who she is… and she’s responding to that. She’s probably used to guys whose only intention is to get her into the backseat of their father’s car; they’re not interested in who she is.”
“Yeah, I know.” He scowled. “They’re always braggin’ it up in the locker room and they have no idea how stupid they sound. Somethin’ that amazes me because none of them have ever gotten anywhere with her and they all know they’re lyin’.” He chuckled. “Of course, none of them have the nerve to say anything where they know she’ll hear it either.”
“Well, perhaps they’re a bit smarter than they sound.”
“Maybe.” He straightened away from the fence. “You need any help out here?”
“No, you go on and get to work on your project. I’ll be leaving here shortly; I’m having lunch with some friends from the book club. There’s a bowl of chicken salad in the fridge and if you check the covered dish on the counter you’ll find a fresh batch of walnut brownies.”
“Really?”
“Um-hmm, but no more than two, young man. Now go on, I need to get ready.”
“Hey, Mom, have you heard from Dad yet?”
“He’s putting in extra hours in hopes that he’ll be able to catch a flight home on Wednesday evening.”
Alex nodded at his mother’s hopeful tone, but he knew what she wasn’t saying. Every year his father missed at least one of the major holidays and every year she just smiled and insisted that he had done his best to get home in time. “I can go with you to the grocery store tomorrow if you want,” he offered.
Elaine smiled at him and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, sweetie; I’ll let you know.”
A little while later Alex took a bite of his sandwich as he signed into his email account and waited for it to log on. He scanned through the new emails as he mumbled to himself. “Forward from Nicky, sci-fi club, Liz, comic club, musician’s newsletter, Marcos, LoneWolf1099…” He clicked on the last one, skimming the message inside several times, before reading it aloud. “This email is being sent to inform you that Robert Silver Fox has expressed interest in meeting with you. He currently resides in Arizona on the Navajo Reservation…” Alex stared at the contact information in disbelief.
An actual code talker! All that research had finally paid off! “Just wait until I tell Isabel!” he shouted in elation.
*****
Late morning sunlight fell over the desert, making everything in sight shimmer as Michael led the way to a destination he hadn’t yet shared. Maria looked around, trying to pinpoint their location and failing miserably. He had surprised her when he had asked her if she would mind taking the horses out and then proceeded to load three of the animals into the trailer hitched up behind the truck. They had driven out into the desert for well over an hour before he had pulled off of the unmarked road and parked. After unloading the horses he had secured his photography equipment to one of the poor animals and they had been riding for nearly an hour, going deeper into the desert.
The land was untouched by human hands; there were no signs of the destruction and abuse that humanity had a tendency to leave in its wake. They were surrounded by miles and miles of nature on all sides and the sheer vastness of the land was as intimidating as it was beautiful. She had been born and raised in Roswell, and while it wasn’t exactly a metropolis by any means, she was accustomed to the sounds of cars, radios, constant conversations, and other city noises. Here in the desert it was so different; humanity hadn’t left its mark on the land, the only sounds were the wind and the occasional cry of one of the large birds that appeared in the sky from time to time.
“We’re almost there,” Michael said, pulling back on the reins to slow Sundance and giving Rascal time to catch up. He pointed to a spot in the distance and Maria brought her right hand up to shade her eyes. “You probably can’t see it yet, but we’re only about a mile from where I’m takin’ you.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said this place was secluded.”
Michael grinned as he shook his head. “Nope, but trust me, you’re gonna love it.” He motioned at the sun where it was slowly moving towards its midday position. “We’re in luck; the temperature’s supposed to hit 60 or pretty close to it and there won’t be too much wind. It’s a perfect day for photographin’ you.”
“There’s a lot more greenery out here than I’m used to seeing.”
Michael just smiled as he tugged gently on the reins, turning Sundance to the right and taking the lead once more. He knew what lay ahead of them; he had spent many hours out on this part of the Reservation over the past few years. If she thought what she was seeing right then was a lot of greenery, he couldn’t wait to show her what was waiting on the other side of the cliffs.
“Maggie wasn’t too happy about the tied score last night,” Maria commented.
“You noticed that, huh?” He chuckled and shook his head as he recalled his sister’s monosyllabic responses at breakfast. “Maggie doesn’t like to lose and as far as she’s concerned, a tied score is the same as a loss.”
“So, her behavior is normal?”
“Oh, yeah. She’ll be temperamental for the next couple of weeks, but at least we’re getting close to Christmas and that always cheers her up.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “She gets ridiculously cheerful over the holidays.”
Maria laughed. “Are you gonna try to tell me you don’t like Christmas?”
“No, I just don’t see why people go out of their way to be extra nice one day outta the year; it’s just so phony.”
*****
John lowered the newspaper he was reading when Catherine cleared her throat for the third time. He carefully folded it back up and laid it on the table between them before giving her his full attention. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about this weekend.”
“Um-hmm?” He kept his tone noncommittal even though he already knew where she was going with her opening statement.
“It’s become apparent to me that Michael’s interest in Maria is not something that’s going to simply fade with time.” She brushed nonexistent crumbs from the surface of the table as she spoke again. “I was thinking that maybe we should invite Maria and her mother out for Saturday’s…” She trailed off and glared at her husband when she heard him chuckling. “This is not funny, John.”
“I’m not laughin’ at you, Cath; it’s just that your less than gracious tone strikes me as funny.” He shrugged when she shook her head at him. “I think it’s good that you’re plannin’ to invite Maria and her mother out this weekend; that’s a big step for you and I know it’ll mean a lot to Michael.”
*****
Isabel was walking back to the car when she heard the familiar sound of the long chain on Alex’s wallet rattling as it brushed against the leg of his jeans with his movements. She smiled when she saw him and he grinned in response as he called out a greeting. He jogged up the driveway and met her next to the car, holding out a sheet of paper that she accepted with a curious glance at him.
“Just read it.”
She scanned over the email printed on the paper and her mouth nearly fell open in shock. “Oh, my… Alex, you found a code talker! Where is he? When can we go meet with him? How far away is it?”
Alex grinned at her excitement, patiently listening as the questions poured out of her faster than he could answer them. “We found him, and he’s in Fort Defiance, Arizona. As for when we can meet with him…” He shrugged. “That’s up to you. I mapped it and we’re probably looking at five and a half hours to get there, so it’s gonna have to be a weekend.” He frowned when Isabel’s face fell. “What?”
“We can’t go this weekend… I’m gonna be in Santa Fe.”
He reached out and took her hand without thinking about it. “Hey, you’ve been talkin’ about goin’ to see your grandparents all week; don’t let this take away from that.”
“I know, but we’ve been working on this for so long, Alex.”
He could understand her disappointment, but he didn’t want it to ruin her weekend with her family. “We’ll just go out and see him the following weekend.” He paused for a few moments before he lifted their joined hands to nudge her chin up. “Hey, we’ll get out to see him, Iz, it’s just not gonna be this weekend.”
Eva –
That’s exactly that.I was a little surprised too that they didn't feel something special about each other. Recognition would be too soon and even for aliens too strange. But then again, maybe they did feel it but they all didn't recognize it. Simple because they all thought they were the only alien(s) living in or around Roswell. The fact that Max was so upset and the fact that Isabel felt there was something she couldn't lay her finger on, is already a beginning.
Flamehair – The moment where they will all find out… not happening soon. Hell, we haven’t written it yet! But we are up to (in our writing) where one group will learn that there are other aliens and will investigate. Not telling which group, though.
DeDe PR – Poor Michael, all dressed up as a green alien. Not an easy moment for him.
Part 69
Alex walked into his house early Saturday afternoon and called out for his mother; he shrugged and continued on his way when she didn’t answer. His father was away on business again and it didn’t look like he was going to be home in time for Thanksgiving again this year.
He made a stop in the kitchen and was reaching for the refrigerator door when he glanced up and saw his mother moving around in the backyard. Putting his hunger on hold he went out to see what she was up to and to ask if she needed any help with whatever she was doing.
“Hey, Mom.”
Elaine looked up from her perusal of the backyard when she heard her son’s voice call out in greeting. “Hi, sweetie. I thought you were going over to Nicky’s house to practice with your band?”
“We just had a short practice today; Nicky’s parents are getting ready for the trip to Denver next week, Marcos had to go because his dad wanted him to help move some stuff to the garage because they have family coming in for the holiday weekend, and Chris has to babysit his little brother while his mom goes shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“So, you’re on your own for the day?”
He shrugged. “I’m gonna work on my history project for a while, see if I can find any new information for it.”
He was working on his project alone? “Where’s Isabel today?”
“What?”
“Isabel, where is she? Normally the two of you are thick as thieves working on that project.”
“She’s helpin’ her mom do some stuff to get ready for Thanksgiving; they’re goin’ to her grandparents place up in Santa Fe.”
“Will they be gone all weekend?”
“Yeah, they’re leavin’ after school on Wednesday and they’re supposed to be back on Sunday afternoon.”
Elaine smiled at his dejected expression. “How was the game last night?”
“It was great.”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise at his enthusiastic response. Alex wasn’t a very sports-oriented young man and athletics had never been one of his strengths, so she was fairly certain that it had more to do with the company at the game. “Really?”
“She let me compliment her last night and she’d deny it to the ends of the earth and back, but she blushed.” Alex grinned. “She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen, Mom, and when she really just lets go and she allows it to come out…” He whistled under his breath as he shook his head. “You wouldn’t think it’d be possible for her to be anymore beautiful than she is, but when she smiles that way it’s like she just lights up from the inside out, y’know?”
Young love, she thought, smiling indulgently at her only child. “Does this mean you’ve asked her out?”
“No, she’s not ready for that yet. She’s still tryin’ to adjust to the fact that for once she has a friend who she can trust and who’ll be there for her no matter what.” He leaned back against the fence and his hands wrapped around the rail at his lower back. “Hey, Mom, d’you think it’s stupid to hope that Isabel will look at me one day and see the possibility of somethin’ more?”
“What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?”
“Well, it’s just that…” He scratched his chin and shrugged one shoulder. “I know what people say at school. I’m not deaf; I hear the comments they make – “
“Alex, you’re a young man that any girl would be lucky to have in her life, whether it’s as a friend or a boyfriend, and I think Isabel is going to see that one of these days.”
He lowered his head and grinned. “You’re biased, Mom.”
“Of course I’m biased,” she agreed as she moved to stand in front of him. She reached out to lift his chin up. “But, biased or not, I’ve seen the way that girl watches you when you’re not looking, and I’ve watched her open up a little more each time you guys spend time together. You see something in her that no one else has ever looked for, you’ve taken your time getting to know who she is… and she’s responding to that. She’s probably used to guys whose only intention is to get her into the backseat of their father’s car; they’re not interested in who she is.”
“Yeah, I know.” He scowled. “They’re always braggin’ it up in the locker room and they have no idea how stupid they sound. Somethin’ that amazes me because none of them have ever gotten anywhere with her and they all know they’re lyin’.” He chuckled. “Of course, none of them have the nerve to say anything where they know she’ll hear it either.”
“Well, perhaps they’re a bit smarter than they sound.”
“Maybe.” He straightened away from the fence. “You need any help out here?”
“No, you go on and get to work on your project. I’ll be leaving here shortly; I’m having lunch with some friends from the book club. There’s a bowl of chicken salad in the fridge and if you check the covered dish on the counter you’ll find a fresh batch of walnut brownies.”
“Really?”
“Um-hmm, but no more than two, young man. Now go on, I need to get ready.”
“Hey, Mom, have you heard from Dad yet?”
“He’s putting in extra hours in hopes that he’ll be able to catch a flight home on Wednesday evening.”
Alex nodded at his mother’s hopeful tone, but he knew what she wasn’t saying. Every year his father missed at least one of the major holidays and every year she just smiled and insisted that he had done his best to get home in time. “I can go with you to the grocery store tomorrow if you want,” he offered.
Elaine smiled at him and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, sweetie; I’ll let you know.”
A little while later Alex took a bite of his sandwich as he signed into his email account and waited for it to log on. He scanned through the new emails as he mumbled to himself. “Forward from Nicky, sci-fi club, Liz, comic club, musician’s newsletter, Marcos, LoneWolf1099…” He clicked on the last one, skimming the message inside several times, before reading it aloud. “This email is being sent to inform you that Robert Silver Fox has expressed interest in meeting with you. He currently resides in Arizona on the Navajo Reservation…” Alex stared at the contact information in disbelief.
An actual code talker! All that research had finally paid off! “Just wait until I tell Isabel!” he shouted in elation.
*****
Late morning sunlight fell over the desert, making everything in sight shimmer as Michael led the way to a destination he hadn’t yet shared. Maria looked around, trying to pinpoint their location and failing miserably. He had surprised her when he had asked her if she would mind taking the horses out and then proceeded to load three of the animals into the trailer hitched up behind the truck. They had driven out into the desert for well over an hour before he had pulled off of the unmarked road and parked. After unloading the horses he had secured his photography equipment to one of the poor animals and they had been riding for nearly an hour, going deeper into the desert.
The land was untouched by human hands; there were no signs of the destruction and abuse that humanity had a tendency to leave in its wake. They were surrounded by miles and miles of nature on all sides and the sheer vastness of the land was as intimidating as it was beautiful. She had been born and raised in Roswell, and while it wasn’t exactly a metropolis by any means, she was accustomed to the sounds of cars, radios, constant conversations, and other city noises. Here in the desert it was so different; humanity hadn’t left its mark on the land, the only sounds were the wind and the occasional cry of one of the large birds that appeared in the sky from time to time.
“We’re almost there,” Michael said, pulling back on the reins to slow Sundance and giving Rascal time to catch up. He pointed to a spot in the distance and Maria brought her right hand up to shade her eyes. “You probably can’t see it yet, but we’re only about a mile from where I’m takin’ you.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said this place was secluded.”
Michael grinned as he shook his head. “Nope, but trust me, you’re gonna love it.” He motioned at the sun where it was slowly moving towards its midday position. “We’re in luck; the temperature’s supposed to hit 60 or pretty close to it and there won’t be too much wind. It’s a perfect day for photographin’ you.”
“There’s a lot more greenery out here than I’m used to seeing.”
Michael just smiled as he tugged gently on the reins, turning Sundance to the right and taking the lead once more. He knew what lay ahead of them; he had spent many hours out on this part of the Reservation over the past few years. If she thought what she was seeing right then was a lot of greenery, he couldn’t wait to show her what was waiting on the other side of the cliffs.
“Maggie wasn’t too happy about the tied score last night,” Maria commented.
“You noticed that, huh?” He chuckled and shook his head as he recalled his sister’s monosyllabic responses at breakfast. “Maggie doesn’t like to lose and as far as she’s concerned, a tied score is the same as a loss.”
“So, her behavior is normal?”
“Oh, yeah. She’ll be temperamental for the next couple of weeks, but at least we’re getting close to Christmas and that always cheers her up.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “She gets ridiculously cheerful over the holidays.”
Maria laughed. “Are you gonna try to tell me you don’t like Christmas?”
“No, I just don’t see why people go out of their way to be extra nice one day outta the year; it’s just so phony.”
*****
John lowered the newspaper he was reading when Catherine cleared her throat for the third time. He carefully folded it back up and laid it on the table between them before giving her his full attention. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about this weekend.”
“Um-hmm?” He kept his tone noncommittal even though he already knew where she was going with her opening statement.
“It’s become apparent to me that Michael’s interest in Maria is not something that’s going to simply fade with time.” She brushed nonexistent crumbs from the surface of the table as she spoke again. “I was thinking that maybe we should invite Maria and her mother out for Saturday’s…” She trailed off and glared at her husband when she heard him chuckling. “This is not funny, John.”
“I’m not laughin’ at you, Cath; it’s just that your less than gracious tone strikes me as funny.” He shrugged when she shook her head at him. “I think it’s good that you’re plannin’ to invite Maria and her mother out this weekend; that’s a big step for you and I know it’ll mean a lot to Michael.”
*****
Isabel was walking back to the car when she heard the familiar sound of the long chain on Alex’s wallet rattling as it brushed against the leg of his jeans with his movements. She smiled when she saw him and he grinned in response as he called out a greeting. He jogged up the driveway and met her next to the car, holding out a sheet of paper that she accepted with a curious glance at him.
“Just read it.”
She scanned over the email printed on the paper and her mouth nearly fell open in shock. “Oh, my… Alex, you found a code talker! Where is he? When can we go meet with him? How far away is it?”
Alex grinned at her excitement, patiently listening as the questions poured out of her faster than he could answer them. “We found him, and he’s in Fort Defiance, Arizona. As for when we can meet with him…” He shrugged. “That’s up to you. I mapped it and we’re probably looking at five and a half hours to get there, so it’s gonna have to be a weekend.” He frowned when Isabel’s face fell. “What?”
“We can’t go this weekend… I’m gonna be in Santa Fe.”
He reached out and took her hand without thinking about it. “Hey, you’ve been talkin’ about goin’ to see your grandparents all week; don’t let this take away from that.”
“I know, but we’ve been working on this for so long, Alex.”
He could understand her disappointment, but he didn’t want it to ruin her weekend with her family. “We’ll just go out and see him the following weekend.” He paused for a few moments before he lifted their joined hands to nudge her chin up. “Hey, we’ll get out to see him, Iz, it’s just not gonna be this weekend.”