Again thanks for your comments.
Grace52373: I must admit, I do like a drink every now and then, but I respect and understand that there are people out there that don't and I figured Liz would be one of them. My only gripe about drinking is you spend all that money to completely forget what ever you did!!!!
Carolyn: I think there should have been a little bit more of Alex in the 3rd season not just Isabel talking to him. I mean come on he was Maria and Liz's best friend. They could have at least mentioned him. Oh well thats my opinion anyway. I miss Alex
Ginger: I completely agree but what teenager hasn't tried the demon drink ??? And hangovers are definately the worse but I have my own miracle cure that has stood the test of time for me.
And I think it's best sometimes if you don't remember whatever you did. I know I've found myself in some strange 'predicaments in the past 
Anyway on to the story.
Chapter 11
Starlina City. Royal Seat of Antar.
Betina called again, louder, “Maya, wait up.”
This time the girl in front of her stopped and turned around, smiling to see her friend.
“Hey Betina,” she called, “sorry I didn’t hear you.”
“Did you hear the news?” Betina asked, excitedly.
“Hear what?” Maya asked, intrigued.
“Lord Pallium has stepped down as Chief Advisor, and King Zan has given the position to Kivar."
“Really,” Maya said, stunned. “I didn’t think Zan liked Kivar that much.”
“What does that matter,” Betina said, “he obviously knows what’s best for his planet.”
Betina looked sideways at Maya. “My parents knew that this was going to happen.”
Maya just smiled at her.
“What about your parents?” Betina continued, hoping she sounded innocent.
Maya looked at her. “You know I don’t have any parents,” she said with sadness in her voice.
“Oh right,” Betina gushed out. “Do you not remember them at all?”
“Why do you ask?” Maya asked, suspiciously.
“No reason,” Betina tried to sound sincere, “so you really don’t remember them?”
In her mind an image flashed and she saw two loving parents, a cheeky brother, wearing regal clothes, smiling at her. Then the image changed to a crashed aircraft, a desperation to escape and a distressed cry, ‘Tell no one until you meet Toman.’
Betina shook Maya’s arm, “Are you ok?”
Maya nodded, realizing a tear had escaped. “I’m fine, Betina,” she said, with a shaky smile, brushing away the tear. “I really don’t remember anything. The physicians that attended to me theorized that I had suffered physical or emotional stress and my mind had shut out all my life before I was found in the market square by Sadine.”
“Oh,” Betina said in a small voice, reluctantly sorry for her friend.
“Look Betina, I must finish before it gets too late. We’ll talk later.”
Betina watched her go and wondered again what it was about Maya.
People were drawn to her. Why? What did Maya have that she didn’t.
She was intelligent, she had a bright future ahead of her, she was loved by Kivar, who was now Chief Advisor and she was loved by the King himself.
Betina dreamed that Zan would put aside Ava and declare his love for her. They were destined to be together, she just knew it. It’s just that Maya always seemed to come between whatever she wanted. Kivar wanted to know about her, Zan seemed to be obsessed by her. Betina came to the conclusion that, for all her dreams to come true, she had to eliminate Maya.
********************
Kivar walked anxiously down the corridor toward the council chamber. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to the shadow waiting in the corner.
“Nicholi.” He said sternly. “Who are you to demand my presence?”
“Forgive me, my Lord,” Nicholi said, bowing low. “I need to know your wishes. The time is ripe.”
“I know.” Kivar said, abstractedly.
‘We need to know Zan’s security plans for his visit to Dorcus Center.”
“I’m working on it,” he said, frustrated. “I’ve convinced her of what needs to be done. She will bring the security plans. She will betray him.”
“What about your other ‘venture’?” Nicholi asked with a smile.
“I will have her. She will be my wife. She will be my Queen,” Kivar said, arrogantly.
They left the room together. They hadn’t seen the figure standing by the far wall. Vilondra smiled to herself. He did love her. He wanted to marry her. She would betray Zan to Kivar. He was the greatest love of her life.
***********************
Cali was highly excited. The Grand Master of the Seven Stars was visiting their dome. He would arrive today. The entire Holy Order was a hot bed of activity. Cali was more hyper than usual; he was going to meet Grand Master Toman. Toman knew things that others had forgotten; he knew things that had yet to come. ‘I’m going to vomit,’ Cali thought.
***********************
Maya smiled as she entered her most favorite chamber in the palace. She always felt save in Rath’s chambers, in Rath’s arms. He wasn’t there yet, but she knew that. He was double checking security details for tomorrows visit to Dorcus Center.
She wanted to surprise him. She still wasn’t sure if she was going to tell him about the baby; she knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. She wanted their baby, his baby. She didn’t expect anything from him. She had consented and committed to this relationship –or whatever they called what was happening between them – even though she knew that he could never truly commit to her.
She sat down on the floor in front of the fire that she herself had prepared earlier that evening.
Staring into the flames, her mind wondered. If only she could tell them, if only she could stand before Rath and say, ‘I am worthy to marry you. I am Mia of Plantgesia’ everything would be perfect.
She was sure his betrothal would be cancelled for that. She wanted desperately to see her parents again; she wanted to laugh with her brother Larek again. If only she could tell. But she had promised Jessina 10 years ago that she would never tell her secret until she met someone called Toman, wearing the sacred seal of Starlina, and she strangely felt her life depended on this despite the number of years that had passed.
She shook her head, forcing the images away. Why was she thinking like this?
Maybe it was Betina asking her questions the other day about her past, or maybe it was the new life growing inside her that was stirring her emotions.
She was so intent on her thoughts that she didn’t hear the door open and close softly behind her, but she wasn’t surprised to feel him sit behind her on the floor and wrap his arms around her.
She could always feel him, sense his emotions, find him if she needed to and the same was for him with her. She could also hear his thoughts in her head as they had their own secret way to communicate within their minds. It made their relationship stronger, more intimate.
“What are you thinking, my love?” Rath asked, his lips in her hair, not wanting to invade her mind without her permission.
She leaned back safely into his embrace, thankful that some thoughts she could keep to herself. “Just thinking,” she said with a sad smile.
“About?” he prompted.
Maya turned in his arms so that she was kneeling, facing him. Sadly she whispered, “A life that cannot be.”
Rath reached to her, placing a piece of hair behind her ear, “I wish I could change things. I wish I could do that for you.”
“Don’t,” she stopped him, pressing a soft gentle kiss against his lips. She pulled back slightly and took his face in her hands brushing one hand gently against the stubble on his check. She looked intently onto his brown eyes. “Rath,” she whispered, “do you love me?”
No hesitation. “Absolutely. Completely. Madly. Mind, body and soul. In our past life, in this life and in our next life. There will only ever be one woman for me for all eternity. I will cross worlds to be with you. I will cross oceans of time to love you. For all eternity.”
The tears were now running freely down her face as Rath kissed her, tenderly. “I love you Maya,” he said simply.
Taking a deep breath, she again looked intently at him, “I’m pregnant.”
She watched as emotions flitted across his face. Disbelief, shock, bewilderment, happiness, bliss. He pulled her toward him again, kissing her with passion. “I will keep you safe,” he said with awe, “I will keep you both safe.”
Maya was just happy he hadn’t been angry with her. Rath pulled her around in his arms and let one hand linger over her belly.
“After we have visited Dorcus Center we are going to leave this palace. We will be ostracized but I can’t do this any longer. I can’t go through with a sham marriage and be apart from you, I want you. I need you. Forever.”
The house was nearly ready for them and it was time. Somehow he managed to stand with Maya still in his arms. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently, then quickly lay next to her, pulling her into his arms again.
“Thank you,” he said.
Maya looked at him, “What for?”
“For giving me something I have been searching for.” He looked her, “My Family.”
****************************
Vilondra smiled to herself, Kivar had left her about 2 hours ago and she was sure he would be asleep by now. She was about to do something she didn’t usually do. She would dreamwalk Kivar, just this once.
Closing her eyes, she pictured him in her mind and then she was in his dreams. There he was, in bed even in his dream and she knew he was passionately making love. She caught a glimpse of blond hair and smiled. He really did love her, why else would he dream of her like this if he didn’t. She was about to leave the dreamscape when she heard ‘herself’ moan. Wait, that wasn’t her voice. Then she heard Kivar, “Maya.”
Vilondra stood still, then slowly walked to the bed and looked over Kivar's shoulder as he viciously pounded into the body beneath him. Kivar was making love to that servant. That servant who Rath had grown so attached to.
“I will possess you, Maya.” He said, almost as savagely as he was abusing her body.
“You will be mine. You will be my Queen.”
Vilondra looked at Maya on the bed, writhing with pleasure under her own lover.
Suddenly Vilondra sat up, awake in her own bed.
“Maya,” she said. That damn girl. She couldn’t have her steal Kivar from her. She wouldn’t let that happen. She was Princess Vilondra, who was she, nobody. She couldn’t have Maya distracting Kivar from herself. ‘It’s simple,’ a voice said inside her mind, ‘Maya must die.’ Vilondra was of royal blood and she always got what she wanted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roswell, New Mexico.
Amy walked through her back door, straight into the kitchen and wearily dumped the grocery sacks on the counter top. She heard the mumbled sounds of the TV and smiled to herself. This was the first time in a few days that Maria and her were actually home at the same time, apart from when they were asleep, and she silently wondered if the ‘mangy dog’ was there.
She shifted so she could peer into the living room and saw Maria sprawled on the floor in front of the TV and she gasped.
Her daughter was doing homework!
Amy leaned a little further over so she could see more into the room and breathed a sigh of relief to see she was on her own.
“I’m home,” Amy called out as she put away the groceries.
“I know,” Maria called back from the living room, “I’m not deaf.”
Amy grumbled to herself, something about sassiness and attitudes, as she finished her chore. “Michael not here?” Amy asked as she walked to the doorway.
“No,” Maria said absentmindedly as she tried to wrap her mind around the math equation that was trying to melt her brain.
Amy smiled as she walked the short distance to her bedroom. ‘It’s now or never,’ she thought, not knowing when she would get Maria to herself next. She picked up the wrapped package, took a deep breath and walked back to the living room, hating herself for what she was about to do.
“Maria, honey, can I talk to you?” she asked as she moved to the couch.
Maria pushed herself up onto her knees and looked at her mom. “I’ve been going to all my classes, Mom,” she said apprehensively.
“I know honey,” Amy said with a smile as she patted the seat beside her.
Maria moved nervously onto the couch and was shocked when her mother held out a wrapped box to her. Maria then smiled and clapped her hands giddily, “oh presents.”
Amy watched Maria straight faced as Maria ripped the paper excitedly from the box.
Maria looked at the box of condoms in her hands and gasped, “Mom!”
“Maria,” Amy said, looking straight into the eyes of her daughter, “I need to know you’re being safe.”
Maria gulped at her mom’s piercing stare, “Mom, I’m……..we’re………..not……….b….but…….”
“Maria,” Amy stopped her. “I’m not a fool and I hope I didn’t raise a fool. I was seventeen once you know.”
Maria just nodded, numbly. There was no use denying it, not now.
“Just tell me one thing,” Amy continued, “earlier this year, when you were running all over creation with him,” she swallowed nervously, “were you having sex?”
“No, mom,” Maria answered honestly.
“OK,” Amy said with a sigh. She looked back at Maria, who was nervously holding the box in front of her. Amy swallowed hard, again. “So, when?”
Maria shot her head up to her mom, her eyes wide. ‘Was she really having this conversation,’ she thought. “Mom!”
“Maria,” Amy said gently, “I know he loves you, I can see it in his face whenever you’re together. And I know you love him, I’ve lived with you for the last 2 years.”
Maria nodded and closed her eyes. She opened them a few seconds later and looked at her mom. “A few months ago,” she said quietly.
“OK,” Amy said evenly, but inside she was screaming, ‘My baby girl is having sex!’
At least now she knew what she had only suspected. “Are you careful?” she asked, “do you use….” And she nodded to the box Maria had a death grip on.
“God,” Maria cried out, embarrassed beyond belief, “yes, Mom, we’re careful.”
“Maria,” Amy said as she gently placed a hand on her daughters arm, “as a parent I can’t condone that you’re having…….sex,” she practically spat the word out, “at a young age, but I remember what it’s like to be seventeen and in love with an attractive boy.”
Maria smiled at her mom.
“But, no sex in my home,” Amy said, and then she paused, thinking, “at least while I’m home,” she concluded.
Maria smiled brighter at her mother.
“What?” Amy said to the smile on Maria’s face, “it’s not like I can say not at all. Christ, he has his own apartment. Just promise me you’ll always be careful. I don’t want you to be pregnant at seventeen. I don’t want you to have my life.”
“Mom,” Maria said, “you have given me the best life anyone could ask for. I’m glad you had me so young, remember I’m the one with the cool mom,” and she smiled warmly at her mom.
Amy returned her smile, “Right, but I’m serious Maria, I’m too young to become a grandmother.” She looked sideways at her beautiful daughter. “Maybe we should make you an appointment with my gynecologist.”
Maria looked sheepishly at her mom. “No need mom,” she said low.
Amy looked shocked.
“I’ve been taking the pill since my birthday,” Maria rushed out.
Amy looked away from her, her eyes glistening for some strange reason. ‘My daughter is taking the pill and I didn’t even know,’ she thought.
“I hope that’s this year’s birthday,” Amy said thought clenched teeth.
Maria rolled her eyes, “yes Mom,” she said. “I just wanted to be prepared, you know. I didn’t want any surprises, caught unaware so to speak.”
Amy nodded her head, thinking her daughter had shown great maturity. A small part of her brain thought she wished she had been that prepared at her age, but then looking back at Maria she squashed that thought down, because that would have greatly reduced the chance of the wonderful creature sitting in front of her ever existing.
“I’m sorry Mom,” Maria whispered. The last thing she wanted was to upset her mother.
“No baby,” Amy said looking at her, “don’t ever be sorry for taking care of yourself.” Amy’s hand reached out and stroked her hair loving. “How did I end up with such an amazing daughter?”
“Just good genes I guess,” Maria said with a laugh.
Amy patted Maria’s cheek and then looked down at the box in her hands. “I guess you don’t need those,” she said.
Maria looked sheepishly at her mom, “Mom, we still use them; I’m doubly protected.” She didn’t add that Michael insisted on it because of his alien side, he didn’t trust just one form of birth control.
Amy actually smiled at that and Maria’s eyes wandered back to the box in her hands and she couldn’t help the sharp laugh that escaped her.
“What?” Amy asked her, with an eyebrow raised.
“Wrong size,” Maria answered with a giggled.
“What!” Amy exclaimed, “but they’re large. I figured Michael would be……” she didn’t finish as the realization hit her. “Holy shit, Maria!”
“Mom!” Maria cried.
At that point they heard a knock at the back door and then Michael’s voice as he pushed the door opened, “Maria?” he called out as he entered the kitchen.
“In here,” Maria called out; stifling her giggles at her mom’s shocked expression.
Michael walked into the living room, a smile on his face when he saw Maria. “Hey,” he said.
Amy looked at Michael and gulped. “Speaking of the mangy dog,” she said to cover her embarrassment and trying desperately not to let her eyes wander down his body.
Michael stopped short as his eyes fell on the box in Maria’s hands and he audibly swallowed.
“Mom got us a present,” Maria said with a laugh at the look on his face.
“Erm,” Michael said nervously as his finger scratched his eyebrow. He looked at Amy and then quickly back to Maria. “Bye,” he practically shouted as he turned tail and ran back the way he had come.
“Chicken,” Maria called out after him.
*No way Blondie* he sent her *I need to protect my parts*
Maria laughed at him, her mother watching her cautiously.
*Don’t worry, Spaceboy* she sent him *It’s recycling day. No newspapers in the house.*
“He just doesn’t want to lose the ground he’s made with you, Mom,” Maria explained to her mom.
*Not taking my chances babe* Michael sent her.
“He should have thought about that before he slept with my daughter,” Amy said, though she did smile, glad she could still scare him.
Maria stood up and started gathering her school books up. “Strangely enough, I don’t think you were on his mind at all,” she said with cheeky smile.
*I thought you needed my laptop?* she sent to her retreating boyfriend.
“Maria,” Amy said, shocked at her words.
Maria put her books and the box of condoms in her bag, ‘this whole two conversations thing is making my brain hurt,’ she thought as Michael’s * Meet me at the public library, I’ll use one of the computers there* came to her and she heard his motorcycle set off down the street.
She shook her head. “Can I use the car, mom?” she asked. “I need to go to the library.”
“Sure,” Amy said with a wave of her hand.
Maria bent and kissed her mom’s cheek. “I love you, Mom,” she said.
“I love you, too,” Amy said with a smile. “Just remind him, Jim has a gun.”
Maria laughed. “I will mom,” and she left to find her ‘chicken shit alien commander’.
***************************
Maria arrived at the library to find Michael sitting at a computer researching his history paper. She dropped her bag on the table and stood beside him, an arm across his shoulders and her lips brushed against his forehead and his arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, holding her tight to him.
“You’re gonna have to face her sometime, Michael,” Maria said quietly, mindful that they were in the public library.
“Yeah, I know. I just think I’ll wait ‘til she’s calmed down a little,” he said, his eyes not moving from the computer screen.
“Michael, you took away her daughters innocence. I don’t think she'll ever be calm about that,” Maria said as her fingers twirled in his hair.
“That’s why I don’t intend to see her for the next few years,” he said, “and Maria, I don’t think you were ever really innocent,” he added, a knowing grin pulling at his lips.
“You know what I mean, Michael,” she said and she pulled out of his hold and started taking her books from her bag.
“Can I borrow a note pad and a pen?” Michael asked.
Maria handed him the note pad she always carried in her book bag for him, knowing he rarely had one of his own, and a pen.
“Why didn’t you bring your own? Did you have any intention of doing your homework?” she asked.
“Absolutely not,” Michael said with a grin.
Maria laughed at him. “Poor baby,” she said, “now I’m stuck in the library with a horny alien and nowhere to go.”
“We’ve always got somewhere to go, Blondie,” Michael said with a sexy smile.
‘True,” Maria grinned back. “Homework first, then sex.”
“Deal,” Michael grinned back as he turned back to the computer.
They spent the next 20 minutes or so, each working on their homework, until Maria threw her pencil at the book she was looking at in frustration.
“This should be illegal,” she moaned.
“What?” Michael asked distractedly.
"Math. I just don’t get it,” Maria sighed.
Michael leaned over to look at the problem she was working on. “It’s easy really,” he said.
“Yeah, if you’ve got a super brain or alien genes, which I don’t. Can’t you just do it for me?” she asked.
“Whatever happened to ‘no cheating’,” he asked with his trade mark smirk.
Maria pouted. “If you don’t help me, I’ll be here all night and you know what that means.”
“They’ll lock you in the library?” he asked mischievously.
“No sex for you buddy,” she replied simply.
Michael took her hand and pulled her to him, out of her chair and into his lap, pushing away from the table as little so she could settle comfortably sideways in his lap.
“I’ll do it for you, but you’ll have to make it up to me,” he said gently.
Maria smiled at him as she slipped an arm around his shoulders, nestling her head against his neck. “Oh really,” she said, “what do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I’ve decided on which fantasy I want played out,” he grinned against her hair.
“Oooh, fantasy night. I like that,” she said, nuzzling her lips against his neck.
Michael slipped his hand under her shirt to stroke her soft skin as Maria reached up and turned his head to her for a sweet kiss, which progressed to anything but, hard and demanding was a better way to describe it.
“I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” a stern disapproving voice said and Michael and Maria sprang apart quickly to look at their intruder.
Michael smiled when he saw Isabel in front of them, laughing.
“Do you think I’d make a good librarian?” she asked.
“Sure Isabel,” Maria said, “I can just see you in boring plain clothes, ugly glasses and your hair in a tight bun.”
Isabel thought for a moment and then laughed, “Nah, never gonna happen,” she said as she sat in Maria’s empty chair.
“Michael I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you in the library?” she observed.
“Well, my mom scared him so it was either here or no homework and that means the boot from school so,” Maria explained.
Isabel laughed, “Ms. Deluca scared you, Michael?” she asked.
When Michael didn’t say anything Maria nodded. “She worked out the whole sex thing, even bought us a box of condoms,” she told Isabel.
“Really! God, Maria your mom is so cool. My mom would freak!”
“Well I think she’s is freaking a little but she understands and she can hardly be judgmental. She was younger than me when she got pregnant with me,” Maria said.
“True,” Isabel said with a nod, “so why are you running scared Michael?”
“Because he’s a big alien chicken,” Maria laughed.
“Maria, your mom is a little scary,” Michael said.
“Hey, what are we talking about?” Kyle asked as he joined his friends.
“My scary mom,” Maria said, settling back against Michael’s chest again.
“What did the hippy-chick do this time?” Kyle asked with a laugh.
“Bought us condoms,” Maria said with a crafty smile, “wrong size though,” she added. “You want them Kyle?” she asked with a cheeky gleam in her eyes.
“Sure,” Kyle said and then he stopped. “Hey wait, what do you mean ‘do I want them’. Are you implying my manhood is inadequate compared to Martin the Martian here?” he asked incredulously.
Maria looked up at Michael and then across to Kyle. She had no idea about Kyle’s ‘endowment’ but she had intimate knowledge of Michael’s and if their ‘energy sources’ were supposed to be in portion to their bodies, and she knew that Michael's was, well she just smiled at Kyle and said sweetly, “yes, absolutely.”
Kyle spluttered as Isabel and Michael laughed.
“That’s just wrong, Deluca,” Kyle said, his hand falling in front of his groin as if protecting it from her harsh words. “You can’t just rag on a man’s package without proof.”
Maria’s eyebrows shot up. “You want me to check,” she asked with a laugh.
“What? No!” Kyle practically screamed.
“Fuck no,” Michael echoed.
Isabel and Maria laughed at Kyle’s and Michael’s expressions.
"I’m just joking Michael,” Maria said between her giggles.
“I don’t know, Maria, it could help with the whole hand and feet size as indicators if you had a second opinion,” Isabel laughed.
“That’s true,” Maria said, tipping her head slightly to the side as if in deep thought.
Kyle held his hand out in front of him, looking at it and from the corner of his eye, he saw Michael repeat the action with his own hand.
Maria chuckled to herself. “Michael has huge hands and huge feet,” she said with a knowing smile in Kyle’s direction.
Kyle looked up to see Michael grin as he wriggled his fingers at him and Kyle quickly moved his hand under the table, which caused Isabel and Maria to laugh harder.
“What’s so funny,” Liz asked as she came to stand beside the table that they had taken over, with Max at her side.
“Maria’s gonna see if Kyle’s ‘manhood’ fits with the age old myth of hands and feet versus size,” Isabel laughed out.
‘No she’s not,” Michael said harshly and the hardness of his voice drowned out Max’s low growl in Kyle’s direction but Isabel caught it and she looked anxiously at her brother and she saw Liz looking suspiciously at him.
“Max,” Isabel said softly and she took hold of his arm.
Max blinked a couple of times and then eventually turned to his sister with a grateful smile. Isabel’s eyes flashed passed Max to Michael and Maria.
Michael was holding her tightly to him, whilst Maria’s eyes looked dulled and scared. She seemed to be trembling slightly against him. Max turned to them and offered a weak smile in apology, to which Michael growled low in his throat and he whispered something in Maria’s ear.
A second later Maria returned Max’s smile with a thin one of her own and the tension dissolved.
Isabel made a silent note to sit the three of them down so they could discuss what was happening among them before Michael did something he would – hopefully- not regret.
Liz watched suspiciously as the three aliens and Maria silently communicated and she wondered if the connection Maria had with Michael was somehow spreading to include the others.
Impossible, she rationalized, the connection only started when Maria and Michael had started having sex and she knew that Max, Michael and Isabel didn’t share a connection. Liz sat down at the table and looked around to her friends.
Isabel and Max were talking together about some aunt who apparently was having a mid-life crisis and was talking to all the flowers in her garden. Kyle was covertly looking at his hands, his eyes wandering every now and then to Max and Michael.
Maria remained in Michael’s lap, her head resting against his shoulder as she watched him type on the keyboard.
They looked like the perfect couple, so at ease with each other, so different from a year ago when they had been bickering constantly. She watched as Michael whispered to her again and she smiled, her fingers idly playing with a button on his shirt.
Liz’s stomach fluttered a little when Maria moved her head slightly to nuzzle her nose gently against Michael’s neck and she watched as he smiled down at her, a hand moving from the keyboard momentarily to stroke her hair lovingly, before returning to his typing.
“Sickening isn’t it,” Kyle said to the side of her, and when she turned her head to look at him, his eyes indicated Maria and Michael.
“It’s kind of hypnotic,” Liz said, not realizing how low her voice was. “Like you don’t want to look but you just have too.”
“Yeah, I get that too,” he said with a nod. “Thank god I’m not the only one. I thought I was turning into a voyeur you know, I know it’s wrong but I can’t help it.”
Liz’s eyes had turned back to the couple by the computer as Kyle spoke. “It’s a little weird don’t you think?” she asked quietly. “I mean they are the most unlikely couple out of all of us. She was so terrified of him in the beginning.”
“I think they are ideal for each other,” Kyle answered. “They are both doers.”
"Doers?” Liz asked.
“They just do, don’t think. You and Max could spend hours and hours discussing the best way to do something but those two; they would just do it and think later. They are very passionate and at times combustible.”
Liz nodded, understanding him.
Her eyes flickered over to Max. He was acting strange lately and she was worried about him. When they were alone together things were perfect as always, but when they were together as a group she felt that his attention wasn’t fully on her; as though his mind was wandering to other things. She had also caught him on numerous occasions with his eyes intently on Maria.
At first she thought this was due to the feeling she had, that they were hypnotic and a person couldn’t help but watch, but then she realized Max was watching just Maria, not Michael.
She also noticed that Maria always seemed a little tense when Max was around, especially when Michael wasn’t there. She had briefly entertained the idea that something had happened between the two of them but then she had dismissed that. Max wouldn’t do that to her, not again, and surely Michael would be more than enough for Maria.
Liz looked at her boyfriend as he was talking to Isabel. Maybe she had imagined the looks he gave Maria because his attention was fully on Isabel and Maria was so close to her.
Max seemed to sense her gaze and he turned to her and smiled brightly. Maybe this was the beginning of the connection thing, but then again she had always been able to sense Max. This is what made her different from Maria; she didn’t get that ability until she had slept with Michael. Liz vaguely wandered what she would get when she slept with Max and she knew it had to be something better than whatever Maria had.
Movement to the other side of her made her turn back to Maria and Michael.
Michael lifted Maria from his knee as he stood up. Liz watched him press his lips against her forehead and with a quick word in her ear, he wandered off down between the stacks of books, obviously looking for another book. Maria sat back down in the Michael’s chair and read what was on the computer screen. Liz gave up Maria watching and decided, while she was there, she would look for a book she needed for her own homework.
Maria was concentrating on Michael’s work so when she heard Max’s voice she jumped.
“Where’s Michael?” he asked her from his seat further down the table.
She didn’t turn her head when she answered, “looking for a book.”
Max turned back to say something to Kyle as Maria re-read Michael’s work again.
She was checking one of his references when she felt Max lean over her shoulder.
“How’s he doing?” he asked easily.
Maria tensed at the proximity of his presence, his upper body leaning over her slightly.
“OK,” she said quietly.
Max didn’t know why he had walked over to her; it seemed to him that suddenly he was standing beside her, aching to press his body up against hers. He felt her stiffen in her chair and he smiled at her uneasiness.
Maria turned her head to the table to see that Isabel and Liz had also disappeared and only Kyle remained at the table. Maria willed herself to remain calm and not alert Michael.
“Michael will be back any minute, Max,” she said, bewildered at how timid her voice sounded.
“I know,” he said but leaned closer to do so and she was sure she felt his lips brush against her ear. She couldn’t control herself from jumping up from her chair and whirling around to face him, whilst taking a step back toward Kyle at the same time.
Kyle looked up at Maria’s sudden movement and saw her take a step away from Max. Kyle found that odd until he looked at Max.
Before he knew what he was doing, Kyle was up out of his seat and beside Maria, warily looking at Max and the predatory evil look in his eyes. A look that was aimed at Maria. Kyle instinctively pulled Maria behind him and felt her fear and the coiled tenseness of her body.
“Max,” he said, hoping it would defuse the situation.
Max ignored Kyle as he took a menacing step toward Maria and Kyle heard her actually whimper slightly in fear.
“Max,” Kyle tried again, “don’t make me go all ninja on you.”
Maria would have laughed if not for the absurdity of the situation and she felt Michael closing down on them.
“Kyle,” she whispered from behind him, “Michael’s coming.”
Kyle seemed to understand her urgency immediately. He stepped forward to Max and grabbed his arm turning him.
“Come on Max,” he hissed and forcibly led him to the entrance of the library. Kyle looked back to make sure that Maria was okay and when he caught her thin smile of thanks he smiled back. As Michael came up behind Maria, Kyle pushed Max out of the building.
Maria could feel Michael bristling with anger behind her and she leaned back against him, instinctively knowing where he stood.
“Maria?” Michael said, coldly.
“It’s ok, Michael,” she said.
“Fuck that Maria, it’s not ok,” and he gently pushed her body from his. He walked around her and in the direction that Kyle had taken Max.
“Michael,” she called out, stopping him.
Michael hurried back to her. “You stay here,” he said and then turned to walk off again.
“No Michael, don’t do anything stupid,” she said, her voice in a panic.
He turned back to her again, “Maria,” he said calmly, and then his eyes flickered to Isabel as she came back to the table, oblivious to what was going on.
“Keep her here, Isabel,” he instructed and then he looked back to Maria. “Please Maria, just stay here.”
He watched her nod silently and then he walked out to find Kyle and Max.
