Chapter Twenty-One Once again, I watched as Michael got dressed for his 'date', this time with Isabel. He changed out of the jeans into black pants and put on a long sleeve button down black shirt. He slicked his hair back I was trying not to act like the disgruntled girlfriend. But damn, he looked hot! And it was for beautiful Isabel, who happened to have a major crush on him. Not good. I wished he'd hurry up and go now, so I could get ready for Kyle's and mine date crashing. He kissed me good-bye and promised he'd be back soon and not to worry. I really wasn't worried because I was going to be there. I dressed in a short black number with strappies crossing my bare back that I had bought when I was Isabel. Actually, she had talked me into it. The dress was tight and I'll admit, I looked great in it. I let my hair hang loose and even tried to add a little curl to it. Maybe a curling iron should be put on the list of things I need. A pair of black heels topped it off. I walked across the hall and was met by a very dapper Kyle Valenti dressed to the nines in a dark suit with a tie. Very nice. "You look beautiful," he extended his arm and I took it. "You look very nice yourself Mr. Kyle." I smiled and I knew the effect of the red lipstick against my white teeth; I had practiced it many times in the mirror before I left. He walked me to his car and looked embarrassed. "I guess Michael took yours?" I nodded and he sighed. He opened up the door for me and then got in the other side. "So, where to? I hope we won't be overdressed." "Saturn something." Damn if I couldn't remember the name. "Saturn's Moon," he smiled and pulled out of the parking lot. "Nice place. Isabel loves it there." We drove in silence for a few minutes until I noticed we were coming up on the park and the disappearing-reappearing big fucking dip. Kyle slowed down and I looked at him with my eyes wide. "We're stopping here, why?" "Isabel mentioned something to me this morning when we were running about you thinking there was a dip. Since we're here, I thought I'd show you were you fell." I nodded and looked like I accepted his answer. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was right. He parked the car and led me by the arm to a place about twenty feet away from where I was the other day. I looked around and thought the two spots were nearly identical. But Kyle was lying to me and I didn't like it. I knew damn well where I fell and there was a fucking dip. No dip here and no Maria ass-print in the ground. "You see, nothing." He pointed to the ground and I saw a glimmer of uncertainty. "No dip." Did he really not know or was he feeling bad for lying to me? Hmm. "Oh yeah, I can see where I got confused. Everything around here looks the same. So what kind of snake was it?" "What?" A-ha! Same reaction as from Isabel. Those two were definitely hiding something. "Snake? Type?" I asked as we walked back to the car. "I don't know," he let me in first. "I didn't get a good look at it, I just saw a snake." "Max said there were like six different kinds of rattlesnakes in New Mexico," I looked out the window as we pulled away from the park. "I guess I better be careful around here, huh?" "Yeah," he nodded. "It’s always good to be careful in Roswell." I no longer knew if we were still talking about snakes or not. I was thinking not. By the time we got to Saturn's Moon my stomach was growling. I bet if Kyle had heard it he would have said something, so I guess it wasn't that loud this time. We parked next to my Mustang and Kyle escorted me inside. I put on my Michael-radar and pointed across the restaurant. We asked the hostess to seat us in that area or at least to walk by their table so we could invite ourselves to join them. The hostess stared at us with one of those 'whatever, freak' looks but did what we asked. I guess Michael may have had his Maria-radar on because were still a good fifteen feet away when he turned and looked at us. Well, at me and it was not a happy look. Shit. "Hey!" Kyle laughed as we reached the table. "I didn't know you guys were coming here!" "Are you two on a date?" Isabel smiled and I decided I just couldn't not like her. "Yes," I answered earning the surprised look from Michael. Jealous? I couldn't tell. Damn! "Would you care to join us?" Michael met my eyes and I think he was willing me to say 'no'. "Sure!" Kyle told the hostess. "We're going to join them." The hostess raised her eyebrows and walked away obviously glad to get away from us. Kyle pulled my chair out for me and I sat in between him and Michael, across from Isabel. "So, what're you talking about?" "Maria, actually." Isabel smiled at Michael then at me. "We were talking about you." Oh shit. "Me?" "Isabel was just saying how much she liked having another woman to hang out with," Michael rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his clasped hands. "Really?" I smiled. "That's so sweet." "I mean it Maria," Isabel nodded. "You have no idea what it's like never hanging out with anyone except for Tess and that…That Liz!" I laughed out loud and couldn't stop. Using my pet name for Liz was freaking classic! Once I regained my composure I took a sip from Michael's water glass. "Sorry." Isabel laughed. "See! This is what I mean! I'm so glad you moved here, you're fun!" She looked at Kyle. "I told you, you guys should hook up." "Hook up we did." Kyle grinned and squeezed my hand. If either of us had the slightest bit of more than friend interest in the other, now would have been the time it sprang to life. Luckily, it didn't. We ordered and our waiter promised our meals would come at the same time. Very nice. I hoped someone tipped him well. The four of us talked about inconsequential subjects until dinner arrived. I picked up on the looks Isabel was sending Michael, but I always picked up on her apprehension too. "So where are you meeting Alex?" I asked and looked pointedly at Michael. I had to know if he was lying to me earlier of if he really didn't know the fiancé in question was out of town. "Oh!" Isabel bit her lower lip. "I forgot to tell you Michael, Alex is visiting a couple of friends in Ruidoso." Michael raised his eyebrows and I know he was getting pissed, at me no less! He had to know that I already knew that tidbit of information. Ha! Serves secret agent man right. A taste of his own medicine. I caught the next glance and it wasn't pretty. Well, I guess it didn't matter that I wasn't on the pill yet now anyway, right? "So, where are you guys going afterwards?" Kyle baited. "I don't know, I guess we could go back to my place for awhile," Isabel took the bait and looked at Michael. What was in that look? It wasn't a predatory look at all. It was almost the kind of look that you'd give an old friend. Isabel Evans seemed to be torn on what to do. What did that mean? "I better not," Michael smiled coyly. "I wouldn't to get anyone's feathers ruffled." Feathers ruffled? I don't know if I liked this undercover Michael, I mean sure he was amusing, but… "Right," she nodded and seemed to fully accept and even seemed relieved at the answer. "You're totally right, Michael." She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "I don't know what I was thinking. God…I'm sorry." "No harm done," Kyle clapped his hands together in a not so smooth attempt to clear the tension. "So, Maria, Michael, do you think you two are going to stay in Roswell?" "I'll go wherever Maria goes," Michael finally looked at me and I read what he wanted me to out of the sentence. He belonged to me. Even though he was pissed, he was mine. Woo-hoo! The rest of the dinner conversation was probably somewhat more stifled with Kyle and me lurking there. Oh well, sometimes you have to do whatever's necessary. Michael picked up the tab for dinner and as we made our way to the parking lot I noticed Isabel was walking entirely too close to me. "What's wrong?" I finally asked. "Can you drive me home?" She asked quietly. "Do you mind?" I shook my head. "I don't mind. Is everything okay?" She shrugged and we met up with Michael and Kyle. I stepped in between them and outstretched my hand to Michael. "I'm going to drive Isabel home, okay?" He handed me the keys without incident. Yeah for Michael! Isabel and I got into the Mustang after Kyle kissed my cheek. Aww…Sweet. We waited until the men were out of the parking lot before I started the pony. "Thank you," Isabel sighed and I looked at her. Gone was the self-confidence and aura of beauty queen. She was just a woman now. My friend. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, going on a date with your brother?" "I wondered…" Hell yes! No we're getting somewhere. "There was just something about him, I don't know what. I was drawn to him and I'm never drawn to anyone like that. I'm getting married to Alex who I truly adore and what was I thinking?" I listened to her berate herself for a few more minutes before talking. "Are you and Alex having problems?" "God, no. Not at all. I don't know what to do Maria! Maybe it's just because he's new or I don't know. Tess was hitting on him, but she's pathetic. It's weird. I'd never cheat on Alex, but I feel so drawn to your brother but I don't think it's sexual. It's like we've known each other forever." Not sexual? Perfect. I guess she didn't have visions of chocolate dipped or candy coated Michael's. I eased into getting directions to the little house she shared with Alex and drove, letting her talk. It was refreshing to hear someone else's problems for a change; even if they were mostly about my boyfriend. Boyfriend? I felt the urge to giggle. When I pulled up in front of her house the first thing I noticed was the meticulous landscaping. Not a blade of grass was out of place. It almost looked too perfect. "You have a great yard." "Thanks," she smiled weakly at me. "It's a hobby. I probably spend at least two hours a day in the yard." I nodded. "You feel any better?" "I don't know," she leaned across the console and hugged me. "I am really glad you're here, Maria. I think we're going to become great friends. Thanks for listening to me." I blushed, but it was dark so it was okay. I watched her walk inside her house and then drove back to the flat. I parked next to Kyle and made my descent upstairs. Anxious but not too anxious. I knew I was in trouble, but I wanted to see Michael so bad I could taste him. I opened the door to the apartment and there he was, sitting on the couch with a scowl on his face. Shit. I set my purse down and kicked off my heels before approaching him. I jumped on the couch and knelt next to him. "Hi!" I smiled but I didn't get one back. Shit, again. He licked his lips and I wanted to kiss him. That was probably the wrong thing to do right now though. "Why? Why did you do that tonight? Did you not trust me?" Oh God. He was hurt, didn't see that one coming. "I've shared more with you than I have anyone, ever, and I told you this was just a job. I would always be home to share your bed at night." "No, it wasn't like that Michael." "Then how was it? How did it come about that you and Kyle 'hooked up' and conveniently go to dinner the same place you know I'm at with Isabel?" His feelings were hurt and I wanted to cry. "I do trust you Michael, you're the only one I trust. This was Kyle's idea, not mine." "Kyle?" "He thought Isabel was acting a little strange talking about you and shit like that. He wanted to be there so she didn't do anything stupid." I talked with my hands. "That was all. I swear Michael." He looked in my eyes and he had to see the truth. I watched as the tension leaked out of him. "Why didn't you tell me?" I shrugged. Damn good question. "I guess I should have, but I don't know why. It seemed like the element of surprise would have a better look." Michael fought a smile. "I knew my life with you would be full of surprises." Life with me? That was a big good in the book of DeLuca. "I'm sorry." He nodded and leaned into me and kissed my bare neck. "You looked amazing tonight." "Thanks," I grinned as I felt the zipper of my dress go down in back. "Isabel has some feelings towards you." Damn. Why do I bring these things up at the most inopportune time? His hands paused on my back. "What kind of feelings?" He leaned back and looked at me. "I barely know her." "She said she's like drawn to you. Like she's known you for a really long time. Does that make sense?" "I don't think so," he sighed and ran his hands over his face. "Nothing in this town makes sense." I relayed the episode of Kyle making a point to show me I had the wrong place at the park. "That was strange so I asked him about the snake and got pretty much the same response as I had from Isabel. Neither of them knew anything about the snake because there was no snake!" "You still think it's Kyle?" He asked. Whoa. This would be the first time Michael has really questioned me about my suspicions. Does this mean our ride is slowly coming to an end? "I don't know anything except there is definite weirdness and we're in the middle of it. You know, Max did mention to me that him and Isabel were adopted." A spark in his eye. Good or bad? I didn't know yet. "Really?" Spark gone. "Yeah." Alrighty, now I know Michael knows a hell of a lot more that what he's telling me, but that's okay; I trust him. Always. "Is everything going to be okay, Michael? I mean with Section, I've been kind of worried about it." "So worried you actually wrote a letter to Rena requesting birth control pills?" He smiled. "Were you actually planning on sending that?" "You snooped!" I laughed. "And yes, I was going to send it. Should I not?" He shook his head and laughed. Then he grew serious. "I don't know what to expect from Section, I'll be honest. Right now I'm not on the top of their list and neither are you. They're not giving us much time to get this done. Remember that this was in honor of my father. Not exactly high priority. Smythe e-mailed me tonight to make sure I was aware of this and that my expertise was needed in others areas." "Are you leaving?" No! No, please, no! "Let's go for a walk." A walk? I was sitting here with my dress unzipped and he wanted to go for a walk? Holy shit! Did he think the apartment was bugged? I stood and turned around so he could zip me back up, then I slipped my heels back on and followed him out of the building. He held my hand then dropped it, I forgot, we're siblings. "Why are we outside?" I asked. "I don't know if it's safe to talk anymore in the apartment. I saw someone tonight and I think Section sent them. I didn't get a good look, but to be on the safe side I'll have the apartment debugged tomorrow." I nodded and thought about Section, Rena in particular, listening to us making love. Sweet justice. "My father was killed on a fact-finding mission; there should have never been any gunplay at all. I didn't expect it. I know he had things to tell me and that's why he wanted to go. We had to talk far away from Section. When the mission was over we were supposed to make a detour to an undisclosed location for a few days." "He was killed for what he was going to tell you?" I was intrigued. "I don't think it was that exactly. I think it was because he did tell me that what he needed to discuss with me might make me want to leave Section for good." "Do you know what it was? Did he ever give you a clue?" He shook his head but I didn't believe him all the way. I thought about the tape still sitting in the VCR in the apartment. Damn, it's strange when things like that pop in your head. Did he really bring everything he had on me to protect me? Or was it so no one would find me again? I got chills as I looked at him. Did I still trust him? Yeah, I still trusted him but now I was wondering exactly what Michael Guerin had gotten us both into. This was a hell of a lot bigger than any mission for Section. This really was life or death. He caught my faraway stare and then looked down the deserted street before he took me in his arms and kissed me. In between kisses he managed to get out a few mind-reading words. Words I'll take to the grave with me. "Sweet Maria, you've become my entire life and I'll die to protect you." * * * "Damn!" He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "They're not who they say they are." They sat in a darkened car down the street watching Maria and Michael kiss. "I told you so," she sat back in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest. A smug smile on her thin lips. Chapter Twenty-Two I got chills and broke away from Michael. Something was wrong, I could tell he sensed it too. He ran his hand over his slicked back hair and looked down the street. "What was I thinking? Damn it! See what happens when I'm around you Maria?" He shook his head and looked towards the flat. "Let's go back inside." "What's wrong?" I asked, now I was getting scared. He shook his head and nodded towards the flat. "I don't know but I never should have kissed you out here." He started walking towards the flat and I followed him like an obedient puppy. I had the chills and all I wanted was to get back inside and have him hold me. Michael opened the door for me and I walked inside immediately turning around to face him. I went to him and he embraced me, always. He walked me to the couch and held me. That's where I fell asleep; in my little black dress with my pretty hair, I fell asleep while Michael held me on the couch. Damn. "Maria?" I heard the voice but I couldn't quite recognize it. "Maria?" "Daddy?" I opened my eyes and saw Michael and all his prettiness. Daddy? God, what was happening to me? "Michael." "Sweet Maria," he kissed my forehead and I felt the strappies on the dress digging into my back. I knew there were going to be very attractive red welts. Nice. No halters for Maria today. "What now Michael?" Oh God, how could I think about making sense this freaking early in the morning? I looked at the clock on the VCR; it was almost noon. Never mind. He put his finger to his lips and I remembered that we might be bugged. "Are you hungry? We could eat." "I'm always hungry." I sighed and stood up. "I need a shower first." I stumbled to the bathroom and struggled with the zipper on the back of my dress. I let it slide to the ground and turned on the shower. I faced the vanity and looked in the mirror. What I saw was scary, besides the dark circles and bed-head. I was someone new. I mean, I knew I was going through this transformation since I woke up in Section, but now…Now I could see it in my eyes. The newness of me was scary. I still recognized myself and all of my brashness, but my edges had been smoothed down. I had responsibility. I had the chance to make things right. I had someone I loved and I thought he loved me back and I had friends. Real friends that I genuinely liked to be around. Friends that I trusted and who seemed to trust me back. I hoped I'd never have to turn on them. I hoped I was wrong about Kyle. I hoped the alien around here was that Liz. I could do that dissection all on my own. I felt hands on my bare shoulders as I saw Michael's reflection in the mirror; at least he wasn't a vampire, right? I smiled at my own wit and watched him kiss my neck. He led me by the hand into the steamy shower and lathered me. He washed my hair and I sank against him. Nothing in this life could be more perfect. It was my turn and I lathered the hell out of him with the raspberry gel. So we were both going to smell like fruit, so what? We rinsed and Michael gave me a few minutes of no touching so I could shave my legs. Very considerate of him. See, no one ever thinks about those things when a man and a woman shower together. It can't be all cuddle and lather, there's some serious work that has to be done too! Michael turned off the water and the cool air hit my nipples. He grinned and reached for my bathrobe. He brought it in the shower and draped it over my shoulders. He stepped dripping wet out of the shower and I stared. I couldn't help it. The water beading on his skin was almost as good as chocolate. Almost. I swear, if it's the last thing I do… He handed me a towel and I wrapped my hair up in it then my shoulders sank when he wrapped a towel around his waist. Oh well, wet naked Michael chest was a pretty good second prize. We walked into the bedroom and dressed acting like a normal everyday couple. I wish it were that easy. "I have someone coming over to look at the cable while we're at lunch." He looked over his shoulder at me as I tried to slide jeans over damp skin. He winked and I knew he meant someone to debug. "Are they reliable or are they going to rob me?" "Very reliable. He works for himself." A-ha! No Section involvement here. Hey, I was getting pretty good at this whole secret-mission type lingo. Maybe Michael had been right and I was the only one who could do this. I put on the T-shirt Isabel bought me, tucked it in and looked at Michael. He wore those crazy blue jeans again and a black shirt. I swear that man has a never-ending supply of black shirts. Maybe for Christmas I'd get him a red one. Christmas? Okay, let's just take one step at a time DeLuca. He put on that Braves hat and I fell in love with him all over again. I didn't want to tell him how silly he looked in the hat because I knew he was only wearing it for me. Maybe silly wasn't the right word; no, I think I was really looking for hot! I blow dried my hair and put on lipstick. "Ready?" He nodded and we walked out of the building. Kyle's car was gone, I don't know why that bothered me; it didn't seem to phase Michael at all. I wish Kyle were at home, safe in his little human home. Damn! I hope I'm wrong about him. Please let it be Liz. Please let it be Liz! Michael drove and I wanted to scream obscenities when he pulled up in front of the Crashdown Café. "Here? You really want to eat here?" He nodded and smirked getting out of the car. I shook my head and followed his lead. I hung my head as we went inside and that stupid bell above the door let everyone know we were there. I finally looked up and saw the one person I didn't want to. Oh yeah, it was that Liz. She watched us with narrowed eyes find a table and I wanted to either flip her the bird or stick my tongue out at her, but I didn't. Maria, one. That Liz, zero. We sat in a booth and ordered. I watched Michael look around the theme restaurant; his eyes were wide with amusement. Oh God, he liked it here. "So, what brings the two of you in here?" It was that Liz and she was at the end of our table. Damn! "Lunch," I quipped and gave her one of those toothy smiles. "Great," her eyebrows scrunched together as she looked from me to Michael. "So, have you guys decided to stay in Roswell?" "I don't know, maybe." Michael gave her an award-winning smile and if she had been normal she would have melted. Hmmm…I know I did. "I like it here and so does my sister, so who knows. Why? Got a better place for us to go?" I swear I could read her mind on that one. "This is a great place to live," she smiled back at him. "I'll never leave." She met my eyes and I saw the hate, fear and worry all swirled together. "This a good town full of good people. When strangers move in, I tend not to trust them." Okay. I nodded and knew I was going to have to think about this one for awhile. That Liz was trying to tell me something and I don't know what or why. What the hell was she talking about? Was I going to luck out and get to turn in that Liz to Section? Ahh…I know I smiled at her, but I really smiling for myself. I looked to Michael and saw him watching her speak. Was he reading more into it that I was? Was it that Liz and Kyle? I looked at that Liz again and saw all the anger had been replaced with…No, it looked like submission. Could that be possible? Could our covers have been blown? Shit! "Okay, Liz." Michael looked at her and she must have seen something in his eyes because she backed away. "Thanks you for your candor." She nodded and walked back to wherever she came from. I looked at Michael who was still looking at where she had stood. "Michael? What the hell was that about?" "I don't know," he met my eyes and I was scared. Something flickered behind those beautiful spheres that said he knew exactly what was going on. "We don't have much time. Section has put a time cap on us. Either we deliver or we're history." "When you say history, do you mean they'll write about us because we're so cool? Or do you mean we'll be sleeping with the fishes?" I knew what he meant but I was keeping my fingers crossed. "Okay, how long?" He shook his head. "Not long, leave it at that." He took a deep breath. "Is Kyle still the best bet?" Damn! I nodded and hated my job. I make a friend, a real friend, and I have to turn him over. I thought being an alien hunter was going to be cool. Right now it did nothing but suck. "Okay." Apparently there was more going on in his head than he wanted to share. Fine by me. I didn't want to hear about Kyle's demise or prodding or anything else that was going to happen to him at Section. I wonder if it was against the rules if I warned him to get the fuck out of Dodge before Section rode into town? Yeah, probably against the rules. But hell, I never followed rules very good. That's why Michael chose me, right? We ate in near silence. I didn't have anything to say and Michael seemed to be so deep in thought I didn't want to interrupt him. I wonder what the hell he was thinking about. My food was good, stupid theme food, but it didn't matter, I was hungry. I tried to think about anything besides Kyle Valenti. Which was not so easy when he appeared before me with Tess. She looked as cheery as ever as she said hi to Michael first then me. I noticed Michael was taking a bigger interest in Kyle than Tess and for once, I wish he wasn't. "Michael," Tess chirped and slid in the booth next to Michael. "I'm glad you're here." She looked to Kyle who nodded. "I was wondering if you might want to go out tonight. Like on a date? Like maybe a movie?" I looked at Kyle. Oh God, he was trying to keep Isabel and Michael apart. This was a good and a bad. Hell, I didn't know anymore. All the lies and theories were making my head hurt. I would have paid dearly for some aspirin right then. "Sure," Michael smiled at her and I felt sick. She looped her arm through his and smiled a great big pretty one. So she was still stuck on that Liz's fiancé? You'd never know by the way she was hanging on my…Brother. God, I hated to think that. "Great! Do you want to pick me up around seven?" She looked to Kyle who offered her nothing but encouragement. Michael nodded and she smiled even wider. "What do you say Maria? Wanna rent a movie?" Kyle raised his eyebrows at me and I remembered we were 'dating'. "Sure. I'll let you pick it out. I really haven't rented a movie in years." Finally, the truth! Kyle and Tess left us and got their own table. I tried to ignore the longing glances from the little blond number to Michael for the rest of lunch. We left as soon as we were done eating. I didn't have anything to say on the way home. My mind was racing with the subtle innuendoes from that Liz and the upcoming night of dates. Michael was still consumed in his own world and that was for the best. We got inside the apartment and there was a note on the couch: M. Nothing here, completely clean. You're not losing your edge are you? Ha! Ha! It's all clear and it's good to have you back in NM. Later. V. Michael read it and smiled while I read over his arm. V? "He's a friend of yours?" "Something like that," Michael sighed. "I'm not losing my edge." "Who is V?" "Let's just say he used to work with Section on some outside consulting. He's trustworthy." I nodded and had to believe him. I didn't have anything else to go on anymore. We lounged about the rest of the afternoon, apparently we were both lost in our own thoughts. I didn't watch Michael get ready for his date tonight. I didn't even ask any questions. I did however fold up a blanket and pillow and put it on the end of the couch. Didn't want to make it look like I was sleeping with my brother when Kyle came over. Michael kissed me good-bye and I hugged him telling him silently that I loved him over his shoulder. Kyle arrived a few minutes after Michael left bearing videos, microwave popcorn and a twelve-pack of beer. Woo-hoo! My kind of date. We settled on a cheesy horror flick that had us laughing more than shaking. With two bowls of popcorn and the twelve-pack gone, we were giddy. Kyle skipped back across the hall to his apartment and returned with another twelve-pack. "You are a fun girl Maria," he laughed as we clinked bottles. "I know why Isabel likes you so much." "I like her too. I haven't had a real female friend in a long time," I smiled and thought I hadn't had a real any kind of friend in a long time. "You've had a lonely life haven't you?" I wasn't expecting anything like that and it bothered me. I thought about the tape that I removed from the VCR before Kyle got there. That was loneliness. Five months of loneliness. I hated thinking about it, but I think the alcohol was infiltrating my brain. Alcohol really was a depressant. I nodded an answer. "Everyone's been lonely before, Kyle." "Yeah, but some are more alone," he shrugged. "I don't know why you came to Roswell. I know that there is land owned by a Julia DeLuca just outside town, but it still doesn't make sense." Julia DeLuca, must be my aunt. "You snooping around about me?" "I had my dad check out your story when you got here." He drained his beer and reached for another from the cooler sitting in between us on the floor. "You can never be too careful of strangers in Roswell." I looked at him and realized he had secrets. So many secrets that he was nearly full. I wondered if any of those secrets might spill tonight. "What doesn't make sense?" "You." He pointed his bottle at me. "I mean, you mysteriously show up and drop into our lives. Then your brother shows up, one you never mentioned you had before, and everything gets turned upside down." He was beginning to slur his words. "Isabel's acting totally strange towards your brother, Tess is drooling over him, I think he's cool as shit. Liz hates you, I think Max wants to do you and I love you." He blushed. "You know what I mean." "Yeah, I do." I squeezed his hand. Would he feel different if he were an alien? Would I know by touching him? He felt human. "What did you mean about strangers in Roswell? Do you get a lot of them here?" "It's the freaking alien capital of the world!" He laughed. "We get every sci-fi trekkie freak in the world coming here. Most of them are totally harmless, but then some…" He shuddered as if recalling a bad memory. "I just wanted to let you know, I think you and your brother will fit in here if you decide to stay." He met my eyes and I could tell he wanted to tell me more. "You two, you're good people." Good people? The guilt washed over me like a typhoon. Not Kyle. Anyone but Kyle. He trusted me and I was going to turn him over. A warning. I had to give him a warning. I didn't want to see him get hurt, or worse. "Kyle, is there anything you want to tell me?" "Oh God!" He laughed. "You have no idea of everything I want to tell you!" Once again, not expected. "Okay. So, tell me." "I can't Maria," he sank into the couch. "I want to so bad, but I can't." He looked at me and I saw the same thing I had in that Liz's eyes. Man, I really fell into the right fucking clique, didn't I? "C'mere." He outstretched his arm and I curled up next to him. "Everything's going to be okay, right Maria?" I nodded and felt like a traitor. "Good," he ran his hand through my hair and I absorbed some of his tension. Michael better figure out what the fuck to do and soon. The old Maria wouldn't have cared less about any of these people. This Maria did. Chapter Twenty-Three Michael came home sometime after midnight. Kyle and I were still on the couch, and Kyle was asleep. I had been asleep too, but the door opening woke me up. Michael accidentally kicked over a couple of beer bottles and I jumped up with my finger pressed to my lips. I didn't like the look I was getting from Mr. Guerin. Oh well. I tried to keep my balance as I walked towards him. I wasn't drunk, just buzzed. I think I was drunk before I fell asleep next to Kyle, though. He took me by the arm and led me to the bedroom. He shut the door behind us and I really didn't like the look I was getting now. "What are you doing?" He demanded. "Standing. What are you doing?" That's it DeLuca, piss him off a little bit more. "Damn it Maria!" I really liked 'Sweet Maria' much better but I didn't think now was the time to tell him that. "It wasn't like that Michael." "You can't be getting loaded with our prime suspect, okay?" "He's my friend." I looked down and fought back those stupid tears. "We still have a job to do and you're compromising things." I shook my head, no I wasn't. "I'm not compromising anything anymore than you are! Here you are gallivanting around town with these girlie-girls and... And what the fuck are smiling at?" "You made the word 'gallivanting' sound extremely sexy," he kissed the corner of my non-smiling mouth. "I'm sorry." "For what?" I snapped. "For tonight, for just now." He sighed and sat on the bed. "Time is running out Maria and I'm nervous. I don't know what to expect from the next few days. And I really hated coming in here and seeing you with Kyle." "Kyle-" "I know, but that doesn't make it any easier." He ran his hands through his hair. "If Kyle is an alien, then we have to be one hundred percent sure. Are you?" I shrugged. I wasn't one hundred percent sure about anything anymore. "I don't know. He could be. Him and Isabel act awfully strange around each other. And then there's that Liz and her cryptic message today. It could be any of them or it could be none of them. Maybe I was way off base and it's someone else completely. Are you even sure that there are aliens in Roswell?" He nodded slowly. "I'm positive." "Okay, well…" I stood trying not to sway from the incredible headache I was getting. "What now? What the hell do we do now? I've told you everything. Kyle and Isabel act strange together around me." "I know you have it narrowed down," he took my hand. "I'll go by your impressions, Maria. We don't have time to do anything else." "Damn!" "I'll have to go with Kyle and Isabel," Michael closed his eyes, "and pray you are right." "Oh God," I sat next to him. "I don't know anything for sure. Did you hear that part? Maybe it's that Liz?" "I think you just want it to be Liz," he tried not to smile. I cocked my head to one side, he was right. I did want it to be that Liz. "Let me sleep on it, okay? Hey, how was your date with Tess? Find out anything new?" "She's just a very lonely girl. I actually felt kind of sorry for her," he laid back on the bed. "She just wants someone to talk to, I think. I don't know if she really feels like part of the 'group'. I got the feeling she feels more like an outsider. You must have made a good impression on her though. She really likes you. Everyone really likes you." "I'm a likable person." I rolled my eyes. "Tonight actually seemed more like a therapy session than a date. I don't think she has anyone she can talk to besides Kyle. She said her and Max dated for like twelve seconds in high school and she never really got over him; she couldn't explain it. She also said I reminded her of Max. I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult, though." I laughed and my head ached. "Consider the source." "True." He pulled me down next to him. "I wish we had more time here, I don't want to make any mistakes about this. I can't afford to make any." I nodded but I didn't exactly know what he was talking about. That seemed to be a growing trend and I didn't care for it too much. Either that or the fact that I had about ten beers before this in-depth talk began. Either way, I knew we were in trouble. "Kyle or Isabel. Which one?" I took a deep breath and damned myself. "Kyle." Damn! "Okay. Why don't you go back out there and see if you can wake him up and send him home so I can sleep in here with you tonight. I wouldn't want to break my promise of being in your bed every night." I got up and went back out to wake Kyle up. He was almost awake and when I told him he had to go home, he did so compliantly. I made sure he got across the hall okay and inside before I went back to the bedroom. Michael was undressed and laying on top of the blankets. Mmmm…I stripped down and curled up next to him. I knew we wouldn't have sex tonight. Neither of us needed that. We needed to feel safe and the only way I felt safe was in his arms. "I cut her throat." I said it out loud and then wished I hadn't. Why? Once again, Maria's mouth spoke without consulting with the brain. "What?" He sat up and looked at me. "I was in solitary confinement for five months, you know that." I sat up and tucked my knees under my chin. "You don't know why." "I could never access…" "I was only there for a month before it happened," I felt warm tears roll down my cheeks. My single worse moment in an already bad world and I was going to share it with the man I loved with my fingers crossed. "When I got to prison I was a loud mouthed little bitch." I met his eyes and saw he was paying complete attention. "I didn't follow the rules, I didn't listen and I fought. I'd fight with anybody that messed with me or even looked at me. There are some real bad women in prison." "I know," he outstretched his hand to me and I took it. "One day I tried to take on the wrong people," I used my free hand to wipe away the tears. "They were mean, God, they were mean. I thought my big mouth would keep me out of trouble…" He pulled me closer to him and I curled against his chest. "They grabbed me and took me in the showers." I began to sob. I couldn't help it. "They did things to me…They ripped my clothes off and did things to me. They…They put things inside of me." "I'm so sorry, baby, so sorry." He kissed my hair. "I fought them, I fought so hard, but there were three of them and I couldn't get away." My body started to tremble with the images of a horrendous episode. "I struggled and one of them slipped. I grabbed what they were trying to put in me; it was a fucking knife from the cafeteria. I didn't know what I was doing anymore…I was terrified, I hurt and I wanted to kill. "The one that was closest to me, the one who was sticking things in me, I grabbed her hair and slammed her into the shower wall with one hand. I was like fucking superman. The other two didn't know what to do, they just watched. I got this stupid knife in my hand and I didn't think, I just reacted. I stabbed her in her neck and I tried to slide it across. It was dull so it didn't get very far, but it was enough." I had no idea what he was thinking about me now. Could he still think of me as his after hearing all this ugliness? He smoothed my hair and kissed the tip of my ear. "She fell and the knife went in further. The other girls ran away and I fell to the shower floor. I don't know if I blacked out or not, but then there was a guard in there. Her name was Sammie and she always seemed like the nice one. She called for medical and I watched as the other woman was taken away. I had blood between my legs and I was scared. I didn't know if I had just killed someone or not." "Maria," he whispered and held me closer. "Sweet Maria." I had to go on, I couldn't stop now. "I told Sammie what happened and she reworked my story to make it just a fight. I still got solitary, but I didn't get worse, and yeah, it could have been worse. The woman lived, but she had a nasty scar on her neck, so I heard. She was transferred out before I got out of solitary. That's why I was there, on the tape, in my own personal hell." "I can't believe…The files didn't go further than a fight that resulted in injury." "Thanks to Sammie," I smiled thinking about the young guard who saved me a part of myself. She was gone when I got out of solitary too; I never knew what happened to her. "I'm sorry…" He kissed my lips. "Don't ever be sorry, I just can't believe…The nightmares?" "Point of origin," I tried to smile and found it easier than expected. "Sometimes they're from solitary and sometimes they're from what caused me to go there. I don't know how, but you take them away." I finally met his eyes and I think I could actually see the way loved me in them. I snuggled in closer and felt an immense weight being lifted. Now I really didn't have anything to hide. Michael Guerin now knew about and owned every bit of me. And he accepted me. "No one messed with me when I got out. I played by the rules, but rumors of the fight hung over my head. They made me sound like a horrible person, but they also kept me safe. All of the alone time made me weaker and stronger at the same time, if that makes sense." "It does," he nodded and I knew he had felt a similar reaction to a different set of words. He held me next to him for the rest of the night and I didn't wake up once. There were no nightmares. Not anymore. Maybe they were banished for good. When I woke up the next morning I smelled something burning. I jumped out of bed and slipped a T-shirt on before bolting into the living room. There was nothing but the smell coming in from an open window. I looked outside and saw Michael standing over a small barbecue grill. I knew he wasn't cooking anything and I had a funny feeling I knew what he was burning. I went back in the bedroom and looked for the tape. Gone. My dossier? Gone. Michael was burning my past and I felt a sudden release. I sighed and waited for him to come back upstairs. I knew we would never talk about what I had told him last night. I didn't think there was a reason to ever again. I put on some skimpy bikini underwear and sat on the couch smelling the burning of my history. When I heard a noise outside the door I assumed it was Michael and jumped up to open it. Of course it wasn't him, it was Kyle and he looked like shit. I let him in and he went to the couch. I sat down about a foot away from him facing him; I tucked my knees under my chin and pulled my T-shirt over them as far as I could. I knew I was still exposed, but it was Kyle and Kyle wasn't a threat. "I feel like shit." "I can tell," I smiled. "What's up?" "I'm a little fuzzy on last night. I didn't say anything completely off the wall, did I?" I shook my head slowly. "No." "Okay," he sighed. "Good. Sometimes when I drink I tend to talk a lot and then I have no idea what I said. I just wanted to make sure everything was cool." "Very cool." Part of me wanted to tell him to run away and take Isabel if she was one too, but I couldn't. I owed more to Michael than anyone else and I had made a promise a while back that I would not let him down. "Great," he smiled although it was not an entirely convincing one at all. He stood and I followed. He walked to me and hugged me. I could feel his heart pound. "Be careful around here Maria. Tell your brother, too. Things are not always what they appear to be." I watched him leave the apartment and didn't know what the fuck he was talking about. I looked back outside at Michael who was standing in front of the blazing fire. I had to talk to Kyle again; I couldn't leave it like that. I opened the door and was surprised to see Max there with Kyle. I looked around for that Liz but she wasn't there. "Max, hi." I smiled totally aware of the thinness of my shirt and the almost non-existence of my underwear. My shirt hit barely below my waist and the way Max stared at me was almost unnerving. If I had cared, it would have freaked me out. I looked at Kyle and saw the grin he had from watching Max leer at me. "What's going on?" "Nothing at all," Max talked to my nipples. "I was just visiting Kyle." "Yeah, so come in." Kyle took him by the arm and led him inside the apartment. I lingered stretching my arm along the doorframe until Kyle shook his head at me and closed the door. I waited in the hallway a few more minutes for Michael, and then I heard shouting from Kyle's. Shit! I couldn't make out the words, but they were definitely in an argument. I stepped back in my apartment and closed the door almost all the way. I listened and thought I heard my name, but I couldn't tell for sure. Either way, this was not looking good. They must have realized their voices were getting too loud because then there was silence. I waited for at least fifteen minutes until I heard Kyle's door open again. I stepped away from my door and heard Max talking to himself in the hall as he walked down the steps. I shut my door and went in to the bedroom to get dressed. Once again, some things were going on and I was in the dark. At least I wasn't afraid of the dark anymore. Chapter Twenty Four Michael never mentioned what he was burning outside and I'm glad. That part of my life was officially history. I wasn't that stupid girl anymore and I would never go back there again. We didn't talk for much of the afternoon; we were content in silence. Michael sat in front of the computer for hours and every time I leaned over his shoulder to see what the hell he was doing he shooed my away. Alrighty, a little annoyed but I could deal. I flipped channels on the TV until I got the glare, so I settled on a cheesy movie about high school. We ate a spaghetti dinner in the kitchen and I could tell something was seriously bothering him. "What's up?" "Nothing. Everything. The jig?" His attempt at humor was just that, an attempt. I smiled in spite of myself. "Section?" "It's time Maria," he rested his elbows on the table and tented his fingers. "It's time to start wrapping this up." "Wrap it up?" I nearly shouted. "Are you high? We can't wrap up what we don't know!" I looked at him and realized he did know. He was right, the jig was up. Shit! "I want you to pack tonight," he held up his hand to me before I could question. I hated it when he did that. "Pack what you need, but don't pack up the whole apartment." "Are we running away?" I heard the trepidation in my voice and it annoyed me. He shrugged. Thank you for the explanations, Michael! I waited and watched him but he didn't say anything else. Great. "Are we leaving tonight?" "No, I just want to be ready because when we go, it might be fast." We were running away. Damn! "Will we have the alien turned over to Section by then?" He met my eyes and I wasn't sure if the alien in question would ever be turned over to Section at all. This seemed more and more un-Section like with every passing minute. I didn't understand anything that was going on and I was beginning to resent it. I wasn't stupid and Michael knew he could trust me so why the fuck wasn't he telling me everything? What did he know? Was Kyle already gone? Oh God. I looked to the front door and took a deep breath. "Kyle?" "Is still next door." He said with absolutely zero emotion. "What now?" "We wait. I'll know the time to react." React? "React to what?" "Maria, you don't need to know everything, okay? It's safer for you if you don't." Wonderful. * * * "You can't be sure!" She yelled in his face. "You don't know anything about them!" "I saw them." He spoke calmly in the face of irrational. "This is bullshit!" She shouted and wiped her eyes. "Does everyone believe this crap?" He nodded and she collapsed on the couch shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, I don't think you're right. I know you're not! You've been wrong before, you know!" "Listen-" "I'm not listening to another word out of your mouth, got it?" * * * The phone rang shortly after ten and I almost jumped out of my skin. I lunged for it and answered out of breath. It was Tess and it was for Michael. Damn. I handed him the phone and listened to his one sided conversation. "Sure…I think that sounds great…You're right, they were very good…At nine…Perfect…We'll see you Friday then. Bye Tess." He hung up the phone and looked at me. "We're going to see Alex's band Friday night, same place as before." "Okay, the mission is seconds away from being totally over or totally fucked up and you make plans to go watch a band in two days?" I laughed and began to pace. I ran my hands through my hair and felt like Michael must have when he first met me in Section. "Are you insane? Seriously? How much time do we have left before we get hunted down?" "Less than seventy-two hours." He met my eyes and I wanted to faint. Seventy-two hours. Not a lot of time. I didn't want to go back to Section a failure. Hell, I doubt I'd ever make it back there anyway. I laughed bitterly, oh yeah, the jig was up and I think I knew less now than I did when I got here. My fears were with Kyle now. I could be wrong. Please let me wrong! Please let me be wrong! Michael turned the computer off shortly after midnight and went into the bedroom. I followed as I normally did and watched him undress. I swear if this is the last night of me watching him while we played house…Wait a second. I smiled and bolted back into the kitchen. I strolled into the bedroom as Michael laid down on the bed. "What's behind your back?" He gave me that little smile he had. I smiled and showed him the bottle of chocolate syrup. He smiled again but this time he wasn't quite as sure as before. I slid my shirt over my head while holding the bottle in-between my knees and then took off my shorts with it in the crook of my arm. I crawled over the foot of the bed and I know the smile on my face was nothing but lascivious. If this really could be one of our last nights here, then by God, I was going to make the most of it. All those fantasies about chocolate dipped Michael were getting ready to become reality and I was giddy with the thought of it. He watched me as I tossed the cap aside and unsnapped the pour spout. "Maria?" His brows were knitting together. "What are you doing?" "Let's just say you're going to be Sweet Michael…" I held that dream in a bottle above him and squeezed. I watched as his nipples got hard from the coolness of the thick syrup. I set the bottle next to him and smeared the syrup all over his chest, right down to that fine line of hair that led down from his navel. He laughed as I started to lick his chest. Oh God. I was so right. There was nothing better on this planet than chocolate Michael. I squeezed out more syrup and covered his entire body except that pretty face. My tongue made a path from his ankles to his neck and I watched him clench the blankets in his fists. He was loving this as much as I was, almost! He grabbed my arms and rolled me on to my back with that bottle in his hand and I became his canvas. He was much more elegant about the placement of syrup than I had been, but hey, it was my fantasy right? He covered my breasts first then kissed off my coated nipples. I tensed in anticipation. He drew designs on my flat belly and down my thighs and from where I was, it looked beautiful. I leaned up a little more and saw the outline of a heart on my thigh. God, I loved him so much. He dropped the bottle on the floor and his slippery body molded to mine. He cupped my face with those wonderfully soft callousy coated hands and kissed me. I could taste him through the chocolate and it was complete ecstasy. I don't think I was ever so happy before as I was right now. All this time of dreaming about this and here it was in all it's chocolately goodness. "I love you." Oh. My. God. Did I actually just say that out loud? Oh God. Maybe he didn't hear me. I opened my eyes and he was looking at me. It should have been a ridiculous sight, him staring down at me with chocolate all over his face. But it wasn't; it was perfect. I can't believe I actually said it to him. All those times of saying it over his shoulder and I thought that was brave. Damn! He smiled down at me and licked those full lips. "I know." Okay. That was not exactly the response I was looking for but I guess it could have been worse. 'I know' was not all that bad and along with the smile I was good. Even if he didn't say it back to me, I knew he loved me. I could just tell; besides, I was so damn lovable. Riiiight. He reached for the nightstand drawer and I really thought about what my plan for birth control was going to be from now on. It was only seconds before he was back on top of me. He slid into me when I didn't expect it and I felt his whole body tense. I know he was a novice at the whole sex thing, but damn, he really did things right. I couldn't wait until he had some more Maria experience under his belt, so to speak. "You feel so…" he thrust into me again and again. "Good. Everything is so good. I'm never letting you go, you know that, right?" I nodded and reached my head up to meet his neck. I licked syrup off of his skin and felt a ripple roil through my body. God, I could never ever get enough of this! He ran his hand through my sticky hair. "My Sweet Maria." He came moments before I did and we lay there together in the mess we made on my pretty bed. We were covered in chocolate syrup and sweat. I rolled on my side and looked at him. "That was amazing." He nodded. "I have to agree. Whatever made you come up with the chocolate?" I thought about telling him how long I've been dreaming about it, but changed my mind. I could keep a few secrets too. We eventually made our way to the shower and took turns scrubbing each other's back. And front and sides… He washed my hair for me again and I thought that this may be the most sensual feeling in the world. To feel those lithe fingers working shampoo through my hair was almost enough to make me orgasm. Again. We stripped the bedcovers together and I had visions of us doing this kind of thing together all the time. Was I setting myself up for a fall? I didn't know. I guess it didn't really matter. I was living for today and hoping for tomorrow. Carpe diem, I was seizing the day. I was seizing the hell out of it. By the time we put new blankets on the bed my mind had drifted from Michael to the problem at hand. The aliens. Was it really Kyle? That was beginning to make less and less sense to me. I remembered the photo album and I had met his dad, I don't think his dad was an alien. Maybe Kyle was a crossbreed…God, I was beginning to think like one of those sci-fi movies I hated. There was more than one, though. I think. Maybe it was Kyle and Isabel and they were setting me up. What was it that Kyle had told me? 'Things are not always as they appear to be'? Something like that. What was he trying to tell me? Was I the wrong track and Kyle knew it? Damn! I wish I were a fucking mind reader, that would make everything so much easier. I thought about that Liz and her obscure sentences. Town full of good people? She didn't trust strangers? I guess we were the strangers and that was her not so subtle way of saying she didn't trust us. Why? Why would she say that? What did I ever do to that Liz? Was it the looks from Max? No, that would be childish. Was it Michael going out with Tess and Isabel? Nothing was making sense and Michael had looked at her like he saw the exact meaning of her words. What did that Liz really say to Michael? Maybe it's Max. Ahh…A new thought. Plausible no less, with Isabel being his sister. But then… No, I didn't see Mr. That Liz being an alien, I think he was just whipped. Tess? The lonely Tess who only wants to talk. Okay, that made more sense. What about Kyle? Tess and Kyle? 'It's good to have you back in NM.' That's what the note from the mysterious debugger V had said. But Michael said he had never been here before. He had been lying to me and now I was pissed. I looked at him as he lay next to me somewhere in that limbo land between sleep and awake and doubted him. Did I really doubt him? I think I did. He knew so much more than he was telling and now it was making me crazy. He didn't tell me what he learned from his father, he lied about being here before, he knew what the fuck was going on where I was in the dark. As usual. I hoped he had a hell of a plan and was going to tell me about it before I started having hallucinations of Rena with the can of Raid again. His breathing shifted from normal to shallow and I kissed the corner of his mouth. I couldn't doubt him. I had to believe him and trust him; he didn't leave me with any other choice. He was my salvation. I'd do exactly what he told me to. Well, except for packing tonight; but we had other things on our minds. "I really do love you Michael." I whispered against his cheek before I kissed the corner of his mouth and rolled over. I heard him murmur and he spooned my body. Ahh…Just like it was meant to be. I drifted off to sleep and I don't think I'm going to have any nightmares Chapter Twenty Five When I woke up Michael's arm was around me and I felt safe. There were no nightmares last night. Nothing bad or evil entered my subconscious at all; I actually think I dreamt about bunnies. Bunnies were nice. I rolled over and curled up against naked Michael chest. He was still sleeping and it gave me a moment to look at him. I mean really look at him. I studied his eyelashes as they lay motionless and meeting. The smooth skin that lead from his ear down his jaw line. His lips, oh God, those lips. They were so kissable and pouty and I wanted to lick them. Instead I just looked at them and licked my own. It wasn't the same. He was holding so much back from me and after I had slept on my new theories, I wanted to know. He said I was safer not knowing, though. Did it really matter if I was safe and he wasn't? He'd become my everything; my nourishment, my air and my soul. I could feed off him to sustain my life. I reached a hand towards him and touched those lips. The same lips that told me he knew when I told him I loved him. Those same lips that kept secrets. Damn! Way to ruin a perfectly beautiful moment DeLuca. I rolled away from him and to the edge of the bed. I felt him reach for me, but I stayed out his grasp. I had given everything I had to this man and he couldn't tell me the fucking truth? I trusted him and I loved him, but the more I thought about it, I didn't like him very much right now. If he was keeping secrets from me to protect me, then damn it! I didn't want his protection. I was so close to the edge of the bed if I took a deep breath I'd probably fall off. Maybe it was time to put some distance between me and Mr. Guerin. I got out of bed and stepped on the chocolate syrup bottle. The memories of one of my fantasies were fantastic. I looked to the sleeping form of my lover and got a knot in my stomach. Not a good. All the things I thought about before falling asleep last night were weighing me down. I think I knew who the true aliens were and I hated it. Kyle and Tess. I didn't really care either way about Tess, but not Kyle! I hated the fact that Michael wouldn't even tell me what was going to happen to him. I fought the urge to run across the hall and tell him to get out of town again. I had to keep my trust in Michael; it was the only way. I tiptoed out of the bedroom after snatching up clothes from the floor and made my way to the kitchen where I got dressed. I put on jeans and one of Michael's button-down black shirts and slipped on a pair of black leather mules. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and put on a pot of coffee. I was never a big coffee drinker, but I liked the smell and I needed to be awake like ten minutes ago. I watched the coffee brew and when it was ready I dumped sugar and cream in my cup and sipped. I added an ice cube and waited for Michael to get up. I didn't know what he had planned for the day, but I hoped part of it was letting me in on some fucking information! I wanted to know why Michael lied about not being in New Mexico before. If anything, the fact that he lied to me was the worse. That made me think he had lied to me about other things as well. Damn! I slammed the cup down on the kitchen table spilling coffee. "What'd the cup do to you?" I spun around and saw Michael and I caught myself before falling back under his spell. He had on those black tight boxers and he was entirely too happy to see me this morning. "The cup lied to me," I turned back around and crossed my arms over my chest like any self-respecting six-year-old would. He walked around the table and sat across from me. "I don't think the cup wanted to hurt you," he sighed and rested his elbows on the tabled before running his hands through his hair. "Well, I think it's time the fucking cup starts spilling more than coffee before it gets tossed on the floor and breaks." A smile played on his lips, but I wasn't biting. I wasn't in the mood to deal with the subtlety of Mr. Guerin today. "I didn't lie to you, Maria." "Bullshit." Nice comeback, DeLuca. "When did I lie?" "You said you'd never been here before-" "Roswell. I'd never been to Roswell before. Yes, I have been in New Mexico before though." I narrowed my eyes at him. Damn! "What about Section?" "Did I lie about them?" Okay, this was not going the way I wanted it to, at all. I was supposed to be the demanding one and he was skating around me. It was really beginning to piss me off. "Tell me Michael. And none of this I'll be safer if I don't know shit, either. Tell me what the fuck is going on!" He was shaking his head and I wanted to hurt him. Okay, not really hurt him but maybe give him a good tongue-lashing. I grinned at my musings and unfortunately he thought I was grinning at him. "Maria, please. Do you trust me?" "Of course." I stifled the rest of what I was thinking right then about the doubt that seemed to attack me at the oddest moments. Truly, before anything else, I did trust him. "Then do just that. Trust me." He reached across the table and took my hand. "I told you before I'd die to protect you…" Damn! That made everything sound so much worse. I think. Hell, I didn't know anymore. "What did your father tell you?" I let go of his hand and went back to crossing my arms over my chest. "Maria. I promise you I'll explain everything when it's over. Okay?" He seemed to look through me and I melted. Damn. How could he keep doing this to me? "Soon. Very soon. I told you, we're running out of time. Everything will be clearer soon." I glanced at the clock, almost noon. Damn! All this sleeping in was great, but I feel like I missed half a day. Half a day to investigate and figure out what the hell was going on in Roswell. I stood and buttoned a couple more buttons on the shirt. "I'm going out." "Where?" He stood and looked nervous as hell. "With who?" "I don't know and by myself." He shook his head. "Let me come with you." "Oh no my dear brother, you stay here. Maybe one of your girlfriends will call and invite you over for lunch." With that the phone rang and wild horses couldn't have kept me from answering it. It was Isabel and she wanted to talk to me. Yeah! I liked Isabel. I watched Michael out of the corner of my eye as I listened to my friend. I hung up and grinned. "We just got invited to a party tonight at Isabel and Alex's house." I smiled. When he didn't smile back I got concerned. Damn. Nothing is ever good. "What" "A party? For no reason?" "No," I sighed. Michael the suspicious. "Something about Tess graduating from somewhere…?" I knew I should have paid more attention. "Right," Michael nodded. "I forgot. She graduated from cosmetology school. She said something about having a party but she didn't know when." "Great." I nodded. "Wanna go?" "Of course." He grinned wickedly at me and now I was sure I had no clue what was going on. All I knew was that I was going to a party and there would be beer, hopefully. I reminded myself to see if ALF next door was going to go. I left and went shopping. Not exactly investigating, but close enough to make me happy. Okay, it wasn't real shopping, but I did need a few things. I went to the grocery store and the drug store. I bought a plethora of different condoms, which earned me a blush from the teenage boy checking me out. I did stop at a little clothing store and bought a strappy, revealing halter thingy in pink. With jeans, I would look awesome. I bet Michael wouldn't be able to take his eyes off me tonight. I went back tot he apartment and changed into the new halter and the tightest jeans Michael had brought me when I was still at Section. I strolled past him in the living room as he sat at the computer. I saw him raise his eyebrows and stare. "You're going like that?" He asked and I could see the approval in his eyes. "Tonight?" I nodded. "Yeah, why? Is there a problem?" His turn to nod. "There is a big problem. I think I can see through that." He pointed to the new pink thingy. "Do you still have those bras?" I laughed and he grimaced. "Honey, why don't you put on something else? I don't want all these men staring at you. And I don't want to be distracted…" I relented and admitted to myself it was a tad revealing. I'll save to for some other time when we're alone…I put Michael's shirt back on and tied the shirttails under my breasts and walked back in the living room. "Better?" Michael dressed in those leather pants and black T-shirt while I was next door talking to Kyle. "Isn't this kind of sudden? I mean this party?" Kyle nodded and he looked nervous. This was not a good sign. "Yeah, I guess." Shit. "Something wrong?" He shook his head and then met my eyes. "Is there?" Oh fuck. How was I supposed to answer this one? There was a big bad something wrong. "Is there something you want to tell me Kyle?" I put my hands on my hips and gave him my stern, yet gentle, face. "No." He shook his head. "There's nothing I can tell you." Hmm…Nice change from 'want' to 'can'. Almost missed it. "Are you okay?" "It's not me I'm worried about." He sighed. "Listen, just be careful. Remember what I said about things being different than they appear okay?" He walked away from me so I assumed our conversation was over. I went back to Michael and didn't tell him what happened. I would protect Kyle for as long as I could. We heard him leave a few minutes later and after some intense smooching, we followed. Okay, I was still pissed Michael wasn't telling me anything; but I had to believe in him the same way he had believed in me at Section. I owed him that much. I drove and we parked in back of Kyle's car on the street. We walked in the living room and seemed to be greeted almost too friendly. Too much. Something was off and I couldn't place it. Michael must have sensed it to because I saw the way his eyes scanned the room. "I'm glad you could come." Isabel was in front of me and I saw the panic in her eyes. She was afraid of something. What? Us? Or afraid for us? I get it; it was Tess and that Liz. Maybe? Damn, it was like working a puzzle but never finding the corner pieces. Isabel hugged me and then I saw her brother's eyes on me. Damn. What a perv. I looked around for Kyle and instead saw a few other people I didn't know. I helped myself to a beer while I watched Michael help himself to an armful of Tess. I watched as music began playing and Michael and Tess danced. Seriously, I was going to have to give the man an Oscar. The way he held her against him and brushed back her curly hair. Wait, did he just kiss her ear? I was standing and staring when I felt breath on my neck. I smiled thinking it was Kyle. Oh. Hell no, it was Max and he was about two inches away from me. "Maria, hi." He smiled and he really did have a nice smile. "Having fun?" "Sure," I took a sip of beer. "Real nice. Lot's of people, huh?" He nodded and looked around. "Yeah, I don't know everyone here. There's some friends from school of Tess's and some people Isabel knows." He looked around the room settling his eyes on Michael and Tess. I followed but I couldn't watch. "It looks like your brother and Tess are hitting it off. That's nice; Tess needs a boyfriend." He looked at me quickly, I think he was trying to gauge my reaction. Damn! Did he know Michael was not my brother? I acted accordingly and smiled. "Yeah, I think it's great. My brother has a hard time finding nice girls. I think they look cute together." I met his eyes and I hoped I conveyed the right message. Two can play at this game Max and I hope I'm a better player. "Yeah, they do. So, you want to dance?" You have got to be kidding me. I shrugged and looked around the room. "Where's th…Liz? Is she here?" He shook his head. "Working late, but she'll be here soon." He took my hand and led me closer to Michael and Tess, but not too close. I caught Michael's gaze and he raised an eyebrow at me. I let Max slide his hands around my bare waist and realized Michael had much better hands. Much bigger, too. I rested my arms on his shoulders and swayed along until I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, it was Kyle. "Hi." "May I?" He looked to Max and the tension got so thick I almost choked on it. Max nodded and let go of me. Kyle took his place and I felt better. He leaned in close and I felt his breath on my ear. It gave me goosebumps and not the good kind. "Stay away from him." I leaned back and met his eyes and I saw the warning. He was telling me to be careful of Max. Shit! We finished the dance and I followed him through the house to the kitchen. He got me a new beer but we didn't speak. Honestly, I don't think either of us knew what to say. I don't think this was a good. We stayed in the kitchen for a long time watching the various people amble through. Isabel stopped to talk to us as did Alex, both of which seemed to have other things on their minds. I thought about the seventy-two hour time limit Michael had told me about and cringed; what were we down to now? Two days? For some reason I believed we were going to need every second until the buzzer went off. I drifted back to the main room and found Michael still with Tess. They were huddled together on the couch holding hands. I could almost see the stars in her eyes as she talked. I didn't like anything about this night and then that Liz was in front of me. Shit! "Maria," she looked me over and I could tell that smile was forced. "I'm glad you could make it. I see your brother over there is getting pretty cozy with Tess, isn't he?" I nodded. "That's nice. They look good together. Don't you think?" Okay, hearing this shit from Max was one thing, but from Liz too? It was too much. They knew. I knew they knew and from the look I gave Liz, she knew I knew they knew. Oh God, my brain sounded like an episode of 'Three's Company'. Liz smiled and walked away. Kyle took my hand and led me outside and away from the smokers huddled against the house. "I don't know why you're here Maria, but please, be careful." "At the party?" I baited. "You know what I'm talking about," he shook his head. "Be careful. I like you and I'm getting nervous. We all are." All? Holy shit! They're all aliens. That's it. I'm in the middle of a clique of aliens and they were going to eat Michael and me for dinner, well, except Kyle, I don't think he would. "Tell me Kyle." He ran his hands through his hair. "I can't tell you anything! Just believe me." I nodded as I saw Michael in the doorway. I knew he was staring at us even from the distance and I didn't like that either. I was really beginning to not like much in Roswell. I couldn't wait to leave now, unless of course it was to meet a sudden and violent death. "I have to go, Kyle. Are you okay?" "I'm not the one you have to worry about," he hugged me and looked at Michael. "Make sure he takes care of you." I nodded and knew our covers had been officially blown. I jogged through the yard as Michael walked down the back steps. "Let's go." I started walking around the side of the house with Michael following. "What happened?" "Our cover's are blown." "I know." Michael nodded without any surprise at all. Damn! See, he already knew this and didn't tell me. "Not with everyone though." "We have two fucking days until Section turns us into fuzzy bunny targets and I need some answers from you Michael. I don't like being left in the dark all the fucking time and you are the only one who can tell me anything!" I snapped as we got to the car. "Why can't you tell me?" "Tess. It's Tess." He said as she slid behind the wheel. "Tess is an alien." Holy shit. I was right about her? Cool, but how did he know? "But she loves you, how can you turn her in?" I looked at him and he didn't answer or look at me. Oh God, he wasn't going to turn her in was he? What was he going to do to her? "What else?" "There's others." He stated and I knew he wasn't going further than that. That means more than Tess and Kyle? Oh man… "Do you trust me Maria?" "With my life," I took his hand and squeezed. Well, as long as it didn't get me incinerated by a ray-gun or anything. We drove the rest of the way to the apartment in a halted silence. Our time was almost up and I'd know everything soon. I just hoped I could live with myself, and Michael, when this was all over. I didn't want any more blood on my hands; I already had enough. Even if it was green… I went to bed and Michael went to the computer. I lay there thinking about a giant countdown clock in front of us. |
| PARTS 21-25 |