| When Maria had opened the door her daughter and Michael followed her. Michael had quickly come acquainted with the specifics of the child. She was 6 years old, with her birthday having been a couple of days ago meaning the dates the child would have been conceived in Roswell. The child’s name was Cassandra and she didn’t know who her father was only that her mommy hadn’t told him. Michael was absolutely livid and wanted to know what was going on. He wanted answers, and now. Not long after they had entered the apartment a woman of around her mid forties entered the room cigarette still in her mouth and smelling of booze. “I’m so sorry Maria. She must have heard you and she was out the door before I could even stop her.” “That’s okay Olive. I’m home now. Thank-you for looking after her.” “That’s alright sweetheart. You don’t need me to take her a little longer,” she said looking at Michael. “No. It’s okay. Thank-you again.” “Okay love. See you tomorrow.” “Bye,” Maria murmured. “I’m just going to put Cassie to put. It’s late,” she murmured. Michael nodded not trusting himself to say anything yet. He took a seat looking around the room at the damp walls, the wallpaper not even complete. It was a real sh!thole. How could Maria bear to live here, with a child as well. Fifteen minutes later Maria came out of the room and looking hesitantly over to Michael said, “Do you want anything? A drink?” “No,” he said in a cold voice. “Okay,” Maria said in a small voice and taking a seat. “Michael, let me explain. I was so cross at you that night. I …” “It gives you no excuse to keep my child from me Maria. You had no right to keep me from being a part of her life. Six years Maria, I’ve missed so much. Look at where you’re living. Together we could have given her more. She doesn’t deserve this. How can you let our daughter live like this? What sort of mother are you?” Maria glared as her temper starting to fly. “How dare you? What makes you think you would have been any better? You were f-ucking Courtney. You expect me to have trusted you with my daughter. No way! The moment you touched her you forfeited that right! Okay, maybe I haven’t given her the best in life but I’ve given her the best I could. So don’t you f-ucking well dare walk in here and tell me I haven’t done my best for her! You don’t know what it’s been like!” Michael stood up. “I’m her father. I had a right to at least know she existed as she did me.” “Mommy,” a small voice said from the doorway. “What’s going on? Why are you shouting?” Maria glared at Michael and said, “Well done Michael. You’ve gone and woken her up!” Michael glared back as Maria made her way over to the small child with confusion laced over her face. “Mommy, is he my daddy?” Maria hesitated. She looked over at Michael to see his fuming face and turned back to her daughter and said, “Yes Cassie. This is your daddy.” “Oh.” Michael walked over and lifting Cassie up and walked over to a chair sitting down with her said, “Yes sweetheart I’m your daddy. Is that okay with you?” The child beamed up at him and said, “Yes. You look really strong and handsome. No wonder mommy loves you.” Michael frowned and said, “What about tomorrow Cassie you and me go to a wedding. Would you like that? It’s a friend of mine. He’s getting married to this beautiful girl and there will be lots of music and dancing and good food.” “Will mommy be coming?” “No sweatheart,” Maria said. “It’s just going to be you and daddy. Mommy has to work. But you’ll like it. All the people in pretty clothes just like on the television.” “Okay,” Cassie said smiling up at her daddy. “I’ll come.” “Good. Have you got something pretty you could wear?” Cassie looked down. “No. Mommy doesn’t have enough money to buy me dresses and things. Won’t I be able to go now?” “No I’ll get you a dress a nice pretty pink one, okay?” Cassie smiled and said, “That sounds good.” Michael gave her a small kiss and said, “You better go back to sleep. We’ve a long day tomorrow.” “Okay daddy,” she said giving him a hug before tottering off towards the door from which she had appeared. Michael stood up. “I’ll collect her at 12.00 with the dress. I don’t know what time we’ll be back,” coldness and contempt dripping from his voice. “I’m not going to stop you from seeing her Michael but can’t we at least be civil about this,” she asked as he opened the door. “Make no mistake Maria. I will see her. I’m going to get full custody and keep her far away from you. I don’t think you’re fit to be her mother. You work for a living as a stripper and you leave my daughter with an alcoholic. You’re endangering her and I don’t think you can be trusted to even be with her.” “Don’t Michael. She’s all I’ve got,” Maria pleaded reaching out for him. “I’ve nothing more to say on the matter. I’m going.” And with that he left her as she broke down in tears muttering to herself, “I didn’t know, I didn’t know this is what you meant by the next 48 hours.” *FLASHBACK* PSYCHIC: This boy...very volatile. MARIA: That's good for sex, right? PSYCHIC: This relationship will not endure. MARIA: Look, lady, I am not necessarily looking to tie the knot myself, but do I at least have a few months? PSYCHIC: 48 hours, tops. MARIA: 48 hours? Ok, are they a good 48 hours? *FLASHBACK* MARIA: We need to talk. MICHAEL: Talk? MARIA: Yeah, about our relationship. MICHAEL: You gotta be joking me. MARIA: Some stupid psychic told me that the next 48 hours are critical, so could you just try not to be a bonehead? Is that, like, a possibility? (Courtney enters) MARIA: No waitresses in the kitchen. COURTNEY: Hey, Mikey G. You got my order yet? MICHAEL: Yeah, right there. COURTNEY: Takeoff Tacos, Plutonium Platter, and the Greek God salad, light on the feta. You're such a good boy. (Courtney slaps Mikey G on the butt, then leaves) MICHAEL: She put in that order before I got busy. MARIA: Ok, give it up, Guerin. What's going on with her? MICHAEL: Yeah, that's exactly what I want to know. MARIA: Michael. MICHAEL: I don't trust her. MARIA: Hmm. Neither do I. MICHAEL: I mean, there's something going on with her. Another new face in town. Arrived this summer after the signal went out. Her picture was in Whitaker's office. Constantly hanging around me, always giving me these looks. MARIA: So, do you think she's an alien? MICHAEl: Or with the government. I don't know. MARIA: Well, I'll tell you what I know, Mikey G. The slut wants in your pants. MICHAEL: That might work. Oh, nice. MARIA: What might work, Michael? *FLASHBACK* MICHAEL: What the hell are you doing here? MARIA: Investigating Courtney. What are you doing here, hound? MICHAEL: No, I'm investigating Courtney. Get out of here. MARIA: No, no, no. I found a picture of you, Max, and Isabel in her locker, and your face was circled. MICHAEL: No way. COURTNEY (from bathroom): Maybe you should put on some tunes, baby. MARIA: Bastard. MICHAEL: I had to get her out of the room somehow. MICHAEL (to Courtney): Good idea, baby. MARIA: I...I'm gonna retch. MICHAEL: Ok, I've got the situation under control, so get out of here...seriously. MARIA: If you lay one hand on her... MICHAEL: No one is laying anything on anyone. COURTNEY (from bathroom): By the way, you are an amazing kisser. (Maria thwaps Michael on the head) MARIA: You obviously came here for 2 reasons, huh? (Courtney comes out of the bathroom dressed in a towel) COURTNEY: Is somebody here? (Maria hands Courtney a hair piece) MARIA (to Courtney): Um...here. You left that at work. MARIA (to Michael): And umm...remember how I said we had 48 hours? That was...that was way too optimistic. We're done. (Maria leaves) *FLASHBACK* (Alex is looking for Maria at the Crashdown and finds her in the back, ripping apart photos of Michael) ALEX: Maria. MARIA: Can you just wait outside for a second? ALEX: Sure. (Maria is sobbing) ALEX: Maria, what's wrong? MARIA: Could you just get out of here? ALEX: What happened? MARIA: I found this picture of Michael in Courtney's locker...like some sort of surveillance photo or something. ALEX: Oh, my God. Is he all right? MARIA: Yeah, he's all right. Actually, he's terrific. I was worried about him, so I went all the way across town to save his ass, and I get there, and...he's already there, and so is Courtney...in a towel. ALEX: Maria. *FLASHBACK* Maria hurriedly stuffed clothes into a bag and emptied her savings out putting them into her purse. She heard the honk of a car and looking out the window saw a cab. Hurrying downstairs with her bag she pauses in the kitchen before hurriedly leaving a letter addressed to her mom in the kitchen. *FLASHBACK* One Month Later Maria sitting on the toilet in a motel opens turns over the white stick to read the test as positive. She vows to herself Michael will never touch her child. *END OF FLASHBACKS* TBC |
| Part 2 |
 |