West Roswell Story
By Danielle
Disclaimers: I don't own Roswell. I don't own West Side Story. I don't own Romeo & Juliet. I don't really own too much do I?
Notes: Okay, this was one of my first fic ideas, but I held off on doing it until I could think of a more plausible plot than having Michael run around singing "Maria, I just met a girl named Maria…" cause that is SO not him. It's a cross between the whole West Side Story/Romeo & Juliet IDEA and Roswell. Only without the songs. (Though that in itself would be way too amusing. Can't you see Max, Michael & Alex singing "Sheriff Valenti" instead of "Officer Krupke" and Isabel leading a chorus of "I like to be in Roswell, Life is okay in Roswell…" LOL!) Anyway, to make it work I have had to progress the timeline to 6 months from the end of "Sexual Healing". So it's late August of 2000, about 2 weeks before they all start their Junior Year. We'll presume that Michael and Maria are together, but keeping it a secret from everyone but Alex, Is, Max & Liz. Amy DeLuca has married Sheriff Valenti and Maria and she moved in with him & Kyle. Kyle & Maria are attempting to be civil. That's about it I think. Hope this turns out well.
Part 1
"So anyway, that's about the gist of it." Maria looked skeptically at Liz Parker as she finished telling her best friend about her date with Max the previous evening. "I swear Maria, nothing else happened."
"Sure Liz, nothing happened. If you say so."
Liz grimaced, knowing she was so busted. She tried changing the subject. "Well what about you? What did you do last night?"
"You know we had a show. It went really well, too. Got paid and everything." Maria smiled as she wiped the counter down.
"No, I'm talking about after the show. Get any visitors in the dressing room?"
Maria smirked, mumbling under her breath, "Maybe."
A male voice broke the chick chat. "Oh yeah? Anyone I know?" Kyle Valenti approached the counter.
Maria and Liz instantly sobered, knowing their conversation about their boyfriends was over. Max was a sore subject for Kyle, and Maria had been keeping hers and Michael's relationship a secret. She was pretty sure her new step-father, the Sheriff, wouldn't approve of her dating a boy who not only had his own apartment, but who had been arrested on numerous occasions. He was pretty cool as far as step-dads went, but she wasn't willing to throw any more suspicion on the Aliens just so she and Michael could hold hands in public.
Maria swallowed, preparing to lie to her stepbrother, who could also be pretty nice when no one was around. He liked looking out for her. "No, just some guy who liked the show. He wanted my number."
Kyle raised an eyebrow at her. "Well I hope you didn't give it to him."
Maria rolled her eyes at him. "No, DAD, I didn't give the strange boy my number."
He smiled at her sarcasm, then gave as good as he got. "Good. I didn't feel like beating the groupies off my little sister."
Maria took a breath, about to start ranting at him. "Kyle, we've gone over this many times. I can take care of myself, and you're only 2 months older than me…"
He held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa! Hold on! I was just kidding with you. Your mom asked me to drop by before practice to give you the grocery money and list, since her and dad are going away for the night and you'll be home before me."
Liz, who had been silent up 'til now, decided to join the conversation. "Oh yeah- Football practice starts today. Triple sessions, right?"
Kyle nodded his head. "Yeah. This morning was running and calisthenics. I had to be at the field at 6 am. Then earlier this afternoon was drills and stuff. The last session is from 3 to 5- we're going to start learning and running the plays. I hope my arm can handle it."
Maria chuckled. "My brother, the star Quarterback, ladies & gentlemen!" Kyle gave a silly little bow.
Liz laughed out loud. "If I didn't know better I would think you two really were brother and sister the way you bicker."
They both rolled their eyes, and Kyle reached into his pocket for the money. "Here's what she gave me. But I'm not too sure about some of the stuff on this list- Tofu, Goat Cheese? How can a man live on this?"
"Your father certainly hasn't been complaining."
Liz burst out laughing again, and watched as Kyle walked away a little red faced. As he got to the door, he waved and said loudly, "I'll be home around 5:15. Make something edible for dinner okay?"
"You wish!" Maria yelled as the door swung shut after him.
"You two sound like an old married couple," remarked Isabel Evans as she approached the register to pay her bill.
"Yeah, a little too much if you ask me," Michael grumpily added coming up behind her.
Maria grinned, knowing Michael was just a little jealous. She reached across the counter and patted his hand, whispering, "Oh, honey, did you want me to save up all my energy to fight with you?"
He pulled his hand away, pretending that he was hurt. "Oh no, go ahead, fight with your dear step-brother. See if I care."
Liz and Izzy groaned at their friend's mock fighting. "You two make me ill sometimes." Isabel was always so blunt.
"Us?" Maria said in shock. "What about you and Alex? You look like you're going to kill someone with a death ray every time some girl talks to him after a show."
"Oh shut up." She smiled though, and Maria knew she had said the right thing to make Isabel realize how hypocritical she was being. "Michael, do you want a ride home?"
"No, I'll walk. I think I have a few errands to run before I go home." Isabel sighed, knowing that meant he was going to head around to the back door of the Crashdown to meet Maria and plan their evening.
"Alright, I guess I'll see you later then. Liz, Max said to remind you that he's picking you up at 7."
"Yeah, I remember. I just wish he wasn't stuck working as a camp counselor all day though."
"He seems to like it. All the kids love him. Well, I'm out of here. Bye guys." She pulled her keys out of her pocket and headed out the door.
"Can you take a break now?" Michael whispered impatiently.
"Hold on, I'll check with the boss," She whispered back. Turning to her best friend and the manager of the Café, she asked, " Liz, is it time for my break?"
Liz looked at her watch. "Yeah, you can take it now. But I'm coming back there to get you in 15 minutes."
Maria smiled, and nodded to Michael, who was already heading out the front door. He waved to both girls as if he was really leaving then pushed through the door.
The blond waitress again turned to her best friend. "Thanks Lizzy. I promise I won't be late coming back this time." She headed for the break room whistling a happy tune as she went.
"Yeah, right," she muttered to herself skeptically. "And I'm not in love with an Alien."
Part 2
Maria already had the door open and was waiting for him as Michael quickly approached the back entrance. "God I missed you today!" he said as he stepped inside and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly.
"Mmmmm, me too." Maria mumbled against his lips. Without breaking the contact or stopping for air, she asked, "So what time do you get off work tonight?"
"11:30, right after the last show ends." Michael had gotten a job at the Roswell Cineplex, and had been working as many shifts as possible this summer to save enough money to help pay his rent after school started and he had to cut down his hours. "What do you want to do?"
Maria walked forward, forcing him to sit down on the couch behind him. As she climbed on to his lap and started kissing him again, she simply said, "This."
Michael smiled against her lips, and ran his hands up her legs, which rested on either side of his hips. He could feel himself getting excited just looking at her- that alien uniform barely covered anything. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he replied, "Yeah I know, but how are you going to get out of the house? You already snuck out twice this week and you told your mom you were staying at Liz's once. Isn't that pushing it a little?"
"Ahh, but you underestimate the need for the newlyweds to be alone! Mom and Jim are going away tonight- they already left I think. Mom had to go to Albuquerque tomorrow anyway to buy some stuff for the shop and they decided to go up tonight and stay over so they could have a night to themselves." She kissed him quickly. "So you see, we can do whatever we want tonight, as long as Kyle doesn't find out, we're set. And I happen to know that he has practice tomorrow morning, so he'll go to bed early."
"Hmmm, I am definitely liking the sound of this plan." He leaned in for another kiss, moving his lips to her throat. "So are you going to come over?"
"I was thinking you could come to our house. I'll leave the window open for you. It'll be like before we moved in with Kyle & Jim."
Michael pulled away slightly. "Are you sure? What if we wake Kyle up?"
"Not a chance in hell. That boy snores so loud I can hear him through the wall. We'd know in a second if he woke up. Besides, I always liked the danger factor involved when you used to sneak in." She waggled her eyebrows at him. "Makes it all the more exciting, no?"
He laughed and softly patted her rear end. "Yes, and I know how much you like that. In fact, just thinking about it I'm getting a little eager. What do you say we take this into the bathroom?"
Running her hands down his chest, she looked longingly into his eyes. "I would love to, baby, but I promised Liz I'd be back out there on time. You are just going to have to wait."
He pouted a little, not bothering to mask his disappointment. Maria laughed and threw her arms around his neck. "That doesn't mean we don't have 10 more minutes of this though." She leaned in and parted his lips with hers, and slowly slid her tongue inside his mouth. "That's good enough for now isn't it?"
Michael groaned and pulled her tighter against his body. "I guess it'll have to do. But just you wait 'til later." His hands began exploring the many places left uncovered by her uniform again as his lips continued to move against hers.
"Mmmmm. I will, believe me."
~~~~
Exactly 10 minutes later a very flustered Maria returned to the counter to help wait on the few afternoon customers.
"I was about to come back there."
"Good thing you didn't. I don't think you'd have liked the treatment the couch was getting."
Liz shook her head at her friend and began to refill the coffeepot. "You guys didn't… did you?"
Maria shook her head. "Not this time. I told him no, that I promised you I'd be back on time. But he's coming over tonight."
"To your house? Aren't you scared that Kyle will walk in on you guys or something?"
"Kyle knows better than to come into my room without knocking first. And he has practice early, so I think we're all set. What are you and Max up to?"
"Well, I think we're going to go look at the stars or something like that."
Maria simply laughed. "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"
Liz laughed and attempted to whack Maria playfully with a stray menu. Maria side stepped her and grabbed a wooden spoon, playfully poking Liz in the ribs. The two friends laughed and chatted happily as they waited on the customers for the rest of Maria's shift. At four Maria grabbed her things and headed out to the grocery store to begin wasting time until Michael came over.
Part 3
She had gone grocery shopping. She had made some dinner and even saved some for Kyle. She was now in the process of cleaning her room, and time was not progressing any faster.
Her bedroom door was open, but Kyle knocked anyway, respecting her boundaries. "Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for making dinner- I was just kidding this afternoon when I said to make something."
Maria grabbed some of the random pieces of paper off of her desk and threw them in the trash. "I know you were. But I was making something for myself anyway, and I figured you would be hungry, so…"
Kyle leaned against her doorframe, watching her clean. "It was really good. Where did you learn to do stir-fry like that?"
"Well, you eat tofu and alfalfa long enough you learn to make everything with a few extra spices."
He grinned at her joke. "So what are you up to tonight? Hot date with a random groupie?"
She paused to look up at him with a twinkle in her eye. "No. I just figured I'd relax tonight. You know get some rest. What about you? Hot date with a random cheerleader?"
Kyle smiled and shook his head. "I don't know where you got such a low opinion of me. I like girls who can form sentences- note that I dated your best friend."
Maria began to straighten out her closet as she spoke. "Yes, but after Liz you dated Vicky Delaney- walking, talking Barbie doll."
"The rebound girl is always a confidence builder," he stated matter of factly.
"Yeah, I guess so. She'd give 'confidence' to just about anyone who asked."
He pushed off the doorframe, ready to leave. "And so ends the nice polite conversation. Well, I'll do the dishes, and then I am just going to watch a movie. I want to get some rest- I am so sore from practice today, and it starts all over again tomorrow morning!"
"'Kay. I'm just going to clean and hang out in here. Have fun."
He walked away, and she attacked the dresser, pushing her clothes that were spilling out back into the proper drawers.
~~~~~
At 11pm, she had heard Kyle shout goodnight to her and head into his room. Cool, only one hour to go. She put in a CD and put on some sexier PJ's. She lit some scented candles and checked to make sure the window was unlocked. Having nothing left to do, she lay down on her bed, reading an old issue of Seventeen Magazine. She was reading the article on how to tell what kind of personality you have by the shape of your lipstick when she heard the window slide up.
Michael's head appeared, and she instantly sat up, placing the magazine on the floor next to her. "Hi. How was work?"
"Okay," he said as his feet touched her floor quietly. He began to kick off his shoes. "Some kids were really noisy and I got to kick them out, which was fun. Alex and Isabel came in to see some random horror movie."
"Oh, that's good I guess." There was an awkward pause for a brief second where they just looked at each other, drinking in the sight of one another. In the next instant, Michael was on the bed, crushing her lips with his, pressing her down to the bed with his body.
They were trying to be quiet, but Maria couldn't help but giggle every once in a while when Kyle snored especially loudly. Michael smiled. "How do you get any sleep with him next door?"
"I try to go to bed before he does usually. I sleep pretty heavily so I don't notice. And I wouldn't talk, mister- you snore sometimes, too."
"Do not!"
She playfully hit him with one of the small pillows she kept on her bed. "You know you do."
"No I don't!" He began to tickle her furiously, and she pushed at him to stop him. She didn't want to burst out laughing.
Eventually his tickles turned into caresses. As he kissed her collarbone, he said, "Maria, I have been waiting all day for this. Do you even know how worked up you got me this afternoon?"
She smirked, self-satisfied. "I can guess."
"Well, I think it's time we do something about that, don't you?"
"Oh yeah. Definitely time to do something." She leaned over to her right and blew out the candle, bathing the room in darkness.
~~~~~
Kyle was halfway down the street when he remembered that he hadn't put on his ankle brace. As if getting up to go run around the campus at 6 am wasn't bad enough; he was expected to be alert enough to remember things like ankle braces. Damn.
He spun the car around, heading back down the street. As he neared the house, he was surprised to see the light in Maria's room on. He hoped he hadn't woken her up when he left. Trying to be considerate, he pulled the car over and decided to walk the rest of the way.
As he stepped out of the car, he was shocked to see a head pop out of the window in question. Moving closer, and stepping behind a bush, he waited to see what was happening.
Michael Guerin? Climbing out of Maria's window at 6 am? This was not good. The kicker was when she leaned out the window and kissed him, hard, and he returned the kiss like he meant it. They were whispering something to each other, and then he placed another kiss on her forehead before waving and running toward the road that led back to town. Maria closed the window and seconds later he saw the light go out.
Kyle stood there with his mouth hanging open. Maria was sleeping with that Guerin kid? Dammit! He had to do something to put a stop to this. She deserved better than some guy who wouldn't be seen in public with her, but would sneak in her window at night to get some! Beside he was a punk. He knew his dad had arrested Michael a couple of times. And he was a friend of Max Evans. Oh yeah, he thought as he walked back to his car, his ankle brace completely forgotten. I am so gonna take care of this!
Part 4
Later that night, Michael sat at his apartment hanging out with Max, waiting for Liz and Maria to get off of work. Michael had a rare night off, and Max had come over to keep him company and watch the hockey game.
"So, Maxwell, what's new? I never see you anymore- one of us is always working."
"Not too much, but I like working with the kids. They're fun, and they never try to figure me out- they just accept me as I am you know? Like Liz does." He reached into the bag of Doritos next to him and shoved a few in his mouth.
As he crunched away, he handed the bag to Michael who also grabbed a handful. "Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. Maria is like that too."
"Speaking of Maria, are you guys ever going to quit sneaking around? The Sheriff is going to find out sooner or later, and then you'll both be in trouble. Why not win some points and tell him yourself?"
"I don't know. It's just that he already doesn't trust you and me, Max. What if he freaked out and forbid Maria & me from seeing each other. He can do that- we're both minors. She does still have to live in that house- why make it harder on her? We can just wait 'til we're 18 and then he can't do anything about it because legally she'll be an adult."
Max shook his head. "I guess you're right. It just seems like a lot of hassle. And besides, I think aside from the fact that she once found you in her daughter's bed, Maria's mom likes you. She could talk to the Sheriff- get him to accept it."
"Well, yeah, she could decide to help, but what if she decided I wasn't good for Maria and jumped on the split us up bandwagon? Then where would we be?"
"Hmmm. Good point. All right so leave things as they are, I guess. I just hate to see you and Maria having to pretend you aren't in love."
Michael choked on his chips. "Love? Who said anything about love?" At Max's withering look, he conceded. "Okay, so I love her. And yeah she loves me, too. What's your point?"
Max smiled at his friend's reluctance to talk about his feelings. "I don't have one. I'm just saying it sucks is all. I remember when Liz and I used to have to hide our feelings. It's just hard to do."
"Yeah, I guess so. But we're kind of used to it by now. Anyway, the game's almost over. Let's go get something to eat."
The darker-haired boy feigned innocence. "And where on earth would you like to go? The Crashdown Cafe perhaps?"
"You're so funny, Maxwell." He grabbed his jacket and threw Max's at him. "Come on."
Max caught his jacket in mid air, and shrugging it on, he followed Michael out the door.
~~~~~
At the Valenti house, Kyle was restless as he watched TV. His dad and Amy, returned this afternoon from their night away, were cuddled up on the couch across the room, which made him a little uneasy, but he was more disturbed by the fact that Maria was getting off work soon. Gee, he thought to himself sarcastically, wonder where she's going after work?
He stood up quickly, and handed the remote control to his father. Heading toward the door, he grabbed his keys off the hook.
"Kyle, where are you going so late? Don't you have practice early in the morning?"
"Um, yeah, dad, I do. But I thought I'd be nice and pick Maria up from work. Make sure she gets home okay."
The former Amy DeLuca smiled at her stepson. "That's really nice of you Kyle, but she called and said she was staying at Liz's tonight."
"Oh, okay. Well, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go make sure she doesn't need a ride."
Jim Valenti looked at his son strangely. "Kyle? That's very nice of you, but... are you sure that's the only reason you're going to the Crashdown?"
Kyle gulped. Did hid dad already know about the Maria & Michael thing? Was he getting all worked up over nothing? "Well, um..."
His dad smiled. "Going to see Liz Parker, huh? Still haven't gotten over her?"
Kyle's face dropped. "No, dad, I'm not going to see Liz. I was just having a craving for an Alien Blast."
Amy looked at the boy, who was obviously embarrassed by his dad's attempt at relating to him. "Well, since you're going anyway, Kyle, why don't you let us treat you? And can you bring back 2 for us?" Reaching into her pocket, she held out a 10 for him to take.
His face softened. He really did like Amy. She was good for his father, and it was sort of nice to feel like there was a mom around the house again. Even if she wasn't technically his mom. He walked over and took the money. "Thanks. I'll be back in a while."
She nodded at him, and replaced her head on Jim's shoulder. After Kyle closed the door behind him, Amy turned to Jim. "You have a lot to learn about teenagers."
The sheriff, completely confused, looked at his wife. "What did I do?" She shook her head and took the remote from him, changing the channel to the early news.
Part 5
"Oh, man, I am so ready to get out of here." Liz Parker said as she swept the floor of the Crashdown Cafe.
Maria nodded. "Me too. What do you think the guys have planned for this evening? They look awfully smug sitting over there in the corner booth."
Liz glanced over at her boyfriend and his best friend munching on their appetizers. It was after closing, but Liz and Maria always let Max and Michael stay late. "I dunno. But I bet it'll probably entail us hanging out at Michael's so there are no parental figures around."
"Are Izzy and Alex coming?"
"I didn't get a chance to ask. I was too busy when I was giving them their food."
"Well, why don't you go ask them now. I can finish doing the counters and the shake machine, and then we'll be out of here."
"Okay." She finished sweeping her last pile of dirt, straw wrappers, and old fries off the floor, then headed over to talk to Max and Michael.
Maria was busily trying to get a gooey chocolate puddle off the expanse of counter near the shake machine when she heard the light tapping at the door. She looked up to see Kyle standing there.
A bit shocked at his sudden appearance, she walked to the door and unlocked it. "Hey. What are you doing here?" she asked as he stepped through the door.
"2 things. One, I was making sure you had a ride home."
She looked over at the corner where Michael sat with Liz and Max. "Oh, didn't my mom tell you? I'm staying at Liz's."
He looked at her intently, eyes boring into hers. "Are you sure you want to do that? I mean it looks like she's kind of busy." He pointed to the only full booth.
"Oh yeah, well, she always lets Max in after hours. He's leaving soon."
He looked at her pointedly. "What about Michael? Is he leaving soon too?"
Her eyebrows knit. "Yeah, Kyle. He'll probably leave when Max leaves. They came in together. What's with the 3rd degree?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to change your mind and come home tonight."
"No, Kyle, I'm going to stay here." She shook her head. "What was the other thing you needed?"
He cleared his throat. "I was having a craving for an Alien Blast. I told your mom and my dad I'd bring them back one, too."
She chuckled. "Oh, okay." He followed her as she walked back toward the counter. "Yeah, my mom really likes those things. You're lucky you came in when you did- I was about to clean the shake machine."
Silently he sat down as she poured the flavorings, milk and ice cream into the machine. She then grabbed three large drink cups and filled each with the frosty treat. Maria grabbed a cardboard drink carrier and placed them in, then slid them across the counter to her stepbrother. "Thanks." He handed her the money Amy had given him, and waited as she made change, then gave it back to him.
She walked him to the door. "Okay, well tell my mom I said hi, and I'll see you tomorrow."
Just as she was about to lock the door, he stuck his foot in. "Maria, are you sure you don't want to come home?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I promise I'll be fine. See you later, Kyle." He removed his foot and headed toward the car and she locked the door.
Michael's voice sounded out across the empty diner. "What was that all about?"
Maria approached the booth, shrugging. "I don't know really. He was being weird. He kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to stay over here tonight. Then he bought Alien Blasts for himself, my mom and his dad."
Michael frowned. "Well, if you ask me, I think he has a little crush on you."
Maria and Liz both made noises of disgust. "Ewww- no way! That'd be like, incestuous or whatever."
Liz added, "And it's Kyle! I mean, he's nice and all, but he knows there is no way Maria would go near him. He'd annoy the hell out of her and she'd kill him."
Max laughed at Michael's still pouty face, playfully adding, "Man, you have got to get a grip on your jealousy."
Maria slipped into the seat next to Michael and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry honey, I'd never pick Kyle over you."
"You better not. Or no more Alien Blasts for you!" She smacked him playfully and laughed as Liz and Max made disgusted faces.
Liz stood up dragging Max to his feet. "Okay, you two. Time to go. We'll see you out back in 10 minutes." She kissed him quickly as she led him to the door. Michael slid right next to Maria and nudged her to get her to let him up. She giggled, not budging. Finally he grabbed her around the middle and stood up, dragging her out with him.
As they reached the door, Michael leaned down and kissed her cheek. "See you in a few minutes."
She leaned back against him for a brief moment, and quietly said "Bye," as she watched he and Max walk out the door.
Part 6
Max and Michael continued their earlier conversation as they rounded the corner of the alley that led to the back door of the Crashdown. "You see what I mean? It's so obvious what's going on between you and Maria. I'm surprised no one's figured it out yet." To emphasize the point, Max elbowed Michael playfully as he spoke.
Michael laughed and pushed him away a bit, doing the typical male bonding thing. "Yeah well, no one better figure it out."
A voice echoed behind them. "And why is that?"
Michael and Max spun to see Kyle standing behind them, hands on hips, obviously mad about something. "Kyle." Max stated the name with dread.
Kyle walked forward. "Stay out of this Evans. This is between me and Guerin."
Michael feigned innocence. "What's between us, Kyle? What's the problem?"
"The problem? The problem is Maria."
"What about her?"
The shorter male had continued to approach Michael, and was now about a foot away. "Are you going to stand there and pretend that it wasn't you I saw sneaking out of her window this morning?"
Michael held his hands up in defeat. "Kyle, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me, Guerin. I saw you. Are you or are you not fooling around with Maria?"
Michael's defenses snapped. "Yeah, so? What business is it of yours if I am? You don't have any claim on her."
"Claim on her?" Kyle spat out incredulously. "She's my damn sister! And she deserves better than you!"
"She's not your sister, Kyle, she's your step-sister. And how the hell do you know what she deserves?"
"I know that she can do a hell of a lot better than some guy who won't even let her admit they're a couple. Like you have a right to be ashamed to be seen with anyone. She's too good for you- you should be kissing the dirt under her feet."
Michael's features grew hard, his fist clenching involuntarily. "Is that right?"
"Damn straight. Who the hell do you think you are? You just some loser trailer park kid who thinks the world owes him because he got a raw deal. Well you know what? The world may owe you, but it owes Maria, too. And it owes her something way better than you."
Max had been silent up to this point, figuring it was best to let them get their aggression out, but looking at Michael, he knew this was about to come to blows. "Hey, Kyle, listen, I think that Maria is a big girl and she can make the decision of who she does and doesn't want to be with."
Kyle's finger shot out, pointing at Max. "You shut up Evans! I told you to stay out of this. It's none of your business."
Michael moved toward Kyle, but Max stepped between them. "It is my business. Maria is my friend, and so is Michael. So if you've got a problem with them then you have a problem with me."
"Oh well isn't that sweet. You going to let him fight your battles for you Guerin?"
Michael's arms crossed over his chest. "I don't have to. I'm not discussing this anymore with you Kyle. What goes on between Maria and me is between us. You have no right to..."
"To what? To watch out for her? Put a stop to things when you're obviously using her? You can't stand there and tell me you actually care about her. You don't care about anybody but yourself."
He gritted his teeth as he replied, "Kyle. I'm telling you to drop this."
"Oh yeah?" He reached out and shoved Michael. "What are you going to do about it if I don't? C'mon Mikey, let's take care of this once and for all." He pushed Michael again.
"Don't do that."
"Oh yeah? Why not?"
"Cause I don't want to fight you Kyle."
"Why not? Don't care about her enough to fight for her? I think she's worth it, don't you? C'mon Michael, show me how much you care about her." He shoved Michael hard, and Michael simply reacted. His fist balled up and he reached back to let Kyle have it, but Max stepped between them, grabbing Michael's arm.
"Cut it out, both of you! Maria wouldn't want this."
"Max, I told you to back off. You're as bad as he is! I loved Liz, you jerk. And you stole her from me. What is it about the two of you that's so special, anyway? You know what? I think you deserve this as much as he does!" Kyle swung out his right arm and slammed Max in the face with a hard hook. Off balance from holding Michael back, Max stumbled backwards, falling against the side of the brick building. He bounced off, falling forward, and cracking his head against the base of a lightpost.
Stunned, Kyle and Michael watched as a pool of blood began puddle under Max's head.
Part 7
Michael sank to his knees next to his fallen friend. "Max?" He placed a hand on him, shaking him slightly. "Max can you hear me?"
Kyle was near hysteria. "Wake him up! He's fine. Probably just needs a few stitches. Wake him up Michael!"
Michael placed his hands on Max's shoulders and gingerly rolled him to his back. There was a deep cut near his temple, the source of the blood. Michael refused to believe his friend wasn't okay. "Max? C'mon Max, wake up."
Kyle looked at Michael. "He's going to be fine isn't he? Isn't he Michael?"
Michael looked up at Kyle, speechless. But a tear trickled its way down his cheek. Kyle fell to the pavement, grabbing a hold of Max's wrist. He felt for a pulse, but there was nothing. He reached over and felt at the jugular, but again, no heartbeat throbbed against his fingers. He began shaking his head violently, refusing to believe what had happened.
"No. This isn't happening. He's fine. He's going to be fine. He's not dead. Michael, he's not dead. I didn't mean to… I swear. Can't we fix this? Oh god, can't we fix this?" Tears began to pour down Kyle's cheeks as well.
A thought occurred to Michael, and not caring that Kyle was even present, he pulled Max's head on to his lap.
"What are you doing?" Michael didn't answer the other boy, but held his hand over the gash, pouring all his concentration into healing his friend.
Kyle watched with his breath held. Michael closed his eyes, willing his powers to work the right way for once. He prayed to whatever God was out there to help him. Slowly, the wound began to heal, the blood flow beginning to slow. Kyle's eyes bugged out of his head as he realized what was happening.
"Oh my god! You guys are Aliens! My dad was right! Oh my god!" He stood up, the shock and realization too much for his scattered mind, and began quickly backing away from Michael and Max. But his outburst had broken Michael's concentration, and the healing reversed itself. Again, Max's blood flowed from the wound, covering Michael's legs in a sticky dark liquid.
Michael shook his friend. "Max? Max, no, god no! Don't die on me! Don't be dead!" His tears were flowing unknown and unbidden as he clutched Max's head to his chest, knowing it was too late to fix the damage. Max was gone.
"NOOOOOOOO!" The scream tore from his throat as something within him snapped. He lay Max's head back on the ground and stood, chasing the now running Kyle down the alley. He wasn't as fast as Kyle, but somehow, he got close enough to make a dive for the boy who had killed his best friend.
Tackling him to the ground, Michael's rage took over. Slamming Kyle's face into the pavement, he managed to pin him to the ground beneath him. He rolled so that he sat on Kyle's chest, and began punching as Kyle tried to block his face. He began to babble in an effort to calm Michael. "Michael, please, I didn't mean to! I didn't want to hurt him. I just wanted to help Maria. Please, Michael, don't kill me!"
But the words never registered in the Alien's mind. The overpowering rage controlled him. He suddenly stopped hitting Kyle long enough to place his right palm on the other boy's forehead. Without realizing what he was about to do, he channeled his rage, shock and grief, concentrating on his powers once again. A bright blue light glowed around Michael's hand as he drained the life force from Kyle.
A moment later, he snapped back to reality. Looking down at the still body beneath him, he slowly pulled his hand away to reveal a silver palm print covering Kyle's forehead. His hand immediately flew to check for a pulse, but he knew it was useless. Kyle was dead. He stood up, unable to tear his eyes away from the lifeless body on the ground.
"Oh, god, what did I do? What did I do?" He heard the wails of sirens are they approached the center of town. Someone had heard the scuffle. They would arrest him. No, god they'd know his secret, they'd kill him! He was an alien, and he murdered the Sheriff's son! He'd never see Maria again. Oh god, he needed Maria- she would tell him what to do. She would know. But… he'd just killed her stepbrother. She would hate him. Too many thoughts clogged his mind. He needed to think. He needed… Maria. He ran, as fast as he could. Ran from the horror of realizing he'd killed.
~~~~~
Maria and Liz had almost finished cleaning completely when they heard the scream. Dropping what they were doing, they ran for the back door. Liz in her haste, fumbled with the lock, unable to get the door open fast enough. Finally it popped open, and they spilled out into the alley, eyes searching. It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the dark, but Maria saw something near the lightpost.
"Liz? What's that?" She pointed, and both girls rushed over to the body, only partially illuminated in the streetlight.
Liz's scream echoed through the quiet streets as she fell to the ground, gathering Max's body to her. "MAX! MAX! NOOOOOO!" She began sobbing hysterically, clutching his head to her chest in much the same way Michael had minutes earlier.
Terror overtook Maria as she searched for her boyfriend in the dim light. "Michael? Where are you, Michael? Where are you?" she yelled, hoping he would appear. She spotted another lump near the street. She ran to the end of the alley, praying that it wasn't Michael. Please, not Michael, she chanted as she ran. Please not Michael.
She reached the body, and stepping closer, realized it was Kyle. She fell to her knees, feeling for a pulse at his wrist. She felt nothing, and moved her hand up to his face. It was then that she noticed the silver handprint covering his forehead.
Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized what had happened. "Michael!" She screamed, hoping he was close enough to hear her. "Michael!!!" Her tears poured down her face as she knelt in the alley next to her stepbrother's dead body, crying for the man who had killed him. She barely felt the hands that dragged her to her feet and took her home to her mother and Jim.
Part 8
"Oh god, Alex... that feels so good!" Isabel's breath was ragged as she said it, and she pressed herself up to meet his soft touch. "Where did you learn to do that?"
Pausing mid-stroke, he thought about the question. "My mom."
Smiling, she asked, "Is she a masseuse?"
"No, but she just has this natural ability to give amazing massages. I think I inherited her gift."
"Absolutely. You can come over and rub my back any time." Grinning lazily, she flipped herself over so that her back was on the bed and she was looking up at Alex. "Or any other part of my body you feel inclined to rub for that matter."
Grinning right back at her, he leaned a bit closer to her and pressed his forehead to hers. "Oh? And what parts would you like rubbed?"
"Kiss me and maybe you'll find out."
"Gladly." He pressed his lips to hers, and she buried her hands in his hair, pulling him as close as possible. A noise invaded their bliss.
Isabel tried to ignore it, but the tapping got increasingly louder, until she was forced to pry herself away from Alex. Sitting up, she looked toward her window. Michael stood just outside, desperation written all over his face.
Standing, she hurried over and pushed the window up. "Michael? What's wrong?"
Breathing heavily, he tried to form a sentence. "Isabel... Something happened. Something bad."
Grabbing his arm, she tried to drag him inside, but he resisted. "I can't stay," he panted. "It's not safe for us here anymore. We have to leave. Now."
"Michael, what is it? Where's Max?"
Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at her. "Isabel, Max is... dead."
"What?" she gasped. "Michael, you're wrong! Max can't be dead. He's not dead! You're lying!"
Alex sprung from the bed at her outburst and gathered her into his arms. Wiping away her tears and rocking her like a baby, he whispered, "Shhhh, Is, it'll be okay." He looked outside to Michael. "What the hell happened Michael? Where are Maria and Liz? Do they know?"
Gulping hard, Michael tried again to control his breathing. "It was just like any other night... Max & me were going out back to the alley to meet Maria & Liz. But then Kyle showed up. He saw me climbing out of Maria's window this morning. He wanted to fight me. I tried to back off, but he pushed me. Max jumped between us, and then Kyle started yelling at him because he stole Liz. He said Max needed a beating as much as I did, and then he punched him. Max's head slammed against the light post, and oh god, there was so much blood…" Michael tried to choke back his sobbing, but he broke off, unable to control himself.
Isabel sat up in Alex's arms, wiping the tears from her face. She had calmed enough to ask, "Michael why didn't you heal him? I know you've been working on using your powers. Why didn't you do something? How could you let Max die?"
The tears were flowing freely down Michael's face now as he continued the story. "I tried, Izzy, I swear I tried. But Kyle saw what I was doing, and he started screaming that his dad was right, that we were Aliens. I got distracted, and the healing reversed itself."
Isabel wiped at her face, and leaned out the window to hug Michael. "I'm sorry, Michael. I know you tried. You would never have let anything bad happen to Max if you could help it."
She rubbed his back as he cried on her shoulder. Alex let them be for a minute, but a thought occurred to him. "Michael, we have to shut Kyle up- he'll tell his dad, and they'll come for you and Isabel."
Michael picked his head up off of Isabel's shoulder. "Kyle won't tell anybody anything."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because... I killed him, Is. I killed Kyle."
~~~~~~~
Maria lay in her bed, immobile. She hadn't spoken since the cops had come running down the alley. She was in complete shock. Max was dead. And so was Kyle. And Michael had killed him. He had to have done it- the silver handprint... Max had too much control to kill. But Michael... he was a mass of raw emotion. And he wasn't very good with his powers. How could he? There had to be an explanation.
She blinked as her door opened slowly, her mom appearing. "Maria, honey? Are you awake?"
Maria simply nodded. Amy walked into the room and sat down on the bed where her daughter lay. "Honey, I know you've had a really bad night, but there are some officers who want to ask you some questions. Would that be okay?"
"I don't want to talk to anyone."
"Maria, I know it was a shock finding Liz's boyfriend and Kyle like you did, but they just want to figure out what happened. Can't you answer a few questions?"
Suddenly, Maria sat up straight in bed. "Mom. Where's Jim?"
Amy sighed deeply, a tear flowing from her eye, as she related that her husband had gone down to the crime scene. To identify the body.
"Oh god, mom, he'll see it. He'll see the handprint! He'll know what it means." Maria jumped out of her bed. "I have to make a call."
Amy looked at her daughter, confused. "Maria, what are you talking about? Who are you calling?" She watched as Maria punched numbers into the handset of the phone in her room.
"Isabel. She has to know."
"Honey, I'm sure the police will notify the Evans' about Max..."
"No, Mom, I have to warn her."
"Warn her about what?"
"That they know about her. That they'll be looking for her."
"Maria, I don't understand..."
She looked deep into her mother's eyes. "Mom, just trust me on this one. I need a little privacy." Her eyes begged her mom to understand. Amy only paused for a minute, before heading to the door.
"Okay, honey, if you want to talk to Isabel, go ahead. She probably needs to talk to a friend now anyway." Her mom closed the door behind her, and someone finally picked up the other end of Isabel & Max's line.
"Hello?"
"Alex, is that you?"
"Maria? Where are you?"
"That isn't important. We have a big problem. I need to talk to Isabel."
Part 9
"What? Michael you killed Kyle?"
"I did, I was so angry I just snapped." He sobbed on her shoulder as he told the story. "He was running away down the alley, and I lost control. I ran after him and tackled him. Then I started punching him, everywhere, as hard as I could.
He started begging me not to hurt him, but it was like I couldn't stop. I don't even know how I knew what to do. But I put my hand on his head, and I drained the life right out of him. Oh, god, Izzy, what did I do?"
Her own tears began again as she realized the depth of the situation. "Oh, Michael. Was there a handprint?"
Michael simply nodded, unable to speak. Isabel looked at Alex, who said nothing, but looked like someone just cut off his arm. Isabel wiped at her cheeks, then grabbed Michael's' face between her hands. "Listen to me Michael. We have to leave. Now. I can't even wait for my parent's to get home to tell them about Max. It's too dangerous."
"Izzy, where are we going to go?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll pack some clothes and some food for us. Get out of here now, Michael. But don't go home. Meet me at the cave near the Reservation. In about an hour. They haven't called to tell us anything yet about Max, so if anyone is watching the house or anything they'll just think me and Alex went for a ride. Okay, Michael? Do you understand me?"
He nodded again, still so unsure of himself. "Iz, what about Maria- I have to explain to her..."
"Michael, I know you love her, but we can't risk going to her. What if they're already looking for us?"
"Izzy I know I did a stupid thing, and it's all my fault we're in this mess. But you have to promise me you'll tell Maria to meet us at the cave. I have to say goodbye to her. I can't walk away letting her think I am a cold-blooded killer- she has to understand why I did it, and she has to know that I love her. Will you tell her Izzy?"
"Michael, I don't think..."
"Isabel, promise me you'll let her know. Promise!"
"Fine, Michael. I promise. Now get out of here!" Leaning out the open window, she hugged him to her fiercely, then released him, and watched him run toward the road that led out of town.
She turned to Alex, who remained on the bed, shock and dismay written across his face. "Oh god, Alex. What are we going to do?" She rushed over to him, collapsing into his arms. He soothed her, knowing that tonight was probably the last night they had together. Alex began to cry quietly as the gravity of the situation sank in. Max and Kyle were dead. And Michael and Isabel were leaving forever.
Alex and Isabel held on to each other tightly, the moments passing by too quickly. The sudden shrill ringing of Isabel & Max's phone line broke the moment, and Alex leaned over to answer it. "Hello?"
"Alex, is that you?"
"Maria? Where are you?"
"That isn't important. We have a big problem. I need to talk to Isabel."
"We already know about Max and Kyle. Michael was here."
"Is he still there? Is he okay?"
"He was you know, really upset, but I think he was okay physically. He just left."
"How is Isabel doing?"
"Not so good. You want to talk to her?"
"If she's up to it." Alex looked into his girlfriend's blurry eyes, silently asking her if she wanted to talk to Maria. She nodded and he handed her the phone.
"Maria?"
"Isabel- how are you?"
"Well, I'm kind of still in shock to tell you the truth. I can't believe Max is gone."
Maria could hear the emotion in her voice. "Liz is... well she had to be sedated. They took her home, but I don't think she's going to be okay for a long time. Listen Isabel; the reason I called was to warn you. Jim went down to the scene- he's going to see Kyle's body and know what that handprint means. You have to leave now- and take Michael with you."
"Damn, I was hoping we had a little time before they came for us. Listen Maria, you have to know that Michael didn't do this on purpose- it was an accident..."
Maria cut her off. "I know Isabel. He couldn't have done something like that willingly. He has so little control over his powers."
"He asked me to tell you something. He wants to say goodbye to you and explain everything. We're meeting at the cave near the reservation where we healed him. In an hour. Please come? It'll be your only chance to see him before we leave. And I don't think we can ever come back."
"Whatever it takes, I'll be there, Isabel, I swear. Just don't leave before I can get there."
"We won't. See you soon." Isabel hung up the phone and turned to Alex. "C'mon, we have to hurry." She stood and ran to the closet, dragging out two large bags. Before starting to stuff some of her most durable clothes in one of them, she threw the other to Alex, who headed next door to grab some of Max's clothes for Michael.
~~~~~~~
In his office at the police station, Sheriff Valenti sat at his desk, still in shock over his only son's death. He pressed the rewind button on the small tape recorder in his top drawer. Pressing the play button after a few seconds, he heard his stepdaughter's voice loud and clear, followed by the voice of Isabel Evans telling Maria to meet them at the cave near the reservation in an hour. To say goodbye to the alien that killed his son. He knew bugging the Evans' phones would come in handy someday.
He stood and strapped on his gun belt, then pulled his weapon out of the holster, inserting bullets into the clip one at a time. When it was full, he slid it home into the gun and replaced it on his hip. Grabbing his hat, he set it on his head, and headed for the door. It was time to find a killer.
Part 10
"Michael? Are you here?" Her voice echoed off the walls of the cave as she stumbled inside. Alex flipped on his flashlight, and taking Isabel's hand shined it deep within the empty cavern. They saw a figure huddled on the ground beneath the glowing map on the wall.
"Michael? Are you okay?" Isabel asked as she and Alex approached Michael. He moved slightly letting them know he was alive at least, but he didn't speak. Alex lit a match and brought it up to light one of the torches on the cave wall, then lit the rest, illuminating the darkness. Isabel knelt next to her friend. "Michael? What is it?"
"I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have hurt Kyle. Then we wouldn't have to leave. I'm so sorry Isabel. I'm sorry for everything."
"Shhh. We all knew we'd have to leave someday. It's just that we expected to be going with Max, too. But we'll be okay, Michael. I know we will."
Sniffling, he sat up and looked her in the eye. "Did you talk to Maria?"
"Yeah, she called the house. She promised she'd be here."
"Did you tell her it was an accident?"
"She knew Michael. She knew you wouldn't hurt Kyle for no reason. And she loves you. No matter what you've done. Don't worry. She'll show."
He smiled at her sadly, thankful for Isabel's assurance. He leaned over and gave her a hug, which she returned warmly.
"Well isn't that sweet." The three teens cringed at the familiar voice, and turned around to find a gun trained on them.
"Valenti." Michael said with a cold look.
"Yes, it's me, Mr. Guerin. And I'm here to take care of this situation once and for all."
~~~~~
Maria pressed her foot to the accelerator, speeding toward the cave. She had told her mother she needed to check on Liz, which she had dutifully done. She was passed out in her bed- the shock and sedatives had finally gotten to her. But she hadn't anticipated Liz's parents being so overly concerned about her. They had tried to get her to talk about what happened, ignoring her statements that she needed to get home to her mom and Jim. She only hoped she wasn't too late to say goodbye. Or maybe go with them if they'd let her. She checked the rearview mirror for police lights as she sped toward the Mesaliko Reservation.
~~~~~
"Mr. Whitman, why don't you step away from the Aliens."
"Sheriff, I don't know what you're talking about. No one here's an Alien."
"Oh cut the crap, Alex. We both know what they are. In fact, why don't we prove it?" The Sheriff spun his gun away from Michael and Isabel and squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit Alex in the ribs and he hit the ground.
"ALEX!" Isabel screamed at the explosion, and Michael caught him before he hit the ground. Flying to his side, Isabel leaned over him, pressing her hand to the wound. "Alex can you hear me?"
"Yeah," came his faint whisper.
The Sheriff looked at the trio on the ground. "Sorry about that Alex. I just wanted to prove a point. Go ahead, one of you heal him. Just like Max did that day Liz was shot at the diner. I want to see it. And you better hurry. He's losing a lot of blood."
Alex choked out a cough, and blood began to drip from the corner of his mouth. "Izzy, don't do it. You can't."
The tears were flowing freely down her face as she spoke to him, stroking his cheek. "Alex, I have to, you'll die."
"Isabel, please, don't give him what he wants. I didn't want to live without you anyway. Just remember one thing. I love you. I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and I will love you forever." His head fell backwards as he passed out.
"Alex, damn you, don't die on me!" Isabel looked up at Michael, who nodded his head. Isabel held her hand over Alex's wound, her palm beginning to glow, the wound closing in on itself. Alex remained out, but the bleeding had stopped, and the gunshot was healed. Valenti laughed mirthlessly.
"I knew it. I was right all along. My father was right, and so was Hubbell. I saved your worthless ass from him when he was about to shoot you and Max, Guerin, and you kill my son!"
Michael stood up. "He killed Max. Kyle started this. Not us!"
"Oh and why was that? Why did he suddenly decide to go after you two? Did you antagonize him somehow? What did he have on you that you had to kill him?"
"No! That's not what happened. It was an accident! I swear I didn't mean to. He just... Kyle found out about Maria & me."
The Sheriff looked a bit confused. "Maria? That's what this is all about? I was wondering why she was in such a rush to get here."
"She told you?" Isabel asked, not willing to believe Maria would betray them.
"I had your phone tapped, Ms. Evans." He turned back to Michael. "You and Maria are... in love? And she knows what you are?"
Michael nodded in response. "Kyle saw me climbing out of her window this morning. He thought I was just using her, he was trying to protect her, I guess. He wanted to fight me, and Max got in the way, and Kyle hit him. Max's head hit the lightpost- he was dying." Michael's voice grew louder as the emotions took over. "I tried to heal him, but Kyle freaked out and broke my concentration. Then I just snapped. What would you do? Max was my best friend, dammit!"
"And Kyle was MY SON!" The sheriff screamed as the gun's explosion echoed through the cave again. Michael hit the ground, blood seeping from his chest. Isabel moved toward him, but the sheriff's voice cut her off. "Don't move. Or you're next."
"You can't just let him die!"
"Oh I think I can Ms. Evans. After all he's done to my family, I think he's getting exactly what he deserves."
Michael coughed, trying to take in air. The Sheriff turned as he heard footsteps behind him. Maria's voice called out, "Michael? Isabel? I thought I heard a gunshot..."
Jim looked at his stepdaughter with venom. "You did Maria."
She looked around the dimly lit cavern and saw Isabel cradling Alex's head on her lap, and Michael on the ground about 5 feet away from them. "Michael? MICHAEL!!" She ran toward the body lying on the ground, and dropped to her knees next to him. "Michael, can you hear me? Isabel, fix him, please!"
Isabel sniffled. "I can't Maria, he said if I tried to help Michael he would shoot me next."
Maria looked into the cold eyes of her stepfather. "What's wrong with you? You have to let her heal him!"
"Maria, he killed Kyle. Justice is served."
The tears began to flow freely as she looked at him in horror and disbelief. She turned back to her lover, bleeding profusely from the chest wound. She took his face in her hands. "Michael? Can you hear me, baby? I love you. Please don't go, Michael, I can't live without you."
His eyes fluttered open, and his mouth began to twitch, faint sounds coming out. Finally he took a deep breath and looked up into Maria's eyes. "I love you, Maria. Kiss me goodbye?"
"No, Michael, you can't die. I won't let you! I love you."
"I know you love me, baby. Please can I have a kiss?"
Maria leaned over him and pressed her lips firmly against his, savoring the feel of him one last time. She pulled away to hear him whisper. "I'll always love you, Maria. Always." Then his lips stilled, and his eyes glassed over.
The sound that tore from her throat was inhuman. Leaning her forehead in to touch his, she cried, desperate tears falling onto his face. She began to plant irrational kisses all over his face, mumbling as she did. "I love you Michael Guerin. I love you. I love you..."
The Sheriff pulled his walkie-talkie off his belt, and made a call to the station. "Valenti here. I need a cruiser sent to the old cave by the Mesaliko Reservation."
"10-4 sheriff. Anything else?"
"Yeah. Call the special FBI unit and tell them I have a live one here. They'll know what I mean."
"You got it Sheriff." He looked on as Isabel Evans brushed the hair off Alex's sleeping forehead, her eyes betraying her fear of him and what was coming. He watched as his stepdaughter cried over the dead body of her boyfriend. He shook his head in misery, tears finally beginning to fall for the loss of his son, and the things he had just done.
Questions, Comments, feedback to Danielle
