******
As soon as Maria got home, she went to her room, too puzzle things out. *Who was that man? Should I tell someone? How does he know about Michael? And why did he tell me, not Isabel? He can't be one of them, can he? Or is he...* Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Maria, I need your car."
"Hi, Michael, get your own car."
"Maria, please, it's about Nasedo." Maria bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. This could be dangerous, but she promised Isabel that she would be there for Michael, and that man at tattoo parlor had also warned her, and if Michael had said please, it must be something important.
"Okay," she said, finally making the decision.
"Really?" Michael seemed surprised.
"Yeah. Do I have to beg to come along this time? Because, I *am* coming with you, space boy, and don't doubt that!"
"Maria--"
"No, Michael, you can't do everything by yourself. I'm coming."
Maria heard Michael sigh. "Okay, then. Come to my apartment, quickly." He hung up.
"Good-bye to you, too," Maria said to the phone.
******
"Where are we going?" Maria asked, as Michael took the keys from her, and climbed into the driver's seat. "Or do I have to guess?"
"The desert, I had another vision," Michael answered, as he started the car.
"You did? Did you tell Max and Isabel?"
"No."
"They're a part of this, too, Michael, you can't just--"
"I'm letting you come aren't I?" Michael looked over at her. "You're not going to do something dumb, like call Liz again, are you?"
Maria rolled her eyes. "No, *someone* broke my cell phone."
"Sorry." Michael smiled at her.
"Yeah, right," Maria said under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing? I said sorry, didn't I? The least you can do is accept my apology. It doesn't happen often you know."
"I accept your apology," Maria repeated, robotically.
"That's all I ask."
******
After an hour of driving, Michael stopped.
"Here? This is desert. This is nothing! How could anything be out here?" Maria looked incredually at Michael.
"Look, I don't control the visions, I just get them. This is what I had a vision of, this is where we are."
"Great." Maria slumped back in her seat. "I'm stuck in the middle of no where, with no one but an alien for company."
Michael glared at her. "You didn't *have* to come."
"Like I'm just going to let someone waltz off with my car!"
Before Michael could reply, Maria grabbed his arm. "Look!"
Far off in the distance, someone was approaching their car.
"What is it?" Maria asked in a whisper.
"Nasedo, and I'm going to meet him," Michael answered, as he opened the door.
"Michael! Michael! You can't just leave me here. You don't know if he's safe..." Maria's voice trailed off. "Fine, spaceboy, if you're not going to pretect yourself, I'll just have to do it for you."
Maria climbed out the door, and she and Michael slowly approached the mysterious figure.
