Finding Yourself
Part 14

Michael pushed his way through the Deluca household into the tidy kitchen, performing a juggling act with bags of groceries. As he slammed them down on the counter, he wondered when he’d become so domesticated. Somehow, two women not ruled his life. But he truthfully didn’t want it any other way. Amy had been so great about letting him stay with Maria, he’d wanted to do something for her. So, grocery shopping had seemed easy enough. How the hell was he supposed to know what shampoo they used? He’d grabbed the list off Amy’s fridge and knew he was in over his head from the minute he’d walked into the store.

Maria had begged for some alone time that morning, pushing him out the door in a way that had left no ruffled feathers. But she’d woken up in a strange mood, having seemed more aware than he’d seen her since Alex died. He dared not hope he had his Maria back. It had killed him to watch her sit back and take the recent events without a fight. His Maria was passionate and reckless. She wasn’t a planner, but a doer, often with an impulse that drove him mad. But he’d take that infuriating girl any day over the one with the heartache in her eyes.

The groceries forgotten, Michael turned towards Maria’s room, their room these days. He didn’t know how he’d fallen asleep every night without being able to hold her in his arms, and he didn’t know how anyone could expect him to again after being allowed the pleasure. Maybe after graduation, he could convince her to move in with him. Of course, he’d make it seem like it was her idea and put up initial resistance. But in the end, it wouldn’t matter whose idea it was, because he’d be able to hold her in his arms every night. For the hundredth time, Michael sympathized with Max. He wouldn’t be able to make it if he ever lost Maria.

With a quick knock, he pushed open her door, eyes scanning the room for her. With a frown, he noted that the room was empty.

"Maria?" He called out. Where the hell was she? He crossed to her bathroom and found it just as empty. Deep in thought, it took him a moment to notice the sheet of paper propped up on her pillow. Michael snatched at it, reading it greedily.

Michael,
Don’t be angry, but I’ve left. I woke up and didn’t like who I saw in the mirror. So, I’m off to kidnap Max. Don’t worry, we’re fine. And don’t let Isabel hunt us down just yet. Max and I need to work through a few things. Hopefully, we’ll be better friends for it. I love you.
Maria

Michael swore even as there was a knock at the door. Had he actually said he preferred impulsive Maria? A part of him hoped this kidnapping didn’t splinter the group even further. But somewhere deep inside, he knew that Maria was maybe the one who could get through to Max. None of them had even tried and he knew they had all taken the cowards way out.

The incessant knocking at the door made him turn towards it, swinging it open in frustration.

"Isabel? What’s wrong?" He ushered her inside quickly.

"Thank god you’re here! I’ve been trying to call you all day!"

"I was at the store. What is it?"

"Max is gone, Michael. I can’t find him anywhere. He was sleeping and when I went to check on him, he was gone. I’ve been all over town and there’s no sight of him. I don’t know what to do anymore."

"Okay, first you need to calm down. I think I know where Max disappeared to." He handed her Maria’s note and she read it quickly.

"Why the hell would she do something like that? We need to find them now. Who knows what she’s doing to him."

"I would imagine she’s talking to him." Something about Isabel’s tone of voice irked him. But he’d known her too long to take offense to her.

"You don’t understand, Michael. Max is at a difficult place right now. The last thing he needs is Maria hammering away at him."

"First of all, you watch what you say about Maria. Second, Max isn’t the delicate flower you’re making him out to be. We’ve let him mope long enough."

"What?" Isabel was stunned. If anyone would have taken her side, she was sure it would have been Michael. "How can you say that? God, you sound just like Kyle."

"Well, maybe Kyle’s right. What have we got accomplished since Liz left? Nothing. Now, nothing against Liz, because I think she was right to leave town, but she is at the heart of all this. Since she left, Max has shut down."

"Can you blame him? Look at what he’s been through this past year. What she put him through"

"Right, well look at what all of us have been through this past year. Let’s start with Liz, who found out Max was destined to be with Tess, so she gave him up. Then he pursues her only to have his future self come back in time to break them up. She pretends to sleep with Kyle, has to put up with us, and we were bastards to her, Isabel. Her reputation is ruined, her friendships at risk, and she did it anyway. Liz and Maria lost their best friend, who was murdered by one of us. And when Liz came to us, Max made everyone choose sides. I know you miss Alex, and I know Max misses Liz, but the rest of us were hurt too, Kyle and Maria most of all. And if Maria wants to get out of bed for the first time in months to go talk to Max, then I’m not going to stop her. It’s time we all started healing."

Defeated, Isabel slumped onto the couch. That was almost identical to what Kyle had tried to tell her before. But she had ruined that friendship already, the only one she had left. "I can’t lose anyone else. I only wanted to help."

Michael softened and knelt before her. "I know you did. But you have to stop now. We need to start looking for the Granolith again. Who knows how powerful it can be if the wrong people get a hold of it?"

"He’s absolutely right."

Michael and Isabel looked up to find Max and Maria in the doorway. Isabel resisted the urge to run to Max and hug him tight. Maybe Michael was right. It was time for all of them to let go and move on.

Max stepped into the room, a large bundle of papers in his hands. Michael stood again and gave both of them a glance. "Everything okay here?"

Max nodded curtly. "It’s a work in progress." He turned his head toward Maria and she smiled at him in agreement. They would be friends again someday.

"Maria and I talked and she made me realize that I’ve wasted too much time feeling sorry for myself. I can’t promise you that I’ll be a barrel of laughs, but I won’t go back to the person I have been the last few months. I owe each of you an apology for the way I’ve treated you. I know words can’t ever be enough, but I promise to be there for all of you no matter what.

Liz is gone and I can’t do anything to change that, or to make up the last year to her. But I can find my son and do everything in my power to give him a good chance at a life, whether that be here or on Antar. I don’t know what the next few months will hold, but they’ll probably be dangerous. I can’t even promise that when I find him, I’ll be able to stay on Earth. But I won’t ask any of you to come back with me. Liz was right. If she’d stayed, I wouldn’t have been able to make a choice between leaving her behind and possibly killing my son." He looked around at the room’s occupants. "None of you have to help me. I’ll understand if I have to do this on my own, but I will do it. No matter what the cost."

Maria nodded. "I’m in. I know I’m not much help, having no powers and all, but anything I can do, I will. It’s the least I can do for Liz."

Max smiled at her in thanks. He didn’t deserve any support at all after all he’d put them through.

"If Maria’s in, I guess I’m automatically in too. Although, I may make you grovel for my forgiveness just for fun." Michael grinned at Max, happy to have his old friend back again.

Max turned his gaze to Isabel. She turned sad eyes on him. "I owe you an apology too. I’ve been hovering, not letting you do what you needed to do. I was just so afraid of losing you too, I couldn’t stand it. Forgive me?"

Max leaned down to pull his sister into his arms. "You don’t have anything to apologize for. I love you, sis. And I may not have made it through those first few nights without you. So, no more crying, and no more apologizing, unless I’m the one doing it. We should call Kyle. Maria and I have been going over some of the more recent reports on the Granolith search."

"Kyle isn’t interested." Isabel spoke up quickly. "I talked to him already. He isn’t going to be coming to any more group meetings, or help us at all. He’s not on our side anymore."

Max looked at Isabel in confusion. He thought the two of them had become friends. He would have to pull out what had happened, but not just yet. Some things were better left to sit for a few days and discussed with cool heads. "Okay, then let’s get down to business." He started pulling out charts and satellite feeds, laying them out flat on the coffee table. "I think we need to do a bit more research first, but I think I have the location pinned down roughly."