Title: Wherever I May Roam
Author: Zia
Rating R/NC-17
Summary: Maria is on her way home and picks up a hitchhiker.
Author's Note: Life's a bitch. ALWAYS tip your waitress. They deserve it! And on with the fic! :)

-~-~-
and the road becomes my bride
I have stripped of all but pride
so in her I do confide
and she keeps me satisfied
gives me all I need
-Wherever I may Roam By Metallica
-~-~-

Maria DeLuca, the one voted Most Quirky in her senior class, bobbed her head to the music as she sped down the empty desert highway. Not a car in sight, no towns for miles. The windows were down, filling her car with dry heat, reeking havoc on her hair, she knew it would be a pain in the ass to try and comb out that night, but at the moment, she didn't care.

Her stereo was blaring her favorite Metallica CD, she'd finally gotten around to getting a decent set of speakers for this reason mainly. She wanted to be able to listen to Metallica loud without the sounds of cracking in the background.

Glancing to her side she looked out at the vast desert before her. Just her and the cactus. Turning her head to focus on the road again she caught a flash of light, the sun reflecting off metal. Then she realized it was a watch, and someone was standing less than 100 feet in front of her car and she was barreling towards them at breakneck speed.

She slammed on the breaks, letting out a quiet shriek right along with the squeal of her tires on the hot pavement. Maria heard a dull thud and her eyes flew open, silently praying she didn't kill them.

Then she saw a guy standing in front of the car, his palms slammed down on the hood of it, wearing sunglasses, but she could feel the glare coming from behind them. "Watch it bitch!" He yelled.

Maria jumped out of the car, livid with anger at this guy. He was yelling at her. "Excuse me?! But you're the f-cking moron that's standing in the middle of the road in the f-cking desert! Maybe I should have just run over you." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.


Michael Guerin walked down the road. He had to get away. Get away. Get away. He didn't have a car; his bike had been totaled the day before. Some bastard almost hit him, but luckily he jumped off in time and it only hit his bike. F-ck. He thought. He would have rather it been him than his bike.

Before he knew it some car was speeding down the road in his general direction. He stuck out his thumb. Maybe he'd get lucky. The car wasn't stopping. Closer and closer. Suddenly it stopped. The tiny red Jetta skidded to a stop right in front of him, and he slammed his fists onto the scorching hood of the car. He yelled before he could stop it from coming out of his mouth, and suddenly this tiny little girl woman, jumped out of the car and started screaming at him. He couldn't help but smirk. Maybe, just maybe he'd get lucky.

He raised an eyebrow at her when she said she should have run over him. "What you want me to lay out in the middle of the street and let you have another go this time?"

"Actually yeah!" And he laughed. Fury filled Maria. He thought it was funny. She wanted to kill him and he was laughing. Storming towards him she started hitting him with her small fists.

"You're an assh-le! A f-cking asshole! Stupid mother f-cking bastard." Michael looked at her in surprise at the words coming from her mouth. His hands quickly grabbed her wrists causing her to scream more at him, now getting her feet into the fight.

Maria kicked at him. Lifting one of her legs she tried to kick him where she knew it would cause the most pain but before she could she felt herself swing around and land on the hood of her car face down, with the weight of his body on top of hers. Crushing her into the hot metal. "Calm down." He said against her ear, making her insides tremble.

"Let go of me."

"Only if you promise to stop hitting me."

"Fine."

"And kicking me." He smirked and waited. She had her mouth clamped shut and her head turned to the side, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

"Fine."

"I want to hear you say it."

"Alright!" She shrieked. He had a hold of her hands, and she was ten seconds away from having a complete breakdown at the lack of control in the situation that she had. "I won't kick or hit you! There you happy?!"

Michael smirked and slowly got off her. Although it was a nice place to be, her tiny body, he could just picture the things he wanted to do to her. She shoved him off her when he didn't move away fast enough. Her arms were crossed over her chest and he took his chance and looked her over.

Curly blonde hair framed her face, vibrant green eyes, luscious red lips, a tiny, but well proportioned body. She wore a tight low cut tank top and a skirt short enough that it should have been illegal.

"What's your name?"

"Excuse me?" Maria raised an eyebrow at him.

"I figure since you tried to kill me I should at least know your name, that way if you don't succeed I've got a name to give the cops." Maria gasped and huffed.

"You jerk!" She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing out here anyways? You're in the middle of no where you do realize that don't you?" He simply nodded. "Maria."

Then he smirked at her. It was an infuriating smirk. So sexy Snap out of it! She silently berated herself. "Michael."

"So you going to tell me what you're doing out here?"

"Nope." She huffed.

"Do you need a ride someplace?"

"Where you headed?"

"Home."

"From where?" Michael asked and she smirked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh so you're going to be like that?"

"You started it!" Maria felt about five years old at that comment and Michael laughed. She wanted to slap that smile off his face, but even more she wanted to suck on his lips. Her eyes went wide for a second and she blushed before spinning around and walking back to the driver's side door of her car. "Do you want a ride someplace? Like the next town or something?"

Michael simply shrugged, causing Maria to roll her eyes again. "Get your ass in the car reject." She smirked at him and he smirked back before walking over and climbing into the car with her.

Part Two

Maria slid into the warm water of the hot tub at the hotel. She'd been driving all day, in mostly silence except for the pulsing beat of Metallica. Now they were at a hotel, sharing a room, luckily with two beds. She really didn't know this guy, but for some reason, she trusted him.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped. Her eyes flew open and she saw Michael kneeling beside the hot tub wearing only a pair of boxers. "Mind if I join you?"

Maria licked her lips and nodded. "Of course not." Michael jumped in beside her and watched her lean her head back again and close her eyes.

"Come'ere." He gently tugged on her arm and pulled her between his legs.

"What are you-" She cut herself off at the feel of his fingers kneading her shoulders. "Ohhhh." She moaned leaning into his touch. "Wow that feels really good."

Then she felt his lips latch onto the back of her neck, and she tried to pull away, but her body wouldn't let her. Maria melted into his touch. His arms slid around her waist as he kissed her throat, and slowly slid a hand up to cup her breast.

Maria pulled back a little and turned her head to look at him. "You're not some psycho murdering rapist are you?"

"No." Michael whispered leaning in and kissing her again.

Satisfied with the answer, Maria smiled and turned around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him hard on the mouth.


Michael carried Maria's practically limp body from the water and down the walkway back to their hotel room. He carried her into the bathroom and grabbed a towel to dry them off. Somehow they ended up having sex in the hot tub. It started out with him giving her a back rub, a simple thank you for picking him up, and not running him over, but her skin looked so smooth, he had to taste it.

In minutes her skimpy bikini was gone, then his boxers, and then he was moving inside of her, their hips moving fast, impassioned kisses. Michael set her down on the counter and started drying her off after tossing her bikini into the bathtub and finished drying her off. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning into his chest.

He carried her to one of the beds and tucked her in before sliding in beside her and wrapping his arms around her waist, and letting Maria snuggle into his chest.


The next morning they were on the road again, it was early; they stopped at a gas station for gas, and something to drink. "Get me a coke?" Michael asked as Maria climbed out of the car, once again wearing an obscenely short skirt. Now he knew it was to tease him.

"Sure thing." She smiled and leaned back through the window and kissed him before quickly scurrying away and into the minute market.


Maria walked into the little store and went straight for the fridge. She was thirsty, and had to get Michael's drink too. She grabbed two sodas and walked over to the counter and glanced up at the TV and saw it on the news. "What happened?" Maria asked glancing at the woman behind the counter.

"Some guy killed his girlfriend."

"How horrible." Maria said fishing the money out of her pocket and handing it to the woman. She looked back at the TV screen and the bottles of soda slipped from her fingers at who she saw on the screen.

Part Three

"Hey Ria!" Maria heard Michael call from outside.

"You okay?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"I" Maria glanced out at Michael. "I'm fine." She quickly grabbed the sodas and rushed back out to her car.

Michael stood leaning against the driver's door, watching Maria as she walked towards him. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She climbed into the car before handing him his soda. "Thanks." Michael said giving her a kiss and then starting the car, he pulled out of the station.

They sat in the car for a while in silence before Michael spoke. "You okay?"

"Of course!" Maria said a little too quickly. "I'm just kind of tired."

"Why don't you sleep?" Michael suggested.

[I]Oh that's smart, and then I'll wake up dead.[/I] Maria thought. "No."

"But you're tired you're really weird." Michael laughed.

Maria forced a smile and started playing with her necklace. "What's that?" He asked.

"My necklace?"

"Yeah what is it?"

"A Saint Christopher."

"And that is?"

"He was a saint." Michael glanced over and gave her a 'no kidding' look.

"Really?" He said in mock surprise.

"I don't know exactly, but he's supposed to protect you. My mom got it for me when I left for school. Since I was going to be so far away, and she couldn't be around me all the time."

"So that's where you were?" He smirked and Maria realized she'd slipped.

"Yeah." Michael smiled at her. "So now that I told you where are you from?" Maria asked quietly. She was afraid to ask, afraid he might kill her.

"New York." Maria swallowed hard. That's where the girl was killed.

"I always wanted to go there."

"Maybe someday I'll take you." Her eyes widened a little.

Soon after Maria turned the CD player up and proceeded to try and ignore the fact that there was a rapist murderer driving her car.


They arrived at a hotel late, only one room, with one bed was available. Maria went straight to the bathroom and locked herself inside.

Finally Maria came out of the bathroom; Michael was asleep on his stomach in bed. Taking a deep breath she grabbed her bag and then looked for her keys. Then she saw them. Her keys sat on the nightstand beside where Michael was sleeping.

Slowly she made her way over and reached for the keys, then screamed when Michael grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?"

"Please don't kill me!" She shrieked and Michael jumped off the bed quickly, still holding her wrist.

"What?!"

"I saw it on the news. Please! I'll do anything! Just don't kill me!" Maria felt herself fall back onto the bed and saw Michael yanking off his belt. He was going to rape her. Tears rolled down her face as she lifted herself onto her elbows and tried to push her body away from his. She knew it would hurt when he did, worse than last night. And she hadn't even been a virgin, but he was well endowed.

He grabbed her ankles and dragged her back on the bed, her head fell onto the soft pillows, and she felt the thick leather band wrap around her ankles and then tied the rest of the leather tightly around the footboard.

"Please." Maria begged with tears rolling down her face. "Please don't do this to me."

Michael grabbed her wrists and leapt onto the bed and straddled her chest. He held her wrists with one hand, while the other yanked the chain for his wallet off his jeans. He wrapped the metal around her wrists, then secured them over her head.

Maria was still crying, and pleading with him until he walked into the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth and came back and stuffed it into her mouth. And then he was gone. She heard her car start, and she was left in a mostly dark room, struggling against her bonds. What if she died? Is that what he did? Left her there to die, in some skanky motel room.

She cried for hours, until exhaustion took over and she fell into a fitful slumber.

Part Four

Michael sped down the road in Maria's car. "F-ck!" He yelled slamming his fist against the steering wheel. He couldn't get the look of pure terror on Maria's face out of his head. He'd never seen anyone so scared before. And he made it worse, instead of trying to explain things he made them worse by tying her to the bed.

He couldn't go back. That's what he kept telling himself. Michael drove around for hours before his hands won the battle against his brain and he spun the car around and sped back to the hotel..

Michael shoved open the door and found her asleep on the bed, dark tear tracks down her cheeks, dry lips, her wrists and ankles were chafed and red.

Walking over to her, he started with her ankles. Carefully he undid his belt from her ankles and put it back through the loops of his jeans. Then he moved up beside her head and undid the chain from the headboard, but kept it around her wrists.

Michael carried Maria out to the car and wrapped a blanket around her. He then grabbed a bottle of water and held it against her mouth, and poured some into her mouth. Quickly she licked her lips, even in her sleep.

Then Michael started driving, keeping an eye on her, waiting for her to wake up.


Slowly Maria's eyes fluttered open, bright light flooded her vision, and she tried to struggle against her bonds again. "No!" Maria screamed, then felt a hand gently stroking her hair, and a soft voice murmuring calming words.

Where was she? Not in the hotel room anymore. Slowly her vision cleared and she saw Michael sitting beside her, driving her car touching her face, her hair. Maria tried to fight him off, but she was tangled in the blankets, and chains were around her wrists. "Let me go!" She shrieked. "Please! Just let me go!"

Quickly Michael pulled off to the side of the road, and turned to her. "I'm not going to hurt you. You have to believe me. That girl that was killed, I didn't do it. She was one of my best friends, her name was Tess. I would never hurt anyone!"

"You tied me up."

"I panicked, I have no proof that I didn't do it."

"Then what should I believe you?!" Michael sighed.

"I don't know."

"They said you raped her."

"We had sex, I didn't rape her. She was a hooker, got into a fight with her 'boyfriend' so to speak, she came by, we had sex, I woke up and she was just just lying there." Michael looked away, and stared out the window. "Her neck was broken."

Maria watched him cautiously. She wasn't sure why, but she believed him. "Will you untie my hands?"

"Promise you'll stop trying to run away." Maria paused, then nodded.

Michael reached over and unwrapped the chain from her wrists. They were red, sore, and bruised. "I'm sorry for that."

Maria nodded a little. "It's okay. And I do believe you." She bit her lip. "Where were you going? Obviously running, but to where?"

"I don't know."

"I'll take you home with me, until we figure something out."

"Where is your home?"

"Roswell, New Mexico."

"Aliens and U.F.O.s?"

"That's the place." Maria smiled at him. "I'm kinda hungry, think we could stop soon? Get a room?"

Michael nodded. "Anything you want." Michael leaned over and kissed her temple. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She leaned into his side as he started the car, and started driving again.

Part Five

They got to a hotel an hour later, got a room and ordered some Chinese take out. "I'm gonna take a bath until the food gets here." Maria kissed Michael before walking into the bathroom, and filled the tub with hot bubbly water.

Seconds after she climbed in she heard Michael knock then the door opened. "Need help washing your back?"

"You have a thing for water sports Mr. Guerin?"

"Only since I met you."

"I suppose I could use a little help with those uh hard to reach places. Michael stripped down and slipped in behind Maria. She leaned back against his chest, enjoying the warmth his skin, and the water provided.

Michael's hands started slowly with a soapy washcloth on her back, scrubbing gently, then around to her stomach, then her arms, taking his time with her wrists.

Then he started on her breasts, kneading and washing them gently. Michael heard Maria moan and dropped the washcloth and cupped her breasts feeling the slightly heavy weight in his palms.

Then he felt her hand wrap around his c-ck, her tight grip stroking him slowly. "F-ck me Michael." Maria purred, lifting herself up onto her knees and stroked the tip of his length against her soaked folds.

Michael's hands quickly grabbed onto her hips. "I think you're the one that likes water sports." Maria turned her head and winked at him before dropping her hips down and engulfing his c-ck inside of her p-ssy.

"F-ck!" Michael roared thrusting his hips up, sending himself fully inside of her pulsing heat.

Maria leaned forward, resting her hands on his legs as she started to move, slowly at first, letting herself get accustomed to the feel of him inside of her.

Within moments Maria was moaning out Michael's name as their hips moved in violent tandem.


Maria fell back against Michael's chest, completely spent. "Hmmm that was nice." She murmured letting her eyes close, enjoying the feel of Michael's fingers tracing over every exposed part of her body.

Michael heard a knock on the door. "There's our dinner." He lifted her up and grabbed a towel. "Be right there." He yelled wrapping the towel around her shoulders before grabbing another and wrapping it around his waist then walked into the main room and opened the door. He paid for the food, then walked over to the bed where Maria was sitting, now wrapped up in the sheet smiling at him, one leg draped over the sheets, teasing him, tempting him.


The next evening they arrived at Maria's mom's house. Maria took Michael's hand and led him up to the door and opened it. "Mom?" She called out and the lights quickly flipped on.

"Surprise!" Her friends jumped up from behind the furniture, and then all froze with their eyes on Michael. "Who's that?" Someone asked and Maria squeezed his hand.

"This is Michael. My boyfriend."

Part Six

It had been about a week since Maria and Michael had arrived at Maria's mom's house. They were sharing Maria's old room, and Maria was constantly having to answer questions about Michael. Where she met him? How long had they been together? The worst so far had been about the bruises on her wrists. Her mother had asked about them and Maria was quick to respond with 'Do I really have to tell you about my sex life?' And for the most part they left it alone, but she saw the looks her mother gave them whenever they touched or kissed around her.

It was early in the morning; Michael had woken Maria up by slipping far down under the blankets, then between her legs. She woke up to the feel of an amazing orgasm, now they were laying snuggled together.

The door flew open and Maria shrieked and grabbed onto Michael tighter when she saw her half brother standing in the doorway, with several men behind him. "Kyle what the hell are you doing!?"

"Michael Guerin you are under arrest for murder. You have the right to remain silent." Kyle paused taking in the sight in front of him. His little sister in bed with a criminal. "Get dressed Guerin." Kyle commanded.

Michael glanced at Maria. "I'm sorry." He told her standing up and pulling on his clothes.

"Kyle! Don't do this! He didn't do it! He's innocent!" Kyle looked at Maria.

"Get dressed. Mom is already heart broken enough about this whole ordeal, I really don't think she'd like to walk in here and see you naked."

"Kyle please."

"Later Maria." Kyle fastened the cuffs around Michael's wrists and pulled him out of Maria's bedroom.

"Wait!" Maria leapt out of the bed, holding the sheet around her tightly with one hand; with the other she unclasped her necklace and then clasped it around Michael's neck. "To keep you safe" She trailed off and kissed her softly before he was pulled back from her quickly.


"He didn't do it Kyle." Maria said to him as they sat in the Crashdown drinking coffee. Michael had been arrested the day before, and refused to see Maria. She was upset by it, but it made her even more determined to find out the truth.

"How do you know?" Kyle asked taking a sip of his coffee.

"I just do alright?"

"No. Not alright Maria. This guy is a complete stranger, and for one you're f-cking him-"

"That's none of your business."

"The hell it isn't! You're my baby sister. Your best friend is my wife. God you should have seen the look on Izzy's face when she saw his picture on the news." Kyle reached across the table and grabbed Maria's hand and looked at her mostly healed wrist. "Did he rape you?"

"NO!" Maria exclaimed, then took a deep breath. "He didn't Kyle. It was completely willingly. Look, the truth is, I found out who he was, he panicked, tied me up, left for a few hours then came back and explained it all to me. He's not a bad guy." Kyle didn't believe her. "I'm going to prove it wasn't him."

"How?"

"I'm gonna go to New York and figure it out."

"Like hell! You are not going there alone!"

"Then come with me." Kyle crossed his arms over his chest, and Maria mimicked the movement. He couldn't ever deny his baby sister.

"Fine." He grumbled.

"I know I'm right."

"How?"

"I just do."


The next day they arrived in New York, after spending hours on an airplane. Kyle slept most of the time, but Maria stayed awake, writing down everything Michael had told her about that night. She was going to find out the truth.

The first place they went to was Michael's apartment where they'd found Tess' body. Maria glanced around and saw the tape outline of where her body had been.

"I'm gonna go look around. Be careful." Kyle said before disappearing down the hallway.

Maria knelt down beside the outline and lightly trailed her fingers over it. The girl had been her age; Michael had showed her a picture. She was beautiful, and someone killed her. Cut her life short before she really had much of a chance to live it.

Then she felt a hand clamp over her mouth and tried to scream, but the knife to her throat silenced her.

Part Seven

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A gruff voice whispered against her ear. The knife fell from her throat, then the hand from her mouth.

Maria spun around quickly and looked at the man who had grabbed her. "I I'm a friend of Michael's. The guy who lived here. Who are you?"

He looked down at the floor. "Her boyfriend."

"Don't you mean ex?"

"Why split hairs? She's dead anyways. So what are you doing here?"

"Picking up some things for Michael."

"You know where he is? He's been on the run since she died."

"Yeah, he uh got arrested in Roswell."

"Well that sucks now doesn't it?"

"He didn't do it. He's innocent."

"Says who?"

"He did."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Looking for something to prove that he's innocent."

"Find anything?"

"As a matter of fact" Maria lied, and he nodded.

"Oh well, we can't have that now can we?"

"What?" Maria asked confused, then doubled over in pain when he slammed the knife into her stomach.

"Why are you doing this?" Maria clutched her stomach as she slid down to her knees.

"Well I can't have anyone find out who really killed Tessa now can I?"

"You killed her." He nodded. "Why?"

"She was a whore. She doesn't matter."

"She was your girlfriend. She loved you."

"That's her problem. Well was her problem."

Slowly Maria laid down on her side, pulling her knees up to her chest.


Kyle heard a noise and quickly back down the hall. He looked around the corner and saw Maria talking to someone. Within seconds he saw the man stab Maria. Kyle pulled out his gun and stood there for a few more seconds, listening to what they were saying. He admitted to killing Tess.

Kyle quickly came around the corner and pointed his gun at the man. "Put the knife down. You are under arrest for the murder of Tess Harding." Kyle pulled out his handcuffs and roughly shoved him too the floor on his stomach before cuffing his hands behind his back, then quickly moved to Maria's side.

"Maria? Sweetheart are you okay?"

"Kyle it hurts."

"I know. Just hold on."

"I can't."

"You will. You'll be okay." She shook her head a little and her eyes started to close. "Open your eyes Maria!" Kyle yelled at her, stroking her cheek. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed 911.


Michael collected his things from the jailer. He was a free man. They got a confession from Max, and now he was free. He ran his fingers through his hair and walked out of the building, and through the gate back into the outside world. He'd been in there a week, then they came in and said he could go.

Maria had come to visit him when it first happened, but he didn't want to see her, he didn't want her to see him like that. In jail, which he thought was for the rest of his life.

He wasn't sure if he should go see her or not. "Hey Guerin." He glanced over and saw Maria's brother standing up against a car. "Come with me."

"What's going on?"

"We need to talk."

Part Eight

They got in the car and started driving. Kyle didn't speak, just silently drove for a while. "You know Maria is the reason you're out. You wouldn't even see her. Were you just using her for sex?"

"Not that it's any of your business-"

"NO! It is my business, that is my baby sister you're talking about."

"I wasn't using her!"

"Then why wouldn't you see her?"

"I didn't want her to see me in there. Not like that."

They pulled up in front of Amy's house. "Max killed Tess.'

"I should have known." Michael angrily ran his fingers through his hair.

"Get out man, let's go." Kyle said on his way up to the house.

Cautiously Michael got out and followed him. The door was open when he got there so he just walked inside, but instantly regretted it when Amy started hitting him. "You assh-le! It's your fault! You hurt my baby!" Michael winced and tried to block her blows.

"Mom stop it! It wasn't his fault." Amy stopped and Michael looked up and saw Maria. "Glad you're out."

"Thank you." Maria smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're welcome." Michael's arms went around her waist and hugged her tight, until she whimpered. "What's wrong?!" Michael pulled back quickly, worry written on his face.

"Her hand went to her stomach and she sighed before raising the hem, and revealing the bandage. "That's how I found out about Max killing Tess. He stabbed me and admitted it."

"He what!? Are you okay?!" She smiled a little.

"I'm fine, just a little sore." He pushed some hair behind her ear before hugging her closely.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Why did you do that?"

"I knew you didn't kill her. I couldn't let you go to prison for something you didn't do." Michael pulled her back into his arms a little gentler this time.

Michael pulled back a little and took the St. Christopher off and slid it back around her throat. "Thank you." He whispered against her ear and she smiled as she buried her face in his chest.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Maria smiled at him.

"For proving to my family that you're a good guy." Michael looked up and saw Amy, Kyle, Isabel and Jim standing in the living room watching them. He could feel the heat burning his face and quickly hid it in Maria's hair.

"You'll pay for that." He muttered and Maria let out a quiet laugh.

"I hope so!"

-FIN-