Oh My, Michael

by Catheryne

AU M&M. Michael is the most sought after young man in Roswell High, with a secret relationship with an unlikely girl. FINISHED. This is an old story from 2003.

Part 1

In Roswell High, the key word was binary.

There was the West Wing, and there was the East Wing. There were morning classes and afternoon classes. There were the cheerleaders and there were the nerds. There were the popular kids and there were the geeks.

Come to think of it, nobody broke the perfect separation between two worlds.

Except for the one student who was more popular than popular, richer than rich, and more gorgeous than drop-dead hot hunk. And that was Michael Guerin.

Michael Guerin—son of the esteemed Henry Guerin, or should he be called Lord Hank? One could, after all, trace the uncle of his father's cousin as the son of an English earl. Logically, that was pretty far from any aristocratic blood already. But logic escapes the lowly common people of Roswell when it comes to such. Michael Guerin is the closest to blue blood that they've been exposed to.

It was a good thing that they've been forbidden to loiter around the corridors of the school. Some of them actually thought they were supposed to kneel and bow and curtsy when Michael passed by the halls. Well two weeks of that, and Michael had to request at the office to stop the students from doing it. But that was only after one of the new teachers bowed in front of a class that Michael attended, and wouldn't start teaching. The dismissal bell saw the new teacher still bent at the waist.

Michael's protest over the irrational reaction of the Roswellians to his father's questionable connection to an English earl was finally heeded, and students were asked to put aside their awe of the guy. But the reputation of being different, and his place on a pedestal, had already been so affirmed, that Michael had forever been someone that the rest of the student body looked up to.

It wasn't even a hard mistake to make. Michael stayed with his own crowd of people—a crowd who deemed it justified to think of themselves as the nobility of Roswell High.

Kyle Valenti and Max Evans were Kings. Kyle, of the hard court, and Max, of pretty much the rest. At least that's how they looked at themselves. Of course, seeing as how Kyle was captain of the Roswell's unbeatable and worship-worthy Comets team, Kyle had his own group of followers. Whenever his name was called during a game, his statistic of fainting girls beat the Beatles' by a hairline. And Max Evans… Well whoever doubted the fact that Max Evans was pretty? The younger students made him an idol, and he was voted number 1 pick of freshmen as "guy I wanna go to Prom with." It was a title that Michael chuckled at. You can never make Michael go to prissy dances. And that is the reason that Max Evans, self-professed "King of Handsome" kept being voted King.

Isabel Evans, Max's even prettier sister, was Queen. Everyone thought that she and Michael looked perfect together. Who else would suit a man like Michael, who they all knew was like… THE worthiest man in Roswell High… other than Isabel Evans, with that statuesque frame and long golden locks of hair? That was, of course, before Queen quickly transformed into Snow Queen. And when you're a Snow Queen, and students love to hate you, it didn't take long to fall a title short and turn into Ice Princess. The Ice Princess cannot possibly be good enough for Michael Guerin. Oh no sir!

So the student body of Roswell High were on the watch for a girl to match with their resident blue blood. Unfortunately, it seemed like nobody can ever be good enough for the guy except when it's in that girl's dreams.

Michael Guerin may graduate single. That would be the curse of Roswell High.

Girls shook their heads at the utter depravity, the sheer senselessness, of that. A prime piece of man meat like Michael Guerin must not be allowed to graduate single. That was just… not nice.

"That is just illegal."

Liz's and Maria's heads swiveled towards their friend Alex who was wolfing down a burger while watching the hot crowd. Maria rolled her eyes upwards and asked wearily, "The kind of beauty that Isabel has?"

"Well that," Alex agreed, "and that." He pointed towards Michael.

Maria's eyes widened at the acoustic guitar Michael was holding. Even from the distance, she could tell how well crafted it was, and just how expensive that kind of guitar was. Her group was at the opposite end of the spectrum, and they were as poor as the Evanses and the Guerins were rich. "Wow," she whispered.

"I didn't know he played," was Liz's comment.

Maria shrugged. "He must be learning."

"To learn from a genuine 1959 acoustic Fender! I'm in paradise. My knees are weak," Alex mumbled.

"Dream on," Liz chuckled. "He's the type of guy who crashes his foot down a Yamaha 1970 after every song."

Maria shook her head. "He's not that alien from us." They heard a yell from the opposite end of the quad, and saw Michael throw a beer can, still full, at Kyle's direction. "Okay yeah maybe be he is pretty different. Especially when he's around them."

Her best friend Liz, bless her heart, agreed with her. "He doesn't want to be alienated from his crowd."

"But that's what makes his personality weak," Alex offered, still throwing envious glances at the Fender on the grass beside Michael.

"So guys," Maria sighed, "I have to cancel on tomorrow. "I have to work. I seriously need money to pay for the class trip. I can't miss a shift."

"Maria!" Liz protested. "You're not serious, are you? You can't work on your birthday. We need to continue tradition. Pizza Pan! We need to go and celebrate at Pizza Pan, Maria. We've been doing it for seventeen years!"

"I know I know," she groaned. "But listen, I have to do this. I can't ask my mom for any more money. She'll go insane."

"I'll lend it to you!"

"Right. And then I'll have to pay you with my salary for the next week. But you know my regular salary covers some of the household utilities. It's going to be a cycle of debt. That's totally a vicious cycle, Lizzie."

"Now is not the time to be good in economics terms, Maria. Listen, I'll pay for the class trip. It's my gift on your birthday."

"And I'll get the tab for your birthday dinner," Alex said.

"Guys, you are totally the most generous people in the world, but no. I can't let you do that. Liz, I know how long you've been saving up for that telescope. And Alex, look at me, man! Is this not the same girl who helped you canvass a cool new Yamaha, even if it can't compare to the one that Michael Guerin supposedly smashes at the end of every song," she said teasingly. "None of us can spare any bucks. And let's face it, this Pizza Pan tradition is a luxury we can't afford. Heck, a birthday is a luxury I can't afford."

"Fine," Alex muttered. "But believe you me, this is the start of many such breaking of tradition."

Maria nodded. "I hate responsibilities."

"Hate it hate it." Liz looked wistfully at the laughing, carefree bunch sitting at their popular table. "What did they do that we didn't to have such perfect lives?"

"You want me to ask Michael Guerin that when I report for duty at their record bar later?"

Alex chuckled at Maria. "Right, Mars! Like he even pays any attention to you."

Part 2

"Oh my… Michael," the moan was breathy and clear. She bit her lip at the way his lips assailed her sense. "Yes. There."

"You taste so good. I can't believe any girl could taste the way you do," Michael murmured against her neck.

She giggled. "I'm already here making out with you at the backroom. You don't have to flatter me."

"I'm serious," he told her.

"You've kissed Isabel Evans."

"So?"

"Well she must've tasted nice, with all those expensive skin stuff she uses."

"Isabel tastes bitter, Maria. Expensive perfume on the skin leaves a bitter coating. I had to keep myself from gagging."

"Ugh."

"Yeah ugh." He leaned down to catch her lips, and she answered him with an equally fervent kiss. And then she pushed at his shoulders. "What the matter?"

"It's my shift now."

Michael's brows furrowed. "Okay. Consider yourself on the clock."

Maria narrowed her eyes and shoved him. "Get away from me."

"What's wrong now? You're on the clock. You're not late."

"You so have to take a crash course on women, Guerin. Or at least on common sense." Maria huffed and straightened her ponytail. When she reached for the door handle, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her back to him. "Let me go, Michael," she said. "I have work to do."

He buried his face in her neck and murmured, "Whatever I said wrong, sorry. And if you think I'm letting you walk out that door riled at me, you're mistaken. We didn't last this long by not communicating properly." Maria sighed. He turned her around and sat her down on the couch. "Now tell me what's wrong."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And then she opened them and stared into his. "Michael, I'm poor." He frowned and opened his mouth, but she closed her hand over it. "Let me finish, dork!" She took a deep breath. "I'm poor. And that's fine with me. But I'm not a whore."

"WHAT!?" Michael's face burned red. "Who said you were? S-hit, Maria! I didn't imply any such thing!"

Maria stared down at her lap. "Michael, I know you didn't mean it. It's just—"

She found herself pulled into his embrace. "I would never say anything like that. I wouldn't ever think that."

"I know," she murmured.

"Was it… When I said you were on the clock when—S-hit. I'm so sorry, baby."

"Michael, it doesn't matter. I'm sorry for flipping on you."

His arms tightened around her. "Don't apologize to me. I'm the thoughtless one. I should have been more careful. Your mom—It doesn't matter. I'm sorry."

Maria extricated herself carefully and smiled. "I should get to work."

"Okay. You'd better since you're not gonna be around tomorrow."

"Oh." She nervously played with her ponytail. "I was going to talk to Davie about that. I'm not missing tomorrow. So I hope you haven't called any one to fill in for me yet."

"Maria, tomorrow is your birthday. It's fine."

"Yeah," she said slowly, nodding. "But I need to work tomorrow. I'll be here around eight coz my shift at the Crashdown doesn't finish until seven thirty. They already got someone else to pick up my usual time slot. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind seeing you tomorrow? You know I don't. But care to tell me why you're going to school and working two jobs the day you turn seventeen?" And then his face cleared. "Maria—"

"Look, don't make such a big deal out of it, okay?"

"You do know that this store gives its employees paid birthday leaves, right?"

Despite not believing him, Maria's lips trembled in attempt to hide the amusement. "Really now. Well tough luck, I already canceled on Liz and Alex, and they've found other stuff to do. So I guess I'll be working tomorrow anyway."

"Liz and Alex can't come anymore?"

"Nope," Maria said obstinately, although she was pretty sure that like usual, her best friends would be staying at home.

"Perfect."

"What?"

"I get to spend a very special day with my girlfriend." He dropped a kiss on her lips.

"Your girlfriend. Who's that?" She squealed when he bit her nose. "Act so immature, would you?!"

"What do you expect me to do when you still deny being my girl after five months?"

"Of sucking face?"

"We do more than suck face and you know it."

"You're right. We do more than that." She winked suggestively.

"You really are something."

They heard noises outside. At first, they were faint. Michael opened the door a bit and heard Kyle Valenti's voice. "Hey Guerin. Your stuff can easily get stolen out here!"

Maria sighed in relief. She was afraid Michael would get into that mode of his that she was afraid of. When Michael started veering the talk towards the nature of their relationship, she couldn't help but panic. "Now, I work. And remember who you are, Michael," she advised sternly before walking outside.

Kyle looked up to see the lovely if ill-dressed Maria De Luca. She smiled engagingly at him. "Welcome to Music Madness. How may I help you?" Boy she was good.

"Yeah, sweet cheeks. Me and my bud Max here…"

"She knows who we are," Max Evans said from his position in front of the Britney collection.

Maria smirked. Max stuffed-pants Evans was really into whatever "all that" character he thought he was. "Of course I know who you are. Everybody in Roswell High knows who you guys are."

Max seemed satisfied with her answer, and wandered elsewhere to browse. Kyle whistled. "Anyway, we're here to see Michael. He here?"

"Definitely. Let me go get him." She walked to the backroom, where Michael was lifting the heavier boxes into position. It was Maria's job, but there was no way he was letting her break her back with that s-hit. "Michael, stop that," she demanded in a furious whisper. "I'll do that later. Your friends are here to see you."

He grinned and kissed her on the lips. Maria hurriedly closed the door to make sure that nobody saw. "You look so pretty pissed."

"Thank you. Now go." Michael saluted and headed to the front. "And remember."

When Kyle and Max saw him, they immediately huddled for their usual gibberish conversation. Maria sat at the counter and sorted through a pile of old CDs. They were having a sale the next day and she wanted to prepare everything going on bargain.

"Hey cutie." Maria groaned inwardly and prayed that nobody else head. With a fake smile on her face, she looked up at the new customer. Sleazy wanna-be rocker Doug Sohn, who mistakenly believed himself a better musician than Alex Whitman. "Wanna help me find some old Guns N' Roses out here?"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

"Man, I love hearing you say that."

Shut your trap now, she thought in singsong. She didn't see any reaction from Michael, and she wanted to fall on her knees and sing praises. Now if only Doug Sohn would quit it, then she wouldn't have to worry about working overtime cleaning up spilled guts and blood. "I think the Guns are this way." She walked briskly in front of him.

"You're good. I like watching you serve me." Maria almost groaned out loud when she saw Michael's back stiffen. Just stop there. Consider that a point for you, she told Doug silently. And you will live.

Maria knelt before the cabinet with the old cassette tapes of Spaghetti Incident and Lies. "Damn this is like watching porn," Doug said. "I like having you kneel in front of me." By now, Maria had already squeezed her eyes shut. She heard Michael approach them. He was just about to warn him off, she knew. Michael didn't engage in violence at the drop of a hat.

But then Doug did the worst mistake ever. He bent low and squeezed her butt. Maria yelped. With a growl, Michael shoved Doug away from her.

"Michael…"

"Go on back," he ordered curtly.

Maria moistened her lips. "Look—"

"Valenti, Evans, would you please take the employee to the back?"

Kyle approached Maria and jerked his head towards the door. "Come on."

With one last glance towards Michael, she nodded and walked to the backroom by herself. Michael should have Kyle and Max around to help if he needed them.

Michael pushed the rocker wanna-be to the shelves. CDs of the guy's favorite bands fell on his head. Doug gritted his teeth as the hard edges of the display cases bit into his back. "S-hit man! Let up, will you?"

Outside the backroom door, Kyle and Max watched Michael take care of Doug. See, Kyle thought it wouldn't be fair for three of them to take on one measly musician. And Max thought his clothes were too expensive to soil. Blood doesn't come out easy.

Michael gritted his teeth. "Hands off Maria De Luca, you prick! Never… touch…"

"What are you freakin' out about? She's a De Luca, for heaven's sake! If I pay her enough she'll probably—"

"Don't fu-ckin' say it."

"Her mother—"

Michael laid one big one straight up his chin. The impact tore Doug's lip, and blood spattered on Michael's new shirt. Max shook his head at the sight.

When he let go, the bloody guy stumbled out of the store. "Fu-ckin' whore," he muttered. Michael had to force himself to remain still and not just kill him. If he can't control himself and he killed the bastard, Sheriff Valenti would have to book him and he can't take Maria on a birthday date tomorrow.

His eyes met his friends'. Kyle asked, "You okay, man?"

"Yeah," Michael answered. "Where's Maria?"

"Still in here." He jerked his head at the backroom door. "Man, I gotta applaud the way you look after family employees."

"She doesn't deserve the s-hit she's taking from the people around here."

"You can't take away people's biases, Michael. Amy De Luca did—"

"I don't want to have to mop Sohn's blood with your face, Maxwell, so shove it."

Kyle opened the door, and a shivering Maria De Luca walked out with a mop. She walked towards the droplets of blood on the floor. When she started cleaning without looking up at Michael, he frowned. "Make sure you get everything out, Maria," he said. He hated this. She was pale and trembling and she obviously needed him, or some sort of reassurance that whatever the prick said didn't matter to him. But she had laid down the rules of their relationship. And he was coward enough to stick to them, no matter how unreasonable he thought they were.

They heard a loud exasperated sigh from the corner, and was surprised to see Max Evans approach the girl. "Give it here," he said quietly. Stunned, Maria could do nothing. So Max took the mop from her. "For God's sake, will you two get her some water or something? And make her sit down before she goes hysterical right in the middle of the store. That's not going to be good for your business."

Finding that excuse enough, Michael dragged Maria to the couch on the backroom. "I should really go out and clean that up," she said quietly.

"Max will take care of it," Michael told her firmly. "You will wait for the drink that Kyle is fetching."

"Michael, this isn't necessary. I'm sure your friends don't feel right doing all these things. I'm the one working for you, not the other way around."

"Maria…"

"Yeah."

"Shut up."

"Oh."

"Dammit, look at me!" he demanded. "That bastard was insane and stupid. And a jerk. Nobody thinks you're—"

"Everybody thinks it, Michael," she interrupted. "And like I told you a million times before, it would be a whole lot better for you if you stayed away from me. I'm no good for you, Michael."

She brushed his hands off her and stalked to the store front. She took the mop from Max and calmly placed it back. And then she sat on the counter and methodically organized the table.

Maria could feel three pairs of eyes watching her every move. She supposed she should feel flattered. If she weren't so deep into her cold shock, she would have already called Liz and had her connect a three-way conversation with Alex. She, Maria De Luca, was the center of attention of the Kings of Roswell High. If that wasn't bitchin', then the Ice Princess wasn't blonde.

"You guys should go now. I can close up the store later tonight." And there wasn't even a tremble in her voice.

They all looked at each other frowning. And then Michael decided for them. "We're all going to stay at the room upstairs. If you need us, you can holler."

"I thought there was a party you wanted to go to."

"I'm not going out in public with a guy with a bloody shirt," Max announced.

Maria blushed. "I could've taken care of it."

Beside Max, Kyle muttered, "Stupid as-shole."

The three of them proceeded to the stairway. Before they left, Kyle called out, "Hey Maria."

"Yeah."

"I'm not sure if I'm right about the date since we haven't exactly hung out as much since third grade, but I know it's around this month. Happy birthday."

Maria blinked up at the ultimate jock of Roswell High and opened her mouth to say something, maybe a thank you. Instead, she just mumbled something incoherent. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

Part 3

In the cold light of day that wasn't cool at all (they were in New Mexico after all), the world righted itself again. Roswell High, with its metaphorical Berlin-like Wall, would never let anyone forget his place, or lack thereof, in the world.

Alex Whitman seemed oddly preoccupied when he took a seat next to the girls during lunch break. "Did you two happen to see Doug Sohn today?"

"Oh yeah!" Liz exclaimed. "It was like the wrestling team used him as a trampoline."

Maria felt bad for feeling good. Ah nawww… Why force yourself to be sympathetic to the worm? "The look suits him."

"So…" Maria smiled at her best boy bud. He was looking for a way to introduce the topic seamlessly into the conversation, and she almost giggled. "It's the seventeeth."

Maria nodded happily. They can miss birthday dinner, but you can never miss this part of the day. "It sure is."

Alex opened his sack of a bag and drew out a CD player. He turned the volume up high before even pushing the play button. He extended his hand towards Liz, who took it with a grin. They started this in first grade, and somehow they just never stopped, even if people thought of them as stupid.

With imaginary microphones in hand, Liz and Alex sang at the top of their voices, trying to beat the already deafening music. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Maria. Happy birthday to you!"

"Pick it up," Alex called to Liz, and the music started up again, faster than before. They caught onto the tempo. "Now this is a ballad, Lizzie-girl."

The birthday song played again very very slowly, almost like a lullabye.

At the end of the songs, Maria stood up and clapped wildly. "Thanks guys." She waited until her friends were seated and took out a sizable Tupperware from her bag. "Now you can have cake. It's chocolate!"

"You made it?" Liz asked eagerly. At Maria's nod, she grinned, "Just the way I like it. Dig in!"

Alex produced a fork and dug into the part with the most icing. "You're heavensent, Maria."

"Don't think I'm not waiting for my presents, you lugs."

Liz shook a finger at her best friend. "Don't be impatient, chica. You'll get it. After we clean this Tupperware off."

At the other end of the quad, the Kings and Princess had been watching. Kyle with a smile on his face, Max and Michael with no apparent reaction, and Isabel with an annoyed frown. "What on earth are they doing? They're polluting my environment with that eerie noise!"

"Iz, it's the birthday song. You do know it, right? And I was right… it is Maria De Luca's birthday. I wasn't sure since she didn't answer me last night."

"How did you know about that anyway?" Max's face cleared. "Oh yeah! You were with that group until got discovered for the basketball team." He snickered at the red flush on Kyle's face.

"I'm bored," Isabel announced. "Are we going to Ashley Benson's party tonight? Her father is throwing her an amazing pool party."

Kyle shrugged. "I don't have anything else to do."

"Sure. Count me in."

"Michael?" she prodded.

"Yeah I'm not going. I have a previous engagement."

Isabel frowned. "I promised Ashley I'll get you to come."

"Well you should've asked me first then. I already have plans."

"I told you about it weeks ago!" she screeched. "You said that you'll see."

"Things happen, Iz."

"Well can't you cancel?"

Michael smirked at her. "Think of it as me canceling on you then, if you honestly thought I was going with you guys to some lame-ass party where everyone wants to get laid."

"That's so crude, Michael," Isabel huffed. The girls from the cheerleading team all thought she was the one with the best chances of getting the Michael Guerin to go. And she played along because she knew that Michael hung out with Kyle and Max. And it was easy to tell Max and Kyle that they were going. "Where are you even going tonight? You don't exactly have any other friends."

I'm going to take my girlfriend Maria out tonight! He wondered what sort of response that was going to solicit. Kyle might thump him on the back. Max could either freak out that Michael had been hanging out with his employee outside working hours. And Isabel was sure to shriek. The girl still hasn't got it in her brain that she wasn't Michael's 'royal' pair.

The only thing that prevented him from shouting that out to the student body was Maria's rules. If he broke one, he knew that Maria wouldn't think twice about breaking up with him. It was a sad, sad day for mankind when a guy who people think was as hot and as much of a catch as Michael Guerin trembled at the thought of losing a girl. What did people call this again? Love? Hell, he wouldn't dare say that out loud. It would send Maria De Luca scampering away from him.

The first day that he realized he was in love with Maria De Luca, it was already too late. He'd become so deep into it that there was nothing he could do. That was the day when his father asked him to deliver a check to the orphanage. Lord Hank was donating a wing that was to be called, to Michael's utter indignation, the Hank Guerin Wing.

There she was. Whenever he came here, he would see her playing with a little blonde girl, coloring books, reading or listening to music. He knew that he remembered her from somewhere. Vaguely, Michael thought that since they were around the same age, he'd probably seen her around school a few times.

The next thing he knew, his legs were moving towards her. He watched for a while, and stiffened when she looked up at him. "Oh hey!" she said, brushing off potato chips from her jeans. "I'm—I'm not late yet, am I?"

And that was when it hit him. She worked at one of the music stores his father owned, the branch nearest the school. He and his friends hung out there a lot, but never paid attention to the help. "Uh no," he rumbled. "I just thought I recognized you."

"Yeah." Maria looked uncomfortable now. "I was just…"

"Maria, what's the color of the ocean?" a small voice asked. Michael looked down to see the little girl pulling on Maria's skirt. He sucked in a breath when he realized how much the girl looked like Maria.

"You haven't seen the ocean, haven't you? Don't you worry. When I turn eighteen, I'm going to take you out of Roswell and we're going to the beach. And you can play in the sand and swim in the water," she promised the girl as she picked a blue crayon and gave it to her.

While the girl colored, she turned her eyes back at Michael. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I'm off to drop off the Hank Guerin Wing fund," he cracked.

Maria smiled. "That would be so great for the kids. It's too stuffy in here. At least there'd be more leisure room. But hopefully," she brightened, "I can get Jessie out of here before the Wing is finished."

"Your—your—" She was sixteen. That was way too young to have a baby girl that age. But then again…

"My sister. The state took her from my mom."

Oh yeah. Amy De Luca and the great Roswellian grapevine. He'd heard talk that Amy was using drugs at the time she gave birth to her second daughter, a girl so unfortunate to have been conceived during one of Amy's business transactions. One day, while Maria was at school, Amy had ODed, leaving the baby unattended with the stove on in the kitchen.

The swift hand of justice, or rather social welfare, took baby Jessica away when the neighbors heard the incessant wailing of the baby. Amy De Luca was saved. The young Maria watched from the door of their home as the paramedics carted Amy away to the hospital and 'rescued' her sister.

"I'll petition for her when I turn eighteen."

Michael looked up to see the director waving to him. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you at Music Madness later?"

Maria shook her head. "You don't have to go out of your way, Michael. I know you don't talk to the employees."

Michael's brows furrowed and he felt the urge to stick his tongue out. But that wouldn't be proper for a Guerin. So he just flicked a finger to her nose and said, "Don't be stubborn and just say yes, Blondie."

"Sure." She sat back down beside Jessie and looked at the picture she was coloring. She glanced up at Michael's retreating form the exact same moment that he looked at her over his shoulder. "What do you know, Jessie… Michael Guerin's isn't that much of a tight ass after all."

And that night, after serving the last customer in the store, Maria De Luca turned around to see the owner's son watching her from the backroom door. She walked towards him and opened her mouth to tell him that she was closing up. But her words were muffled when he laid both of his drool-worthy hands on the small of her back and pulled her body plush against his. The sensation of his hungry lips over her own, and the feel of his hardness on her stomach assailed Maria's senses. Michael was really King in more than popularity.

Before they left the music store, which had since turned into a world in itself, Maria caught the sleeve of his shirt and stated rule number one of what would turn out to be the most infuriating, most irritating, most exhausting and most real of all the relationships he has ever had: "Nobody finds out or it's over."

And the secret was born.

"Isabel," Michael sighed, "let it go."

She narrowed her eyes at him and growled low in her throat. And then she turned back to look at the three friends having a chocolate cake fiesta. The calories in that made her shiver. She watched the mousy Liz Parker and the ditzy Maria De Luca shovel the food into their mouths and shook her head. And then Alex turned around to look at the direction that his friends pointed at. The sight of chocolate icing on his lips almost made Isabel's eyes cross, and she breathed in deep to keep herself from licking the horrid horrid fatty food from his skin.

"You okay, Isabel?"

She turned a self-assured smile at her brother. "Make sure you and Kyle can come to the party. I'm going to the restroom." Delicately, Isabel rose from their table and walked unsteadily to the building.

"You're sister is getting all whacked, Max," Kyle muttered. "I'm almost afraid of her."

"Isabel needs to get laid," Michael concluded, to Kyle's delight and Max's consternation. Michael's attention drifted back to the table at the other side of campus. He couldn't wait for tonight. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to his gift. And he was nervous about how he can get her to agree to go out with him. Maybe a little blackmail was in order.

Part 4

Dressed in a halter top and flared jeans, a curly haired blonde left the registrar's office clutching a pink piece of paper. She slung her bookbag on her left shoulder and searched the school premises.

"Miss Harding!"

The girl looked at the registrar waving her over from the door. "Ma'am?"

"You're very excited, aren't you?" The girl smiled and nodded her head. "Well it's refreshing to see a new student so eager for classes. You forgot your pen."

"Oh." She made her way over to the friendly older woman and took her pen. "Thanks."

"Good luck, Tess."

Tess Harding grinned and strode over to where most of the kids hung out. It was great to arrive during lunch hour. She scanned the crowd for the face she had memorized for a long time. She would look different now of course. But Tess was sure she could still recognize her.

On her way, she bumped into a tall girl who seemed to be in a rush. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Yeah it's fine," was the distracted answer. "Hey are you new?"

"Ummm yeah," Tess said. "I just arrived a half an hour ago actually. My name's Tess."

A long fingered hand extended her way. Tess shook the hand firmly. "My name's Isabel Evans. I'm a junior."

"Well we're in the same year then. I'll probably see you in my classes." Tess itched to ask the girl questions that would make her stay here easier, but she had learn long ago not to trust in anyone too quickly.

"Great!" Isabel's gaze flickered to a group of girl's behind Tess. "So anyway I gotta run. But let me give you an advise if you want to settle comfortably here in Roswell High."

"Sure."

"Stay away from Maria De Luca." The long blonde hair waved like a banner as Isabel Evans hurriedly left. She didn't notice the way the new girl stiffened at the name.

Tess called out to Isabel, who immediately faced her. "Who's she? Maria De Luca. Who's she?"

With a smirk, Isabel pointed to the opposite side of campus. Tess waited until Isabel had vanished with her group of girlfriends before carefully searching the faces in the direction where Isabel pointed. The girl may have been a first class bitch, but she helped Tess a lot.

Tess Harding set her shoulders straight and slowly proceeded towards the table. She made it to the center of the quad before the noise of chatter died down, and everyone watched her cross the invisible barrier of the two worlds of Roswell High.

"Is that girl for real? Is she crossing over?"

Michael couldn't care less about the unreal importance that everyone seemed to put into the wall. Why would you exclude someone from your group of friends just because of shallow differences? But what choice did he have? Most of those from the other side tended to stay away from him because of their own prejudices.

"I think she doesn't know what she's doin', dude," Kyle said, completely in awe of the small figure heading towards her destruction in this school before she even had a clue. She seemed cute from this distance. Kyle wouldn't feel right letting her ruin her reputation without warning.

He sprinted from his seat and hurried towards the girl. "Hey new girl!" he shouted.

He almost stumbled on his suddenly tied ankles when the girl turned to face him with the cutest frown ever. She had powder blue eyes, matching her halter top. Her cloth head band was of the same hue, and so were the hoop earrings and turquoise choker. "The name's Tess." And then she looked him from the top of his head to his feet and continued, "Jock."

"Ouch." Kyle raised his hands in mock surrender. "No need to get riled, Tess. I was going to save you from years of pain. If you continue on that path, you're effectively relinquishing the chance to become a prom queen."

A blonde eyebrow arched with the grin that appeared on her lips, and Kyle was enamored. "I don't know if I should be flattered or pissed. Anyway, back off, buddy. I'm here on a mission."

Kyle winced and almost groaned out loud at the sight of one delicate foot raising and moving, moving, landing flat on the other side. He had lost her to the dark side. There was nothing more he could do. Dejected, Kyle returned to his seat.

"So what was up with the chick?" Michael asked, knowing if he continued being detached they would suspect something going on with him. The last thing he needed were Valenti and the Evans duo snooping around his business being all 'concerned'.

Kyle shrugged. "Says she's on a mission and just jumped into the pits of hell."

"She's going over to Liz Parker's table." Both Kyle and Michael turned to Max in surprise. They didn't know Max was even familiar with Parker's first name. "She's my lab partner. And she speaks in an annoying whining voice, even if she's pretty."

Someone's version of the Roswellian binary world was going to be challenged pretty soon.

Michael's attention focused on the new girl, not because she just knowingly risked her future in Roswell High, but because she was getting closer to his Maria. Call it paranoia, but when you're in love with a girl who's often the topic of negative talk and the target of unwanted attention, you had to be on your toes.

Not that he could do anything about it with the students around them, he thought dismally.

On the opposite end, Alex called the girls' attention to the new arrival. "Looks like someone needs one of us." He took a comb from his back pocket, to Liz and Maria's snickers, and fixed his hair. "And I'm hoping her business is with Alex the Man."

The blonde girl walked closer to them with a bright smile that never faltered. And she was looking straight at Maria. Finally, she stopped by their table. Liz and Maria glanced askance at each other. The girl placed her things on top of the table and threw her arms open.

Maria automatically stiffened when the girl embraced her. "Happy birthday, Maria! It's me, Tess!"

A look of confusion clouded her eyes before she carefully disentangled herself from Tess. "Who are you?"

For the first time since she approached them, Tess seemed unsure. She cocked her head at the other girl. "It's Tess, Maria. Dad said you knew about me."

"Dad," Maria repeated.

"Brian De Luca. My legal name is Tess Harding, because as you know, Amy didn't sign the divorce papers and all, and Dad never got to marry my mom," the girl babbled. "Come on, Maria. Aren't you happy to finally see me? It's Tess, your sister. I just know Dad told you lots of stories about me. He said so!"

"Oh my God," Maria murmured, looking into the girl's eyes.

Tess smiled brightly. She was sure Maria finally recognized him. Their Dad sent Maria tons and tons of pictures of Tess. He told Tess that Maria was really excited to meet her. Tess looked forward to meeting Maria every summer, but it always got canceled. Amy didn't want Maria to meet Tess. That's what Dad said.

"Oh my God," Maria repeated. She stumbled off the bench with a look of utter horror. She didn't care who saw. She glanced over to the other side of the quad and sent a pleading look towards him. She wanted to throw up. The smiling face of this girl was mocking her, together with the obviously expensive clothes, the innocence in her grin. This girl never had a hard day in her life.

And then she ran. She didn't even bother picking up her things. All she knew was that she needed to get away.

Michael saw the change in the air around Maria like it was a visible thing. He heard her cry of pain even if she never opened her mouth. He felt his heart clench when she looked in his direction, and suddenly run away because she knew she couldn't run to him. At that point, he couldn't care less what Kyle and Max would say. He put down his soda bottle and hurried to follow her.

"Hey Guerin, where you goin'?"

Michael turned back to tell them off, and then that cowardice clawed at his throat, Maria's warning loud in his ears. "The bathroom," he gritted out. "The prune cake from this morning is killing me." And then he took off.

Michael's legs carried him much quicker, and even if she ran away earlier, he still caught a sight of her as she hurried out of the school building. He ran, not calling out to her while they were in the premises.

About a block or two from the school, Maria slowed to a walk. She was sobbing, and Michael approached her carefully. "Maria," he whispered. He looked around, noting if there were people who recognized them. There was nobody from school. He flagged down a cab and ushered her inside.

She sat stiffly as Michael gave the driver directions to Music Madness. It was close to the school, but that was what made it a desirable place to hide at that moment. Everyone still had classes for hours more. There were no students, who were the store's main customers, to worry about.

He ushered her into the backroom. His senses were assailed with the soothing scent of chamomile. She'd been doing aromatherapy here again. He grinned. If anyone told him a year ago that he would know the difference between lavender and rose and tea tree and chamomile, who would have laughingly sprayed soda on their faces.

With sure movements, Michael opened Maria's employee locker with her combination and chose a small bottle from a small bag. He uncapped it and took a whiff. And then he sat beside her and held it under her nose. She weakly pushed it away first.

"Maria, it's lavender okay? You need it to calm you down." She nodded and leaned against him, sniffing and wiping away her tears. "Who was it?" he asked after a few minutes.

Maria sighed. She was never going be to able to evade Michael's questions anyway. "Tess Harding." When she didn't say anything after that, Michael waited, knowing he could subtly pressure her with silence. "She says she's my sister, Michael." Maria's voice caught on another sob. "I didn't even know my Dad, and she grew up with him! Dad left us to have her. She's my age, Michael!" she finished pitifully.

"Baby," he soothed, knowing after all the time they spent together how much she loved being called that. While some girls thought that it was against their independence to be called 'baby,' Maria preferred the endearment because for the first time she felt cherished.

"I'm going to see her everyday. She's here!"

Michael nodded and drew her even closer to his body if possible. "I want to trash the rules."

She tried to pull away, but he didn't let her. "Can we not get into that right now? I'm having a crisis here."

"That's why I want to get into this, Maria. She's going to be in your face everyday. And I want to be able to go to you when that happens. I can't stand by and watch you getting hurt and do nothing but listen to Kyle and Max crack jokes. I won't."

"No," Maria decided firmly. "I can take care of myself. You agreed to those rules, Michael."

"Because I didn't want to lose you. But now I'm going to lose you either way. If this continues you're just going to drift away from everyone, Maria. I won't stand for that. Don't suffocate me with these stupid rules."

"If this relationship is choking you—" she began.

"Stop it." He wanted to shake her, but he stopped himself because he knew with the rate of his frustration he was going to hurt her unintentionally. "I won't sit here and listen to you tell me that the only answer is to stop seeing each other, Maria. All that's wrong with this relationship are rules that don't make sense to me."

"They make sense, Michael," she lashed out. "They make a world of sense that you're too stubborn to accept!"

"Dammit, Maria!" He dug his finger into his hair and took a deep calming breath. He will not lose her. He won't lose control of this argument. That was probably what she was waiting for so she can break it off. "I'm taking you home and you're getting changed. And then we're going out. You're going to forget Tess Harding for the day. I won't fight with you on your birthday."

Maria shook her head. "Michael, we're going to be seen," she said quietly.

He grinned at her to prod a smile out of her. "Who do you think you're talking to here, lady? We're not dining in Roswell."

Her lips parted in surprise. Every time he took her out, he picked the farthest point from school and their town as possible. It effectively canceled all her objections to their being together. She always looked forward to those trips. It was only with him that she got out. He was always her ticket out of Roswell, if only for a night. "Michael, I have a shift at the Crashdown."

"As I see it, you have two options," he told her. "Cancel or have the entire school buzzing by tomorrow about how I've fallen head over heels for you."

Her gaze widened. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

"No."

"Wanna test it?"

Her eyes narrowed. Her heart was beating rapidly, almost loudly, in her chest. And no matter how much she tried not to get so deeply involved, she suspected it might already be a little too late. "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't know," he pushed. "Am I threatening?"

She stared long and deep into his eyes and tried to think of a comeback that would put him off, discourage him from what he obviously had planned that was sure to just entrench her even deeper in this relationship with him. "Fine, Michael. But you can't keep using our affair as leverage!"

He chuckled. "Can't I?"

She sighed and admitted, "Fine, fine, you can. What else can I do?"

"The way I see it," he told her, "is you have two choices. Either you just agree to what I've been trying to tell you all along and walk into the halls of Roswell High with me or you just gotta agree to everything I say so I'll shut up."

"Or," Maria insisted, "I can break up with you. That way, you have nothing to tell."

"Then I'll just be shameless and come after you. In public," he emphasized.

Maria's eyes widened at the appalling yet strangely titillating thought. To have the Michael Guerin following her around with a bouquet was going to kill the entire female population of Roswell. But then… "What time will you pick me up?"

"You think I'm that gullible?" Michael's eyebrow, an aristocratic one of course, rose mockingly. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, lady. I'm waiting for you to change and we're leaving as soon as you get your coat."

Maria's eyes brightened. They may not agree on a lot of things, but on this they were certainly of one mind. "Not let me out of my sight?" He nodded. "But how am I getting dressed?" she breathed against his lips.

Michael grinned in delight and pulled her close. They were running early anyway. What f they lose a couple hours more. She tumbled over him as he lay down on the couch, still holding tightly on to her.

Part 5

Tess blinked after Maria's retreating form. Her eyes had filler with tears and she swallowed to keep her emotions in check. "But…"

Alex looked at Liz uncomfortably. "Ummm, Tess, is it?" The curly blonde nodded in despair. "We think you should give Maria a bit of space. You're not exactly expected."

"What do you mean?" she asked pitifully. "Dad said she's always asking about me!"

"Tess," Liz's voice went up, "Maria hasn't spoken to her father. Ever. He left her and her mom even before she was born. Amy tried sending him a picture of Maria until she was eight. But he never responded."

"What?"

"Maria doesn't know about you." Alex was feeling a bit of sympathy for the girl. She looked like someone straight out of "Clueless." Rich, pretty but with no practical idea of what the real world was like.

"My dad wouldn't lie to me," she told after a long pause.

Liz heaved an exasperated sigh. "He just did, Tess."

The girl's lower lip protruded at her confusion and disappointment. She stalked away from the two.

"Listen, Liz, I just gotta meet the guys to set a practice. 'The Whits' has a gig next week. You mid calling Maria to check up on her?"

"Sure." Liz drew out her phone and clicked for Maria in her address book. She saw Tess walking over to them again. "Yes?"

"You think I can get Maria's cell number?" she requested with a smile.

Liz stared at the girl for a moment, disbelieving. She was waiting for Tess to grin and say she was kidding. That didn't come. "Uh…no!"

"Why not?" Tess demanded. "She's my sister. Not yours."

Alex could see that Liz was a millisecond away from jumping on the girl and pulling out her hair. And he had a vague idea of what that would do to Liz's already not very popular status. "Tess," he said, standing up. "Why don't I escort you back to the school building before Liz here rips your eyes out?"

Tess shrugged and let Alex lead her off. "She does look a bit unkempt to me," she muttered, and Liz growled. "All that hair. Do you think she'd appreciate if I gave her my comb? I have lots more combs at home."

"You better not," Alex told her, grimacing at Liz's shrieks behind them.

He dropped her off on the way to her class, and proceeded to the room where his band members waited for him. They spoke about the rehearsal schedule, and when Alex left the room, he felt the eyes watching his every move. At the turn, he hid and his eyes almost popped out their sockets to see Isabel Evans as the one following him.

"Isabel."

The statuesque blonde almost lost her cool, but gathered her poise quickly. "Yeah. And you're… Whitman right?"

Alex frowned. There was no way Isabel Evans actually was stalking him. "You were following me," he said with as much confidence as he could.

"Are you insane?"

"Jimmy saw you staring at us while we were talking," he bluffed.

Isabel licked her lips. She'd been seen. How stupid was that! "Ugh. The nerve. I was keeping track of all the loser events so I know when and where to stay away from!"

"Oh." Alex turned around to leave.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Friday night 8:30 right?"

"Yeah. Make sure you don't come round Brett's Bar," Alex told her.

Isabel left and scribbled the information on her small pink notebook.

Meanwhile, Tess had been so brokenhearted by what her sister's best friends told her that she needed to compose herself. She stopped in front of a door that no one seemed to pay attention to. She entered what was called 'Eraser Room.'

With trembling fingers, she opened her bag and looked for her handkerchief. She muttered a curse when she couldn't find it. She sniffed and thought her nose would be so red. That was such not a good first impression. Maybe she'd skip class until she was pretty again. All she wanted was to find Maria and have sisterly fun and all that. Now the trip to Roswell was useless. Why did Dad have to tell her all that if it wasn't true? And why did Dad and Mom have to be in that stupid airplane that just went crashing into the Atlantic? Like the Atlantic was huge!

And why did she have to take her search of a new family to New Mexico where everyone, even the cheerleaders, was wearing last year's fashions!

Tess bawled and remembered the commercial she saw once of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.' There was the voice of a little girl singing "Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me." Again, she felt tears creeping down her cheeks.

"Here." Startled at the proffered tissue coming from behind her, Tess turned around and saw the jock named Kyle with a girl who had her blouse buttoned wrong. The girl was putting her tissues bag inside her bag. Kyle asked his make-out partner for tissue to give her. Tess found it oddly and sickly romantic. The jock turned to the girl and said, "Cindy, I'll be late for class okay?"

'Cindy' shuffled out of the Eraser Room with a smile at Tess. "Thanks for the tissue, Cindy," Tess said.

"So what's wrong?" Kyle asked when they were alone.

"I'm sorry for walking in on you and your girlfriend!"

He shrugged. "Happens all the time. So why were you crying? Don't tell me. Maria De Luca, Liz Parker and Alex Whitman were rude to you."

"Well… they were not very polite," Tess agreed.

"I wouldn't have thought so. I mean, girls like you set them off. Especially Maria."

"Girls like me?" Did Maria have lots of girls claiming to be her sister? Boy, was their Dad a busy man!

"You know, pretty, pampered girls."

Tess grinned. "You think I'm pretty?" And then she frowned. "I'm not pampered."

Kyle shook his head. "So what exactly was your business with Ms. Maria De Luca?"

"I've wanted to meet her since I was a kid," Tess told him. "But then she just ran away from me, like she didn't want to know me."

"How'd you know her anyway?"

"Oh." Tess realized she hadn't told this guy yet. She didn't exactly have any issues with privacy anyway. If she was going to Roswell High, it would be cool for people to acknowledge her as Maria's sister. Maybe then Maria would just have to give and admit it too. "I'm her sister," she said easily, and Kyle's jaw dropped. "My Dad said Maria knew and wanted to be friends. But apparently, she didn't."

He had been friends with those three since they were kids. Max was right about that. So he knew Maria would have probably wanted to kill the girl, or her dad. "Maria has not spoken with her dad. He left Amy pregnant, high and dry."

Tess' nose scrunched at that. "So the geek twins were right. Maria would have been surprised."

"Well pretty much." He looked concerned. "How was she?"

"I don't know. She just ran away."

"Maria didn't exactly have a great family life. So where is the esteemed Brian De Luca?"

"Lost in the Atlantic," Tess told him. "I'm an orphan, you know."

"What?"

"That's why I moved here. I was looking for Maria. She's my only surviving relative. Do you think Amy will let me stay with them? I can pay rent," she rattled off.

Oh heaven help Roswell, Kyle thought, watching the rapid movement of the girl's lips and hearing the gunshot words. She really was Maria's sister. "I think Amy would need a lot of convincing," he answered carefully. Yeah. Right.

Maria lay back on the blanket and groaned. "No more. I'm stuffed!"

She smiled at the sight of the star-studded sky spread above her. The desert was an amazing place. It was like the whole universe was hers. Hers and Michael's. That was an exhilarating thought. Suddenly, her view was obscured by her boyfriend's face when he grinned down at her. "Come on. I brought plenty of food! The least you can do is eat half of it."

"No, Michael! If I eat another bite I'll explode. You so don't want bits of Maria to wash off your cool new car."

"Wuss," he teased. And then he took the champagne glass that he had placed on the sand and filled it again with soda. "We haven't even started yet."

"I swear, you must have a billion parasites in your stomach if you can eat that much!"

He laughed at the horrified expression on her face as he sliced himself another pie. "I'm a growing boy!"

"Glut!"

Michael smirked and reached for her hand. His lips were moist with blueberry sauce. With a naughty twinkle in his eye, he jerked her hand so she was forced to sit up. And then he kissed her full on the mouth.

"Oh so good," she murmured, licking her lips. "Who made the pie? Slice me one."

He grinned and did as she requested. He knew she couldn't resist once she had a taste. In that way, Maria was consistent. Even if she protested at how bad something was for her, she wasn't one to deny herself if she wanted it. That was the principle that convinced Michael he was safe with her. No matter how bad Maria thought having a relationship with Royal Michael Guerin was, the moment she felt his arms around her, she was lost. "Addictive," she said once.

He handed her the piece of pie. She thanked him and lay on her tummy, cutting off a piece. Maria hummed a lazy tune. "Thanks."

"So do you want your gift now?"

He saw the excited glitter in her eye when she looked up at him. Seventeen or not, Maria was a little girl when it came to gifts. "You're my gift," she automatically responded.

"Well unlike me," he said, trying to keep the hint of bitterness in his voice, "this is a gift you can strut around with."

"Michael," she sighed.

"So do you want to see it?"

She nodded eagerly. Michael rose and went to the car. She sat up and watched as he opened the trunk and drew out a big long gift-wrapped present and took it to her. He knelt in front of her and placed it before her. "Michael, this isn't…" He saw in his eyes how fast the thoughts were moving, and he watched the changing expressions as she put two and two together. "I can't." She pushed the gift towards him.

"Maria, I got this specially for you."

"Michael, this is too…" She was at a loss for words. He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her lips. "I can't accept this."

"We look silly fighting over a gift you haven't even opened yet." Once more, he was playing on Maria's weakness. He knew once she really saw it, held it, she would not be able to deny herself something so beautiful.

With trembling fingers, she tore at the wrapper. Tears gathered in her eyes when she finally unwrapped the 1959 Fender she and Alex saw him holding yesterday. Up close, it was even more gorgeous. "It's gorgeous." Her hand ran over the smooth wood and the copper strings.

"Like you." Michael brushed a tear on her cheek. "Play for me. I love hearing you."

Maria closed her eyes and let her fingers play her music. She didn't even sing. She didn't want to interrupt the lovely melody of Michael's gift. She let the guitar sing for her.

She laid down the instrument and reached for his hands. He placed them on the guitar. "Michael, I can't accept this."

"It's yours. It's been yours since I saw it at the mall a week ago."

"You shouldn't spend for me, Michael. At least not this much. I'm not with you because of that."

His eyebrows met in response. "Now I'm offended," he said softly. "I don't think that at all."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I—"

"Maria, not everything boils down to buying affection or sex. How many times do I have to tell you? I think I've denied it so many times my head is going to explode next time!" he argued defensively. "Can't you just accept the fact that—" His voice fell a couple of notches. "That maybe I just love you?"

She stared at him with a hurt expression in her eyes, remembering the way her mother whispered in her ear "I love you" before she went to school and returned to find out that Amy almost killed herself with cocaine, and the way she told Jessie "I love you" before Social Services took her. She still dreamed about a Dad who told her "I love you" every night, only to wake up shivering and alone at night.

So she said the only words she could utter, even though she thought of hundreds, "Did I ask you to?"

Michael closed her eyes and said softly, "No." And then he got up and walked away from her, out into the desert.

Maria hugged her knees to her chest and sniffled, staring at the guitar beside her. She reached out and ran her finger down the copper strings again, when the inside caught her eye. She squinted and read the words inside, and her heart caught in her throat. The phrase was simple, but it expressed all his hopes for the two of them.

MARIA LOVES.

It didn't even say Michael. Or anyone. It wasn't that. He just stated a simple fact that he probably hoped was true. Although she doubted it. Maria loves. Does she really?

She stood up and followed him out to where he was still, staring at the sky. Behind him, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I can't be what you need me to be."

She saw his shoulders sag in defeat. Slowly, he turned around, and she saw in his face how sad he was. He drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. They remained there, unmoving, still even with the breeze. When she shivered, his embrace grew tighter. But they remained.

Part 6

For the first time since they've been together, Michael and Maria were silent. It was a quietness that soothed her because she didn't have to grope for words to tell him why she just can't. His muteness on the other hand held a tinge of helplessness and a fistful of fear.

Maria took a deep breath and watched the desert fly by. It was a cool night. Deep down, she craved the way he always held her close when she felt cold. This was what she had been scared of all along, the reason it was wrong to get into this entire complicated thing with Michael. She was sooner or later going to need him. And her life was difficult enough as it was. Now there was nothing she could do.

The car slowed and Maria glanced at Michael from the corner of her eye. He parked the car at the side of the road and stared straight ahead. Maria bit her lip and turned in her seat to face him. But he didn't even look at her. Michael gripped the wheels and looked out the windshield, deep in his own thoughts.

Maria unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned forward to reach for him. He flinched when she laid her hand on his cheek. And then he covered it with his and kissed her palm. Maria closed her eyes against her tears. She knew she had to say this now or never have the courage again. "Michael, I hurt you every day," her voice caught in her throat. When he opened his mouth to deny it, she laid one finger across his lips and shook her head. "Let me, okay?"

Michael's face, throat, arms were burning from what he knew she was doing. He didn't want to hear it, but right at that moment he was a captive audience.

"I never wanted to do that. I just thought that maybe I can—That for a little while—"

Her finger on his lips was trembling, and he could see her shoulders racking with sobs she wouldn't let loose. He closed a hand over her wrist and pulled it away. "Maria, please," he pleaded gruffly.

"I don't think we should do this anymore," she told him. And she watched his face crumble.

Michael let out a shuddering breath and fisted his hands over the steering wheel. He rested his head carefully on the horn, careful not to press. He tried to regain a semblance of control when he knew there was none to be had. "Do you know how bad I feel right now, Maria?" he asked, not moving from his position, like an ostrich with his head buried in the sand.

"I do," she whispered carefully. "And I don't want you feeling like that. And you don't have to feel like that any more. Because we're ending this now. Tonight."

"You really don't understand, do you? What concept of "too late" isn't getting through?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it," he said. "Do you have any idea how in love I am with you?"

"I never—"

"And if you tell me you never asked me to love you again I'm going to strangle you right here," he said hoarsely, his face still hidden in his arms.

Maria wiped wildly at a tear. "I meant, I never wanted you to feel so bad about this."

"Just answer the question, Maria. Do you have any idea how in love I am with you?"

A long pause. And then a quiet, "Yes."

He straightened and finally met her eyes. "Do you feel even half of that for me?"

She swallowed and tried to look away, but his gaze held hers. She hadn't been fair to him. But she didn't think she could say it. Once she admitted it, he would leave, or die, or be taken forcibly away. But for a relief of that look of utter hopelessness she would brave it. "A whole lot more that that."

Something broke inside him. She could hear it. Maybe relief, maybe the tension. But next she knew she was enfolded in his arms again, so tightly she could hardly breathe. And he was peppering kisses all over her face and murmuring words she couldn't understand. And maybe she was carried away by the refreshing lack of any sort of pretense in his response to words she found so difficult to say. She clutched his shirt in a grip that said it all, all over again.

"Then I'm not going to let you do this to us," she heard him say. "I'm not letting you let go," he promised.

She burrowed deeper into him, needing his warmth and his nearness for as long as he could allow herself. "Michael, I just can't."

He pulled away from her and held her face in both hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Okay, Maria. I won't push. We won't tell anybody. I won't get on your case anymore. The rules stand. Everything's private. I won't even speak to you in public unless it's absolutely necessary," he vowed in rapid succession. "I swear, Maria. Anything you want. Just… Don't break us up." She bit her lip at the earnestness she could see in him. "I'd rather be with you with all the restrictions than be without you at all."

"Michael," she said softly, "I want you to know… You do know…"

"I know." He smiled and placed a kiss on her lips. "I know, Maria." He started the car again. "Now let's go home pretend." The car purred to life and they sped back to their other world.

The next day, back in school, Alex met Liz in their lunch table. Maria was suspiciously absent. When she missed the rest of her classes yesterday after the wonderful Malibu Tess arrived, Liz had tried calling her and got no response. Last night, Alex dropped by her house after class. He had first thought there was no one home until the door opened to a bleary-eyed Amy, who was shocked to learn that it was her eldest daughter's birthday.

Alex pitied Amy then. She seemed so much at a loss that he could hopefully dream that at last, something about Maria went through her muddled brain.

"Well if she's still absent today in class I'm going to set up tent in front of her house," Alex announced.

Liz was nodding when he felt the heat again. He turned his head towards the table directly across from theirs at the other end of the quad. "Isabel Evans is giving me the creeps," he murmured.

"What?" Liz laughed. "She's still giving you those hateful stares?" Isabel Evans had had this fascination with Alex since they were kids. Apparently, she hadn't forgotten about it. "Don't worry, Alex. Sooner or later she'll outgrow it."

Alex jumped when a soft scented hand touched his shoulder. Again, his gaze slammed back to Isabel. She can't be here and there at the same time. He looked up behind him and sure enough, there was Malibu Tess. "Ummm Tess, what are you doing here?"

She smiled brightly at them and lifted her lunch tray to show them. "I'm here to have lunch at my sister's table. So we can have some bonding time," she announced proudly. "Great times are often shared at a table!"

"Did you get that from Dr. Phil?" Liz snidely remarked.

Tess plopped down on the bench and opened her small bag. She drew out a bright pink comb, matching her top, laid it on the table, and slid it over to Liz. And then she turned to Alex. "So where is she? Is she getting lunch? She shouldn't have. I brought enough for the two of us."

"Tess, you know—" His voice trailed away when she craned her neck and searched the grounds for Maria. He sighed. "Maria's not here yet."

"Does she have a hard time getting up in the mornings? I do too!" She opened her yogurt container and licked the foil covering. "Does she do that too?"

Liz groaned and looked questioningly at the comb in front of her. "Tess, maybe you'll be more comfortable with the rest of the Pastel Pretties," she suggested.

"I don't have anymore combs today, Liz."

Maria tightened her fingers in his hair as his lips moved over her nape. "Michael," she moaned, "we are so late."

"I know," he whispered. "But we'll be just on time for lunch."

Maria giggled at his logic. They dropped by the center to visit Jessica and bring her some goodies from the grocery store. Maria had requested Michael to let her off a block away so they could appear to have just bumped into each other there. The social workers were already commenting on how coincidental it was that they almost always visited together. Michael would check on the progress of their wing and Maria would chat with Jessie. In effect, they were children's center acquaintances, so nobody really questioned their relationship there.

What they should wonder about, Maria thought, was why it's always a coincidence that we take bathroom or cafeteria breaks together. She and Michael had a secret signal going on that told each other when to slip away and meet in one of the vacant playrooms.

"It's probably time to introduce you to my sister," Maria suggested. Michael pulled away in happy surprise. True to his word, he hasn't pushed her into any sort of agreement that could be translated into pressure or commitment. His heart was flying at the fact that Maria volunteered this herself. Maybe he had been taking the wrong strategy earlier. Maybe space was what she needed to go closer.

"I'd enjoy that."

Maria pulled him down to her for another kiss and drew him out the room and towards the playground. When the light from outside hit her, she let go of his hand. She gave him a smile so she wouldn't mistake her action for abandonment. "Hey Jess!"

The little girl looked up at her sister. "Hey Maria. You're back. Where were ya?"

She heard Michael clear his throat from behind her, and jabbed her elbow into his ribs. "I was looking for some water."

"Silly," the girl chuckled. "You know the water fountain's over at that side!" Jessica pointed to the opposite direction of where Maria and Michael came from.

"Oh right!" Maria clapped her palm on her forehead. "I forgot. Listen, I'll go and drink and you meet Michael. His Dad's buying you guys a new place to play and sleep in!"

Maria winked at her boyfriend before rushing off to the fountain. Let him handle her.

"Hey Jessie."

"You have nice hair," she told him as a greeting. "Do you want me to cut it for you?"

Jessie held up a pair of plastic paper scissors.

Michael covered his hair protectively. "No thanks. I think I'll pass."

"So your dad's going to give us a new place, huh?"

"Yep."

"Can Maria live in the new place?"

Michael cleared his throat and looked desperately for Maria, uncertain if this was a touchy subject. "Well… she's kinda old, don't you think?"

Jessie scrunched her nose when she considered that. "Yeah," she admitted. "And the other kids will probably laugh at me coz I got my sister hanging around too much."

Michael nodded and finally lit up when he saw Maria leaning down and sipping from the drinking fountain. Water dribbled down her chin. He shook his head. She didn't even know how to drink water from a fountain? That girl had a lot to learn.

"You think she's cute!" Jessie revealed like some sort of centennial discovery.

"Well she is," he said, not even trying to deny it.

"I think she think you're cute too."

"How'd you know?"

The girl lifted her shoulders up and let them fall. "I know she's been looking at you even before you talked to her back then."

Michael grinned and looked up at Maria, who was now lifting kids up to enjoy the drinking water. When she saw him, she put down the kid and waved happily. He waved back. "Jessie."

"Yup?"

"Me and Maria better head out to school."

"Sure. Are you her boyfriend?"

"I don't know. Did she say anything?"

"Nope. But she doesn't tell me everything."

Michael stooped down to the little girl's level and confided, "Well then between you and me, I think I'm gonna marry her." And then he winked at her and ran towards Maria, who was now being pestered by six kids wanting to be lifted too.

"Hey Michael!" He turned around. "You think if you do, you guys can adopt me?"

He walked back towards the girl and ruffled her hair. "I'll spring you out of this joint, sure!"

"Great!" Jessie crowed happily. "I can't wait!"

Part 7

Maria tried to keep her face straight, but she was having a hard time seeing the incredibly stupid faces Michael made as they entered the school lot. But once she saw the first student, it wasn't so hard at all. She sent him a smiling look before stepping out of his car.

"Michael," a raised feminine voice called out. Maria closed her eyes for strength, before turning around and looking at the arrival. Isabel Evans arched an eyebrow as she took in the pair. "Why are you going to school with Maria De Luca?"

Maria's heart thumped in her ears. She felt dizzy at the blood pounding in her head. She waited for Michael's response, which would make or break whatever this was. Michael turned to her. "You're Maria De Luca? You work for us, don't you?"

She felt her head nodding of its own volition. "Um yeah," she croaked. "So uh, thanks for the ride. I really appreciate not having to walk all the way here. So, yeah. Thanks." She grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and proceeded towards the building.

"Maria."

She whirled around breathlessly. "Yeah."

"You left your package in the trunk."

Maria bit her lip. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Michael glanced at Isabel. "Sure."

"Since I'm working tonight, can you bring it over to the music store?"

Michael nodded carefully, looking into her eyes, and she turned away. She still wasn't sure if she should accept it or not. "Yeah. You'll pick it up there." He watched her run the rest of the way to the school building. Michael turned to Isabel, who was glaring at Maria's form. Knowing he can't tell her off, he shook his head and proceeded to the quad where he saw Kyle and Max.

"Hey wait up!" Isabel jogged after him. "That was totally rude, Michael." She turned to the two guys in their usual table, staring at the opposite end of the quad, of all things! "Michael here," she told them, "has gone totally insane. "Imagine actually giving that Maria De Luca a ride to school. I mean what if it wasn't me who saw them? What would that do to our reputations? You're not the only one who's going to be affected, Michael. We're all in this together!"

Max nodded absently. He steeled himself and told Kyle, "Let's go."

Kyle and Max stood up, leaving Isabel gaping openmouthed at them as they walked towards the table they've been looking at.

"What?" Isabel demanded. "Where are you going? All three of you are insane! You're committing a deranged reputation suicide!" she called out.

Tess, who was sitting with Alex and Liz, looked up at the two approaching guys. "Hey there! We were just talking about the Whits' concert on Friday."

Liz watched Max carefully. "Alex, pick up your jaw." Her friend grinned and did as he was told. He was just to shocked to see Max and Kyle cross the border for the first time. "What did you need, Max?" she inquired.

Max swallowed deeply. "Umm I just wanted to ask you, Tess, if you wanted to go out with me."

Liz's eyes snapped at Tess, and Kyle's horrified gaze met the brunette's.

"Oh to the Whits' concert?" Tess asked excitedly.

"Umm, sure."

Tess nodded happily. "I'd love to. But wait, what about you, Kyle?"

"Kyle is taking me," Liz piped out.

"What?" Max bit out.

"Sure yeah. Liz and I are going together."

Max shifted on the balls of his feet. "I didn't know you two were close."

Kyle's head nodded empathically. "We are, we are. We were really close when we were kids. You can't take away… umm.. closeness like that."

Alex watched the conversation between the four. The words were like a tennis ball in play. Alex's head moved from there to here, a Wimbledon fanatic. "So you're going to the Whits' performance."

"Me and Kyle are," Liz said quickly.

"And I'm going with Tess," Max told them.

"O-kay!" Alex was finding this day full of surprises. He was glad there's no big revelation waiting for him out there. What was bigger than Kyle and Max crushing on girls on this side anyway?

"Hey Dad!" Kyle greeted when he stepped into their house.

"Jesus, Kyle!" the Sheriff exclaimed when he saw his son. "What are you doing home so soon?"

Kyle's eyebrow rose at his father's frantic movements. "Classes dismissed early," he told the older man wryly. "Question is, what are you doing home? Don't you have a job—like one safeguarding the people's lives and property in our small town?"

"I got a half day," the Sheriff stammered, eyeing the pantry door.

"Dad?"

"What?"

Kyle squinted at the red mark on his dad's neck. Did he get hurt on the job. "Hey what's that?" He stepped closer and reached for it. Jim stepped away, but Kyle got to him either way. Kyle frowned when the mark transferred on his fingers. He smelled it and then looked at it closely. "This is lipstick. Is this lipstick?"

"It's lipstick," Jim sighed.

"Lipstick. Why is there lipstick on your neck?" Kyle's hand clutched his heart. "You're having an affair. Are you having an affair?"

"Son, I'm not so much as having an affair as—"

"As what, Dad?" Kyle demanded, betrayed.

"As having a sweetheart. A girlfriend."

"Geesh, Dad!" The boy was disgusted. "You're not a high school student!"

"Kyle, son, men have needs that…"

"Ah sheesh!" Kyle threw up his arms and fled the house.

"Thank you for shopping at Music Madness!" Maria said warmly to the customer. It was the last of the dozen people who browsed and bought that afternoon. She sighed in relief. It was finally seven thirty. Seven thirty was slow at the store.

Michael went to the door and flipped the door sign to CLOSED. And then he approached Dave, the manager, and as Maria watched, Dave nodded and got his car keys. Michael shut the door behind the guy. He turned around to see Maria smiling wickedly. "Are we turning in early?"

"Ms. De Luca, I'd like to see you in the backroom for a moment." Her laughter floated in the air of the store.

He followed Maria to the backroom and stepped into her waiting arms. Michael loved moments like this, when they could be as free as they wanted. If every minute of every hour of every day was like this, Michael could ask for nothing better. As long as Maria was happy, he didn't care about the rest of the world.

His fingers slowly undid the buttons of her blouse as she ran her hands on his skin under his shirt. She hissed happily when he kissed her collarbone. "I like that," she said breathlessly.

"I know."

Maria reached out to hold his face in her hands. He released his hold on her and looked into her eyes. "Michael, thank you."

"For what?"

"You're the only person in the world… who can ever love me like this. Thank you for being the only person I can trust."

He frowned. "You can trust Liz and Alex, Maria."

She shook her head. "Not the way I do you." Maria latched on to the edges of his shirt and pulled him down for another kiss. She smiled against his lips as she felt utter bliss and contentment wash over him with her words.

Suddenly, Michael pulled away. Maria tensed when she heard the rattling sound coming from the store front. "Thief," she whispered. "But it's still early."

Michael laid a finger on her lips. "Thieves don't usually take courtesy lessons, you know, like pick the hour most convenient to the owner." He tried to make light of the situation, although he was nervous. He didn't like the idea of exposing Maria to danger. And just being here exposed her. "I'm going out there and turn on the lights, try to scare him off. You stay in here and don't make a sound."

When he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm. "Don't! We'll hide here together. He might have a gun."

"I'll be okay. I'll just scare him with the lights. We can't stay here because he might come and see if there's a safe in here. And we'll be stuck." Michael gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and opened the door slowly.

"Be careful!"

Michael turned on the lights of the store and almost fell on his knees in relief. In front, there was Kyle Valenti trying to unlock the glass doors. He hurried over and opened it for him. "What do you think you're doing, Kyle? What if I called the Sheriff?"

"You won't get a response," Kyle retorted, "since my dad is at home entertaining a floozy!"

Michael almost laughed at the word. Who used 'floozy' in the 90s anyway? "So what's up with the burglar act there? Didn't know you enjoyed our stuff so much."

"Asshole. I was looking for a place to park my butt. The park's too cold now. Why's the store closed?"

"I didn't have a crew available," Michael managed smoothly.

Meanwhile, in the back room, Maria got worried. Why hadn't Michael returned yet? Armed or not, no thief was going to hurt Michael. No burglar was going to be the cause of this 'I love you' to leave her life. Maria needed something to whack the goon's head with. She reached for the Fender and almost cursed out loud. His criminal head so did not deserve an authentic, classic, marvelous, special… Stop it!… Instead, Maria got the wooden display guitar from the cabinet and stormed out the door. Surprise was the key element to win.

Both Kyle and Michael jumped back at the way Maria slammed out into the front. Kyle turned to Michael. "Well Maria De Luca is crew."

"I didn't see her. Didn't know she arrived already." He grappled for a way to turn the conversation. "So what brings you by?"

"My Dad's having an affair."

"Awww, chia head!" Maria slipped into the childhood nickname that she, Liz and Alex used on Kyle. She walked over to him and drew him down to one of the visitor chairs. Maria sat beside him and hugged him comfortingly. "I'm sorry. I know how much you wished your dad and your mom would get back together."

Kyle nodded and let her embrace him. He regretted not keeping in touch with his childhood friends. He told himself that he came here to maybe talk to Michael, man to man, about what's going on in his life. Now, with Maria telling him softly about the dreams he had as a kid, he had to admit that he walked all the way here because he figured he'd get sympathy from Maria, who knew all his struggles with being abandoned as a kid. When finally, Michael suggested that he should talk it out with his dad, Kyle relented. He stood up and mentioned offhandedly, "By the way, Maria, you forgot to button half of those." Maria looked down at her blouse in surprise. "And those you did get are in the wrong eyeholes."

"Maria was back there trying on the new Music Madness uniforms!" Michael told him.

Kyle smirked. "But you didn't know she's arrived already, Michael." He noted the way Michael glanced fearfully at Maria. "Hey you two, me, no need to worry," he told them in a berserk sort of code.

"We don't know what you're talking about," Maria told him flippantly, and Michael and Kyle grinned at each other at the girl's use of the plural. "Anyway, I am going home because my shift is over. I need to work on my assignments." She stalked over to the door and grabbed her coat.

Michael turned to Kyle. "Okay, before I follow her to make sure she gets home okay, you gotta tell me. Do you think she suspected?"

"That you intentionally let that slip?" Kyle chuckled. "Not yet. But do that again and she might."

Michael nodded. The one earlier with Isabel hadn't gone the way he hoped it would, but he wasn't too blame that Iz was just dense. "Hey Kyle, good luck with your dad. Really."

Kyle waved him away before realizing that with the two gone, he was stuck there at the store playing security guard until Michael returned to lock up.

"Hey De Luca!"

Maria smiled at her approaching friends. "Hey guys! So what's up with you two? I haven't seen you in while."

"Well look who's talking here," Alex teased. "You're the one who's been missing for ages. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on," she denied, glancing swiftly back and forth between Liz and Alex. "Unless you two have secrets you wanna share."

"Oh nothing nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Alex interrupted. Flashing Liz a bright grin, Alex spilled the beans. "Our Liz Parker just got a date with Kyle Valenti, superjock!"

"Ohmygosh!" Maria squealed. "Lizzie, you and chia-head?! He asked you out?"

"Well no," Alex admitted. "Liz told him that they're going out on a date."

"What? Oh my gosh, Liz, I didn't know you lusted after the guy." Maria and Alex clapped their hands in mutual hilarity.

Liz blushed and shook her head. "You guys don't understand."

"What don't we understand, Lizzie?" Maria prodded, eyes twinkling.

"Wait a minute! You don't get to veer the conversation anywhere you choose when you're the one who's been missing for a while now. So where were you for the past two days? We never saw you after the-"

"Ugh!" Maria complained. "Don't remind me. I still can't believe this is happening. I don't know how I should respond to this. How do I act exactly, Alex? Am I supposed to welcome her with open arms? I know it's not her fault. He probably misled them the way he did my mom. But I just… I'm not ready to face this right now!"

Over Maria's shoulder, Alex saw Tess walking, in that bopping up and down way of hers, looking enthused to see Maria finally. Liz's eyes widened as she thought of a way to distract Maria. Meanwhile, Alex shook his head at Tess, making hand gestures to get her to leave them.

"I don't know how to act or how to be. I don't know if I want her around to disrupt my life. And I do believe that I don't want her around Jessie… at least not until I know for sure what she's made of. I don't know!" Maria heaved a sigh. "I just… I'm so confused right now. Is this so bad of me?"

Personally having been exposed to Tess Harding for the past couple of days, Alex knew that Tess wasn't really a bad person. She was just raised in a home that Maria was deprived of, secure, easily believing in the good of people around her. Tess didn't have reason to be wary. She had never had any harsh experiences before the crash. But Maria didn't have that knowledge. Until she was ready, she should be allowed to accept this in herself. "Not at all. I understand, Maria. But take this from me: Don't be too long. Tess wants to know you too."

Maria gave a slight smile. "Yeah. I know. I guess I just need a little more time. And then I'll approach her on my own."

Tess sat down heavily on the seat beside the Kings of Roswell High. Kyle noticed her protruding lower lip and asked what was wrong. And Tess Harding began to ramble about the unfairness of her situation. For the first time, Michael heard Tess speak at length about her tragedy. That was when he noticed that in some ways, Tess was like a Maria, only maybe lacking in the experiences that made his girlfriend unique.

And anyway, he couldn't really separate himself from Tess' obvious pain. If he turned sideways, closed one eye, cocked his head and stepped back like twenty-four steps, she had the look of a Maria around her. He couldn't shut himself off the pain coming from someone who even remotely resembled his Maria.

Michael took a deep breath and decided that he was going to do something for Tess that he knew he was going to regret in the long run.

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Part 8

She had been waiting on customers for the past two hours, and Maria's feet ached. She glanced at the clock and felt a little relief at the fact that she had a break in a few minutes. Maria walked to the island separating the dining area from the kitchen. She couldn't wait to get this shift over with. Sure, she had to proceed to the music store and work, but at least there she was sitting at the cashier unless someone asked for help looking for a particular tape or CD.

"Liz, I'm gonna go take these at the back. Can you see to my tables?" Her best friend smiled and waved her agreement.

Maria took the tray of dishes and pushed her way out the back. She badly needed to take a whiff of something to calm her down before going back out there. Maria went to the backroom and opened her locker. When she closed the locker door, she jumped at the sight of Sheriff Valenti's grim face.

"Maria."

"Sheriff! You scared me."

Jim took off his hat and gripped it in his hands. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Maria," he told her slowly.

Maria laid her hand on the locker for support. She and Michael separated at the school gates earlier since she had to work at the Crashdown and he had some unknown other business to attend to. But if anything had happened to him, why would the Sheriff inform her? There was no possible way anyone could think her that much a part of Michael's life to bother going to her first. Oh my God! Jessie! "What happened to her?" she rasped.

Jim sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it for strength. "We found her passed out in your living room earlier. The landlady was concerned at the noise she heard coming from the house."

Maria's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What? Who? Oh no. My mom. Is she okay?"

"Why don't I take you to the hospital? They were still running checks on her when I left. I thought I should get you, that you'd want to be there."

She bit her lip and hastily took off her apron. And then she grabbed her coat and ran out to find Liz.

Michael, who had arrived only a few moments earlier, stood up at the sight of Maria's terrified and panicked face. He walked over to where Maria was telling Liz that she had to go. "What is it? What's wrong?"

It was the Sheriff who answered Michael's inquiry, thinking that he was just a curious customer since he had never before seen the boy with Maria or her friends. He knew that Michael was Kyle's friend, but never as any sort of outside school acquaintance of this girl. "I'm taking Ms. De Luca to the hospital. Her mother was rushed in a little while ago."

Michael grasped Maria's arm and said firmly, "I'm going with you."

Liz glanced at Michael in shock. He didn't even bother to come up with an effective excuse to throw Liz off, or even pretend to. Kyle, who came up behind his friend, saw Jim's overly concerned face and put two and two together. He felt some sort of relief wash over him at the thought of the evil seductress being Mrs. De Luca. He didn't even bother to worry about the weird consequences of that to his rep.

Maria pulled her arm out of Michael's grasp. She said faintly, "No. I'm going with the Sheriff." His look of hurt reached her in her haze. "It's faster in the squad car."

"All right," he agreed. "I'll follow in my convertible."

Maria let the Sheriff lead her and Kyle to his vehicle. Behind them, Liz scratched her head in confusion. The Michael Guerin. "I'll call Alex and we'll follow!" she called out.

At the back of the police car, Kyle wrapped his arm around Maria's slight form. He felt how slight she was, and once again thought it odd how the big and often aloof Michael was actually head over heels with this girl. Kyle suspected for a while that Michael had this intense relationship on the side, that he was hiding from everyone else. When he saw what happened yesterday, he was pretty surprised that it was with Maria De Luca. Only after several hours did he finally actually see how well they fit one another. There was no doubt that what Maria needed, Michael could give—in pretty much all aspects. He did wonder thought what Maria could provide that Michael didn't already have in vast amounts. He couldn't think of anything really. But maybe that's just what love was like.

He guessed that if he thought about it long and hard, he could honestly say that he was happy for them. Although he sure had no wish to be present when the dam burst. Which was exactly what was going to happen when people started noticing.

"Remember when you used to sleep at my place, with Liz and Alex?"

"Yeah," Maria answered. "That was when your dad would take my mom into custody. And then I would need adult supervision, so either he or Liz or Alex's parents would have to take me in."

Okay, not a good conversation to have, Kyle told himself. He tried a different tact. "How long has it been?"

"When we were kids, Kyle. A long time ago." Actually it was only about ten years at most. But to Maria, childhood was lifetimes past.

"I mean what you and Guerin have. Must be pretty new. You two seemed all over each other at MM. Hey would you look at that!" Kyle chuckled. "Music Madness has the same initials as Michael and Maria."

She tensed up. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Maria. I already know. How long?"

Maria swallowed and told him the truth. "Five months going on six."

"Whoa!" Kyle exclaimed. "You two have been together that long?" Maria nodded. "That little prick! He's that involved with that stupid reputation trip that he wouldn't let you go public? I'll kill him."

Maria dug her elbow into Kyle's ribs, and he yelped in response. "You will do no such thing! Look, it was my choice okay?"

"Why would do something like that?" Maria rolled her eyes and then looked out the window. "You know something?"

"What, Kyle?"

"Normally, I would ask the guy not to hurt you, but this time, even if I understand your reasons, I want you to know if you hurt Michael, you're on my bad side," he said teasingly.

"I tremble in fear," Maria grinned back.

For Alex and Liz, who did not know anything yet about the two, watching Michael take care of Maria in the waiting room was puzzling and surprising. Alex had not believed Liz at first when she told him about how Michael had offered to bring Maria to the hospital. But now, seeing the way the defeated and exhausted Maria sleep with her head on his shoulder and his jacket around her, they felt an odd sense of lightness where there should have been betrayal.

Their best friend in the whole wide world did not tell them about this secret.

"About half a year."

Liz frowned at Kyle, not knowing what it was he meant.

"They've been together for more than five months." Alex's jaw dropped in amazement. Maria's motor mouth could not have kept information that juicy for that long! "Shocker, isn't it?"

"How long have you known?" Liz asked suspiciously. She would definitely feel worse if Kyle Valenti was in it all along.

"I just figured it out by accident this afternoon." That seemed to make Liz feel better.

The three looked up when the doctor treating Amy walked in. Jim pulled himself to his feet when he saw that Maria and Michael had both dozed off in the plastic chairs, heads together.

"Well, we're going to keep her for a day or two for observation. Otherwise, Mrs. De Luca is fine."

"But why did she collapse?"

"There's nothing to worry about, Sheriff. It's probably the strain of what she's going through, catching up with her belatedly."

The Sheriff looked behind him, but the two were still sleeping soundly. He wasn't sure if Maria knew anything about what the doctor was saying. He decided to ask for answers from the man. "What exactly has Amy been doing?"

"Well she's been taking some therapy to deal with her problems, Sheriff. Amy De Luca has been seeing a resident psychiatrist for three months now."

He had first asked Amy De Luca out two months ago when he noticed the change in her demeanor that he couldn't quite point out exactly.

"So I suggest you all go home and get some sleep. Mrs. De Luca is fine. In fact, if you all stay here, I can guarantee you'll look worse off than she would."

Jim shook hands with the doctor and turned to the kids. Michael peered at him behind sleepy eyelids while Maria remained asleep on his shoulder. "Kyle, I need to go back to the station so maybe you can hitch a ride with your friend Michael. And then Alex can drive the two girls home."

"No," Michael protested at once. By that time Maria had woken up and started to burrow her face into Michael's neck. When she caught sight of Alex and Liz looking at her like she'd sprouted two heads, she sat up straight. "I'll drive your son home, Sheriff. And then I'll drop Maria off."

Maria didn't meet her friends' eyes as she allowed Michael to pull her to her feet. She thought she should probably go with Alex and Liz and try to contain the damage, but that would mean surrendering the comfort of having Michael's arm wrapped around her. And right now, she wasn't prepared to do that.

"I'll just go say goodbye to my mom," she murmured. But when she started to walk away, Michael followed.

"Way weird," Alex mumbled. Liz gave him a look that said 'I told you so' a million times.

Maria stepped into Amy's room and saw her mom sleeping soundly, looking so small in the bed. Michael stayed at her back and wrapped his arms around her waist. He dropped a kiss on top of her head. "Do you mind?"

She knew what he was talking about. It was hard for them to miss. And she was just so exhausted to even try to hide it now. She leaned back against him. "No. They would have known sooner or later. I'd have had to tell them."

His heart literally flew. He felt himself go dizzy. She would have told them. Score three points for Michael Guerin with jersey number 1! She saw him as permanent enough to tell her close friends about. Granted, she only said it after they found out. But still, that satisfied him for tonight.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

But Maria's place was in shambles. Michael looked around the living room in horror. "Your mom really must have been on the edge this afternoon."

She bit her lip to stifle her grin. "This is how it normally looks."

"Oh." Michael took her hand and pulled her out.

"Where are we going?"

Michael opened the passenger door of her car for her and strapped her in. And then he hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. "You're not sleeping there alone tonight," he told her. "We're going to my place."

Maria groaned and rolled over in the bed, curling up against a firm warm object. Her eyes flickered open and she regarded the sleeping features of her boyfriend. She smiled when she remembered how attentive he had been last night.

And then the smile faded when she realized that by now, after his insistence that she come home with him and her mute compliance, Liz and Alex pretty much knew about them.

At least now when the time came and he actually came to his senses, there would be two great people she could run into. Maybe even Kyle Valenti would lend her a shoulder to cry on. But even if she'd convinced herself long ago to accept that this affair won't last for long, she found herself hoping that Michael would come to that conclusion later rather than sooner.

She edged her way off the bed and grimaced at the feel of the cold floor. Maria rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the door to get some water.

The presence of the man sitting on the table, calmly chewing his breakfast, made her step back. It was 'Lord Hank' looking at her the way other people often did. But this time, it sent a sharp pain inside her stomach. This was, after all, not just any creep from the streets whose opinions didn't matter. This was Michael's father.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir."

"Maria De Luca, isn't it?" He knew her name? She nodded her head. "I thought I recognized you. I was once a friend of your mother's."

Maria squirmed at the emphasis on the word friend. She didn't know how to respond to something like that. She nodded her head and took a glass from the sink and poured herself some water.

"My son has so many options, a bright, brilliant future ahead of him. And I have no doubt that he'll succeed."

"Michael is a wonderful, intelligent guy."

"I know that," Hank said. "And I know you know that. It's the reason why you're stuck like a leech to him." Maria slowly put the glass down and faced Hank's cold glare. "I know girls like you—white trash who know they would never amount to anything so they find themselves benefactors as early as they can. Well let me tell you now, Ms. De Luca, that I'm not going to let you be that woman for my son."

Maria's eyes narrowed, and her cheeks burned at the accusation. "I'm not a leech, Mr. Guerin. And I'm not with your son to be pampered."

"Is that right?" Hank took his briefcase from the floor and laid it on the table. And then he drew a sheet of paper from a manila folder. "He used his card on a very expensive toy from Pitch just this last week." He dropped the paper inside and took another envelope. "My son has never had any interest in playing his own music."

Maria's jaw clenched. She had expected disapproval if Michael ever did take her to meet his father. But she never thought she'd get this blatant accusation.

"I'm sure you can find some other guy with as much money going for him as Michael. Maybe not in Roswell, but somewhere else." He pushed the envelope towards the end of the table closest to Maria. "Let me finance that search for you. You'll find that generous enough that you'll still have a chunk of allowance left to spare."

Maria's eyes fell on the envelope. With a trembling hand, she reached for it and took out the check. Her throat dried at the amount written in 'Lord Hank's' hand.

She tightened the coat around her as she walked briskly towards the children's center. Amy was going home soon and Maria wanted to plead with the social workers to let Jessie go with her for the day. Amy would feel so much better if she could see her little girl. And with the effort that Amy was putting to recovering, she deserved the treat of having Jessie around for a while.

Maria smiled at the brunette who often took her to see Jessie. "Hey Irma, can I see Jess?"

"Sure, Maria. And you're just in time. Jessie's other visitor just arrived too."

Her brows furrowed. As far as she knew, Jessie didn't have visitors other than her and Michael. And Michael always came with her. She walked briskly to the playroom and stopped stock still at the sight that greeted her.

When she recovered, Maria stalked towards the two blonde heads and pulled Jessie away. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Tess blinked up at Maria. "I was visiting. We were just playing."

"Who the hell gave you the right to come here? Maybe you're getting a few facts wrong, Tess," Maria bit out. "You got the dad. You don't get my sister too!"

"I was trying to make friends!" Tess defended herself. "And I was never responsible for dad leaving you and staying with me." She wanted to be close to Maria. She really did. But was she supposed to take all this and not say a word in her defense? "I know Jessie's not my sister, Maria."

Maria's eyesight darkened in sheer anger. "Get out of here, Tess."

To her credit, Tess moved to leave. But first, she crouched before Jessie and told her, "You can keep the toys, okay? And then maybe I'll see you again."

After Tess left, Maria sat heavily down on a beanbag and held her head in her hands. She felt the small hand smoothing her hair. "It's okay, Maria. Don't be mad at her. She was nice."

Maria reached up and took her sister in her arms. "I'm sorry, Jess. How did she even know about you?" she whispered to no one in particular.

"Michael brought her here."

Maria's head snapped up to meet Jessie's eyes. "What?"

"Michael took her to see me the other day."

She let out a harsh breath. "What did he tell you about Tess?"

Jessie shrugged her shoulders. "Just that she wanted to be my friend. It's okay, Maria. The people who look after me say that friends are a nice thing to have."

Maria smiled at her sister so that she wouldn't feel like she did anything wrong. And then she excused herself to go to the front desk and dialed Music Madness. "Dave. Hey. It's me, Maria. Listen, I need you to do something for me, okay?" She would never know where she got enough calm to say the words without screaming in anger. "Tell Michael Guerin that I quit."

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Part 9

Maria smiled as she watched her mother and Jessie talk in a serious, quiet manner. They have not seen each other for a while. Since the social workers took Jessie, her mother was only able to visit twice before the addiction took her over.

"Jessie, do you remember mom?"

The little girl shook her blonde head and turned to Maria. "She's my mommy too?" Maria nodded, anxious at the reaction that that information would get form the little girl. She wanted Jessie to be able to show Amy that she was loved, that she had reason to get better and work towards a better life. To her relief, Jessie merely grinned and said, "Okay!"

While Amy and Jessie continued to talk about Jessie's plans for the future and what she wanted out of life, Maria stepped out of the room. When she rounded the waiting room, she looked up into the eyes of Michael Guerin. "Maria, hey! You left so quickly. Why didn't you wake me up?"

Maria's face was blank when she regarded him. "Please leave," she whispered.

"I just got here."

"Leave us alone, Michael. I don't want anything to do with you."

Michael felt a coldness creep up his chest. "What are you talking about? I thought we were fine!" Maria shook her head and continued on to the cafeteria. He grasped her arm. "Wait. What is this about?"

"You haven't even gone to the store, have you?"

"No. I went directly here when I saw that you've gone. Why?"

"I'm not working for you anymore, Michael. There's not going to be anymore reason for us to speak to each other."

"What?" he demanded. "You're talking crazy! Why won't we talk, Maria? We're… I'm in love with you! And I thought you were with me too."

Maria gritted her teeth and jerked her arm away. "That was before you used the trust I put in you and bit me in the ass!" She strode away and went into the elevator. Michael ran after her, but when he saw where she went, the elevator already closed after her.

He hit the down button over and over again until the other elevator opened to reveal a crying Tess. He debated whether or not he was going to ignore her and follow Maria to whichever level of the hospital she rode the elevator to. He watched the numbers above the elevator door and saw it stop in the ground floor. At least now he knew where she had gone.

"Michael! I'm so sorry!" Tess sobbed out.

"What?"

"I know you told me that I can't go there. But I did coz I wanted to!" She hiccupped. "And I know I agreed that I won't bother Maria anymore until she wants to be bothered if you introduced me to somebody—and—and—and I said okay and—and I won't and I fully—fully intended to not break that—pr—promise! But I did and I—I—I—I suck!" she cried.

"Tess, what are you talking about?" Michael pulled her out of the way of the elevator and to the waiting room. He sat her down, already putting two and two together. Yesterday, he tried to convince Tess that Maria has had problems enough in her life. He had driven her to the orphanage and pointed Jessie out. He thought that he had sufficiently talked to Tess and convinced her not to add to any more of Maria's worries. When he turned back around, Jessie had already spotted him and was calling out, running towards him and Tess outside the gates.

"Who's your friend, Michael?" Jessie piped out, sticking the toe of her shoe into the grass of the playground. "You're not cheating on Maria, are you?"

Michael looked taken aback. Where would the girl learn about that? "No. I'll never do that."

"So who's that?"

Tess stepped forward and squatted before Jessie. She extended her hand to shake the little one's. And then she just blurted out the fact and Michael wanted to clamp his hands over the pink mouth. "I'm your sister's si—" Michael grabbed Tess' hand and pulled her up.

"Tess is a friend. Just a friend," he stressed. "Oh look, we've got classes! I better go. I'll take Maria over next time, okay?"

Michael thought that that was it. It was a close call, but since he specifically made a deal with Tess that that was it, and that she won't push, he had been calmer than he should have been. Now… stupid stupid! How could he have been this stupid to think that that was it! She had to return there and play!

He knew he couldn't blame Tess. It was all his freakin' fault!

Isabel groaned and shut the photo album she had compiled of the Whits' performance. Then she stood up from the bed and buried it under the blankets. This was so pathetic! Of all the guys she should have a crush about, why him? It was silly and unrealistic that she, Isabel Evans, would ever have a thing for Alex Whitman. But there it was. Since the first time she heard the band play, Isabel had had this insane almost fanatical attraction to the geek.

"This will so ruin my image!"

There was a brisk knock on the door, and Isabel looked up in time to see her brother with two shirts in hand. They were the exact same design, but one in red and one in green.

"What should I wear?"

"Where?"

Max sighed. "Whitman's performance. I have a date with Tess. What looks better on me?"

"They're exactly the same, Max," she retorted. "But wear the green one. Are you serious with this Tess thing? I mean, she sits with us all the time but you never really talked to her. It was always Kyle."

"I asked for your opinion of the clothes, Iz. Not my love life." He started to leave the room, but he turned around again. "So do I tell everyone that mom won't let me come to the concert without you?"

Isabel breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, please." Though irritating, Max had his uses at times. She grabbed her phone book and looked for the perfect, popular and swoon-worthy date—preferably a jock.

When Friday night came along, both Kyle and Maria were at her house. Jim had taken Amy home and when he had settled Amy in the bedroom, he grinned at the kids. "Why don't I stay with your mom and Kyle and bring you to Alex's concert?"

Maria broke into a relieved smile. She had not relished the thought of staying with the two oldies and their most likely apparent affection. "You don't mind, do you, Kyle?"

Kyle shook his head. "Go on and get dressed. I'll call Liz and tell her to get ready."

When Michael Guerin stepped into the Whits' band practice, the music came to an abrupt stop.

Tommy, the drummer, dropped his sticks and stood up, then bowed, hitting his head on the drum with a thump.

"Ah shit," Michael murmured. "I'm not royalty, Tommy. Stand up."

"Yes, my lord." The cymbals clanged when his head hit it on its way up.

Michael sighed in frustration. "Whitman, I want to talk to you."

Alex put down his guitar and approached Michael. They really didn't have the time since they were playing tonight, but if Guerin deemed to step into his garage, it must be important. "What do you want?"

Michael handed Alex a crisp bill. "Teach me how to play the guitar."

Alex's eyebrow rose at the amount. "Are you insane? We're still working here. We can't afford to give you a lesson."

"Just one song, Alex. I need to play it at your concert."

Alex's jaw dropped in shock. "One hour? You want us to teach you in one hour? No. No. You're not going to ruin our show."

"I'm paying you more than you're going to get paid there. Just… all right… play the song for me. But I'm going to sing it. And I'm going to find another teacher and try to get him to teach me."

Alex looked around and saw the rapid nodding that was racking his members' brains. He shrugged, "Fine. Even if you mess it up, you're still a Roswell High celebrity. It won't hurt our rep that you'd sing out of tune during our set."

Michael nodded and walked out of the garage, only to be followed by the resounding bang on the drums and cymbals, and he just knew that Tommy still hadn't understood.

Kyle escorted the two girls into the club. And then he spotted her… Tess in a light blue baby doll dress that came midway down her thighs, laughing with Max Evans. He must have felt him watching, because Max looked up and waved at him and Liz. Tess smiled at him and waved too.

Liz saw the direction that Kyle was smiling at. She saw Tess and Max wave at them. Liz gave them a tight smile. They were here for Alex, so she can't just walk out.

And then Kyle excused himself from her and Maria.

Kyle went to Alex, who was installing the instruments together with his bandmates. When Alex whispered something back, Kyle shrugged. And then Alex went to the bar to get a drink.

"Hey."

Alex looked up to see Isabel Evans in hot red. "Hey there. I thought stuff like these turn you off."

Isabel smiled and shook her head. "My mom won't let Max go out unless I come along. We're a package deal, my brother and I."

Alex nodded. It was odd, but he could feel interest in him vibrating off Isabel Evans. He swallowed and tried, because nobody gets anywhere without determinations. "Are you sure you didn't come to watch us play?"

He expected her to laugh and say, "You wish!" Instead, Isabel's beautiful lips curved and she placed a soft kiss on his mouth. "Play well, Alex," she whispered against his lips.

Stunned, he went back to the stage like a zombie. And when he turned around to give her one last smile before they performed, he saw her sidled up against the football hero Jay Donovan, waving her fingers at him.

Alex turned to his band and told his band, "We have a small change in the pieces, okay?" he gritted out. "Give me Guns, my men." He strummed his bass to tell his friends the new song to pick up on.

At their seats, Maria's and Liz's jaw went slack as they heard the music. "He is so not serious!" Maria exclaimed.

"Look at his face. I think he is!" Liz shouted back.

"But what possible angst would he have now?"

Alex jumped on the stage and clutched the mic in his hand.

I used to love her

But I had to kill her

I used to love her, Mm, yeah

But I had to kill her

I had to put her six feet under

And I can still hear her complain

I used to love her, Oo, yeah

But I had to kill her

I used to love her, Oo, yeah

But I had to kill her

I knew I'd miss her

So I had to keep her

She's buried right in my backyard

Oh yeah, Oo yeah, whoa, oh yeah

The audience went wild. It was the first time that the Whits performed something so rad. Guys started headbanging, and girls screamed as though they were the Beatles. The Whits got more into the character of their song as they pretty much trashed around the stage.

I used to love her

But I had to kill her

I used to love her, Mm, yeah

But I had to kill her

She bitched so much, She drove me nuts

And now I'm happier this way, yeah

Whoa, oh yeah

I used to love her

But I had to kill her

I used to love her, Mm, yeah

But I had to kill her

I had to put her, Oo, six feet under

And I can still hear her complain

The applause was deafening. It was an explosive performance, and the Whits just cinched a dozen more gigs with that one song.

Isabel clutched her throat with a smooth white hand, because all along, Alex Whitman had been staring directly at her.

After the last strains of the song was complete, Alex shook his head and told the audience. "Someone arranged to perform for you tonight." The audience shouted for more, but Alex shook his head. "I think that you're going to like him anyway."

"1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4," said the familiar voice.

"Oh my god!" one of the audience members screamed when she recognized the voice.

Michael walked onto the stage and sat down on a chair he had brought with him. He scanned the crowd for Maria, and once he found her, he held her gaze. In his arms, Maria saw the gleaming Fender that literally had her name on it, and she prayed that nobody would notice that one little engraving.

Shed a tear 'cause I'm missin' you

I'm still alright to smile

Girl, I think about you every day now

Was a time when I wasn't sure

But you set my mind at ease

There is no doubt

You're in my heart now

Maria shook her head and bit her lip. If he thought that it was going to be this easy, then he was mistaken. You can't correct a mistake as big as that one by performing onstage.

Said, woman, take it slow

It'll work itself out fine

All we need is just a little patience

Said, sugar, make it slow

And we come together fine

All we need is just a little patience

(patience)

Mm, yeah

I sit here on the stairs

'Cause I'd rather be alone

If I can't have you right now

I'll wait, dear

Sometimes I get so tense

But I can't speed up the time

But you know, love

There's one more thing to consider

Said, woman, take it slow

And things will be just fine

You and I'll just use a little patience

Said, sugar, take the time

'Cause the lights are shining bright

You and I've got what it takes

To make it, We won't fake it,

I'll never break it

'cause I can't take it

(whistle)

...little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah

need a little patience, yeah

just a little patience, yeah

some more patience, yeah

need some patience, yeah

could use some patience, yeah

gotta have some patience, yeah

all it takes is patience,

just a little patience

is all you need

I been walkin' the streets at night

Just trying to get it right

'S hard to see with so many around

You know I don't like being stuck in the crowd

And the streets don't change

But baby the name

I ain't got time for the game

Cause I need you

Yeah, yeah, but I need you

Oooh I need you

Whoa, I need you

Oooh, All this time

"Step down, step down," she chanted in her seat silently. She hoped that that was it. If he stepped down now, there was hope that the performance didn't make a difference.

"I got this guitar for the most important girl in the world to me," he began, and everyone's eyes bulged. There was no way that Michael Guerin's love life was private! "But I made the biggest mistake and she broke up with me."

"I won't break up with you, Michael!" someone else called out.

"Inside this guitar, is the only truth in the world I know," he said into the mic. "I'm sorry, Maria. Forgive me."

The audience gasped in horror when Maria De Luca stood up and calmly walked out of the club. They reacted in even more horror when instead of letting the girl who totally did not deserve him just go, Michael Guerin started after her.

"That was like such a prank!" someone exclaimed in denial.

"De Luca? She's not worth his time."

"What a floozy!"

"Probably using him."

"Michael Guerin is so not in love with that…" Liz glared in the general direction of the girl.

But before she could tell that girl off, Tess Harding in her baby blue dress was standing on top of her table with hands akimbo. "Shut the hell up about my sister!" she yelled. "You don't know her. So…. Shut up! You're all bitches and you're all jealous." Her face was mottled red with outrage.

And then suddenly, the band has picked up another song. Liz gasped when she saw her date up on the stage, apparently about to embark on his own life song from Guns N' Roses. And then Max Evans had moved to the chair that Kyle Valenti had vacated.

"This is for you, Tess," he said. Tess, in her on to battle pose, suddenly squealed and clapped her hands. She clambered down from the table and sat with her hands folded prim and properly, as though nothing happened.

She's got a smile that it seems to me

Reminds me of childhood memories

Where everything

Was as fresh as the bright blue sky

Now and then when I see her face

She takes me away to that special place

And if I stared too long

I'd probably break down and cry

Sweet child o' mine

Sweet love of mine

She's got eyes of the bluest skies

As if they thought of rain

I hate to look into those eyes

And see an ounce of pain

Her hair reminds me

of a warm safe place

Where as a child I'd hide

And pray for the thunder

And the rain

To quietly pass me by

Sweet child o' mine

Sweet love of mine

Where do we go

Where do we go now

Where do we go

Sweet child o' mine [/i]

"Yay!" Tess flew out of her seat and into Kyle's arms.

"Did you know about this?" Liz demanded.

Max shrugged. "I was wondering, Liz, if maybe you wanted to go out with me tomorrow."

"I thought you liked the Malibu blonde," Liz replied.

Max shook his head. "I've always liked you. I just asked her out because you know, you're not exactly… well… But after what Michael did up there, I realized that doesn't matter any more. I've admired you for so long. That's what matters."

Liz's eyes narrowed. "Because I'm not… popular?" Max nodded. Liz smiled and leaned close to him, with her lips almost touching his, "Admire… your own high and mighty butt, Evans!" she snapped. And then she took her handbag and stalked out.

Max looked after her forlornly. And then he remembered that he was following Michael's strategy, and did what Michael did. The next minute, Max had stolen one of the guitars from the stage and was running after Liz Parker.

Part 10

The concert the night before had been hell. That was Isabel Evans' recurring opinion as she went through her Saturday. She would tack a note in her bedroom saying that she shouldn't attend late Friday night concerts anymore, especially Alex Whitman's.

She had known for a long while now that he was going to be the death of her. And last night, she proved it. Why oh why did she really have to be fascinated with the geek yet totally hot when he's onstage guy?

True, he was pretty sexy when he's playing his bass guitar or singing. Isabel had admitted that a long time ago. But hey, so were the quarterbacks when they tackle and the wide receivers when they… receive.

But she never found them hot in a drop your panties kinda way…

Okay, even her metaphors were turning groupie. Eeeww.

Isabel sighed as she hopped out of her car and headed to the only place she was sure to find him on a Saturday.

It sucks when the beauty queen had to descend and mix with the masses, but if that's what it took, then that's what it took.

Isabel Evans pushed the doors of the Crashdown open and scanned the heads for the person she was looking for. Luckily enough, she spotted them easily. Months of watching him from afar gave her some sort of radar to Alex Whitman. He was sitting with his two best girlfriends.

She approached the three who were talking and laughing in that camaraderie she could only wish to have with Max, Michael and Kyle. She opened her mouth to apologize for what happened the night before. Surely, Alex would understand that a drowning man would clutch at any floatation device. An Ice Princess would really grab hold onto a jock when she felt herself melting for a PC nerd!

"Your song embarrassed me," was the first words out of her mouth. Maria and Liz looked up at her wide-eyed. Alex, on the other hand, continued talking to his friends as though Isabel weren't there. "Ummm… okay." She took a deep breath. That wasn't really going to endear her to him. She was a little bit wrong in kissing him and making him think she had something for him and then just bitch-slapping him by cuddling up to the jock. She could remember that Valentine he gave her in fourth grade, the one she laughed at. That was years before Isabel heard him sing. "I need to talk to you, Alex."

"So!" Alex exclaimed brightly. "You two look dry there. Why don't I refill your cherry colas for you?" He snatched the two glasses in front of his friends and sidestepped Isabel Evans on his way to the counter.

Isabel stared after him forlornly. "You have waitresses for that, don't you?" she said to Liz.

Liz nodded and speechlessly watched as Isabel settled on the seat that Alex vacated. "I can't help it!"

"Help what?" Maria inquired, curious.

"Being a bitch," the princess murmured. Maria and Liz nodded in agreement. Isabel frowned. "Hey!"

"Well it's true."

Isabel sighed. "Yeah, yeah. So, speaking of… Yeah well… Sorry."

"For what, Isabel? Like ignoring us and saying nasty things about us and laughing at us and being all around mean? Or for the fact that even if we didn't do anything to you, you never bothered to defend us from your shallow friends? Or maybe for prejudging us when you didn't know anything about our life?" Maria asked softly.

Isabel seemed on the verge of being her usual self, but she just narrowed her eyes. "All of the above?" She glanced at Alex, who was still at the counter taking his town by chatting to the waitress about the weather. "Look I was… I'm not even going to defend myself. It would be stupid to say that my friends pushed me because I don't get pushed around and we all know that. I was really stuck up and I needed the wake up call, okay? So now I'm saying sorry. Can we leave it at that?"

Liz glanced at Maria first before nodding slowly at Isabel. "Fine, Iz. But you're on probation."

"Probation?"

"Yup. You can't do anything nasty to us or to anyone on our side for the next three months. That's the only way you'll prove that you're not a stuck-up bitch anymore."

"So what's the wake-up call?"

"Guns," Isabel said quickly. She was pretty sure that nobody knew about what had been going on with her and their friend for the past few weeks. She hadn't really escalated the teasing and taunting process to drive Alex insane until a couple of weeks ago. She had thought that if she made Alex think enough that maybe something could go on between them, then he'd ask her out. But they were both stubborn and remained on different sides of the fence. "So anyway, now that I've apologized, will you two carefully listen to what I have to say?"

"We could," Maria said, "but that doesn't mean we'll trust you. Old habits."

"Fine. Listen, Liz, my brother likes you I think. He's been staring at you in lab. And although I may have been first to tell him off about that, whatever I said wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't had more reservations than I did. And you, Maria."

"Me?" she repeated innocently.

"Right. Don't play dumb with me. I was there last night. And that hurt Michael when you left. What happened when he went after you?"

Maria raised her hands. "We're not that close, Isabel. In fact, we're not close in any way at all. You can't ask for details like that."

"You shut the door in his face, didn't you?"

"She shut the door in his face," Liz agreed.

"You do know what to expect on Monday, right?"

Maria shook her head. When Michael followed her, she had held on to her principle and not allowed him to come inside her house. When she opened the door after thirty minutes, the guitar lay on the doorstep. "That everybody in school has heard about it."

"Yep." Isabel glanced up and frowned, "What is that racket?" She looked at the door of the Crashdown and saw her brother wearing a Mexican hat, with a band of musicians in Mexican costumes standing behind him. "Ahhh naawww, Max just found you, Liz!"

The three girls were amused when Max walked into the Crashdown with his own hired band, serenading Liz. Isabel felt someone tap her shoulder. Alex placed two glasses in front of his friends. And then he handed another to Isabel. "All right, Isabel Evans. We'll talk." Isabel allowed him to lead her to the break room. Before Alex shut the door, she waved at Maria.

Embarrassed at the public display, Liz pulled the crooning Max Evans outside again. They were followed by the band. Incensed at the continued music, Liz slapped her hand over Max's mouth. The moment that their leader stopped, the band stopped too. "Okay, I'm going to take off my hand but you have to promise to stop the infernal noise!"

The band members looked like they were about to protest the term used to describe their music, but flashing brown eyes from the little woman shut them up. Max nodded.

"Good!" Liz placed her arms akimbo. "You can't fix what you did with a serenade, Max. I thought we had something and you blew it away like that! You were such a different guy in lab."

"Liz, I was… trapped by the suffocating demands of my place in Roswell High!"

"Your place in Roswell High?" she screeched. "You are riding on Michael's and Kyle's popularity! And they're the real Kings, Max. But they're the ones who aren't worshipping the 'wall'! Because they aren't trying so hard!"

"Liz, that's just low!"

"I was hoping… I was really hoping you'd get over whatever's stuck up your ass. So you know how it felt to finally be acknowledged when you walked across the line and went to our table? I felt that maybe I wasn't kidding myself about the attraction we had in lab. And then you had to go ask Tess Harding. I had to pretend that I was already going out with Kyle Valenti just to save face!"

"So you really had no prior date to Kyle?" Max asked, looking relieved.

Liz grabbed her head in her hands and screeched with all her might. "I swear, Max! You are a disgrace to the scientific community! I so hope you don't decide to pursue a career there because I just might be willing to put my job on the line and blow up whatever research facility you happen to be in at the time!" She stalked away leaving a confused Max Evans at her wake.

Maria spent the rest of her weekend plotting and thinking. She had weighed the pros and cons of both Michael and a relationship with Michael. It hadn't been a long process really. There were things she had to think of. Michael had really hurt her by what he did. But then again, Maria knew how unfair her actions have been too. She thought only about herself. Granted, in her place, most girls would think of her side only. But Michael tried to look at both. She had to admire that in him. Even if he was in love with her, it didn't really cloud his judgment. She had already decided on the fate of her relationship with him even before a certain blonde knocked on her door.

Tess Harding shifted uncomfortably in her feet. She smiled at Maria and asked if she could come in. In response, Maria sighed and embraced her. "Sorry for being so difficult."

Tess hugged Maria back tightly and started jumping in happiness, of course taking her sister with her. "Sorry for being so eager. I kinda jumped the gun there," she told Maria.

Maria pulled away and led her to the living room and sat her down. "Okay, Tess, if we're going to have a nice relationship, we should be truthful. That thing you just said, from what I heard from Liz and Alex, that wasn't you. Who told you to say that?"

"You talk to Liz and Alex about me?" Tess said excitedly.

'And there she is!' Maria thought. "Focus, Tess."

"Oh. Yeah. Kyle."

Maria smiled. Maybe Kyle can make her sister make sense. She liked the sound of that. And she liked the prospect. Her family was fragile enough as it is. It was good to add a bit more color to their life. "I'll help you talk to my mom, okay?"

"I already did. Kyle told his dad. And the Sheriff helped me talk to her. So it's all up to you."

She closed her hand over Tess'. "Why don't we go see what our other sister thinks okay?"

Tess nodded, happy because she knew that Jessie liked her. "Okay, but I should tell you something before that. My being there that morning, it wasn't Michael's fault."

Maria held up her hand to silence Tess. "You know, whatever happened, it doesn't make a difference in what happens to my… connection with Michael. So I'd rather not hear about it. Is that fine?"

The moment she said it, Maria knew that it was right. She didn't need to know whether or not Michael took Tess to see Jessie. Everything that he did before that already far outweighed whatever wrong he may have done. And she… fine, fine she'll say it… loved him enough to let something even that big go.

On Sunday, they had a big family dinner that included Kyle and Jim. Tess and Amy had seemed to hit it off. Amy's pursuit of a new life allowed her to accept Tess not as the reason that her husband left her, but as another reason why she had to remain around. Sure, it was cleaning up his messes. But looking at Tess Harding, what a lovely mess it was he did leave.

Amy considered the two girls before her. Brian De Luca may have been a two-timing jerk, but he definitely had great genes. Or maybe, she thought, for the first time in years with a tinge of vanity, he just knew how to pick his women.

Monday morning saw Maria walking through the halls of Roswell High with the students' eyes fixated on her every move. She hated the judgment in their eyes. She had always known that she wasn't Michael Guerin girl material, but did they have to scream it at her silently with their stares?

She held on even tighter to the guitar slung over her back. She needed to find Michael. And at this hour of the day, there was one place he could be.

She opened the door to the art room and stepped inside. Michael was the lone occupant of the room. He turned around and saw her standing uncomfortably by the door. "Did you see their reaction?"

Michael searched her face for any clue as to what she felt. He nodded. "And my response is still the same as it was six months ago, Maria. Their opinions don't matter in our life."

She let out a breath and walked towards him. Hesitantly, she touched his cheek with her fingers. "I wasn't very fair to you."

Michael let out a chuckle. "The best things in life you gotta work for. A lot."

"I was really scared of you." He took her hand and kissed her palm. "For the first time in my life, someone was there for me. And I didn't even have to fight tooth and nail to keep you. You were just… there. No matter how much I tried to keep you away from me. You were hounding me."

Michael nodded. "That scared you."

"Well yes it did! I knew I was going to have to go through all the pain again. I didn't know if being with you was worth what I had to go through when you finally left. Everyone leaves." She looked deep into his eyes. "And it would have been even more painful with you because you're someone who chose to be with me. The rest of them… they left, but they were stuck with me in the first place. There wasn't a willing choice for them to be with me. But you chose to love me, Michael. And that would have really hurt bad when you went away."

"I knew you were scared, Maria. Why did you think I stayed so long? Just because I was stubborn?"

"Could be," she teased. "Anyway, I had fallen in love with you already and I knew that whatever pain I had to go through in the end… Well, I was going to swallow all that as long as we were together."

"Why didn't you want anyone to know? That would have assured you that I'd think twice before leaving."

"Because… Because, Michael, if no one knew, no one would pity me when you broke up with me. If no one knew, you wouldn't really be forced to stick around when you didn't want to anymore."

"That's stupid," he said, without force.

"Your dad told me to stay away from you," she said suddenly.

"What?"

"He offered me fifty thousand dollars."

Michael's brows furrowed with anger. "Son of a bitch. What did you do?"

Maria's mouth curved. She opened her bag and produced the check. "I thought you might want to decide what we do with it. It's our blood money!"

His eyes brightened and he hugged her. "That's my girl!" He whistled when he saw the amount. It hadn't been that concrete when she just said it. "We'll sink this into our first place when we go to college," he told her. "That'll show him. His bribe is going to finance our first real home together!"

"Won't we feel uncomfortable living there?" She looked at him for a moment, and together they exclaimed, "Nah." Maria laughed. "Lord Hank is going to be so pissed!"

Michael nodded and kissed her forehead. "He's going to hit the roof."

"I am so going to gloat while we're moving our Hank Guerin-financed furniture." Maria relished the light banter they shared. True, they hadn't even been broken up for a week… just three days. But already she had starved to be with him. "I have another surprise."

Maria picked up the guitar case and opened it. She handed him the Fender. "You're not giving this back, are you?"

She shook her head. "Look inside," she directed. She grinned at the shocked look that overwhelmed him. He grabbed her and drew her tightly to his body and ravaged her mouth with the most breathtaking kiss he had ever given her in their six months.

Maria rested her head on his chest, feeling his heart thundering. Imagine what one word could do to a guy, she thought. And it was only a half hour job at the engraving shop.

Inside the guitar, she had added his name to the inscription he had already made there. Now it said,

MARIA LOVES

MICHAEL

He rubbed his face against her hair. Seven letters and already, he knew that this was it. He had been aware that he had never felt and never will feel this way for another woman ever, but those seven letters cinched the deal.

"So this is a long term thing now."

"Uhuh," she answered softly.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Not anymore."

Michael took her hand and picked up their things. And then he propelled her out of the art room and into the corridor. Hand in hand, they walked to their first class, unmindful of the few disapproving glances cast their way. Michael finally earned the right to grin madly while strutting the corridors, informing the entire school that he got the only girl worth sneaking around for.

And she finally agreed to go public.

A song he'd heard in a graduation ceremony once played loudly in his ears, mirroring everything he felt at that moment.

I'm gonna fly the highest mountain… Flyyyyy. I'm gonna fly above the clouds… Flyyyyy. Like an eagle, I will FLY.

After two years

Two years saw a lot of changes in Roswell. After marrying the Sheriff of Roswell and proving herself to be a model citizen, Amy De Luca regained custody of her youngest daughter Jessica. She had been adopted by the Sheriff and her name was changed legally to Jessica Valenti.

It had been another ingredient to the busybodies' conversations that Amy's three daughters each had different surnames.

But then again, who cared about them? The family sure didn't.

Tess continued seeing Kyle, who gave balance to her life by introducing her to the teachings of Buddha. They have been dating on again, off again for two years now. It was another scandal on Amy's house that the two were living in the same house.

And again, Tess and Kyle didn't mind. Tess liked the limelight, even if Kyle repeatedly told her that it wasn't the type of limelight to bask in.

After months of convincing and playing 'friends,' Isabel Evans finally succeeded in getting Alex Whitman to go on a date with her. She floated the week leading up to the great night. A month later, Alex sang for her again. Thankfully, it was no longer 'I Used to Love Her.' Alex revived Bon Jovi's 'Bed of Roses' especially for her.

It was fodder for more gossip as speculation rose as to whether or not Alex Whitman was getting any from Isabel Evans. Once more it didn't matter to them, especially when a rock band from Albuquerque played in Roswell. Alex Whitman was swept away by the female lead singer and Isabel Evans, in a whirlwind courtship of three and a half hours, got engaged to their drummer. She really did have a thing for musicians.

Max Evans spent two years running after Liz Parker. Finally, when both were chosen to intern at a local chemical company, Max thought it was his opportunity to get close to her again. After all, they were first attracted to each other during laboratory. Liz seemed to be affected by his charms once more when she led him into a laboratory in the company. A minor explosion was reportedly caused by a mistake in her measurement and Max had come out with his hair all scorched off.

Michael Guerin and Maria De Luca spent the weekend before the post-graduation party on a road trip, when they apparently gave down payment for their first home in New York, where they both were going to college. During sophomore year, when Michael moved out of Lord Hank's home, he had settled in a cheap apartment where Maria would often stay. But it is said that their place in New York was a cool studio that seemed so much better than Michael's old place.

During the post-grad party, Maria De Luca surprised everyone excluding her very best friends when she performed onstage for the very first time. She brought the now infamous Fender and sat on a stool onstage for her fiancé of one hour. As she strummed her guitar, the girls of her batch hated her for the sparkling diamond on her finger.

Looks like we've made it

Look how far we've come my baby

We might have took the long way

We knew we'd get there someday

They said I'll bet they'll never make it

But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

The cheerleaders huffed as they gazed longingly at the one and only Michael Guerin, who had eyes only for the girl singing. They thought it was awful of Maria to strut her relationship with Michael Guerin like that. It was just plain arrogant.

You're still the one I run to, the one that I'll belong to

You're still the one that I love, the only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss goodnight

Ain't nothing better

We beat the odds together

I'm glad we didn't listen

Look how far we would be missing

They said I'll bet they'll never make it

But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

You're still the one I run to, the one that I'll belong to

You're still the one that I love, the only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss goodnight

I'm so glad we made it

Look how far we've come my baby

Michael stood up from his seat and came up the stage to take Maria into his embrace. She automatically put down the guitar and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was perfect, Maria."

She smiled and pulled his mouth down for a lingering kiss. "It was exactly how I feel. We made it, Michael."

"Every time," he said against her lips.

fin