After the Cave

by

Domino


Part One.

Maria sat by herself at a table at the end of the quad. She had a book opened in front of her as she quietly read. Isabel paused, hesitating before walking towards her. She remembered a time, less than 2 days ago, when she knew her friendship would be recognised and welcome, but now she wasn't sure and it was all for one reason. Isabel never thought she could hate one word so much. Destiny.

For the first time since the six had become friends and Isabel had learnt what it felt like to have girlfriends - best friends who accepted her for what she was, Isabel found herself reluctant to approach Maria. Maria - the wacky girl who had in her own unique way had changed their lives with her bubbly manner, sometimes at odds with her practical deal-with-it address to problems, a common occurrence in their lives.

Michael. He was what stood between them. She didn't mean to, didn't want to, didn't even think about him that way. Her brother. Her betrothed. Her family.

And in front of her stood the only girl she had ever seen get in, past the stonewalls, past the highly developed defences that she had seen no one, not Max, not her, not anyone penetrate. Except a small blonde pixie who somehow managed to slip past or more accurately knock down those walls. The only person Michael would ask for help, would cry in front of, would leave to protect. Maria.

All these thoughts whirled through Isabel's mind during the short walk towards her.
"Hi," Isabel voice was soft, slightly wavering unsure of the reaction she would receive. Maria was at best unpredictable.

Maria looked up and smiled at Isabel. It was hard Maria had discovered looking up at the statuesque blonde who had once seemingly so long ago terrified her and yet become a friend, a best friend even. Michael's sister, his family. His betrothed. She heard the quaver in the beautiful, always so confident, girl's voice and felt slightly better. She knew it was just as hard on Isabel. She realised this and being the generous forgiving person she was immediately blocked her anger and envy towards Isabel and forgave her for what cruel tricks Destiny had played on them.

"Hello," Maria smiled. Isabel sat down and both of them fell into the routine that had happened so many times before secure in the knowledge that whatever happened ,this friendship would survive. They talked, they ate and they avoided somewhat the subject that hurt and scared them both. Destiny.

Liz joined them 10 minutes later and the three girls laughed, gossiped and for the first time in 2 days, since the cave, since Michael left Maria, since Isabel and Liz left Alex and Max, since Destiny had been discovered, since Max had been captured and rescued, since Tess had invaded their lives, the three of them felt normal. Normal on this last day of school, they felt that at least one thing would be alright.

Five people watched the three girls laughing, smiling, magical. Three smiled. One frowned, distaste highly apparent on her lovely face and one just stared. Michael. Max. Alex. Tess. And Kyle.

Three of the six stood separately but looking at the girls gave them hope, relief and a sense that all would be fine, because after all if the girls were okay, they were okay.


Part Two.

Isabel stood waiting at the jeep for Max, pondering over lunch. She kept remembering the sense of relief she felt when Maria smiled at her. She hadn't fully realised how scared she had been until Maria had forgiven her without saying a word. She hadn't fully understood how important Maria's friendship had become to her. A year ago Isabel would have laughed loudly at the suggestion that she and Maria would be friends. Two people so different. Not possible. Then again she would have laughed if anyone suggested that Michael would fall head over heels with a pixie girl who was always laughing and talking, the complete opposite of him - a possibility even more unlikely than her and Maria being friends. Then again what did she know?

Recently her life had been spiralling totally out of her control. Fate and Destiny were two very temperamental forces and Isabel knew that they all felt that they were sometimes mere Ping-Pong balls bounced between the two.
Max and Liz were fated.
Michael and Maria were fated.
She and Alex who knew?
Max and Tess destined.
She and Michael destined

Which was stronger? Fate or Destiny?

One month ago she didn't even know that the two words differed in meaning. Today, however fine a line there was between fate and destiny, that line was something she (and the 5 people in the world she trusted) held on to tightly.

Isabel wondered at all their reactions, the strength of love that they exhibited. Max had had a crush on Liz since 5th grade. Liz loved Max so much she gave him up for his destiny.
Alex who loved her enough to give her space, to let her ago.
And finally the love she believed was the strongest. Although some might question its strength, she knew better.
Michael who loved Maria so much, he would leave her to protect her, to keep his faery princess safe. And Maria, whose love was so strong she broke every wall he had, forgave him all his mistakes, who had faith in him - more than she and Max ever had.

In the beginning, Isabel had watched as her brothers fell, feared she had lost them. Then she realised the strength of their beloved's and eventually became friends with them understanding that the girls were not taking them away from her. During this process she had stood on the sidelines and watched relationships around her developing.

At one time Isabel had believed Max and Liz with their soulmate kind of love was the hardiest - the kind that would survive everything. She was right (almost) except for one thing, one day Isabel discovered a love that was even stronger. It was a day that Isabel felt more helpless than she had ever had before at the time, the day Michael had left her and Max after using his powers on Hank. The mention or thought of THAT man brought waves of rage flowing through her.

The whole night she and Max had worried and the next day when Michael had been arrested, on that day when she realised that Michael went to Maria, Isabel realised the feeling she felt was relief, relief that Michael had someone to go to when he need to go, somewhere, someone to run to when Michael ran. It was the day she realised for the first time how deep the love Michael had for Maria. How the passion they always exhibited and so readily noticeable went deeper, deeper than anyone realised. It was a love that went hand in hand with need.

It was the day Isabel accepted fully for the first time Maria in Michael's life, Liz in Max's life. She accepted for the first time that she couldn't give Max and Michael everything that they needed. The process that had been started by the conversation with Liz on the 285 south, and continued by Alex's appearance in her life and saving Michael's life when he got sick was completed by Maria.

Isabel had been sitting in the jeep for 15 minutes now. She glanced at her watch and wondered idly where Max and Michael was and then went back to her thoughts.

She, Maria and Liz had spent the whole lunch hour together. It had been strange at first but soon they had slipped back into their routine. A slight frown crossed Isabel's face as she remembered what Maria had asked her to do. The three had been sitting together under the tree in more secluded section that they had moved to from the quad when Maria had pulled out a wallet. It was a man's wallet, belonging to the FBI Agent Nacedo had killed. It contained his identity, badge, and driver's licence. Isabel wondered where Maria had got it from- probably Michael, but then she reconsidered her original thought remembering their sort-of break-up.

Maria asked Isabel to practise using her powers to change the identity and picture on the contents in the wallet. Isabel now sat and questioned her reason. Maria had laughed it off, dismissing her and Liz's queries. Isabel had at the time considered it practise, in line with the reasoning Maria had provided behind her request.

The contents of the wallet now consisted of Maria's picture, or rather a variation of it where Maria's hair was longer and pulled back, her eyes were dark brown and slight glasses sat on her nose, a new name and address. Isabel was rather proud of the photo that now graced the identity and driver's licence with all its adjustments. It looked like Maria but not. She called the feeling of accomplishment she had felt with Liz and Maria's admiration over the fine tuning she had to use in her powers to get exactly what Maria requested.

All this she dismissed as she recalled the goodbyes the girls had said. This morning she had been both reluctant and eager to get to school. Reluctant because after all that had happened - destiny, war, capture and torture, school had seemed very irrelevant but at the same time her eagerness to go had increased as it (school) represented a return to normality, or at least for one day before the long summer vacation.

It was her desire to fix things with her friends that clinched the deal. So she went. She wasn't quite ready to see Alex just yet but she didn't regret coming to school. At least now, even if their plans to spend the summer together were void and she wouldn't see them for 2 months at least they said goodbye.

Now, all else fell into the background unimportant as Isabel sat in the jeep waiting for her brothers - Michael was still her brother regardless of anything anybody said, even if it was her mother - while she remembered the goodbyes of her friends leaving for the summer.

Part Three

Maria drove slowly. Her thoughts on the short drive also revolved around the time spent together with her friends and Isabel's goodbye - the apology for all that had happened in her eyes.

'Two months,' Maria mused. 'Maybe it would be good for them. Separate vacations as such.' It hurt too much to think about Michael so she didn't. Well she tried not to. Ultimately Maria was a doer. She didn't talk about doing stuff or spend ages analysing like Liz, she did them. And after two days of thinking constantly and crying Maria was ready to do something.

Liz was wrapped up in her own problems and had informed Maria that she was going to leave Roswell for the summer. She was going to Florida straight after school. It hadn't taken much to convince her parents that she needed time away after they saw how upset she was over the last two days. It was Mrs Parker's idea for her to leave immediately for her cousins home on the coast. Isabel and Maria had already said their goodbyes.

It was Liz leaving that got her thinking. When Michael avoided her completely and she refused to speak to her, Maria decided to stop waiting around. She put her half formed idea into action when she met Isabel for lunch. After stopping at the
Crashdown and asking Mr Parker for time off (he was very sympathetic after all that was going on with Liz), she drove to her Mum's shop.

Maria and her mom had spent a lot of time in the last few days together. Amy Deluca hated seeing her daughter in pain so at Maria's suggestion that Maria go to Florida with Liz, it didn't take much persuasion to assure her Amy that it was best for her baby girl. Not for the first time Maria was glad of the open relationship she had with her mother. After promising to call regularly, Maria hugged her Mom goodbye and left, swallowing the pangs of guilt she felt lying to those closest to her.

'It was necessary,' she told herself and was almost convinced. She had one more stop to make - Alex. After bidding him farewell and assuring him she was fine and would be okay, Maria drove home.

She packed all she thought she needed, took all her savings it had taken hours of work to earn and she originally planned to use to buy a new car and a picture of her and Michael and got in the car- the car that two days ago was shot through with bullets and had no windscreen. It was a hard memory one she would prefer to forget. Friends with special powers made that a little easier.

Actually and ironically it was a non-friend that fixed the faithful Jetta. It hadn't occurred to her or any of the others at the time to collect the car. They were otherwise occupied and dealing with a multitude of feelings. Somehow through all that, Tess had the presence of mind to remember the Jetta. Maria didn't know what caused Tess to do a nice thing for her but for the first time since her arrival into their lives Maria had a good thought about her. The jetta now showed no evidence of the hell it had been through and even moved slightly better. Maria suspected that Tess had made a few improvements alien-style.

Her mother had offered her the car for the summer insisting she didn't need it. Maria didn't question her and accepted the offer gratefully. As Maria headed down 285 south, she buried all her misgivings and fought her desire to turn back and run to Michael. 'This was the right thing to do. It was only two months after all. Two months and I'll would see everyone again,' she repeated over and over in her head. She knew it was something she had to do for all of them and it was the only way she could gain some control over the events that had taken over her and her friends lives. It would allow to get Michael back eventually.

Maria did after all know Michael and understood him. He wouldn't let her convince him to come back. Protecting her, protecting his family was something that came naturally to him. He was nothing if not stubborn. Fortunately for all concerned Maria was equally stubborn and protective of those she loved. And she loved him. Keeping Michael, Max and Isabel safe was her priority and she would do whatever it took to be prepared when the need arose.

The sign showing 285 South brought back memories - her first abduction. When she passed the motel that they had spent their first night together, had their first real conversation together Maria gave up trying not to phone Michael. She was strong enough to leave, strong enough to prepare but she knew him. As much as he needed her to be away right now he also needed to know that she didn't consider him a killer. And he needed to know that she loved him.

The phone rang once before once again the answering machine came on. Maria knew he was screening his calls probably to avoid her. She smiled when she heard his voice - the short and abrupt message.


"This is Michael. You know what to do." The phone beeped.


"Hi! Michael. Its Maria again." She paused and then realised that there was nothing else to say. She couldn't tell him her plans after all.

Slowly she hung up and fought back a new set of tears that threatened to fall. She dropped the phone on to seat next to her and as it fell Maria strengthened her posture and straightened her spine. She reached out and put a cassette in. 'This time she was going to do what needed to be done,' the thought ran through her mind and she forced herself to sing along to the music now blaring through the speakers.

Preparation was after all the key. To what she wasn't quite sure but she had two months to figure it out. She had everything she needed to do it - an identity, the clothes, new hair courtesy of Isabel and everyone thought she was in Florida. All she had to do now was talk her way in and she would be all set. All that research would come in handy.

Maria smiled - a real smile for the first time in days. 'Everything would work out great,' she thought optimistically, ' and Michael loved her.'


Part Four

She drove all day. When she arrived, Maria phoned her Mom letting her know she was okay. Then she checked into a motel and collapsed.

The next day, Maria changed carefully into the power suit she had bought especially for this. Black skirt, white shirt and a black jacket combined with black stockings and high black heels. She combed her hair completely back and tied it into a bun at the back before slipping in the brown contact lenses.

Maria studied herself critically in the mirror. She opened her bag and placed a small pair of glasses on her nose. Then she smiled.
"Step one complete," she said aloud. She looked the part. Now all that was left was the difficult part of the plan. She had to talk her way into the training facility. She pulled out a file from her bag containing a multitude of papers and began to skim the research she knew almost by heart already.

Maria had thought her way through a number of options before deciding on this plan. She was pretty sure it was the best method for her to receive the kind of training she needed if she was to protect her friends and Michael in the future.

Over the drive to FBI training grounds, she rehearsed her talk. Acting was something that came easy to Maria. She had been pretending things most of her life. Not even Liz knew when Maria was unhappy. The closest anyone ever got to finding her out was Michael.

Maria swung into a parking lot and parked the Jetta. She glanced in the mirror one last time. Her make-up was discreet, designed to make her look older. She smoothed her hair back, grabbed her small black bag and taking deep breathes strolled into the building entrance, already in character.

Her appearance gathered immediate attention. She ignored it all and walked straight to reception area and demanded to see Agent Simms. Agent Simms was, according to research she had gathered before leaving Roswell, in charge of the facility.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"No," she replied, "But he should be expecting my arrival. The paperwork was sent 3 day ago." Maria kept to her story and smiled at the man at reception. The smile worked and he immediately dialled the number to request an audience for her.

Although no sign of paperwork was available, it didn't take much to get to see Agent Simms, especially with the identity she had Isabel adjust to reflect her new face. Maria sent a small prayer of thanks to Isabel for what she did. Agent Simms was slightly more difficult to convince even after Maria explained the circumstances she had decided would best be believable for allowing her to train at the facility.

"You haven't any FBI Training? None, at all?" he enquired.

"I was recruited directly from college into Agent Pierce's unit. My skills were required immediately. There wasn't time," she answered. Maria noted the curiosity she saw in Simms eyes at the mention of Pierce's name.

"I was only required to work from home base and couldn't be spared for training," she continued.

"Until now." Simms stated. "What changed?"

"There's an assignment- a field work assignment which my boss has decided will require my particular skills to occur in 7 weeks. It was decided that the best course of action be that I receive basic training for 6 weeks as it aligns with your summer course."

"The summer course runs for 3 months."

"I am aware of that. I was told that it will not be required for me to take all the classes available, mostly the physical training ones. It was all stated in the paperwork."

"Paperwork?"

"It was sent three days ago by Agent Pierce before he went undercover."

"We haven't received it yet. Must be some beauracratic slip up."

"Probably," she agreed, glad he suggested the mix up. Maria saw he was almost convinced. She leaned forward and in her most sincere voice said,

"Look, Agent Simms. I understand this is highly unusual circumstances. I will be going on this mission in 7 weeks with or without training. It was delayed so as to give me as much time to prepare since the FBI as far as possible would prefer not to send in agents unprepared. I would appreciate my receiving the necessary training." Maria smiled at him as she stood up.

"Thank you for your time." She held out a slim hand and mentally held her breathe in anticipation. It didn't take long.

"Please stay, Agent Sanders. I'm sure we can work out something to fix the mix up." He had no defence for her smile.

'Isabel was right,' Maria thought to herself as she and Agent Simms proceeded to work out a schedule that would give her the proper training. 'Men are like putty in your hands. All you have to do is smile.'

Thirty minutes later Maria was directed to t he dorm rooms and given a tour. Everything was all set and going according to plan. She would begin training tomorrow.

End Part 4

Part Five

The next six weeks went pretty fast. Maria took classes in self defence, hand-to-hand combat, guns and a few psychology classes, an acting class and a computer hacking class. Her time was spent in the gym or on the shooting gallery practising target shooting.

Every third day she would phone Amy Deluca and assure her she was fine. Maria also made weekly calls to Liz, Isabel and Alex and occasionally left messages on Michael's machine. A cover was kept since Liz was not speaking to anyone from home except Maria and her parents, with the occasional email to Alex.

Maria learnt fast and practised constantly. All her instructors were impressed with her abilities and dedication. She was friendly but distant and kept all the other trainees apart from her. This led to her developing a reputation shrouded with mystery.

In acting class (given to all prospective undercover agents) she excelled. She was convincing in whatever role they required her to play. She did pretty good in the computer class as well. All that time spent with Alex had paid of since she had obviously picked up some skills in the area.

No paperwork had shown up yet but with her involvement and dedication Agent Simms let it slide. He too was busy and the excuse of Agent Pierce being undercover and unavailable to question held her in good stead. If there was any problems Maria was prepared to fake some paperwork however reluctant she was to risk this.

Her morning began like all the other trainees with a 10 mile run followed by breakfast, showers and classes. They broke for lunch and had more classes in the afternoon. Her spare time in the evenings she spent practising her self defence and other new skills.

At the end of 6 weeks Maria felt more confident and able. She could unarm anyone with a few moves, was a crackshot and developed some major hacking abilities (Alex would be proud of her). It was time to leave.

She packed everything except her FBI tracksuits and T-shirts and gun. The gun and bullets that was issued to her by the FBI Armoury she place in her handbag. The clothes she put in a dustbin bag for disposal.

After greeting everyone and thanking all her instructors and Simms, Maria got into her car and began the long journey back to New Mexico.

As she crossed state lines, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had pulled it off, fooled the FBI training academy, misled all her friends and her parents and gotten away with it. Plus as an added bonus she could take on pretty much any human threat (she wasn't too sure about an alien threat but you couldn't have everything). She was almost ready to go home. Just one more thing to do.

End Part five.

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