AN: Ok, here is part two, hope you like it so far. (
Maria held out the sealed and addressed card to Liz for her to mail when the group were on their way to leave town as she got into the van. Liz was still a stickler for details, which Maria was thankful for. It was a very good thing one of them was good with the details, because Maria thought to herself, she would still loose her head if it weren't somehow permanently attached. Maria's lips curled in a small smile as she settled down in the bench seat that she shared with her husband of one month. He saw it and pulled her tight to his side, kissing the top of her blond head. Her head tilted back for a real kiss on the lips and he happily obliged.
Michael knew that something was on Maria's mind, something other than her mother and Jim Valenti getting married but she had not shared as of yet and he was not going to push. Not yet anyway. Whatever it was, she would tell him sooner or later, he just was hoping for sooner. He was not really noted for being the most patient of men, human or otherwise.
Kyle climbed into the van through the side door behind Maria and he kept going to the last bench. Isabel was already seated on the far side so it was just a case of his sitting down and fastening his seat belt.
Max called out to everyone from the driver's seat, "Everybody set? Are we ready to head out?" A chorus of 'o.k.s and yeah's' answered him.
"Where we headed Max?" Kyle asked.
"Well I am hoping that we can manage to make it into Canada, I don't think that the FBI will have the nerve to follow us there. We might even be able to settle down and have real lives." Max was optimistic; after all they had managed to hang around the edges of their home state for over a month without the FBI even coming close. All they had to do was keep their guard up and not get sloppy.
"Can we just decide on a destination now, just like this?" Isabel asked right before Kyle broke in with his own question.
"Can we swing by New Jersey? I have something that I need to look up in their PEAR center. And at the Genomics Institute, its north like Canada, or did we have a special destination in Canada in mind?"
Maria twisted around in her seat to look at her stepbrother. "What on earth is a PEAR center? And why do you want to go there? And I don't even know if I want to know what genomics is-sounds like some form of strange dwarfism cause, earth little people."
Kyle could not help it, he barked out a short loud laugh before he could suppress it. Maria could come up with some of the strangest things. In answer he said, "PEAR is the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research, and I want to go to their center because of what they are studying there. They are running experiments on how the brain works with certain devices, interaction between man and machine type of stuff. But the other thing that they have a lot of information on is why we humans tend to do things due to religion and other factors. Genomics is something that Liz could probably tell you more about, I was just starting to look into it before we left."
Maria swiveled around to face front again, her eyes wide as well as questioning even though she had voiced that she didn't want to know. Liz caught her friend's gaze with wide eyes of her own, who knew that Kyle was so methodical?
Michael piped up before Liz had a chance to say anything in response to Maria's questioning gaze.
"Genomics is the study of microbiology, or molecular biology. It's also the study of evolution; how we adapt to new influences in our lives physically and mentally."
Five pairs of eyes full of surprise fixed on a suddenly embarrassed Michael. "What? I looked into it when Nasedo told me that we were not like him, that our powers were mostly engineered to be humanity in a few thousand years."
Understanding dawned in Liz's eyes, she turned a very respectful gaze on both Michael and Kyle. They were not as interested in science as she was and they had made one singularly huge stride in figuring out some very basic precepts in how the aliens had come to be and how they affected as well as were affected by the world.
Isabel's question seemed to have been lost in the hullabaloo that Kyle's request had stirred up. Even by Isabel herself, but Max brought her attention and everyone else's back to it.
"Well I was doing some research in the local library here while you guys were all doing some shopping and Kyle and Maria were in the coffee shop. Seems that if we can get across the border that Canada will more than likely not bother with shipping us back and the US Federal government is not as likely to pursue into our upper neighbors territory."
Max paused for a moment and then locked his eyes with those of his sister's, before he spoke again.
"Also I found out that Jesse would be able to practice law there without having to take any special tests, he would just be able to join a firm or set up practice. And I must say that I think that we will go via New Jersey, that Institute sounds absolutely fascinating."
Isabel's face betrayed her thankfulness. She appeared more animated than she had in any time during the last four months since they had left. She seemed to take the new hope that Max had given her and grabbed it with both hands. She turned into a dynamo, anxious to get on with life.
"Well?" She asked the van in general, "Are we ready to go or what? Sooner moving, sooner we reach our destination."
A cheer resounded in the cramped confines of the vehicle as Max revved the engine and they were off-to research and to a new home.
~*~ tbc..
Maria held out the sealed and addressed card to Liz for her to mail when the group were on their way to leave town as she got into the van. Liz was still a stickler for details, which Maria was thankful for. It was a very good thing one of them was good with the details, because Maria thought to herself, she would still loose her head if it weren't somehow permanently attached. Maria's lips curled in a small smile as she settled down in the bench seat that she shared with her husband of one month. He saw it and pulled her tight to his side, kissing the top of her blond head. Her head tilted back for a real kiss on the lips and he happily obliged.
Michael knew that something was on Maria's mind, something other than her mother and Jim Valenti getting married but she had not shared as of yet and he was not going to push. Not yet anyway. Whatever it was, she would tell him sooner or later, he just was hoping for sooner. He was not really noted for being the most patient of men, human or otherwise.
Kyle climbed into the van through the side door behind Maria and he kept going to the last bench. Isabel was already seated on the far side so it was just a case of his sitting down and fastening his seat belt.
Max called out to everyone from the driver's seat, "Everybody set? Are we ready to head out?" A chorus of 'o.k.s and yeah's' answered him.
"Where we headed Max?" Kyle asked.
"Well I am hoping that we can manage to make it into Canada, I don't think that the FBI will have the nerve to follow us there. We might even be able to settle down and have real lives." Max was optimistic; after all they had managed to hang around the edges of their home state for over a month without the FBI even coming close. All they had to do was keep their guard up and not get sloppy.
"Can we just decide on a destination now, just like this?" Isabel asked right before Kyle broke in with his own question.
"Can we swing by New Jersey? I have something that I need to look up in their PEAR center. And at the Genomics Institute, its north like Canada, or did we have a special destination in Canada in mind?"
Maria twisted around in her seat to look at her stepbrother. "What on earth is a PEAR center? And why do you want to go there? And I don't even know if I want to know what genomics is-sounds like some form of strange dwarfism cause, earth little people."
Kyle could not help it, he barked out a short loud laugh before he could suppress it. Maria could come up with some of the strangest things. In answer he said, "PEAR is the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research, and I want to go to their center because of what they are studying there. They are running experiments on how the brain works with certain devices, interaction between man and machine type of stuff. But the other thing that they have a lot of information on is why we humans tend to do things due to religion and other factors. Genomics is something that Liz could probably tell you more about, I was just starting to look into it before we left."
Maria swiveled around to face front again, her eyes wide as well as questioning even though she had voiced that she didn't want to know. Liz caught her friend's gaze with wide eyes of her own, who knew that Kyle was so methodical?
Michael piped up before Liz had a chance to say anything in response to Maria's questioning gaze.
"Genomics is the study of microbiology, or molecular biology. It's also the study of evolution; how we adapt to new influences in our lives physically and mentally."
Five pairs of eyes full of surprise fixed on a suddenly embarrassed Michael. "What? I looked into it when Nasedo told me that we were not like him, that our powers were mostly engineered to be humanity in a few thousand years."
Understanding dawned in Liz's eyes, she turned a very respectful gaze on both Michael and Kyle. They were not as interested in science as she was and they had made one singularly huge stride in figuring out some very basic precepts in how the aliens had come to be and how they affected as well as were affected by the world.
Isabel's question seemed to have been lost in the hullabaloo that Kyle's request had stirred up. Even by Isabel herself, but Max brought her attention and everyone else's back to it.
"Well I was doing some research in the local library here while you guys were all doing some shopping and Kyle and Maria were in the coffee shop. Seems that if we can get across the border that Canada will more than likely not bother with shipping us back and the US Federal government is not as likely to pursue into our upper neighbors territory."
Max paused for a moment and then locked his eyes with those of his sister's, before he spoke again.
"Also I found out that Jesse would be able to practice law there without having to take any special tests, he would just be able to join a firm or set up practice. And I must say that I think that we will go via New Jersey, that Institute sounds absolutely fascinating."
Isabel's face betrayed her thankfulness. She appeared more animated than she had in any time during the last four months since they had left. She seemed to take the new hope that Max had given her and grabbed it with both hands. She turned into a dynamo, anxious to get on with life.
"Well?" She asked the van in general, "Are we ready to go or what? Sooner moving, sooner we reach our destination."
A cheer resounded in the cramped confines of the vehicle as Max revved the engine and they were off-to research and to a new home.
~*~ tbc..
