Disclaimer: I do not own anything. I don't own a thing. This ain't mine.
Author's Note: This is the Sequel to Pride and Joy and Pain. It needed one because nothing really got resolved in that fic. So here's my chance to explain why everything happened the way that it did, and of course to give you a peek into the "new" life Maria and Michael are living.
I want to first apologize for the horribly long break in between updates. I really didn't do it on purpose. All kinds of crazy stuff got in the way, but it over with so I'm going to update a lot more regularly. I hope that you enjoy this part.
Thanks to Keyo, astacia, trickhayden for reviewing chapter 3 your questions will kind of be answered in this chapter.
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Santa Fe
"I swear these conventions seem to get longer every year. Do we really need a whole five days to learn about the healing power of crystals and aromatherapy?"
"Melissa, weren't you the one who begged me to come with you?" Amy asked.
A woman who looked to be in her late fifties turned and shushed the pair before turning around to listen to the speaker.
"That was before I knew that we'd have speakers like "Ben Stein" up there for most of the convention," Melissa whispered motioning towards the stage.
"We could always leave," Amy responded.
The woman turned again. "Why don't you go ahead and do that. Some of us are actually trying to hear what is being said."
"Sorry, we wouldn't want to wake anyone." Melissa said.
"Let's get out of here," Amy said trying to hide the smile on her face.
They walked out of the room and Melissa stopped abruptly.
"Let's get something to eat. We can go to that café up the street."
"What about the other lectures?" Amy asked.
"Don't worry about it. Besides we have some catching up to do."
Amy and Melissa drove to the café. When they were seated they both ordered coffee.
"So Amy what's been going on? We haven't been able to really talk for about a couple of weeks now."
Amy had been dreading this discussion since she arrived in Santa Fe. She had spoken to Melissa since Maria moved out, but she had purposely kept the conversations very short. She knew that any mention of her troubles with Maria would remind Melissa of her own daughter. The problem was that being face to face made it almost impossible to keep their exchange short and to the point.
"Not much has been going on."
"Really?" Melissa asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because the whole time we've been here you've been a bit, I don't know, distracted."
"It's nothing really."
"Come on Amy. It's me you're dealing with. I can tell when something is going on. You're definitely not telling me everything."
"I got into an argument with Maria, that's it. It's not a big deal."
"At this age any argument that you have with your daughter is a big deal!"
"Melissa, it really was nothing."
"How can you be sure? It's one of the clear signs. First the two of you will argue and the next thing you know Maria will be moving in with that boyfriend of hers."
Amy choked on her coffee as this was said. "What do you mean a clear sign? All daughters and mothers fight. It's a part of the whole growing up process."
Melissa grabbed Amy's hand. "Amy, I can only speak from my own experience. My daughter started fights with me to try and cover up her problems. When I got fed up I gave her an ultimatum, she took it as her cue to move in with her no good boyfriend. And that's when things really took a turn for the worse. The drugs and the stealing got worse, she got arrested, and I had to bail her out. When I asked her what was going on she told me that I wouldn't understand. So you won't ever be able to convince me that a fight is just a fight."
"That's not how it works for everyone," Amy said trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"You're right. I'm sorry Amy, I really didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm not upset. I didn't want to bring up Maria and remind you of your own situation. I can assure you that I'm fine and Maria is fine."
"Why does it sound like you're trying to convince yourself? And why do you look ten shades paler?"
"When did you become so perceptive?" Amy asked feeling her resolve failing.
"I think it was yesterday after the lecture about opening yourself up to the world around you. Seriously, I just want to help you out. We're friends and you shouldn't have to worry about talking about something because it might upset me."
"Really?"
"Yes really, now shoot. I know that it has something to do with Maria.
"I told you about Maria's boyfriend Michael, and how things with us have changed since they've been together. About a month ago I decided that enough was enough and I told her that she couldn't see him anymore."
"Good for you. It's important to put your foot down in a situation like that."
"Not so good. I was really angry and I made her choose, Maria didn't pick me. We haven't spoken since."
"You haven't spoken at all?"
"Not a word, but I can't say that it's all Maria's fault. I just don't have much to say to her right now. I love her and miss her, but I just won't accept that she wants to throw her life away for some boy."
"So what's going on with her now?"
"I honestly couldn't tell you. My friend Jim has her singing in his country-western band and that's all I really know. And Jim is upset with me, because he says that I'm acting immature about the whole situation."
"I don't think you're being immature. You're putting your foot down, showing your authority. It's important to make Maria know who's the boss."
"I hope you're right."
"If I would have done those things maybe I would still have some semblance of a relationship with my own daughter."
"We should probably talk about something else."
"No, it's better to get all of this out now. Don't worry about me I'm fine. Tell me more about Maria and this boyfriend she chose over you."
Melissa and Amy talked for what seemed like hours about anything and everything Maria, from the time she first met Michael to every detail of the fight that led to her moving out.
"I feel so much better. I haven't talked to anyone about this stuff before today," Amy said with a sigh. "After hearing all of that do you still think I was right in my decision?"
"Absolutely. Did you ever find out where Maria went when she took those trips with Michael?"
"Only once, when she went to Arizona. She told me that they were visiting a relative of Michael's. For all I know that could have been another lie. I didn't even think that he knew any of his relatives."
"Right, he was in the foster care system."
"Yeah. Wait, how did you know that?"
"You told me a while back."
"Oh, it must have slipped my mind."
"Amy are you ready to go? We could still make one more seminar before the day is over."
Amy shook her head. "Will it be as boring as the last one?"
"I don't think so. It sounds interesting if for nothing more than a good laugh."
"What's the topic?"
Melissa looked as thought she was going to laugh and did giggle a little before she gave her reply.
"It's about the possibility of the crystals on earth being brought here by aliens from another planet."
/
Michael raged at the sky, the rocks, and anything else around him for an hour straight. He knew that if he was going to get Maria back he had to be in total control of everything, which included his powers. But his emotions had too much to do with how and when they worked. He didn't realize until this moment how almost completely dependent he had become on his connection with Maria. The connection allowed them to balance each other out. Whenever he was upset about something she would send him feelings of calm until that was all he felt. Without her he knew that nothing would be right until they were together again. When things stopped randomly blowing up around him, he knew it was time to go back. He needed to start thinking of a plan that would bring Maria back to him.
The Crashdown closed and everyone decided to wait for Michael at his place. To say that the overall mood of the room was dismal would have been an improvement on the actual frame of mind that everyone was in. The group knew everything that happened inside of Maria's dreamwalk. No one was speaking. They were just sitting around in various places looking expectantly at each other as if one of them had the answer to their problem. Liz excused herself twice already not wanting to cry in front of the group.
"I can't stand this waiting," Isabel said standing up then sitting back down. "We should start trying to find a way to get Maria back."
"The only thing that we can do now is to try and dreamwalk Maria again," Max said.
Everyone nodded in agreement, because it was the most logical idea.
"Then we're back to waiting until Michael gets here." Isabel spoke with a voice drenched with frustration.
"Why do we have to wait? The longer we sit here doing nothing, the more danger Maria could be in." Liz said nearly shouting.
"It wouldn't be right to do anything without Michael here," Valenti answered.
"I'm here now so you can fill me in on what would be wrong to do without me," Michael said surprising everyone with his sudden appearance.
"Is everything under control?" Max asked Michael.
"I'm handling it. I was thinking that we should try to dreamwalk Maria again," Michael answered. His complete subject change from his powers to Maria did not go unnoticed.
"That's what all of us were thinking." Isabel stated "There's something that's been bothering me since I first dreamwalked Maria. What could block your connection with her? Does distance have an affect on the way it works?"
"I don't think so, but I can't be sure. I could still feel her when I went to Santa Fe-" Michael stopped all of a sudden. It was like being slammed against a wall of fear, anger, restlessness, and extreme boredom, then an overwhelming feeling of confusion at first and finally excitement.
"What is it Michael?" Isabel asked concern written all over her face.
"Maria."
Somewhere in Roswell
"Michael," Maria whispered softly.
She allowed his emotions wash over her. They had come so abruptly it made her head swim and the intensity of them was enough to knock her over if she had not been on the floor already. He was angry, impatient, and lonely. She could tell he was struggling to keep control, but just as quickly as she received those feeling they changed to boiling mix if joy, concern, and determination. She realized that he could feel her too. Maria immediately sent every ounce of love and calm that she could muster, while love and relief was simultaneously sent her way.
Maria was enjoying the familiarity of their connection when she started to receive feelings that she recognized as the ones that Michael sent her whenever she had trouble sleeping. She realized what he was trying to tell her. She rested on her mat and closed her eyes. It was not long before she felt herself drifting off.
/
"Maria's asleep now." Michael informed the groupThe entire energy of the room changed when he said he could feel Maria again. He was bombarded with questions mostly the same ones over and over. Everyone wanted to know if she was okay, and if she knew where she was. He was to wrapped up in his renewed bond he paid them all very little attention. Isabel was the one who brought him back and had him try to get Maria to sleep.
"You're sure she's sleeping?" Liz asked.
"Positive." Michael answered.
"Good, Michael will come with me to the bedroom. The sooner I can get in and out, the sooner we'll be able to find Maria."
Michael followed Isabel and watched her settle into his bed. She held a picture of Maria and was closing her eyes when they snapped open again.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't think I need the picture." Isabel said.
"Why?"
"Because you're here. I think that the connection you have is strong enough for me to get to her without the picture. It might even work better. Plus I was planning on bringing you with me this time. I'm just cutting out the middleman. Come lay next to me."
Michael did as he was told.
"Try to relax." As Isabel said this, she grabbed on to Michael's hand. The next thing she knew she was in a bar where the stage was brightly lit, Maria was in the middle of a song that was obviously her own. The entire audience was in awe, they where swaying to the song and a couple was even dancing. Isabel looked over to see that Michael did not look the least bit surprised by the scene in front of him. He saw how closely Isabel was watching him.
"I've been in this dream a couple of times," Michael said with a shrug. "It's never the same song though.
"I thought that you couldn't dreamwalk."
"It only works sometimes. Mostly when she wants me here. She's pulled me into a couple of her dreams."
"When did she do that? How did she do that?"
"She's done it since we've lived together and I don't know how. Isabel, could we try and figure this out another time? Maria just finished her song and is walking towards us."
"What took you guys so long?"
"You've only been asleep for five minutes," Isabel said slightly put off.
"Sorry, it just didn't feel like only five minutes," Maria said hoping she had not offended Isabel too much.
Throughout the quick exchange Maria had yet to look at Michael. She was trying to be strong and keep up appearances, but she knew as soon she looked into his deep, chocolate brown eyes everything would come out without her having to say a single word. Of course she knew that Michael could feel her anxiety.
"I'm going to leave you two alone," Isabel said feeling something, though she was not sure what. As they watched her walk to the other side of the room, Maria felt Michael lace her fingers with his. Her lips formed into a small smile.
"Maria." Michael whispered, his lips just inches from her ear.
She finally faced him. She studied his every feature as if trying to memorize what was already a permanent part of her psyche.
"We should probably sit," she finally spoke.
They sat down in the nearest booth side by side. Maria looked down at their hands before she spoke.
"I miss you so much, and I'm doing my best to try and find out anything I can to help you guys get me out of wherever I am."
"You don't have to act like this for me, you know that right? We agreed to always be honest with each other, didn't we?"
"Yes, I know. I was just trying to protect you like you protect me."
"Protecting each other is different than lying to each other."
"I know."
"How are you really?"
"I think about the same as you except I'm here and you're out there." Michael simply nodded his head in understanding. "How's everyone out there?"
"Everyone's waiting around at this point."
Maria understood what he meant and did not press any further.
"Is there anything that you can tell me about where you are, or who has you?"
"I can't tell where I am because it's always dark. There's never ever any light." Maria felt anger rising in his chest and quickly sent calm to Michael. "Don't worry it makes it easier to sleep. I've only spoken to whoever has me once, it was definitely a man and he kind of talks like a robot. Everything he says is in a monotone voice."
"What did this guy talk to you about?"
"He told me I was part of an experiment, but that I wasn't the one being researched."
"He's researching me, Max and Isabel?"
"I'm not really sure, but probably."
"Did he say anything else? Anything at all?"
"He said something about my eyes, that I need light to see but he can see perfectly without it. And that was all he said to me."
"How is he treating you?"
"He doesn't really bother me and he gave me food once already, but I don't really trust him so I didn't touch it."
"You need to eat. I don't think that he would have taken you to poison you. I'm not sure how long it will take us to get you out," he said in a quiet voice.
Maria leaned against Michael and took a deep breath. "You'll get me out as soon as you can. I'm not worried. I'm more worried about who "he" is and why he might be researching you guys."
"Shh, enough worry."
They sat quietly in each other's company and the feeling of completeness that they got only when they were together when everything suddenly changed. Maria sat up and looked at Michael.
"I think it's time for you to go." She said, her voice shaking. Their connection was unexpectedly broken.
"Isabel, it's time to go." Michael called
"Why, what's going on?"
"I'll explain later."
Isabel hugged Maria, Michael kissed her goodbye and then they were both back on his bed.
"Why did we have to leave like that?"
"The connection is gone again."
"Just like that?"
Michael nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Did Maria have any more information?" Isabel asked as she stood up.
"She was taken because of me, because of what I am."
"Did she say that?"
"She didn't use those words, but I'm the reason she's gone. The man took her as a part of an experiment of some kind because he's researching us."