Michael stared at the squiggly line that now marked the door and tried
again to insert the key into the lock. He groaned when he missed for the
second time and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was nearly midnight. Michael
had been wandering around for hours, feeling odd about sending Maria away.
Although he knew it was for her own good, he felt like maybe he shouldn't
have done it. She'd only been around him for a couple of days, but already
he missed her quirkiness. There was no real way to describe it. So finally,
he had headed home.
The thought of finally sleeping in his soft, warm bed made him groan with frustration. He slammed the key forward, nearly breaking it, but somehow managing to slide it into its groove. He unlocked the door and stumbled into his bedroom, losing bits and pieces of clothes on the way. A shoe here, a shoe over there by the chair, jeans carelessly left in a denim heap on the floor.
He crawled into his bed and sank into the mattress with a sigh.
And then he noticed her.
With bleary eyes, he peered at Maria, leaning close to hear her shallow breathing. No, Michael.. Don't be stupid. She's on the train right now. You saw her get on it. See what exhaustion does to you? You're just hallucinating or something, he convinced himself before turning on his side and closing his blood shot eyes.
~-~ ~-~ ~-~ ~-~ ~-~
No, no, no, she thought. Please.. just five more minutes of sleep! But the perturbed shout came again, and Maria knew she'd have to obey and wake up. After a few blinks, she registered that she was in Michael's bed and beside her.. yep, there was Michael. She studied him, registering in less than a second his clenched jaw and balled fists with white knuckles. Gee, he looked angry.. Oops?
Maria propped herself up on her elbows with a sigh and met his stormy eyes. " I'm sorry, okay? "
" What? "
" I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got off the train and came back here and broke in and fell asleep. "
He jumped off the bed and began restlessly pacing the room in front of the bed like an agitated, caged animal. He completed a few laps before he began speaking, still carrying on his frantic pacing. " I don't get you. I try to get you out of this mess and you just come back. "
Maria sat up completely, hugging her knees. " It's impossible to get me out of this, Michael. Unless you can turn back time. But then I'd just be dead, so.. "
" It's dangerous here. Being an alien doesn't mean just having to hide what you are. There are.. other beings that want us dead. You could end up getting mistaken for an alien and killed or.. or just getting caught in the crossfire. "
" It's my choice, Michael. You saved my life. I've.. denied death. I have a whole second shot at living--"
" Which is why you should spend it safely. "
She continued on, pretending she hadn't even noticed his interjection. " I want to live out the remainder of my life the way I want to. It's *my life*. And I want to be here, regardless of what could happen. Because, frankly, whatever happens happens. In Chicago, I could get hurt and die anyway from Ray or whatever else. Who knows. One day I could be going out to mail something and I'll get hit by a car. Or I'll be driving and I'll swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting a poodle. "
" Maria-- "
" Yeah, I oughta just hit the damn poodle. I mean, it's a fluffy little poodle, right? But then that's the equivalent of hurting an innocent little bunny and that's just sick-- "
" Maria! " The shout ceased her babbling, her mouth slamming shut with a snap. She looked at him apologetically.
He came over and stood in front of her. " Are you sure that this is what you want? Roswell? "
She nodded and Michael sighed, running his hand through his spiky brown hair, clumps of it sticking out askew. " Then hurry up and get dressed. "
" What for? "
" You'll see when we get there. "
The thought of finally sleeping in his soft, warm bed made him groan with frustration. He slammed the key forward, nearly breaking it, but somehow managing to slide it into its groove. He unlocked the door and stumbled into his bedroom, losing bits and pieces of clothes on the way. A shoe here, a shoe over there by the chair, jeans carelessly left in a denim heap on the floor.
He crawled into his bed and sank into the mattress with a sigh.
And then he noticed her.
With bleary eyes, he peered at Maria, leaning close to hear her shallow breathing. No, Michael.. Don't be stupid. She's on the train right now. You saw her get on it. See what exhaustion does to you? You're just hallucinating or something, he convinced himself before turning on his side and closing his blood shot eyes.
~-~ ~-~ ~-~ ~-~ ~-~
No, no, no, she thought. Please.. just five more minutes of sleep! But the perturbed shout came again, and Maria knew she'd have to obey and wake up. After a few blinks, she registered that she was in Michael's bed and beside her.. yep, there was Michael. She studied him, registering in less than a second his clenched jaw and balled fists with white knuckles. Gee, he looked angry.. Oops?
Maria propped herself up on her elbows with a sigh and met his stormy eyes. " I'm sorry, okay? "
" What? "
" I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got off the train and came back here and broke in and fell asleep. "
He jumped off the bed and began restlessly pacing the room in front of the bed like an agitated, caged animal. He completed a few laps before he began speaking, still carrying on his frantic pacing. " I don't get you. I try to get you out of this mess and you just come back. "
Maria sat up completely, hugging her knees. " It's impossible to get me out of this, Michael. Unless you can turn back time. But then I'd just be dead, so.. "
" It's dangerous here. Being an alien doesn't mean just having to hide what you are. There are.. other beings that want us dead. You could end up getting mistaken for an alien and killed or.. or just getting caught in the crossfire. "
" It's my choice, Michael. You saved my life. I've.. denied death. I have a whole second shot at living--"
" Which is why you should spend it safely. "
She continued on, pretending she hadn't even noticed his interjection. " I want to live out the remainder of my life the way I want to. It's *my life*. And I want to be here, regardless of what could happen. Because, frankly, whatever happens happens. In Chicago, I could get hurt and die anyway from Ray or whatever else. Who knows. One day I could be going out to mail something and I'll get hit by a car. Or I'll be driving and I'll swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting a poodle. "
" Maria-- "
" Yeah, I oughta just hit the damn poodle. I mean, it's a fluffy little poodle, right? But then that's the equivalent of hurting an innocent little bunny and that's just sick-- "
" Maria! " The shout ceased her babbling, her mouth slamming shut with a snap. She looked at him apologetically.
He came over and stood in front of her. " Are you sure that this is what you want? Roswell? "
She nodded and Michael sighed, running his hand through his spiky brown hair, clumps of it sticking out askew. " Then hurry up and get dressed. "
" What for? "
" You'll see when we get there. "