Chapter Nine

"Maria?" She looked up and saw her mother standing there, a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"No... Max Evans..." Maria opened her mouth and then closed it and shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands.

Amy assumed the worst instantly. "What did he do?" She ground out. "I'll kill him."

"No... no mom, he... he just kissed me." Amy paused for a moment.

"I'll still kill him." She walked over to her daughter and cupped her face. "What's wrong, baby."

"Michael kissed me, yesterday."

"Okay." Amy frowned. She didn't like hearing about her daughter kissing. But just so long as it ended with kissing. "You need to catch me up on all of this honey, really."

"I... I like Michael, but he..." Maria's face crumbled. She couldn't tell her mom. "He hurt my feelings. And Max... was in love with Liz." A full sob escaped her lips. "But he's been helping me, and he's nice, and... sweet, and... I only like him as a friend."

"Oh Maria." Amy pulled her daughter into her arms and hugged her close. She realized this was the start of it all. Her baby girl getting her heart broken. She'd been lucky so far, Maria had only ever had Alex, and they were practically brother and sister. "It'll be okay. It all works out in the end."

Max let himself into the house with his head hung low. He shouldn't have kissed her. He knew it. He scared her. What if she never spoke to him again?

"Max." He looked up and saw his sister sitting on the couch, with a carton of ice cream in her lap.

"What's wrong?" He knew something was up with her. But the night other night she had refused to tell him.

"Haven't you heard yet? I'm sure it's all over school by now."

"What?" Max frowned and walked over to sit beside her.

"Paulie, attacked me the other night, after the game."

"What?!" Max exclaimed in a rage.

"We were leaving the Crashdown, he pulled me down the alley... and didn't realize no means no." She sighed.

"Did he... Isabel did he..." Max was livid. He was going to call Michael and they were going to track Paulie down and kill him, slowly.

"No, that's the thing... Alex Whitman stopped him. Last night, Alex got beat up, pretty bad by Paulie and his goons." Isabel sighed. "He got beat up because he protected me. And then... I found out and I went and beat the crap out of Paulie... in front of half the school."

"Wow." Max stared at his sister. "I guess you don't need Michael and I to fight your battles anymore."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh... shut up, Max." She looked at her brother and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I kissed Maria." He told her, running his hands over his face.

"What?!" Isabel gasped out. "What were you thinking? Aside from the fact that Michael has had a thing for her since... forever. There is something really weird going on with her. I don't trust her Max."

"I know... but, she's a really good person. I don't know what the big secret is. But Michael knows. But that is the thing, she said there couldn't be anything with Michael... so maybe I have a chance." Max looked at his sister, he knew she could see the desperation on his face.

"Is this about Liz?" Isabel asked softly.

"No. Of course not." Max shook his head quickly.

"Are you sure? I mean, Maria was Liz's best friend. And because you didn't go for it with Liz like you wanted to... and you lost your chance, you think that you should go for it with Maria? Because she really doesn't seem like your type. Or does it have anything to do with Tess breaking your heart? And the fact that I hear she's dating that new kid."

"Tess didn't break my heart. Hurt me yes, I love her, the way I always will. She is my friend." Max sighed. "The new kid? Kyle?" He frowned.

"You didn't answer my question. Why Maria?"

"Because, I've been spending time with her. She's sweet, and I like to be able to be the one that makes her laugh. It had been months since I'd seen her so much as smile. And I can make her laugh, and smile and..." Max sighed. "Run terrified for her front door." He ran his hands over his face again and left them there. "What do I do Iz?"

"I don't know Max." She reached over and touched his back. "But, I really think that you should stay away from Maria. There is something dangerous about her."

Early the next morning, Maria was at the restaurant. She had a few tables, they were all happily eating their alien themed breakfasts and sipping their coffee. So she plopped herself down at the counter and pulled out one of her books for school and decided to try and get some work done. But as soon as she opened her book she heard the bell above the door go off. "Damn." She muttered under her breath and spun on the stool. "Welcome to the Crash-" She cut herself off seeing Tess walking towards her. "Can I help you?"

"Stay away from Max."

"I'm sensing Deja-vu. Didn't we have this conversation before? Oh yeah, that was Michael." Maria stood up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, you're into drugs, or whatever it is you're doing. Max is a good person. With a good family, and good friends, and he has a really bright future ahead of him. And hanging out with you, isn't going to help him. You're just going to drag him down with you."

"You're right." Maria told her quietly.

Tess stood there, stunned for a moment. "Then you'll do what is right, and stop hanging out with him? Put some distance between the two of you?"

"Not that is any of your business, but I already was going to. I don't want to hurt Max, any more than you want to see him hurt. Now get out of my restaurant." Tess nearly faltered. She hadn't expected that. She only wanted to protect her friends. And Maria was dangerous. Her father had even said so. Quickly she left the diner and headed back home, thinking over everything. Thinking about what Michael had told her about Maria.

"You look deep in thought." Tess looked up hearing her father's voice.

"Yeah... just thinking."

"About?"

"Maria DeLuca."

"I told you to stay away from her."

"I am." Tess shook her head. "Its just... there is something really weird about her. There is a rumor she's on drugs, or dealing drugs or something. But... Michael told me something a while ago. Something that he said she told him. Her explanation for everything." Tess frowned. "Never mind, its silly."

"Tell me, Tess. You know, there is truth to every rumor."

"Dad." Tess rolled her eyes. "He said that she tried to convince him that she was... an alien. I mean... ridiculous, right? How could she think Michael would be that stupid? To believe her? I know that Grandpa had been into investigating all that stuff, but that was after things got bad, and... you know, he wasn't all there."

"Stay away from her, Tess. Please."

"Dad-"

"Promise me that you will stay away from her."

"Of course. What is going on?" Tess asked concerned. "Dad?"

"I don't know, but that is what I'm trying to figure out."

At school on Monday Maria felt depressed. She had avoided Max's phone calls, and Alex's. She didn't want to deal with any of it. But Monday came and she had no choice. She was standing at her locker when she saw Max walk up out of the corner of her eye. "Hey Maria... can we ... talk?"

"Sure." She nodded slightly grabbing the books she needed for her next class before closing her locker. She followed Max the short distance down the hallway where he pulled open the door to the eraser room and pulled her inside.

"Look Maria, about Friday... me kissing you... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I mean, I liked it, but..."

"Max." Maria interrupted him. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have let it get this far." His brow furrowed. "I needed help with catching up in all my classes, and you were this smart guy. I shouldn't have let you think-" She bit her lip as the realization crossed his face.

"You were using me."

"Max-"

"No." Max shook his head. "I get it. I understand it all now. I knew you wouldn't ever have any sort of interest in me. But you know I never took you for a manipulative bitch."

Maria's mouth fell open. "Max."

"I was such an idiot." He scoffed and then quickly walked out of the eraser room, not giving her the chance to say anything.

Maria watched as Max took off down the hallway and saw Michael standing a few feet away. Tears welled up in her eyes and she bolted the other way down the hall. She felt like such a jerk. But it was better this way. It had to be. She needed to find Alex and talk to him. She needed him more than anything right then. But as she headed down the hall towards his first period class she froze. She saw Alex. And he was with Isabel. They were smiling at each other, talking, laughing, and as they walked Isabel slid her hand into his, and smiled at him when he stumbled slightly.

All Maria wanted right then and there was to disappear. She closed her eyes and wished she could become invisible. Vanish off the face of the Earth. Everything would be so much simpler then. "Maria." Alex's voice caused her to open her eyes. He and Isabel were standing there looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fantastic." She nodded. "I'm just not feeling great. I'm going to go home, could you get my homework for me?"

"Yeah..." Alex nodded. "Of course. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Just a bug or something." Alex frowned at her, knowing they had never been sick before. "I'll be fine by tomorrow, I'm sure, twenty-four hour flu maybe." And then she walked away.

Alex's brow furrowed as she walked away, leaving out one of the side doors. "Alex, we'll be late to class." Isabel reminded him, and he nodded.

"Okay." He said with a small smile.

Maria climbed into her car as the tears began to fall. She was going to loose Alex to Isabel. She lost Max to Tess. And Michael... she lost because she wasn't willing to forgive him. She had no one left. Maria drove her car out to the desert where she had gone so many times. Where they had found them so many years ago. She pulled the car to a stop and climbed out, looking around before she started walking out across the dead wasteland. There was a rock formation not far away. She began trudging up the rocky cliff. Hoping and wishing she would find some answers. To anything. It didn't matter what it was. She just needed answers. "Why did you do this to us!?" She screamed out loudly as she reached the edge of the cliff.

"Why?!" She sobbed and sunk down to her knees.

"Maria?" Maria jumped to her feet and spun around and saw Michael walking towards her.

"What are you doing here?" She choked out.

"I followed you." He told her.

"Leave me alone!" She demanded. "How hard is it to get that through your head? I don't want anything to do with you."

"I don't believe you."

Maria flinched slightly. "Its true."

"You're a bad liar."

"Everything is all screwed up." She whispered and Michael just looked at her with soft eyes.

"I want to help. Let me help." He begged her softly.

"You can't." Her voice cracked. "It is only a matter of time... it's getting worse." Maria closed her eyes against the wetness.

"Maria-" He gently grasped her wrist, and she looked up at him.

"I'm afraid for my mom... what if they... come after her?"

"They don't know about you, so how-"

"They do. They know about me, and they knew about Liz too." She shook her head quickly. "No. I am not talking about this with you!" She started walking back down the rocky slope trying to get around Michael. "Get out of my way!"

"No." Michael told her, but took a slight step backwards.

"Move!" She yelled and slapped her hand against the rock wall. A loud grating sound echoed in their ears. They both froze and stared at each other. "Whoa." Maria's mouth fell open as she watched a doorway open up in the rock.

"How did you-" Michael pointed to the opening. Michael peered inside, and found a somewhat vast cave. They both quickly walked inside, looking around.

"This is...where we were born." Maria whispered softly spotting the set of four pods against one of the walls.

"But there are four." Michael watched Maria as she crossed the distance to them and touched them lightly. "Kyle." She gasped out seeing his face, much younger, inside of the pod.

"Kyle? Harding?"

"There were four of us..." Maria couldn't fathom it. There were four of them. Kyle. Did he know about them? Did he know that he wasn't alone? "I have to talk to him." She whispered, but couldn't bring herself to move. Her fingers glided over the empty pods. She remembered climbing out of it. Seeing Liz and Alex there.

"Maria." Michael said quietly walking over to join her next to the pods. "Please believe me when I tell you how sorry I am. I never meant... I am very sorry I told Tess. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did." Maria turned her head to look at him. "So much."

"I know, and I am sorry. How can I possibly make it up to you? Please, let me."

"I don't know. Michael... I trusted you with this really big life threatening secret..."

"And I screwed up. Please let me try to gain your trust again. I'm begging you."

Maria chewed on her lip and then slowly after what seemed like an eternity, reached out and grasped his hand gently in hers, as they stood before the empty pods.

Jim walked into Amy DeLuca's shop. If he convinced Amy that Maria was on drugs, he could be able to get her consent to send Maria away, to get help. Or to an FBI testing facility. But if Amy believed Maria was getting treatment she would have some closure.

"Jim." Amy smiled faintly at him as he walked him.

"Amy." The frown on his face deepened. "I hate to bother you, but do you have a moment?"

"Of course." She nodded. "Is this about Maria?"

"It is." He removed his cowboy hat from his head and hung his head for a moment. "I was speaking to Tess this morning. She told me that Maria admitted to her that she is using drugs." Amy faltered.

"No. She... wouldn't." She shook her head quickly. "Maria wouldn't do that."

"Amy, I'm very sorry. I looked into some facilities that might be able to help her..."

"No." Amy stepped backwards quickly. "I can't send her away. She's...my daughter. She's all I have. I can't just send her away!"

"Amy, I think that going away may be the best thing for her at this point. After Liz's death, and all of the trouble she's been having with school, I can see it becoming too much for her. But if she were to go away, maybe she could get a new perspective on life."

"Jim, I can't..."

"Give it some thought Amy, consider it. I think it really would be best for her."

"I need... I need to think." Amy ushered him out the door and locked it behind him before she sunk to the floor, crying softly.

Jim could hear Amy crying from the other side of the door and he sighed. Would he really do this? Take that woman's only child from her? But if she knew the truth, she wouldn't want a murderous killer in her home.

"You have to make a move." Ed Harding, Nesado, demanded when he spotted Kyle sitting on the couch, watching TV. "The FBI is going to get their hands on them if you do not do something! This is your responsibility!"

"No! It's yours. You're the one that screwed up. You weren't there when they came out. You're the reason my mate is dead. I have no more destiny."

"You still have a destiny." He growled, and Kyle laughed.

"With who? Maria? She's my sister. Or Alex? I'll take Tess, thanks." The TV exploded suddenly and Kyle rolled his eyes and stood up. "What do you want me to do? Walk up and just say 'Hi, I'm the fourth alien, by the way." You're the one that told me to befriend them."

"And you haven't done that! At all! You've been too busy off screwing that pathetic human."

"Don't talk like Tess about that." Kyle yelled.

"Confront Ava and Zan. Or Tess won't even be a concern, ever again."

"Stay away from Tess." Kyle grumbled and stormed down to his bedroom, slamming the door as hard as he could behind him.

Michael walked Maria back to her car and watched as she leaned up against the hood, watching the sun beginning to set. "You should get home, it's getting late. Amy will worry."

"So will Mr. and Mrs. Pascal."

"Yeah." He scratched his eyebrow. "It's a weird thing... having someone actually care about my well being."

"They do." Maria bowed her head. "I do." She whispered. "Which is why I really think you should stay way from me. It's just going to get worse from here on out."

"I'm not going anywhere. And I'm going to earn your trust back. Somehow." Michael leaned down and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "Go home, drive safe."

"You too." Maria nodded and got in the car. She drove back home, her mind drifting. Trying to wrap around the fact that there were not just three, but four of them. Kyle. He was one of them. And Michael... wouldn't give up. She wanted to trust him. But it was hard. After he had told Tess... She sighed and pulled up in front of the house and walked inside. "Mom, I'm home." She called and headed for the kitchen. Her mom was always there this time of night. "Mom?" She asked spotting her sitting at the kitchen table, with her head in her hands. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"Where were you?" Amy asked, and Maria could hear the tears in her voice.

"I was... with Michael. Out in the desert. We weren't... doing anything..." Maria bit her lip and walked around to sit across from her mom. "I swear, mom. We were just talking." Suddenly Amy grabbed Maria's wrists and upturned her arms. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"What kind of drugs are you doing? Pot? Heroine? Meth!?"

"Mom!" Maria retracted quickly, yanking her arms from her grasp. "I'm not-"

"Don't lie to me anymore!" Amy cried. "You're always lying to me!"

"Mom. I-"

"Go to your room!" Amy dropped her head into her hands again and began to cry as she picked up her phone. "Jim? Can you get into contact with any of those rehab places?"