Authors Note: Thanks so much for all the great feedback everyone. You are getting the updates as fast as I can write them. As to how it's going to end, I won't have a clue until I type the words The End J
As Kyle drives down the deserted highway, Liz sits in the back of the car with a still unconscious Maria.
"I don't get it Liz. How did the FBI, or the Special Unit or whatever the hell they were know where Michael and Maria were living?"
"I don't know, unless they had a bug on them too. Pull over Kyle, there's a rest area over there."
Kyle pulls the car into the relatively deserted rest area, and Liz grabs the keys from them and pops the trunk. She pulls Michael and Maria's escape bags out of the back and dumps the contents on the ground. Seeing what she's doing, Kyle gets out of the car and moves to help her. They go through all the clothing and personal possessions, but can't find anything. Liz starts ripping at the seams of one of the bags with Kyle's pocketknife.
"Found it," she yells triumphantly as she holds the small transmitter up in her hand. As she and Kyle gather up Michael and Maria's belongings and toss them in the trunk, a state trooper pulls into the rest area.
"Good evening," says the trooper as he exits the patrol car. "Are you folks having any problems tonight."
"Oh no officer," says Liz shooting him a blinding grin. The officer blushes a little at Liz's beautiful smile. "We were just driving home when," she pauses as Maria picks this very inopportune time to regain consciousness. Without missing a beat, Liz continues, "My friend Maria felt sick to her stomach, so we pulled over. She and her boyfriend had a bad fight, and she decided that a few frozen mudslides would help ease her pain. When Jeff and I, this is my boyfriend Jeff," she says pointing to Kyle, "found out what was happening, we had some friends drive us up to be with her. Now we're just trying to get her home in one piece."
"That's very commendable of you," says the trooper. "Do you mind if I take a look at her?"
"Oh no, of course not sir," says Liz shooting Kyle a worried glance.
The trooper walks over to the car and opens the door. A disoriented Maria is leaning against the seat crying.
"Where's Space Boy? I need my spaceboy!"
The trooper looks at Liz questioningly.
"Pet name," she responds. "At least I think they are, but there are just some things I don't really need to know," she says as she smiles flirtatiously at the trooper.
"Alright then, everything seems to be ok here, and remember, if you get tired, pull over. We wouldn't want you to have an accident this late at night," he says totally charmed by Liz's engaging grin.
"Oh we will sir," says Kyle as he trooper walks back to his vehicle. As he climbs in and starts the motor Liz runs over to him.
"Oh Officer," she shouts, and he rolls down the window. She leans into the window with one hand on the roof near the vehicle's safety lights. Kyle sees a soft green glow come from her hand. "I just wanted to say thank you very much for checking on us. It's so nice to know that there are people like you who care."
"Just doing my job miss," replies the embarrassed state trooper. "You and your friends drive safely.
"Oh we will, and you please do the same," she says giving him a wide smile.
The state trooper pulls out after giving them a friendly wave and Liz walks back towards Kyle.
"What the hell was that performance about?" he asks Liz. "Have you forgotten you're a married woman now? And what's with using your powers in front of a cop?"
"Kyle, relax, he didn't see me, I kept him distracted, and while I was smiling oh so sweetly at him, I attached the transmitter to the light bar on his vehicle. Let him be tailed for a while."
"Damn Liz, you are good," he says as the two walk back to Maria. "So you had a transmitter on you and so did Michael. I wonder if Isabelle and Max did too?"
"I don't think so Kyle. I'm guessing Jesse knew you guys were in Boston with him, and I'm also betting he knew we may split up, but we wouldn't split up completely. He had one transmitter placed with each "pair" of us," Liz replies as she opens the door and climbs in next to Maria.
"Maria, honey, it's me Liz. Maria, are you ok?"
"Where's Michael," she cries. "Where am I?"
"Maria, relax, tell me your name."
"I'm not Maria. I'm Mariah Carey," says the other girl looking at Liz suspiciously.
"Ah Liz, I'm guessing she doesn't recognize you or remember what you looked like this afternoon," says Kyle.
"You're probably right," says Liz as she passes a hand over her hair and face. Within a matter of seconds, Liz looks like herself again. When Maria sees this, she collapses into Liz's arms crying. Kyle gets into the car and the take off down the road as Liz fills Maria in on what's happened.
"You mean the shop exploded?"
"Yeah, and you were knocked out. Well we all were, but you took the longest to recover. I guess you head isn't as hard as we always thought it was," says Liz with a small laugh.
"And Michael's going to meet us? You promise me he's ok?"
"Maria, I promise you. I spoke to him a couple of hours ago, and he was fine. In fact, he'll probably be calling soon to check on you."
"I don't want to wait for that, gimme your cell phone."
Liz hands the phone over to her friend and watches while she punches in a code. Maria lets the phone ring twice and hangs up. Calls, let's it ring twice and hangs up again. Within 5 minutes the phone rings and Maria answers it.
"Space Boy?"
Maria, is that you?
"What, you have other girls who call you Space Boy?" she quips
Maria, I'm so glad you are all right, listen, I can't talk, but stick with Liz and Kyle, and we'll all meet up at the rendezvous spot. I should be there by tomorrow afternoon.
"Michael thinks he'll make it there by tomorrow afternoon," says Maria to the others. "What about us."
"Right about the same time," estimates Kyle.
"We should be there then too Space Boy. I love you."
I love you to Maria, says Michael right before he disconnects the call. Maria passes the phone back to Liz and leans back against the seat smiling.
"Hey Liz," says Kyle looking into the backseat through the rear view mirror. "Do you think you can take over for a while? I'm wiped, and I want to try and contact Isabelle. She must be frantic by now. I was just reaching out to here when the building exploded, and I haven't had a chance to try again since then."
"Sure Kyle, pull off at the next exit, and we'll grab something to eat and I'll take over from there."
Taking the next off ramp, they pull into a crowed truck stop and head in to get some food. After eating, they return back to the car, with Liz behind the wheel. Starting the car, she eases back onto the highway, and towards her husband and their new destiny.