Part Seventeen B
"You need to sit I think. It will be better. Everyone except Michael sat, squashing on the limited seating arrangements available, with Tess practically on top of Kyle perched on the end of the couch. Michael stood leaning against the wall his legs and arms both crossed.
"Its going to sound a little unbelievable, okay. Don't interrupt. It's hard enough to tell you without…just wait till it's over."
Maria stood in front of them. As she began talking she started to pace slowly in front of them. The seven pairs of eyes followed her.
"It all began after the you found out about your purpose here. Michael wasn't talking to me. Liz just left. All of you were upset and distracted. Michael got it into his head he was dangerous and he had to protect me and nothing I said made any difference. He wasn't talking or willing to listen and Max and Isabel were too busy dealing with what they heard from their mother to see what saving the sheriff and Max from Pierce to see what it was doing to him. Tess was the only one who could see what was happening and at the time we didn't fully trust her and we blamed her for a lot that happened." Maria sent a apologetic look in Tess's direction.
Everyone was listening and their expressions varied and changed with almost every sentence, from guilt to understanding. No one interrupted.
"I couldn't do anything here. No one thought I could do anything at all. I was just this weird girl who freaked out regularly and babbled a lot. I was dangerous to you," Maria continued. A number of voices immediately forgot the no interrupting rule and rose in protest.
"You were never a danger to us," Tess's voice surprisingly was the loudest.
"How can you say you never do anything? You the one that comes up with all the ideas," Liz said.
"I know I didn't trust you in the beginning but I do now, have for a long time. I trust you with my life. For heaven sake you are one of my best friends," Isabel said next. The others all nodded in agreement.
"I always trusted you," Michael's voice was quiet.
"He did. In the beginning when you guys just found out. I was the one that freaked out the most. Michael hardly yelled at Max at all. And I was the one that was worried about you. Michael never questioned you. Liz, he wasn't so sure of but you… let's just say Mr. Paranoia over there didn't seem to think that you would tell at all," Isabel finished her long spiel.
Maria looked surprised, "He didn't ask you to dreamwalk me?"
"No. Isabel did that on her own," Max answered.
"Really?" Maria asked.
Michael stood on the side listening quietly.
"Yes. Really. And you know I never told them what I saw either." Isabel said.
"What you see?" Alex asked.
"None of your business," Maria stated quickly. She decided to continue before everyone got to curious about that dream.
"Anyway I decided that I was going to do something to help instead of just waiting around. I didn't know quite what to do until I came by to see Michael. He wasn't here. I knew because I couldn't feel him. I decided to leave a note for him so I went inside. I wrote it and I went to the fridge to stick it up and I saw the wallet of the FBI Agent that Nacedo killed lying on the table. I picked it up and took it. I didn't want Michael to have a reminder."
"When I got home I had already forgotten about it until the next day when I met Isabel for lunch. I took out my lunch and the wallet fell out and it was like a lightbulb kind of flashed and the idea just came to me. " Maria paused and looked up at the 7 teens who were listening fascinated.
"You know me, I'm spontaneous. I kinda went with the idea," Isabel's face started to clear as she slowly figured out what Maria was saying. Liz who was also present during the identification change expression also showed comprehension.
"I had Isabel put my face on the identity. The more I thought about it the more the idea seemed workable especially after I remembered the research I did on the FBI when Topolsky first showed up."
Isabel opened her mouth and then shut it again wanting to hear the rest first. Maria continued, "Liz was leaving and Michael wasn't talking to me. Alex tried but it wasn't enough. I went for it. I told everyone except Liz that I was in Florida. I made sure I phoned regularly so no one suspected and I drove to the FBI Training Base and talked my way into it."
Maria told them everything from the self defence and hacking skills she learned to the stuff she did with Riverdog. Her friends sat in shock their expressions changing with each word she said. At some points their mouths hung open and they had to remind themselves to shut it.
Kyle and Tess reactions ranged from sheer shock to outright admiration. They were not as close to Maria then, not as they were now. Alex wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Being her friend for so long had its perks and he was used to Maria's outrageous ideas even though this one was a bit out there even for her. Mixed with all that was running through his mind was the fear and worry that he felt for her and the among the rest he was hurt that she kept something so huge from him.
Liz felt the hurt as well but it was guilt that was her main emotion. Guilt she felt for not having been there for a friend that had always been there for her, for being so self involved she didn't see that her best friend was going to the same thing as she was.
Max was mad at her for putting herself in danger and for the total lack of control that came with being Maria's friend but at the same time he understood the sentiment she felt that she had to do something. Years of being Michael's best friend had made him accustomed to the thing that made Michael act rashly to protect those he considered family. It was one of those things that the two shared and made them so right for each other. They were the protectors.
Isabel couldn't decide how she felt. Part of her was furious at her best friend for lying to her and making her an accomplice to a plan that could have gone so wrong but the other half of her admired the hell out of Maria. She had the guts to enter the lion's lair a place that terrified all of them. Part of her was relieved to finally know, a sentiment that was shared by all of them. Plus the Riverdog training did explain a few things – things that had been bugging her like how Maria kicked her out during that dreamwalk.
Michael was beyond furious, beyond even anger. With every word that came out of her mouth he grew more coldly infuriated. He ignored the feelings of pride that arose with Maria's tale and squashed them down ruthlessly. He ignored the circles of attractions that were always just below the surface and were now screaming having watched her pace for the last hour as she spoke, the most time he had spent in her company since the desert. After all the effort he had placed in keeping her safe. He gave her up only to have her go do something this stupid to protect him. He was going to yell for sure. The things that could have gone wrong, they were too numerous to count. He didn't know the penalty for impersonating an FBI Agent but he was pretty sure it was big.
Little of this showed on his face. It was an effort but he kept his face as carefully blank as he could, a feat only years of practised indifference made possible.
Maria looked around nervously when she finally stopped at the point where she met the others in the desert. She glanced quickly in Michael's direction and looked away again, avoiding his gaze. She could feel the emotions coming of him. They were that strong. She looked at her other friends. She saw the shock, the hurt , the guilt, the anger and the admiration. She waited for the verdict, the reaction. No one said anything for a few minutes taking it all in. These were tense filled moments for Maria. She had stopped pacing and now in a move imitating Michael stood against the wall expectant and watchful. She still had one more thing to tell after all.
End Part 17B
"You need to sit I think. It will be better. Everyone except Michael sat, squashing on the limited seating arrangements available, with Tess practically on top of Kyle perched on the end of the couch. Michael stood leaning against the wall his legs and arms both crossed.
"Its going to sound a little unbelievable, okay. Don't interrupt. It's hard enough to tell you without…just wait till it's over."
Maria stood in front of them. As she began talking she started to pace slowly in front of them. The seven pairs of eyes followed her.
"It all began after the you found out about your purpose here. Michael wasn't talking to me. Liz just left. All of you were upset and distracted. Michael got it into his head he was dangerous and he had to protect me and nothing I said made any difference. He wasn't talking or willing to listen and Max and Isabel were too busy dealing with what they heard from their mother to see what saving the sheriff and Max from Pierce to see what it was doing to him. Tess was the only one who could see what was happening and at the time we didn't fully trust her and we blamed her for a lot that happened." Maria sent a apologetic look in Tess's direction.
Everyone was listening and their expressions varied and changed with almost every sentence, from guilt to understanding. No one interrupted.
"I couldn't do anything here. No one thought I could do anything at all. I was just this weird girl who freaked out regularly and babbled a lot. I was dangerous to you," Maria continued. A number of voices immediately forgot the no interrupting rule and rose in protest.
"You were never a danger to us," Tess's voice surprisingly was the loudest.
"How can you say you never do anything? You the one that comes up with all the ideas," Liz said.
"I know I didn't trust you in the beginning but I do now, have for a long time. I trust you with my life. For heaven sake you are one of my best friends," Isabel said next. The others all nodded in agreement.
"I always trusted you," Michael's voice was quiet.
"He did. In the beginning when you guys just found out. I was the one that freaked out the most. Michael hardly yelled at Max at all. And I was the one that was worried about you. Michael never questioned you. Liz, he wasn't so sure of but you… let's just say Mr. Paranoia over there didn't seem to think that you would tell at all," Isabel finished her long spiel.
Maria looked surprised, "He didn't ask you to dreamwalk me?"
"No. Isabel did that on her own," Max answered.
"Really?" Maria asked.
Michael stood on the side listening quietly.
"Yes. Really. And you know I never told them what I saw either." Isabel said.
"What you see?" Alex asked.
"None of your business," Maria stated quickly. She decided to continue before everyone got to curious about that dream.
"Anyway I decided that I was going to do something to help instead of just waiting around. I didn't know quite what to do until I came by to see Michael. He wasn't here. I knew because I couldn't feel him. I decided to leave a note for him so I went inside. I wrote it and I went to the fridge to stick it up and I saw the wallet of the FBI Agent that Nacedo killed lying on the table. I picked it up and took it. I didn't want Michael to have a reminder."
"When I got home I had already forgotten about it until the next day when I met Isabel for lunch. I took out my lunch and the wallet fell out and it was like a lightbulb kind of flashed and the idea just came to me. " Maria paused and looked up at the 7 teens who were listening fascinated.
"You know me, I'm spontaneous. I kinda went with the idea," Isabel's face started to clear as she slowly figured out what Maria was saying. Liz who was also present during the identification change expression also showed comprehension.
"I had Isabel put my face on the identity. The more I thought about it the more the idea seemed workable especially after I remembered the research I did on the FBI when Topolsky first showed up."
Isabel opened her mouth and then shut it again wanting to hear the rest first. Maria continued, "Liz was leaving and Michael wasn't talking to me. Alex tried but it wasn't enough. I went for it. I told everyone except Liz that I was in Florida. I made sure I phoned regularly so no one suspected and I drove to the FBI Training Base and talked my way into it."
Maria told them everything from the self defence and hacking skills she learned to the stuff she did with Riverdog. Her friends sat in shock their expressions changing with each word she said. At some points their mouths hung open and they had to remind themselves to shut it.
Kyle and Tess reactions ranged from sheer shock to outright admiration. They were not as close to Maria then, not as they were now. Alex wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Being her friend for so long had its perks and he was used to Maria's outrageous ideas even though this one was a bit out there even for her. Mixed with all that was running through his mind was the fear and worry that he felt for her and the among the rest he was hurt that she kept something so huge from him.
Liz felt the hurt as well but it was guilt that was her main emotion. Guilt she felt for not having been there for a friend that had always been there for her, for being so self involved she didn't see that her best friend was going to the same thing as she was.
Max was mad at her for putting herself in danger and for the total lack of control that came with being Maria's friend but at the same time he understood the sentiment she felt that she had to do something. Years of being Michael's best friend had made him accustomed to the thing that made Michael act rashly to protect those he considered family. It was one of those things that the two shared and made them so right for each other. They were the protectors.
Isabel couldn't decide how she felt. Part of her was furious at her best friend for lying to her and making her an accomplice to a plan that could have gone so wrong but the other half of her admired the hell out of Maria. She had the guts to enter the lion's lair a place that terrified all of them. Part of her was relieved to finally know, a sentiment that was shared by all of them. Plus the Riverdog training did explain a few things – things that had been bugging her like how Maria kicked her out during that dreamwalk.
Michael was beyond furious, beyond even anger. With every word that came out of her mouth he grew more coldly infuriated. He ignored the feelings of pride that arose with Maria's tale and squashed them down ruthlessly. He ignored the circles of attractions that were always just below the surface and were now screaming having watched her pace for the last hour as she spoke, the most time he had spent in her company since the desert. After all the effort he had placed in keeping her safe. He gave her up only to have her go do something this stupid to protect him. He was going to yell for sure. The things that could have gone wrong, they were too numerous to count. He didn't know the penalty for impersonating an FBI Agent but he was pretty sure it was big.
Little of this showed on his face. It was an effort but he kept his face as carefully blank as he could, a feat only years of practised indifference made possible.
Maria looked around nervously when she finally stopped at the point where she met the others in the desert. She glanced quickly in Michael's direction and looked away again, avoiding his gaze. She could feel the emotions coming of him. They were that strong. She looked at her other friends. She saw the shock, the hurt , the guilt, the anger and the admiration. She waited for the verdict, the reaction. No one said anything for a few minutes taking it all in. These were tense filled moments for Maria. She had stopped pacing and now in a move imitating Michael stood against the wall expectant and watchful. She still had one more thing to tell after all.
End Part 17B