Every Kiss
Disclaimer: Don't own. Though if I did the things that would happen….
Rating: Light R.
Authors note: Liz changed the future. Unluckily for her she only set in motion a whole other chain of events that force Michael to make the hardest choice of his life. Set after MITC but before ARCC.
Michael and Maria stumbled into the Granolith chamber, hands clasped tightly as they could possibly be.
"You have to do this." A 32-year-old Maria DeLuca ordered her husband.
"I can't." he replied, holding her face in his hands. The years hadn't made him any less handsome. "If I do…you and me won't exist like this…we might not have our children…we might not even be together."
He closed his eyes, the mere thought making him nauseous.
"Michael if you love me… If you really love me than you will do this. And if we truly are meant to be…then we will be together. ."
He opened his eyes and saw his own pain reflected there.
Just minutes ago they had watched their closest friends, Tess and Kyle die.
All four of them had been running, trying to escape the approaching armies. They knew they only had one option. To change history.
After Alex's death in 2001, Isabel had left Roswell, never returning. She couldn't face seeing all the happy couples. Max and Liz had no children, Liz had discovered the bullet wound she received after Nicholas shot her had done so much internal damage, not even Max could heal her. But they were still happy. They had lived in a nice house and had good jobs. Until they were found by Kivar's soldiers and murdered in their beds.
Tess and Kyle were also married, running off to Vegas to elope after the whole kidnapping disaster. Nicholas had taken the humans and almost killed Kyle, tried to rape Maria and shot Liz. She realised how much her family meant to her and proposed to Kyle and made her peace with Maria and Liz forever. Her and Kyle now had 6 children, one set of twins and
Michael had changed the most. On Christmas Day 2000, he had given her a eternity ring and that afternoon they cemented. Everyone had been shocked to see how deep their connection went. They married a while later and had two daughters.
Nicholas had headed an attack. The four had hid, thanks to a mindwarp by Tess. She couldn't keep it up for long, having already been weakened.
It faded and Tess knew she was over. She kissed and hugged both Michael and Maria desperately begging them to finish the mission. Kyle refused to leave her. He hugged her and at that moment Nicholas launched a missile. It exploded and both were killed. Michael tried to heal them but it was too late. They had both held their friends in one last embrace and Maria promised Tess she wouldn't let her down.
"I'll do it for you." He said, even though his heart was breaking. "Thank you for every kiss, every smile, every time we made love."
He put the crystal that would activate the Granolith.
He kissed her urgently, trying to remember what it was like to know she was his.
Suddenly the Granolith pulled him.
"I love you!" he yelled to her.
He just saw her yell the words back before he disappeared.
Maria crumpled to the floor and cried bitterly. She cried for her old friends, her best friend Tess, their children and Michael. She cried because she knew it was over.
"Grrrrrrrr!" Maria growled as she pummeled Liz's gloved hands.
"Calm down Maria!" her friend laughed, taking off the padded mitts and dropping them to the floor.
"Sorry. Its just that Michael's disappearing on me again." She sighed, dropping onto a nearby bench.
She observed the other girls who were working out. She saw Isabel doing crunched and Tess using a skipping rope.
"You know, I finally think he's mine, then he starts ignoring me and not being…nice Michael. After the whole alternate time thing, he was actually starting to be like old Michael. The one who would touch my back if we were walking through a crowded place or touch my hand if things got tough. Now…he's just not all there."
"Maria, I'm sure he's just worried. Tess and Max nearly died. He just wants to keep alert in case the Freaks come back!" Liz comforted.
"I know. Let's get changed. I can't stand these sweaty clothes any more."
"Maria DeLuca Guerin." Maria said into her mirror. Liz had got her daydreaming after mentioning that one of her distant cousins was getting married. "Maybe I should keep my own name…." She pondered.
"Actually it was just plain Maria Guerin."
She turned round sharply only too see Michael…or someone who looked like Michael climbing in her window.
"Who…who are you!" she asked jumping on her bed, trying to put some distance between the intruder and herself.
"I'm Michael Guerin, 32 years old, resident of what was left of Roswell, New Mexico. Married to Maria Guerin. Father of two beautiful girls."
"What? This can't be real."
"It is."
Suddenly all the pieces seemed to click.
"Oh my god. This happened to Liz. Let me guess, 14 years from now earth is taken over because Tess left, unable to face all the happy couples. You came back to change the future."
Michael looked surprised.
"Well kinda. Earth was taken over but Isabel was the one who left after Alex died in 2001. Max and Liz were murdered and 15 minutes before I came here Tess and Kyle died in our arms. You begged me to come here and change history."
Maria sagged to the bed.
"You mean…we were the ones who married?"
"We all did. Apart from Isabel."
"And now what? I have to stop Isabel from leaving?"
He shook his head.
"You…you have to make me…the me now…fall out of love with you."
Maria gasped.
"What? I can't…I can't."
"You have too. Or we all die."
"Can't I get Liz to come over? I need her."
"No. Its too risky. And it will break her heart if she knows what….what her and Max went through."
"Michael…I need someone."
"Tess."
"Tess?" Maria parroted.
"Yes. You and her were best friends. Th four of us you, Tess, Kyle and I….we fought together for a year after Max and Liz died. Before that you helped each other through childbirth as to not upset Liz."
"Why would it upset Liz?"
"She couldn't have children because of…an injury. Tess will help you. She will."
"Hi Tess." Maria said with a smile.
Standing outside her front door, the confused girl stood, hair brushed into a low ponytail wearing a old football jersey and sweat pants. She looked tired.
"Hey. What's going on?" she asked.
Maria invited her in and the pair walked up the stairs to Maria's room.
"Why did you need me over here and 2am in the morning?"
"There's someone you have to meet…" Maria explained pushing the door open to reveal Michael.
"What the hell…?"
"…so Maria…and now me have to change things to save the world?"
"Yes."
Tess rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Its just a lot to take in."
"I know the feeling." Maria sighed, leaning against her headboard.
"Will you do it Tess?"
"I guess I have too."
Michael looked at the two blonde girls and a pang of guilt went through him, knowing he was breaking their hearts.
"Michael, can you tell us about our lives?"
He thought for a moment then realised he owed them something. He agreed to Maria's request.
" Tess and Kyle eloped to Vegas…"
"Instead of Max and Lizzie." Maria interrupted.
Tess gave her a puzzled glance.
"I'll tell you later."
"…and a couple of weeks after they got back, Maria and I got married in the church near Max and Isabel's house."
Maria sighed. Now it would never be.
"Maria became pregnant first. Tess announced hers a few weeks after. You both looked after each other. I remember once you two watched a Buffy marathon." He chuckled. "When Kyle came home he rang me and said that something was wrong. So I rushed over there to see you two bawling hysterically. Tess looked liked a beach ball and Maria…you weren't far behind."
Both girls gave him killer looks.
"Anyway…when you finally stopped crying you said you'd watched this really said episode where Buffy's mom died and you didn't want your kids to ever go through that. You looked so sweet, both all red faced in your pyjamas."
Tess laughed.
"Of all the things I expected of my future? Watching Buffy in pyjamas with Maria, while I was pregnant was not one of them."
Maria started to laugh as well.
Michael smiled. It seemed like ages since his girls had laughed.
"You two get some sleep. I'll tell you more tomorrow."
Maria lay on the bed and Tess on the floor.
"Hey Tess?" Maria whispered into the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna share?"
Tess grinned and lay with her head near the bottom of the bed.
"Thanks."
"No problem…beach ball."
With a final laugh the two girls fell asleep, under the watchful eyes of the man who had lost everything.
"OK. Sorry Isabel. I just really feel bad. Yeah. And ring me on the cell if you need me." Tess said into the Maria's phone. "OK. Bye."
"Did she buy it?" Maria asked.
"Yep. She thinks I'm at home with cramps."
Maria nodded as Tess took her place on the couch beside her.
"So tell us more. What about our children.
Michael grinned and opened his wallet.
"This is Theresa Elizabeth and Isabel Alexandria. Tessie was 12 when this picture was taken and Is was only 3 monthes old." He said, handing the picture to the girls.
"They're….were…are beautiful…" Tess spoke softly.
"God…" Maria managed to get out before she started to cry. If they were successful…then her children wouldn't exist.
"This one is of Tess's children. James was two, the twins, Marie and Amy were three, Sean five, Jessica eight and Sarah 12."
Now it was Tess's turn to cry.
"And this one…is of all of us, apart from Alex and Isabel."
He passed them the final picture.
"It was just before Kivar invaded. We all had a picnic in the park to celebrate Tessie's birthday."
Liz was holding a twin in each arm and Sean was sitting in Max's lap. Tess Jr, Sarah and Jessica were in the centre, lying on their stomachs. Kyle and Tess Sr meanwhile, had James between them. Michael and Maria sat, Is sitting on her fathers knee.
"This is horrible…." Maria whispered.
Michael looked at her carefully.
"I mean the fact that…we're not going to get to have this."
"I'm sorry. But it's the only way."
"I need to know. What are the relationships like now?"
"Well Michael and I aren't together but we are sorta friends. And Max is devastated about her and Kyle sleeping together. But he doesn't know they didn't really."
Tess looked surprised.
"But she said he was good…"
"She was lying."
"What about you and Kyle?" Future Michael asked Tess.
"We're friends. Very good friends. I think he's gonna ask me out. He keeps dropping these hints about going to movies and putting his arm around me."
He shook his head.
"I should have known things wouldn't change."
"What?" Maria sighed. She didn't like all these pained statements.
"I was hoping I may have been able to come back in time. Obviously not. I- the past me has already bought you an eternity ring that will lead too you two…getting closer." He cleared his throat and blushed.
Maria followed.
"And Kyle is going to ask you out tonight. You say no. Then he won't stop asking you. You eventually cave and on Christmas day you two kiss. Then from then on….there was no stopping you."
"So what do we do?"
"Maybe you can…"
"…sorry. I can't. I have plans." Maria said briskly, studiously avoiding looking at Michael.
"What plans?" he asked. He's just asked her if he wanted her too go on a date and she had just shot him down.
"I'm going shopping."
"With who. Liz is working and Isabel is going to the movies with her "clique"."
"I have other friends."
"Who?"
"Tess! Me and Tess are going shopping!" she shrilled, trying to escape.
"OK. See ya later." Michael shrugged and walking off like a dejected puppy.
Maria exhaled loudly and started to methodically band her head against her locker.
"Tough afternoon?" a female voice asked.
"You can say that again." Maria told Tess.
"Tell me about it. Kyle did ask me out. And I told him no!" she bemoaned as the pair walked out of school.
"I know. Michael asked me and I said I was going shopping with you."
"But turning down dates is not gonna change things."
Maria frowned.
"So what do we do?"
"Well…how about you pretend to be in love with someone else?" Future Michael suggested.
"Who? They know us to well!" Maria fumed. She had spent the last 3 hours thinking of ways to get the guys to fall out of love with them.
Tess was flicking through the channels.
"Hang on I might have an idea." She murmured.
"What…?" Maria asked distractedly. Her eyes flicked over the screen. Dawson's Creek. Se used to be addicted to it. Before the whole alien thing came up…she paused at looked at the screen again.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"They'll probably turn them on more than make them not like us anymore." A indecisive Maria said.
"Yeah. This is a bad idea." Tess agreed.
"But maybe they might get jealous?"
"Yeah. Hey, you're Michael…what would he think?"
The two girls rounded on him.
"Um…he'd probably be upset."
Maria sat down on the bed.
"This sucks. I mean this totally sucks. Whatever we do we're gonna hurt them."
"Is there any other way?"
"That's the worst thing. This is it. And if we don't do this…we are responsible for the end of the world."
"Then we have no choice. Your ring first." Tess decided. It was now or never.
Michael strolled up to Maria's window. The headlights of a car driving down the quiet road almost blinded him but he ignored it.
Maria had rang him and asked him too come over. It had to be a good thing.
He went to the window and was just about to knock when he saw the scene in front of him. His whole body seemed glued to the spot.
"Hey Guerin! What are you doin…." Kyle walked up to the window as well, curious as to what had captured the alien's attention. "…here."
Both men stood, frozen in shocked.
There, lying on Maria's bed, were Tess and Maria. This wouldn't have fazed them…if Maria's top hadn't been dropped onto the floor and Tess' unbuttoned. They could have explained that.
But what they couldn't fathom was why they were kissing like there was no tomorrow and why Maria's hands were holding Tess on top of her and why Tess's were holding Maria's face.
Michael shook his head.
Kyle just turned and walked back to his car.
"No wonder she didn't want to go on a date…" he whispered to himself.
Tess collapsed, her head pounding.
"Did it work?" she asked, letting Maria lead her to the bed.
Holding the mindwarp up for both of them had been hard. With both of them not wanting to believe what they were seeing they were trying to resist. But she'd done it.
"I can feel myself fading…" Future Michael whispered.
Maria totally broke down.
"Oh my god…he doesn't love me anymore! All this time and all these problems and now he doesn't love me…" she sobbed into her pillow.
Tess was trying to be strong. She put her hand on Maria's back trying to be of some comfort but in the end she gave it up and dropped her head into her hands and cried for the life she would never have.
"Valenti, get your ass over to Maria's. We are going to find out what's going on." Michael barked into the phone.
He refused to believe Maria wanted Tess not him.
"Michael…I don't think there is any reason too. Tess has been over there every night this week. They obviously have something going on. What good is it gonna do to go round there and start hassling them?"
"Kyle you know as well as I do that Tess likes men. And I sure as hell know Maria likes men. I'll do it without you if I have to."
"I'll be there in five minutes.
A loud banging noise disturbed the sobs in Maria's room but both girls ignored it.
They didn't bank on it being an alien who was knocking.
"What the hell is going on?" Michael demanded bursting in, Kyle on his heels.
HE hadn't banked on seeing two girls crying hysterically.
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.
"Nothing! Just get out!" Maria yelled. She couldn't look at Michael. She was sure she was going to crack if she did.
"Please…" Tess said in a strangled whisper.
Neither Michael nor Kyle would accept that.
Michael crossed the room and grabbed Maria's face between his palms.
"Look at me." He ordered her.
When she didn't move her head he did it for her.
"What is going on?" he asked again, softly so as not to startle her. She looked as if she were about to break.
"And what's this?" Kyle questioned from Maria's dresser. He had picked up two photographs.
"Kyle put them down!" Tess squealed, jumping of the bed and trying to grab them from his hands.
"Who are these children?"
"My cousins!" Maria supplied quickly.
"Your parents were only children." Michael contradicted.
"But…oh god." She started to cry again.
Tess went back to her position on the edge of the bed while Michael joined Kyle in looking at the pictures. As soon as he touched them he got flashes.
*Maria cradling a baby girl "Theresa Elizabeth Guerin." Said the tag on her wrist.*
*Tess and Maria laughing, both obviously heavily pregnant. *
"What?" he asked.
"It was you!" Maria burst out.
"What?" Kyle was confused.
There was a lot of that going around.
"You came back from the future and told us that we had to make you fall out of love with me. Then you said that Tess was already too close to Kyle and she had to do the same thing. Kivar…he invaded. He killed Max and Liz. On the way to the Granolith chamber, Tess tried to protect us but she was weakened and she told us to go on. Kyle wouldn't leave….and they both died. So….I convinced you too come here and change things….those pictures….were our children…and now we've changed things….but I told you so it was all for nothing!"
Maria cried curling up in a ball.
"Wow…" Kyle muttered before putting his arm around Tess who was hunched over and staring at the carpet.
Michael stared at the scene for a moment before his body started operating again. He was lifting Maria up and pulling her close to him within a second.
"What about Alex and Isabel?"
"Alex died next year and Isabel couldn't face seeing all the happy couples so she left Roswell. She disappeared and no one knows what happened to her." Tess informed him.
"Then we just stop Alex from dying. Then everything will be OK."
Tess and Maria sat up and looked at each other.
"Why didn't we think of that?" Maria said with wide eyes.
"Oh my god."
They both promptly started to laugh.
"Its OK! Things are still gonna be the way they should!" Maria grinned, wrapping her arms around Michael's neck.
"Your choking me…" he teased.
"I love you so much!" She kissed him roughly, unable to believe that she had him back. "I love you so much…"she whispered.
"Ditto." He whispered back.
Tess and Kyle had their arms wrapped around each other, smiling happily.
"I think we should leave them too it." She said, still in shock.
Kyle nodded and the pair headed toward the door, intent on having one hell of a conversation when they got home.
Maria caught Tess's arm before they left.
"Thank you. And…I'm sorry that I wasn't that nice to you before all this."
Tess hugged her and laughed.
"Its okay. And I didn't like you that much either."
Maria pulled back.
"Friends?"
"Friends." Tess agreed.
After one last hug she left.
Maria walked back over to her bed, prepared to be yelled at or to find Michael gone.
He was still there but his face was unreadable.
Suddenly she found herself pulled into his lap, his arms clutching her waist tightly, afraid to let go in case she disappeared.
He buried his face in her hair breathing her in.
"I'm lucky you're so pig headed."
"I couldn't lose you. Not even to Tess."
"I can't believe you fell for that! Tess must be really good at mindwarping. Although I should have known that after she made Nicholas and Ida see a wall instead of a door…" Maria said, thinking aloud.
"You mean that you didn't kiss her?" Michael asked, running his nose along her collarbone.
"No…" she whispered, amazed by the feelings that were rushing back to her after all their time apart.
"Good."
His hand went to the back of her neck, pulling her to him for another kiss.
"Love you." He said so softly that she wasn't sure that he had spoken at all.
He lay back on the bed, her head resting on his chest.
"Hopefully next time it won't take the thought of losing me to another girl to make you realise it Spaceboy." She yawned, falling asleep.
"I realised it long before that Maria."
Disclaimer: Don't own. Though if I did the things that would happen….
Rating: Light R.
Authors note: Liz changed the future. Unluckily for her she only set in motion a whole other chain of events that force Michael to make the hardest choice of his life. Set after MITC but before ARCC.
Michael and Maria stumbled into the Granolith chamber, hands clasped tightly as they could possibly be.
"You have to do this." A 32-year-old Maria DeLuca ordered her husband.
"I can't." he replied, holding her face in his hands. The years hadn't made him any less handsome. "If I do…you and me won't exist like this…we might not have our children…we might not even be together."
He closed his eyes, the mere thought making him nauseous.
"Michael if you love me… If you really love me than you will do this. And if we truly are meant to be…then we will be together. ."
He opened his eyes and saw his own pain reflected there.
Just minutes ago they had watched their closest friends, Tess and Kyle die.
All four of them had been running, trying to escape the approaching armies. They knew they only had one option. To change history.
After Alex's death in 2001, Isabel had left Roswell, never returning. She couldn't face seeing all the happy couples. Max and Liz had no children, Liz had discovered the bullet wound she received after Nicholas shot her had done so much internal damage, not even Max could heal her. But they were still happy. They had lived in a nice house and had good jobs. Until they were found by Kivar's soldiers and murdered in their beds.
Tess and Kyle were also married, running off to Vegas to elope after the whole kidnapping disaster. Nicholas had taken the humans and almost killed Kyle, tried to rape Maria and shot Liz. She realised how much her family meant to her and proposed to Kyle and made her peace with Maria and Liz forever. Her and Kyle now had 6 children, one set of twins and
Michael had changed the most. On Christmas Day 2000, he had given her a eternity ring and that afternoon they cemented. Everyone had been shocked to see how deep their connection went. They married a while later and had two daughters.
Nicholas had headed an attack. The four had hid, thanks to a mindwarp by Tess. She couldn't keep it up for long, having already been weakened.
It faded and Tess knew she was over. She kissed and hugged both Michael and Maria desperately begging them to finish the mission. Kyle refused to leave her. He hugged her and at that moment Nicholas launched a missile. It exploded and both were killed. Michael tried to heal them but it was too late. They had both held their friends in one last embrace and Maria promised Tess she wouldn't let her down.
"I'll do it for you." He said, even though his heart was breaking. "Thank you for every kiss, every smile, every time we made love."
He put the crystal that would activate the Granolith.
He kissed her urgently, trying to remember what it was like to know she was his.
Suddenly the Granolith pulled him.
"I love you!" he yelled to her.
He just saw her yell the words back before he disappeared.
Maria crumpled to the floor and cried bitterly. She cried for her old friends, her best friend Tess, their children and Michael. She cried because she knew it was over.
"Grrrrrrrr!" Maria growled as she pummeled Liz's gloved hands.
"Calm down Maria!" her friend laughed, taking off the padded mitts and dropping them to the floor.
"Sorry. Its just that Michael's disappearing on me again." She sighed, dropping onto a nearby bench.
She observed the other girls who were working out. She saw Isabel doing crunched and Tess using a skipping rope.
"You know, I finally think he's mine, then he starts ignoring me and not being…nice Michael. After the whole alternate time thing, he was actually starting to be like old Michael. The one who would touch my back if we were walking through a crowded place or touch my hand if things got tough. Now…he's just not all there."
"Maria, I'm sure he's just worried. Tess and Max nearly died. He just wants to keep alert in case the Freaks come back!" Liz comforted.
"I know. Let's get changed. I can't stand these sweaty clothes any more."
"Maria DeLuca Guerin." Maria said into her mirror. Liz had got her daydreaming after mentioning that one of her distant cousins was getting married. "Maybe I should keep my own name…." She pondered.
"Actually it was just plain Maria Guerin."
She turned round sharply only too see Michael…or someone who looked like Michael climbing in her window.
"Who…who are you!" she asked jumping on her bed, trying to put some distance between the intruder and herself.
"I'm Michael Guerin, 32 years old, resident of what was left of Roswell, New Mexico. Married to Maria Guerin. Father of two beautiful girls."
"What? This can't be real."
"It is."
Suddenly all the pieces seemed to click.
"Oh my god. This happened to Liz. Let me guess, 14 years from now earth is taken over because Tess left, unable to face all the happy couples. You came back to change the future."
Michael looked surprised.
"Well kinda. Earth was taken over but Isabel was the one who left after Alex died in 2001. Max and Liz were murdered and 15 minutes before I came here Tess and Kyle died in our arms. You begged me to come here and change history."
Maria sagged to the bed.
"You mean…we were the ones who married?"
"We all did. Apart from Isabel."
"And now what? I have to stop Isabel from leaving?"
He shook his head.
"You…you have to make me…the me now…fall out of love with you."
Maria gasped.
"What? I can't…I can't."
"You have too. Or we all die."
"Can't I get Liz to come over? I need her."
"No. Its too risky. And it will break her heart if she knows what….what her and Max went through."
"Michael…I need someone."
"Tess."
"Tess?" Maria parroted.
"Yes. You and her were best friends. Th four of us you, Tess, Kyle and I….we fought together for a year after Max and Liz died. Before that you helped each other through childbirth as to not upset Liz."
"Why would it upset Liz?"
"She couldn't have children because of…an injury. Tess will help you. She will."
"Hi Tess." Maria said with a smile.
Standing outside her front door, the confused girl stood, hair brushed into a low ponytail wearing a old football jersey and sweat pants. She looked tired.
"Hey. What's going on?" she asked.
Maria invited her in and the pair walked up the stairs to Maria's room.
"Why did you need me over here and 2am in the morning?"
"There's someone you have to meet…" Maria explained pushing the door open to reveal Michael.
"What the hell…?"
"…so Maria…and now me have to change things to save the world?"
"Yes."
Tess rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Its just a lot to take in."
"I know the feeling." Maria sighed, leaning against her headboard.
"Will you do it Tess?"
"I guess I have too."
Michael looked at the two blonde girls and a pang of guilt went through him, knowing he was breaking their hearts.
"Michael, can you tell us about our lives?"
He thought for a moment then realised he owed them something. He agreed to Maria's request.
" Tess and Kyle eloped to Vegas…"
"Instead of Max and Lizzie." Maria interrupted.
Tess gave her a puzzled glance.
"I'll tell you later."
"…and a couple of weeks after they got back, Maria and I got married in the church near Max and Isabel's house."
Maria sighed. Now it would never be.
"Maria became pregnant first. Tess announced hers a few weeks after. You both looked after each other. I remember once you two watched a Buffy marathon." He chuckled. "When Kyle came home he rang me and said that something was wrong. So I rushed over there to see you two bawling hysterically. Tess looked liked a beach ball and Maria…you weren't far behind."
Both girls gave him killer looks.
"Anyway…when you finally stopped crying you said you'd watched this really said episode where Buffy's mom died and you didn't want your kids to ever go through that. You looked so sweet, both all red faced in your pyjamas."
Tess laughed.
"Of all the things I expected of my future? Watching Buffy in pyjamas with Maria, while I was pregnant was not one of them."
Maria started to laugh as well.
Michael smiled. It seemed like ages since his girls had laughed.
"You two get some sleep. I'll tell you more tomorrow."
Maria lay on the bed and Tess on the floor.
"Hey Tess?" Maria whispered into the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"You wanna share?"
Tess grinned and lay with her head near the bottom of the bed.
"Thanks."
"No problem…beach ball."
With a final laugh the two girls fell asleep, under the watchful eyes of the man who had lost everything.
"OK. Sorry Isabel. I just really feel bad. Yeah. And ring me on the cell if you need me." Tess said into the Maria's phone. "OK. Bye."
"Did she buy it?" Maria asked.
"Yep. She thinks I'm at home with cramps."
Maria nodded as Tess took her place on the couch beside her.
"So tell us more. What about our children.
Michael grinned and opened his wallet.
"This is Theresa Elizabeth and Isabel Alexandria. Tessie was 12 when this picture was taken and Is was only 3 monthes old." He said, handing the picture to the girls.
"They're….were…are beautiful…" Tess spoke softly.
"God…" Maria managed to get out before she started to cry. If they were successful…then her children wouldn't exist.
"This one is of Tess's children. James was two, the twins, Marie and Amy were three, Sean five, Jessica eight and Sarah 12."
Now it was Tess's turn to cry.
"And this one…is of all of us, apart from Alex and Isabel."
He passed them the final picture.
"It was just before Kivar invaded. We all had a picnic in the park to celebrate Tessie's birthday."
Liz was holding a twin in each arm and Sean was sitting in Max's lap. Tess Jr, Sarah and Jessica were in the centre, lying on their stomachs. Kyle and Tess Sr meanwhile, had James between them. Michael and Maria sat, Is sitting on her fathers knee.
"This is horrible…." Maria whispered.
Michael looked at her carefully.
"I mean the fact that…we're not going to get to have this."
"I'm sorry. But it's the only way."
"I need to know. What are the relationships like now?"
"Well Michael and I aren't together but we are sorta friends. And Max is devastated about her and Kyle sleeping together. But he doesn't know they didn't really."
Tess looked surprised.
"But she said he was good…"
"She was lying."
"What about you and Kyle?" Future Michael asked Tess.
"We're friends. Very good friends. I think he's gonna ask me out. He keeps dropping these hints about going to movies and putting his arm around me."
He shook his head.
"I should have known things wouldn't change."
"What?" Maria sighed. She didn't like all these pained statements.
"I was hoping I may have been able to come back in time. Obviously not. I- the past me has already bought you an eternity ring that will lead too you two…getting closer." He cleared his throat and blushed.
Maria followed.
"And Kyle is going to ask you out tonight. You say no. Then he won't stop asking you. You eventually cave and on Christmas day you two kiss. Then from then on….there was no stopping you."
"So what do we do?"
"Maybe you can…"
"…sorry. I can't. I have plans." Maria said briskly, studiously avoiding looking at Michael.
"What plans?" he asked. He's just asked her if he wanted her too go on a date and she had just shot him down.
"I'm going shopping."
"With who. Liz is working and Isabel is going to the movies with her "clique"."
"I have other friends."
"Who?"
"Tess! Me and Tess are going shopping!" she shrilled, trying to escape.
"OK. See ya later." Michael shrugged and walking off like a dejected puppy.
Maria exhaled loudly and started to methodically band her head against her locker.
"Tough afternoon?" a female voice asked.
"You can say that again." Maria told Tess.
"Tell me about it. Kyle did ask me out. And I told him no!" she bemoaned as the pair walked out of school.
"I know. Michael asked me and I said I was going shopping with you."
"But turning down dates is not gonna change things."
Maria frowned.
"So what do we do?"
"Well…how about you pretend to be in love with someone else?" Future Michael suggested.
"Who? They know us to well!" Maria fumed. She had spent the last 3 hours thinking of ways to get the guys to fall out of love with them.
Tess was flicking through the channels.
"Hang on I might have an idea." She murmured.
"What…?" Maria asked distractedly. Her eyes flicked over the screen. Dawson's Creek. Se used to be addicted to it. Before the whole alien thing came up…she paused at looked at the screen again.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"They'll probably turn them on more than make them not like us anymore." A indecisive Maria said.
"Yeah. This is a bad idea." Tess agreed.
"But maybe they might get jealous?"
"Yeah. Hey, you're Michael…what would he think?"
The two girls rounded on him.
"Um…he'd probably be upset."
Maria sat down on the bed.
"This sucks. I mean this totally sucks. Whatever we do we're gonna hurt them."
"Is there any other way?"
"That's the worst thing. This is it. And if we don't do this…we are responsible for the end of the world."
"Then we have no choice. Your ring first." Tess decided. It was now or never.
Michael strolled up to Maria's window. The headlights of a car driving down the quiet road almost blinded him but he ignored it.
Maria had rang him and asked him too come over. It had to be a good thing.
He went to the window and was just about to knock when he saw the scene in front of him. His whole body seemed glued to the spot.
"Hey Guerin! What are you doin…." Kyle walked up to the window as well, curious as to what had captured the alien's attention. "…here."
Both men stood, frozen in shocked.
There, lying on Maria's bed, were Tess and Maria. This wouldn't have fazed them…if Maria's top hadn't been dropped onto the floor and Tess' unbuttoned. They could have explained that.
But what they couldn't fathom was why they were kissing like there was no tomorrow and why Maria's hands were holding Tess on top of her and why Tess's were holding Maria's face.
Michael shook his head.
Kyle just turned and walked back to his car.
"No wonder she didn't want to go on a date…" he whispered to himself.
Tess collapsed, her head pounding.
"Did it work?" she asked, letting Maria lead her to the bed.
Holding the mindwarp up for both of them had been hard. With both of them not wanting to believe what they were seeing they were trying to resist. But she'd done it.
"I can feel myself fading…" Future Michael whispered.
Maria totally broke down.
"Oh my god…he doesn't love me anymore! All this time and all these problems and now he doesn't love me…" she sobbed into her pillow.
Tess was trying to be strong. She put her hand on Maria's back trying to be of some comfort but in the end she gave it up and dropped her head into her hands and cried for the life she would never have.
"Valenti, get your ass over to Maria's. We are going to find out what's going on." Michael barked into the phone.
He refused to believe Maria wanted Tess not him.
"Michael…I don't think there is any reason too. Tess has been over there every night this week. They obviously have something going on. What good is it gonna do to go round there and start hassling them?"
"Kyle you know as well as I do that Tess likes men. And I sure as hell know Maria likes men. I'll do it without you if I have to."
"I'll be there in five minutes.
A loud banging noise disturbed the sobs in Maria's room but both girls ignored it.
They didn't bank on it being an alien who was knocking.
"What the hell is going on?" Michael demanded bursting in, Kyle on his heels.
HE hadn't banked on seeing two girls crying hysterically.
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.
"Nothing! Just get out!" Maria yelled. She couldn't look at Michael. She was sure she was going to crack if she did.
"Please…" Tess said in a strangled whisper.
Neither Michael nor Kyle would accept that.
Michael crossed the room and grabbed Maria's face between his palms.
"Look at me." He ordered her.
When she didn't move her head he did it for her.
"What is going on?" he asked again, softly so as not to startle her. She looked as if she were about to break.
"And what's this?" Kyle questioned from Maria's dresser. He had picked up two photographs.
"Kyle put them down!" Tess squealed, jumping of the bed and trying to grab them from his hands.
"Who are these children?"
"My cousins!" Maria supplied quickly.
"Your parents were only children." Michael contradicted.
"But…oh god." She started to cry again.
Tess went back to her position on the edge of the bed while Michael joined Kyle in looking at the pictures. As soon as he touched them he got flashes.
*Maria cradling a baby girl "Theresa Elizabeth Guerin." Said the tag on her wrist.*
*Tess and Maria laughing, both obviously heavily pregnant. *
"What?" he asked.
"It was you!" Maria burst out.
"What?" Kyle was confused.
There was a lot of that going around.
"You came back from the future and told us that we had to make you fall out of love with me. Then you said that Tess was already too close to Kyle and she had to do the same thing. Kivar…he invaded. He killed Max and Liz. On the way to the Granolith chamber, Tess tried to protect us but she was weakened and she told us to go on. Kyle wouldn't leave….and they both died. So….I convinced you too come here and change things….those pictures….were our children…and now we've changed things….but I told you so it was all for nothing!"
Maria cried curling up in a ball.
"Wow…" Kyle muttered before putting his arm around Tess who was hunched over and staring at the carpet.
Michael stared at the scene for a moment before his body started operating again. He was lifting Maria up and pulling her close to him within a second.
"What about Alex and Isabel?"
"Alex died next year and Isabel couldn't face seeing all the happy couples so she left Roswell. She disappeared and no one knows what happened to her." Tess informed him.
"Then we just stop Alex from dying. Then everything will be OK."
Tess and Maria sat up and looked at each other.
"Why didn't we think of that?" Maria said with wide eyes.
"Oh my god."
They both promptly started to laugh.
"Its OK! Things are still gonna be the way they should!" Maria grinned, wrapping her arms around Michael's neck.
"Your choking me…" he teased.
"I love you so much!" She kissed him roughly, unable to believe that she had him back. "I love you so much…"she whispered.
"Ditto." He whispered back.
Tess and Kyle had their arms wrapped around each other, smiling happily.
"I think we should leave them too it." She said, still in shock.
Kyle nodded and the pair headed toward the door, intent on having one hell of a conversation when they got home.
Maria caught Tess's arm before they left.
"Thank you. And…I'm sorry that I wasn't that nice to you before all this."
Tess hugged her and laughed.
"Its okay. And I didn't like you that much either."
Maria pulled back.
"Friends?"
"Friends." Tess agreed.
After one last hug she left.
Maria walked back over to her bed, prepared to be yelled at or to find Michael gone.
He was still there but his face was unreadable.
Suddenly she found herself pulled into his lap, his arms clutching her waist tightly, afraid to let go in case she disappeared.
He buried his face in her hair breathing her in.
"I'm lucky you're so pig headed."
"I couldn't lose you. Not even to Tess."
"I can't believe you fell for that! Tess must be really good at mindwarping. Although I should have known that after she made Nicholas and Ida see a wall instead of a door…" Maria said, thinking aloud.
"You mean that you didn't kiss her?" Michael asked, running his nose along her collarbone.
"No…" she whispered, amazed by the feelings that were rushing back to her after all their time apart.
"Good."
His hand went to the back of her neck, pulling her to him for another kiss.
"Love you." He said so softly that she wasn't sure that he had spoken at all.
He lay back on the bed, her head resting on his chest.
"Hopefully next time it won't take the thought of losing me to another girl to make you realise it Spaceboy." She yawned, falling asleep.
"I realised it long before that Maria."