CHAPTER 31
Alex stood in the DeLuca kitchen and watched Isabel pace, her face tense. Max and Liz spoke quietly together; she seemed to be reassuring him about something or other. Probably that it would be all right, that she knew Maria and could tell that she needed this time alone with Michael. Alex could guess what the dynamic duo in the living room were arguing about--uh, discussing. He wished now he hadn't been so quick to blurt out another excuse for Michael, but Maria had looked so panicked. Probably for Michael's sake. So he'd opened his mouth and the lie had come pouring out before he could even realize what he was doing.
Michael was back. Actually, it wasn't that hard to see even without an admission from him. He was acting way too emotional for the ice-cold personality he'd shown them all over the last month. Alex hoped that no one else would realize it until Michael was ready to come clean. And he hoped that that time would be very, very soon.
And not only was Michael wide-band broadcasting every emotion he was feeling, he had given Maria visions. So much for having no powers, huh? Another sure sign that the brooding alien was back again. He supposed they were lucky that Michael's loss of emotional control hadn't spread to his powers, or he could have accidentally trashed Maria's house. And, eclectic though the décor was, Alex didn't think any of it would be improved by being blown up.
With a sigh, he reached for a can of root beer that was sitting with some other drinks on the counter. The DeLucas usually kept a supply of it for when he came over. Flipping open the top, he ignored the glasses that were set out and took a swig. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to ease his troubled mind. It was just root beer, after all, not some miracle elixir.
Looking around the room, he watched Liz, mid-sentence in quiet conversation with Max. They both seemed so sure of themselves, so in control. Ready to do whatever was necessary. They made quite a contrast with Isabel, who was moving restlessly around the room like a very large tiger in a very small cage.
Max's eyes also focused on his sister. "Iz?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
She ceased her pacing, and frowned. "Do you get the feeling something's wrong?"
"Of course. That's why we're here, to talk about it," Max assured her.
"No, not that," she said, brushing it aside. "There's more to it than Maria's threatening notes and Michael's missing personality parts. Don't you get the feeling something is...different?"
"Different how?"
"Different with Michael." She looked uneasily around the room. "When I healed him, I didn't get any flashes. I mean, I didn't see anything, but I got the feeling there was something going on. He felt...shadowed."
"It could just be the other half of him coming through. They're connected somehow," Liz reminded her.
"Maybe."
Alex tensed. He knew better. If Michael was already back--and he was, Alex knew it--then what was causing Isabel's uneasiness?
Max looked thoughtful. "Was that why you were pushing to hear what Maria saw? To find out if she'd gotten the same feeling?" Isabel nodded, and he continued, "I thought it was a little strange. I mean, usually it's Michael prodding us to find answers, not the other way around."
"But that's just it, Max," Isabel burst out. "He's not like that, not any more. He doesn't seem to care about anything now. Except keeping Maria safe." Tears welled up in her eyes. "It's not that I'm jealous of that, honestly. I'm glad that she's a link for him to hold on to. It's just that..." Her voice trailed into a whisper. "I miss him, Max. I miss the real Michael."
Crossing to his sister, Max hugged her tightly. "I know, Izzy. So do I."
Alex began to mentally pummel himself. If he hadn't stepped in to help Michael out, the alien would have been forced to tell the truth, ready or not. And Isabel wouldn't be crying right now. She might be yelling at her almost-brother, sure, but she wouldn't be weeping on Max's shoulder. Not cool, collected Queen Isabel. Miserably, he looked away from the brother and sister. Liz's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"We'll get him back, you know," she said firmly. "The situation isn't hopeless. I mean, he gave Maria visions. So his powers aren't completely cut off. That's a step in the right direction, isn't it?"
Alex snuck uneasy glances at the other three. That was more than a step in the right direction. If they kept heading down that path, they'd realize what was really going on, and then the alien shit would really hit the fan. And he honestly didn't know if Michael could handle that right now...
Luckily, he was saved from having to take any action by a knock on the door.
Michael stared down at the pixie girl in front of him. Human, she said he was. In all the ways that mattered. But he knew better. He was alien, too. After all, he was designed, wasn't he? And by someone who'd really botched up the job.
Maria looked anxiously at him. She couldn't read his thoughts exactly, but thanks to the visions he'd given her, was pretty sure she could guess what he was thinking. And it wasn't going to help much.
There was a knock on the archway leading into the hall, and Alex stuck his head inside. "Pizza's here," he announced. "Do you want it in here or the kitchen?"
"What?" said Maria, startled. "Oh...I don't care. In here, I guess. We may as well be comfortable while we eat." Alex turned to go, but stopped when she said his name. "Alex? Thank you for helping us before."
He stopped and said wryly, "I'm not sure it did much good. They know something's up." As Michael's jaw clenched, he explained, "They don't know yet. Or at least no one's brought it up. But Isabel could tell something was different when she healed you, Michael. Besides, you haven't exactly been low-profile with your emotions, and you used your supposedly non-working powers to give Maria visions. It's not going to be long before they realize what's happened. You should tell them before they figure it out on their own," he advised.
"I can't. Not now. It's bad enough that you two know," Michael said hoarsely. "I'll tell them, I will, but not yet. When I can deal with it." He looked Alex in the eye, and managed an unaccustomed, "Please."
"Give us some time," Maria begged.
Knowing he'd probably regret it even more that he already did, Alex nodded, but he left the room with a warning. "There's not a lot of time left."
Maria watched him uneasily as he left, then turned to Michael. "Okay, the ball's in your court, Spaceboy. How do you want to handle things?"
"Let's just get through this meeting. I'll worry about the rest later."
"You mean we'll worry about the rest later," she corrected.
"I don't want you getting any more involved with this than you already are," Michael declared. "I shouldn't have shown you anything before. It was a mistake."
Maria looked up at him. "Well, you did and I'm glad. I think it'll help me understand you better."
"Maybe I don't want to be understood," he retorted.
Laughing, Maria reached up and patted his cheek. "Don't worry, you'll still do plenty of things that will be a total mystery to me. And they won't have anything to do with your alien status, either--they'll come straight from your being a guy." She turned and headed to the doorway. "Come and help me carry in some drinks and stuff, okay?" she said and he slowly followed her into the kitchen.
A short while later the six regrouped back in the living room with pizza, drinks, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce which Max found in the Jeep. For a while there was silence as everyone dug in, but eventually, Isabel couldn't stand it any longer.
"Well, are we going to talk about what happened or not?" she burst out.
"Let's stick to the outline we set up last night," Max suggested. "We need to come up with an action plan to deal with the notes Maria's been getting, and then figure out how to get Michael back to himself. Then we'll talk about anything else we need to."
"You and your outlines," Isabel grumbled. "I bet you have it all written out somewhere and color-coded, don't you?"
"The color-coding would be Liz's contribution," Maria told her blithely. "She likes to be over-organized." Liz rolled her eyes, and Maria hurriedly reassured the taller girl. "Don't worry about it, Isabel. We've got plenty of time to talk about whatever we need to. My mom won't be home for hours yet."
Taking charge, Max asked, "Okay, anyone have any ideas who might be behind the notes?"
"Someone who doesn't like me very much," commented Maria wryly.
"Or someone who doesn't like something you've done," added Liz. "Remember the second note: 'You won't get away with it.' What won't you get away with?"
"How should I know?"
"Well, what have you done that's unusual?"
"Nothing. I go to school, rehearsal, and work, and I fight with Michael. Nothing new there."
"It doesn't make sense."
Maria frowned. "I'm still not sure it really has to do with me. I mean, the stuffed alien--you three have got to have more enemies than I do."
"But why would anyone attack us through you?" asked Isabel. "Why not come directly to us?" No one had any good ideas about that one.
"Well, I don't know what else we can do, except to keep an eye out. And be very, very careful. We can't afford to take any risks," said Max.
The others agreed. Thoughtfully, Liz added, "Maybe we ought to step up the Maria watching detail. I mean, no offense to Alex or to me, but it might be good to have someone with powers around her as much as possible. Just in case."
Isabel nodded. It made sense. "Well, Maria, I guess I'm your new best friend. Max and I will split up as much of the time as possible."
"Don't forget about Michael," Maria said stoutly. "He's done a pretty good job keeping me out of trouble so far."
Michael, his face stony, looked away. "Yeah, so far under my watch you've gotten a bunch of harassing notes and broken bones. So much for my doing a good job."
"I trust you." The statement was calm and entirely honest.
He shook his head. "Liz is right. You should have Max or Isabel to protect you. It's safer that way."
"Michael," she said pointedly.
He knew what she was trying to tell him. "No, Maria, it's no use. I can't control my powers, remember? The last thing we need is to have me blow you up. I won't take a chance on hurting you."
"That didn't stop you from lurking around before!" she snapped, incensed. "So why is it any different now?"
"Because I didn't have my powers then!" he roared back at her. "I couldn't use them, remember? And now--" he cut off abruptly, seeing the two other aliens and one human looking at him very interestedly. Alex was sitting, his eyes closed, half in resignation and half in relief.
"What's going on, Michael?" Max said softly. "You told us you couldn't use your powers."
Maria held her breath. Michael looked trapped, and she had no idea how to help him out of this one. She watched uneasily as the frustration began to build on Max's face. "Michael," he said in warning.
Michael looked at him for a minute and then moved abruptly to the window, his old taciturn self. He said nothing, but the set tenseness of his shoulders reminded her how unready he was for this confrontation. And yet she could tell that Max wasn't going to let him get away with it this time. She would just have to shield him as best she could. From her place on the couch, Maria answered. "It's Michael. He's back."
"Is this true?" asked Isabel in excitement.
Michael didn't turn towards them, remaining facing the window and the encroaching twilight, as if he would rather be there in the growing darkness than in the cozy warmth of the DeLuca living room. But he spoke. One word. "Yeah."
"But how? When did this happen?" she rushed on.
Still facing away from them, he muttered something too unintelligible for them to understand. Standing, Max called him on it. "What was that, Michael?"
His voice came again, a bit more clearly this time. "Couple of days ago."
"What? " Max burst out incredulously.
Maria decided to step in. "The last dreamwalk. It actually worked," she said matter-of-factly. "I figured it out this afternoon when I saw his arm. He burnt it trying to use his powers in the round room, and when he came back, he brought the burns with him too. That's how I knew he was himself again."
Liz looked appraisingly at Alex. "So there was no grease fire?" He had the grace to look ashamed as he shook his head.
"It was my fault," Maria told her. "Alex knew I didn't want to let the news out yet, so he helped me cover it up. It's not his fault--he was just being a good friend."
"It wasn't your fault either, Maria," said Max, trying to control the anger in his voice. "You figured it out today, you said? Well, who kept it a secret from Saturday until today? That's four days, Michael," he pointed out.
"I really don't think--" Maria began.
"No, I put the blame where it belongs. What is going on with you, Michael?" Max said directly to his friend's back. "How could you keep this a secret from us? And worse, how could you drag Maria and Alex into lying for you?"
"He didn't drag us into it, Max. We did it on our own," Maria put in defiantly.
"He may not have asked directly, but that doesn't mean he didn't get you to do it. Michael, how could you use them like that? They're your friends. How can you possibly excuse that? Don't you think things are bad enough already, without you adding to the problem?"
Michael swung around to look Max directly in the eye. "Don't stop now, Max. Go ahead and finish. You won't be saying anything I haven't already said to myself."
"I very strongly doubt that. What were you thinking?" Max retorted. "I don't understand you. You say you're back. Well, the Michael I know might get into a lot of trouble, but he wouldn't cause this mess. He wouldn't lie to us, much less use his friends this way."
Michael snapped.
"What would you know about it, Max? Alien or not, you've always lived in your perfect little world with your perfect little life and your perfect family. Hell, you've always been perfect. The strong one. The one who can handle anything. What the hell would you know about who I am? You think you know what my life is like, what it's like to be me, but you can't know. Nobody can." Moving to him, Maria took his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Even you," he told her, pulling away. "I don't know what you saw, but it's not the same as living through it. Knowing you're flawed, that something was broken in you when you were born. Knowing that however much you try, you'll always be a fuckup. You can't ever understand."
Once again his eyes met Max's. "I don't want you feeling sorry for me though, Max. It's not your fault. How could it be? It's just the way things are," he said bitterly. "But don't think for a minute that you can get even a fraction of what I am."
From across the room, Alex quietly warned, "Michael." The alien's attention flashed over to the hapless teen and then followed Alex's gaze down to his own hands. They were starting to glow.
With a muffled curse, Michael bolted for the door, intent on escape before he hurt someone. He came to a halt just before he reached the doorway, and facing away from them, he said hoarsely, "Will one of you stay here until Mrs. DeLuca gets home?"
"I'll stay," volunteered Alex immediately.
"So will I," Isabel added. "We're keeping someone with powers around, remember?"
With a curt nod, Michael was out of the living room. A few seconds they heard a door slam and the sound of running footsteps fading into the distance. And then there was complete silence.
Finally Max cleared his throat. "Well, I--"
"Get out." Maria's voice was quiet and controlled, but it still caused Max to look over at her, startled. "I think you had better leave, Max."
"Maria, I--" he began.
She shook her head. "No. No. You need to leave. Michael left because he didn't want to hurt anyone, but right now, I am not feeling quite that charitable. So unless you want to use your healing powers on yourself, I suggest you get out now before I decide to ignore Michael's good example and do you bodily harm." She looked at him, her face rigid but her eyes blazing.
"Why don't you walk me home, Max?" asked Liz gently. "That way Isabel still has the Jeep and can drive Alex home once Mrs. DeLuca is back. All right?"
Max looked around the room. Catching his sister's eye, some communication seemed to pass between them, and he nodded. "All right, Liz."
"Good." Crossing to Maria, Liz gave her a supportive hug. "Call me when you want to talk, okay?" The blonde girl nodded. "Come on, Max. Let's go."
He allowed Liz to take his arm, but stopped before taking more than a step. "Maria, I--" he began again.
"No. I don't want to hear any more. Not tonight. Please," she said. Her voice began to wobble.
"You can talk to her tomorrow, Max," Liz said firmly. Putting her hand on his arm, she pulled him from the room.
Her voice trembling, Maria told the remaining two, "You can stay until Mom gets back if you want. I'm going to bed." Alex looked at his watch as she left the room. It was 7:13.
Isabel looked nervously at him. "What just happened?" she asked in disbelief.
For once, Alex had no answers.
TBC...