Disclaimer: Still own the rusty pontiac, but nothing else in this chapter.

Chapter One: This Is A Joke, Right?



Michael stormed through the doors of the Crashdown, almost slamming into a customer walking out. In typical Michael behaviour, he glared at the woman trying to pass him and sarcastically grumbled...'excuse me!' She let out a whimper and moved aside, rendered speechless by this abrubt and rude young man. Completely unconcerned with his affect on her, Michael made his way through the restaurant until he saw the person he was looking for.

Maria, thankfully, had just set down the last plate of celestial fries and space-dogs on the table when Michael grabbed her arm. "Backroom. Now." he ordered.

Maria watched him quickly stomp towards the back and smiled a little. 'Hey Maria...how are you?' she said aloud. 'It's great to see you....I've missed you....' she continued as she followed his path. 'Would you care to join me in the backroom for a moment? Why thank you very much....' Forget it, DeLuca, she thought. Take him or leave him.

Her smile faded as she entered the backroom. Michael wasn't just being his usual *charming* self...he was angry. Very angry.

"What's going on?" she asked, and tried to put her arm around him. He shrugged her off, taking a few steps away from her. "I could ask you the same thing," he almost shouted. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and held it up. "Did you know about this? Or am I the only one being left out in the cold?" Maria had never seen him so angry. She reached out to take the envelope from him, but instead he tossed it on the chair next to her. He didn't want to risk her touching him, not until this was finished. He had to know what she was holding back.

Maria picked up the envelope with an exasperated sigh, and flopped down into the chair. Every day with Michael was something new...she sometimes wondered why she put up with it. On the envelope, simply written, was "MICHAEL". The handwriting was unfamiliar, but it obviously contained bad news...the content of which she couldn't even guess at. The only thing you can predict with czeckoslovakians, she thought with a grin...was that you can never predict anything. She glanced at Michael and was about to ask who it was from...but decided against speaking when she saw his expression. Maria pulled the letter out, and could almost hear Max's quiet voice as she read. Halfway through it she turned a deathly pale, and by the time she was finished she felt as though she might faint.



Michael....

I made a deal with Langley. As there was no way he

could get the ship to float, he attempted to devise

a way of getting back to Czeckoslovakia. I don't

know if it will work, but by the time you get this

letter I will know for sure. I couldn't take the chance

of taking you and Isabel with me. It's dangerous

where I am going, and there's a chance, however small,

that I won't be able to get back home. Please tell Maria,

Liz is coming with me. I can't stop her, and don't want to.

If Langley is right, we'll be home soon. With my son.

Max



Maria looked up at Michael, but was too afraid to try and stand. "How could he do this?" she asked, her voice breaking with tears. "After everything he's done the last few months...and now....now this?" She began to cry...out of anger, out of fear, a longing to run up to Liz's room to find her safe, where she belonged. She bolted off the chair and ran up the steps....only to return moments later. "She's not there....", she said quietly. Her tears started again, and once again she sat down.

Michael suddenly realized that neither Liz nor Max had told anyone of thier intended departure. Once again, he had acted before asking, and Maria deserved better. He leaned down in front of her..."You didn't know," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I thought Liz would have told you." He felt foolish, remembering how happy she had seemed when he'd first barged into the Crashdown. As if she'd be serving cokes and fries when her best friend just took off on an intergalactic space capade, he thought. "I'm sorry...." he said again, and took her in his arms. She didn't resist him; she felt too helpless and weak to even breathe. She relaxed into Michael, allowing him to comfort her, and after a short time her crying stopped, and a thought occurred to her. She pulled away and looked at Michael. "Wait a minute...." she started. "Max said in this...this stupid letter that he didn't even know if that thing would work. They may still be here. " She was surprised at how hopeful she was, by now she should know not to hope for anything where these aliens were concerned. "No.....no." she said, more to herself than to Michael. "The ship didn't work. Langley couldn't fix it. So maybe...." She stood up quickly, almost knocking Michael off of his knees. Grabbing her jacket, she started for the door. She turned to find Michael still sitting on the floor. "Are you coming or not?" she demanded.

Maria's car pulled around the corner just as the Evans' were pulling out of their driveway. She slowed a little, waiting for their car to recede down the street. "Good..." she said. "At least we won't have them to deal with." It was Isabel they needed to see. Max would never leave without telling his sister. Even he couldn't act that selfish, no matter how preoccupied he was with finding his son.

They parked the car and hurried to the door. After knocking repeatedly and getting no answer, Michael unlocked the door with a slight motion of his hand. Everything was quiet inside as they made their way to Isabel's bedroom. The door was open, but she was nowhere to be seen. "She's not here," Maria said, starting to feel weariness take over her again. "Where else can she have gone? We at least have to try and...." Michael placed his finger over her lips to stop her from talking. He looked down the hall, and gently took Maria's hand. "She's here," he said quietly. He slowly led Maria towards the end of the hallway. Max's room. That door, too, was open, and inside, sitting on the floor in the corner, was Isabel. She didn't seem to notice their arrival, or she didn't care. Michael released Maria and walked over to Isabel. Crouching down beside her, he could see that she had been crying. After a while, she turned towards him.

"He's gone."