This part is written by Roswellian Princess 2001

Part 8

He placed her in bed and noticed that she had slipped into unconsciousness. Just as he was finished tucking her in the doorbell rang.

Leo ran downstairs and opened the door to see Michael, her boyfriend/alien, standing on their doorstep.

"Where's Maria? I know she is here?"

Leo couldn't understand how he was able to find the Manor. Maria had never told any of her friends about where they lived. All they knew was that she had acquaintances in San Francisco.

"How did you find her?"
Michael pushed his way through the door. "I was driving around town and I felt myself pulled here. I know she is here. Where is she? Maria, I know you're here!" Michael yelled as he looked around the bottom floor of the manor.

Leo stepped in front of him. "I will take you to her. Something has happened to her."

Before Leo could explain Michael exploded. "What do you mean something happened to her!?! Is she OK?"

"Come with me."

Leo brought Michael upstairs to Maria's room. He opened the door and stopped. "Now, I will let you see her but you have to promise not to upset her. I know the reason she came out here. I want your word that she won't be hurt."

Michael watched Leo as me made his speech. He was acting like a protective older brother to Maria. But right now the last thing Michael wanted was to hurt Maria, he just wanted to make sure that Maria as OK. "You have my word. Please, just let me see her."

Leo stepped to the side and allowed Michael entrance. He watched Michael approach the bed and gingerly sit on the side, never taking his eyes off the sleeping girl. Leo stepped back through the door and softly closed it. The girls needed to come home as soon as possible.

*~*~*~

Michael watched as Maria slept on. He could see the dark circles under her eyes. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Maria, baby, can you hear me? I am here. But you gotta open your eyes." Still no response.

"Come on Maria. Open your eyes," he said more forcefully. "I need you to wake up. I need you." Still nothing.

Michael turned and buried his head in his hands. "Leave it to you to yell at someone when they are sleeping," Maria whispered.

Michael spun around to see her eyes barely open. "Oh god, Maria," he cried as he lifted her into an embrace. "Don't ever leave me again. For anything, never leave me."

Maria returned the embrace, happy to be back in his arms. She pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. She gave him a small smile before kissing him lightly. "Only if you make the same promise," she said quietly.

Michael nodded and took her back into his arms. Leo walked in and saw the couple embracing on the bed. "Maria! You're awake! Your sisters are on their way home now," he said, not thinking of the other person in the room.

Maria could feel Michael tense in her arms. She was sure that one statement would take more explaining than she has ever had to do. Maria looked over Michael's shoulder at Leo, her eyes wide. "Hey Leo. Um, could you give us a minute?"

Leo nodded. "But then I want an explanation for what happened in the attic. But I will wait til they get here." Leo left the room, but left the door open.

Michael pulled back. "What did he mean sisters?"

Maria looked at Michael. She knew that she couldn't lie to him anymore. But she also knew it wasn't her secret to tell. She had no doubt that Michael would find out, but she wasn't going to say anything til she talked to her sisters. "Michael there is a lot about me that you don't know. But there are things that I can't tell you til everyone gets here. They are not my secrets to tell. Just like with you guys, I wouldn't tell anyone until you gave your consent. All I am asking is that you wait just a little longer." She could see the distance already forming between them. She wasn't gonna let that happen.

"No, please don't pull away. I will tell you everything you want to know, but I can't do it at this exact moment in time. Do you trust me?" Maria knew she was risking getting hurt by asking that, but she needed to know.

Without hesitation Michael nodded. Maria smiled. "Good. Then as soon as everyone else gets here I will tell you."

Maria laid back down on the bed and watched Michael. "How did you find me?"

Michael shook his head. "I don't really know. I hopped on my bike and drove out here, intending on tearing the town apart until I found you. I wasn't really sure where I was going to start, but I wasn't going to worry about that til I got here. Well, when I was driving down by the water I felt an overwhelming urge to turn down this street. It was almost like something was pulling me here. When I passed this house somehow I knew that you were inside. It's all very strange."

Maria stayed quiet through Michael's story. 'Is it possible? Did the spell actually work?' she thought.

Michael continued. "It doesn't really matter to me how I found you, just that I did."

Maria smiled at his statement. "Michael…"

"No, Maria. The whole time I was driving here I was going over in my head what I was going to say to you when I found you, and I can't let you interrupt me."

Maria quieted and settled herself against the pillows for what, she was sure, was going to be a long lecture.

"When you left," Michael began, "I felt like my whole world went with you. I gave you a couple of days before I decided it was time we talked. Then come to find out you left town, and no one really knew where you were. I mean your mother knew you were in San Francisco, but she didn't know how to get a hold of you. She is worried sick about you, you know."

Maria tried to interrupt, but Michael put his hand up to stop her. "Please, just let me finish. I know you called Liz, but you always made sure that there was no one to talk to. Liz was worried too. She knew you were alive but that's all she knew."

Maria lowered her eyes in shame. She knew that Liz would be worried, but she just could not make herself talk to anyone.

"But with all that aside I was going out of my mind. Liz would come to me and tell me that you had left her a message, but you never said when you would be coming home. That drove me crazy. She would tell me to give you time, but no one could tell me how long I was supposed to wait. I wanted to come out here two weeks ago, but Liz and Max convinced me that you needed space and would come back when you were ready. But I'm sorry if you still need more time, I couldn't wait any longer to see you."

Michael stopped his dialogue. He looked at Maria who was looking back with tears in her eyes. She was gripping her hands tightly in her lap. Michael covered both of her smaller hands with his large one. "I need to make things right again."

Maria waited for Michael to continue before she responded. "I am so sorry that put everyone through that. I needed time to figure out for myself what I needed and wanted. In my heart I always knew I would come back to you, but I just needed to convince my brain. Not a day went by that I didn't want to call you and tell you where I was. I called Liz, because I knew she would tell everyone that I was safe. I love you, Michael. I need you. But I can't be with you if you are going to push me away again. The first time almost killed me, and the second probably will. SO I need you to tell me know. If you think there is ever a chance that you will want to be with Isabel, and fulfill your destiny, then walk out that door right now, and don't look back."

Michael started his own interruption, but Maria imitated his gesture raising her hand for silence. "You asked that I wait til you were finished and now I am asking for the same courtesy. Believe me I know that we fight. And not everyone stays together forever. I am sure we will have our ups and downs. But I need you to be honest with me. I need to know that if you leave it's because you want to, not because you feel like you have to protect me."

It was Michael's turn to cast his eyes down in shame. He knew that pushing her away did nothing but hurt them both. At the time he thought it was the only solution, but now he didn't think he could live without her.

"I promise you. I will never push you away for your own protection. I had walls built up that you broke down. I don't think it's physically possible for me to rebuild them. But I promise, the next time either one of us walks away from this relationship it will be because we want to, not because we feel we have to. But trust me, I can't forsee either one of us walking away. I can se us bitching at each other for a very long time."

Maria laughed at Michael. She knew he was right. She, too, could see them being together for a long, long time. She sat up and threw her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. Michael's arms tightened around her, as he buried his face in her shoulder.

They stayed that way for a long time. Both just enjoying the time in each others arms. They didn't move until they heard a knock at the door. Leo stuck his head in and cleared his throat. He waited until Maria looked at him to speak.

"They are all home now. Are you up to coming downstairs to talk, or do you want everyone in here?"

Maria shook her head. "Let me get cleaned up and I will meet everyone downstairs."

Leo nodded. "You better hurry though. They are desperate to make sure you are alright." Leo left, shutting the door softly.

Maria climbed out of bed and left Michael sitting to go and wash up. She splashed some cool water on her face, washing away the remnants of tiredness that had clung to her. When he re-entered the bedroom she took Michael by the hand. Giving him a light kiss on the lips, she smiled. "Let's go face the music."

*~*~*~

Piper was pacing as Phoebe and Prue sat on the sofa. Leo was standing across the room, watching his wife walk back and forth. "Piper, honey, maybe you should sit down."

Piper spun on her heel. "I don't want to sit. I want to see my sister. I want to know what she was doing up in the attic without anyone with her. I want to know what she did," Piper rambled.

Prue spoke up. "Piper she needs to know the truth. We need to tell her everything. How do we know that whatever she did didn't call them to her?"

Piper nodded. She was always protective of her youngest sibling, ever since they discovered her existence. She didn't want Maria to live a dangerous life, like they had to. She wanted her life to be separate. But she knew Prue was right, Maria had to be told the truth.

"What is taking her so long?" Phoebe asked.

"It's only been a couple of minutes since I told her you guys were home. Give her some time to collect herself," said Leo

Maria walked into the room. "What's with all the gloomy faces?"
All three sisters rushed over to her, hugging her. Michael, who was standing next to her, was pushed to the side. Maria laughed as she hugged them all back. "Come on guys, I can't breathe. Besides, I think you just pushed my man to the side," said Maria trying to lighten up the moment.

Phoebe, Prue and Piper all stepped back and looked at the boy that was standing half in the room, half in the hallway. All three had to agree that he was fairly good looking with soulful eyes and wild hair.

Maria pulled Michael into the room. "Guys this is my Michael. Michael, these are my sisters, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe."

"Hi," Michael said unsurely.

"Hello. Welcome to our home," said Piper, always playing the hostess.

Prue looked at Maria. "Honey you look tired. What happened? Leo told us that he found you unconscious up in the attic."

Maria motioned for everyone to sit. She and Michael on the love seat, with everyone else facing them on the sofa. Before she began she took Michael's hand, she just couldn't not touch him right now. She needed to convince herself that he was actually there.

"Before we get into that I need to ask you guys something. Michael knows you are my sisters. But I can't lie to him anymore. I need to tell him the truth about everything."

All three sisters looked from Maria to Michael. They could see by the way he looked at her the he loved their sister, unconditionally. They had the feeling that he would give his life to protect her, thus her secrets.

Prue nodded. "I understand. But Maria, not even you know the whole truth. Granted you know our secret, but you don't know your own."

Maria was confused. How could she have a secret that she didn't know about? "What are you talking about Prue?"

"First I think we need to explain some things," said Phoebe. She turned to Michael. "Well you already know that we are Maria's sisters, as we share the same father. But along with that we are also witches." Phoebe paused.

Michael looked at her. 'Did she just say witches?' he thought. Michael shook his head.

"I know what you are thinking. But if aliens exist, then why wouldn't witches?" said Piper.

Michael looked sharply at Maria. Maria returned his look. "I'm sorry Michael but I had to tell them. They have known from the very beginning, and would never do anything to jeopardize you guys."

"She's right Michael. But with your trust in us for our secret comes ours in you. We know that you would never do anything to hurt Maria. That is why we are trusting you with this knowledge."

Michael nodded. He knew that Maria trusted these people. He knew, deep down, that Maria would never share his secret with anyone who she didn't think would not tell. It was just a shock to know that four perfect strangers knew everything about you that could destroy you.

He squeezed her hand to show that he wasn't angry. "Please continue."

Prue spoke again. "Maria, you are not entirely average. When you came to us it was destiny. We didn't just happen to meet. From the beginning we were told that we were your protectors. It was our job to make sure nothing ever happened to you."
When Prue paused, Leo took over. "You see there is a legend. A story about a Chosen One. One woman who would hold the most power. More powerful than any witch. She was chosen on the day she was born. She would be the key to the fight against good and evil. Maria, that woman is you."

Maria couldn't believe it, "Wait, how can this be? I don't have any special power or anything. I am just a normal girl."

"No, Maria. You are far from it," said Phoebe. "You have more power than the three of us combined. You were just never taught how to use it. It is your destiny to fight"

Maria shook her head. Destiny, there was that word again wreaking havoc on her already screwed up life. "No. You would have told me." She looked at her sisters. "How could you keep something like this from me?"

Piper was the one to answer. "We wanted to protect you. When we found you, you were only a teenager. You were happy with your life in Roswell. We didn't want you to have to live the kind of life we do. We had hoped that by withholding the knowledge until you were older, we would be saving you from losing your childhood."

"We wanted to lead as normal of a life as you could. But then you told us about aliens, and we knew that no matter which life you chose, a normal life was not going to happen," Leo continued.

Maria was still trying to take in all the news. "So why tell me now? I am still a teenager."

"We need to know what happened up in the attic today. We need to know what you did," said Prue.

"All I did was a spell. I know I wasn't supposed to unless you guys were home, but I was drawn to this spell. It was a calling spell."

"Was it a Power of Three spell?" asked Phoebe.

Maria lowered her eyes and nodded. "I didn't think it would actually work."

"How do you know it did?" asked Piper.

"Well the spell I used was to call the man I loved to me. And two minutes later Michael showed up."

"It was almost as though I was being drawn here. I knew exactly what street to take and what house she was in," explained Michael.

Prue nodded in understanding. She looked to Leo. "Could that lead them to her?"

Leo shrugged. "I am not sure. It's possible that they could be drawn by her use of power. And the fact that it was a Power of Three spell makes the power all the more great."

Maria watched the exchange. "Wait, who are 'they'? Who's after me? Is there something you guys aren't telling me?"

"The Source. Ever since you were born he has been looking for you. He knows that you are the key to his downfall."

"The Source? Who is that?" asked Michael. He always liked to know who his enemies were.

"He is the leader of all evil, and if he finds Maria, that will be the end, of everything," said Phoebe.

TBC