---Chapter 19---
That night after Max, Liz, Isabel, Kyle and Maria left with Michael following them - they all went back to Roswell to Michael's apartment. Max had glimpsed him in the rearview mirror after they had all hurriedly left the Winthrop Mansion. The time for talking had to really wait until they got back to Roswell. That time was here.
They all were inside Michael's apartment - with Michael being the last to enter.
"What were you doing at that place?" Max asked, folding his arms.
"Everyone else in this room was there. Maybe you all should be the ones to answer that." -Michael.
"When did it get to be "us" and you? Are you on their side?" -Max.
"There are no sides. You don't make sense." -Michael.
"Oh, I think I do. There's something going on there, Michael." -Max.
"And that means Victoria Winthrop's in on it. Duh, Michael!" -Maria.
Michael looked over at her. "Don't start again."
"I'll 'start' anytime I want. You lied to me! You said you were going to be working tonight and instead you go there for her." -Maria said, her eyes blazing.
"Maria, I don't think that's helping." -Liz.
"You're damn right it's not. We don't need to be discussing my business with Victoria." -Michael.
"And what business is that?" -Max.
Michael was getting very irritated at being ganged up on - or at least it felt like he was.
"Just drop it!" -Michael snapped. "Isabel just returned to us. That and whatever the hell you were doing at Winthrop's is what needs to be discussed."
"I think Isabel's absence had to do with them. That includes Victoria." -Max.
"Are you insane, Maxwell?" -Michael.
Liz interjected, "Max may be right. We went to the ball to see if we could kind of find out anything."
"Find out what? How many rooms the place has. or wait, the size of their bank accounts." -Michael.
"Be serious." -Max.
"I am being. You're not." -Michael.
"They had something to do with Isabel's disappearance." Max said, full of conviction. "Think about it. Things just started happening since the ex- senator and his daughter came to New Mexico." He continued, "Liz and I went because I had a feeling that I needed to act on."
Michael threw his hand up and turned around. "You need help, Max."
"And I was right." Max finished.
"We saw those people who had been following us." Kyle said. He didn't know what to think, but he personally didn't believe Victoria had anything at all to do with this mess, either. But he wasn't going to voice that opinion.
Michael turned back around after hearing what Kyle had said.
"And they were right there around Adam Winthrop. They were wearing gray executioner-style cloaks and he was wearing a Julius Caesar costume. We saw it when everyone unmasked." -Max.
Michael's face went a shade paler. "So you're saying."
"I think Adam Winthrop has something to do with everything that's been happening lately - including Isabel's abduction." -Max.
Isabel stepped toward them. "I don't know what has been going on- except for the little that Max told me on the way back here, but I do know one thing's for sure. I was NOT abducted. I told you guys where I was, what I was doing. So don't act like I'm a liar!"
"We wouldn't." Liz said quickly. "No one thinks that." She continued, "Maybe you just don't know what happened."
"I know exactly!" Isabel snapped. "I am tired of this. I don't even get a happy reception. And no one will listen to me."
"I for one could not be happier that you are back. I knew you would come back. You're safe and that's all that matters. No matter where or why you were gone." -Michael.
"Thank you, Michael. At least somebody ---" Isabel started to say.
Max shot Michael a glare and then said, "We all are glad you're okay."
"If she said she's been on a road trip, then she has been. Leave it alone Max." -Michael.
"Easy for you to say. You just don't want to have to think that Victoria had anything to do with it!" -Maria. She had been silently fuming while watching the entire exchange with everyone.
"Even if her dad had something to do with anything - and I said IF -she's not a part of it." -Michael.
"Don't be naïve, Michael. You continuing to associate with her could get us into more trouble." -Max.
"You know what you can all do. You can get the hell out of my apartment. Except for Isabel, if she wants to stay -as she seems the only same one." -Michael.
"Michael!" Maria gasped.
"Get out. All of you. I don't want to have to say it again. When you stop dictating how I'm supposed to think and act and when your sanity has returned - come back and talk to me sometime." Michael walked to his door and opened it.
Kyle and Liz walked out, followed by a fuming Maria, who stopped before going out the door - intent on saying more, when Michael pushed her along.
Isabel walked over to Michael and gave him a hug. "Thank you for the invitation - but I should be going. A lot of class work to catch up on and it's really late."
"I meant it. I'm glad you're back, Iz." -Michael.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Isabel flashed him a smile then left.
Michael was rubbing his eyes- still holding his door, when Max took his time walking over to Michael. "You know it's true. We all saw them. Something's leading back to Winthrop's door. And it isn't good."
"Max, I said-" -Michael.
"I know." Max said. "But I know you know. You have to face the big possibility that she is in on it too."
"Get out." Michael said firmly.
Max didn't leave, instead he said, "I saw you and her. I am sure she was the one in white. I saw you kissing."
Michael frowned at him.
"I won't tell Maria, Michael. But you've got to use your head on this. You're playing with fire. Don't go around her again." -Max.
"Maxwell-" Michael started to ground out.
"I mean it." Max said, seriously.
Max left then and Michael slammed the door hard behind his retreating back.
---End of Chapter 19---
That night after Max, Liz, Isabel, Kyle and Maria left with Michael following them - they all went back to Roswell to Michael's apartment. Max had glimpsed him in the rearview mirror after they had all hurriedly left the Winthrop Mansion. The time for talking had to really wait until they got back to Roswell. That time was here.
They all were inside Michael's apartment - with Michael being the last to enter.
"What were you doing at that place?" Max asked, folding his arms.
"Everyone else in this room was there. Maybe you all should be the ones to answer that." -Michael.
"When did it get to be "us" and you? Are you on their side?" -Max.
"There are no sides. You don't make sense." -Michael.
"Oh, I think I do. There's something going on there, Michael." -Max.
"And that means Victoria Winthrop's in on it. Duh, Michael!" -Maria.
Michael looked over at her. "Don't start again."
"I'll 'start' anytime I want. You lied to me! You said you were going to be working tonight and instead you go there for her." -Maria said, her eyes blazing.
"Maria, I don't think that's helping." -Liz.
"You're damn right it's not. We don't need to be discussing my business with Victoria." -Michael.
"And what business is that?" -Max.
Michael was getting very irritated at being ganged up on - or at least it felt like he was.
"Just drop it!" -Michael snapped. "Isabel just returned to us. That and whatever the hell you were doing at Winthrop's is what needs to be discussed."
"I think Isabel's absence had to do with them. That includes Victoria." -Max.
"Are you insane, Maxwell?" -Michael.
Liz interjected, "Max may be right. We went to the ball to see if we could kind of find out anything."
"Find out what? How many rooms the place has. or wait, the size of their bank accounts." -Michael.
"Be serious." -Max.
"I am being. You're not." -Michael.
"They had something to do with Isabel's disappearance." Max said, full of conviction. "Think about it. Things just started happening since the ex- senator and his daughter came to New Mexico." He continued, "Liz and I went because I had a feeling that I needed to act on."
Michael threw his hand up and turned around. "You need help, Max."
"And I was right." Max finished.
"We saw those people who had been following us." Kyle said. He didn't know what to think, but he personally didn't believe Victoria had anything at all to do with this mess, either. But he wasn't going to voice that opinion.
Michael turned back around after hearing what Kyle had said.
"And they were right there around Adam Winthrop. They were wearing gray executioner-style cloaks and he was wearing a Julius Caesar costume. We saw it when everyone unmasked." -Max.
Michael's face went a shade paler. "So you're saying."
"I think Adam Winthrop has something to do with everything that's been happening lately - including Isabel's abduction." -Max.
Isabel stepped toward them. "I don't know what has been going on- except for the little that Max told me on the way back here, but I do know one thing's for sure. I was NOT abducted. I told you guys where I was, what I was doing. So don't act like I'm a liar!"
"We wouldn't." Liz said quickly. "No one thinks that." She continued, "Maybe you just don't know what happened."
"I know exactly!" Isabel snapped. "I am tired of this. I don't even get a happy reception. And no one will listen to me."
"I for one could not be happier that you are back. I knew you would come back. You're safe and that's all that matters. No matter where or why you were gone." -Michael.
"Thank you, Michael. At least somebody ---" Isabel started to say.
Max shot Michael a glare and then said, "We all are glad you're okay."
"If she said she's been on a road trip, then she has been. Leave it alone Max." -Michael.
"Easy for you to say. You just don't want to have to think that Victoria had anything to do with it!" -Maria. She had been silently fuming while watching the entire exchange with everyone.
"Even if her dad had something to do with anything - and I said IF -she's not a part of it." -Michael.
"Don't be naïve, Michael. You continuing to associate with her could get us into more trouble." -Max.
"You know what you can all do. You can get the hell out of my apartment. Except for Isabel, if she wants to stay -as she seems the only same one." -Michael.
"Michael!" Maria gasped.
"Get out. All of you. I don't want to have to say it again. When you stop dictating how I'm supposed to think and act and when your sanity has returned - come back and talk to me sometime." Michael walked to his door and opened it.
Kyle and Liz walked out, followed by a fuming Maria, who stopped before going out the door - intent on saying more, when Michael pushed her along.
Isabel walked over to Michael and gave him a hug. "Thank you for the invitation - but I should be going. A lot of class work to catch up on and it's really late."
"I meant it. I'm glad you're back, Iz." -Michael.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Isabel flashed him a smile then left.
Michael was rubbing his eyes- still holding his door, when Max took his time walking over to Michael. "You know it's true. We all saw them. Something's leading back to Winthrop's door. And it isn't good."
"Max, I said-" -Michael.
"I know." Max said. "But I know you know. You have to face the big possibility that she is in on it too."
"Get out." Michael said firmly.
Max didn't leave, instead he said, "I saw you and her. I am sure she was the one in white. I saw you kissing."
Michael frowned at him.
"I won't tell Maria, Michael. But you've got to use your head on this. You're playing with fire. Don't go around her again." -Max.
"Maxwell-" Michael started to ground out.
"I mean it." Max said, seriously.
Max left then and Michael slammed the door hard behind his retreating back.
---End of Chapter 19---