Chapter 6
Three days had passed since his sister had said her first words and Hank was arrested. Two days had passed since he or Liz had seen Shysie. One day had passed since Cherokee had died from her head wound.
'3-2-1, like a count down.' Michael thought dryly. He didn't quite understand why he felt the need to count down the days, but he found himself doing it over and over again. It didn't really matter though, he had become attached, his family had faltered and the world came crashing down around him.
"Where's my sister?" Michael demanded again from the backseat of Mrs. Davirro's car, where he and Liz sat. They were in route to their new foster home, and from the looks of things Shysie would not be joining them.
"She's safe." Mrs. Davirro said nonchalantly, "Don't worry she will be fine."
"No, she won't!" Liz yelled out from the backseat, grabbing Michael's hand. "She' isn't FINE, she won't be OK, and she definitely won't be HAPPY! Not without Michael and I! WE are her family! WE need each other!" Michael gripped her hand tighter, calming her immediately.
"Look kids," Mrs. Davirro said frustrated, pulling the car to the shoulder of the road, "The fact of the matter is, you are NOT family. She isn't your sister, however, even if she were your biological sister it would not change anything."
"But…" Michael started to protest, but was cut off.
"I understand that the three of you have become quite close, and I am sorry. I really am. What you have to understand is that it is VERY difficult to find a home willing to take two children in at one time, let alone three." She had swiveled around in her chair, looking straight at them now, she added, "I suggest you two relish the time you two have, while you can."
'While you can' the words reverberated through Michael's mind over and over again. He felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. He didn't want to think about losing Liz too, not after everything that had just happened. Looking over at Liz, he saw the fear on her face too.
'Screw THAT!' Michael nearly screamed at the top of his lungs. They made him leave Roswell, his life, his friends to come to Arizona. Then he had found his family, and he wasn't about to just let them go without a fight.
In the end though, there really wasn't much he or Liz could do. They tried their best to try and locate her, but to no avail. Both felt very strongly that she was still within Arizona, but neither could explain why or where she was. Hope that they would see her again was all they had, and they clung to it and one another. Each afraid that tomorrow they would wake up and the other would have been sent away.
So here they sat, on Michael's 16th Birthday like they did every year since they'd last seen Shy. Liz brought Michael a cupcake with one candle in it, there was no party, no cake, no friends, it was just Liz and Michael. For five years now this was how they celebrated their birthdays, hoping the next year would bring what they wanted.
"Happy Birthday, Mikey! Make a wish." Liz said with a smile on her face.
"I wish to have my family back, for good." Michael said the exact words he and Liz had said for five years now, his eyes closed tightly as if afraid to break the spell. He blew out the candle.