CHAPTER 5 (The road to Marathon)

Maria sat back and glared at her brother. She had told him that she once again saw the visions in her dreams about a dome thing and she knew it was important. She didn't know why she was seeing it but the visions had been coming to her for the past two weeks, ever since perfect Parker was shot, and now that she knew where to go Max was telling her no. That it could be dangerous.

"Maria don't look at me like that, is it that bad that I want you to be safe?" Max asked. He knew Maria wanted to go, and a part of him did too but another part kept telling him that it was a bad idea.

"But Max, I know that whatever is out there is important, it's got something to do with home, our home." Maria told him with pleading eyes.

"Alex make her understand" Max asked him

Alex turned to Maria but couldn't say anything. He wanted to go as well but knew why Max had concerns. Max just wanted them all to stay safe. He took a hold of Maria's hand. "Maria, you know that I want to go as badly as you do, but Max is right. We can't go without a plan. We just don't want anything to happen to you"

Maria dropped his hand in frustration and stalked off to her room. Alex went to go after her but Max stopped him. "She's just angry, let her cool off." They all sat down and continued to watch the movie, Alex and Michael however kept glancing at the room that held the little blonde pixie they cared so much for.

In Maria's room

"God I can't believe them, this means something I know it" Maria said to herself as she plopped on her bed. She sighed loudly. An image of Michael popped into her head.

"And why won't you get out of my head?" she yelled. Since their kiss all she had wanted to do was kiss him again, to remember the feel of his skin on hers. She shook her head trying to get rid of the thoughts.

"Ok, new thoughts, Marathon, What's in Marathon?" she asked herself. "Well I don't care what Max says, I'm going tonight whether he likes it or not." She said as she started to pack a bag. She was going to leave as soon as everyone had fallen asleep.

Living room

"You think she's ok?" asked Alex.

Max was about to reply when Maria walked into the room. "I'm fine, angry and pissed, but fine. You want a plan then think of one, I'll wait"

Max smiled then hugged his sister. "I just want you safe is all."

Maria smiled at him and actually started to feel a little guilty for lying to him, but hey she wasn't about to let whatever was out there be found by someone else.

"Hey it's late, why don't we get ready for bed?" Isabel suggested. Everyone nodded and went to change. Liz and Isabel walked hesitantly behind Maria while the guys followed Max.

Once they were in her room, Maria turned to the other two to find them looking at her room strangely. "What?"

Liz looked at the posters on the wall then at Maria. "It's just that, your room, its sooooo… normal."

Maria smirked. "I may be an alien, but I'm also a teenager." Maria cast her glance at Isabel who was by the door clutching her bag to her chest. "You don't have to be afraid of me you know, I won't hurt you. That is, unless you tell our secret, cause then I'll have to kill you" she smiled when Isabel grew pale. Liz went to the bathroom to get changed.

"I won't tell, I promise" Isabel said quietly with a hint of fear. Maria decided to take pity on the girl.

"Relax, I believe you. You can get changed, I'm not going to probe you," she said sarcastically.

Isabel laughed slightly. Maria was joking with her, that was a good sign right? "Um, ok." She sighed. "Look, I know that you hate that we know about you but I just want to be your friend, the only one I have really besides Liz, is Kyle."

Maria nodded. "Yeah, I've just got Max and Alex, but I'm not going to befriend Liz, I just don't like her"

Isabel laughed. "Not many do believe it or not, especially Michael"

"Yeah I noticed" Maria said chuckling. Liz took that opportunity to re enter the room.

"What are we laughing about?" she asked

Maria glared at her. "Iz and I were laughing, not you" with that Maria walked out into the living room. It was decide that they were all just going to sleep out there.

Liz nodded and lowered her head. She was going to get Maria to like her if it was the last thing she did. As they all stepped into the room Michael forgot to breath. Maria was wearing a black silk slip that went mid thigh. Kyle poked him in the ribs to remind him to breath.

"So, what are the sleeping arrangements?"

Kyle had taken the couch after wrestling Alex for it, Alex was sleeping next to it with Isabel at his side, Max was by the coffee table sharing a double blow-up bed with Liz, and Maria was sharing the other one with Michael under the window much to her annoyance.

Michael turned over and noticed Maria staring out the window. "Do you know where it is?" he asked softly

Maria turned her head. "Where what is?" she whispered

"Home?" Maria closed her eyes and shook her head. "It must be hard."

"What?" she asked not understanding what Michael was talking about.

"I just mean, that it must be hard not knowing where you came from" he explained. "If you'll ever go back," he continued quietly. 'Even though I don't want you to go.' He added to himself.

Maria nodded. "Yeah it is sometimes, but I have Alex and Max so, it's not so bad." She turned her head back to looked out the window and sighed wishing that he'd just go to sleep so she could go.

"I know you want me to go to sleep so you can leave" Michael whispered. Maria took a sharp intake of breath.

"How" she asked.

"I know you believe it or not, and since you had that vision or whatever you've been fidgety and you gave into Max way to easily" he smiled

Maria smirked. "You can't stop me"

"I don't want to, I want to go with you," he said shocking her

Maria stared wide-eyed at him. "Why?" she asked, "Why aren't you stopping me?"

Michael shrugged. "I know this is important to you, I just want to help. That and I'm not letting you go alone."

Maria rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself you know."

"I know but I'm still coming." Maria sighed but nodded.

"Well then get dressed I want to leave now"

Michael nodded and went to retrieve his clothes. When he had changed he met Maria in the kitchen. They slowly walked past the others and out the door. Once they reached the ground floor Maria swore.

"What?" Michael asked.

Maria ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "I left the keys to the jeep upstairs"

Michael smiled then fished into his pockets and retracted a pair of keys. "We'll take my car" at her shocked look he continued. "I left the keys in my pockets. My car's over there" he pointed to a red Jetta.

Maria laughed. "You drive a Jetta?"

Michael feigned a hurt expression. "Hey it's reliable, but you could always go back upstairs and ask your brother---"

"The Jetta is fine" Maria said cutting him off. There was no way she was risking going back upstairs for keys. She shook her head as she got in the car. "I can't believe you drive a Jetta."