Chapter 5 (The reaction she received)

"Does anyone know why we're here?" Max asked, taking a seat. He glanced around the room waiting for an answer but everyone shook their heads.

Liz placed another seat above one of the tables. "Well they're just lucky my Dad wanted me to close early for inventory. Do you think it's serious? Alex sounded sort of …I don't know, weird."

"I hope they get here soon, I have a date," Isabel announced. They all turned when they heard the bell on the door chime and watched as Maria and Alex entered holding hands.

Michael's jaw tightened when he saw them walk in. He knew that he shouldn't be jealous; after all, they were only friends but still, it didn't mean he had to like it.

Looking around the room at all her friends, Maria started to feel nervous and squeezed Alex's hand. Alex glanced down at her and smiled, silently telling her that it would be okay. She nodded and they both took a seat.

"So why are we here?" Isabel asked, not at all liking the way Alex was sitting so close to Maria. Shouldn't he still be pining over her? "I have things to do you know," she continued in her typical Ice Princess fashion.

Maria took a deep breath. "Well, I called you all here this afternoon because I have two things that I need you all to know."

"And they are…" Isabel said using her hands in a rolling motion to hurry it up. Alex rolled his eyes. Isabel could really be annoying sometimes.

"Umm, well you see the thing is…umm…" Maria started but the words wouldn't come out. She knew that she needed to tell them but was worried about how they would react. Alex told her that they would all probably be shocked but would be happy for her because they were her friends. Somehow she just knew that Alex had only said that to make her feel better. She wasn't naïve; she knew they wouldn't take her news to well.

"Come on Maria, spit it out we're all in suspense here," Kyle said practically bouncing in his seat.

"I'm pregnant," she finally blurted out. The room went silent as everyone processed the words she had spoken.

Suddenly Max stood, walked over to Michael and hit him upside the head. "How could you be so f-ucking stupid?" he yelled angrily. "What did I tell you about urges Michael? Was keeping it in your pants really that difficult?"

Michael jumped up in his seat. "F-uck off Max. This isn't my fault. She was the one who wanted it, she was the one who didn't say anything about protection, she was the one--"

"It takes two you know Michael," Tess yelled, fed up with Michael putting all the blame on Maria. "She didn't make her own sperm, and you could have mentioned protection. You should have been more careful, you could have said no!" she yelled.

"Oh yeah right," he said turning to face Tess, "it was all my fault." He then turned and stalked over to Maria. "You did this on purpose didn't you?" he hissed. "You wanted to get pregnant so that I'd stay with you, well guess what? It's not going to happen. I don't love you and I don't want you or a kid so your little plan failed."

"You b-itch," Isabel yelled standing next to Michael. "How could you do that to him? How could you be that selfish?"

Maria sat numbly throughout all of their accusations. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did they really think that low of her?

Liz placed an arm on Max's shoulder to calm him down. "Maria," Liz started as she sat next to her friend. "Sweetie, first of all I want to know how you feel?"

"I feel okay," Maria said softly. She was still trying to work through Michael's accusations and with Isabel yelling at her, it wasn't easy.

Nodding, Liz placed her hand in Maria's and sighed. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to get rid of it?" Maria snatched her hand back as if she had been burnt. Liz wanted her to abort her baby? Liz saw the change in Maria and knew that she wouldn't like what she had to say.

"I know what you're thinking but really Maria, have you thought about what this means, what this could do to not only you, but to Max, Michael and Isabel? You're carrying a hybrid. What if something happened to you and it brings the FBI back? Not only would they want the others, but they would want you and the baby too."

"Liz is right," Max chimed in and Alex rolled his eyes. Of course he would think that. "Maybe you should just get rid of it, look you won't even need to go to the doctors, I could--" the hand that had connected with his face cut him off. He glanced at Maria in horror.

Maria couldn't take it anymore. "There is no way in hell that I am going to let you kill my child," she growled out. She couldn't believe that they could even suggest a thing like that.

"Maria, think about it for a second please," Liz pleaded.

"Shut up Liz, this isn't about them it's about Maria and her baby so can it," Kyle told her finally deciding that it was time to speak up. "If she wants to keep the kid then it's her choice."

Liz shook her head. "I know it is, look…you took what I said the wrong way. I'm just trying to look at it from all angles here. This baby might hurt her and I don't know about you, but I don't want to lose her."

"And you think we do?" Tess yelled. "You have four aliens here Liz, if something happens I'm pretty sure one of us can do something about it. All you really care about it how this baby will affect you and Max. If the FBI comes then Max will leave Roswell and leave you. Your reasons for wanting her to get rid of it aren't selfless Liz so don't even try."

"If the FBI comes to Roswell, Tess," Liz hissed, "then they'll be here for you too you know."

Tess nodded. "Yeah I know but does it look like I care? It's not like we haven't evaded the FBI before and plus, Nacedo is there bringing them down. Maria will be perfectly safe right here with us to help her through it."

"Oh and what if something happens to Nacedo huh? What if he can't bring them down? We don't even know how long an alien pregnancy lasts. What if the gestation period is only say…a month? How in the hell do you propose we hide something like that?"

Maria started shaking and Alex stood up, not wanting to hear any more of this. Maria looked like she was on the brink of a breakdown and it couldn't be good for the baby. "None of you have to worry about being caught," he said then looked directly at Michael, "or being a father,"

"Oh yeah?" Michael scoffed. "And why is that?"

"You don't have to worry because you're not the father," he watched as confusion ran over everyone's faces, "I am." He glanced down at Maria with pleading eyes hoping that she'd just go along with it. He couldn't let her go through any of this. She didn't deserve it. The baby didn't deserve it. Maria sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. She knew what Alex was doing and nodded slightly for him to just go along with it. It was now obvious that Michael didn't want to be a father so she wouldn't make him.

The room went silent except for a few gasps of shock. No one saw that coming. Michael looked between Maria and Alex and saw red. Walking up to the lanky guitarist, he swung and punched him in the face. "You f-ucking bastard," he yelled and continued to swing. He managed to get another punch in the face and gut before Max and Kyle pulled him off.

Maria ran over to where Alex lay on the ground. "Oh Alex," she whispered. "Alex, are you okay?"

Nodding, Alex stood slowly and wiped at the blood that had started to pour out of his nose. "Yeah I'll be fine," he said glaring at Michael who was still trying to get out of Max and Kyle's hold.

Michael watched as Maria continued to look over Alex's cuts and bruises. "You slut," he spat out and Maria stilled her actions, the words cutting deep. She turned and looked him in the eye and he suddenly regretted calling her that. There was something in her eye that made him want to apologise for everything he had said, but he couldn't.

Isabel noticed how hurt Maria had been by that statement and laughed bitterly. "What did you expect Maria? Did you actually think that you could come here, unload that bit of information and we'd be okay with it? Think again. You slept with Alex and got pregnant, what did you want us to do about it? It's your problem so you deal with it. If it was alien then yeah, even though we weren't happy, we would have dealt with it but it's not. You're on your own with this one."

As tears started forming, Maria turned her gaze towards Liz, silently asking for her to be okay with this, for her to be the best friend she once was, for her to help. Liz glanced at Isabel then back to Maria, torn. Maria's baby was human therefore no threat, but still, what Isabel said made sense. Maria was stupid enough to get herself in this mess; maybe it was time for her to step away, to make Maria face up to things. If she needed help she had Tess, her new best friend. She shook her head and went to stand by Max.

Maria pursed her lips together willing herself not to cry. How could Liz turn her back on her after everything they had been through? How could Liz choose them over a life long friendship? Had Max and her jealousy for Tess blinded her into thinking that she had made the right decision? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Fine, if Liz wasn't going to be there for her then it didn't matter anyway. She wasn't going to be in Roswell for much longer anyway.

"Maria, what was the second piece of news?" Tess asked softly.

Blinking back the tears, Maria licked her lips. "Umm, I'm umm…leaving, tonight actually. My Mom and I thought it would be best if I went to live with my aunt in Europe until the baby is born then come back here and go to college. She's a teacher so she'll home school me."

"What?" Tess and Kyle cried at the same time. "You can't leave."

Maria nodded. "I am, it's what's best for me right now."

"Good riddance," Michael said snidely as he stormed out of the Crashdown, slamming the front door in his wake. As he mounted his bike he stopped and closed his eyes trying to calm himself down. How could she do that to him? How could she sleep with Alex? Michael shook his head and glanced back at the Crashdown and watched as Alex put his arm around Maria. "I suppose it's all my fault," he whispered to himself. "I was the idiot who let her go." He sighed and started the engine.

Back inside Maria closed her eyes and willed the headache to go away. "Are you going with her?" Liz finally asked after a moment of silence had hit.

Alex shook his head. "No I'm not. But I'll be visiting every chance that I get and when Amy goes up for the birth I'll be there as well."

"Alex I thought you loved me?" Isabel said stepping forward. "How could you sleep with her?"

"Get over yourself Isabel," Alex hissed. "Not everything is about you okay? You didn't want me so I went elsewhere and why not Maria, huh? She's a better person than you could ever be."

Isabel huffed. "Fine, you know what? I don't really care anymore. You want her then you can have her. I'm out of here," she said then headed towards the door. "Max, are you coming?" she asked angrily. Max nodded and headed after her. He looked back at Maria but didn't know what to say. He shook his head and left the café after his sister.

Maria turned towards Liz. "Liz…"

"I hope you have fun in Europe," she said quietly then walked through the break room door, but before going in she faced Maria once more. "Maria?" she said waiting for Maria to turn around. "Maria, take care of yourself and the baby." With that said she walked into the break room. Maria could feel the tears run down her cheeks as she faced Tess and Kyle.

"I suppose you two hate me as well, huh?" she asked brokenly.

Tess shook her head and stood, walking over to her friend, she enveloped Maria in a tight hug. "I could never hate you Maria."

"Me either," Kyle added behind Tess. "We're here for you and your baby and will do anything that we can." Alex smiled as he listened them. Who would have thought that Kyle and Tess would be the ones who would accept this? "I will say that I never thought of you two as being…well you know but I will say that the kid will be one hell of a singer."

He was rewarded with a small laugh from Maria and he smiled proudly. "When do you leave?" Tess asked quietly, still not believing that she was losing her best friend.

"In an hour," Maria told her and stood. "I better head home now, Mom is waiting." Tess nodded and stood too.

"I would come with you but I hate goodbyes," she said as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I'll miss you so much so you had better get home quick, okay?"

Maria nodded. "I will and I'll miss you too babe."

Kyle walked up behind them. "Group hug," he announced and the two girls laughed as put his arms around them. Tess moved away and Kyle hugged Maria tightly to him. "I'll miss you sis."

Smiling, Maria glanced up at him. "I'll miss you too Buddha boy, and make sure our parents don't do something stupid and get married while I'm gone okay?" Kyle nodded and kissed her on the cheek as she pulled away from him. "I'm going to miss you guys but I'll be back here soon, and I'll call as soon as I get there."

"You better have or we'll come up there and yell at you," Tess joked through her tears. Maria laughed and waved as Alex led her through the doors.

"That was harder than I thought, I can't believe they thought I could do such a thing." Maria cried as Alex helped her into the car. With one last wave at Kyle and Tess the two were off.

"Don't worry about them, okay? You still have your Mom, me, Kyle and Tess. In a round about way you still have Liz too. Even though she's a little…confused right now, you're still her best friend and she wouldn't completely turn her back on you. And don't worry about the others, you don't need them and all this worry can't be good for the baby so stop it." Maria nodded and Alex grabbed her hand in his. "I'll be a great uncle-slash-father to the baby."

Maria laughed. "I'm sure you will, and thank you for that by the way. I can't believe Michael acted that way, but then again I shouldn't have expected any thing more. I just thought that you know…that he'd be happy and want me back. Stupid, huh?"

Alex shook his head. "No it's not stupid, but like I said, you don't need him and your baby doesn't need him. At least now you know who your true friends are." Maria nodded. That was true. As they drove up the Deluca driveway, Amy walked out with a few of Maria's bags.

"Hey honey, how'd it go?" Maria shook her head and looked at her sadly. Amy pulled her in for a hug. "It's okay baby, you don't need them."

"As far as Michael knows, I'm the father," Alex told her and Amy looked at him in shock. "It's a long story and it's probably best not to relive that memory right now." Amy nodded but her eyes told Alex that they'd be discussing it later. "Tess and Kyle were accepting though."

"Really?" Amy asked but wasn't that surprised. She knew that out of everyone that those two would support Maria. They were good people. At that moment the taxi pulled up and the driver got out and started hauling the bags in the trunk. She tightened her grasp on Maria. "God I'm going to miss you so much, you call as soon as you arrive, you got me?" Maria nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too Mom," Maria said, wiping away a fallen tear. "But I'll be seeing both of you in a month right?" They nodded and she let her mother go and walked up to Alex, the man who had been there for her since the beginning. The only man she could count on. "Alex."

Alex grabbed her in a quick hug then pushed her away and toward the car. "Go, if you don't get in and leave now then I won't be able to let you go so get in the car." Maria nodded and opened the door, but before she got in she faced him with teary eyes.

"I love you Alex."

He smiled and tried to hold back tears of his own. This was harder than he had imagined. All he wanted to do was drag her out of the cab and make her stay there in Roswell where he could keep an eye on her, but he knew he couldn't. "I love you too."

Maria let out a sob, climbed in the cab and gave a small wave before driving off. Amy and Alex stayed rooted in their spots until the car became nothing but a speck. "I can't believe she's gone," Alex whispered.

Amy brought the young man who she considered a son into her arms. "It's something she needed to do and we'll see her soon enough." Alex nodded and tried to compose himself. "Now why don't we go inside for a nice hot chocolate and you can tell me why you are now the father of my daughter's baby."

*~*~*~*

Michael stood behind a tree in the front yard of the house across from Maria's. As the cab sped off down the road he could feel his breath being knocked out of him. That was it. She was gone. Blinking away the tears, he pushed himself away from the tree and started to head back home. He acted like an a-ss and wished that he could take back everything he had said but had at least seven or eight months to try to come up with ways to make her to come back to him when she arrived back in Roswell. He could forgive her for sleeping with Alex in time. Maria was his, not Alex's and when she came back, he was going to make sure that she knew it.

TBC…