Disclaimer: I don't own anything Roswell, except for a few episodes that I've taped from TV. Please don't sue!

Summary: When Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin find each other, will they hit it off? And will they be able to overcome the one thing that he can't change?

Includes: All Roswell characters are included in this story: Alex, Isabel, Max, Michael, Liz, and Maria. Maybe others too, but I'm not sure as of yet. It's mostly a M/M fiction, but it will contains others as well.

Authors Note: Here's another update, as promised. It's not that great, but I was having a hard time in getting this together. I'm still asking that all of my readers take some time after reading to send me a little feedback. It keeps me motivated and right now, motivation is what I need. I'm getting lazy and if I see that a lot of you really enjoy my writing, it would give me more reason to write. Anyways, no pressure! Keep reading and enjoy!

Unbroken

Chapter 9

Maria entered the Crashdown Café, her eyes scanning the small cafe quickly, hoping that she'd find Liz taking a break. The kiss had been replaying itself over and over again in her mind since it had happened and she felt like if she didn't tell someone soon, she would burst. She was happy. She wanted everyone to know that.

Taking a seat in a nearby booth, Maria spotted Liz cleaning the milkshake machine and decided to wait. She smiled as she watched her friend. She would never be caught dead working behind that counter. Pale green wasn't her color and she didn't want to risk anyone seeing her in that hideous uniform. On anyone other than her friend, that uniform would have been completely unflattering. But it suited Liz well.

Liz looked up when she felt someone watching her and Maria sat up in her seat, soon waving her over with Liz' eyes landed on Maria. "Liz, come here. I have to tell you something." Liz could hear the excitement in Maria's voice and she perked up, knowing that Maria had planned a study date last night with Michael. It had to have been about that. Liz had a knack for reading people and as she looked at Maria from behind the counter, she saw what she wanted to know. Something had happened last night, she could tell.

Liz dropped what she was doing and shouted that she was taking a break before hurrying over to the booth and taking a seat across from Maria, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Is this about last night? Something happened between you and Michael, didn't it?" Liz asked knowingly, her own excitement present in her voice.

Maria looked at Liz, not trying to mask the huge smile that had been gracing her face since the kiss. She couldn't help it. Moving away from the only people she had ever known wasn't as bad as she would have thought. She had met lifelong friends within hours of her arrival in a strange, new town. And now. Now there was Michael. Maria couldn't have been happier that her mom and her had moved. Things didn't usually go this smoothly, especially when moving from one extreme to another, but everything just seemed to be falling into place so perfectly.

Maria nodded slowly. "Something happened, Liz. Something really happened."

"Did I miss something?" Startled, Maria and Liz looked up to see Isabel standing at the end of their table, gazing down at them both expectantly after catching only Maria's words. "What happened?" Isabel seated herself next to Liz, who had scooted over to make room.

Slightly shocked by Isabel's sudden change of attitude, Maria could only stare back at her, her smile falling only slightly. Isabel seemed different. She hadn't said much, but Maria could just tell that her outlook at changed. She didn't seem suspicious at all, but instead was generally interested in their gossip. Maria didn't know who or what had caused this change, but she was sure she was going to like it and be thankful for that. Maybe now Isabel would actually give her a chance.

"You haven't missed anything yet." Liz began, pulling Maria back into reality. "Maria was just about to tell me what happened between her and Michael last night." Isabel continued to peer over at Maria, her expression making up confusion. She hadn't even known that she and Michael had been together last night. "Maria was helping Michael with an essay that Mrs. Andrews was allowing him to rewrite. Something happened between them."

Liz's attention was now focused on Maria as both her and Isabel awaited an answer. Maria intertwined her hands together, laying them down on the table, the smile that had momentarily disappeared when she saw Isabel was no resurfacing. "We kissed." she stated simply, looking up to see excitement build in their faces. She hurriedly spoke before they had a chance to interrupt. "The kiss was perfect. He was not the guy that you say he is. He was different. He was sweet, caring, and so vulnerable. He opened up to me and made me feel like I was something. I get the feeling that he doesn't open up to that many people."

Isabel agreed with her. "He doesn't, Maria. Max and I are probably the only ones he ever talks to. You must really mean something to him. Michael doesn't just open up to anybody." That was the truth. It was even hard for her to pry something out of Michael sometimes. That was why it shocked Isabel so much to know that he had opened up to her. Michael must have seen something in Maria that Isabel had missed. Maybe she was wrong about her all along. Maybe Maria really was never there to hurt them. Maybe she really knew nothing about them.

Liz nodded. "Isabel's right. I've been trying for so long to get Michael to trust me, but he doesn't trust too many people. He's had a hard life and I guess, that has shaped him into the type of person he is. He must really see the good in you, Maria. I don't know of any other way to explain it." Liz looked up to see that people were filing into the Crashdown. Glancing down at her watch, she realize that it was going on noon. "I've got to get back to work. It's lunch time so everyone will be coming at once. I'm really glad that Michael has found someone he can trust in you, Maria. I'm happy for the both of you." she smiled down at the two girls she would be leaving behind before taking out her order pad and heading toward the nearest table.

Silence fell between them as awkwardness filled the air. Maria and Isabel didn't know each other at all and there they both sat, left to carry on a conversation. Both were unsure of what to do or say to ease the tension, but only Isabel realized that their being left alone was a good thing. This would have been a perfect time to apologize to Maria. If she was going to view her openly, she needed to clear the air first.

"Maria," Isabel spoke up suddenly, and Maria looked up at her from gazing down at the wood on the table. Isabel's voice was low and serious and that confused Maria a bit. The atmosphere around them had changed quickly. They had gone from Maria's confession of the kiss to something that obviously needed to be taken really seriously in a matter of minutes. "I want to apologize to you for the last couple of weeks."

Maria's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What did Isabel possibly have to be sorry about? She hadn't really done anything wrong. "What's the apology for, Isabel? I don't think you owe me one."

"For the way I've been acting toward you. I know you've noticed it." Isabel saw Maria's eyes dart back to the wooden table, indicating that she knew what Isabel was talking about. She had noticed Isabel's suspicions, but then again, she didn't try to express her concern in a subtle way.

"You don't have to apologize for anyth--."

"Yes, I do." Isabel interrupted and waited until Maria looked back up at her before continuing. "You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you and I'm sorry. It's just that I guess, I'm not open to trusting many people either. It was so odd that you just showed up and for some reason that made me suspicious of you. I'm sorry that I pre-judged you and I would like to give a friendship between us a chance. I think that we would have a lot in common. What do you say?" Isabel smiled hopefully, extending her hand to Maria.

Maria contemplated Isabel's words before taking her hand. Her explanation didn't completely make sense. Was she suspicious of everyone that moved into town? And what would make her that way? Something wasn't completely adding up in Isabel's words and that confused Maria. Had she had a hard life as well? Was that what was making her so suspicious of people?

"I guess it's understandable why you had concerns about me. It is kind of odd that I just show up, but I really had no choice in the matter." Maria began, placing her hand in Isabel's, forcing Isabel's questionable excuse to the back of her mind. Isabel may have been hiding something, but if she wanted Maria to know then she would have told her. Maria didn't want to push her on anything too soon.