A/N: To all A/I fans; I tried and this was the best i could do - sorry.
Chapter 8.
"Michael, just fix it!!"
"Fix what?"
Maria gave him a look.
"ME, you idiot, fix MEEEEE!!!"
Michael smirked at her.
"Oh honey," he took a deep breath, rested his hand on her cheek and gave her the most loving look he could.
She smiled, that oh-michael-you-can-be-so-sweet smile.
"Not even the power of all the people on my home planet could fix you."
He smiled sweetly and returned to his pancakes.
"Bastard" she muttered.
"Why, thank you."
She sat down next to him and let the tears come to her eyes.
"But Michael, my head hurts so bad, please make it stop."
She made her lower lip tremble for added effect. He turned around to look at her. She could see his face soften slightly, but then her plan failed.
"No, I think I'll let you suffer, I mean it's your own fault that you drank that much."
She exploded.
"BUT that wasn't my fault; it was you, all you!! You always do this to me, you throw me to the gutter and then you won't help me out."
"Hey, that's a nice metaphor for what you're feeling right now."
"Michael...."
"And where the hell do you get off saying it's my fault....."
"You are such an assho...."
"I spend all my time trying to protect you......"
"Protect me? What the fuc......."
".......thanks I get........."
"......delusional......"
"........reality check Mar........"
"......one crazy son of a........"
"Do you mind if I interrupt here?"
They turned around to face a very glum looking Alex.
"He said no."
Michael gave him a sympathetic look.
"Sorry, man...I..."
"Hey, ogre, shut up. Alex, who said no to who now?"
"Max said no to me about the whole engagement ring idea."
"I'll go talk to him."
"No, Maria you don't have to do that. It.......I should have never gotten my hopes up."
Maria looked like she was gonna cry.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, Alex, I'm fine. It's just marriage, wow, it's a beautiful thing y'know."
Michael rolled his eyes.
"And you would think that why?"
"Look, Michael, just because we're all not thoughtless, insensitive jerks like you...."
"Whoa, whoa, that's a bit harsh there Maria, you might hurt my feelings."
He started to walk away.
"Wait, you wait mister, did you hear me, and I'm not finished with you!!! Michael!!!"
Their bedroom door slammed shut behind them. Their argument reduced to muffled voices. Alex sighed, he finally had the girl of his dreams but, wait there was a battle to be won. 'Just my luck.'
"Good morning handsome."
"Hey, hey...how're you feeling?"
Isabelle looked puzzled.
"Great, why wouldn't I be?"
"No reason."
"Alex what's wrong?"
She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She breathed in the scent of him. She felt warm and protected and most importantly...loved. This is what she had wanted her whole life. Her life wasn't normal, she wasn't normal, her family wasn't normal, but it didn't matter as long as she had Alex to share it all with. She thought back to when he proposed. He had said...
'Alex without Isabelle is a night without stars and I want our sky to twinkle forever.'
She had wanted this so badly, she always thought her dream was to be an ordinary girl, but she realised that it wasn't. She wanted to be accepted, but for who she was and not what she wanted to be. 'What would I do without him? How would I live?' She smiled to herself, for the first time in her life she was happy, amidst chaos.
"Nothing's wrong, I just......I...I love you Isabelle, always have, and always will."
"I love you too, all I need is you."
He kissed her, a sweet, gentle Alex kiss. She was reminded of everything they had been through together, how scared she was in the beginning that being who she was might turn him against her. For a minute, she was in Roswell, camping with Alex by her side staring at the stars. A crash from down the hall brought her back to her senses.
"You think one of them is dead yet?"
"Nah, I think we'd hear a scream or something."
AAAHHHH.
"Ok, I think we better check that out."
Alex led Isabelle down the hall and knocked on Michael and Maria's door. The door burst open and Maria flung herself at him.
"Alex, oh Isabelle, he's got a mouse and he put it on my pillow!!"
She was hopping from one foot to the other and shaking her arms as if trying to get something off her.
"Maria, it's a joke shop mouse."
"What?"
"Yeah, I was with him when he bought it."
Michael collapsed on to the bed. They couldn't hear his laughter but from the way he was shaking, they could tell.
"OOOOOhhh you are so dead!!"
She slammed the door before Alex could say another word and walked slowly towards the bed. He sat up.
"Yeah, what you gonna do?"
"Make you sleep on the couch for the next two months."
Michael gulped.
"Ok, I give."
"Good."
"So, you like my idea?"
"Yeah, it's actually kinda sweet. I mean how much can a ring cost anyway?"
"I don't know but I'm thinking 500 each so that will leave us with 2000 altogether."
"Wanna go tell him now?"
Michael shrugged and opened the door. Maria looked under the bed and took a bundle of money that was shoved between the mattress and the bed rail. She counted out $1000 and put the rest back.
"He better get a nice one y'know, I'm thinking maybe I should..."
"NO."
"Geez, take a chill pill Mikey G."
"Don't call me that."
"Why, d'you miss your home wrecker?"
"Maria.........."
"Michael......."
They walked into the living room; Alex and Isabelle were sitting on the couch watching t.v.
"Al, a word?"
Alex looked up and moved from the couch. They walked him to the hallway and began whispering, their hushed tones receiving intriguing looks from Isabelle.
"You know about your, um, situation, well I had the wonderful idea..."
"We."
"WE had the wonderful idea of lending you the money for the, thing that you want, to help your situation."
Maria handed the money to him. He stared at the money in awe.
"There must be, well, this is a lot...of...whoa. Guys, I can't take this, where did you get it?"
"Who cares, it's yours. Just make Issy happy, promise?"
"Ria, I...I don't know what to say."
"Thank you might be a good place to start."
"Thank, thank....you. Wow, God, I. Are you sure about this?"
"Positive."
The door to the living room opened and Alex immediately stuffed the cash in his pocket. It was Max.
"Michael, can I talk to you?"
Michael nodded and went outside.
"Close the door."
He closed it and after the familiar click he turned to face his friend.
"Tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"Tuesday."
"Very funny."
"We leave tonight. Get your things ready, we leave at about three a.m."
"Any idea when we'll be back?"
"Nope, depends. And Michael, go to the trouble of telling Maria this time."
"Yeah, sure."
Max watched his retreating back and sighed. What they had to do was dangerous, very dangerous, but it was worth it to keep them safe. Max would rather risk his own life rather than see the lives of his family members threatened. And sometimes that meant overcoming fear. Fear of the enemy.
A/N: I know, i know, crap chapter. I'll try a lot harder next time, and i promis e it's gonna get to the good stuff soon, promise, scout's honour. I was up till 4 am writing this piece o' crap, so can you be understanding?