A/N: First off, i wanna thank all of you who reviewed, you know who you are.......and so do the rest of the world, i really appreciated everything you guys said, and seeing as this is my first fanfic, it meant an awful lot. Secondly, this chapter moves quite fast (not literally) so i suggest you listen to 'Outside' by Staind because that's what i listened to while writing it. This story is predominantly from Maria's POV and to those of you who are hoping and praying that Michael asks Maria to marry him, i can tell you right now that he doesn't (but he does kinda commit in another way) you'll see ;-)
Chapter 11.
"Well, I just don't want anything like that to happen again."
Max looked at the others. They were sitting around a big table in an abandoned house on the other side of the city. This would be their new home. They had already begun to make it liveable. Some of the walls had been replastered and painted using their powers and they were lucky that there was some furniture still left in the house. These could be repaired using their powers.
"I want to make sure that no one finds us here."
Isabelle was looking around her seeing in her mind's eye what she could do with this place. Alex was looking closely at the table and picking away a piece of wood with his fingernail. Maria was staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed over as if she was in another time. Michael was trying to pay attention to Max but every few seconds his eyes would wander. Liz was the only one that was looking at Max expectantly.
"You guys aren't listening to me. Why do I even try if you don't pay attention?"
Isabelle looked up sharply.
"Maybe you should stop trying then."
Maria stood up suddenly, pushing her chair away from the table.
"I'm gonna be sick."
She opened every door on her way to the bathroom. Michael felt the stares and slowly he got out of his seat and followed her. Isabelle dragged Alex out of his seat and began to tell him what pieces of furniture to move where. She repaired them when they were in a position she was happy with. Max and Liz were the only ones left at the table.
"Liz, I think that Michael and I are going to have to..."
"I know, you have to, I understand."
"Maybe tonight."
"What? You're kidding. Tonight? Don't you think that's a little too soon Max, I mean, they're gonna be out there looking for you."
"Liz, I have to, I have no choice. I have to keep this family safe."
Liz looked down towards the direction Michael had gone.
"I think that maybe you should talk to Michael first."
Max nodded. He had been so frightened today and so relieved that everyone had escaped unharmed. He should have known that they would come. He would do anything to prevent that from happening again. And he was positive that Michael would too. Max gave Liz a pleading look and she nodded slowly back at him. He touched her shoulder as he left the table. He could see Michael at the end of the hall standing outside a door which he presumed was the bathroom. He was knocking on the door.
"Maria, you can't stay in there all day you know."
"Go away!"
"No, I will not go away until you tell me what's wrong."
"Michael, this is your fault I should never have come, I should have just stayed in Roswell and waited to die."
Michael just stared at the door angrily, he could hear her begin to cry again from inside.
"Maria you know what, if that's what you want, stay in there all day. Or better yet, go back to Roswell, I don't need you, see if I care!"
He turned around to storm off and bumped into Max
"Can we talk?"
"Not now Maxwell I have other things on my mind."
Max grabbed his arm as he was walking away.
"This is important."
Michael sighed angrily.
"Fine, what is it?"
"We need to leave again. Tonight, just to make sure they don't know where we are."
"Max, I don't know, I mean, maybe we should wait it out for a while."
"Michael, tonight."
He said it in a commanding tone and Michael was too tired to fight back.
"Okay, but I don't want this Max. I would prefer if we fought back once in a while."
"That's too dangerous, you know that. 3 am, be ready."
Michael watched Max's retreating back.
"3 am, great."
He said to himself. Inside the bathroom, Maria had her ear up to the door. The sound of Michael's footsteps down the hall told her that he was gone. She looked in the mirror and what she saw disgusted her. She hated the way she looked, she hated the tear tracks, she hated her tired eyes, her hair, everything, she hated it all. What Michael had said hit her hard. He hated her too, and now, he was leaving her again. She could feel a fresh batch of tears welling up behind her eyes. Something was wrong, she could feel it. 'I can't let him leave, I can't.' She turned to the shower, to her amazement there was running water. The shower would help; it would wash away all her worries. As she took off her clothes she felt like she was getting rid of herself. From now on, she was going to be strong, no more crying, no more torturing herself, no more fighting with Michael. Each article of clothing represented a weakness that she was ridding herself of. When she stepped out of this shower she was going to be a new person, a stronger Maria Deluca, she liked the sound of that. She smiled as she stepped into the shower and let the water wash away her tears.
Michael sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sweater over his head. He was just gonna go now; he was still angry at her. He wasn't gonna say goodbye, he wasn't gonna promise to come back, he was just gonna go. Max would probably be waiting for him anyway. He got up, picked up his bag and went for the door. He stopped before he opened it. He wasn't gonna look back, but he did, he couldn't resist. If only things had been easier, if they could still be in Roswell. He would probably have married her by now, he admitted that to himself a while back, but he'd never ever admit that to anyone else, especially her. He walked out the door and down the hall. Max stood up suddenly when he saw him.
"I didn't expect you for another 15 minutes."
"Yeah, well, the sooner we go, the sooner we can come back right?"
Max shrugged and fixed his bag on his back. He was about to say something when his eyes focused on something over Michael's shoulder. Seeing this, Michael turned around. And there she was. Standing with her arms folded. Max felt awkward.
"I'll go outside, leave you two alone."
Maria was angry.
"Yeah, you do that Max."
Michael scratched his eyebrow and waited for her to say something. His defences were up, if she started an argument, he'd be ready, she wasn't gonna win.
"Michael," she took a breath, "please don't leave me."
The air came out of him in a quick whoosh. He wasn't expecting that, a part of him wished she had started with....'Michael, you bastard.'....
"Maria, I have to go, you know why."
"But this is different; you shouldn't go, something is really wrong here, I can feel it. Something's gonna happen."
He should be cold. Cold and Mean. That would do the trick. Then she'd hate him and that would be a good reason to go. They'd fight, he'd leave and when he came back, they'd make up, and everything would be ok.
"I haven't got time for your "premonitions" right now, ok?"
"Please, could you not be mean. I just, I need you here today."
"Yeah, sure, I have to go."
He turned away from her. What the hell was wrong with her? Why wasn't she fighting back?
"Michael please........."
The door slammed.
"Jerk," she muttered to herself.
She stayed there by herself for a while. She could still feel him in the room, like an aura he left for her whenever he went. She yawned and decided to go back to bed. She couldn't go to sleep though, the dreams kept her awake. Dreams so colourful and vivid, yet when she woke up she couldn't exactly remember them. She ended up lying there for the night staring at the ceiling. The morning sunshine illuminated the room and for a minute she thought she was dreaming again. But she still stayed there, in the same position she had been for hours. The sound of the others outside tempted her to leave the bed. And who could say no to temptation? When she walked outside to the kitchen, Liz and Isabelle were sitting there, yet again, talking about her she presumed. They looked up at her sympathetically.
"Save it, I know they're gone, I don't need to be comforted, I'm fine."
They looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Isabelle cleared her throat.
"We're going out for the day, you wanna come?"
Somehow, a day with Isabelle, Alex and Liz treating her like a five year old who had lost her favourite toy didn't appeal to her.
"You know Is, I didn't get much sleep last night, so I think I'll just rest for the day."
Liz smiled, after four years, Maria was finally getting used to this.
"That's a good idea Ria."
Maria smiled back at her. She got a glass of water and went back to her room. She put the glass on the little table by the door. There was a little radio on the floor that Michael had swiped yesterday and she turned it on. Staind's Outside filled the room. She wanted to take the glass of water and smash it against the wall. But she was a new person. She looked at her self in the large mirror behind the door.
"You're weak Maria. I mean, give it up girl. You can't deal with all this. You're not like them," she pointed in the direction of the kitchen, "no, don't you even think about crying. Ok, ok." She took a deep breath and took the glass of water; she looked at it for a while and then threw it against the wall. "Now, that felt better didn't it?" She heard the others getting ready to leave. "So I guess it's just you and me. Rest, yeah ri...."
Something caught her eye. Something glowing from under her shirt. She pulled it up and looked down at her stomach.
"Oh my god...."
She looked at it in the mirror and reached out her hand to touch it. It glowed even brighter. She moved closer to the mirror so that she could make it out better. It was a little silver handprint, so small; you could barely even see it. She began to feel light headed. She heard the front door slam. Panicking, she opened the bedroom door; maybe she could still catch them.
"Guys!!" she yelled, "Guys!!"
At the end of the hall, she felt even worse. The house was empty.
"I knew something was wrong," she whispered to herself, "I knew...."
The room started spinning and suddenly she was on the ground. The pain was pulsing through her body. She was in agony.
"MICHAEL!!!!"
And then everything was black.
A/N: I know it took a while to update but i hope you liked the finished product. Thanks again to everyone.