Aladdin's Palace
Chapter 12
XII
As Maria took Michael's hands, she suddenly felt weak in the legs. She turned loose of his hands, and Michael reached out to hold her so that she wouldn't collapse.
"Are you all right, Maria?"
"Yeah… yeah, I think so," Maria said.
"What happened?"
Maria shook her head, trying to regain her perspective.
"I saw something… in my head. It was like a flash of lights then planets or stars or something floating in space. It was beautiful. And something else…"
"Something else?"
"Yeah… only it wasn't a thing… It was more of a feeling."
"What kind of feeling?"
Maria looked straight into future Michael's eyes. "Your feelings. I felt your feelings about your wife. You love her very much."
Michael seemed surprised by Maria's revelation, but he nodded. "Yeah. I guess I do."
"She's a very lucky woman," Maria said. "…to have someone love her like that. If someone ever loved me like that, I'd…"
"You'd what?"
"I don't know. I can't even imagine it. Well, I can imagine, but…" She reached out and touched Michael's face gently with her hand. "Nobody will ever love me like that." She smiled and wiped her cheek.
"Come on," Michael said. "Let's go in. It's chilly out here, and it looks like my junior half has us a room."
Maria giggled. "Yeah. I saw him watching out the window."
Michael and Maria walked over to the motel room, and future Michael opened the door for her.
"That was locked," the younger Michael said.
"Would it have kept you out," future Michael asked with a grin.
"No, of course not."
"Well?"
The younger Michael didn't answer.
Maria looked around the room with her mouth open.
"It's like a porno version of Aladdin! It looks like Larry Flynt's dream house!"
"It's shelter," the younger Michael said.
"I'm not touching the sheets on those beds," Maria said, shaking her head. "You blew up my mom's Jetta, and now you expect me to spend the night in… in… Aladdin's Pleasure Palace with you?"
"Yeah, well, I'd rather be watching an opera on PBS myself," Michael said.
"You would?"
"Sure. That way at least I'd know that a whole lot of other people were suffering with me."
Maria ignored the comment. "What's so important about Marathon, Texas? They'll put you away, you know, when they catch you! There are laws…"
"You wouldn't understand, Maria. You don't understand anything about us," Michael said, turning away. "This could be the most important day of my life, and all you care…"
What do you mean, the most important day…?"
"Forget it."
"No. You said it. I want to know why it's so important. Convince me."
"See this place?" Michael showed Maria the picture in the flap of the book he was carrying. "It's the first real connection we've ever had to finding out where we came from, and it's in Marathon, Texas."
Maria looked at the picture in the book then at Michael. Something inside her understood. She wasn't about to say it… exactly… but she did have a strong feeling that she understood his motivation better than before. Michael, after all, did not know where his roots were or anything about his real people. Maria imagined that that must be painful for him. She nodded.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
So okay… we go to Marathon in the morning. Mom can only kill me once, right? She's gonna kill me already anyway."
"Logical," Michael said.
"Thank you, Mister Spock! You could show a little more concern, Michael! I'm going to be grounded till I'm too old to find real love, and you don't even care."
"I don't suppose we could share the bed…" Michael said.
"Not if you were the last alien on Earth."
Michael sighed and tossed a pillow onto the floor beside the bed. Then he looked at future Michael.
"So where are you sleeping, Grandpa?"
Future Michael took a pillow and put it on the armchair beside his younger counterpart.
"I'll sleep on the chair."
[center] ----------[/center]
Max and Isabel, traveling with Liz, had been following Michael and Maria since the earlier phone call Maria had made to Liz. For the last hour or more, they had been blocked by a tractor trailer rig that had jack-knifed in the highway. But as the night gave way to daybreak, Isabel noticed Maria's mom's Jetta just down the highway in front of the motel. The three drove around the crashed rig on the swale and pulled in at the motel. Max checked the office to see what room they were in. Liz quickly found the room and started to knock.
"Don't bother," Isabel said. She reached out and unlocked the door with her hand. Hearing the door opening, Maria leapt up from the bed and fell on top of the younger Michael on the floor, knocking future Michael's chair over at the same time. Future Michael, dumped out of his chair, landed on top of Maria and his younger self.
Liz stood in the door, her mouth open about as far as it would go.
"MARIA!"
Maria quickly extricated herself from the pile of bodies.
"No! No, Liz! Don't even think… I mean, that is so unreal! Omigod! Tell her, Michael!"
Michael smiled.
Maria gasped. "No, Liz! Don't
even think it!"
"It's okay," Liz said. "I believe you, Maria. Now what in the world ARE you doing in this place with Michael?"
"What I want to know," Isabel said, stepping over to face the future Michael, "is… Who is this?"
"Hi," future Michael said, smiling sheepishly.
"Who are you," Max asked pointedly.
"He's Michael," Maria offered for him "…only from the future."
"The future?" Isabel echoed unbelievingly. "What future? How… where…"
"I'll tell you," future Michael said. "I'm from eighteen years in your future."
"Why are you here then," Max asked him.
"I… needed to find out some things… It's personal."
"We're taking it personal," Max said. "So tell us."
Michael winced slightly. "I've been going back in time to learn who I am."
"I thought you said you were Michael," Max said unamused.
"I am Michael. I'm just from your future."
"So tell me," the younger Michael said. "What are the lottery numbers going to be tomorrow?"
"Michael!" Isabel exclaimed. "We're being serious!"
"So am I," Michael said.
"I couldn't tell you if I knew," future Michael said. "And I don't."
"There you have it," the younger Michael said. "The man comes from the future and he won't even help me make us rich. I don't know why he bothered to come back. That's all the use he's been… a big, blank zero!"
"I told you. I came here to find myself."
"Yeah, sure…" the younger Michael said, shaking his head.
"No… No, Michael, I understand," Maria said. "He's you, right? You're looking for who you are. That's why you want to go to Marathon. And this Michael, in his future, is looking to find out the same thing, only on a more… I don't know… personal level, maybe. That's all. You want to know where you came from and who your people were… or are… Well, he wants to find out who he is inside, who the real Michael is, now that he knows where he came from and all."
Max, Liz, and Isabel all stood looking at Maria with their mouths open.
"What?"
"That was amazing," Liz said. "…what you just said."
"What," Maria asked, looking from person to person.
"You really do understand us, don't you," Isabel said.
The younger Michael nodded, with a shocked look on his face. "I guess you understand more than I gave you credit for, DeLuca."
"Michael! Was what I just heard an apology," Isabel asked. "Because if it was, I'm not sure I can take all this shock in one day."
Michael didn't answer.
Max walked over and faced future Michael. "If you are from the future, you can tell us what we're going to Marathon to find out. You must already know the answers."
The younger Michael looked up suddenly at Max. Hearing Max admit that he, too, wanted to find out the secrets that Marathon might hold somehow gave him a good feeling inside. Then he looked at his future self to see what he would say.
"I'm not sure how much I should tell you," future Michael said at end. "It's probably important that you go to Marathon. I mean, it happened that way before, and if I change too many things like that…"
Max nodded and held his hand up. "I understand. You could change the future as you know it. Is there anything you can tell us… about ourselves… about our people?"
Michael thought about it. "Well, just that everything will work out in the end. Don't ever give up, Max… you either, Michael… Isabel. Sometimes it will seem like giving up is all that's left to do, but never quit. Never give up hope. From where I stand, everything will work out just fine."
"That's good to know," Isabel said. "We're not quitters."
"I know," future Michael said with a smile. "You never gave up on me."
Max and Isabel both smiled.
"Our people are a very fine people," future Michael said. "They're not so very different than the people here on Earth. We all share the same goals, the same feelings, loves, desires, pains… You will find them one day. That's all I can tell you."
"That's enough," the younger Michael said. "I take back what I said about you being useless, man. You've been a big help."
"Oh, be still my heart," Isabel said dramatically. "I don't think I can take any more."
"I may keep it up just to see you fall over," the younger Michael said to Isabel with a coy grin.
Liz looked at Maria and noticed that she was crying silently, tears streaming down her face. She touched Maria's face gently with her hand and carefully wiped off the tears. "What's the matter, chica? Huh? Why are you so sad?"
Maria smiled. "It's nothing, Liz."
"I know nothing when I see it, Maria, and this isn't nothing. Now come on. Tell me."
"I just know something I wish I didn't know."
Future Michael suddenly realized that Maria's knowing he was married but not knowing it was to her was upsetting to her. She actually cared for him. He had never realized that she actually cared this early on in their relationship. It was probable that she hadn't even realized it herself. This put a new light on everything. He started to tell her but thought about it and decided to consider all the ramifications and consequences first.
Maria solved the problem for him…
"I know how it turns out for you, Michael," Maria said to future Michael. "I just wish…" she choked up then reached up and kissed him quickly on the lips before he realized what was happening.
[b]Flash![/b]
[i] Michael pulled Maria tightly against his body and felt her soft hair against his face, smelled her perfume, felt her lips pressed to his…
"Maria, hold out your hand," he said. Then he got down on his knee in front of her, held her hand in his, and asked,
"Maria, will you marry me? Will you be my wife when we get to Antar?"
"Yes! …Yes, Michael! You're the only one I ever wanted or ever will want to marry," she heard herself reply happily.
Michael turned Maria's hand over and placed something in it. She opened her hand to look. It was a rock… No, it was a large uncut diamond.
"Michael!" Maria gasped, "Where did you get this?"
"I spotted it among those outcrops back there and picked it up as we were walking here. I'll always remember this little moon, Maria! It will always be where I found two of my greatest treasures... where you said that you would marry me and where I found this diamond that I give to you for your ring.[/i]
[b]Flash![/b]
[i] Michael had just returned from the jeweler with Maria's diamond… beautifully faceted and mounted in a ring that was absolutely and utterly breathtaking. Maria had no idea how many carats it was; she only knew that it was beautiful… and big! Michael placed it on her finger… it fit perfectly. As he did, he again asked, "Maria, will you be my wife?"
Maria didn't answer… she just threw her arms around Michael's neck and kissed him as though she would never let him go.
"I take it, the answer is still yes, then," Michael managed somehow to say after a couple of minutes.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times, yes!" said Maria. She beamed, and again she kissed Michael passionately. He reciprocated happily.
"We'll have to set a date," said Michael at end. I was thinking maybe next month… it's the beginning of the summer in Antar, and well… because you warm my heart…"
"Aw… Michael, sometimes you can be such a sweet puppy dog… so cute and lovable," said Maria.
"Well, just do me a favor and let's keep that to ourselves, okay, Maria? I wouldn't want it getting out that I'm a cute little puppy or something! Reputations, you know!"
Maria giggled, "Sure, Michael, just between me and my cute little puppy!"[/i]
[b]Flash![/b]
[i] Maria found Liz in the palace living room… on Antar. She walked by her several times, holding her hand slightly out away from her body. Liz saw the ring, but at first pretended not to.
"Maria, you seem awfully wound up! Why don't you sit down and stop pacing! Is something wrong with your hand?"
"Hmm! Hmm!" Said Maria, holding her finger and the amazing ring out where it could be appreciated.
"Mariiiiaaa…" said Liz, "That's beautiful… it's gorgeous! So Michael got it mounted… that's the ring from the moon?"
"Yep."
"You must be absolutely thrilled!"
"Well… maybe a little happy… Oh, of course I'm thrilled! What do you think! Liz, I can't wait to show it to everybody! They're gonna freak! Have you ever seen anything like it?"[/i]
[b]Flash[/b]
[i] Maria's hand was on Jim Valenti's arm. She was dressed in a long white and light blue gown that just reached the floor. She was too beautiful for words. Slowly, Jim led her down the aisle to the front. Maria's face seemed to glow. Her Mom, Amy, was wiping tears from her own eyes with a handkerchief and trying bravely but unsuccessfully not to cry… it was all so beautiful! This was far and away beyond anything she had ever imagined for her daughter even in her grandest dreams.
Behind Maria and Jim Valenti came the bridesmaids… then, from the back of the SyyKolyva, a man entered wearing a long dark blue robe over a red vest. The robe had gold trim around the collar and around the wrists. The man had a gold sash trimmed in red hung loosely over his left shoulder. This was the Jalesek, who would be performing the ceremony.
The music stopped, and all eyes were on Maria and Michael. The Jalesek took a small book from his vest pocket and looked at it quietly for a moment.
"Michael Guerin (He spoke in Antarian), of the line of Varkor Sarvael, you have come here today to tell all those present and the world that you love and cherish this girl, Maria DeLuca, and that it is your wish and desire that she be your wife now and for as long as you both shall live. Do you profess to Maria your eternal undying love; and is this your wish, Michael?"
"It is!"
"Maria DeLuca, of the planet Eluymer, you have come here today to tell all those present and the world that you love and cherish Michael Guerin and that it is your wish and desire to take him as your husband now and for as long as you both shall live. Do you, Maria, profess to Michael your eternal undying love; and is this your wish, Maria?"
"It is!"
"And who gives this girl away?"
"I do," said Jim Valenti. He took Maria's hand from his arm and placed it on Michael's arm and took Maria's other hand and placed it in front of her with the palm up. Then he took Michael's other hand and placed it on top of Maria's.
"Then," continued the Jalesek, "How shall you show this love that the two of you share?"
Michael and Maria closed their hands, intertwining their fingers together.
"Then I say for all to know that Michael and Maria are joined together as mates of the soul and of the body for the rest of their lives… May they know only happiness and joy forever!"
The entire SyyKolyva stood and applauded briefly but enthusiastically, in the Antarian tradition. Then they took their seats again.
The music resumed, and Michael and Maria walked arm in arm back down the aisle to the foyer as Michael and Maria Guerin.[/i]
[b]Flash![/b]
[i] Some lady was holding up a blouse for Maria's approval.
"Is this darling or what?"
"I approve," said Maria. "Very chic!"
"I just wish I could find one in a pastel green instead of this bright green, but it's still too darling to pass up."
Maria grinned, "Jayyd, honey? Would you mind?"
Jayyd grinned from ear to ear and waved her hand. The blouse changed color.
"Better!" said the lady, "Much better!" Can you make it just a little lighter, Dear?"
Jayyd waved her hand again, and the color changed slightly.
"Oh! That's perfect!" said the lady. "That's exactly what I've been looking for!"
Jayyd was grinning. She loved nothing better than using her power and getting praised for it!
Zorel rubbed Jayyd lightly on top of the head and smiled,
"If you can use my services, Mom…"
Maria and the other lady both laughed, "Thanks, Zorel! We'll keep that in mind, Honey… but right now, I don't think that any of the clothes would be helped by power blasting!"
"Except maybe that one," snickered the other lady, pointing to a ridiculous fluffy tutu-like culotte that no Antarian or Earthling -well, maybe except Howard Stern posing for a Hooters billboard- would be caught dead or alive in.
Zorel started to lift his hand, but Maria was too quick, after eight years of experience, and stopped his hand before he got it up.
"She was kidding, Zorel!"
"Oh."[/i]
[center]----------[/center]
Maria pulled away from Michael the moment she kissed him. Everything that she had just seen was transferred to her brain in less than a second. And yet she remembered… everything! She stood there at first, shaking, her mouth open in utter amazement and awe. Then, slowly, she began to smile.
Future Michael looked at Maria. "That wasn't supposed to happen, Maria. I don't know what consequences this could have for the future."
"How could it be bad to know," Maria asked, smiling. "I'll get over the shock."
"What did you see, Maria," Isabel asked.
Future Michael shook his head, and Max cautioned her, "It might be better if we don't know, Iz… If Michael from the future thinks it's better not to tell us, we should listen to him."
Isabel frowned. "You're no fun, Max. I can't stand secrets… when someone else is keeping them."
"Yeah, that's what I know," Max said.
Max looked out the window. Kyle was driving up to the motel. He had probably seen the jeep and Maria's mom's Jetta. It would be a while before he found out what room they were in, but not long enough.
"Kyle's coming," he said to the others.
Future Michael looked out the window. "I really have to be going." He looked at Maria. Maria smiled. Michael took her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. As he did, he quietly placed a block on the memories of the flashes she had just seen… and the fact that he had said he was married.
"Good bye," he said, and he called for the portal. A light appeared, and Michael stepped into it, as Max, Liz, Isabel, and his younger self watched in awe. Then he was gone.
Kyle burst in just as Michael had left, wanting to know what was going on. When he became insistent on dragging Liz away, the younger Michael threw him across the room and shoved him out the door.
"I don't know you," Kyle said to Liz. "Whatever you're mixed up in with these people… I don't know you anymore, Liz Parker."
Michael shut the door behind him.
"So, Maria…" Isabel started, "What was all that about?"
"What was all what about?"
"You know… the secret you and future Michael know."
Maria looked perplexed. "Secret? What secret?"
Max smiled. "Too bad, Iz! It looks like Michael took his secrets with him."
Isabel frowned. "Damn! How's a girl to ever find things out? Just my bad luck!"
The younger Michael smiled at Maria, and Maria smiled back. Isabel noticed.
"Who knows, Michael… You and Maria may wind up together some day… married."
"Not if she were the last girl on Earth!" Michael said.
"I have to agree with Michael on that one," Maria said. "For once, he's a hundred percent right." She held out her hand, and Michael slapped it as a gesture of his agreement. As his hand touched Maria's, Maria collapsed. Michael caught her.
"What happened? Sheez! I didn't hit your hand that hard?"
Maria looked at Michael, and a smile slowly crept from ear to ear. Then she kissed him on the lips, passionately, leaving Michael, Isabel, Max, and Liz all with their eyes wide and mouths open.
"What was that for," Michael asked, smiling in spite of himself.
"Nothing," Maria said. "Let's just say it's for the memories."
tbc