Chapter Four

Maria dissolved into the kiss. She felt like everything was spinning rapidly around her. Michael made her dizzy. And it seemed like hours had passed when they broke apart. "How?" She whispered softly.

"How what?"

"You... called me..."

"My queen." He murmured and kissed her again. Maria moaned softly against his mouth but pulled back.

"My soldier..." She reached up and touched the side of his face. "You're my soldier." Maria whispered. "That night, at Alex's... you said I said 'My Soldier' Why didn't you say something before? My god Michael!" Maria wasn't sure how she felt. It was all too much. "How did you know?" She asked softly.

"I didn't... that night. I was tucking you into bed. You had a bruise on your cheek. Where did that bruise come from?"

"You healed that?" Maria looked at him. "I thought..." She shook her head. She'd thought maybe it was a dream, or that maybe she'd managed to heal herself in her sleep. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You said 'My Soldier.' I don't know where the words came from, but I called you My Queen."

"The dreams... you don't have the dreams?" Michael just shook his head and Maria clenched her eyes shut. Maybe she was alone. Maybe this was all a mistake. "You don't remember anything?" He shook his head again. They sat there in silence for several short moments. "Will you take me home. I'm not feeling well."

"Maria?"

"Please Michael." She asked again and stared out the window. With a quiet sigh Michael started the car and headed back into town. He pulled up in front of the trailer park and turned off the engine. "Thanks." She muttered and quickly opened the door.

"Maria! Wait."

"I'll see you tomorrow Michael." She said and slammed the door shut before he could say another word. She ran the whole way to the trailer. Hank was in the kitchen when she came through the door.

"Where have you been?"

"Fuck you!" Maria yelled at him and ran down to her room. She slammed the door and locked it. She pushed her dresser up against it, and sat down in the far corner of her room. She wasn't alone. All of the sudden, she wasn't alone. There were others like her. The tears began to fall. And they were her new friends. Michael. Maria reached up and touched her lips lightly. He kissed her, and it had felt... electric.

But he didn't remember their life before. He didn't remember her. Max... and Isabel. The King and his Sister. Slowly Maria curled up on her side and drifted off to sleep.

i Maria knew where she was. In an empty field with her love, her soldier. She was sprawled out on her back, staring up at the acid green clouds that floated across the orange sky. Her head was resting his his lap, and when she looked at the right angle she could see his sharp jaw, his shadow a contrast against the sky. "You're beautiful, my love." She murmured.

He glanced down at him and a smile spread across his features. "You are the beauty, my love." He told her and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "I am the beast." He told her.

"You are no beast." She told him, then grinned wickedly. "Except in bed." She shrieked with laughter and jumped to her feet as quickly as she could.

"Why you..." He growled and grabbed her waist. Together they fell to the ground laughing, his fingers tickling her sides while she tried to shove his hands away, and pull him closer at the same time.

They calmed after a few moments and she stared up at him. "My Love, my love." She whispered. "Never leave me."

"Not even death can keep me from you." He told her, because they both knew, if anyone discovered their secret relationship. It meant certain death. "I love you, my queen, my Ava."

"Rath." She whispered. "My dear Rath." /i

"Michael, what is your problem?" Isabel asked at lunch on Monday. Maria had been a no show, and Michael was in his own little world.

"I think he was abducted by aliens." Tess giggled and then snuggled herself closer to Kyle.

"You're such an idiot." Michael snapped and Tess flinched from his words.

"I was just kidding Michael..." Michael had always teased her, but he'd never been out and out mean.

"What the hell Michael?" Kyle snapped at his friend. "Why are you being such a dick."

"Maybe I'm sick of the same shit every single day." Michael got up from the bench and his friends just stared at him.

"What did you say to Maria?" Isabel asked. He'd noticed how the two had become closer, and now Maria wasn't here, and Michael was being an asshole. He simply glared at her. "What did you do!?" Isabel yelled.

"Fuck this." Michael shook his head and turned around and walked away.

Hours later Michael relented and went to work. He'd be in the kitchen, and if anyone bothered him, he would throw knives or something. Anything to get them to leave him the hell alone. He didn't know why he was being such and ass. He was angry. He was worried about Maria. What if when they healed her, they hadn't managed to get it all. She said she wasn't feeling well, was it just a cover to go home? Was she mad at him? Because he didn't remember?

He walked into the Crashdown and saw Liz running from table to table, frantic. "What's wrong Liz?" He asked shaking his head.

"Maria didn't come to work. I can't get a hold of any of the other girls. And we've been busy." Liz threw her hands in the air before jetting off to another table.

She didn't come to work? Now he was worried. All this just to avoid him? He turned around and walked back out of the restaurant, ignoring Liz yelling after him. He jogged to his car and drove to the trailer park. He took a breath and got out. Maybe... he wasn't sure. He just hoped she was okay. He walked up to the trailer and knocked on the door. A few moments later a man opened the door. "Is Maria home?" He asked trying to glance behind the man.

"I haven't seen her since she left for school this morning." The man grumbled and slammed the door.

Michael stood there for a moment longer. Something was off. He stepped back and headed back to his car. Halfway to his car there was a clap of thunder, and a bold of lightening that lit up the sky. And then it was raining. Pouring. He jogged the rest of the way to his car. He got in and just sat there, thinking about Maria. Wondering where she was, and if she was okay. He decided to just drive around and look for her. He wasn't sleeping till he knew she was safe.

After driving around for half an hour Michael was getting really worried when he finally spotted a figure, that for some reason, he knew was Maria. She was sitting on the swing at the park. He got out and walked over to her. "What are you doing Maria?" He asked. He was already soaked. He could see her shoulders were shaking, and her hair was matted down to her head. "Maria?" He cupped her face and she looked up at him. He wasn't sure if it was rain, or if she was crying. "Come on baby."

"No." She whispered. "I can't."

"You can't what? Come with me to dry off and get warm? Where the hell have you been all day? All I could think about was that stab wound... that it wasn't healed and you were laying somewhere dead."

"You were worried about me?"

"Of course I was Maria. You're my friend, aside from everything else, you are my friend." He cupped her face and shook his head. "Come on, let's go." He pulled her up from the swing and gathered her in his arms.

"My soldier." She whispered and let her eyes slip shut.

Michael drove them to his house, this time his mother really was out of town at a convention. He'd seen her off at the airport early that morning. He scooped Maria into his arms and carried her inside the house. He set her down once they got inside and pushed her hair back from her face. "How long were you out there?" She simply shrugged. "You could ..." But she wouldn't. She was like him. She wouldn't get sick. "I was worried."

"Rath." She whispered.

"What?"

"Rath." She said a little louder this time. "That was your name."

"Rath?" Michael asked and shook his head a little. "And yours?"

"Ava."

"My Ava." Michael said gently cupping her face.

"Michael." Maria whispered and leaned towards him. "I don't deserve you." She told him quietly. "I... you're only doing this because you found out I was like you... that I was one of you."

"No, Maria, I'm not. Do you remember I was going to kiss you? Before my mother came barreling into the room, I was leaning in to kiss you. Like this." He leaned towards her and kissed her gently.

"But..."

"No." Michael shook his head. "What happens, happens. You're like us, or your not, Maria, I like you. I want this." He said and kissed her again. "But only if you want this..." He tucked some hair away from her face and tried to get a look at her face.

"I love you so much in that life... and it scares me." Maria slowly reached up to touch his face. "It scares me to know I loved someone that much... and, Rath loved me back, just as much."

"I can't make you any promises Maria. I can't promise you to be Rath, because I don't remember him. I don't remember that life. Maybe you could help me remember though?" She nodded a little and then Michael nodded. "Good, let's get you warmed up, come on." He took her hand and lead her down the hallway to his room. He grabbed a pair of boxers and a t-shirt for her and a change of clothes for himself. "I'll go change in the bathroom." He kissed her cheek before leaving her alone in the room.

Maria watched him go and then carefully stripped out of her wet clothes. She pulled on his dry clothes and was thankful for their warmth. Slowly she began to look around his room. There were pictures, of him and Isabel and Max. A picture with his mom in front of her shop. So many little things from his life were around the room. Maria never had that. She didn't have any pictures of herself as a child, let alone with Hank.

"Maria?" She heard Michael knock on the door and walked over and pulled it open. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Maria murmured and walked with him down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"I'm sure my mom has tea around here somewhere." He said as he opened up one of the cabinets. After the tea was made they sat on the couch together, Maria leaned into his side a little as she clutched the mug in her hands.

Michael walked into his room and watched Maria for a few minutes, just sleeping, the blankets wrapped around her tightly, curled up into a ball. He walked over and gently shook her shoulder. "Maria? It's almost time to get ready for school."

Her eyes fluttered open slowly and she glanced up at him. "Lay with me? Just for a little while?" She asked before letting her eyes slip shut. He watched her for a moment longer before climbing into bed with her, carefully he laid behind her while she was still bundled up in the blankets he wrapped his arms around her. He heard Maria hum in the back of her throat and snuggle up closer to him before her breathing evened out again. Michael laid there for a while longer before letting his eyes slip shut and he followed her off to sleep.

It was late in the afternoon when they woke up again. Michael opened his eyes and saw Maria looking up at him. "Hey." He mumbled sleepily.

"Hi." Maria smiled a little. "Give me your hand." She said softly and held her hand out to him. After a second Michael lifted his hand up and placed it in hers. "Close your eyes."

"But I just opened them." He smiled a little.

"Just do it." He closed his eyes and Maria watched him for a moment longer. "Try to focus... and open up your mind."

"To what?"

"Remembering." Then he got serious and gave Maria's hand a little squeeze before he let himself focus completely. Maria watched him before letting her own eyes close.

They laid together, in silence for what seemed like hours, but may have only been minutes. Michael wasn't sure. He opened his eyes and found Maria's watching him. "I remembered something."

She smiled. "What?"

"You." Tears suddenly blurred Maria's vision. "Watching you. Touching you." He reached up and gently cupped her cheek. "I wasn't allowed to touch you when anyone was around." She shook her head a little. "But I wanted to touch you, constantly." He leaned down and kissed her softly and Maria curled her arms around him, and kissed him back.

They pulled back and Maria rested her head on his chest. "Why won't you let me tell them?" Michael asked as he combed his fingers through her short locks.

"You don't understand Michael... I've been alone, my entire life. Alex was the only friend I had... until Isabel and Tess turned me into their little project, and somehow I became part of your crowd. I'm still getting used to that. And then to have you, suddenly want me, to want to be with me. That is a whole other level of something I'm not used to. No one has ever looked at me, like you look at me." Michael gently kissed the top of her head. "And to find out that not only you, but Isabel and Max ... that we are the same. It's too much, too soon, so please, not yet. Just... give me time."

"Okay." Michael nodded and hugged her closer. "Anything you want." He told her softly.

Amy DeLuca walked into the house calling her son's name. "Michael? Honey, I'm home." But he didn't respond. She frowned, the car was in the driveway, but he wasn't home? She was pretty sure he didn't work tonight. She headed down the hallway and knocked on the door before pushing it open. "Michael... oh my god." She gasped seeing Michael laying in bed with a girl. She backed out of the room as quickly as she came in, slamming the door behind her. She hadn't gotten a look at anything, she didn't know if they were clothed or not, but it was not alright for her son to be in bed with a girl!

"Oh shit." Michael jumped up from the bed. Maria lay there completely mortified. They weren't doing anything, but still. Michael opened the door and saw his mother standing there, practically hyperventilating. "Mom... nothing happened, you can breathe again."

"You... were in bed with a girl."

"Yeah, mom, Maria. I repeat, nothing happened, we were just talking."

"Was there kissing?"

"Mom." Michael rolled his eyes.

"Oh my god." Amy muttered.

"Mom, would you just stop. Nothing happened, we didn't do anything. She was in my room all night, I was on the couch. I only went in to wake her up for school and..." He trailed off, he couldn't exactly tell her what they were doing. "Look, some guy attacked her the other night at the Crashdown, she's still a little spooked by it, her dad was out of town, and she didn't want to go home alone, so I told her to stay here, and we spent the day talking."

"She was attacked? Did you tell Jim?" Amy paused. "She was here all night?"

"Maria didn't get a good look at the guy. He just came up, wanted money, pushed her down, and that was it. Would you just let it go mom?"

Amy frowned and watched her son. "You two didn't go to school?" Michael shook his head. "Michael... you've done so well this year."

"Mom, one day is not going to throw off my entire senior year. She needed someone to talk to, and she wasn't comfortable talking to anyone else."

"Alright." Amy nodded."If you say so."

Michael nodded and headed back into his room. He looked at Maria curled up on the bed still, chewing on her lip. "Does she hate me now?" Maria asked and he shook his head.

"She freaked out, but it's okay now, come on, lets go to the Crashdown and get something to eat." Maria nodded and gathered her clothes that were dry now and headed down to the bathroom.

They left Michael's house and he drove them to the restaurant. When they got there, the usual gang was seated together in a booth. They all just looked at the couple as they came to sit down. Michael scratched his eyebrow. "I have something to say." A look of panic crossed Maria's features for a moment. "Tess, about yesterday, I'm sorry." He glanced around the table. "To everyone, I am sorry."

"And you didn't even choke on that." Isabel said, and then smiled. "Sit down, and order something Michael."

"Everything okay Maria?" Alex asked her quietly and she nodded.

"Fine."

"Why weren't you guys at school?" Kyle asked with a raised eyebrow.

"None of your business Valenti. By the way, your father, and my mother... it is disgusting, and it needs to stop."

"I found them on the couch the other night." Kyle shook his head.

"Well she missed a convention in favor of doing... god knows what with him."

"Come on you guys, it can't be that bad." Liz smiled as she joined the table. "You guys want anything?" She asked Michael and Maria.

"Cherry coke." They both answered. The entire table looked at them, and then went back to chatting. Maria sat down on the booth beside Alex, while Michael pulled up a chair at the end of the table. Michael slipped his hand under the table and gently grasped Maria's smaller one. She glanced at him and smiled a little and squeezed his hand back.

"And you have no idea Liz, they are worse than hormonal teenagers." Michael shook his head a little.

Maria looked down at her notebook, she had to go the library to do research on some stupid topic for her history class. She had a free period before lunch so she decided to make the best of it and get some work done. Or at least try to. She headed into the library and started looking through the books. She her laughter and glanced up and saw Courtney Banks sitting with some guy at a table. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Courtney by far was one of the richest students at Roswell high, and she flaunted it. Maria loathed her.

Then she heard the guy that Courtney was with laugh and it chilled her down to the bone. She looked over again and realized it was Michael. They were flirting? Maria ducked behind the shelf quickly and peered through the books. Blatant flirting. Courtney's hand was resting on Michael's and he wasn't pulling his away. Tears stung Maria's eyes and she shook her head. No... it couldn't be. Could it? She had thought, that her and Michael were... a couple? They had never made it anything official, even through the weeks they had sort of been together. Everything they did had been hidden, Maria never knew it was intentional. But no one knew about them.

He was ashamed of her. The realization hit Maria like Hank's fist. She gripped the shelf before hurrying out, doing her best to hide her face as she walked. Once out of the library Maria ran towards the bathroom and once inside she bent over the sink and slashed cold water on her face. The tears began to fall, practically burning hot streaks down her face. She kept splashing water on her face, as she tried to calm down. She knew she wasn't good enough for Michael. She never had been.

i Ava sat beside her father, King of one of the five planets. Her hands were clasped together in her lap, her head was bowed. The future King of Antar was coming to meet with her. They had been betrothed and never had met before.

"I don't want to marry him father."

"You will do as you're told." He snarled.

"Please, father, I have never met him before, don't make me..." She trailed off. She had just reached the age in which she would be allowed to marry, and the wedding was planned to happen in just a few short weeks.

"You will marry him. And I will teach him how to keep you in line." Ava flinched as her father clenched his fist. "If only your sister had survived..." He shook his head. "She was worthy of marrying a future King." /i

Maria avoided the rest of her classes for the rest of the day. She knew she had to work after school, but she was dreading it. "Hey Maria!" Isabel called waving at her, as she jogged towards her. "Where were you? You didn't come to lunch."

"I had work to do for history."

"Oh." Isabel frowned. "Well, you want to come hang out with us?"

"I can't." Maria shook her head. "Sorry." She turned and walked off quickly. Leaving Isabel standing there staring after her. She frowned. Something was off again.

At work Maria let herself get completely absorbed into it. She didn't even see the people she was waiting on. Just working, getting it done. She was thankful that Michael wasn't working tonight so she didn't have to deal with him. "Hey Maria, can you pick up table ten?" Liz called to her.

"Yeah." Maria headed over to the table and then froze. Her luck. Alex, and Isabel and Tess and Kyle. "Hey. What do you want to drink?" Her tone was short.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm just kind of busy." She told them and they glanced around the restaurant. There weren't many people in there, and she and Liz had split up the tables evenly. She took their orders and as she was walking past the door to the back room a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into the back. She felt Michael's mouth come crashing down on hers and for a second she forgot herself and kissed him back. And then she remembered what she'd seen in the library. "I'm busy." She said tearing herself away from him. "You can't just pull me back here whenever you feel like it Michael. This is my job. You may not care about your own job, but I care about mine." She snapped and quickly walked back up front leaving him dumbfounded.

After work Maria stepped outside and wrapped her jacket tighter around herself as she headed for the trailer park. It was cold, but she didn't care, it was peaceful.

"Maria." She heard Michael's voice and shook her head.

"Would you just go away?" She rolled her eyes and didn't look at him.

"No. What the hell is your problem?" Michael caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "Look at me."

Maria wrenched her arm from his grasp and nearly hit him. "Don't touch me." She snarled.

"What did I do? Why are you so pissed off at me? And everyone else?! What did we do to you?!"

"Just get away from me Michael." She told him.

"Maria!" He yelled and grabbed her again.

"Get off me!" She screamed and he flinched back from her.

"Maria." His voice came out soft and concerned.

"Just leave me alone Michael." She said and started walking again quicker this time. She needed away from him. As far away from him as she could get.

Maria got home half an hour later, and she was frozen to the core. It had started to rain again, and she couldn't stop shivering. She hurried inside and saw Hank standing there. "Where've you been?" He slurred and she shook her head.

"Work. "

"Whorin' yerself out again?"

"Yes." She said sarcastically. Then shivered, but this time not from the cold, but from the look he gave her. Staring at her legs, then up her body. He advanced towards her and Maria backed up, her back hitting the door. "Get away from me, Hank." She said. He reached up and tried to pull her jacket off her shoulder. "I said get away from me."

Michael was pacing back and forth across the length of the Crashdown. Maria had been missing for a week now. No one had seen her.

"Alex, say something." Isabel whispered pushing on his shoulder a little. The entire gang was sitting in the empty diner. He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Her foster father hit her." Alex spoke up finally cutting the silence of the restaurant.

"What?!" Michael spun around and faced Alex.

"What do you mean? When?" Kyle asked sitting up straighter in the booth.

"He has since his wife got arrested... he started hitting her. It was a pretty common thing."

"Why the hell didn't you say something?!" Michael exploded.

"You don't understand. She told me she would lie... that I couldn't prove it. She didn't want to end up in another foster home."

"Couldn't prove it? Didn't he ever leave bruises?" Kyle shook his head and Alex bowed his. He couldn't tell them that.

"So we go there, and we find her." Max finally spoke up.