Part 33
Edward was drinking his coffee and browsing through the newspaper as he watched their guests milling around the kitchen in different stages of winter gear undress. He reached for one of the cookies Julia had put on a plate for him after breakfast, chewing it slowly as his eyes drifted back to the article he had been reading. The kids were in a much easier frame of mind this morning and he wondered what had transpired after they had left the night before. Michael especially seemed much more… not so much relaxed, but at ease with their situation. It was obvious in his demeanor. The way he moved, the way he observed everything around him, that was still there but it wasn't as edgy as it had been.
He was still watchful as he hung his gear up and turned to glance over the others as if making sure he knew where they were at all times. His gaze finally settled on the girls and Edward slowly lowered the top of his paper, feeling that something was about to happen. He shifted in his chair and glanced to the side when he jostled the table and the spoon in Maggie's abandoned breakfast bounced against the bowl making a metallic rattling sound. After finishing their meals the boys had disappeared down to the basement to play video games and his little girl had gone up to her room for… well, he didn't really know what for. To make her bed maybe.
His own gaze strayed to his wife, watching her as she washed the dishes and immediately started conversing with the girls. He knew she had plans to spend the day with Dayna and their family, working on Mr. Tony's place for the big event, which meant at some point he was going to be put to work.
"Were you able to figure anything out about your van earlier?" she asked, shooting a glance at Kyle.
"Actually, we wanted to talk to you about that," Maria spoke up.
Um-hmm, here it comes, Edward thought as his eyes slid over the group once more.
"Dean's friend Shane is interested in the van," Kyle started. "He wants to meet us at noon…" he trailed off when he was suddenly pinned by three pairs of eyes. He made a slight bowing gesture and then gave a wave of his right hand.
"What Kyle means is that we'd like to meet Shane and see what he has to say about our van," Maria continued. "So we were wondering if maybe we could borrow your car for a short trip out to the dealership."
Ten… Edward's gaze shifted to the right side of the room. Nine…
Isabel straightened the hem of her sweater and flipped her hair back over her shoulder as she straightened her posture.
Eight… The top corner of the newspaper folded over obediently when he clenched the paper with his left hand. Seven…
Liz began to present their argument in a logical and concise manner as she reached up to tuck a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.
Six… His next stop was the vibrant little blonde who took up their case. Five…
Maria smoothed her hands over the fuzzy emerald green sweater she was wearing as she spoke, aware of Michael's eyes on her. She picked at a tiny loose thread on the seam near the front pocket of her black skinny jeans, knowing he was following every move she made.
Four… The newspaper lowered as his eyes bounced over to Michael and he nearly laughed out loud. He smirked at the slightest hint of discomfort on the boy's features. He hadn't yet learned to control himself around his girl. Three…
Michael's higher brain functions seemed to switch off as his sharp gaze zeroed in on Maria's mouth; her full lips shiny and pink as they presented that killer smile that did him in every time.
"We probably wouldn't be gone very long. I'm not sure what all there is to really talk about since there's no chance of resurrecting the engine. But if Dean's friend is interested in buying it…"
Two… One… Yes, folks, we have liftoff! Time to present a united front. Watch and learn, kids, this's the way it's done.
Edward got up and moved to stand behind his wife when she turned to face the group after drying her hands and putting the towel away. His arms slid around her waist as his gaze moved over each of them in turn. "So, let me see if I've got this straight… after four days you want us to turn over the keys to my wife's car. To you. The merry little band of travelers from Miami. Alone. To – "
Julia turned her head to look at her husband. "Edward."
He shook his head and continued when she faced the group once more. "The boys can ride in the truck with me so they can make their meetin' with Dean and Shane. The girls can stay here and give you and Dayna a hand with Mr. Tony's place. The boys don't need to be playing video games while – "
"Of course you can borrow my car," Julia interjected.
Edward's head snapped around. Somehow, somewhere, she had completely missed out on the plan to present a united front. "Well, Julia, I don't see why all six of them need to be there. And besides, there's a lot of work to be done over at Mr. Tony's place.
Michael almost smirked when the girls glanced at each other, suddenly at a loss for words. He almost kept his mouth shut, just to give Edward the win, but he had a twenty spot riding on this thing. So Maria had to get her way this time. He cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Actually, the reason we need the girls to tag along is this one here," he indicated Maria with a nod of his head. "Her mom owns the van. Real hippie type if ya know what I mean. Anyway, she's been goin' on about how anything happening to that hunk of junk would be the end of her life as she knows it since she first learned to drive. And, well, I know her mom, so I can't really dispute that fact." He moved back when she elbowed him. "So, if it comes down to havin' to sell it, she has her mom's permission to do so, but she has to make sure it's goin' to a good home." He held his hands up. "Total hippie, not really much more of an explanation there."
Maria turned her head to look at him, eyes narrowed to slits at his 'helpful' commentary. "We're lucky that she's so generous then, aren't we? Somehow I don't think we would've made this trip packed into that two-seater you drove."
His lips turned up at the corners when he saw that playful, fiery sparkle in her eyes.
Kyle snorted at the two of them, more to distract them than anything else. Michael could talk smack about Max and Liz all he wanted, but he and Maria had their own thing going on and if the moment was right they'd completely forget anyone else existed outside of them. "I thought when we get back I'd get started on Isabel's first order of business." He glanced at her and caught the smile she sent in his direction.
"What would that be?" Edward asked.
"He's gonna hang from the rafters like a friggin' bat and hang lights," Michael muttered.
"Actually, he'll be checking lights this afternoon," Isabel corrected. "We have to be sure they're all in working order before they're hung."
Michael shook his head. "Oh, no, don't look at me. I'm not climbin' up on the side of a house, a barn, or anything else to hang lights."
"No," she murmured with a smile that brought that Christmas Nazi gleam out in her eyes. "No, Michael, you won't be hanging lights."
"I know, that's what I just said."
Max shook his head and wrapped his arms around Liz, pulling her back against his chest as he watched Michael stick his foot in it right up to his knee.
"You have a costume fitting this afternoon." Her finger pointed at each of them in turn… all of them except Kyle. "Santa, Snowflake, Santa's Chief Reindeer Wrangler, and Candycane. I'll expect all of you to be ready when we get back."
Michael muttered under his breath as her temporary insanity came back with a vengeance. From that point on he lost interest in the conversation, his gaze wandering around the room until it landed on the little stuffed bear sitting in her chair at the table. An empty bowl and glass sat just to her right and in front of that a box of cereal stood, the plastic bag inside torn open and sticking up past the opening. His attention was drawn away when the sound of little feet thumping against the stairs at rapid intervals could be heard from the hallway. After a couple of seconds the thumping slowed and a moment later Maggie appeared in the doorway.
The little girl's blue eyes shone brightly as she took in the people gathered around the kitchen and she moved to pick her bear up, holding it tightly to her chest as she lowered her head to listen to what was being said. She smiled and walked over to Michael, crooking her finger in a bid for him to come closer. She held the bear out to him when he crouched down in front of her and said, "Cindy wants to tell you somethin'."
Maria rested her hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze when his gaze darted between the little girl and the stuffed bear.
This was payback for something he'd done in his previous life, he was sure of it. He cleared his throat and did his best to keep from expressing just how uncomfortable he was as he nodded. He felt like a complete idiot when she held the bear up so it could 'whisper' in his ear. What was he supposed to do now? He had no idea what the stupid thing was supposed to have said. His gaze landed on Maggie and he watched her fidget for a moment as she cradled the beloved toy to her chest, squeezing it tighter.
"Cindy says she missed you at breakfast," she said in a stage whisper. "We had cocoa puffs, toast with grape jelly, and orange juice." She gave him a toothy smile. "Your favorites."
"Maggie."
She turned when her mother called her. "Yes, Mama?" She hurried ahead before her mother could get the words out. "I was real careful walkin' down the steps…"
Julia smiled at her. "Yes, you were… good job. But did you make your bed?"
"I left it real neat. I didn't hardly roll over in it last night."
"Maggie."
"Yes, ma'am, I'm going." She turned to look at Michael. "Can Cindy sit on your lap while I make my bed?"
Michael could feel all eyes on him, the room so silent it was obvious everyone was holding their collective breath as they waited for him to answer.
"Sure she can, sweet pea," Maria answered with a smile.
While he appreciated having the spotlight taken off of him that was not exactly the kind of help he had been hoping for. He looked down when Maggie suddenly moved closer, putting the bear in the crook of his right arm and pushing and prodding until she felt the toy was comfortable.
"I'll be right back," she said with a smile for him.
He watched her as she leaned in to whisper in Cindy's ear and he felt a protective knot in his chest when he heard her words.
"Captain Michael will keep you safe." She gave the bear a final pat and hurried out of the room to make her bed.
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They had settled in the living room a short while later when Dayna arrived and Edward escaped to go and collect the boys. "If I have to do this so do the two of you," he muttered under his breath. He greeted the woman as Julia brought her inside and then excused himself to escape downstairs.
"Ah, you're all here," Dayna said as she and Julia came into the living room. "I just want to thank you again for your generous volunteer work."
"Wait, we're not getting paid – "
Isabel silenced Michael's quiet muttering with a slap to the back of his head.
"It means so much to all of us here at Tawas Lake," the woman finished. She smiled gently when she noticed the stuffed animal's placement. "Oh, aren't you just the sweetest thing, holding Miss Cindy."
Michael slouched down further in his seat, the polar bear carefully cradled in his arm. Yes, the humiliation was coming full circle. He shot a glare at Kyle when he coughed loudly in an effort to keep from laughing out loud. Keep it up, Valenti, yours is coming.
"My bed's all made, Daddy," Maggie announced as she came back into the room. She looked behind her when Daddy and the boys came in from the basement. "My bed's all made," she repeated and made a beeline for Cindy. She stopped short just in front of Michael and Maria and her eyes dropped to the bear he held.
He picked the bear up and held it out to her, not expecting it when her hand settled over his, her fingers tracing over one of the wide silver rings he wore. "You've got hands almost as big as Cindy's mom." She looked around the room when the others started laughing, not sure what was so funny.
Maggie brought Cindy up to her ear and listened to her.
Now what? he wondered, having no clue what she would come up with next.
"Cindy wants to know if we can sit on your lap."
That was easy enough to comply with, he decided. "Sure," he leaned forward to pick her up and situate her comfortably as he resumed his position again. It was only a matter of seconds before she listened as the bear started whispering again and he mentally rolled his eyes at his thought.
"Um, Cindy wants to know… what kinda breakfast did you have this mornin'?"
Michael gave her a small smile and scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. "We had pancakes."
Maria shook her head at him, smiling as she elaborated. "We had chocolate chip pancakes made from a secret recipe that belongs to my friend Liz's family."
Maggie's eyes grew wide. "You can have pancakes with chocolate chips in them?" She turned to Mama and Daddy, her mouth hanging open.
Sitting on Michael's other side Max couldn't help but laugh quietly at the little girl's reaction to Maria's announcement. He hid his mouth behind his hand, speaking softly into his friend's ear. "So, you know Santa and you make pancakes with candy in them?"
Maria felt Michael tense up at Max's teasing words, knowing what it was taking for him to keep from visibly reacting. She rested her hand on his knee, exerting enough pressure to keep him from getting up and asking for the keys to the car. She smiled at the little girl and leaned into the crook of his arm, taking up the space previously occupied by one happy little polar bear. "Yes, chocolate chips are good in them. They're my favorite."
Kyle was ready to burst as he watched the scene before him. It was his notice of Liz that broke through his humor. She was watching her husband, her expression one he couldn't quite decipher. He turned when he realized Isabel was making arrangements to meet Dayna and the others over at Mr. Tony's place when they returned from their trip to the dealership. He didn't bother hiding his grin when she turned and with an impatient gesture, shook the keys to get Michael and Maria's attention.
"Are you two ready?"
Michael reached for the keys, but with Maggie and Cindy in his lap Maria was quicker to make a grab for them.
"Oh, no way, buddy, I'm driving."
"You're leaving?" Maggie asked, glancing around at them.
Michael cleared his throat. "Just for a little while. We've gotta take care of some business with our van. We'll be back after we finish up with that."
She sighed loudly, relieved to hear that they would be returning. "Okay."
After getting ready to go out again the six of them made their way along the path that had been shoveled to the garage. Maria was walking next to Michael and she linked their arms together as she smiled up at him. "I'd say thanks for the help back there, but…"
Michael just shot a knowing smirk at her and snapped his fingers in Kyle's direction. "No problem." He rubbed his fingers together when his bid for attention went ignored. "Hey, Valenti, hand over the green."
"I don't think you really won fair and square," Kyle said, shaking his head negatively.
"How do you figure that?"
"Uh, your girlfriend didn't convince Julia and Edward on her own. You interfered and I'm pretty sure that violates the terms of the bet."
"Whatever, fork it over."
Kyle grumbled about it but he pulled his wallet out and pulled out a worn twenty, slowly easing it out as if it caused him great pain to do so.
Maria stopped midstride as the guys' actions and words suddenly clicked. "What? You two made a bet?" She reached out and intercepted the money just before Michael's fingers could close around it.
His shocked expression was comical. "Wait, what? No! It was Kyle's idea! Hey, me an' Max, we knew better than to bet against you. And, hey, for a minute there it looked like Edward was gonna win, so I had to step in."
"You had to step in," Maria repeated slowly as she turned to look up at him, making him stop in his tracks. "Because you didn't think I could close the deal?"
"Uh…" His eyes traced over her features, his gaze zeroing in on those lips that were just begging to be kissed as he shifted. He snapped out of his fog when she poked an insistent finger in the center of his chest.
"Half of this is mine, Spaceboy."
He turned to glare at Kyle when he started laughing. "You heard her, Valenti." He motioned to the twenty-dollar bill she was holding. "Pony up a couple of tens."
Kyle just shook his head. "Why? We all know she'll end up holdin' it anyway." He just smirked and hurried to catch up to Isabel when she snapped her fingers and called for them to hurry up. "Daylight's burnin', people, and the Christmas Nazi's ready to get this thing started."
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The ride to the dealership didn't really take that long but for Kyle, squeezed in between Michael and Maria in the front seat, it seemed to be ridiculously long. The two of them were obviously getting back on track if their sparring match over her driving ability was anything to go by. There was no heat behind their exchange though. Well, he amended, not the kind that sparked off an argument between them anyway. He refused to speculate any further on that other kind. He did not need to store up those kinds of mentally damaging thoughts about them.
Michael had taken it upon himself to assign seating in the car, which was how he'd managed to end up sandwiched between the two of them. Liz had gotten the middle seat behind him, leaving Max and Isabel with the window seats. Just in case there was a sudden and unexpected attack in the middle of their winter wonderland. He tried to catch the laughter before it could escape and it came out as a snort instead.
"Somethin' wrong with you, Valenti?" Michael asked, shooting a sideways look at him.
"Nope, not a thing." He folded his arms over his chest and stared straight ahead until Michael finally gave up trying to figure out what he was thinking. His mind wandered back to the few minutes before he had walked into the cabin. He had overheard the girls talking and they had sounded so serious he had waited before barging in. He wondered how Maria could have come to the conclusion that anyone, much less Michael, viewed her as the weak link. It just wasn't possible, but maybe he could see it because he was looking at things from a completely different viewpoint.
Shifting mental gears he went back to his thoughts about the FBI tracking them down in Michigan. It didn't seem likely and even though he might have the occasional laugh at El Capitan's expense he didn't take their situation lightly. The FBI had surprised them before so he knew it was possible that it could happen and being prepared was the wisest thing to do to keep them all safe. He knew obtaining reliable transportation was a priority and he hoped they would be able to figure something out soon.
They hadn't anticipated nearly getting caught in Oregon, thinking after a month without incident they had possibly shaken their pursuers. There had been no warning that anything was about to happen and to this day he didn't know what had given them away. It was one of the rare nights that they had stayed in a hotel, the oppressive rain that had been pouring for days preventing them from stopping at a campground. Maybe it had been because they had spent a couple of nights in a row at different hotels. Maybe the shop where they had purchased a tire after having a flat had thought they were suspicious. Maybe changing the oil at a rest stop had raised a red flag for someone. He didn't know and it really didn't matter now. They had managed to escape in one piece but it had really put them all on edge for quite a while.
"I think we should have some music," Isabel spoke up from the backseat.
Max looked at his sister and shook his head sharply at her suggestion. Music was one thing they never agreed on as a group and it had been the fodder for numerous arguments. They had finally agreed that whomever was driving got to choose the music and the rest of them just had to suffer. If Maria was driving it would be something annoying like whatever bubblegum pop station she could find, with Michael it was hard rock, Kyle had gone to the other side and he would tune in to classical… even country at times, but he had a feeling that was just to aggravate if he was in the right mood. He and Liz had similar taste in music, but the others gave them crap over it, insisting it was depressing. If anyone wanted to point out depressing music, they should point out Isabel's preference since it leaned toward angst-ridden alternative selections. Not that there was any arguing with her when it was her turn to drive because Kyle always took the shotgun position, grabbed whatever book he was reading at the time, and settled in for the next couple hundred miles of agony. He was no support whatsoever. He supported Isabel though so there was only so much fault Max could put on his shoulders. He glanced at his wife. At least where his sister was concerned.
Maria was only too happy to switch the radio on, scanning the dials and landing on a station playing Christmas music. As the current song ended the DJ started a new one, choosing the traditional carol, Oh Come All Ye Faithful. She hummed along for the first few seconds before she started to sing along, her voice ringing out clearly.
"Maybe we should find somethin' we can all…" Kyle turned his head to look at Michael when he received a sharp jab to the ribs with an elbow.
"Shut up an' let her sing."
He nearly elbowed Michael in the jaw when he brought his hand up to snap off a sharp salute. "Si, El Capitan!" He didn't comment when his hybrid buddy stretched his arm out along the seat behind him, one hand resting on Maria's shoulder. Kyle kept his gaze averted when she reached up to cover the big paw and glanced at Michael with a smile that belonged to him and him alone.
The backseat of the car emptied out in record time as Maria put the gearshift into park. She leaned forward and smiled at Michael. "Think it was my singing?"
"Doubtful," he answered with a smirk.
Kyle rolled his eyes. He was happy the two of them seemed to be settling back into their relationship in a very Michael and Maria way, but being trapped between all of their intensity could be overwhelming. "So I vote we get outta the car. I'm enjoying the group hug an' all, but oxygen would be nice too."
Maria released her hold on Michael's hand to smack it against Kyle's chest. "Let's go find out what Dean and his friend have to say," she said as she released her seatbelt and pushed the door open.
They joined the others and the girls exchanged a look at the offensive noise as Godsmack's Awake reverberated off the walls inside the garage.
Maria made a face and covered her ears as Kyle grabbed the door and held it open so the girls could preceded them inside. The music, a generous description as far as she was concerned, was cranked up so high she could feel it vibrating through the floor. She frowned at the windows that were shaking from the sheer force of the obnoxious music. "What is that God-awful noise?" she yelled to be heard.
"Who's this?" Michael muttered to himself, his gaze zeroing in on the man wandering around their van. He was medium height, lanky, olive-toned skin, dark eyes, collar length hair and a goatee. He watched Dean as he appeared next to the other man, pointing something out at the front of the van.
Max caught the suspiciousness etched in Michael's features and he kicked him as subtly as possible, shaking his head once he had his attention. He had been watching the stranger too, but where Michael looked for a potential threat, Max looked for other nuances in the man's behavior and mannerisms. He appeared reserved, maybe shy, but he had an easygoing smile that lit his whole face up as he gestured wildly at the van.
In the span of the few seconds it took for Michael to determine what Max wanted Maria slipped away from him and he rolled his eyes when he saw where she was headed. Nostalgia alert, he thought as he quickly caught up to her and reached out to stop her progress. Her voice carried clearly and loudly as the music was suddenly cut.
"Michael, look, it's a – "
"Jetta, yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes when she suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around him. He shifted their position so he could check the others, catching Max's eye and nodding at Dean and the man he could only assume was Shane. He wrapped his arms around Maria as she looked up at the green Jetta once more before tipping her head back to look up at him and smile. He caught the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes, making them a deeper shade of green, and he lifted his hand to cup her cheek, stroking his thumb against her skin gently. She smiled at him and closed her eyes when he pressed his lips to her forehead, a gesture that came as naturally to him as breathing.