Author's Note: A small scene in this part was borrowed from the Season One episode Four Square, a few lines were borrowed from the Season One episode Tess, Lies & Video Tape, and a couple of lines were borrowed from the Season Two episode Harvest.
Part 47
Michael glanced over his shoulder, shooting a quick look at the new arrivals and deciding that somewhere in the night something had been settled between them. He turned back to Isabel, his speculative gaze moving over the loveseat and then to the blanket she was folding up. Her eyes were searing into him like laser beams, just daring him to say a single word about what they had walked in on. Normally he was smart enough to know when to stick a sock in it but he wanted answers.
Beside him, Maria took an unsubtle shot at his ribs with her elbow. "I think if I were you I'd rethink what you're about to say."
He opened his mouth, ready to charge ahead despite the warnings coming at him from all directions but before he could get a word out, Max spoke.
"Whatever you're about to ask probably isn't what we need to focus on," Max said
Isabel snorted, drawing their gazes. "Whatever the two of you think you need to talk about isn't up for a group discussion."
Before one or both of them could ruin the moment and risk releasing Isabel's wrath Liz stepped forward. "We're all pretty strung out after last night," she said quietly. "Was Kyle able to get any rest?" She slipped her hand into Max's, interlacing their fingers and squeezing his hand tightly. "He hasn't slept in days and I'm worried about him."
"He said what's bothering him?" Michael barreled straight into the conversation in an attempt to get it moving along.
"He did finally fall asleep early this morning," Isabel said and put the perfectly folded up blanket on the loveseat. "He'd still be asleep if you hadn't all come barging in here like you had any right to just come in and make yourselves at home."
In the bathroom Kyle was staring at his bloodshot eyes in the mirror and listening to the stilted conversation going on in the living area. He leaned over and placed his cupped hands under the faucet, filling them and splashing it in his face. He repeated the move several times and while it didn't make him feel any better it did fully wake him up. He grabbed a towel and dried his face, running it over his hair to get rid of the loose droplets of water that had splashed into his hair.
He left his hair standing up in several directions, not really caring that he looked a hungover insomniac. He stumbled back out into the living area, paying no attention to the looks he knew he was receiving. He didn't care about the meeting, he ignored the empty coffee pot sitting on the kitchen counter, and he didn't bother with a single pleasantry. He dropped down on the loveseat, falling sideways to prop his head on the blanket Isabel had folded up.
Michael grabbed one of the chairs from the kitchen table and flipped it around, straddling it and resting his forearms on the high back. "Okay, let's get down to business."
Kyle glanced around the room, taking in the different expressions on everyone's faces. The one thing they all had in common was the weariness hanging on their shoulders like heavy cloaks. Max and Liz seemed more at ease with each other. No, he decided, not at ease so much as more confident of their place with each other. His gaze shifted to Michael as he settled into his interrogation position and he shook himself slightly when the authoritative move caused Liz to tense up. Max responded by wrapping his free hand around their joined hands, rubbing her fingers unconsciously. After everything that had happened the night before he could understand the fear and uncertainty he could see in her eyes.
He was shifting when his eyes moved to Michael and his movements slowed when the guy's eyes drilled into him. He could see the hybrid's left forefinger tapping agitatedly against his arm as he settled into a more comfortable position, ignoring the impatient gesture.
Michael's right hand shot up, stopping Max when he saw him open his mouth to speak. "Spit it out, Valenti. What's goin' on?"
Max cleared his throat. "I think that's my question to ask, so if you don't mind – "
"You wanna let him answer the question?"
Maria rolled her eyes at both of them.
"Both of you just zip it," Isabel demanded.
From his chair Michael started drumming his fingers as he waited for Kyle to speak up. "Care to share with the rest of the class?" he gritted out when Kyle didn't immediately respond to his nonverbal cues.
"I was kinda in the middle of confiding in a friend last night when that whole scene went south. So, no, I'm not really in a sharin' mood right now."
The muscle in Michael's jaw began to tic as he clenched his teeth together. "We don't have the luxury of waitin' until you're – "
"He just woke up, Michael," Isabel interrupted before he could go on. "Why don't you give him some time to really wake up before you begin with the inquisition?"
"Isabel, whatever's goin' on affects all of us so he needs to just put whatever's goin' on out there so we can figure out how to handle it."
She glared at him. "Maybe so, but whatever it is let him – "
"What part of 'we don't have the luxury of waiting' did you not understand?" he snapped.
"Would you both cut it out?" Kyle rubbed his temples and rolled into a sitting position. "Look, this whole thing started because I went to see Liz." He was starting to get a headache thanks to all of the arguing and it was beginning to annoy him. "I went to see Liz because apparently the side effects of bein' healed have started kicking in."
"What's that mean?" Michael demanded.
"It means, El Capitan, Kyle's special power is… I don't know what it is, other than disturbing."
"You're gonna have to do better than that, Valenti. Havin' secrets is killin' this group. It's too dangerous so just tell us – "
"He just said he doesn't know what it is," Liz spoke up. "It takes time to come to terms with changing. Not all of us were born with these powers so when they suddenly become a part of us we don't become accustomed to it overnight."
"Liz has a point, Michael," Max said, remembering what she had gone through when her powers had started to reveal themselves. "Maybe we should just let it rest for now."
Michael rubbed his jaw as he considered Max's suggestion. "You showin' any physical signs that your powers are comin' online?"
"I'm not glowin' in the dark or anything," Kyle answered with a roll of his eyes. "Not shootin' sparks from my fingers an' toes, my head's not spinnin' around on my shoulders…"
Max was rubbing his face when he happened to glance at his sister and he paused when he saw the look on her face at Kyle's answer. All their lives all she had wanted was to be normal; to have a normal family, to live a normal life, and to do things that were… well… extraordinary. He knew nothing malicious was meant by Kyle's diatribe and he was certain that if he'd stopped to think his comments most likely would have been censored to protect her feelings. His thoughts were interrupted when the chair legs scraped across the floor and Michael spoke up.
"I'll just take that as a no, smartass," Michael growled. "Alright, we'll table this issue for now." He shot a pointed look at Kyle. "But we'll pick it up again. Soon." He scrubbed his hands over his face before looking around at the others. "For now we'll just focus on last night and this Future Max fiasco."
Liz shifted uncomfortably, relaxing slightly when Max squeezed her hand. She knew they were going to have to discuss it but the last thing she wanted was to go over that again. Especially so soon after that last blowup.
"I think we can all discuss this a little more rationally," Maria said as she glanced at Liz. She knew how hard this situation was on her best friend and she wished there was a way to make it easier. She could still remember how emotionally torn up Liz had been when she had told her about Future Max. That time seemed so distant now. "We've all had time to calm down since last night and we've had time to think about what that visit could've really been."
"Does anyone else find that whole scenario a little too convenient?" Michael asked after a few minutes of silence.
Maria's gaze settled on Liz in the silence that followed on the heels of her boyfriend's question. Her best friend's features were drawn, her body language giving away her unease as he refused to drop the subject. She reached over and placed her hand on Michael's shoulder, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze to get his attention. His position was threatening, his demeanor that of an interrogator rather than a friend, and she had a feeling it was only putting everyone on edge.
Michael looked up at Maria, frowning at her and almost asking her what was wrong with her when she nodded across the room. His hands clenched and unclenched unconsciously as he turned to follow her gaze, watching Max pull Liz into his arms. He shifted to glance at Isabel, watching her for a moment and gnawing on the inside of his bottom lip when he recognized the agitated movements. He forced his posture to relax so that he didn't come across as intimidating, knowing it was what Maria had wanted as soon as her grip on his shoulder eased and she started rubbing instead.
"I'll agree with you on that," Max said, bringing them back to Michael's question. "There're definitely some things that don't add up."
Michael nodded. "The guy – if he was even there in the first place – went to Liz because it's common knowledge you two are each other's weak spots. No one else would've been able to convince you to do what you did." He rushed to continue when Maria's hand flexed, her nails digging into his shoulder. "What I mean is the guy guilted Liz into doing somethin' that went against her better judgment. For all we know it was a setup to push the group apart."
Max shook his head. "The only thing it accomplished was getting me to let Tess in." He rubbed his forehead. "Something that I should've fought harder against. I allowed my resolve to weaken where she was concerned, that's on me." He shrugged one shoulder. "Whoever, whatever, he was, he couldn't have been me," he denied. "And not just because I really don't want that responsibility on my shoulders, but because I wouldn't, I couldn't, have put Liz through that."
Kyle closed his eyes and covered them with his forearm. Did it really matter now? Whatever Future Max, or whatever the guy was, had intended to do by visiting Liz had already been done. It was in the past and whatever the repercussions were it was too late to stop them.
"I agree." Michael thumped his thumb on the chair's high back. "It had to be a setup, designed to push the group apart."
"That's possible."
"Wait, no, it had to be real," Maria said, stopping them before they could go any further. "He was right in front of Liz, he told her she had to make him fall out of love with her to save the world."
Michael snorted. "First, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He turned his head to look at her. "You really think the survival of this planet hangs in the balance because of them? This isn't some sci-fi fairy tale, Maria. Planets aren't saved or destroyed for love."
"What if he wasn't really there?" Isabel asked, her voice low. "Maybe he was a mindwarp. Or maybe he was from a different timeline altogether." She sighed and walked over to the window to stare outside. "I don't really see why it even matters now."
"It matters because we have no idea what was set into motion by that meeting," Michael insisted. "It matters because these two were runnin' around having secret meetings in the middle of the night, making themselves vulnerable, putting their lives at risk – "
"It was a conversation between two friends," Liz said, jumping back slightly when he shot up out of his chair.
"It wasn't just a conversation," he bit out. "Risk, vulnerability, what part of that don't you understand? You go out in the middle of the night, you're unprotected, at the mercy of anyone or anything that might be out there, and after meeting what you believed to be a future version of Max, a moron who convinced you he was supposed to be with Tess, you never thought twice about bein' out alone? Did you even consider what could've happened to you?"
Max shifted, placing himself between his wife and Michael. "Ease up, Michael," he said quietly.
Maria reached out to wrap her fingers around his arm, pulling him back away from them and wrapping her arms around his waist. She could see the anguish in his dark eyes and knew it was a combination of fear for her safety, hurt that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him about what had been going on, and anger… she just wasn't sure if that last one was aimed at her or himself.
"The biggest problem with this whole thing is his whole reason for being there was to convince Liz to make me fall out of love with her. If the guy had been me there's no way he ever would've even considered that possibility. I don't care if it was 10 years down the road or a hundred, it would never occur to me that falling out of love with Liz was an option. And that whole setup with me seeing her with Kyle," he shook his head and shot a sharp glance at Kyle who remained unaffected since he wasn't looking at him. "Yeah, it hurt, it pissed me off, but did it make me fall out of love with her? No. And if the guy had been me he would've known that."
What a romantic notion. It was straight out of a romance novel, Isabel thought. She stood at the window, her gaze focused on the little swirls of snow dancing over the surface of the snow-covered ground. The wind seemed to be blowing with greater frequency the longer she stared outside. As nauseating as it was, Max was right. She turned away from the hypnotizing scenery and looked at the others. "If that future version of you knew the impossibility of that task then it had to be important. What could've been so important that he believed falling out of love with Liz would change the course of history?"
Kyle snorted at that. "Think about it. If he'd accomplished that goal it would've changed everything. If Tess had gotten her way he would've completely forgotten that Liz even existed."
"That's true," Maria added, warming up to the topic. She had latched onto what Kyle was saying and she tackled the topic with enthusiasm. "She was after Max from the beginning. For all we know that business about the deal with Khivar was a bunch of bull. She got pregnant, which could've been intentional because, please, she was a conniving little witch and she had a motive for everything she did. It's the oldest trick in the book for holding onto a guy. She knew Max wouldn't be able to turn his back on an obligation like that. If she had succeeded in getting Max to fall out of love with Liz would she have gone that far?" She looked at Liz. "You said Future Max told you that Tess left, and she did, but there was nothing said about her being pregnant. That's not something you would've forgotten."
"No," Liz agreed, "but he said she left because of us."
"Okay, so obviously the pregnancy thing didn't happen in that timeline or whatever," Michael said as he leaned back and considered this new theory. "So what you're suggesting is this whole thing was one of her mind tricks. She manipulated the entire thing to fit her agenda."
"It makes perfect sense!" Maria continued. "Think about it! She wanted Max from the very beginning, right? Right! She obviously lied about Zan being able to survive on Earth. Future Max said she left… not that she punched a one-way ticket to Antar. That's something pretty significant so he probably would've mentioned that. If her goal in our timeline was to trick the three of you into going to Antar to be executed why the whole ruse with Max? I think that was a last-ditch attempt to get what she wanted. She obviously didn't expect what happened when she got there… if that's even where she went. We have no way of really knowing whether she actually went to Antar or not."
Max looked between the two of them. "You think Tess manipulated that entire situation?"
Kyle rubbed his forehead as he stood up and he sighed before looking at Max. "I think she had the ability. What I know is Tess and I were in the middle of… things when Liz showed up and wanted to talk to her."
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. He had let Tess get past his radar. The warning signs had been there but he had been too stubborn to see them. His mind slipped back into the past, to a day when Max had come to him, needing help, needing someone to confide in, and he had shut him down.
"Michael, I'm worried."
"You should be." He had been preoccupied, his thoughts otherwise engaged.
"It's not about Valenti," Max said, accurately reading Michael's posture. "It's about Tess, Isabel's friend. I'm having these daydreams about her."
That had slightly piqued his curiosity. "Daydreams?"
"Yeah, where we're together…" He'd felt completely uncomfortable talking about this with Michael. "You know, together."
Michael hadn't had any sympathy for him. "I guess you're only human after all, huh?"
"It's me," Max insisted. "I'm the problem. Something's happening to me."
His patience had quickly worn thin. "Haven't you ever had a fantasy before?"
"This is different. It's out of my control. I can't stop it."
"We'll work it out."
Michael frowned. He had been so focused on Valenti having the communicator that he had dismissed their most dangerous problem. He had been so busy being pissed off because Max wasn't listening to him or taking him seriously that he had been unwilling to listen when he had come to him with his concerns about Tess.
Thanks for the compassion.
He cringed internally as Nicholas' words taunted him.
"And who do we have here? That gleam of dull stupidity in the eyes. If I'm not mistaken, you must be the king's second in command."
Yeah, he'd royally screwed that one up. He sighed quietly. Never again, Max, he vowed silently. He stood and reached for Maria's hand, pulling her up against his side. He watched Kyle for several unnerving minutes before the other guy held his hands up in aggravation.
"What?"
"So you don't remember anything that happened between the time you and Tess were getting it on and – "
"Michael!"
"What? He said it, not me," Michael muttered. "You don't remember anything between then and when Liz asked you for help?"
Max straightened up and watched agitation set in as Kyle began to pace. He recognized the behavior. He had seen it at least twice before now; once when he had backed Liz up in the pod chamber when Liz had told them that Tess had killed Alex, and later when he had come face to face with Tess after she returned with Zan.
Kyle could feel the familiar throbbing pressure that indicated he had another headache coming on as he sorted through the memories. He clearly remembered the way he had felt just moments before Liz had knocked on his front door. His feelings for Tess at that moment had been strong and hot and if Liz hadn't interrupted the moment… He shook that thought off, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to ease the knot of tension that was forming.
How had he 'forgot' what they had been about to do? The pain in his head exploded as he tried to force the memory in an effort to recall what had been lost, taken from him. The agonizing knife-in-the-base-of-his-skull pain stopped him in his tracks and he lifted his hands to grip his head.
Isabel moved to stand beside him and she rested her hand on his shoulder.
Kyle lifted his head to look at Max. "All I know is I had her on my radar and I was definitely on hers, and we got interrupted when Liz came by to talk to Tess." He gingerly shook his head. "After that it's all like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. It's like I can't remember how I got from wantin' some alone time with Tess to wantin' to help Liz the second time she showed up at my door." He didn't look away as he continued. "I won't lie. I helped Liz because I wanted to. She was miserable and I couldn't just say no."
Maria tapped her forefinger against her lips. "I still don't get it," she confessed. "If Tess was mindwarping Liz and we all agree she never had a chance of making him fall out of love with her… what happened to make her stop the mindwarp? It only makes sense that something had to happen to reassure her that things were going the way she wanted to because he disappeared." She snapped her fingers. "End of mindwarp."
Beside her Michael shifted, his eyes meeting Max's for a moment before he lowered his gaze to Maria. "She knew she'd never get him to fall outta love with Liz so she took the next best thing."
She shook her head. "What're you talking about?"
Max felt his chest tighten and his throat felt like it was closing when he heard Michael's quiet answer.
"She just had to get him to a point where he accepted he and Liz could never be together. He as much as conceded defeat when he gave up on her."
Maria shook her head sharply. "Huh-uh, I don't believe that," she denied. "Max never gave up on Liz." She held a hand up when Michael started to protest. "He may have accepted that he had lost any chance of being with her, but no, he never gave up on her."
Michael rubbed the back of his neck as he considered everything that had been said. He didn't want to get into a conversation on who did or didn't give up on whom. "What'd he tell you about the future? I mean, if you hadn't agreed to go along with him what would've happened?"
"I don't know," Liz answered honestly. "Just knowing about him, about what he had said would happen, that was bound to change things in some way." She trailed off and her eyes suddenly widened. "Alex wasn't dead in the other timeline," she choked out. "He wasn't killed by Tess." She shook her head, trying to deny what she had remembered. "When Future Max was telling me about our wedding night he said we eloped." She frowned. "He said I called Maria, Michael, Isabel, and Alex… we were 19 when we eloped and Alex was still alive."
"Oh, Liz," Maria whispered, shaking her head as Liz fought back the tears welling in her eyes. She swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump in her throat as she watched Liz blame herself for Alex's death; a death whose blame could only be placed on the shoulders of that witch Tess. It only took the space of a heartbeat before she was moving, quickly going to her friend. She smoothed Liz's hair back before taking her face in her hands.
Max wanted badly to take his wife in his arms, to comfort her and make her believe that nothing about this situation was her fault. But he could see that she needed Maria in that moment so he stayed close and let her best friend handle things.
Isabel urged Kyle over to the loveseat, pushing him to sit down. She was sick of going over and over what Tess had done… and she hated seeing what it had done to Kyle. Her stomach twisted into knots in response to the sudden revelation that a single choice may have been responsible for taking Alex from them.
"No, Liz, don't even go there. It isn't your fault that witch killed Alex." Maria smoothed her hands over her hair, keeping their gazes locked. "There's no way you could've predicted what would happen whether or not you chose to believe Future Max. Look at me," she insisted when Liz lowered her eyes. "If Alex were here he'd tell you that and you know it."
Isabel stood next to Kyle and she glanced past the others to the corner of the room. Alex stood there watching what was going on and she could see the concern on his face. His steady gray eyes met hers and when he nodded she knew he was agreeing with Maria's statement. A flash of memory suddenly hit her and for a moment she was standing in her mother's kitchen as Tess took her hand. Nausea began to set in and she looked away when her mind wandered down a path she had no interest in revisiting.
"I have feelings for Max, Isabel. Strong feelings. I know Max loves Liz. That's what everyone tells me. But don't you ever get signals from someone, Isabel?"
"Signals?"
"You know… moments when you connect with someone. And there's no mistaking what's going on. Like no matter who you may be with, or what you may think, that you and this other person are destined to be together."
Quickly on the heels of that memory came a flash of her and Michael together. Her brain slammed the door on that particular memory, shutting it down before it could go any farther. No one was expecting it when she suddenly erupted.
"Enough about Tess and Future Max! Tess killed Alex, and no one else is responsible! Like Michael said yesterday, placing the blame serves no purpose. We have no idea what's true or not true, especially if the truth relies on what Tess said or did." She drew in a sharp breath. "She lied about almost everything. She made us see and believe things that weren't there." She shot a quick look at Michael, seeing in his expression that he knew what she was referring to. Her hands clenched involuntarily as she bit out, "She took too much from us and I'm not gonna let her take another minute of my time. This meeting is over!"
Kyle rubbed his temple with one hand and reached for Isabel's arm with the other, his fingers sliding down to take her hand in an effort to calm her. "Hey," he said quietly. He knew the others were paying no attention to them. Michael was making his way over to Maria and she had relinquished her hold on Liz, allowing Max to take his devastated wife into his arms. He had no idea what Max was saying and he figured it was none of his business; it was a private moment between husband and wife.
"You've done nothin' but love me, Liz. You've loved all of us," he insisted, his voice low and his tone comforting. "This is not your fault."
Michael's arm settled around Maria's shoulders and he pulled her up close as he faced the other couple. He was silent for a moment before his gaze locked on Liz. "Like I said last night, blaming each other, blaming ourselves for anything she did stops right now. If anyone should shoulder the blame for this cluster-fuck it's me, okay? I'm the one who sent the damn signal and brought Nacedo and Tess right to our front door."
Kyle could feel the tension running through Isabel and setting her on edge. His own tension had notched up over the past… he glanced at the clock. Had it really been less than half an hour? He pinched the bridge of his nose, holding the pressure there for a moment before letting go again. He stood up and rolled his shoulders. "Isabel, didn't you tell me we were due up at the Stevens' place here pretty soon?"
Her startled gaze flew to him but she quickly brought it under control. "Actually, we're already late. We have breakfast to attend to and then we have some things to finish up over at Mr. Tony's house."
He nodded. "If you'll get the planner I'll get our coats." He glanced at the others, not even realizing he was still holding her hand until she slipped it free to go and retrieve the planner. "Let's get a move on, people. I've seen what's on the schedule for the day and if we don't get started on it soon we're likely to be working long into the night and I for one would prefer to be inside before nightfall."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Maggie's legs swung back and forth as she stared at the second hand slowly creeping around the face of the clock. She suddenly sat up straighter when she heard something outside and all of her concentration zeroed in on it. Her gaze shifted to the window and then to the door and she frowned slightly at the silence that followed. She turned her head to look at Daddy's newspaper when she heard the paper rustling as he turned the page and her eyes widened momentarily at the snapping sound it made when he straightened it out. She sighed and turned in her seat to look at Mama, holding onto the high back of the chair as she leaned sideways in an attempt to see what she was doing. She dropped her gaze to Cindy. The little polar bear was sitting next to her on the table, a clean bowl, spoon, and glass in front of her.
"Mama, what time is it?"
"Thirty seconds later than the last time you asked," Edward said as he licked the pad of his thumb and turned to the next page.
"Maybe they forgot when breakfast is."
That earned a snort from behind the paper.
Julia slid a pan into the oven before turning to look at her daughter. "They're probably just finishing up breakfast, Maggie."
"But they were s'posed to come here for breakfast, Mama. Don't you remember? Yesterday you an' Isabel talked 'bout it."
"Yes, that's true." She picked up a baking pan with melted butter in it and carried it over to the table. "Here, why don't you give me a hand with these magic bars?" she suggested in an attempt to keep the little girl occupied.
"Um-hmm, that'll do it."
She shot a look at her husband that he ducked by lifting the paper higher. She rolled her eyes and leaned over Maggie to help her arrange the ingredients.
"Mama, are they gonna be here soon?" Maggie asked as she tipped her head back.
"Makes you wonder what's takin' so long," Edward muttered. "Must've been a busy night." He had no idea what had gone down between their guests but whatever it was it'd been serious.
The oven timer went off, the annoying buzzing sound interrupting Edward's ramblings and Julia reached out to smack his newspaper as she reached for the potholders.
"Hey," he lowered his paper to glance at her, "what was that for?"
"That was funny, Mama," Maggie giggled. "The pictures of the reindeer on Daddy's newspaper jumped when you did that."
"Mmmm, smells good in here," Eddie said as he joined them. "Are you makin' magic bars?"
"Yes, I am. I thought we'd have some with something hot this evening when it gets really cold," Julia answered.
Edward flipped the top of his paper forward to peer at his little girl as he spoke to his wife, his tone teasing. "What makes you think they'll be here this evening?" He winked at Maggie, making her giggle. "Magic bars are made to disappear."
Julia pulled the hot pan out of the oven and slid it onto a cooling rack. She gave her boys a look as she pulled a spatula out of the drawer, waving it at them as she threatened, "No touchy until this evening."
She's got that look in her eyes again. Her husband just grinned and went back to reading his paper. He remembered one time he and the boys had snuck up on her and tried to steal a few of the magic bars before they had been deemed ready. That had earned all three of them a swift smack on the rear end, leaving her to bend the spatula back into shape afterwards.
"Look, Daddy, Mama has her pancake flipper out. 'Member when you an' Brian tried to get some last year before Mama said they were ready?" She laughed at that and went back to working on the next batch of magic bars.
"Mom, did you make some without the nuts?" Eddie asked.
"Of course."
Eddie looked around for the kitchen before scratching his head. "Um, where's Brian?" His older brother was always around, especially when Mom was making anything edible.
"He got up early this mornin'," Edward answered as he folded his paper and stretched his arms over his head. "Went over to the barn with Stefanie and Travis to handle reindeer chores." He got up and crossed the room to wrap his arms around his wife and nuzzle her neck. He chuckled when he saw Eddie's longing look at the cooling magic bars. "Looks like your brother had somethin' better than comin' up with the best way to snatch an early dessert." He lowered his head to Julia's shoulder as he whispered, "Girls have a way of distracting us boys." He shot a sideways glance at his youngest boy, knowing full well that as helpful as he was around his mother he had his own agenda that involved a certain guest.
"Go on, Edward, I know what you want and it's not happening," Julia said with a smile. "Now shoo, it's time to cut the cooled bars."
And opportunity began to knock. Eddie's ears perked up and he sidled up to the counter. "Mom, you want me to make another pot of coffee? Maybe put some water on to heat for when the others get here?"
She smiled at him. "Why thank you, Eddie. Yes, please do that."
Edward snorted and excused himself to get into his thermals so he would be ready when the others showed up.
Julia finished cutting the cooled bars and gave Eddie and Maggie a couple that had been broken accidentally. They were working on layering the next batch when the sound of stomping boots and the door opening interrupted them. Her little girl was out of her chair like a shot, running over to stand before Michael. She smiled as she listened to Maggie going on about how she was helping her make magic bars.
Edward came back into the room just as Maggie started rattling off how magic bars were their favorite Christmas dessert. He listened to her absentmindedly as he assessed the state of their visitors.
"Yep, Mama only makes them at Christmas." Maggie ran to the table to snatch up one of her broken pieces and hurried back to Michael. "Here, you can try it. You're gonna love it and then you'll wanna steal some too, but you can't. The boys always try to steal some before Mama says it's okay to eat them but she's got the pancake flipper to shoo them away," she said with a laugh.
The group was somber; their demeanors ranged from withdrawn to haggard. Isabel came in first, planner in hand and wearing a smile that appeared forced. The small brunette had his attention the moment she came through the door though. He watched her young husband as he spoke in low tones and helped her out of her outerwear. Dark circles underlined her eyes and her distant, distracted behavior reminded him of someone who was grieving. Maria stayed close as she hung up her coat. She was watching over her friend, he realized.
"Doesn't it smell wonderful in here?" she commented, her hand brushing her friend's arm. "It's so warm and smells so… mmm, so good!"
Kyle came inside last and started to hang up his and Isabel's outerwear and he unknowingly nodded in agreement with Maria. "Wow, something smells great!"
Edward's gaze was drawn to Michael as it always was. It was Michael who acted as his gauge for determining the condition of the group. There was something different about him. There was normally an air of protectiveness about him, a guarded awareness, but this was different. He appeared weighed down, burdened by something. The younger man was struggling to focus on Maggie and he could tell he was having a difficult time following her childish ramblings this morning.
Julia followed her husband's gaze to their guests and she knew he wanted to comment on their later than normal arrival. It didn't take more than a glance to know that something wasn't right with them and she knew if she didn't intervene on their behalf he would begin questioning them. "Have you had a chance to eat breakfast this morning?"
"We kinda slept in this mornin'," Michael said with a shrug.
Eddie looked at them as he got a mug down and filled it with coffee. He snorted under his breath. No one was gonna buy that one, he thought with a roll of his eyes. None of them looked like they'd slept in about a week. He carried cups over to the table and set them down, giving Maria a bright smile as he placed a mug in front of her. "I made it just like you like it." He looked at Liz and Isabel as he motioned to the sugar and cream sitting out on the table. "You guys can have some too if you want."
"Michael, you an' Maria come watch me an' Mama make magic bars," Maggie said excitedly. "Do you like nuts in yours, Michael?" She shook her head as she latched onto his hand and led him over to the table. "Oh! Do you know if Santa likes them too?"
Michael felt like he'd been run over by a very large truck… possibly more than once. He was drained mentally and exhausted physically and his brain was fighting a losing battle as it tried to keep up with the little girl's questions.
"Maggie, maybe you and Cindy should ask if they'd like some breakfast," Julia suggested as she waved them into chairs around the table.
Her eyes widened in anticipation. "Oh, can I? Oops, I mean, may I?" As soon as Mama nodded she looked up at Michael again. "Cindy saved a bowl for you."
Eddie scrambled to get a bowl that he filled with Frosted Flakes and milk. He carried it over to the table and set it down in front of Maria. "These are for you," he said and handed her a spoon. "They're the frosted kind, not the gross ones you have to put your own sugar on."
Michael turned his head to scowl at the boy and he was just opening his mouth to tell him that Maria couldn't stand frosted flakes when she kicked him under the table.
The thought of cold cereal caused Isabel's stomach to give a warning roll. "Maybe I'll just have toast and coffee." She reached over to stop Kyle when he started to get up, knowing he was on his way to do it for her. "I've got it. My toast always comes out perfect."
"I don't doubt it," he said with a slight smile. He listened as she asked Julia if she had any cinnamon, thinking to himself that it was doubtful there was any baking ingredient the woman didn't have in her kitchen.
Julia's gaze moved over their guests, feeling for them when she saw their worn, exhausted features. Liz looked like she was suffering from some sort of loss and her husband looked worried, concerned as he hovered close by. Maria appeared to be emotionally drained and her boyfriend, who was doing his best to interact with Maggie, looked physically exhausted. Kyle's features were pinched and every once in a while he would rub his temples or pinch the bridge of his nose, a clear indicator that the stubborn headache he'd been fighting was hanging on. Out of all of them Isabel looked the most ready to face the day but closer inspection showed an edge of pain shadowing her eyes but she hid it better than the others.
She watched them for a few minutes before suggesting a warm breakfast. She held her hands up and smiled when they automatically declined, insisting that a heavy meal wasn't necessary. She easily translated that to mean that they weren't ready to face a big breakfast because whatever was going on with them had left them with little to no appetite. She gave in gracefully, turning them loose in her kitchen to put their breakfasts together. It was going to get viciously cold as the day passed but getting something in their stomachs was better than nothing.
While Isabel was busy at the toaster Julia went to collect a couple of Tylenol that she placed next to Kyle before moving on to finish the next batch of magic bars. She took the long way around, placing a warning hand on Edward's shoulder when she saw him gearing up for a round of questioning.
Max got up, his hand lingering on his wife's shoulder for a moment before he asked Julia if she had any oatmeal. He moved to the cabinet she directed him to and he started the simple process of fixing a bowl of instant oatmeal.
Eddie made a face. "You get a choice of cereal and you choose oatmeal?" He moved to the pantry and pulled the door open. "Here, we've got more cold cereal." He took a step back out of the way when Max joined him while he was waiting for the water to heat up in the microwave and he rolled his eyes when the guy's gaze bounced between a box of bran flakes and some other cereal that his parents ate. "You're gonna eat that?" he asked in disbelief when Max grabbed the box of bran flakes.
Kyle stared at the box of bran flakes in Max's hand. Half a dozen different kinds of cereal lined one of the pantry shelves and El Presidente chose bran flakes? Somewhere deep inside, the comedian in him that desperately wanted to come back out to play latched onto the moment. It was really too good to pass up but the words just wouldn't come. He looked up when Isabel sat down beside him, sliding a small plate in front of him with two slices of golden toast generously slathered with butter and topped with a cinnamon/sugar mix. The cinnamon was darker where it was settling into the melted butter and his mouth watered at the sight and smell.
"Bran Flakes or Shredded Wheat," she mused quietly so her voice wouldn't carry past him. "Is it really that much of a choice?"
"Well, I suppose he made the appropriate choice. Help restore the balance so to speak." He snorted when he saw her answering smile just before she bit into a slice of toast.
They ate in companionable silence, watching Maggie as she brought a bowl of cocoa puffs over to the table and placed it before Michael. She motioned for him to wait and she ran back to the refrigerator, pulling out the milk that was only half-full and carrying it over to the table. Michael took the jug and poured milk over the cereal before capping it and handing it back to her.
She looked up at him with a big smile as she cradled the jug to her chest. "You like Cocoa Puffs don't you?"
He controlled his revulsion at the thought of the too-sweet chocolaty cereal and gave her a smile. "Can't think of anything I'd like more this mornin'." Maybe to have someone run over his foot.
"You can start eating while I make you toast." She looked at Maria before her gaze dropped to the bowl of soggy cereal on the table, practically untouched. She wrinkled her nose and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment as she turned her head to study Michael's cereal bowl. After giving it thoughtful contemplation she looked at Maria again. "Eddie loves Frosted Flakes," she commented. I like Tony the Tiger but his cereal gets all yucky in milk." She turned back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Do you want some Cocoa Puffs too?"
Michael leaned over, one elbow resting on his thigh. "Maria would really like the Honey Nut Cheerios," he confided. After the morning they'd had all the chocolate would turn her stomach upside down and there was no reason for both of them to suffer.
"Really?" She shifted to one side to look around him at Maria. "You like them old Cheerios better than the Cocoa Puffs?"
Maria nodded, rubbing Michael's thigh in gratitude. All that chocolate first thing would only send her stomach into upheaval.
Maggie made a face and slid the milk jug on the table while she went to retrieve the bowl of Cheerios.
Julia slipped up behind them, leaning past Maria to scoop up the bowl of soggy cereal. "I'll get rid of this for you," she said with a wink and an understanding pat on the shoulder. Eddie was momentarily occupied and there was no point letting him know that his crush couldn't stomach his offering.
Maria nodded in thanks and looked up when Max came over to the table with two bowls in his hands. He placed the oatmeal topped with bananas and sprinkled with cinnamon in front of Liz and he rubbed her arm as he sat down. He shifted his chair closer to hers and his hand moved down her arm, searching hers out and linking their fingers on the table between them.
Edward's gaze followed his little girl as she buzzed around the kitchen and he smiled slightly. She was a miniature version of his Julia. She fussed over anyone who would sit still long enough to let her, filling their stomachs, and comforting and soothing them just by being who she was. She came back with Maria's breakfast choice and waited patiently while Michael poured the milk before taking it from him and scurrying back to the refrigerator to put it away. He winced as Michael took a bite of the Cocoa Puffs drenched in milk that would now be a thick chocolaty-sweet liquid. His teeth hurt just thinking of how sweet it would be.
Before long Maggie was back, squeezing between the couple to slide a plate of toast smeared with butter and jam. She looked up at Michael, tipping her head sideways as she watched him eating. "Is your breakfast good?"
He nodded without answering.
"Cindy said you'd like it," she said with a smile.
"Well, she's a smart polar bear," he said, returning her smile.
"Michael, can I ask you a question?"
He nodded at the empty chair next to him. "C'mon over here and ask." It wasn't much, but with her standing between them he felt like Maria was too far away.
She clambered up on the chair and rested her forearm on his shoulder as she watched him taste the toast. A grin erupted on her face when he hummed happily and took another big bite before looking at her. "Do you think Santa might need some help while he's here?"
"Help?" he echoed as he polished off the first slice of toast.
"Yeah, you know, like if he needs somethin'?"
The others watched as he slowly chewed on a mouthful of toast, his expression considering. It was the first time he had shown any sign of relaxing in quite a while.
"Well," he said finally, "maybe." He brushed crumbs off of his shirt before giving her his full attention. "Now, you'd have to check with Isabel to be sure, but I heard that Santa might be lookin' for an elf helper." He nodded. "She kinda handles all of Santa's plans an' stuff."
The little girl's hopeful gaze swung to Isabel. "Does he, Isabel?"
Isabel smiled at Kyle when he reached for the ever-present planner and handed it to her. She flipped it open and turned the pages under the pretense of searching for the information. "Will you look at that?"
"What?" Maggie asked excitedly. "What's it say?"
She placed the planner on the table between her and Kyle. "Look at that."
Kyle shifted closer, angling his head to look at the doodles he had drawn the other day when she and Dayna had been hitting him from both sides with ideas. "Huh, looks like Santa's in the market for an elf helper. Looks like you're just the helper the big guy's been lookin' for."
"Michael, didja hear that?" she asked with an excited shout and threw her arms around his neck to hug him. "I get to be Santa's helper!" Her eyes widened. "Oooh, do I get to wear an elf costume?"
Edward chuckled and shook his head. It was time to get things moving because Maggie was just warming up to the subject. "Eddie, are you about ready, boy?"
Eddie looked up at his dad. "Ready?" he mumbled.
"Ready, yes, to head over to Mr. Tony's and knock the work out before we get the worst of that cold front that's movin' through." He nodded when the boy started to protest. "Good, go get yourself ready."
Michael glanced at the man of the house. "Guess that's out cue to get movin'." He glanced at Max and then at Kyle, nodding when his friend shook his head. "Max, if you'd rather hang back with the girls while they're doin' whatever it is they're plannin' to do today…" He trailed off when Liz shook her head. "No?"
She looked at her husband. "Max, you should go with Michael."
"Liz," he shook his head, obviously reluctant to leave her.
"It's fine." She looked at Michael. "Max will be more of a help to you. Kyle's got a splitting headache and he shouldn't be out in that biting cold all day." And she didn't want Max to spend all afternoon blaming himself for what had happened. He needed a break even if he didn't know it. "You guys probably won't be out there more than a few hours. Kyle can keep us company while we're doing laundry."
Michael snorted at that. He knew what would happen. Kyle would spend the day being pampered and babied by all three girls. Yeah, there was a tough job. He looked back at Max. "Your call."
Max shook his head. "Liz, I really think I should stay with you."
She shifted in her chair to look at him fully. "Max, I'm okay, and you guys will get this done faster if you're helping. We don't want Kyle to be out there and have his condition worsen."
He bit his lip, not certain he could leave her alone. He lifted his gaze to settle on Kyle as he debated what he should do.
"Don't worry, Max," Kyle said quietly. "I'll take care of her."
One corner of his mouth lifted in the slightest of smiles as he recalled the last time he had heard those words and he checked with Liz again before finally nodding. It was time to start putting the past in the past and to begin moving forward.