Michael knew he couldn't go straight to Isabel and Kyle just in case Zan or Future Max or whatever the hell they called him found where his sister and his best friend were.
He watched Parker playing with Ava and couldn't help but smile even through this rotten time. He could not describe how happy he was. He never thought this happiness excisted. It was like he was complete now. His son had now filled every part of him. He'd given up on searching for home a long time ago. And those times with Liz a long time ago gave him hope and looking back to how he loved her, he knew he'd been so close. Close but not there. He hadn't known home because he couldn't create a home. Not with his brother's ex. It would kill Max if he knew how Michael felt about his highschool sweetheart.
Liz was at the moment down the street in a small convinience store working under the table. Michael had given up trying to convince her that she should stay home. Her argument was that they needed money so they wouldn't run low on it. She also said she was giving him time with Parker.
In truth, Michael knew she probably meant that last part but they both knew the unspoken reason she didn't want to stay in thier one bedroom motel room. She didn't want to be in the same room with Michael 24 hours a day. He could feel that she didn't feel comfortable with him so close.
It broke his heart but he concentrated on the positive. He had time to spend time with his son.
"Hey Ava. I'm going to give Isabel a call." He got up from his seat on the couch to walk into the other room. They didn't know about Zan and he didn't want them to hear him. They deserved to know the truth face to face.
"It's been 2 weeks, Michael. Isabel is going to be going insane. I think we should start moving." She and Zan were looking at him. Ava with confident, determined eyes. And Parker with hopeful eyes.
He simply nodded, agreeing with her. "Yeah. Give me a couple of minutes." He closed the bedroom door behind him.
He picked up the room phone and dialed.
"Hello?" Isabel was hesitant. She sounded weird.
"Isabel?" Michael worried. "What's going on?"
"What did you say to us the night Liz left us?" Isabel's voice was still tense, cold.
"What?" What kind of question was that? Was she in trouble?
"Isabel, are you ok?" His body was tense, waiting for something dreadful to come.
"Answer the question?"
"I said, Liz left these. She's gone. She's not coming back." He waited.
A loud exhale followed. "And I ran to you. I hugged you. I knew that was the moment everything was going to change. We were all going to split up. I said I love you." There were tears in her eyes, he could tell.
"Isabel, what the hell is going on?" Michael demanded. He didn't like remembering that night.
"Someone came, Michael. Someone was here. He looked like Max. He said he was Max. But Kyle and I both knew it wasn't Max."
A shiver went through Michael. Damn, he should have warned them. But didn't think Zan wouold actually figure out where his family were.
"He avoided talking about anything current. His hair was wrong. Not like Max wears it."
"Listen to me, Isabel. That man is dangerous. He's after Liz and P-" He stopped himself. This wouldn't be the way he told his sister anout his son. "He's tried killing Liz before. Don't let him near you. Avoid him at all costs. Don't let on you're onto him."
"Michael, something about him put me on edge. Kyle and I went along with him. Made sure we didn't expose him. He saw the boxes in our apartment. He knows we're moving. He said he'd be back."
"Damn it. Where's Kyle. He's packing the essentials as we speak. He's been watching the house so we're pretending like everything's alright."
"Let me talk to him, Iz." He was pinching the bridge of his nose he realized and let go.
"Take care of yourself Michael. And get a new damn phone. From now I want to hear from you everyday you hear? And when I answer start with something to let on it's you." He heard her call, "Kyle" away fromt the receiver of the phone. "I love you Michael."
"Me too, Iz."
"Michael, what the hell? How dare you leave us in the dark about his guy! What if he would of hurt, Isabel? Are you a fucking idiot?" Michael hadn't heard Kyle be this pissed in years.
"I'm sorry, Kyle. I should have warned you. But I honestly didn't think this guy would figure out where you lived." Michael felt misserable. He'd put more people in danger.
"Kyle, this guy has tried to kill Liz. He's dangerous. Now that he knows where you live, you're gonna have to leave."
"He's been watching the house, Michael." Kyle was still angry but he'd calmed a little.
"Look, it's complicated on my end. I can't leave Liz. We're heading to Reno just as soon as I can pack up our things. Hold on. Give me a minute." He set the phone down and grabbed Liz's laptop. He opened up a webpage with a map of california and zoomed in.
"Sorry, Kyle. I'm just trying to figure out where to go. Ok, here we go. Meet us in Adin, Ca in a week and a half. I'll call you in an hour or two with my new phone number. Ditch your cell account and get a new one outside of town. Call me with the new number. We'll be out of here in a couple of hours. Do what you can do ditch-"
"Who is he, Michael? Who the hell is that guy?"
"I wish I could tell you Kyle but it's a long story. Liz will tell you when we see you. I'm sorry I can't tell you much."
"Fine. Michael, we love you but if anything happens I'm holding you responsible." The line went dead.
Michael was taken aback. He knew he'd messed up and Kyle had every right to be pissed but this?
He put the phone down and went exited the bedroom.
Parker was asleep in the couch.
"Can you call Liz and tell her to come home. I have to run and get a new cell."
"No." Ava's response stopped him.
He turned back to her.
"I'm tired of you two avoiding each other. We're not in middle school. If you guys need anything then talk. I'm not going back and forth any more."
Michael knew that's what he and Liz had been doing but he didn't want to bother Liz if she didn't want him around.
"It's easier this way, Ava. She doesn't want me around. I bother her. If she doesn't like having me around, we'll fix it when we settle somewhere. Right, now I'm just trying to be easy with her. I'm sorry you've been put in the middle."
"It's not just her. It's you. You're the big reason she's so stand offish. You're so cold to her."
He chuckled to himself. "I'm cold. Ava, you weren't there last time. Liz has always had the power to destroy me. I'm not putting myself through that again."
"Oh, GOD. YOu're both morons." Ava covered her face and shook her head. "This is way too much angst. Listen to me Michael. I might not have lived with you last time. But she didn't have the power. When she came to me, she was beyond broken. And she was broken by you. It took me a long time to get over my hate and anger toward you. Liz is my best friend and you destroyed HER! But watching you, watch her, I understand now that it was on both of you. Or on the unspoken really." She sat on a chair. "Sit down, Michael."
"I don't have time for this Ava. We have a lot of shit to do?" He didn't want to talk. He wasn't going back to that night.
"Please." She begged.
He went against every cell in his body and sat.
"When Liz came to me she was beyond repair. She was broken, Michael. The light had dissapeared from her eyes-from her being. I don't know how she got here. She looked like she'd been crying for hours. Hysterically crying. HOw she made it to me without crashing-" Michael saw the terrified look in Ava's eyes. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see but it was worse because he could see Liz's face the way Ava had described it.
"I knew what had happened between you. She called after you'd left the house. She told me she couldn't face you. So I told her to come to me. She was so in love with you, Michael. She wouldn't talk to me. Wouldn't acknowledge I was there. The first couple of days she stayed in bed. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep. She just cried or looked beyond the wall against the bed. Then she started drinking. She started drinking. She's sit in her room and drink so much I thought she was going to kill herself. That's when I started fighting with her. I wasn't going to watch her waste away. She would throw bottle of alcohol at the wall. She'd pick up the phone to call you. She'd let it ring once and hang up. I couldn't watch her like that. But there was nothing I could do. I convinced myself she'd pull out of it. She was just mourning what could have been. But she didn't get better. Then, one day, she was wearing some boxers and a tank. She'd just eaten and she got this weird look on her face. She looked down for a moment and yanked her shirt up. I had been so worried and she'd been so depressed we hadn't noticed. But there was a definite bump in her abdomen. We stared at it for what seemed like forever. Then very slowly she placed her hand on her stomach and gasped. She connected with Parker. When she pulled her hand away, we could see his little glowing hand print on her belly where her hand had been. It was increditble and so freightenin. She freaked out. She was almost 4 months pregnant by then. I think she was about 14 weeks along. The first thing that came into out hears was the alcohol. She fetl horrible. She started eating better. We went to the doctor. The doctor told her the baby would be due in about 3 months which thru us off because she was only 14 weeks along. But I remembered pregnancy doesn't last long back home so I convinved her not to worry. I told her that he was a quarter alien so she relaxed. She tried to hide her depression. In some ways, I believe she did get better. Because if she couldn't have you, at least she got a part of you. But that there was the problem too. The baby was a constant reminder of you. you, who'd she'd lost and would never have. It took her awhile. When Parker arrived, she didn't hesitate with his name. He was so much like you. She's loved him from day one. She still loves you, Michael. And I think you, still love her."
It was taking a while to process everything he'd just heard.
"Why did she leave, Ava? Why did she say it meant nothing?" His heart tore as he remembered that comment.
Ava hesitated. "You should really speak to Liz about this, Michael. But think back on what you guys did. The first words out of your mouth was that it was a mistake. How do you think that affected her? She was protecting herself and trying to convince you that if it didn't bother you it wasn't bothering her."
Michael stood motionless. He was going thru that night, now after years of trying to erase it from his memories. Not because he didn't want to remember when they'd made love but how the evening followed. How he'd felt so guilty. how he's walked not two houses and realized he didn't care what Max thought. How he loved Liz and had to tell her. How instead of turning back home, he walked to the convinience store to buy her flowers and spend nearly an hour choosing the perfect ones. how he'd come back home to declare his love and had found she'd left. How he cursed himself for not coming home earlier to stop her. But back then, he let the realization that she'd left over power him and his emotions.
"I shouldn't have told you any of that. I swore to Liz once that I never would tell anyone. But I'm tired of you guys playing this stupid game. She loves you Michael. And I know you love her. The way you look at her-" Tess couldn't go on. Her voiced had pulled him away from his memories.
His mind was racing a million miles a minute. Liz loved him. Once did, anyway. And if Ava was right, she still loved him. So why wasn't he jumping for joy. Why was he not going after her. Why was he glued to the floor. Simple. He was terrified. Terrified of approaching her and knowing she loved him. Knowing she didn't love him. Terrified because all he wanted in this worls was at arms length and he had no idea of how to approach it. She was more than enough for him. And now with Parker, his life had more meaning. But he battled with his self esteem. What if HE wasn't enough for HER.
"I'll be back Ava. Watch Parker." He didn't turn to look her in the fadce before he walked out of the room.
He Nevada sun hit him square in the eyes. Where are you going Michael? What are you doing?
His eyes adjusted and he started his walk.
One thing he knew. He loved Liz. And if she loved him, they'd make it work. No matter the quilt or pain they would inflict on his brother. A brother he loved even after everything. A brother who deserved to know the truth.