Part 42

Maria finished making another lap around the pool and she pushed her wet hair back behind her ears as she came to rest at the edge of the pool. Her gaze came to rest on the loungers that were lined up on both sides and she crossed her forearms on the concrete, paying no attention to how cold it was as she propped her chin on her arms.

In her minds' eye it was nighttime and she could easily see her Michael and herself comfortably stretched out on the loungers, wrapped up in fluffy white terry bathrobes as they watched Laurie swimming while discussing the shallowness that afflicted the rich. Neither of them had noticed the irony as Carmen had approached him from behind carrying the phone to him and offering it to him on a silver platter.

Michael had informed the woman that "it's kind of a Braveheart night, and tell the kitchen we'll be ready to dine at about 7". He had enjoyed playing the lord of the manor and he hadn't thought twice when the woman had merely acknowledged his wishes before placing the silver platter before him and announcing that the phone was for him.

He had carried on a brief conversation with Max, assuring him that he was in complete control; there were no crystals around, he was keeping an eye on things, and as Carmen had arrived once more - this time carrying a portable DVD player - he had informed Max that it was time to "take another patrol 'round the perimeter…".

Maria snickered at that memory as she pushed off to begin another lap around the perimeter of the pool. Michael had taken the DVD player and disconnected the call with Max, turning to call Carmen back before she was out of earshot. He had asked for iced tea, quickly indicating that Maria was included in that request, and then they had settled back to watch Braveheart.

They had played the roles of lord and lady of the manor to the hilt, enjoying the all-too-brief respite from the alien abyss that had a tendency to swallow them up and consume their lives. She missed her Spaceboy so much, and there were so many times when it was still like a physical ache, almost as if a limb had been removed and she could still feel it despite its absence. She caught movement from the corner of her eye and she sighed when she saw Michael crossing the deck while Charles remained in the open doorway.

"Hey, you about ready to go?" he called out as he walked down to stand next to the pool.

Maria squeezed her eyes shut as she reached the edge of the pool where he was standing. She glanced up at him and almost wished he was wearing his sunglasses so she couldn't see the hunger in his dark eyes.

He crouched down in front of her, his booted feet just inches from her arms where they were crossed on the edge of the pool. He braced his elbows on his knees and his nostrils flared when the cold air hit her breasts and her nipples hardened visibly beneath her bra. "Y'know, I could just sit here all day."

"You'd be sitting here by yourself." Her words were in direct contrast to what she was feeling and she had to admit that there was a part of her that was thrilled when he noticed her like that.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Really? Why don't you go ahead and get outta that pool and walk over to get your clothes then."

"So you can stare at me like some pervert?"

Michael shrugged and held his hand out to her. "C'mon, I'm hungry and Santa Fe's still hours away." He rolled his eyes when she glanced at his hand and raised an eyebrow. "What? You're soakin' wet, practically naked, and it doesn't matter cuz I've already seen you completely naked and I have a damn good memory." He nodded in satisfaction when she slid her hand into his and he started to stand up so he could pull her up and out of the water.

Maria leaned back and braced her feet against the side of the pool when he began to lever himself up and before he realized what she was doing she pushed back and then ducked out of the way to avoid him when he landed in the water.

"Maria! Goddammit!" he sputtered as he broke through the surface. "Now I'm soakin' wet!"

"I know." She grinned unrepentantly and carefully kept her distance. "But now you'll be able to watch me go get my clothes without it being a problem for you."

"And how do you figure that?"

"The second you step out of this pool that cold air's gonna hit you and what you consider the most important part of your body will have no interest in me no matter how many sexual thoughts your dirty little mind has."

Michael refused to be bested by her. "And what're you gonna do while you're waitin' for me to get outta the pool? It's nice an' warm in here an' I'm not in any hurry…"

Maria's expression became wary when he moved, circling her, and maneuvering her to the center of the pool without her even realizing it.

From the other side of the doors Charles watched the couple in the pool and he smiled briefly as he realized they reminded him of him and Aja. Not wanting to linger on those thoughts he went to collect a couple of towels and carried them outside, dropping them on one of the loungers next to the pool.

Michael turned to look at the old man and frowned when Maria took the opportunity to swim away from him. His felt his blood pressure skyrocket when she neared the ladder and Charles shook one of the towels out, obviously intending to meet her when she stepped out of the water. He swam over to the side closest to him and braced his hands flat on the concrete as he hauled himself out of the water and hurried to snatch the towel out of the man's hands. "Get lost, you old pervert," he snarled.

"I was just gonna help - "

He eyed Dupree coldly. He didn't trust the old guy for a single second; he just wanted to get a look at Maria's body. 80 years old or not, he was still a man and he wasn't gonna turn down the opportunity to admire a hot female body! "She doesn't need your help."

"Michael, he was just being nice," Maria interjected.

Without breaking eye contact with his human donor, Michael snapped, "No, he was hopin' to see you naked."

"Oh, good grief," she muttered, climbing out of the pool. She was wrapped up in the big towel before both feet were on the concrete. "Why don't you just piss on some bushes or something to mark your territory." She leaned around Michael to glare at Charles when he snickered. "That goes for both of you." She shook her head and held the towel around herself as she walked over to the lounger to pick up her things. "Charles, would you mind if I use your shower?"

"No, not at all," he said, and then smiled just to irritate the younger man.

"Michael, you'll need to shower as well - and, no, before you even think it, I do not mean with me - so, go get a change of clothes out of your bags. We need to get on the road pretty soon if you wanna make Santa Fe at a decent hour."

Charles chuckled when she disappeared inside and Michael hurried to do as she had suggested. He had a feeling the boy had no idea just how quickly he jumped when she told him to do something. He probably thought he was doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and the way he wanted, but the fact was that she was the one pulling the strings.

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Maria was slouched down in the passengers' seat, her sock feet crossed over the heater vent next to the window. Michael had been annoyed when they had gone to leave and he had realized that it was too cold to spend the next eight hours on a motorcycle. She was sure that the attendant at the car rental place had been happy to see them leave; Michael had pitched a royal fit when the woman had informed him that without a prior reservation the cost was going to be more than he had expected, and if he didn't want to pay that rate he could rent something else. He had verbally flayed the poor woman when she had suggested that perhaps he would prefer to rent a compact car since it would be cheaper.

She mentally snorted at that thought; Michael wouldn't rent a compact car if it was the last working vehicle on the planet. Although she had to agree with him that a compact wouldn't have been nearly as comfortable for an eight-hour drive. The SUV was luxurious with leather seats that were incredibly soft, a sunroof, every possible extra feature that could be thought of, and a stereo system that was way too expensive.

"I'm gonna stop up here at one of the fast food places before we get on the road," he said, breaking the silence. "You gotta preference?"

Maria looked at the fast food restaurants that lined both sides of the main street, certain that she could feel her arteries clogging just from being this close to them. "No, not really; whatever's gonna be easier for you to eat while you're driving."

Michael glanced at her, suspicious of her agreeable tone. "No argument about me eatin' junk food?"

"You've had a rough couple of days, so I suppose a little comfort food is in order. Besides, I know you're eager to get to Santa Fe so you can spend some time with Indigo before we head back to L.A." She glanced down at the map lying in the console between them and she picked it up, unfolding it and stretching it out over her legs.

"So, if I want a thick, greasy, double cheeseburger, with onions, pickles, mustard, and ketchup, you're not gonna say a single thing about it?"

Maria cringed at that. "No, although I'd prefer it if you would at least get something that has lettuce and tomatoes on it."

"And I still get my backrub, right?"

"Um-hmm." Her tone was distracted as her finger traced along the map.

"Sweet." Satisfied that he wasn't losing anything in the deal Michael chose a place that wouldn't completely offend her and he pulled into the drive-thru. He turned to look at her, intending to ask her what she wanted but her expression was so intent as she stared at the map that he just ordered for her. At the pickup window he shifted to pull his wallet out of his back pocket and paid the teenager waiting there.

Maria felt her heart rate speed up as she stared at the point on the map just above her fingernail. "Michael, can we take a different route?"

"What?" He leaned over to look at what she was pointing at. "You wanna go through Pecos? That's gonna take at least another hour to…" He looked at her and shook his head. "Fine, but this backrub had better be worth all this trouble." He took their order from the kid at the window and then inventoried the contents in the two bags, making sure it was right before putting the vehicle into drive. He set the bags in between them and reached over to take the map from her, folding it over and quickly memorizing the new route. "I don't know what the fuck's so interesting in Pecos of all places, but, I guess we'll still get to Santa Fe in plenty of time for me an' Indigo to go out." He shook his head as he folded the map back up into its original form. "You wanna break out the food?"

Maria picked up the first bag, noticing the logo and realizing that he hadn't stopped at the most unhealthy fast food restaurant; he had actually chosen a place that served food that wasn't completely without nutritional value. She wasn't interested in putting him in a bad mood so she didn't comment on his choice; instead she pulled the thick roast beef sandwich out and unwrapped it before reaching in for the packets of hot sauce. It didn't have lettuce or tomatoes on it, but at least it wasn't a greasy cheeseburger. Once she had coated the roast beef with several packets of hot sauce and slathered the bun with the horseradish sauce from another packet, she put it all back together and handed it to him.

She pulled the second sandwich out of the bag and unwrapped it, smiling when she saw that he had ordered the ham and Swiss for her, and he had remembered to add tomatoes and onions. She checked the bag again and found the packets of mayonnaise mixed in with the rest of the condiments.

Michael transferred the sandwich to his left hand and used his right hand to burrow into the second bag, grabbing the carton of seasoned French fries and sticking it between his legs. He reached out to turn the stereo on, tuning it to a jazz station and then shifting around to get comfortable.

"How was your talk with Charles?" Maria asked after a while.

He shrugged. "It was a talk." He nodded at the bag closest to her. "Can I have my other sandwich?"

Maria accepted that he wasn't ready to talk about his time with Charles and decided that it was the wrong time to pry. She handed the sandwich to him after spicing it up a bit and she remained silent as they drove through west Texas. As the miles flew by and their destination grew closer she could feel the excitement building within her as he turned onto 285 North.

He followed the lonely stretch of highway, absently wishing that he had ordered a hot apple pie or some chocolate chip cookies when he had stopped for food. He glanced at the signs for the upcoming exit and his left hand shifted down so that his fingertips were resting on the turn signal.

They were several miles past Pecos when she reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Take the next exit," she said insistently. She paid no attention when Michael glanced at her, his expression clearly indicating that he thought she had lost her mind.

Michael shook his head, but he took the exit and frowned as he looked around at the tiny town that wasn't much more than a dot on the map. It's just up ahead on the left side of the road. "Why're we stoppin' here?" he asked, ignoring the little voice that whispered a quiet reminder that he had already known that this was the exit. He came to a stop at a four-way stop and his gaze scanned the roadside ahead of them.

"There's a hotel up ahead on the left-hand side." She motioned for him to keep going when he made no move to continue past the stop sign. "What're you doing?"

"There's nothin' up ahead but - "

"No, it sits back from the road." Her hand clenched in the material of his shirt and she shook him. "Go!" God, why was he being so difficult right now?

She settled down when he pressed on the accelerator and he drove along the two-lane road, wondering what exactly she was looking for because there was no hotel anywhere on the stretch of road that led through the little town.

Maria stared in disbelief as they passed through the town and she realized that the crappy little motel where one of the most pivotal moments in her relationship with her Michael had occurred didn't exist. She slumped back in her seat, acutely feeling the loss of yet another piece of her history.

Michael glanced at her when he caught her reaching up to wipe her hands over her eyes. "You're upset about a motel that doesn't exist?" he asked, not understanding. He didn't want to think about how or why he had instinctively known where to look even if he hadn't necessarily known what he was looking for. "Why?"

She didn't intend to answer, she really didn't, but when he turned the volume on the stereo down as if he were actually interested in what she had to say the floodgates burst open. She was suddenly telling him about how her Michael had kidnapped her and stolen her car in a time and place that seemed so far away now.

"So, he got outta the car and went around to unlatch the hood, and all the time he's got this irritated look on his face." She laughed at the memory of the disgruntled expression he had worn while fighting to release the latch. "He tried to fix the problem and he practically fried the engine, which pretty much left us stuck in the middle of nowhere."

Michael glanced in the rearview mirror; the town had been out of sight for a while, but now he knew what she had been looking for when she had asked him to detour from his original route. "So, in your universe there was a hotel back there," he guessed.

"Yeah." She went on to tell him about their conversation and how it had been the moment when they had truly connected for the first time.

Michael listened to her talk and his right hand clenched tightly around the steering wheel when he heard her wistful tone. She was lost in memories of another time, another life, and another version of him. She was so attached to anything and everything that was in any possible way related to the other man… even a stupid motel!

"Okay, would you just stop?" he snapped.

Maria just stared at him, shocked into silence more by his outburst than by his words.

"You're goin' on an' on about this like your life's over, Maria! You loved him; I get that, okay? But, do you even realize that you're still alive?"

"I think I'll just take a nap," she said, shifting so that she was facing the window. For a short while she had been able to escape into her past and remember a time that held so much meaning for her.

Michael turned the stereo back up, but refrained from turning it up loud enough that it would drown out his thoughts. He had nothing to turn his attention towards, nowhere to redirect his… he gritted his teeth so hard his head started to hurt. Jealousy, it was jealousy that he was feeling and he didn't like it one bit. There was a reason why he avoided emotions or personal involvement with people, and jealousy was an indication that he had real feelings, deep feelings for the woman who was now ignoring him. That scared him and he didn't like that anymore than he liked the rest of it.

Maybe it was only natural for him to be jealous of any other guy that Maria loved, even if that other guy was himself in a different universe. He forced his thoughts in a different direction, refusing to think about it any longer. He latched onto his plans for the evening and after a few minutes he reached up to grab his cell phone off of the dashboard and called Indigo.