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aquasixio |
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This has made my day! Fantastic update, you guys!
"If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness." Les Miserables, pg 14 |
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aussiekath |
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I"ve just found this & am really enjoying it and enough updates already written until the end of 2008!!!! You just made my day.
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ArchAngel1973 |
Doo 'aw hoozIIh da -The Lost Child (M/M-Teen) Ch14-3/22 | ||
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Mmluver89
I think that the fact that she grew up in Roswell helped her coming to that conclusion. Had Maria lived in Salem, she might have thought that Michael was a wizard! Guerindeluca - don't worry, there will be times where Isabel will show, in her own way, how much she cares about Alex. But you'll have to wait a little for that. Zfehrian So now that Maria knows one alien and Liz/Alex know the other, the two groups shall come together. The thing is, Max and Isabel don't know Michael, aren't aware of his existence and Alex/Liz and Maria are growing apart more and more everyday. So how would the two groups come together? We are not saying that it won't happen, just that the progresses in this story will be slow. It's a fic about discovery, about growing up, about dealing with friends and families, without the alien interference which existed in the show (although you'll get to see some protagonists before the end of the fic). Aquasixio - Glad to know that you enjoy the story. We hope that this new part won't disappoint you. Aussiekath I"ve just found this & am really enjoying it and enough updates already written until the end of 2008!!!! You just made my day. Thank you and welcome among our readers.
Now, a little update on the state of the story. We have finished writing part 59, which leads us to the end of December 2008. Now, the story still goes on after Part 59 since 65% of the story is written by then. So expect to read this story until…. Hmm, let's be optimistic, August 2009 ? We are sorry if this seems too long but we don't want to rush, and we want to slowly develop our characters, the relationships and show a candy love story taking place in a more peaceful environment. It might be a different kind of candy fic so we hope that you'll still like it when we reach the end. And good news, we are working on another story, a
post-Graduation one. We have no idea when it's going to be posted since we have only 5 parts ready for now. But now you know that you'll have something
else to read from us.
Part 14 Michael froze when she sat down beside him, not expecting it when her arms came around him from behind him and she rested her chin on his left shoulder. "You can tell me anything, Michael, you know that, right?" God, he hoped so. He looked at her, trying to decide what to say. His raked his hands through his hair as he finally stepped off of the ledge and took the big jump. "I just didn't want you to get hurt. Yesterday, I mean. You grabbed that bush and as soon as it came loose from the ground and I saw that rock comin' down, I knew you were gonna get hurt." He winced and glanced at the hill where it had occurred. "I didn't have time to think, I just reacted and… I'm not like everybody else, Maria." Maria raised her eyes to the heavens. Now there was a shock… not! "I think we've established that." He snorted derisively. "Yeah, I guess we have." His right hand came up and he threaded his fingers through hers, encouraged when she didn't pull away or tense up. "So, I'm right then?" Maria insisted, trying to control her eagerness as she waited for him to confirm her belief. "About the alien thing?" Maria rolled her eyes at his obtuse response. "Yes, Michael, about the alien thing." "Yeah, you're right." He turned his head and glanced at her for just a moment before his gaze went back to the desert. "I don't usually have so little control over my… powers. When my emotions get involved, it's a little harder to maintain that control." "So, you're admitting your emotions are involved here?" Relief flooded her entire body when she saw his profile relax into the familiar smirk. Her gaze traveled down to his hand where it was linked with hers, his thumb rubbing her wrist absently as he pondered his answer. "You know you can't tell anyone about this, right?" "You're kidding, right?" Maria braced her left hand on his shoulder and pushed back to look at him. "I was planning to call the UFO museum as soon as I got home today." She shoved his shoulder when he looked at her sharply. "I have my very own alien; why would I wanna share you with anyone else?" She grinned when he only grunted and looked away, pretending he hadn't been the least bit concerned. "Okay, tell me all about yourself; I wanna know everything." "Everything, huh?" He chuckled. "There's not really that much to tell, Maria." Her left hand cradled his stubborn jaw and she turned his head to force his gaze to hers. "Tell me about your home planet, Spaceboy," she insisted, her tone teasing. "Can't do that." Maria studied his expression. "Can't or won't?" "Can't tell you what I don't know," he said quietly. "I don't remember anything before bein' found wanderin' around in the desert when I was about six or so." She frowned when his eyes became dull and he looked away. "Hey, look at me." She waited until he complied with her demand before she spoke again. "Tell me what you do know." Maria turned towards him and pulled her legs up, bending the right one at the knee and pressing it against his side while draping the left one across his lap. "Not all of us had an ideal childhood, Michael; you can tell me about it without worrying that I'm gonna pass judgment. You said you were found when you were six, right?" "Yeah, River Dog found me." He nodded at her look of recognition. "My grandfather, he's the one who found me." His previous revelation shocked Maria to her very core. "You had just been left alone in the desert? There were no others like you?" "Apparently not." He shrugged. "I couldn't speak, I couldn't understand him when he talked, and I was terrified of him so I kept runnin' away, but he spent weeks out there tryin' to get me to trust him. He'd bring food out and put it where he knew I'd find it, he brought clothes out, but it took some time before I figured out what to do with them, and he brought blankets out so I didn't freeze durin' the nights." He could easily recall the memories and feelings with crystal-clear clarity even though twelve years had passed, and as he talked his mind conjured them up. The sun was hot on his bare flesh and the sun-heated sand burned his little feet as he crept around the outcropping of rocks to peer at the being that had been lurking around. He leaned forward, craning his neck when the being moved out of his line of sight and he jumped back when the heated rocks seared the palms of his hands. The darkness had come and gone several times since he had awakened and the strange being had shown up two times ago. He had stayed away from the being, carefully watching it from a distance, but it had come towards him before the darkness and he had been trapped with nowhere to go. The being had been pushed away when the little boy had raised his hands and thought that he wanted it to go away. The bright flash of light had frightened him and he had run back to the small place hidden in the rocks, huddling in a little ball and shuddering as tears tracked down his dirty cheeks. He fell asleep after a while and when he awoke once again, the darkness had fallen across the sand near the entrance of his hiding place. He crept out and peered around, pausing to listen before he crawled out and slowly walked around the rocks, listening hard for anything that sounded out of place. When he finally reached the place where he had last seen the being, he noticed some things sitting on one of the rocks. All of his senses were on alert as he crept along soundlessly, and his eyes darted around fearfully as he reached up to touch the colorful thing. He scrambled up onto the rock when he caught the scent of food and he was reaching for it when he suddenly pulled his hand back and scanned the desert suspiciously. When he was satisfied that it was safe, he snatched up the first thing he could reach, sniffing it curiously before taking a bite of it. He chewed it fast, but as the flavor burst on his tongue he made a face and spit it out. The rest of the thing followed suit and ended up in the sand, thrown as far away as he could get it before he reached for the next thing. It was spongy and the color of the bright light that came after the darkness, and he sniffed it cautiously before taking a small, tentative bite. This time the taste was better and he shoved a handful of the stuff in his mouth, chewing furiously before swallowing and reaching for more. His hands grabbed onto a round thing and he shook it, hearing the sloshing sound that came from inside. His dark eyes curiously scanned the desert once more before he shook the thing again. His small hand pulled and tugged at it, certain that he wanted whatever was inside. He made an inarticulate cry when the thing wouldn't open and he froze, looking around fearfully because he hadn't realized the sound came from him. After a few minutes when he hadn't heard anything else, he went back to fighting with the thing and his dark eyes lit up when it suddenly gave and part of the thing came apart. He stared at the liquid that sloshed out of the top and landed on one of his bare legs, frowning when the cool night air brushed against his skin. He brought the thing up to his nose and sniffed at it before putting it to his lips and drinking it down thirstily. With his hunger and thirst sated for the first time, he quickly became sleepy and he shivered again. He looked down when his mind registered the softness of the thing he was touching and his expression turned quizzical as he picked up the colorful square. He patted it gently before jumping down off of the rock and dragging it back to his hiding place. As he crawled back under the rocks where he could sleep without being found, the colorful square got bigger and he stared at it in consternation when other things fell out of it. He poked at the things, satisfied when they didn't do anything, and he dragged them further into the hiding place. He placed them on the ground and patted them into place, confident that they would be softer than the sand. Happy with his discovery, he continued to explore the colorful square, fascinated when it continued to get bigger. He wrapped up in the thing, feeling warmth for the first time since he could remember, and he buried his head under the thing to keep out the scary sounds that came with the darkness. "God, Michael, you must've been so terrified," Maria murmured, unable to
imagine how scary it must have been for him to be alone in the desert and unable to speak, or even understand the man that had been trying to help
him. She rubbed his shoulder when he started to tense up. "You don't
have to say anything," she assured him. "How long was it before you let him get close to you?"
"I've been told it took several weeks." He shrugged. "I really had no concept of time back then." "And you don't have any idea how you ended up in the desert?" "No recollection whatsoever. I had a basic understanding of things like hunger, thirst, bein' hot or cold, and fear, but when River Dog started comin' around…" He shook his head. "I had no idea what he was and I couldn't understand a single thing he said. Have you ever tried to get a stray animal to trust you enough to let you get close to it?" "Sure, who hasn't?" "Same concept. The things I knew at that point were all instinctual; I had no concept of human behavior and I didn't know how to interact with people. Social services were probably thrilled to hand me off when River Dog's son and daughter-in-law offered to take me." Maria's throat was tight and she swallowed with difficulty. She could only imagine what would have happened to him if River Dog's family hadn't wanted to take Michael into their home, to take care of him, and love him as their own. He would have used his powers at some point, alerting Social Services to his differences and they would have called in doctors and specialists who would have discovered that he wasn't human, and from there… Well, she had seen the movies, read the books; aliens weren't treated like peaceful visitors wanting to make contact, but as invaders who wanted to take over Earth. Although, why they would want this polluted planet, occupied by hostile beings who were constantly at war with each other, and who were intent upon using up the planets' natural resources without finding a way to preserve them was beyond her. She was brought back to what Michael had been saying about Social Services and she asked the question that had been preoccupying her mind. "Why not River Dog? You knew him and you were comfortable with him; they must have seen that." Michael snorted, clearly showing what he thought of the foster care system. "They wouldn't have given custody to him because he was single and they felt pretty strongly that I needed to be in a two-parent environment." Maria frowned. "Didn't that just create more trauma for you?" "Yes and no. I was familiar with John because River Dog had brought him out to the desert to keep an eye on me when he couldn't be there, but, yeah, it was still pretty traumatic. I spent a lot of time with River Dog when my parents were at work, so between the three of them, I slowly started to adapt to civilized behavior." Michael's expression had turned pensive while he was talking and Maria wondered what was going through his mind at that moment. Was he thinking about his alien parents, wondering if they were dead or searching for him? Or was he thinking about his human family, who had made sacrifices, opened their home and their hearts to a little alien child with abilities and powers who had required special care and attention? Powers… did his parents know about them? Probably, but she had to ask anyway. "So your parents know you're different." "They know," he confirmed, nodding. "River Dog's spent countless hours helpin' me develop my abilities, helpin' me learn to control them, and teachin' me how to be myself without drawin' unnecessary attention to who I am. My parents are responsible for the rest of it and I'm lucky they're so patient." He grimaced. "I wasn't easy to deal with when they brought me home and I made it my personal goal to be as difficult as possible." "Does Maggie know?" Michael nodded. "My parents and my grandfather wanted things to be as normal as possible, so they explained things to her. It definitely helped when I was growin' up." Maria thought about Michael's best friend. Was Eddie aware of Michael's differences? She had a feeling that he did. "Your friend, Eddie, he knows too, doesn't he?" "Um-hmm. His father was killed in an accident when he was a kid and his mother had to work two jobs just to make ends meet, so he spent most of his time with River Dog." He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her thoughtfully. "What made you think he knew? You only met him the one time." Maria didn't answer at once, searching for the words to explain what she had felt about Eddie and his relationship with Michael. "He's very… I don't know, mystical, I guess. It's like he's completely comfortable with who he is, with his place in the universe… like he's completely at peace, y'know?" "I knew he'd been spendin' too much time with River Dog," he muttered, nodding. "Yeah, I know exactly what you're talkin' about. It's like he's discovered the meanin' of life or somethin', but he's not sharin' the information." His head shot up to meet her gaze when she suddenly shifted, moving so that she was straddling his lap. "I'm so glad you got a good family," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing him gently, "and that you can be yourself with them." She shook her head as she leaned back and framed his face in her hands. "And I am so glad you don't have to hide who you are with them." It only took moments for his silence to register and she hurried on before he had time to become uncomfortable. "Okay, tell me all about your secret powers," she said, slapping his shoulders. Michael rolled his eyes, but took the out she was offering him. He wasn't used to anyone else knowing the big secret and she had the uncanny ability of being able to pinpoint his thoughts and emotions with just a few words. He shook that thought off and let his hands rest on her thighs as he met her gaze and smiled. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? I do not have secret powers… I have finely honed abilities." "And who all knows about your finely honed abilities?" she asked, teasing another smile out of him. She chuckled when he couldn't come up with a response. "That's what I thought. So, if no one besides your family knows about them, they're secret powers and I want a demonstration. Please?" The moment she brought the full-blown pout into play, he knew it was all over. "Oh, all right," he grumbled. He knew he was in trouble if she ever figured out just how potent that look was. "What d'you wanna see?" Now that was a loaded question if she'd ever heard one, she thought. "I don't know." She smiled flirtatiously. "What've you got?" Michael couldn't help the laughter that escaped him; she made him feel different than anyone else ever had. "What's your favorite color?" "Lavender." "That's some kinda purple, right?" he asked, reaching up to run his fingers through her blond hair. He felt her nod and he met her gaze as he lowered his hand to her thigh once more. "You got a compact with you?" "Um-hmm… why?" She reached around him to grab her bag, dragging it closer so she could dig around for the small compact she carried everywhere. Her fingers finally closed around it and she flipped it open as she raised it up to eye level, surprised when she caught sight of her reflection. Her right hand lifted and her fingertips brushed against her hair. "It's purple," she accused, but there was a hint of awe in her tone. "Wrong shade?" Amusement made his voice shake and he held both hands up when she glared at him. "I like you better as a blond anyway." His hand brushed over her hair and within moments it was back to its normal shade. "Okay, do something else," she urged, dropping the compact back in her bag after checking to be sure that her hair was the right color. "Come on, you can do better than that." She brushed her hands over his shoulders. "Do something challenging." "Challenging, huh?" His dark eyes drifted down to his hands where they were resting on her thighs. "How do you feel about leather?" "Uh-uh," she denied, trying to read his expression. "You're not tellin' me you can turn denim into leather… are you?" "Molecular manipulation," he said, grinning. "Got a preference? Pants? Skirt?" "You're serious?" She shook her head but her gaze remained riveted to his hands. "No, I don't believe you." "Took too long," he growled, "now it's my choice." Michael chuckled as he scraped his fingernails along the outer seam of her jeans, letting his mind focus on his goal. Maria watched him, fascinated by the depth of his concentration as he focused on what he was doing. Her gaze dropped to his hands when his fingers flexed against her legs and a moment later her eyes widened in disbelief when the material began to shift and change. As she watched, the blue denim began to disappear to be replaced by a black leather… mini skirt? She rolled her eyes and slapped his shoulder. "Michael!" He had to force his gaze away from her bare thighs to meet her disapproving glare. "What?" he asked, going for innocent but fairly certain he hadn't pulled it off. "Too mini on the mini skirt?" "Maybe not under normal circumstances," she chuckled, "but since I'm not exactly in a position to move, maybe we should save it for another time." "Who says I want you to move?" "How about you give me my jeans back and I won't move? Besides," she whispered, leaning in so that her lips were brushing against his right ear, "your hands are just the slightest bit distracting, and I've got a feeling I haven't seen everything you have to show me." She wasn't the only one who was being distracted, Michael thought as he reversed the process. "Just so you know it's a real crime to cover those legs up." Maria shivered at the gruff tone in his deep voice and filed that bit of information away for a later date. "I'll keep that in mind," she promised. "Now, c'mon, show me something else, Spaceboy!" Michael lightly slapped her left thigh and nudged her so that he could stand up. "Okay, what next?" He was already bored with the show and tell but her green eyes sparkled with excitement and he just didn't have the heart to tell her no. "Want me to blow somethin' up?" It seemed only right since that was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. "Really? Can I pick it out?" "Just keep it clear of the horses." "Does distance matter?" she asked curiously. "It depends; it gets a little tricky the farther away the target is, but I'm actually pretty good up to about half a mile as long as I can visualize what I'm aimin' for." He winced when he realized he was bragging and he quickly cleared his throat and motioned at the desert. "Okay, find me a target." Maria couldn't resist an opportunity to tease him. "Well, since you seem to take issue with the local plant life, how about that cactus out there?" She pointed at a tall cactus with small flowers on it. "The one with the little white flowers on the right side? That one." Michael followed the direction of her pointing finger. No problem, a piece of cake. "Okay." Maria watched him as he turned and stared at the cactus she had picked out, cocking her head to the side when his hands remained at his sides. "Um, Michael?" He turned when she called him again, raising one eyebrow in question. "Don't you need your hands to do this?" "Huh-uh. The only reason that came into play yesterday is because it happened so quickly; I've been practicin' doin' this stuff with my mind for the past couple of years." He shook his head. "Unless it's an emergency situation, I normally do this stuff without usin' my hands." He smiled. "It's also not so obvious that it's me doin' it if no one sees me actually doin' anything." "Oh, okay." She waved her hands and motioned for him to continue. Michael played along for a while before he needed a break from changing colors and blowing things up. "Think we could take a break from this?" he asked, turning to look at her where she was sitting on the boulder, her legs crossed Indian-style. "Of course." She winced. "You're probably tired now, huh?" "Maybe a little, but it's more than likely because I didn't really get much sleep last night." He smiled as he moved closer to her, leaving only a couple of feet between them. "Wanna see one more?" "Are you sure?" "One more and that's it. You trust me?" He smiled when Maria nodded without hesitation and he shook his hands out before relaxing his stance and concentrating on her. Maria watched him and wondered what he was doing, but just as she was about to speak, she felt the air around her shift and as she looked down her eyes widened in shock. There was at least a foot of space between her and the boulder she had been sitting on and as she watched she was slowly lowered back to her spot. Amazed, her eyes shot to him and she jumped off of the boulder to stand in front of him. "Levitation? You can levitate things?" "Yep." He rubbed his eyes. "But no more today." Maria threw herself into his arms and hugged him. "You need to get some rest." She walked beside him as they made their way back to where the horses were tied. "Y'know, now that I know about your…" She smirked. "Your abilities, you'll come in really handy if I ever have a fashion crisis." Michael's answer was short and precise. "No." He'd better nip that one in the bud right now. Living with a mother and a sister, plus all his sister's friends, not to mention all of his female cousins, that were always coming into their home, he knew that girls and clothes were a bad combination. He knew that if he gave in to Maria's wishes, he would fall into an abyss and would never get out. No way. "Oh, c'mon, Michael," she coaxed. "No, I draw the line at bein' your dressmaker." He released her to untie Rascal and gave her a leg up, waiting until she was comfortable before he went to untie his own horse. "Now, we can talk if you decide you need a bikini," he teased as he pulled himself up into the saddle and tossed a grin over his shoulder. Maria just rolled her eyes and enjoyed the ride, filing away all that she had learned that day. He wasn't just an alien from some other planet, he was someone with thoughts, feelings, and emotions that ran deeper than he probably cared to admit. Her gaze traveled over him as he led the way and she smiled to herself. Admittedly, there was the fact that he was from some unknown planet somewhere in space, but the fact was that he was all hers.
ArchAngel1973
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zfehrian |
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Love love loved it guys!
I'm glad Maria didn't react the same way she did on the show
LOVED Michael changing Maria's jeans. Dirty boy .
So Isabel and Max seperated from michael or they just didn't see him? Or he came out of the pod chambers after/before they did? You guys leave me hanging! Fantastic update!
Avatar/Banner: Stacy =)
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maji343 |
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I am so glad that Michael is comfortable enough with Maria to tell her his story. The power show was great. I agree with zfehrian its a good thing that Maria
did not runaway screaming her head off. And yes Michael has a dirty mind--but we all know we love it. Can't wait for the next chapter.
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mmluver89 |
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Wow, all the way to 2009, that's amazing, not even I can write that much. Great job, girls.
I'm glad Maria took the situation calmly and didn't freak out. Loved it. |
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guerindeluca |
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Loved it. I'm surprised that Michael actually told Maria, I did like her reaction here I really couldn't imagine her running and shrieking like in the
show. Keep up the great work girls.
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ArchAngel1973 |
Doo 'aw hoozIIh da -The Lost Child (M/M-Teen) Ch15-3/29 | ||
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Zfherian - Michael hatched with Max and Isabel, like in the show. But he stayed much longer in the desert, alone, and he focused on surviving. His very first memories have faded quickly. And Max and Isabel, never meeting him like in the show, forgot about him while growing up. Maj343 - yeah, as if Michael would let an opportunity like this one go. A good way for him to show Maria what he could do and have a good look at her legs. A typical guy. Mmluver89 - So you'll stick with us, now
that you know that you'll get lots and lots of updates? What's funny is that we never expected this fic to get this long but let's just say that
some plots screamed for developments!
Part 15 Maria leaned back against her car as she waited for Michael to move the truck so she could leave. "So, you didn't tell me why your grandfather calls you Magnum," she said when he joined her. He smirked and shook his head. "I never said I was gonna give you the answer to that one," he denied. "You want it, you're gonna have to work for it." She moved to stand in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at him, trying to visualize him in a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt. It just wasn't gonna happen, she thought, shaking her head. She just couldn't see him in anything that bright and flowery. Maybe he had been to the islands. "What're you thinkin'?" he asked, shifting under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Have you ever been lei'd?" His eyebrows shot up and he had to quickly clear his throat to keep from choking. "What?" He must've heard her wrong! There was no way she had just thrown that question out there! "Did you just ask if I've ever gotten laid?" "Yes." She frowned at him. "What's the big deal?" "I don't know! It's just not a question a guy gets asked everyday," he exclaimed. "Okay, you're sounding way too defensive over an innocent question!" She held her hands up in surrender. "Excuse me for asking; I didn't think you'd get so upset over being asked if you'd ever - " Michael's tone was one of shock and he yelled without realizing it. "An innocent question?" What the hell was she thinking? That was not an innocent question. She was asking him if he'd ever had sex as if it were as mundane as asking him if he'd ever been to the zoo! "Michael, I realize you'd probably have a coronary if anyone ever placed a lei around your neck, but I just thought - " "Wait, wait, wait! You're talkin' about flowers? Like those things they stick on tourists when they get off the planes in Hawaii?" "Of course, what else would I be…" Her eyes rolled heavenwards when his smirk was accompanied by a smug expression and she realized the double entendre that had unintentionally slipped out. "Oh, okay, I get it," she muttered, nodding. "Men! God, alien or human, you've all got one thing on your dirty little minds." Michael laughed, relieved that she hadn't taken offense to the path his mind had automatically wandered down. "Hey, how was I supposed to know you were talkin' about a bunch of flowers? Why in the world would you even ask that?" "Look, you're not giving me a lot to go on with the whole Magnum thing, okay? The only option that leaves me with is reasonable deduction." She shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "I figured maybe it had something to do with that old TV show or maybe you had been to Hawaii." "Which led to you propositioning me." Her expression had him laughing again and he leaned forward to pull her into his arms. "I'll tell you this much; I've never been to Hawaii and no, I've never been… lei'd." "I think the least you could do is give me a real clue," she grumbled against his chest. "Huh-uh." He couldn't wait to see what crazy idea she came up with next. "Nope, this one's all on you to figure out." Maria grumbled under her breath, "It's not fair. It's not like a nickname like Magnum is bad. It's actually pretty cool. You should be proud of it and you should be willing to share the story with me. Honestly, it's not as if it's a stupid nickname, or even a ridiculous middle name like the one I had the misfortune of being stuck with." No sooner had the words passed her lips, Maria swore. Damn, she didn't want him to know that! Nobody was ever supposed to know about her middle name; she had sworn on her dog's life when she was seven years old that she would never, ever talk about her middle name or even mention it. Not even Alex and Liz knew about that one. Why on earth had she opened her big mouth and let that little piece of information slip? Oh yeah, that's right, she knew why. She had lost all control of her mental faculties the second he had taken her in his arms. Freaking hormones and freaking Michael for being so sexy! Yeah, sexy to the point that she had almost revealed her most sacred secret. He was worse than a truth serum. She could only pray that he hadn't paid any attention to what she had said. She raised her head to look at him and she immediately knew she wasn't going to be so lucky. He had an expression on his face that reminded her of the one a cat who's been looking for a mouse to chase and have fun with would be wearing. His next words confirmed her suspicion… "A ridiculous middle name? Now, now, now, why on earth would you wanna hide that, hmm? You've been on my back ever since you found out about my grandfather callin' me Magnum, and all along you've been hiding this mysterious middle name of yours? Why? Is it really that bad?" Michael felt smug. Oh, he was gonna have so much fun with this one. He could see that it was something that had the potential of pissing her off big time. That was just another reason to not let it go. One way or the other he would find out her middle name, or his name wasn't Michael Guerin! Maria groaned. Damn, he was onto it and she knew that he wouldn't let go. He was like a dog with a bone when he was interested in something. Still, if he thought that she was going to cave and tell him, he had better think again. Michael saw that she was ready to proudly defend her position like a brave little soldier. Oh, yeah, this was gonna be good. He couldn't resist giving her a foreshadowing of what was to come. "Okay, you've had a tough day, so I won't bother you with that." He paused for a second, observing Maria's relieved face before going for the kill, "So, I'll let it go for today… Maria Gertrude Deluca." Gertrude?! Maria saw red! "Gertrude? I am going to kill you, Guerin, for even thinking that could possibly be my middle name!" She launched herself at him, and he caught her, letting the unexpected attack take them to the ground. He rolled around on the sand with her, careful not to hurt her as he laughed at her determination. She was short but she didn't lack strength or guts - that was for sure! He caught her wrists and pinned them to the ground above her head, effectively immobilizing her as his gaze zeroed in on her lips. His breathing suddenly changed, becoming rapid and uneven, and he bent his head to kiss her. He forgot where he was, lost in her, and he released her hands when he heard her begging him breathlessly to please, please, let her touch him. Maria's hands tore at his shirt, fighting with the material to get it out of the way so she could feel his skin, relaxing slightly once her hands settled on the warm, smooth skin of his back. She couldn't remember ever having such an intense reaction to any other guy; the burning need for physical contact that he had brought to life in her was unexpected, but she welcomed it. She growled when he shifted and his lips moved to her neck, and she reluctantly moved her hands from his back to his head so she could direct his attention back in the right direction. Michael allowed her to draw him back into the kiss without complaint, quickly forgetting his intention to leave his mark on her. It was a territorial thing and he knew some girls got seriously pissed off about it, but he had a feeling she wouldn't be one of them… he also had a feeling she was equally territorial. The sound of a car horn honking interrupted them and he looked up in time to see the cloud of dust left in the wake of the vehicle. "The front yard probably isn't the best place for this," he said, his voice raspy. Maria bit back a complaint when he stood and pulled her to her feet, but only because she could read the regret in his expression. "Now, about the Magnum nickname…" "Good try, but it's not gonna happen. You wanna know what it is, you're gonna have to figure it out all on your own." "Fine, I will." She leaned back in his arms and looked up at him. "I really do need to go," she whispered. "I've got homework to finish tonight." "I'll see you again soon though." It wasn't a question. She smiled. "Yeah. I work at the Crashdown tomorrow and Tuesday after school, so it'll probably be Wednesday before I can get out here again." Michael frowned. "The Crashdown?" "Yes, it's an alien-themed café. I live in Roswell, what do you expect?" She shook her head at him when his expression didn't change. "Don't frown at me; I didn't name it." Maybe not, but that didn't mean he had to like hearing about the place! "Well, don't expect me to go there or anything." "Not even to see me?" Maria asked, her tone hopeful. "I have two words for you, Maria; psychologically damaging." "It's not like I was planning to drag you around the UFO museums or anything." She rolled her eyes at him and stretched up to kiss him. "It's fine if you don't wanna come out to Roswell; I can see your point about it being damaging. Although, the so-called experts who think they know everything about aliens obviously got it all wrong because you don't look anything like they said you would." She took a long look at his body, scanning him from head to toe and enjoying it when he shifted under her stare. She just barely refrained from reaching out to sneak her hands up under his shirt one more time so she could feel the hard planes of his back again. Her palms were itching to touch him again, and she was on the verge of succumbing to that temptation, but before she could act on that little fantasy, loud music announced the arrival of his sister and her friends and she turned her head to watch them pull into the driveway. Maria wondered at the tension she felt in him, but quickly remembered that he had told her earlier that his sister was mad at him. She started to speak to Maggie when she climbed out of the jeep, but the unwelcoming expression the girl aimed at her brother didn't invite conversation. The other girl turned to speak to her friends before going in the house without a single word to him. Silence followed the front door slamming and Christina leaned on the open door of the jeep after climbing out to take the front seat. "Would you please just apologize for whatever you did?" "Why do you assume that I did it?" "Because this is how she always gets when she's pissed off at you. There are only four more weeks until the Harvest Dance and while we were out today, she scared away the guy I want to go with because you pissed her off. So, fix it, because if Morgan James doesn't ask me to go with him, you're gonna take me to the dance." She got in the jeep and shut the door, smiling and waving as Linda backed out of the driveway. "Sounds like you'd better go talk to your sister," Maria commented after the girls had gone. "I need to get started on my way home anyway." ***** John took his eyes off of the road for a moment to glance at his wife. Neither of them had expected to hear what his father had told them and she had been silent since leaving River Dog's home. Learning of their son's early morning visit to his grandfather for advice concerning the situation he had found himself in with Maria had been a shock, and John knew Catherine was doing her best to come up with reasons why the old man was mistaken. "Catherine, we knew the time was gonna come when he'd meet the right girl and he'd wanna tell her
the truth about himself."
"I knew," he said quietly. "That's different; we practically knew each other from birth. He's only known this girl for a very short amount of time. No," she denied, shaking her head. "Your father's wrong, there's no way Michael would tell her... the amount of trust that would be required for him to reveal the truth..." She shook her head again. "No, there's no way that level of trust exists between them yet." "I disagree. I'm not sayin' that he would tell her because he just wants to share that part of himself at this stage of their relationship, but Dad said Michael was fairly certain that she saw him use his powers. In that case, do you really think it'd be better for him to lie to her?" "This conversation is pointless. Michael told River Dog that he wasn't positive she saw him using his powers so he only thinks she saw something. We'll just have to come up with an explanation that makes sense before they see each other again." "So you want him to lie to her?" "If it protects him, yes." "Dad seems to think she could handle the truth." He glanced at Catherine, noting the stubborn expression on her face. "My dad's a very good judge of character, and while he admits that Maria's a little on the odd side, he also said that he had a feelin' that she - " "I'm not interested in discussing your father's beliefs right now, John; there's nothing mystical about this." Catherine sighed in irritation. Why couldn't John see that telling a seventeen-year-old girl was not an option? She knew he trusted his father's judgment implicitly, but this was a risk that was too great to take based on the old man's feelings. "If at some point - and I mean in the distant future - Michael decides that she's the right girl, then we can decide how to tell her the truth." "How do you think she'll take that? Lyin' to her now and tellin' her the truth at some point in the future?" "If she sticks around and she really loves him then she'll understand why it was necessary."
John shook his head, letting her know he didn't agree with her thinking. He wasn't going to make her see reason on this and he knew it. It made him nervous just thinking that Michael might tell Maria the truth, but he trusted his father, and River Dog had assured him that if it came down to Michael revealing his secret, she could be trusted to keep it. "Why don't we just go home and see where the boy's mind is before we start tellin' him what he can and can't tell his girlfriend," he suggested. He didn't bother pointing out that if Michael had already made his mind up they weren't likely to change it. He turned the truck in the direction of the house and drove the rest of the way in silence. **** Michael grabbed a glass of water and a snack before going to his room and sitting down in front of the computer desk. He leaned back in the chair and let his gaze rove over the shelf above his desk, taking in the pictures mixed in with the model cars, stacks of comic books, CD's, and the collection of sketches he had done over the years. His dark eyes settled on a picture of him and Maggie that had been taken not long after he had come to live with them and he shook his head as he remembered the first time the two of them had met. He glanced down at the crème-filled sponge cake he was unwrapping and he smiled as he lost himself in the memory. He had finally become accustomed to River Dog and John, and one day, they had decided to bring him in from the desert. He still hadn't been able to talk at that point, and he had only begun to associate certain words with things, but walking into the house between the two men had been so completely different than the desert. The little boy looked around in awe, reaching up to grasp the rough cloth of River Dog's shirt to keep him from going away. He stuck his thumb in his mouth, with only a fleeting thought being given to the bitter taste. There were things everywhere and he took a few tentative steps towards the first thing he could see, releasing River Dog so he could reach out and touch it. Before his fingers could make contact with the thing, there was a loud noise and he jerked around to see something small run past him. He latched onto River Dog's shirt once more, hugging his side as he watched… it. It made noise… a lot of noise, and it moved a lot. John moved and spoke to It and Michael cocked his head to one side curiously. His eyes widened in fear when It moved suddenly and he hid behind River Dog. He could hear the familiar sound of the man's voice as he spoke and the trembling in his little body began to calm when a rough hand settled on his shoulder, the touch making him feel not so afraid. He cautiously peered around River Dog when it was quiet again, certain that it had gone away. He didn't see it and he crept around the man's body in an attempt to see if it was still there or if it had gone away. He stepped out once he was fairly certain it was safe and he moved closer to the thing he had been looking at earlier. He touched the thing, rubbing his hand back and forth, and was quickly fascinated at the realization that if he moved his hand one way it felt soft and if he moved it the other way, it was rough. He walked along in front of the thing, turning around when he bumped into something hard. His hand patted the hard surface and he stared at it when it made a sound, repeating the motion a moment later. He quickly lost interest in the hard thing, going back to the soft/rough thing and rubbing it again. It suddenly came from behind the soft/rough thing, coming over the top of it and making so much noise that it scared him and he scrambled over the hard thing to get away from it. His eyes darted around nervously and he panicked when he realized he couldn't go to the hiding place. He crawled under the hard thing and curled up as small as he could, sticking his thumb in his mouth as he shivered. He observed It, tracking its movements from the corner of his eyes as he waited to see if the little being was going to be a threat. He could hear River Dog's voice but he resisted when the man tried to coax him out of the new hiding place, kicking and clawing at the hands when they touched him. They finally left him alone and he stayed there until he fell asleep. It wasn't as bright when he woke up again and he glanced around to determine if it was safe to leave the hiding place. He froze when he felt something soft touch his arm and fear caused him to stop breathing as he realized that It was touching him and making quiet sounds. It moved back when he shifted and it held something out towards him; whatever the thing was, it smelled tempting and he gingerly reached for it. His fingers closed around the spongy thing and he squeezed it gently, bringing it to his nose to sniff it cautiously. It smelled different than the… he struggled to remember what River Dog called it and his mind finally latched onto… food, that was it. He licked it experimentally before taking a tiny bite and his eyes widened in wonder at the taste. He crept out of his hiding place and he looked at It from the other side of the hard thing before he took a bite of the spongy thing and chewed heartily. He studied It as they ate the spongy things and he cocked his head to one side when it started to make sounds again, attempting to decipher what it was saying. It was the same color as John but it was much smaller, and it was loud most of the time. He didn't look away when It looked at him directly and his gaze followed it closely when it moved to the end of the soft/rough thing and climbed up on it before reaching for a strange looking thing at the end. He heard a small sound and he gasped inaudibly when light exploded around them and he shielded his eyes at the unexpected brightness. He peeked between his fingers when It touched him again and he watched it pick up a small thing and put it in his hand before squeezing his fingers around it. He lowered his other hand and his curiosity got the better of him when it slid a funny-shaped thing in front of him and he leaned forward over it. He watched it place his hand over the funny-shaped thing and he allowed it to move his hand around, fascinated when the thing under his hand suddenly changed colors. He refused to release the small thing when It tried to take it from him, and he watched as it held out a different small thing. He took the small thing and held it along with the other one, watching It and mimicking its motions as it moved its own small thing, amazed when more another color appeared. Michael stared at the half-eaten Twinkie in his right hand, smiling at the memory of the first one he'd ever had. Maggie had been relentless as she followed him around; thrilled to be able to introduce him to the things she loved. For months after his introduction to crayons, he had been fascinated with them, and he had been upset to learn that Twinkies were not a food they were allowed to eat all the time. He had eventually gotten over it as new things had been discovered and he had become more comfortable with his family. He finished the dessert and got up to go knock on Maggie's bedroom door, leaning back against the wall and waiting for her to call out. "What do you want?" she snapped, jerking the door open. "I wanna know why you're pissed at me." He shrugged. "You wouldn't stay mad at me this long just because I wanted to talk to River Dog alone. Or because you had to call Linda to come pick you up." "Don't think that just because you didn't have to tell Maria the truth that I'm gonna just forget that you were willin' to take that risk. What if you had told her the truth and she had run off and told someone else? | |||