Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, and a lot of other talented people whom I have no affiliation with, but I hope they don't sue me anyway, because I'm broke. :) I also don't own the songs, "Red Right Hand," which is by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, nor do I own, "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Gus (pretty sure it's not the original, but I don't know who did the original," but both songs appear on the "Scream" soundtrack.

Rating: R for language and violence

Spoilers: Up through "The UFO Convention"

Author's Note: The first song mentioned in this section is "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, a minor tribute to Chris Carter in lieu of my favorite 2nd season X-Files episode, "Ascension." For those of you who don't watch "The X-Files" or don't know which episode I'm referring to, it's the one where Duane Berry kidnaps Agent Scully (the song plays while he's driving and she's in the trunk) and Mulder tries everything he can to rescue her, but fails...

In the Presence of Evil (Part Eight)

Amy DeLuca watched him throughout the night. She watched as he watched over her daughter, his gaze never faltering, not once. Amy wasn't sure what her daughter's relationship with this young man was, but it was blatantly obvious how he felt about her. She stood in the hallway outside of the I.C.U. waiting room, gazing at the back of his head.

She had sent Liz, Alex, and the other two to school that morning. There was nothing they could do, and she promised she would call the school and have a message delivered to Liz if anything changed. She really did appreciate their company, Liz's especially.

Liz was like a daughter to her. And she was so strong. Amy DeLuca was glad that Maria had such a good friend. Liz had been there for Maria when Maria's dad had abandoned them, even though at the time, the two girls had only been seven years old.

And Alex. Amy adored him, as well. Ever since the fifth grade, Maria, Liz and Alex had been inseperable, minus a few weeks ago, when he wasn't speaking to the girls...She still wasn't sure what that had been about, but whatever it was must have worked itself out, because they were acting like their old selves again. She was happy about that. She couldn't have asked for two better friends for her daughter. And now there was this young man...

Amy didn't know him well. She didn't understand him, either. But she knew beyond a doubt that he had feelings for Maria, even if he didn't like to admit it.

She watched him for another moment, just studying him. He stood perfectly still, the only movement he made was the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He had been silent most of the night, even when any of the others had tried to talk to him.

Amy took a deep breath and walked up so she was standing right next to him. She gazed in the window of her daughter's I.C.U. room. Then she looked over at him. "You should go home and get some rest."

He shook his head slowly, not looking at her. "Not tired."

"You have to be tired, you've been up all night."

"I don't sleep much anyway." His words were quiet, so quiet she barely heard him.

Amy turned so she was facing him directly. "It's Michael Guerin, right?"

He nodded.

"Michael, I don't know what your relationship is with my daughter, exactly, but..." Her voice trailed off. She didn't even know what it was she was trying to say.

He finally turned his head to look at her, giving her a very brief half-smile. "That makes two of us."

She smiled despite herself. Then she turned to look in on her daughter. "She's a lot stronger than she looks, you know."

Michael turned to look at Maria again. "Believe me, I know."

"She's been through so much...her father left when she was seven years old. I've always tried to be a good mother to her, but sometimes I feel like it's not enough. Like I could be doing something better, something more..."

"She's lucky to have you," Michael said quietly.

Amy blinked in surprise. His words were so quiet, so soft and brief, but so full of meaning. "Thank you for saying that."

Michael shrugged and didn't respond.

"Have you been in to see her?" she asked softly.

"They won't let me. I'm not family."

Amy touched his arm. "Cousins are family."

He looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

She smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. "What, you don't remember your Aunt Amy?" she asked with mock indignation.

Michael suddenly realized what she was saying and a smile formed on his lips. "Of course I do."

"Well, go in and see your cousin then." Amy watched him as he nodded, and moved to the door.

He paused for a second, then turned to look at her. "Thank you."

"My nephew has great manners," she joked, her eyes tearing up.

"I was taught by a smart woman," he answered softly. Then he stepped through the door to see her.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She needed to get some coffee.

Michael swallowed hard and stared down at her. She was hooked up to all kinds of machines, and there were wires and tubes everywhere. She was still and silent, and more pale than he had ever seen her.

This wasn't right.

Maria was always so full of life. Always had been, back as far as he could remember. For her to be lying here, not knowing what was going to happen...it was too much.

Too much for him, too much for her mother, for Liz and Alex...

Before Michael even realized it, a tear slid down his cheek and splashed onto her hospital gown. He couldn't lose her.

He thought about his life, about how things had been before she became a part of it, and he didn't like those memories. Sure, he'd always had Max and Isabel, but sometimes that just wasn't enough...

They had their own family.

He had Hank, of course, but Hank wasn't exactly family. Hank was the jerk he lived with, the one who beat him, the one who had made him afraid to go to sleep at night, afraid of the monsters that would come out if he did.

And no one understood him. Not Max, not Isabel. As much as they loved him, they didn't understand him. They didn't know what it was like to hate "home" so much it made you want to kill yourself. They didn't understand what it was like to not have a mother, to not have real parents, because even though the Evans's weren't their real parents, they still acted like it, they still loved them.

No one understood him, or so he thought up until a couple months ago, when he'd basically stolen her car, with her in it, and driven all afternoon and evening and wound up at that sleazy motel. It had always been him against the world. No one knew what it was like to be Michael Guerin. Except for Maria DeLuca.

As much as he'd hated to admit it then, they had bonded, had formed some sort of connection. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of connection that Max and Liz had, but he and Maria weren't Max and Liz.

Maria knew what it was like to grow up without a father. She knew what it was like to wish for something so badly it hurt, and still not be able to reach her goal. She knew him as well as he knew himself. It scared him, because she could call him on it, and she wasn't afraid to do so. She was right, he was afraid. Afraid of feeling anything for anyone because he knew he'd only end up hurt in the end.

But maybe he was wrong.

He hoped he got to find out.

"Trying...to...drown me, space boy?"

Michael's eyes widened as he heard the barely audible words come from her still figure on the bed. He stared down at her, and she stared back up at him. "You're awake!"

"Apparently...why are you...crying?" she asked, wincing at the pain in her ribs as she struggled to sit up.

"Don't do that!" Michael said quickly. He sat down next to her on the bed. "Don't try to move...you're hurt pretty bad."

She coughed and then squeezed her eyes shut tightly to block the pain that shot through her. "Suck a duck," she muttered.

Michael swallowed hard, wincing as she tried to recover from the pain. He reached out and laid his hand over her ribs. Her eyes flew open at his touch, and their eyes locked on one another. Then she nodded slightly. Michael concentrated.

--Maria and Liz on the playground when they were kids--

--Maria watching, crying, as her dad left the house--

--A wave of pure fear as she stared down at his cocooned body in Liz's bed--

He blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the images in his mind. Then he gazed down at her again, his hand still resting on her ribcage.

Maria stared up at him. "Thank you."

Michael nodded. "You, uh...You scared a lot of people."

She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the pillows. "Where is everyone?"

"School. Your mom's around here somewhere."

She nodded, but didn't open her eyes. "I want to see her...can you...find her for me?"

"Yeah, no problem." He stood up and headed for the door. Then he stopped and turned around to look at her again. She hadn't moved, her eyes were still shut. "Maria."

She lifted her head to look at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay." And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving Maria to stare after him.

Liz stared blankly into space, unable to concentrate on Mr.Crulick's English lecture. She ached to be with her friends, to be at the hospital with Amy DeLuca, awaiting news on Maria's condition. Anywhere but in class.

"Ms. Parker?"

Liz snapped to attention as she heard Mr.Crulick say her name. "Yes?"

He nodded towards the door, where the office assistant, Ms. Sharp was standing. She motioned for Liz to come to the door.

"Bring your books, Ms. Parker," Mr. Crulick advised.

Liz quickly gathered her books and stuffed them into her bag haphazardly, and leapt to her feet, her heart racing. Please be good news, she prayed silently. She hurried over to the door.

Ms. Sharp stepped into the empty hallway and Liz followed her. "Maria's awake," Ms. Sharp told her. "Her mother just called. She's awake and alert."

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank God!"

"Maria's asking to see you right away."

Liz nodded quickly. "I'll get my things from my locker and tell Alex." She turned away and hurried down the hall.

Alex sat out of gym that day. The gym teacher, along with the rest of the school, had heard about Maria's accident, and had told him he didn't have to participate. Even though they were playing dodgeball, which he tended to enjoy, he just wasn't up to it.

He wondered how Liz was holding up. And he wondered how Mrs. DeLuca was doing, and if Sheriff Valenti suspected that an alien was the cause of Maria's accident.

He sighed and then looked up in time to see Liz walk through the gym door. She searched the room for a second then met his eyes across the room. Alex rose to his feet on the bleachers and stepped down, jogging across the floor to her. "Liz?"

"She's awake," she announced.

Alex's eyes widened. He hugged her. "Thank God! Is she okay?"

"Awake, alert, and asking to see us."

"Great!" He glanced over to the gym teacher, who waved him away. Alex nodded a silent thanks, and followed Liz through the gymnasium doors.

"Let's take my car," Liz suggested as they hurried down the hall towards the school parking lot.

"Okay," he agreed. Then he stopped. "Wait...What about Isabel and Max? Shouldn't we tell them?"

"They're already on their way. They left a minute ago."

Alex frowned. "Okay." He followed her to her car and waited for her to unlock the passenger side door. When she did, he climbed in and she did the same. She started the engine and quickly backed out of the parking space.

He stared out the window, some unconscious thought pushing at the back of his mind, but he didn't know what it was. He saw Liz reach over and turn on the radio, flipping through the channels. Finally she let it stop on a song, the volume loud.

"You'll see him in your nightmares
You'll see him in your dreams
He'll appear out of nowhere
But he ain't what he seems..."

Alex shuddered involuntarily. "Liz, when did you stop listening to Sarah McLachlan?"

She didn't answer. She sang along with the words of the song.

"You'll see him in your head
On the tv screen
Hey buddy, I'm warning you to turn it off
He's a ghost, he's a god
He's a man, he's a guru
You're one microscopic punk
In his catastophic plan
Designed and directed by his red right hand..."

Alex shook his head and shifted in the seat uncomfortably. Something is really NOT right here, he thought. After a moment the song changed to something slower.

"All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
The seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the winds
The sun or the rain..."

Alex watched her out of the corner of his eye. This was really unlike Liz. She was silent, staring straight ahead of her as if nothing mattered. And she never listened to this kind of music.

"So come on baby
(don't fear the reaper)
Take my hand
(don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly
Cause, baby, I'm on your man..."

Alex shuddered again and gazed out the window. "Uh, Liz?"

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way. The hospital's in the other direction..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the desert all around them. "Liz?"

The car slowed to a stop.

He gazed out the window again. "Why are you stopping?"

"Because it's time, Alex."

He whipped his head around in time to see a man sitting in the driver's seat. "What the hell--?" His mouth dropped open in shock. It hit him at that moment. "You! You're--you're Nasedo!"

Nasedo smiled. "You didn't honestly think I'd let any humans live that knew a truth that could destroy me, did you?"

"What have you done with Liz? Where is she?" Alex demanded, his mind racing.

His grin widened. "Oh, she's with us..." He motioned to the door. "Get out and don't even think about running."

Alex swallowed hard and reached for the door handle, and climbed out of the car slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the shape-shifting alien.

"So come on baby
(don't fear the reaper)
Take my hand
(don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly..."

Nasedo motioned him to the back of the car, and suddenly Alex realized where Liz was. Dread filled him in the deepest part of his soul as Nasedo waved his hand over the trunk lock. Alex held his breath, not sure if he was doing it consciously or because he couldn't breathe.

Nasedo opened the trunk. Liz was lying motionless inside. She didn't appear to be breathing. "Liz!" Alex momentarily forgot the danger he was in as he felt for a pulse. He lifted his eyes to meet Nasedo's. "You....killed her," he whispered in horror.

Nasedo gave a dark, humorless laugh. "And you're next."

Go to Part 9

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