| After Effects - Part One Maria Deluca stares out her dorm window. It was her senior year at the University of New Mexico. She sighed as she remembered how her life used to be. Simple, she liked guys, make-up, and shopping. She enjoyed spending time with her friends and mom. That was how life was before she met the alien foursome�Max Evans and his sister Isabel, Michael Guerin, and Tess Harding. Then her entire life changed dramatically. Especially when she fell for the alien rebel Michael. She turned her head when she heard her door open. �Hey Maria,� Liz Parker said. Maria nodded her head in reply and turned her head back towards the window. �Thinking about Michael again?� �No,� Maria lied. �I know you better than that Maria.� �I just want to know what happened to him after graduation.� �Why don�t you ask me?� Max asked, stepping through the door. �Max!� Maria smiled as she ran up and hugged her old friend. �Where�d you come from?� �California,� Max said as he smiled at Maria. �What brings you back to Roswell?� Maria asked, still smiling. �My girlfriend. . .or should I say fianc�,� Max said, smiling at Liz. �What!� Maria yelled. �You�re getting married and you didn�t tell me!� �I�m sorry Maria but I just thought that Max should be here with me when I told you,� Liz said, getting up to kiss Max. �I�m so happy for you!� Maria said as she hugged Liz and Max. �Okay, Maria, you ready for me to answer your question?� Max asked. Suddenly, everything became very serious. �Yeah, Max, I�m ready,� Maria said, gaining her composure. �You�d better sit down, it�s a strange story,� Max instructed. Maria did as she was told and Liz sat beside her, holding her hand. �Okay Maria, after graduation, Michael left to pursue his destiny and find out about his past. He never went to college or anything. And when Isabel didn�t get accepted into college, she found Michael and went with him. They never told me anything until a few weeks ago and that�s when I found out. . .Maria, I hope you�re ready to hear this. . .I found out that Michael and Isabel got married and Isabel�s pregnant. . .� Max stopped immediately when he saw Maria�s eyes tear up. �Max, I asked you not to tell her yet,� Liz said as she put her arm around her best friend. Maria�s body racked with shivers as the news sank in, but it was too much for her. �NO!� she screamed as she ran out the door. �Maria!� Liz called after her. �Let her go,� Max said as Liz got up to go find Maria. �But Max, what if something happens to her? She really vulnerable when she�s crying,� Liz pleaded. �She�s Maria, she�ll be fine,� Max said as he wrapped his arms around Liz. ***Meanwhile*** Maria ran down the dorm hall, not caring who saw her or who or what she hit. But she was soon stopped as she collided with a sturdy chest. �I�m sorry!� she said, trying to run away. �Maria?� a familiar voice asked. �Alex?� Maria asked. She looked up into the face of the man holding her. �Maria, what�s wrong?� Alex asked. He hadn�t seen her in so long and he hoped that the next time he would see her, she�d be happy. But none of that mattered, she needed him. �It�s. . .it�s Michael and Isabel. . .they�re married!� Maria said as more tears came from her eyes. Michael and Isabel are married?! No wonder she�s crying, Alex thought as her pulled Maria into his arms. He knew that Maria was jealous of Isabel, whether she�d admit or not. Ever since she had seen the way Michael had treated Isabel when Isabel thought she was pregnant, it killed Maria. She knew that she would never have that kind of relationship with Michael and when she had heard about Michael and Isabel�s destiny to be together, she knew that things would forever be changed between all of them. �It�s okay Maria. I�m back and I won�t let anything happen to you.� �How can you be so sure Alex?� Maria asked as she looked at him through a tear-streaked face. �Because I am,� Alex said as he pulled Maria up to him. Maria pulled herself towards Alex�s lips and kissed him. She then wrapped her arms around Alex and deepened the kiss. Meanwhile, Max and Liz see this and Liz smiles. Max, on the other hand, frowns at what he sees. ***The Next Day*** �Where is he?� Maria asked quietly. �Right behind you,� Alex said, scaring her. �Mean,� Maria smiled as she kissed Alex. The kiss would have continued if Maria hadn�t felt something soft stroke her cheek. Maria opens her eyes to see that Alex has brought her a red rose. �Aww. . .Alex, thank you.� �You�re welcome. I just thought that I should give you something for everything you�ve been through and the fact that you�re the most beautiful woman around,� Alex smiled. �What about me?� Liz asked, smiling. �You�re taken,� Alex says as he wraps his arm around Maria. �Yeah, and don�t you ever forget it,� Max says, coming up from behind Alex and Maria. �Hello to you too Max,� Alex said, extending his hand. �Hey Alex,� Max said, taking his hand and shaking it. �Alex, will you walk me to class? I have to be there in a little while,� Maria asked with puppy dog eyes. �Sure,� Alex said as he looped his fingers with Maria�s and walked her to class. Liz smiled and told Max, �They look so good together, don�t they?� Max just looked at Alex and Maria with a frown on his face. �Max? What�s wrong?� �Isn�t it obvious Liz? I�m worried about when Michael comes back and sees Maria and Alex together,� Max told her. �Why should you be worried about Michael? He�s got Isabel and a baby on the way,� Liz questioned. �Liz. . .I promised Michael that I wouldn�t say this but I can�t keep anything from you. . .Michael is still in love with Maria�Isabel and baby or not, he still loves her and he always will,� Max confessed. �Max, I had no idea,� Liz said quietly. �Nobody knows except me. Now you know. Swear to me Liz, swear to me that you won�t tell Maria or Alex or anybody. This has to be between you and me,� Max begged. �Okay Max. I swear,� Liz said, sealing it with a kiss. ***Two Hours Later*** Maria sat across from Alex at the local campus caf�. Alex had pulled Maria out of class to come and have lunch with him before his class. �So why�d you decide to come back to Roswell?� Maria asked as she sipped her coffee. �I�m lookin� at her,� Alex smiled. Maria smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek. �Seriously Alex,� Maria persisted. �You come back to Roswell, four years later, kiss me and I have no idea. I want the whole story Alex�and you better not leave anything out because you know I�ll find out.� �Okay, okay, you got me, I�ll tell ya,� Alex said with a smile. �I was accepted at the University of California at Los Angeles. I thought Isabel was going there�she was main reason I applied in the first place. But when she didn�t get accepted, she said that I should go and get an education anyway and that�s what I did. She basically stayed in California, waitressing of all things, thanks to your teachings,� Alex smiled as he said that. �But she wasn�t happy. You know Isabel, she likes to do things all the time. Then Michael stopped by. Well, not actually �stopped by� but he came for Isabel. Maria, I�m not sure whether or not you want to hear this but you said you wanted the whole story and that�s what I�m going to tell you. Are you ready?� Alex asked as he put a hand over hers. �I�m ready Alex, I wanna know,� Maria assured him. �Well, Michael came to LA and said that he wanted Isabel to come with him and that he loved her,� Alex stopped and looked at Maria. Her eyes had begun to tear up but she blinked them back. Alex nearly smiled but he knew he had to continue. �So, when Isabel left, I had no reason to stay in California and I missed everybody here so I decided to come home.� �You still haven�t explained to me why you kissed me,� Maria said as she took a deep breath. �I�m getting to it. Like I said, I missed everybody here�especially you Maria. I love you. I�ve always loved you. You remember that day when I punched out Michael?� Alex continued. When Maria shook her head yes, he went on. �That was the day I truly realized it. You know, how much you meant to me.� �This a question I always thought I�d be asking Michael instead of you but why�d you leave then? If you love me, why�d you leave?� Maria asked, looking into his eyes. �I don�t know. I guess I was scared. Scared of what would happen if I told you how I felt,� Alex said, looking down at the hand under his. �Alex, I really wish that you had told me. Michael was constantly running away. I was always looking for someone, whether I'd admit it or not. If only he had stayed after he told me he loved me, I would have stopped looking but then he went looking while he and I were �dating�. I was desperate! I even thought that Kyle looked good at one time! But, there was always one guy who looked better than any of them. You,� Maria said, smiling. Alex smiled and pulled Maria in for a kiss. �Hello Maria,� a voice said from behind them. Alex looked up at the figure with fire in his eyes while Maria looked at the figure with disbelief. TBC . . . |