| Maria turned off her bedroom-lights and closed her eyes. The next day she was going to see her father. Her father. The thoughts spinning around in her head were confusing to say the least, but right now she needed to get some sleep. Maybe she�d travel back to 1892 again� ************ �What�s happening Jack?� Maria cried out. She was lying in a bed again, holding on to her stomach. �The baby isn�t feeling so good,� Jack answered her. �But we will save her, don�t worry. Just try to stay strong for the baby.� Maria looked around the room. It was small and empty, with only the bed and a large table in her sight. She felt the baby kick inside of her so she had to be alive, but maybe not for long� Soon she was back in the ballroom again, next to Maxwell. �Hi, I�m back,� she greeted him and smiled. He was looking awfully sad. �Hello,� he answered. �You just missed it.� �Missed what?� Maria asked. �The announcement of their wedding-date. It�s set in a week,� Maxwell said with his eyes locked on Elisabeth. �Oh,� Maria said simply. �Well that means that we�re going to have to work fast to break them apart.� �What are you talking about?� Maxwell asked, suddenly devoting all his attention to Maria. �We can not break them up. If Miles says they are getting married, then there is nothing you and I can do to put an end to that.� �Well. In my time you learn a few things about these sorts of things and love do win in the end,� Maria said. �And you do love Liz right?� �Who is Liz?� �Elisabeth,� Maria corrected herself and smiled. �With all my heart and soul,� Maxwell said. �I would walk through hell and worse to be with her.� �I guess some things never change,� Maria mumbled to herself. �Well, exactly how are we going to part Elisabeth from Mr Guerin. Her father will not be pleased.� �Well I do have a plan,� Maria said. �And if it works, you will be the one marrying Elisabeth in a week, not Michael.� �Why are you helping me?� Maxwell asked. �You don�t even live in this time.� �Let�s just say I have my reasons,� Maria answered. �You are interested in marrying Mr Guerin?� �Something like that,� Maria said. �Actually I have my own Mr Guerin at home, but I don�t know if we will ever be together again. I know I�ll always love him though.� �Then why are you not married to him?� Maxwell asked confused. �It�s complicated,� Maria explained. �Someday I will take you to my time and explain it better. I promise.� �Well only if I can take my Elisabeth with me,� Maxwell said. �I think you will like it anyway,� Maria reassured him. �I�ll introduce you to my best friend�� The next day Maria awoke to the sound of her alarmclock setting of. She laid in bed a few minutes before, against her desires, getting out to hit the shower. It was going to be a big day today when she was going to Phoenix with her friends. She was really glad they were all coming with her cause she didn�t know how she would react to seeing her father again after all this time. And he was dying. Leaving her again� ********* �We�re just going away for three days Iz,� Michael commented when Isabel came dragging two large suitcases after her. �And these are hers too,� Max said. He carried a large bag, a suitcase and a backpack. �Not all of them,� Isabel defended herself. �That one is yours,� she added and pointed to the backpack. �Okay,� Michael said before loading the luggage into the back of the Jetta. The were standing outside the Evans�s house and Maria had come there with her car. When the others had come too and the Jeep and the Jetta was fully loaded the seven friends settled in the cars. The humans in the Jetta and the aliens in the Jeep. It had been easiest that way according to Max, although Michael had a feeling he had another reason for it. Why else would he voluntarily suggest that any arrangement with him and Liz in different cars would be good? Anyway, Max drove and Isabel was riding shotgun. Michael sat in the back next to Tess. Michael had noticed that she and Kyle had seemed awfully attached to each other when they arrived. Maybe those two had finally got it together. Michael was glad for them, but it also reminded him of how much he missed being with Maria in that way. �So Max I suspect you have something to say?� he said to forget about that other stuff for a while. �What do you mean?� Max asked. �Maybe the fact that you arranged for the four of us being together instead of being all cuddly with Liz,� Isabel said. �Well I didn�t want Maria hearing this,� Max said with his eyes locked on the road. �Maria? What does she have to do with this?� Michael immediately asked. �You don�t trust Jack,� Tess stated. Michael was amazed that the two of them always knew what the other was thinking in a weird way. Well he and Isabel kind of did that too sometimes. Well they were married in a former life, he reminded himself. �Exactly,� Max agreed. �It seems a little weird of him just showing up like this. And that Maria has an alien father? Does this mean she�s one too?� �Yes it does,� Michael said. �Jack told her yesterday. That�s what her dreams are all about, something alien. Although I don�t buy it. I think the guy is bad news.� �Well, I don�t trust him either,� Tess agreed. �But I do,� Isabel said. �There is something weird about him that�s telling me he�s worth trusting.� �Oh come on. You�re just hot for the guy,� Michael commented. �Michael, please,� Isabel said. �Do you really think I would be willing to jeopardize us just because I was hot for a guy?� She looked at Max and remembered. �Sorry. But the Liz-thing wasn�t the same thing,� she said, referring to when Max risked all of them by saving Liz�s life. �It�s okay. But I think we should keep this guy under strict observation and never leave Maria alone with him. Or Liz or Kyle,� Max said. �Agreed,� Michael and Tess said in unison. �Isabel?� Max asked. �Yeah, yeah,� she said. But Michael could see that she still didn�t agree with them. And Michael hoped that she was right. He hoped that Jack and Maria�s so-called-father wasn�t against them. Maria had just found them and he wouldn�t want her to get disappointed. And if they weren�t good guys, then they could all be in danger� ********** �So how is Jack getting there?� Liz asked once they were on the road. �He took his car yesterday,� Maria explained from behind the wheel. �He wanted to be there to prepare his father�our father�that I was coming.� �It must be so weird finding out that you have a brother and a father,� Liz said looking at her friend with a curious expession. �And add alien-heritage to that,� Kyle said. �It�s more than weird,� Maria said. �It�s like so unbelievable that it�s scary. I mean I�m an alien?� �I�ve always found you a little different. You know like from another weird world.� �Kyle!� Maria said and playfully hit him with her right arm while holding the other on the wheel. �Sorry,� he said and laughed. �I forgot that you don�t mess with DeLuca-women.� �Well how about Harding-women?� Liz asked innocently. �Yeah, what�s up with you and fake-blondie?� Maria said. �Are you getting any yet?� �Me and Tess are actually really great, thank you very much,� Kyle said with an evil glare at Maria. �Yesterday we kind of, well I don�t really know,� he said. �But I think we�re together now. It�s confusing.� �Well I�m happy for you Kyle,� Liz said. �It took some time, but you two finally realized you should be together.� �What do you mean it took some time?� Kyle asked looking back at Liz. �She means, everyone saw it coming a long time before you two did,� Maria said. �How do you do that? See stuff like that?� Kyle asked confused. �Is it a women-thing? I mean, your gender will always remain a mystery to me.� �Believe me Kyle, it�s mutual,� Maria said before turning a right... TBC |
| Part 11 |