| Michael had only one idea about where Maria could be headed. If she really was high when she showed up for work then he figured it was more than just a one-time experiment and she was probably into it heavy, if not an addict. Michael ran to Johnny Eagle's hang out. He knew there was only one place to get "hooked up" in Roswell and this was it. He walked in just in time to see Maria receiving a baggie from a guy in a black hooded sweatshirt. Maria turned when she heard someone enter and quickly turned away. Michael walked up to her, grabbing her arm and pushing her out of the building. Once outside he turned her around to face him, "What are you doing to yourself?" Maria winced at the force of his hand on her arm. Surprise registered in her brain that he didn't sound angry with her, rather like he pitied her. "Leave me alone," she said, yanking her arm away. "No, I won't," he said, reaching out to hold her arm again. "I don't need your pity," she spat at him. Michael stared at the girl in front of him for a moment. Slowly he swallowed and said, "It's not pity. It's empathy." His voice was so quiet that she could barely hear him and she surprised herself by actually wanting to know what he was saying, "What?" she said, leaning in closer to him. He looked up to meet her eyes before letting go of her arm and lowering his head again, "I said, it's empathy." "Empathy?" confusion registered on Maria's face before she gasped. "Oh." Michael shook his head, raising it ever so slightly to just meet her gaze, "You know you aren't the only one who's had a fucked up life." Maria felt incredibly foolish at that very moment but his voice wasn't condemning, it was filled with such a quiet regret that she was stirred into silence. She stared at his lowered eyes, reaching out with her hand to touch his face, "Mike�" Michael raised his head. "I swear, if you call me Mikey one more time�" he threatened playfully. "�cal," she finished, smiling at him. A smile spread across his face and he leaned in to receive the kiss she offered. �FREEZE!� Maria turned around to see the barrel of a gun pointing directly at her. Michael pushed her behind him. �What do you want man?� "Money." �Sure, sure.� Michael reached into his back pocket for his wallet. "Not your money," the perpetrator spat. "The money that little bitch owes me." Michael turned to look over his shoulder at Maria. She was staring at the supposed thief, Johnny Eagle, with a "deer caught in the headlights" look in her eyes. He turned back to face the Johnny, Michael knew exactly who he was, "Listen, buddy, we don't want any trouble." "Oh yeah, well you've got it anyway. Her little habit got a bit too expensive. I want my money right now or someone's going to see what this shiny piece of metal can do," he said, gesturing with the gun in his hand. "I paid you, you bastard," Maria finally spoke up. "Listen, I don't know how you did it, but there was nothing but scraps of paper in my pocket when I got home," Johnny responded. Maria was stunned, she was so terrified when Johnny had assaulted her that she must have activated her powers and changed the money back once it was in his pocket. She had never done something like that without being aware of it before. Michael didn't think about his next move, instinct took over and he brought the hand that was resting on his wallet around to his front. It was balled in a fist, his armed coiled to strike. He caught the dealer square on the jaw with his first punch. The guy stumbled backwards, reeling. "You�re going to regret that� Mikey," he snarled. The gun dropped to the ground and he lunged at Michael. Michael pushed Maria aside and prepared to strike again. Before he had a chance he felt something penetrate his side and Johnny's hand retracted again. Michael grabbed his side as he felt warm fluids rushing out of him. He fell to his knees as Johnny grabbed his gun and raced down the alley. Maria stepped forward and waved her arm in the direction of the retreating figure. He fell forward hitting his head hard on the pavement and passed out. She rushed to Michael�s side. �Are you okay?� Michael moaned, �I think he got me.� Maria looked at Michael�s face and could see the colour draining quickly. He was hurt, bad. She helped him lie down on the ground, cradling his head in her lap. �It�s okay,� she said. �I�ll call an ambulance.� She turned to grab her cell phone and felt Michael�s head roll off of her lap onto the ground. She grabbed his head with her hands and shook him. �Michael, Michael, wake up!� Maria scrambled around to his side. She shook him again, harder. �Michael, can you hear me?� He was unconscious, Maria looked at the wound the knife had made in his side. It was deep, long and bleeding profusely. She covered the gash with her hands and concentrated. * FLASH * She was thrown into Michael�s head before she could steady herself. Flashes of him playing in the sandbox, on the swings, jungle gym� always alone. More flashes and she saw him standing with two little kids, a boy and a girl. Several flashes of the three of them, always together, a painful look on his face whenever he was leaving them. Another flash and she could see him at home. Cowering in the corner from a shouting man. Again, as a teen, standing up to fight back but getting punched repeatedly. Flashes of a dark scene, so black she could barely make out the figures, then images of Michael smoking, passing out. She knew with certainty that he wasn't smoking cigarettes. * FLASH * Maria fell backwards away from the figure lying on the ground. She had made connections to heal people before but nothing was ever this powerful. She looked up to see Michael sitting up, shaking his head. He was still holding his side where the cut had been. She crawled over to him and sat down. �Are you okay?� �Yeah. That guy, he had a gun," Michael mumbled incoherently. Then his head snapped up and he looked at her with concern, "Did he hurt you?" �No, you protected me,� Maria smiled at him. �Where�d he go?� She grinned, �He tried to run away but tripped and fell down. He didn�t get up yet so I think he�s passed out.� Michael looked to where she pointed at the prone figure lying on the ground. A look of confusion crossed his face, �But we were fighting and� wait, not a gun, he had a knife too." Michael glanced down at his side. Blood stained his shirt and hand. �Oh, god, he got me.� Maria reached out to take his hand away from his side. �No, he missed, just got your shirt.� Michael looked to see a 6-inch tear in his shirt. �But the blood.� �I know, I panicked too at first but I think he must have cut himself. You�re still in one piece.� She stood up and reached for Michael�s hand to help him to his feet. He stood up but let his hand linger on hers. �What really happened?� Maria looked up at him, �I told you.� Michael�s voice dropped to a whisper. �What really happened, Maria?� �Michael, don�t.� Maria�s head dropped. He reached out to touch her chin, lifting her head to look her in the eyes. She wouldn't meet his eyes so he let his hand fall away. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Maria was shivering. More from the realization of what had just happened than from the cool night air. How was she going to explain this one? He said it was okay but there was no way he was just going to let this pass. Her head was screaming thoughts at her so quickly that she didn't hear him speak. "Maria," he said loudly, shaking her by the shoulder. She jerked her head to look at him. He gestured to her cell phone where it still lay on the ground next to her purse. "The police� did you call them?" "Um," Maria shook her head to clear it. "Uh, no, I didn't." "Okay well then we'd better before he wakes up," Michael said. "He's not going to wake up," she responded before she could stop herself. "What?" Michael questioned, already bent down to pick up the phone. "Nothing," she said quickly, cursing at her carelessness. Michael dialed 9-1-1 and told the operator where they were and what had happened. Maria stood with him nervously near the man on the ground while they waited for the police to arrive. At one point Michael turned away from her and she bent over to touch his hand, causing it to rip open and bleed onto the ground. It was the best she could do to try and make her earlier explanation to Michael believable. When the cops arrived they checked the man for vital signs, something the teens had failed to do, and pronounced him dead. Maria had been standing by quietly while an officer spoke to Michael but when she heard the announcement her knees gave way and she fell to the ground, collapsing into uncontrollable sobbing. Michael rushed to her side, gathering her in his arms. Here was a girl he hardly knew that, admit it or not, had somehow saved his life tonight. Michael wasn't sure what she needed to get over the mountain of healing that she now faced, but he was determined to give her whatever that may be. TBC |
| Part 9 |
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