| After a brief rundown of events to her neighbor Lenora, Maria opened the door to her apartment, turned on the living room light and let the rest of her entourage in. Michael looked around the sparsely furnished spacious living room and then followed Maria with his eyes. Maria walked directly to the thirty-gallon aquarium and turned the light in the hood on. Five Angelfish swam to the front of the tank and stared out. "Hi guys," Maria smiled at her family. "You been taking care of everyone Chuck?" "They're beautiful fish," Max stood next to her. Maria nodded and looked over her shoulder. Michael was watching her and Liz was standing in the middle of the room, her arms wrapped around herself. The small group settled into an uncomfortable silence as the knowledge set in this was where everything changed. Liz Parker was going away, somewhere, maybe to never be heard from again. Max Evans was going to go back to his lonely existence of analyzing his friends and family, but now he'd carry with him some renewed dreams of life. Michael Guerin was about to change everything he believed in. He had fallen for a woman so much like himself it was scary and he was loving every single second of it. Maria DeLuca was changing residences and her mind about her life. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was lonely, no, she had been lonely. Now she was about to start over in Roswell with Michael and she couldn't wait. Maria shook herself back to the current situation. She was leaving her apartment and moving to Roswell. This may be the last time she's ever here. She thought she'd be struck with more nostalgia than she was. But San Francisco had only been home to her because her Uncle Chuck had made it that. Now Chuck was gone and it was time for Maria to leave too. She glanced out the sliding glass door leading to the balcony and thought about all the lonely nights she had spent sitting outside listening to the waves crash. A quick look at Michael reassured her the lonely nights were over. "Where are the Marshal's?" Liz asked and sat down in the center of the couch. She jumped up quickly. "I'm sorry, may I sit down?" Maria fought for control of her eyes to keep them rolling and nodded. "They should be here soon." A knock at the door caused her to reach for the stun gun she didn't have. "Like now." She walked across the apartment to the front door and looked out the peephole before a smile crossed her face. She opened the door and a man about her height greeted with open arms. Michael watched with immature jealousy as a man with jet-black hair pulled back into a pony tail and black leather pants hugged Maria. Hugged his Maria. He watched this pseudo-Italian Mafioso wannabe kiss Maria on the lips and it took everything he had in him not to charge across the room and beat the crap out of him. "Marco," she smiled and looked over his shoulder at the man and woman in back of him. "Thanks for backing me on this." "Anything for you DeLuca," Marco lost all credibility as an Italian mobster when his dialect was nothing but California Valley. "Come on in," Marco stepped aside and let the two presumed Marshals in. "This is US Marshal Kit Sherman and Deputy Marshal Brian Krinkle." Marco extended his arm towards Maria and grinned. "And this is my star, Maria DeLuca." Maria blushed and shook both Marshal's hands. She motioned towards Michael for him to join her. When he had taken his place next to her she grinned. "And let me introduce Michael Guerin, Fugitive Apprehension Agent extraordinaire." Michael nodded politely and then followed Maria and shook their hands. He nodded at Marco. "Nice to meet you." "And that is�" Marshal Kit Sherman nodded at Max who was in her line of vision. Maria saw the worry in Max's eyes. "He's just a friend who got taken along for the ride." And then she saw the gratitude. "And over on the couch is who you're looking for, Ms. Elizabeth Parker." The Marshal's stepped further into the apartment and faced the now cowering Liz on the couch. Kit Sherman turned back to face Marco and nodded. "We can take it from here." "No," Maria let out a deep breath and shook her head. Seeing the fear in Liz Parker's face peaked something humane in her. "We have a few conditions." "Maria-" Marco said her name slowly. "What are you doing?" "I told you on the phone," Maria spoke through clenched teeth. "I guaranteed her protection and I need to make damn sure that she gets it!" She turned to the Marshal's. "I need to see your identification." She grabbed a pad of paper and pen while they got out their credentials and handed them to her. Maria wrote down all the pertinent information and then handed them back. "I'm trusting you two not to get her killed. If you do, you'll have to deal with me and I can be a real bitch." Maria glanced at each person in the room daring each one of them to agree with her. "Ms. DeLuca," Kit Sherman stepped towards her. "I've been a Marshal for over ten years and I can assure you that nothing will happen to Ms. Parker while she is in our custody." "Not good enough," Maria sighed. "When she turns the evidence over, what are her chances of being placed in the Program?" "The Witness Protection Program was not designed for white-collar criminals," Kit Sherman bat her eyelashes. "Oh," Maria raised her eyebrows before the innocuous eye rolling. "I want her in it. Can you make that deal? Right here? If not, then get me someone who can. She has people who want her dead, you need her alive. If you can't secure her safety then I will and you'll never get her bosses." Kit Sherman glanced at the small, frail looking woman on the couch and nodded slowly. "Imminent danger?" "So imminent, it's why we drove here in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on our backs. They found her in Roswell and they'll find her again. Can you make the deal Marshal Sherman?" Maria placed her hands on her hips and avoided looking over her shoulder at Liz. Marshal Sherman nodded. "Yes Ms. DeLuca, I can make the deal." She looked over her shoulder at Marco. "You failed to mention how demanding she was Mr. Gitto." She pointed to the other Marshall. "Deputy, please go out to the car and bring in my briefcase, I'm betting that Ms. DeLuca will want all of this in writing." Maria nodded and felt the weight of protection being lifted off of her. "Thank you." Michael watched Maria DeLuca in amazement. He was nervous as hell just being in the same room with US Marshals, but Maria was standing up to them and making demands. Not only did he love her, he respected her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Maria nodded at Marco. "In the other room?" Marco followed Maria obediently down the hallway and into her bedroom. She turned on the light and closed the door. "What?" "I quit." Maria couldn't believe she was saying it. "What do you mean?" "I mean, I quit. I'm not working for you anymore," she sighed. "I'm moving away from San Francisco." "You can't. You're my best Agent!" Marco shook his head. "You can't do this to me, DeLuca." "I have to," she stepped forward and hugged him. "I'm sorry, but if you ever have another one skip down to New Mexico, give me a call?" "Oh man," he kissed her cheek. "What would your Uncle say? What would Chuck say about you giving up San Francisco and your job?" Maria mulled the question over and thought about the man waiting for her in the other room. "He'd be damn proud of me Marco, damn proud. Besides, who said I was giving up my job? I just won't be working for you anymore." "Well, whoever you're going to work for is damn lucky to have you, I hope they realize that." "Yeah," she smiled. "I'm pretty sure he does." TBC |
| Part 37 |
 |