Maria sat beside her mother in their little red car, same as when they were driving back from the airport.
"Why didn't you tell me Maria?" Amy asked as they stopped for a red light, "Didn't you trust me?"
"It's not that mom," Maria replied, shaking her head. "They were being hunted by FBI, evil aliens, while knowing nothing about themselves. Did you even know that our former guidance counsellor was an FBI agent? They were all trying to hunt down the aliens and hurt them. It wasn't just too dangerous for them, and for you as well if you knew."
"And it wasn't too dangerous for you?" her mom said sarcastically, "And you're superhuman?"
"If Liz hadn't been shot that day," Maria explained, "We probably still wouldn't know about them. It all came out because Max healed her. They've been every secretive up until this point."
"What I don't understand," Amy said tight-lipped, "Is why you told the sheriff, a virtual stranger, and not your own mother."
"It wasn't my decision to make," Maria emphasized, "It wasn't my future I was risking. It was theirs. Besides, nobody exactly told Valenti. He saw Max heal Kyle when he was shot, and has been helping us ever since."
Amy squeezed her eyes shut, the opened them as she pulled out into the intersection. "Tell me Maria, is there anyone in this city who Max Evans hasn't healed from a gunshot wound?"
Maria took that as a rhetorical question. "Besides, it's not like you were the only one in the dark. Liz's parents don't know. Alex's don't. Michael's foster father didn't. Max and Isabel's parents didn't even know. But, they only recently decided to tell even them after our trip."
"How long have you known?" Amy asked.
"Since the festival a long time ago. It was right around the time Liz was shot," Maria explained.
"You've known for that long!" Amy exclaimed. "My God Maria. It's just so hard for me to think I've been completely clueless to you all this while."
"I'm sorry for lying, I wanted to tell you the truth so bad," Maria said truthfully, "But I swore I wouldn't, and I would never take chances with Michael's life, or Isabel and Max's for that matter."
"About that girl Tess Michael mentioned, what happened to her? I mean, he spoke of her being an alien in the past tense."
"She's dead," Maria said bluntly, ignoring the shocked expression on her mother's face. If she was going to tell the truth, she might as well tell it in it's entirety. "Michael saved me from one of the evil aliens who had a gun pointed on me. Because of that, Tess was shot."
"My God," Amy said for about the fifth time. "I wish you had told me about all before you left. It would have been nice to have some idea where you were, or be able to do something."
"Mom, would it really have helped you to know my life was in danger as I fled around the country? All you would have done was worry. I don't mean to be rude, but you couldn't have helped. You just would have endangered me life by either not allowing me to go, or tried to follow us. If Sheriff Valenti, a cop, is lying in a coma because of what he knew, who knows what would have happened to you? I couldn't stand losing you mom," Maria said, rather emotionally.
"I love you so much Maria," her mom said, reaching her hand over to touch Maria's face. "You're all I have, and I can't stand to lose you either. Promise me, you'll be careful, and won't risk your life unnecessarily."
"I promise mom," Maria said, "But I can't walk away from Michael and my friends. I'm in this till the end mom."
They had pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. As her mom turned off the ignition, she said, "I can accept your loyalty to them Maria. But, please oh please don't carry that loyalty too far. I don't want you to die for them."
Maria didn't say anything in response to that. What here mom didn't understand was that she loved Michael with all her heart. Enough to go to the ends of the earth with him. Or, die for him.
*******************
Michael stood outside of the sheriff's hospital room with Max and Isabel. They stopped their conversation as Maria and her mother approached.
"So, can you heal him?" Amy asked Max nervously as they reached them, obviously uncomfortable in the presense of aliens.
"I haven't tried yet," Max said stoicly. "But I don't think I can Mrs.DeLuca. My healing powers aren't exactly effective with something like this. But, I suppose it all depends on what's causing the coma."
"I know," Amy said, casting a glance at Maria, "You deal exclusively in gunshot wounds."
"I'm going to go in now," Max said, motioning towards the room, "See what I can do with the sheriff."
"I'm coming in too," Amy said determinedly. She was going partly to see Jim when he woke up, and partly to see if Max really had any powers. The two of them went into the hotel room, leaving Maria out there with Michael and Isabel.
As soon as the door had shut, Isabel turned to Maria, "I never thought Tess would be right about you. But, you've already leaked our secret to your mother. Who's next? The president, Agent Pierce, the mayor? We didn't tell our parents for about 11 years and we're the ones who have to live with this!"
Maria was taken aback, why was Isabel reacting so violently. After the major threats had subsided, the complete secrecy wasn't so urgent. But, Maria wasn't going to apologize for this. "I didn't tell her," Maria hissed, "Michael did. I never would have leaked your secret without your permission. Besides, you did get to tell your parents, you were planning on it. Don't blame me if you didn't. I know you're worried about people knowing, but I swear my mom is trustworthy."
Isabel just shook her head, the violence gone. She turned and walked down the hall in the direction of the washroom.
"Why is she taking this so hard?" Maria asked Michael as they watched her go. "Isabel has turned into such a nice and more understanding person lately. She of all people should understand how nice it is to have a mother you can be straight with."
Michael sighed, "That's the problem."
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked, turning to face him.
"Isabel and Max told their parents," Michael said grimly, "And their mother took it much worse than yours did. She doesn't believe them. She too believes it's drugs or some mental illness, and won't be talked out of it. She doesn't hate them, she just doesn't believe them. Their parents are already seeking out psychiatrists."
"That's horrible," Maria said, empathizing with Isabel. "Their mother already suspected something was a little off. Plus, they're adopted and all. Isabel has a close relationship with her mother. You think she would believe them."
"But she doesn't," Michael said, "And it's easy to see it's tearing Isabel apart. She already wishes they hadn't confided in their mother."
Maria just shook her head. She had Michael both turned in surprise when the hospital room door opened behind them, and Max and her mother came out.
TBC.........
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