They lay in the bed later, cuddling together. Maria had her head rested on his chest, and
his arm was wrapped around her. Their clothes were in piles on the floor.
�Any regrets?� Michael asked softly, stroking her hair.
Maria lifted her head slightly to look at him and smiled, �Not a one. That was beyond
amazing. You?�
Michael shook his head and kissed her forehead, �No regrets. I was worried there for a
bit though. I mean, that my..uh....genitalia would differ from a human guys.�
�Well,� Maria said, �I�m no expert on the subject, but from what I gathered from biology
class, you�re normal.�
Michael said nothing, and just lay there staring at the ceiling. Eventually Maria thought
he had fallen asleep. She then decided to say what she couldn�t when he was
awake.
�I love you,� She whispered and kissed his shoulder before she settled back into her
original position and fell asleep.
Michael�s eyes flew wide open. Had he heard right? Did she say �love�? That was
impossible. She couldn�t love him. Yeah, he�d gathered that she liked him a lot, but
love him? The trouble-maker. Girls usually went for the Max Evans type. The sensitive
brand.
Should he tell her that he heard her? Should he tell her that he was in love with her?
Because he was. Somewhere along the way he had fallen in love with Maria. The
unlikeliest of all the girls in the world. However, here he was, so far in with her it would
kill him to lose her. But, lose her he must if they found a way to get in touch with their
original families, whatever planet they might be on
�Maria, I love you too,� Michael said softly.
There was no reply, Maria had fallen fast asleep.
***********************************************
The morning came quickly. When Maria opened her eyes, Michael was sitting at a chair
tying up his boots. Maria rubbed her eyes and sat up, forgetting her lack of attire. She
quickly realized and lifted the blanket up.
�Max will be up soon,� Michael said by way of explanation, �I don�t want him to come
in here and catch us together in bed. Besides, maybe he�ll believe I�ve been in my bed all
night.�
Maria nodded and yawned, �I�ll meet you guys in the lobby in an hour.�
Michael nodded and walked over to the bed, �I wish this had been better. You deserved
better than a hotel room with me having to leave quickly in the morning.�
�Michael,� Maria said, smiling up at him, �Last night was perfect. I had you, it was all I
needed.�
Michael said, nothing, but leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. �See you later,�
he said, quickly, pulling away. And then he was gone.
**************************************************
Maria sat on a chair in the hotel lobby, waiting for everyone to arrive. She took a sip of
the coffee she had purchased in the little cafeteria. Liz was the first one to arrive. She
walked up to Maria carrying her big bag.
�Morning,� Maria said, taking a sip of her cappuccino.
Liz yawned, �Morning. Isabel was taking a shower, she�ll be down soon.�
Maria nodded, and closed her eyes. When she opened them Michael was standing in
front of her. �Checked out yet?� he asked stoically, smiling at her though.
Maria nodded, unable to take her eyes off of him, �Yeah.�
Michael nodded too, �Well, I�m going to check out now. See you guys in a
few.�
Liz watched him go. When she turned back to Maria, her mouth was wide open. �You
didn�t!� she exclaimed, staring in chock at Maria.
�I didn�t what?� Maria asked, sipping her coffee.
�You slept with him!� Liz exclaimed, rather loudly.
This drew the interested glances of many passerby�s. Maria glanced at them, then glared
at Liz, �Keep your voice down!� she hissed>
�You mean it�s true?� Liz said, her voice barely down to a whisper, �I can�t believe this.
I mean it�s only been hours since yesterday and already you guys were acting weird
around each other. My God Maria, I never would have thought, after what you said
yesterday that you would actually sleep with him!�
�Listen Liz,� Maria said softly, �It wasn�t something I planned. I just stopped to think. If
what this guy tells them is useful, they may be leaving us very soon. I know it�s foolish,
but I wanted to make love with him, and when I considered the possibility I might never
get the chance I decided to go for it while I still could. I love Michael, and wanted to
give myself to him.�
Liz sat down in a chair, �I�m not going to criticize. I understand your reasoning, and I
won�t question it. But Maria, you�re in high school. What if you get
pregnant?�
Maria leaned forwards, �Liz, I made the decision to sleep with him, and I don�t regret it
for a minute no matter what the consequences are. If circumstances were different, I
probably wouldn�t have done it. But, don�t try and convince me I made a mistake
because I won�t agree no matter what you say.�
Liz took her hand, �As long as you�re sure, I�ll support your decision. You�re my best
friend, you know that. I may not agree with it, but I know it�s your choice, and since it
makes you happy, I�ll be happy for you.�
�Thanks Liz,� Maria said, squeezing her hand. She then released it and leaned back in
her chair and sipped her coffee, �There�s Isabel and Max coming down. �Let�s go to the
library.�
****************************
The five teens sat at a table in the library on main street where they were supposed to
meet Adam Granger. Max kept repeatedly checking his watch. The man was now 5
minutes late.
�Where is he?� Isabel asked impatiently.
�It�s only been 5 minutes,� Liz said mildly, earning her a glare from Isabel.
With that, Adam Granger entered the library. He walked over to their table. �Let�s go
into a conference room,� he said, �We need somewhere more private.�
When he had closed the door to the room, he turned to Michael and motioned at Maria
and Liz. �Who are these two?�
�They�re friends,� Max said calmly, �We have no secrets from them.�
�Who exactly are you?� Isabel said eagerly, �How you do you know us.�
Adam Granger sat down in a chair, �I used to live in Roswell. I found the surviving
aliens at the crash sight. I was the first and only one as far as I could tell to see you
people.�
�Are there more of us?� Michael asked, glancing at Max and Isabel.
Granger shrugged, �I don�t know if there are now. When I found you, there was you 3, 2
other children, twin girls in fact, and an older male. I could only fit 3 of you in my little
car at a time, and you were the first 3 I took into town. I dropped you off at my house,
and went back for the others. When I returned to the sight, not only were they gone, but
so was the ship you were on, as well as any other evidence you might have been
there.�
He continued, �I didn�t know what to do. I dropped you guys at the adoption center.
Through an intricate story I was able to fabricate for them, I convinced them to keep me
updated on you. My company has transferred me around since then, and I haven�t been
back to Roswell at all. However, I�ve been keeping tabs on you since I found
you.�
�You have no idea what happened to the others?� Max asked.
�None,� Granger confirmed. �They were there, and then they were gone.�
�What about the symbol on your book?� Michael asked, �What does that mean? Why
did you put it on your book about ghosts?�
Granger shrugged, �I honestly don�t know what it means. I put it on my book simply
because it looked neat, I don�t have a better reason than that. I remembered seeing it on
the door of your spacecraft. I don�t know anything about it though.�
�Why haven�t you told anyone anything, even after all these years?� Isabel
asked.
Granger sighed, �I honestly couldn�t tell you. Listen, you guys crash-landed and were on
your own, defenseless. I didn�t want to turn you into some tabloid freakshow. God, you
would never have had any kind of life. You would have spent all of your years in some
government institution being tested. I wouldn�t wish that kind of life on
anyone.�
�You�re wife doesn�t even know? Michael asked, raising an eyebrow, �I mean, you�ve
been getting pictures and info on us for years.�
Granger shook his head, �I never told her. There was no reason for her to know, no
reason to involve her. I just told her half truths. I just said I had found you orphans and
sent you for adoption. I said I just wanted to see if guys were making it
allright.�
�We should say thank you,� Max said, �For keeping our identity a secret.�
Granger shook his head, �Don�t thank me. I should have done more for you.�
�What else could you have done?� Isabel said. She meant it, but one could hear the
underlying depression in her voice. There wasn�t much else he could have done, but it
would have been so nice if he had.
�Is there nothing else you can tell us?� Max asked, �Nothing at all?�
Granger shook his head helplessly, �I�m sorry, no. All I did was find you that night,
nothing more�
�I think we should go,� Michael said, standing up.
The rest of them nodded. Each of the 3 aliens thanked Mr.Granger before they were
about to leave. �Excuse me,� he said to Liz and Maria, �What are your
names?�
�Liz,� she said, smiling and shook his hand.
�Maria,� she said gruffly. She reached for Granger�s hand as well. He took it, but held
on to it.
�You both live in Roswell?� he asked, a queer expression on his face.
�Yes,� Liz answered for both of them, �All our lives.�
Granger turned his attention back to Maria. He studied her face for a moment. She
started to feel uncomfortable and was about to pull out her hand from his grasp when he
released it on his own.
�You look just like your mother,� he said, and, grabbing his jacket, left the conference
room.
The other 4 stood still in the room while Maria chased after Granger. She caught him
right by the doors. �What do you mean by that?� she demanded, grabbing his arm, �How
do you know my mother.�
�Maria,� Granger said with a sigh, �It�s not important. I never should have said
anything.�
�What is not important?� Maria asked, refusing to let him go.
He turned back to face her, �Let it go. It will just cause you pain, and more trouble than
you need.�
Maria heard her friends come up behind them. �I want to know what you know about
me?� she said determinedly.
Granger sighed and patted her arm, �I didn�t recognize you at first, I only knew who you
were when you said your name. Maria, I knew your mother very well. You see Maria,
I�m your father.�
Maria was stunned. She just stared at him with a flabbergasted expression on her face.
�You�re her father?� Liz asked in surprise from behind them.
Granger nodded, �I didn�t want to tell you. I know this will just cause you...�
�Cause me pain?� Maria asked in a deadly voice. �This is not what is causing me pain.
The fact that I�ve lived without you for most of my life is what caused me pain. I grew
up without a father, and this is what �is not important�.�
Granger started to speak, �Listen Maria,...�
�No,� she said, shaking her head, �I won�t listen to you, I won�t. For God�s sake, you�ve
been keeping tabs on these people you barely know for their whole lives and you didn�t
even recognize your own daughter? It�s a miracle you remembered my name.�
Granger shook his head, �Please don�t put both of us through this. Just go home and
forget I even exist.�
�You just left mom and I,� Maria continued, as if he hadn�t spoken. She was beginning
to get a lump in her throat, �Do you know how hard that made life for us? You wouldn�t
have any idea though would you? You have your whole new family now. Just traded us
in for a newer model and never even looked back.�
�I didn�t mean to hurt either of you,� he sighed, �For God�s sake, your mom and I were
both so young. We made a mistake in getting married, it wasn�t meant to be.�
Maria felt her eyes filling with tears. She refused to let them spill in front of this man
though. She had to be strong. �You know what?� she said through clenched teeth, �If
this is the kind of man you are, I�m glad you didn�t stick around.�
The dam threatened to burst, and Maria simply said to the other 4, �I need to be alone
right now,� and ran out into the snowy afternoon..
Michael just gave the man a deadly glare and ran out after her.
Maria ran straight to the park across the street from the library. She just kept running
until she collapsed to her knees on the snow covered ground. The tears ran down her
cheeks, and she couldn�t stop them. Maria sobbed uncontrollably as her heart felt like it
had been stomped on.
Michael ran up in front of her. He saw her kneeling in the ground, crying like she would
never stop. He knelt down in front of her and encircled her in his arms. Maria sobbed
into the front of his jacket.
Michael whispered comforting words into her ears as Maria let it all out. When the tears
finally subsided a little, he said, �It�ll be allright Maria. I know it hurts, but you�ll move
on.�
�He just picked up and left us,� Maria said dejectedly, �He didn�t even care. Not even
enough to check up on me once over all these years. He was all over, living his new life
with his new family. We weren�t good enough for him.�
�It wasn�t you Maria,� Michael said determinedly, wiping the tears from her cheeks, �Or
your mother. It was him. He was the whole problem. You could have been the most
perfect child, or your mom the most perfect wife and he still would have left. He made
the choice not to care, and he is the one who�s life is worse because of it. Your life
wouldn�t have been made richer by having him in it, but he missed out on a whole lot by
not knowing you.�
�For someone who is not an eloquent speaker, you sure know the right thing to say,�
Maria said, but her voice still trembled, �I�ve lived without him, and I will continue to. It
just hurts so bad.
Michael nodded and kissed her forehead, �I know Maria, I know.�
Maria shrugged, and tried to act as if she had moved beyond caring, �Well, now my
dream of his coming to take me in a limousine are dashed for good.�
She stood up and pulled Michael up with her. Her eyes were still read and puffy, but the
tears had stopped. �Come on,� she said, pulling him along, �Let�s find the others and go
home.�
***********************
When they walked back to the library, Liz, Max and Isabel were sitting on the front steps.
When Liz saw them approaching, she ran up and threw her arms around Maria. �Are you
allright?� she asked, concerned, pulling back and looking at her.
Maria nodded wearily, �Yeah, I�m fine. Let�s just go home.�
�You sure?� Liz asked, looking closely at her.
Maria nodded, �Let�s go.�
**************************************
It was midnight when they made a gas stop. This was going to be an all nighter of
driving. Isabel filled up the tanks as Maria went to pay. Michael went to make use of the
facilities.
Liz paid the attendant and walked back outside. Isabel had just finished filling the tank.
�I�ll drive,� she said, reaching for the keys, �I�m wide awake, and you look like you�re
about to collapse.�
�Thanks,� Maria said hesitantly, handing her the keys. �I�ll crawl in the back.�
When they started driving again, Isabel was alone in the frontseat. Michael had
expressed a sudden fatigue, and claimed it would be easier to sleep in the back as
well.
�How are you doing?� he asked Maria softly, as she settled her head on his shoulder to
try and get some sleep.
Maria shrugged, �Yeah well, fine I guess. To be perfectly honest, it would have been
easier to deal with the fact that my father was dead then he didn�t want to have anything
to do with me.�
�Are you going to tell your mom?� he asked her quietly.
Maria shook her head, �Why put her through the unnecessary pain of knowing all this?
Maybe someday, but not for awhile.�
Michael didn�t say anything. He just stroked her hair as she was lulled into sleep. As she
slept against him, Michael stared out the window into the night sky. Maria was hurting,
and that was true, but so was he. He didn�t know anything about his biological parents,
or even the fact if he had any. Did they know he was alive? If so, were they not coming
for him just because they didn�t want him? He had so many questions, but nobody to
answer them.
Michael sighed a deep sigh, and leaned back against the seat. He closed his eyes until he
fell into a deep sleep.
**********************************
�Did you have fun skiing?� Maria�s mom asked her as she helped her daughter carry her
bags in.
�It was a blast mom,� Maria said, plastering a fake smile on her face, �But I�m afraid I
wasn�t very good. I kept falling all the time. Eventually, I just gave up and watched the
others.�
�That�s too bad dear,� her mom said sympathetically, �But at least you had a good time.
Maybe some year you and I could go skiing on our own.�
�Sure mom,� Maria said softly as her mom went into the kitchen. She hated lying to her
mother, but she had no choice. Besides, she and her mom both new there wasn�t a big
chance they would ever go skiing together.
�You want some lemonade?� her mom called out from the kitchen.
�Okay mom, I�ll be right there!� Maria yelled back as she ran up to her room.
Maria tossed her bag onto her bed and opened it to unpack her stuff. As she pulled out a
heap of clothes, she noticed one of Michael�s T-shirts in among her stuff. They had
shared a motel room on the 2 nights back. Liz hadn�t even commented except for the
funny, knowing looks she kept shooting Maria.
Maria tossed it back in the bag. She would give it back to him eventually.
Maria then ran back downstairs to join her mom in a glass of lemonade.
******************************
It was late at night when Maria awakened from a particularly nice dream. Groggily, she
stared at her alarm clock, 2:15 AM. She wondered what had awakened her. Her mom
was working a night shift and wouldn�t be home until noon.
She heard the noise again. It was something hitting her bedroom window. Maria padded
over to the window and opened the blinds. Another pebble hit the window right in front
of her face. She saw Michael below. He was standing out the top of a limousine dressed
in a tuxedo.
Maria pulled open her window and called out to him, �What the heck are you doing?
You�ll wake up my neighbours!�
�Remember your dream?� Michael called back, not worrying much about being
quiet.
�Which one?� Maria said back, still half asleep.
Michael looked exasperated, �Well there is that one, remember, I invaded it.�
Maria shrugged, �Yeah, so what.�
�Well, remember the limousine in it?� Michael yelled back, �This is the real deal, except
we�re not dancing first, and we won�t have to wake up at the end.�
Maria just shook her head, �Give me a minute to get dressed Michael, I�ll be down in a
minute.�
When she exited her front door, Michael had gotten out of the roof, and was leaning
against the door.
�I won�t be able to get you away from Roswell permanently,� he said with a grin, �I can
only afford this thing for a couple hours. But, I figured we can make it over to the next
town, have and early breakfast, and come back.�
Maria put a hand to her mouth, and then hurled herself into his arms. She kissed his
cheek and said, �Going away with you somewhere beats being swept away by my dad
any day.�
Michael nodded, �That was what I was going for.�
�You know what?� Maria said, pulling away and laughing, �This is so similar to that
scene in Pretty Woman when he comes riding up sticking out the top of this
limousine.�
Michael looked at her strangely, �That�s about all this has in common. I mean, I didn�t
start climbing up a fire escape to your apartment. You�re not a hooker, I�m not a
successful business man. We�re many years younger then them. The list of differences
goes on and on.�
Maria shrugged, �I was just saying as all. But, I will admit this beats any
movie.�
�Thank you,� Michael said formally as he walked over to the door to the back of the
limousine and opened it for her, �Your carriage awaits you mademoiselle.�
Maria laughed and slid into the spacious limousine. Michael followed her in and shut the
door. He then rolled down the middle window and instructed the driver to take them to a
city not to far from Roswell.
After he has rolled the window back up, he turned to Maria. �Maria,� he said hesitantly,
�There is something I want to tell you. It�s not the easiest thing in the world to say, or to
admit even to myself. I love you Maria.�
Maria�s eyes watered, with tears of happiness this time. �Michael,� she said tremulously,
�I love you too.�
He leaned over towards her. As they kissed in the backseat, the driver drove them into
the beautiful sunrise. Except this time the dream didn�t end. They would find their
�home� in this world together.
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