A Price he Paid

Michael slammed the car door shut and took a look at what was around him. Cute little bungalows and tiny cottages dotted the area, with perfect neat gardens filled with rows upon rows of flowers standing tall against the breeze. It was the very definition of perfection. Three children stood on the side of the dirt road he had just driven up. The two boys were trying to remember the rules of a game they wanted to play whilst the single girl was drawing patterns in the soft, silty dirt with a twig. It was like being on Walton Mountain.

Michael could have stayed there forever, just watching them in their innocent idleness, if his thoughts hadn’t have been interrupted by a young woman shaking his elbow.

“You lost honey?” she asked him, her sea green eyes searching his.

“Um yeah actually. Do you know where I can find Critchon Track?”

She nodded her head and whistled to the children. They ran to her, each begging to be lifted. She silenced them by putting her finger to her lips. “We live right at the end of the Track, it’s a stone’s throw away from here. We’ll take you.” In one deft movement she hauled the girl onto her back and clasped two grubby little hands with hers. Then she started toward a field full of wildflowers, calling behind her, “This is the short cut, take us five minutes if we’re lucky.”

Michael strolled slowly behind her, appreciating how good it felt to feel the warm sun on his face, sliding into every little crevice. He hopped over the gate and paused by the girl as she stopped and plucked a posy of bluebells.

“Don’t recall seein your face before. You from out of town?”

“Yeah, I’m here visiting an old friend. To be honest all these tracks look the same. I dunno what I would have done if you hadn’t have come along”.

She laughed, showing two rows of pearly white teeth. “They are the same, they’re all connected. It’s just one big path goin in and out.” Michael laughed and followed her as she walked to a second fence, dividing the field form another dirt road. She helped the children over and they ran on ahead, anxious to get to their destination. Michael took her hand and steadied her as she stepped across. She smiled again.

“Been a long time since a tall dark stranger has helped me do anything.”

“I try my best.” As he jumped down onto the road Michael tried to remember the last time he had enjoyed human company as much. Since everything had happened all the goodness had seeped out of his life. Well, what little goodness there had been. It had been so long since someone had been nice towards him; he was enjoying so much he barely noticed the girl slowing down.

“What number are you lookin for?”

Michael glanced down at the scrap of paper he held between his fingers. It was crumpled and smudged from the many times he had caressed it, so thankful he had it. It was like a wonderful gift from the gods. He had kept it safe in a tiny pillbox and taken it out every morning to ensure someone hadn’t stolen it in the night. Seeing that scrap of paper gave him the sort of feeling he once had all of the time, and being able to use it was a dream he thought he would never have the guts to realise.

“No number. Critchon.. what is that? Nook? Is that right?”

The girl nodded and pointed to a clump of trees. “Right behind that patch of trees, Critchon Nook. Is that where your friend lives?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“Haven’t seen much of them, whoever they are. Kept themselves to themselves. Male or female?”

“Female”.

The girl nodded, a knowing smile on her face and a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “Got yourself a secret lover have you? Very romantic.” Michael grimaced in reply. Could you really call her a secret lover? Hardly.

“I have to go”, the stranger suddenly announced, holding out a slender bronzed hand, “I’m Paige. If you need anything we live across the way, number six. Door’s always open.” Michael didn’t reply and Paige began to back away, aware he wasn’t in the mood for her flirtations. “But I don’t suppose you’ll need much though, you and your girl will be busy enough.” She smiled wistfully and skipped off without waiting for his answer.

Michael glanced after her, trying to remember what she had said. He had been trying to build up the courage to investigate the house and hadn’t been paying attention. Nice one Michael, he thought to himself, that’s the first time you’ve ignored a pretty girl. And for what? A piece of paper with an address that could be hers? “Pathetic”, he said out loud and started to walk toward the trees.

By the time he had reached the shade of the oasis-like assembly of trees he could clearly see the cottage-like bungalow. And it was beautiful. Just the way he had imagined it all those nights he had lay in a cold bed. It had been painted in warm, pastel colours and everywhere he looked flowers were sprouting in pots and beds. Typical. It reminded Michael of the gingerbread house in Hantzel and Gretal.

He took a deep breath and walked to the front door. ‘No backing out now Guerin’, he thought to himself. The door was painted baby blue and had a huge shiny brass knocker on it. He lifted it and rapped the door. Michael’s stomach turned over and over, his head brimming with questions. What would she do? What if she doesn’t live here? Maybe she isn’t in. A faint outline of a person came to the door and Michael sucked in a dizzying amount of air. Here we go.

PART TWO

“Can I help?”

Michael’s heart dropped to his boots. The guy that answered looked at him questioningly, his chocolate brown hair falling into his eyes.

“Uh does Maria De Luca live here?” Michael shuffled around, trying to remember why he had thought this was a good idea.

The man shook his head. “Sorry, it’s Maria Stein that lives here.” Michael’s memory flashed back to something that was long forgotten. They were sitting in the car and he was answering questions for some ridiculous school assignment. One of the questions was ‘What is your favourite TV programme?” Having failed miserably to convince Maria he watched The View he had confessed it was Win Ben Stein’s Money. It had to be coincidence though right? Maria wouldn’t have remembered something like that. Would she?

“Uh yeah sorry Maria Stein that’s right.”

The other man nodded and ushered him inside. It was refreshingly cool in the bungalow Michael noticed as he sat down. The walls were white and covered in photos mounted in frames. There were no pictures of Roswell or their old gang. Nothing that betrayed Maria’s connection to their hometown.

“She’s in the shower but I’ll call her for you okay?” The dark haired guy disappeared through a door, leaving Michael to absorb Maria’s new life. A tiny TV stood in one corner, although going by the thick layer of dust that coated the set it was seldom watched. A vast bookcase stretched along one wall and Michael got up to examine some of the books. Most were fiction, many written by Maria herself. He and Max exchanged letters and sometimes Max would send him one of her books, a token gesture because he knew Michael loved her writing but was too proud to get the books for himself. She wrote about love and mystery, strong heroines and hopeless romantics. He had thirteen of her books, each one lovingly looked after, and he read them constantly, cover to cover. It was his little link to her.

Upstairs Evan knocked lightly on the bathroom door. He heard mumbling from inside and assumed he had Maria’s attention.

“There’s a guy downstairs who wants to speak to you. Didn’t give his name. Maybe he’s a fan.”

Maria turned the shower off and stepped onto the tiles, wrapping a downy white towel around her. “Well make him some tea or something. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“What if he’s some sort of psycho? Like the guy that shot John Lennon?”

“Then don’t make him tea, psychos make bad house guests. Keep him away from my new armchair. Blood doesn’t come out.”

“Gee thanks Maria, some support that is.” Maria opened the door, filling the hall with a steamy cloud of vapour.

“You know I love you really Evan,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a sweet kiss on his nose. “But I was quite serious about that armchair thing. Do you know how much that thing cost me?”

Evan grinned and untangled himself from her grasp. “I have to go to work. Will you be okay with whatisname down there?”

Maria nodded and pushed him away. “Go before you’re late.” Evan blew her a kiss and was gone. Maria scurried into the bedroom and hastily dried her skin with the towel. Pulling on one of Evan’s old checked shirts and a pair of battered blue jeans she glanced briefly in the mirror. She ran a comb through her hair and looped her favourite necklace over her head before dashing out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

She noticed Michael first, he was too busy checking out her books. She gasped silently and clutched her chest, almost overcome with the shock. He had changed since the last time she had seen him all those years ago. He was thinner, tired looking and his golden tan had somewhat dimmed. The memory of their last meeting flashed into her head. He was wearing that decrepit leather jacket and a sad expression. He had tucked a flower behind her ear and told her how much he loved her. She recalled how he had actually had to force her to get into the car and drive away, telling her she couldn’t look back as it was bad luck. She did look back and she watched him shrink into the black like a distant memory

Maria touched her cheek, reliving the endless tears she had cried as she drove out of Roswell all of ten years ago. She had left everything, her home, her mom and all her friends. She had also left the only man she could ever love. Evan had been amazing but he didn’t even compare to Michael. She loved him like a brother and went through the motions of a relationship- the tender words, the silent glances, the lovemaking. But she had always felt like she had been branded forever Michael’s and it was something she couldn’t escape, even if she had wanted to.

She watched him run his fingers over the spines of the books and smiled. It was thoughts of him that had kept her alive and breathing, she was in debt to him for that. But she had never considered the possibility that he would find her or even that he would want to, they had been through so much. Maria felt her eyes well up as she thought of all he had done for her and she crossly scrubbed them away, deciding she needed to make her presence known before she turned into a big blubbering wreck.

PART THREE

“Hello Michael.”

Michael started and spun round to face her. She saw immediately that although he was much changed he still had that glint in his eye that made him Michael, the thing she loved about him the most was still there. Much to her annoyance. Did he have to make it so difficult for her to forget how much she loved him?

“Hey Ria. Long time no see huh? So do I get a ‘welcome’ hug then or what?” He held out his arms and she walked into them, constantly reminding herself she had a boyfriend now and that Michael meant nothing to her. Instantly his familiar smell hit her and overtook her rational thoughts. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his chest, remembering everything that was good about the past. Michael felt her tears seeping through his T-shirt before she even realised she was crying. He cupped her chin in his hand and wiped them away with his thumb. “No more tears Ria,” he whispered, close to tears himself, “I’m back now and everything is okay. Don’t cry honey.”

“I can’t help it. I thought you were gone forever and now you’ve come back, after all this time. I wasn’t sure I would ever see you again.”

Michael grimaced. “I wasn’t sure I’d survive, especially without you, but I did. I came through because I had to see you again. It was thoughts of this day that kept my heart beating Maria.”

Maria wiped her eyes again and pulled away from Michael. She sat on the arm of her new chair and composed herself. Then she glanced up at him. “When did you get out?”

“Two weeks ago. You’re a hard girl to find.” Michael laughed woodenly and sat down on the couch facing Maria. “I had to buy six different kinds of map before I found this place.”

“That was kinda the idea.”

“I dunno how you managed it, I mean it would take a lot to hide yourself the way you have.”

“It was easy really. Set up home in some dead end part of America where they consider a horse and cart to be transport’s greatest invention, take on a new name and choose a career that means you never have to leave the house. I have it all figured out Michael and no one has found me yet, apart from you of course.”

Michael thought about what she had just said. “Where did the name Stein come from?”

It was Maria’s turn to smile then. “The first day I came here I was sorting through all my stuff and I found that stupid assignment we had to do for history. You said your favourite show was...”

“Win Ben Stein’s Money. I remember.”

“That’s where it came from. Sort of a dedication to the good old days. I erased every trace of Roswell when I moved here but the name thing was a secret way of staying attached somehow. Ah I guess it was a stupid idea.”

“It was a good idea. These years can’t have been easy for you. You lost everything when you left Roswell.”

Maria felt like laughing. ‘How can he say that?’ she thought bitterly ‘when he lost so much more.’ She got up and wiped her sweaty palms down her jeans. She felt like she was seventeen again, Michael had that effect on her. He always knew what spot to hit and hit he it frequently. He was the only guy that made her heart go pitty pat. “We’ll have a drink in the garden yeah? The cherry blossom has just come out and it’s beautiful out there this time of year.” Michael nodded and followed her into the little kitchen.

PART FOUR

It was a long thin room that ran along the length of the house and it had one long window to match. Light poured in from every conceivable angle, bouncing off the gleaming work surfaces and aluminium sink. Maria had hung blue gingham curtains on the window and made matching cushions for the stools that sat at the coffee bar. Michael ran his finger over the back of one of the stools, trying to take everything in. His heart was racing, so scared was he that this was all some wonderful dream. That in a minute he was going to wake up alone and in the dark, shivering from the bitter cold of night. He wanted to see everything, to commit every detail to memory. If this was only a dream, if he could never come back, he needed the memories to keep Maria with him.

Maria went to a cupboard in the corner and glanced along the bottles inside. “Now do you want squash or somethin a little stronger. I know what I need right now.”

Michael nodded his agreement. “Gimme me your strongest barman.” Maria selected a bottle half filled with whiskey and poured some into two cut-glass tumblers. Then she opened the freezer compartment of the fridge and took out a bowl of ice cubes, throwing a couple into each glass. She entered the fridge again, this time to retrieve a bowl of strawberries, which she put onto a tray along with the tumblers and the whiskey bottle.

“Since you are the man,” she said, handing him the tray, “You get the honour of carrying the tray into the garden and I will carry the rug.” She disappeared through an arched doorway into the utility room and reappeared with a fleecy, canary-yellow throw. Michael followed her into the garden and watched her smooth the rug over the huge garden swing. Maria pulled a little table out of nowhere and motioned for him to set the tray down. She picked up his glass and handed it to him as he positioned himself beside her. She held her glass high, letting the light catch it and shatter into piercing shards. “To Roswell”, she muttered.

Michael smiled and added, “To everything we left behind”. They clinked their glasses and each took a long draft of alcohol. Michael’s throat ached as the familiar taste came back to him. This stuff wasn’t cheap and it was a long time since he had had a drink like this. It made him think back to happier times, when he could have just walked into a bar and ordered a drink. To a time when he could afford to. Maria felt better after her swallow of whiskey too. Warmer and calmer. Michael’s presence didn’t seem as scary as it did when he first walked in. She relaxed a little, though not too much. Ten years is as good as a million, especially when you were dealing with Czechoslovakians and anything could have happened. She longed to ask about the other two but she was afraid it might have an adverse effect on Michael, who sat so still and quiet, slowly drinking from his tumbler.

She hated the silence that divided them. They used to have so much to talk about, she always had something to say at least but now...there was nothing. The nothing was unbearable, so much so Maria felt she had to ask him.

“So have you heard from the others? You know, Max and Isabel?”

“Yeah well Max sent me letters and I’m going to see him and Izzie once I’ve finished up here. They’re still in Roswell you know, getting on with things. Max and Liz are living together now and Iz has moved in with Kyle. Seems everyone’s playin happy families.”

“Except us, “Maria whispered, a tight smile paying on her lips. She swallowed the rest of the whiskey and added another drop to both her and Michael’s glass. The alcohol seeped into her blood, making her feel more adventurous. ‘You’ll probably never see him again, her head reminded her, you may as well talk to him while you can.’

“I knew Max and Liz would get it together. They were always soul mates and it was obvious Isabel and Kyle would get it on. I mean, they both lost their partners. But I never knew what our future held. It was always changing, getting better, getting worse. I could never decide what was going to happen with us.”

Michael knew how that felt. Never in his wildest dreams could he have picked this out as his future with Maria. He had always imagined that they would stay together, finding peace with their relationship and settling down together as a family. His head spun as he thought of what Max and Izzie had. They had found their happiness, what they had been looking for. Everything had come good for them. But here he was, twenty-seven years old and still alone. He hadn’t found his happiness, his life had nothing good in it. All shadows and no light. But it was the choice he had made. At least Maria had been given the chance at a life, she had done some living. And he would sooner live his life in shadows than compromise Maria’s blissful peace.

He swirled the whiskey around in the glass. “I wanted us to be happy Ria, I did. I wanted to give you a home and a car and as much chocolate as you could eat. All I ever wanted was to make you happy. And I failed. I’m so sorry.”

Maria set her glass down and knelt at his feet. Her eyes were slowly filling with tears. “How can you say that Michael?” she asked hoarsely, “What you did for me was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. Don’t ever think I was disappointed with you. You didn’t fail me, you made me love you all the more.” With that she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly to her breast. Her heart bled as she imagined him lying alone, thinking he had let her down. “If anything I failed you,” she said into his soft cocoa-coloured hair. “I ran away, I didn’t try to stop you. I just left you there.”

Michael looked into her eyes and laughed softly. “I guess we both have demons to deal with.” He got up and handed her a card he had prepared earlier. “This is where I’m staying, some hick inn place. I’ll be there until tomorrow night, I checkout at ten. If you wanna stop by and talk then I’ll be there all day. Goodbye Ria. Thanks for the talk and the drink.” He leant over and kissed her wet cheek and walked away, across the garden and around the side of the house.

Maria stroked her cheek, feeling the imprint of his lips. She glanced down at the tray, at the untouched strawberries and took one, sucking it slowly. She fiddled with the card in her hands. How could she go and see him again? Her whole body was shaking from seeing him today. If she saw him again she might collapse. Sighing Maria tore the card in half and set it onto the tray. Suddenly the phone began to drill and she ran inside, leaving the remainder of the whiskey and strawberries. And Michael’s card.

PART FIVE

Maria didn’t sleep that night. She tossed and turned, driving Evan mad. She cursed to herself, wishing he hadn’t stayed over. She wanted to get up and pace, to think through everything that had happened but Evan thought Michael was just another interested fan. She didn’t want him knowing who Michael was. It would only upset him and cause problems.

She finally drifted off into fitful sleep and when she awoke Evan had left for work. He had cut a rose from the garden and laid it on the pillow next to her along with a note reminding her how much he loved her and that he would see her tonight. Maria sniffed the rose and set it in the glass of water she kept beside her bed. She slipped the note into her bedside table and got dressed.

The day passed sluggishly, minutes seeming like hours. Maria worked for a few hours, typing steadily at her computer, but when she reread what she had written she realised it didn’t make any sense. She had gone completely off the plot and her sentences were disjointed. She angrily deleted the entire three hours work and punched her computer off. She curled up on the couch with her coffee and tried to clear her mind. She was so tired, her head felt swollen inside, and she felt sleep calling to her. Gently she fell into deep sleep, dreams streaking through her mind.

*FLASH*
Maria lay in Michael’s arms, watching Win Ben Stein’s Money. Michael was dozing softly, his mouth open a little. She looked up at him, smiling. ‘This was what it was about, she thought to herself, this was how the rest of my life should be.’ She turned her attentions back to the TV, reaching for another chip. Suddenly something caught her eye, a sharp glint of shiny metal. She turned her head and her eyes opened in horror.

At first she didn’t recognise the figure that stood in front of her, brandishing the semi automatic. He was wearing a dark cap which covered his hair and he was head to toe in black. But his voice was unmistakable. “Get up.”

Maria stood and put her hands over her head. Michael was still asleep and she nudged him with her knee. “Whaa?” he murmured, coming to. He glanced up at Maria, wondering what was going on. It was then he noticed her eyes, they were filled with fear. He turned sharply and his heart sank.

“Oh my God what the hell are you doing?”

Brody smiled and adjusted his cap, never for one second loosening his grip on the gun. “I came for a chat and before you think about being Action Man and saving the day I have this.” He produced the TAG pentagon device out of his pocket and clicked it open.

“Brody what’s going on?” Maria whimpered, heart racing. He smiled in return and reached across, brushing a wisp of blonde hair out of her eyes. Michael jumped up and roughly pushed his hands away.

“Don’t you ever touch her again, you hear me?”

“I wouldn’t be so hasty Mister Guerin, I’m not here for Maria. She’s the only thing that’s good about any of this. But you spoiled her didn’t you? Letting her in on your little alien secret. You couldn’t leave her alone, could you? Had to put her life in danger for the sake of your hormones. Must be a great talking point when you’re picking up girls. Hi I’m Michael wanna see me turn ketchup into mustard?”. Brody smirked and glanced at Maria. She stayed very still, unresponsive to anything he was saying.

Brody motioned for the pair to sit down and arranged himself comfortably on the couch. He waited for one of them to speak and wasn’t surprised when Maria started first.

“What is going on Brody?” she croaked, “Why would you do this to us? What do you want?”

He smiled at how naive she was. She really was completely fooled by the harmless nut facade he had pulled. “What I want Maria is nothing to do with you but everything to do with your hybrid boyfriend here. It took me sixteen years to find the Royal Four. Sixteen years looking for a quartet of beings who I was so sure would be worth the wait. But I was disappointed you see Maria. The Four are completely useless. They know nothing of their powers and have relatively no knowledge of what their planet was like. And to top it all off the Royal Four aren’t even the Royal Four but the Royal Three. And what use is that?”

“Myself and my team had planned to use them as a porthole into another world, their world, but we have become increasingly convinced that they haven’t the skills or the power to get us what we need. So we are opting for second best. We are going experiment on the Four or should I say three, take them apart piece by piece and make a fortune selling the story. I’d like to say I was interested in the research but if we’re to be completely honest I only really care about the handsome check I’ll receive at the end of all this.”

He smiled and watched their reactions. Maria’s face crumpled as she thought of what Brody was preparing to do to Michael. Michael kept his composure solid and unemotional. He wasn’t scared for himself or what awaited him if Brody got his way. He was concentrating on what would happen if Brody got gun happy and took out his frustration on Maria. He focused his gaze on the gun and pleaded to whatever god was listening. You can take me away, rip me limb from limb, but please don’t touch a hair on her head.

Brody sat for a moment longer, almost contemplating his next move. He rose suddenly and went to Maria. “Get up Maria”. She stayed motionless, watching him with glassy eyes. “Get up and I won’t hurt you.” Maria glanced over at Michael who nodded his head.

“Just do Maria. Everything’s gonna be fine honey I promise.”

Under Michael’s instruction she stood and allowed Brody to lead her into her bedroom. As he shut the door behind him Brody smiled at her. He cared about Maria, she had a good heart, and once she was rid of Michael the Miscreant maybe she would have a stab at a normal life. He reached up to where the key was balanced on top of the doorframe and locked her in. He had been in the apartment several times, he knew where everything was. Slipping the key into his pocket he turned and made his way back to Michael.

Michael’s eyes followed him, trying to guess his next move. Brody produced a pair of steel handcuffs and waved them in Michael’s face.

“Be a good boy and put these on.” When Michael didn’t respond Brody pushed the gun to his temple. “Put them on and Maria won’t have to clean your blood off the carpet.” Grimacing at Maria’s name Michael clicked the handcuffs onto his wrists, behind his back. He felt so useless, all that power and he couldn’t even use it. He had assumed he could always protect Maria but now he was no better than a human. A weak human at that.

Brody pulled Michael to his feet and clipped cuffs around his ankles. He pulled a mobile phone out of pocket and pressed a button on the speed dial. “Just have to check in with my superiors, let them know I’ve caught the first.” Michael slumped back down on the couch, his thoughts racing. ‘I have to think of something, he thought desperately, I can’t let this happen’.

Meanwhile Maria was sitting on her bed, her thoughts mirroring his. She had been racking her brains trying to come up with a solution. She could faintly hear Brody talking to someone, presumably on the phone, and she wondered what Michael was doing right now. Maybe Brody had hurt him, knocked him out. She jumped to her feet, wringing her hands as she thought of the only guy she had ever loved being tortured by these so called scientists. She could easily hop out of the window and get help, her head told her, but her heart wouldn’t leave him. She had to help him now. Her gaze fell on the closet and her thoughts flashed back to last summer, a camping trip. It had been so cold that weekend her mom had brought them a little luxury to fight off the chill. As it turned out Maria’s penchant for the finer things in life was about to save Michael’s life.

PART SIX

Brody finished his call and motioned to Michael to get up. “Time to go Mister Guerin,” he whispered menacingly, “Everything is ready for your arrival. How lucky you much feel.”

“Yeah I’m ecstatic,” Michael retorted, unable to contain a little sarcasm. Suddenly there was a smash of glass coming from Maria’s bedroom.

“Dammit!” Brody jumped and pulled Michael to the bedroom door with him, still holding the barrel of the gun to his head. He unlocked the door and pushed Michael into the room first. Nothing happened. He slowly advanced, keeping a tight hold on Michael’s handcuffs. The room was dark and the light switch was unresponsive. Brody scanned the room, looking for the source of noise. He became aware of a breezy draft and turned to the window. Maria had thrown something large and heavy through the pane, shattering it. She had made a hole large enough to escape through, providing she was prepared to get a little cut up.

Brody cursed again and pulled Michael over to the window. He examined the hole and cast a furtive glance out onto the road but couldn’t see anything. Michael smiled as he thought of Maria, upstaging him once again. He was beginning to think he wasn’t cut out for the manly role in their relationship. Brody began pacing the room, attempting to figure out a plan.

Abruptly something caught Michael’s eye. What Brody had failed to notice was that the window was slightly open at the bottom. If Maria had wanted to get out and find help surely she would have opted for the quieter action of opening the window instead of smashing through it.

Michael didn’t have time to think about what Maria was playing at because at that moment he heard a loud crack from behind him. He whirled round and came face to face with Maria, wielding what looking suspiciously like a camping heater. Brody was slumped on the floor, blood pouring from a head wound. Without speaking Maria ran to Michael, examining his restraints.

“The key should be on him. I hope”. Michael tried to smile. Wrinkling her nose in disgust Maria slipped her fingers into Brody’s jacket and recovered the keys. Trembling she unlocked the cuffs at Michael’s feet and then on his wrists. Michael began rubbing his skin where the handcuffs had bit into the flesh. Then, remembering himself, he turned to Maria and pulled her to him, lifting her off the carpet.

“Oh god baby are you okay? You scared the crap out of me.”

Maria began sobbing into his neck. “Oh Michael I was so frightened,” she wept, “I just panicked.” He lowered her to the ground and stared down at the still bundle of black. Tentatively he reached down and pressed a finger against Brody’s neck, feeling for a pulse. He jumped back in alarm.

“Hell Maria I think you killed him”. Maria’s face paled and she dropped to her knees. She began to shake the body, willing it to life again. She pummelled his chest and blew air into his mouth but it was no good. Brody remained still and lifeless. Tears formed rapidly in her eyes.

Michael wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. He wished at that moment he had Max’ cool head, he was a leader, he always knew what to do. Softly in the distance he picked up faint sirens. Someone must have reported the sound of the window smash. Quickly he pulled Maria to her feet.

“We can’t stay here, the cops will finger us for sure.” Maria looked at him, her red-rimmed eyes showing little more life than Brody’s.

“What can we do Michael? Where can we run? I killed him, I have to face up to it.” Her hands shook as she brushed back the hair that stuck to her face.

At that moment Michael made a decision. Probably the most important one he had ever had to make. He made a sweep of the room, collecting the heater Maria had hit Brody with. With the other arm he shoved Maria out of the room and to the back door, grabbing the TAG device from the living room and the Jetta keys off the bench in the kitchen as he went. The sirens were much closer as he bundled her into the passenger seat, setting the heater on her knee, and started the engine. As he pulled out of the drive a woman walking her dog looked straight at him. Bathed in orange streetlight he was hard to miss and probably very easy to identify.

PART SEVEN

Sharply the Jetta took off. Michael drove crazily, unsure of where he was going but knowing he had to get Maria to somewhere safe. Barely aware he had decided where they were headed he drove out into the desert, finally slowing when he reached the rocks near the pod chamber. He slowly got out of the car and breathed in the cool night air. His heart thumped steadily. He was no longer scared or irrational. He had made his choices the second he knew Brody was dead, he had nothing to fear now.

Maria pulled herself unsteadily out of the passenger seat and stood in front of him. “What now?” she asked of him weakly. His eyes were unfaltering as he gazed down at her.

“Maria I need you to do something for me....”

“Anything Michael just say it”.

“No let me finish. It isn’t something you’re gonna like but believe me I have thought this entire situation through and this is our only option.”

Maria’s forehead crumpled as she looked at him. She was preparing for the worst. ‘He’s gonna say we have to leave, she thought sadly, ‘We’re gonna have to get out of Roswell and leave everyone behind.’ Her heart strengthened as she waited for him to say it. It would hurt but it had to be done.

“Maria I want you to get into the car and drive. Drive anywhere just get as far away from Roswell as possible. Don’t come back do you hear me?”

She nodded and for a second he thought this was going to be easier that he had anticipated. “No problem,” she answered, “You sort everything out with Max, tell him what’s happening and then come after me. But wait, how will you know where I am?”

Michael felt his knees shake. She still doesn’t get it.

“I’m not comin after you Ria. You have to go alone.” Her jaw dropped as the realisation hit her. He wasn’t going to follow her. This wasn’t a mutual escape, she was the only one leaving.

“But....what are you gonna do?”

“I have to stay and do the time. Somebody killed Brody and if I wasn’t you it had to be me.”

“No!” Maria’s scream echoed around the hills. “I killed Brody. Me. I won’t let you stay and take the rap for what I did Michael, I can’t.” Michael rested his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them. His eyes were soft but firm.

“I’m not letting you go down for Brody, he came for me. What you did was my fault and I have to take the blame. If we both go they’ll come looking for us, if I stay you can get out of here and start again.”

“But we can stop this, explain it was self defence.......”

“Explain what? That I’m an alien and he was there to capture me and cart me off for tests? It won’t work Ria. Brody is dead and I am gonna take the heat, there is nothing you can do that will change my mind.” He pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Maria felt sick. She had never experienced this side of Michael before. It was so final, so decisive. She knew she had to go, that he would make her, but she didn’t want to. What was out there for her? She had no money, no place to go and no Michael. Sobbing loudly she ran to him and cried into his chest. He grasped her to him, feeling his heart tear itself up and his eyes well.

“I am always gonna love you Maria, always and forever. Wherever you go you look over your shoulder cos I am gonna be there every step of the way. Watching you and protecting you until we meet again. And we will meet again Maria, if I have to ransack the entire world I will find you, and we’ll be together, just like before.”

Maria looked at him and pulled his head down, locking her lips to his. It was unlike any other kiss they had experienced. It was tinged with sadness and regret, flavoured with both their tears. Michael pulled away first, wiping his eyes and then hers. Looking around he bent down to the roadside and plucked a newly sprung white flower. He nestled it behind her ear whispering, “To keep our love alive”.

He let her out of their embrace and gently seated her in the driver’s seat. Slamming the door he leant in and kissed her forehead. “I’ll never be sorry Ria. This is how it was meant to be.”

“I love you Michael. I’ll never forget what you did. You’ll always be in here.” She touched the area over her heart and allowed her eyes to hold his. Shaking her head she started the car.

“Now don’t look back cos it’s bad luck.” He smiled and moved away from the car. Giving him one final glance Maria pulled away from the roadside and began the long drive to the border. She watched him in the rear view mirror, not quite believing this was happening. Slowly he disappeared, until all Maria could see was darkness.
*FLASH*

Maria sat bolt upright, unsure what had woken her. A brief glance at her watch told her it was almost nine o clock. Evan obviously hadn’t made it back yet as she was sitting in twilight darkness. She stood and walked to the kitchen, flicking the kettle. She didn’t want tea but she couldn’t find the whiskey and squash didn’t appeal. Outside the rain beat against the windowpanes fiercely. She thought about Michael, that night in the desert. She had never known what he had said when he got back to Roswell, how he’d convinced the Sheriff he was the only one involved and how they hadn’t traced her. ‘Just lucky’ she thought to herself. But it wasn’t just luck, it was Michael. He had given her this life, a life she wouldn’t have had otherwise had. He had sacrificed all he had for her.

There had been times when Maria had been unsure about Michael’s feelings for her, times when ‘I love you’ didn’t quite ring true. But standing there in the kitchen she was suddenly hit with the truth she had been denying herself for ten long years. He had loved her all along and he loved her still. She was what he had been waiting for all this time, despite the fact that she was the very thing that had put him away. All these years and his love hadn’t once turned to hatred. After everything that had happened he still loved her. And she was prepared to throw it all away? Was she hell.

PART EIGHT

Hurriedly Maria rushed upstairs and tugged a jacket from the top of her wardrobe. Then she sped downstairs and grabbed a torch from the utility room. The storm was wild and she was nearly blown off her feet. On her knees she desperately searched for the card his address had been on, it had been swept off the tray. Her hope fading she suddenly saw a corner poking out from behind a rock. Pushing it aside she discovered both pieces were there, completely untouched by the rain. It was like a message from a higher power.

Hiking through the mud she ran doggedly to her car and started the engine. The car clock read quarter past nine. She felt her heart rise to her throat and sped out of the drive and onto the road. Squinting at the address Maria tried to recall where the road was. She hadn’t visited much of the area and had only hazy memories of the tracks.

A beacon of hope came to her as the car went over a high bump in the road. Her headlights flashed up and caught the inn’s signpost. Again, it seemed, someone, somewhere, was looking down and granting her her wish. Outside a car was parked and a single figure was loading a bag into the trunk. Maria screeched to a halt and ran to the back of the car.

Michael looked up in shock, trying to register what he saw. Maria was standing before him, soaking wet. Her blonde hair was plastered to the sides of her face and she was breathing heavily.

“You said,” she started, still trying to catch her breath, “you would find me when you were free. And that we would be together again. Did you mean it?” Michael stood speechless. “Did you mean it Michael? I have to know.”

Suddenly speech came to him. “Of course I meant it Maria. I love you more than life itself, I always have.”

Maria’s soaked face broke into a huge smile. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that”. With that she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss. And it was the most passionate, perfect kiss either of them had ever experienced.

Michael pulled away and touched the leather jacket Maria was wearing. “I wondered when I was gonna see that again”, he laughed, slowly walking her to the door of the inn, “You made me walk the whole way back to Roswell in the freezing cold in only my T-shirt. I’ll never forgive you for that one blondie........”