ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER SIX

As the Christmas morning sun shone through the windows onto Maria's face, she smiled. She looked over to Michael with one eye and found him looking back at her.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"You." He scooted closer to her and kissed her forehead. "I'm not reading to tackle morning breath, yet."

"You suck."

"I know." He kissed her again and got out from underneath the covers by kicking them off. He stood and scratched. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you," she yawned. "I told my mom we'd be over around noon. The Valentis should get there around then, too. Kyle's bringing Morgan."

"Good, I like her," Michael nodded. "I think Kyle does, too."

"Duh, you think?" She laughed and got out of bed as Leia started waking up in the bassinet next to the bed. She picked up her daughter and kissed her face. "You need a changing and something to eat! Why don't I do that while your daddy takes a shower?"

Michael watched his family go into the nursery and smiled wistfully after them. As he got in the shower he thought back the same way he had many times over the last two years, that had everything gone off as planned there would be no Leia. There would be no family. He would be living on some war-ridden planet and his one true love would be here. Not a day goes by that he doesn't thank God that he made the right decision to stay.

"Are you going to be in there all day?" Maria called from the open door. "I want a shower and then do presents, so get a move on it, Space Boy!"

Michael smiled to himself. How could he have ever considered leaving her? As he stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, Leia was thrust into his arms.

"I gotta take a shower, she threw up on my shoulder." Maria walked past him and closed the door.

Michael carried his daughter into the living room and sat on the couch. Leia watched his face intently, reaching to him and touching his features. He smiled; she smiled back at him. She sat with her chubby legs bent on his chest, her pale green eyes so inquisitive, and her dark blond hair badly in need of a haircut. And she was so beautiful. She was in a diaper and a baby sized "Roswell Sheriff's Dept." shirt. She was her daddy's girl. She made a few noises, sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. He held her tight, oblivious to Maria with her camera until he heard the familiar click and saw the flash.

"I had to," she said smiling and sat down next to them. "This has got to be the sweetest thing in the entire world. I think this picture is going on our Christmas cards next year."

"Okay, yeah, I doubt that."

"But the tree was in the background and the presents..." She looked over at the tree. "Presents. There are presents that need to be opened."

"You don't want to wait until later?"

"Whatever. Put the baby in the play pen and let's unwrap!"

Michael obliged and put Leia in her playpen, put on a pair of shorts and joined Maria in front of the tree. She handed out the presents between the two of them and then a pilie for Leia. There wasn't much and it would only take minutes for them to be unwrapped, but time meant nothing. Maria laughed as she held up a larger version of Leia's shirt.

"Now you and the girl can dress alike," he raised his eyebrows at her. "Or not."

"I'll say probably not, but I still dig it."

Maria loved her gifts and Michael, his. They both opened up Leia's and set a few toys and animals in the playpen with her.

"I'm making you breakfast," Michael stated after cleaning up the paper mess.

"There's only one thing I want for breakfast," she smiled mischievously at him. He smiled out of the corner of his mouth and chased her into the bedroom.

* * *

The Parker/Evans household was in high gear. After presents were exchanged and opened, Max went to put on the finishing touches on cleaning while Liz looked over what she was required to prepare for the big Christmas lunch that would merge the families.

"Did you get the handles on the shower?" Liz called out to Max when she heard the television on.

"Do you really think anyone is going to be taking a shower after lunch?"

"I want this place to be clean!" she yelled and walked into the living room with her hands on her hips. "It's the first time everyone is going to be here together and I want this place to look nice. That way when we have to move into a dump everyone will know it's not us!"

"Oh my God," Max sighed. "We are not moving to a dump, we'll just go somewhere not quite as nice as this place. No one is going to think you're a bad housekeeper if there's a smudge here or a cobweb there. Chill out, Liz, it's Christmas."

"Really?" she feigned amazement. "Can you believe that I just thought it was any other normal day with a freakin' tree that lights up with gaudily wrapped boxes under it? How could I forget? Did you also forget that your sister is coming here?"

"The Christmas Nazi..." Max said softly and looked at the tree. "Oh shit, that tinsel is so crooked." He jumped up and fixed the tinsel and looked around for anything else that wasn't quite right. He made himself busy with straightening decorations and placement of presents; Liz smiled from the kitchen doorway and went back to work on her veggie tray. Her parents were bringing most of the foods and the Evanses the desert.

Shortly before noon both families showed up and more presents were exchanged. Liz and Isabel made themselves scarce in the kitchen to prepare the food to be brought out. "Thank you for having us over, Liz."

"Oh. God. No problem, I'm glad we could finally get our families over here at the same time."

"I mean, really, thank you." Isabel leaned against the counter. "It's been a rough year and it feels really good to have family around. It gets really lonely at school."

"I bet it does." Liz looked at Isabel to make sure it was really her. Sure, they had agreed on a truce, but telling Liz about her own feelings? Totally not expected. "Is school okay?"

"Okay?" she snorted. "School sucks. I hate every second that I'm there. My grades have dropped; I'm like the old lady that lives at the end of the block with all the cats. Social life? Nope, don't have one. If it wasn't for Kyle dragging me around I'd probably hibernate in my room."

"Kyle's a good guy," Liz nodded.

"He's the best," she smiled. "It's nice when Morgan visits, too. She is so much fun! Kyle lucked out with her, she is great."

"I know, I really like her. We all do." Liz looked towards the food. "I guess we should take the food out?"

"Oh, yeah." Isabel smiled and picked up a platter.

* * *

"Maria," Amy DeLuca called her daughter into the kitchen away from the rest of the families. Once they were alone Amy leaned against the counter and looked at her daughter.

"What's up?" Maria asked cautiously.

"I have to talk to you."

"I don't know when we're getting married or if we're getting -" Maria started.

"It's not about that."

"What then?" Nervous. Leia? Flying bottles and toys?

"Well, Jim and I were talking the other day, and you know everything is real nice between us, and well..."

"Spit it out, mom."

"Jim suggested that we might think about moving in together." She watched her daughter's jaw drop. "I know. It's not exactly what you think I would do, but I think it might be a good idea. You and Kyle aren't in the house anymore, you have your own family and Kyle's away at school. Jim and I enjoy each other's company and we love spending time togther."

"I think it's cool." Maria hugged her mom. "I mean really cool."

"Oh good," Amy let out a sigh of relief. "We were worried what you guys might think."

"Kyle knows?" Maria asked on the verge of getting angry for always being the last to know.

"No, not yet. Jim's going to bring it up with him tonight."

"Okay," Maria nodded. "Where would you live? Here?"

"Yeah, this house is bigger..."

"And Kyle would have my room when he was home from school?" Maria smiled slyly.

"If it's okay. I mean you can always come home again..."

"I'm not coming home, I think it's fine." Maria hugged her again. "You totally have my blessing." She excused herself and went back into the party, a smug smile on her face. She looked at Jim and winked, he blushed. She took her spot on the arm of the chair next to Michael and wrapped her arm around him. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I've got a secret." He looked to her for me, she only smiled.

By late afternoon exhaustion had set in from the feast Amy had prepared. Jim, Kyle and Michael sat on the couch, hands resting on their full stomachs, eyes staring at the television. Leia was sleeping peacefully on the couch between Kyle and Jim. The women were in the kitchen cleaning up.

"Why do the women always have to clean up? Why can't we sit on the couch and watch TV and the men do some work?" Maria asked while drying a plate.

"This is how holidays are, honey." Amy nodded and looked to Morgan. "What about at your house, Morgan, same thing?"

"Well, my parents are divorced so we don't really do a family thing anymore. It's spend time with one or the other and listen to them bitch about the other, so I kind of blow off the holidays with the parents." She smiled. "But I can't thank you enough for inviting me over here today, this was great!"

"Consider yourself always invited," Amy smiled at her. "We're just one big happy family around here. Right?"

Maria raised her eyebrows at her and smiled. "Big and happy."

"So, what time are you kids going over to Liz's?"

"In about an hour or so," Maria looked at the clock. Not soon enough.

"Well, you make sure you wish them a Merry Christmas from me, okay? I miss seeing Liz all the time, maybe you could bring her by next week and we could all have lunch or something?" Amy said.

Maria nodded and rolled her eyes in Morgan's direction.

* * *

Max and Liz slumped against each other on the couch; Isabel sat across from them in a lawn chair.

"That was exciting," Isabel remarked. "You guys did good, everything went smooth. One big happy family."

Max looked at his sister. "I want to tell you something, but you can't tell mom and day, okay?" She nodded and leaned closer. "Okay. I actually didn't really go to school this semester."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I didn't go after the third week, I dropped out." He looked to Liz, who nodded in support.

"Holy shit!" Isabel laughed. "Little Max drops out of college and doesn't tell the parents! I thought you were the good son! What happened?" She laughed then grew serious. "I'm sorry, please, go on."

"I've been working full-time at the insurance company. We can't really afford this place on what we made so I dropped out to work."

"He's going back in the spring," Liz interjected. "We're moving to somewhere cheaper."

"How about back home? That's cheaper than cheap. It's free. Stay there for a year or two then try again."

"No." He shook his head. "We're not going to do that. We're staying together, just not here. I'll tell mom and dad soon, I just wanted to give you a heads up."

"Okay," she smiled and looked back and forth between her brother and Liz. "I'll share too. Last semester? That was my last one at Las Cruces. I didn't register for next semester because I'm not going!"

"You're what?" Max's eyes widened.

"Not going. I hate it there, if it weren't for Kyle I would have come back sooner. I can't concentrate on anything. All I think about is coming home. Don't tell mom and dad," she grinned.

"Are you going to the JC?" Liz asked.

"Nah, not yet. I need time to think. I'll get a job."

"We're bad," Max laughed.

A knock at the door came before it opened and Maria and Michael came in carrying Leia. "Merry Christmas!" Maria sang to them. "Kyle and Morgan should be here in a few minutes."

"We're here," Morgan said from behind her as the couple walked in. Hugs and presents were exchanged and then they retired to the living room.

"I know what we should have gotten you Maxwell," Michael suppressed a grin, "chairs."

"Ha. Ha." Max's face turned a few shades of red.

"Oh!" Maria clapped. "I have a secret!" Everyone looked to her expectantly and waited. "Oh, you want to hear it?"

"Maria," Liz said sternly.

"Okay, actually it's for Kyle!" She smiled sweetly at him. His eyes grew enormous.

"I hate secrets Maria."

"I know! Okay. Guess who is moving in with who?"

He looked at her, his brow furrowed. "Oh...My dad? Your mom?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the man a prize" Maria laughed along with the others. "But it's a secret, so when your dad tells you, act surprised."

"How do you know?"

"My mom," Maria nodded. "You want to hear the best part?"

"I can't wait," Kyle sighed.

"Your dad's moving in with my mom," she grinned impishly.

"Oh shit."

"You get my old room when you come home from school!" She laughed again as Kyle shook his head.

"Some things in life are so not fair."

* * *

"Jingle balls, jingle balls, jingle my balls all the way!" Rath sang his own versions of Holiday classics as he made his way over the New Mexico border.

He flicked a cigarette out the window and saw a hitchhiker. He kept going down the road and looked in the rearview mirror. He shrugged and back up, honking once. The hitchhiker scurried to the car and had his hand on the door handle and a smile on his face when Rath floored it and sped away laughing. "Jingle ball, jingle ball, jingle my cock."

He sped down the road, he was close and it was time to have a little fun.

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STORY OF LINES:
4 - DOORWAYS

CHAPTER SIX

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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