ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER ONE

Michael stared at him, confused. Why was he here and was he alone? "What are you doing here?"

"Came to play, Mikey," Rath grinned. "Already been playing, if you know what I mean?"

"Did you kill that man on the highway?"

"Does it matter?" Rath watched as Michael unsnapped the holster on his waist. "Gonna shoot me?"

Before Michael could react, he doubled over. He had been sucker punched. He caught his breath and looked up, Rath was gone.

"Damn it!" He looked around. Nothing. He walked back to his cruiser and kicked the wheel. "Fuck!" He got back in and whacked the steering wheel with his palm. He had to talk to Max; he had to tell him who was in town. Were the others with Rath, too?

Fumbling in the glove compartment, he found the cellular phone and dialled his house. Isabel answered, he could hear the television and laughter in the background. "Happy New Year! Guerin and De Luca residence, how may I direct your call?"

"Please tell me you don't always answer the phone that way," Michael shook his head. "Max there?"

"Please hold, I will transfer you." Michael heard more laughter and then the phone being handed off.

"Michael?" Max was laughing.

"Rath. Rath's in town."

"Are you sure?" Max hushed the noise in back of him.

"Face to face. Punched me in the gut and ran away." Michael shook his head, disgusted with himself.

"He alone?"

"I don't know. I didn't see anyone else. I'm over by the strip, I'm going to drive around here a little more and see if he turns up again. How is everything there? Maria?"

"She's in the bedroom still, with Liz. She ate and she played with Leia for a while, but she didn't want to come out with everyone else."

"Damn it!" Michael slapped the dashboard. "Will this ever end?"

"We'll end it, Michael. Don't worry." Max disconnected.

Michael drove around until the end of his shift, it was almost three in the morning. He got in the Tempo and drove home, surprised to find all the lights on and cars still there. He was greeted with a drink in his hand at the door, noisemakers and streamers.

"Happy New Year!" Isabel kissed his cheek then brushed by him to go outside to smoke.

"Wow," he looked around for Maria, his smile instantly deflating when he didn't see her. "Wow. Thanks."

"It's the start of a New Year, Michael," Liz hugged him. "Maria will be okay, she's strong. She's a fighter. Whatever has her, she'll fight it. She'll kick its ass and tell it off while she's doing it."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't." Liz hugged him again. "She's my best friend, like a sister to me. I'll do whatever it takes to help her through this."

"I just want her back," Michael heard his voice crack and cleared his throat.

"You'll get her back. We'll all get her back."

* * *

"Why isn't Maria here?" Amy De Luca looked at Michael and Liz. "This is her room."

"She's not feeling good. I think it's the flu or something," Michael lied and felt guilty about it.

"Well, then I don't think she should be taking care of Leia. You don't want her to get sick too, do you?"

"Isabel's watching her," Liz volunteered sensing the paranoia bouncing off Michael.

"Well," Amy put her hands on her hips and looked over her shoulder at Sean. "Well, did I get an answer from you yet?"

"Answer?" Sean looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you staying here or are you moving? You haven't given me an answer either way. I don't care if you stay, you're more than welcome to."

"I want to stay," Sean looked embarrassed. "I kind of enrolled at the JC for the next semester."

"Really?" Liz leaned closer hoping the shock wasn't totally obvious.

"Yeah, really." Sean shook his head. "You didn't think I was going to spend the rest of my life in the bowling alley, did you?"

"What're you taking?"

"Computer stuff." His face flushed. He shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.

"Wow." Liz looked after him. "Anyway, I guess we can start?" She looked to Amy.

"Sure, go ahead." She waved her head at them and followed Sean to the kitchen.

"That went well," Michael commented as they reached the room, both of them loaded down with boxes and bags.

Liz agreed and went to work. Maria had managed to bring most of things with her to Michael's, but left what she had deemed unimportant or that she'd never use again. Liz and Michael both knew better, Maria didn't like to get rid of anything. If one thing had been thrown away, she'd have freaked. It wasn't as bad as they had expected and were done with the job in less than two hours. Michael convinced Sean to help him carry the boxes to the car.

"Okay, Ms. De Luca," Liz stood in front of her. "We're done."

"Great. Jim and Kyle are moving in the day after tomorrow," she said absently, looking around the room. "Okay, tell Maria to call me and let me know how she's feeling. I'm still watching Leia tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah, I have to work." Michael took a deep breath. He and Liz walked out of the house together and exhaled loudly when they were safely in the confines of the Tempo. "I hate lying to her. She finally trusts me and I lie to her."

"You had too, we both did. We don't know what's wrong with Maria and I don't think a doctor will be able to tell us. You heard Max, it's mental, not physical." Liz stared out the window. "She'll talk to someone when she's ready, we just have to be there for her."

"I know, but it's frustrating." Michael looked to her. "I just want her back so bad."

Liz reached over to him and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

* * *

"So, why is it so important that I come over for dinner tonight? It's not my birthday and I feel really guilty about deserting Leia and Maria." Isabel sat at the card table. "When are you guys going to get some real furniture?"

Liz smiled and was about to answer when she was saved by knocking at the door. She answered and Isabel watched as a man that she'd never seen before entered the apartment. He was tall, not as tall as Alex had been, but still taller than her. His hair was a very nondescript dark brown. He was about average. Nothing spectacular. He was good looking, Isabel had decided that right away. If his hair was darker he could pass for a relative of Richard Greico. She smiled; maybe she had just been watching too many reruns of 21 Jump Street during the day while sitting with Leia and Maria. Liz guided him by the arm and stood him in front of Isabel and Max.

"This is Erin Leary, my lab partner. Erin, this is my fiancé Max Evans and his sister, Isabel."

Max stood and shook Erin's head. "Nice to meet you, Liz has been talking about you all semester."

"You too," Erin smiled at him. "Isabel." He looked in her direction and flashed his pearly whites.

"Same," she smiled and looked over to Liz who was grinning from ear to ear. Oh shit, Isabel thought, a set up and I never saw it coming.

Liz excused herself to the kitchen and denied Isabel's offer to help. She had baked lasagna, French bread and mixed vegetables. Nothing fancy, just easy. She called Max in to get the dinnerware to set the table.

"So, how's it going out there? Do you like him?"

"I do, but I don't know if I like how much time you spend with him at school," he winked. "You're staying partners next semester, right?"

"Yeah, we work well together and he's smart. Anyway, how's it going with Iz? Are they talking?"

"A little," Max shrugged. "They just met, give it a chance. She did glare at you as you walked in here. I think she figured it out."

"No kidding," she said sarcastically. "Gee, I wonder what gave it away?"

Max retreated and set the card table; he smiled when he heard his sister laugh at something Erin had said. He loved to hear her laugh. Liz served dinner and was complimented on it from each of them. By the time the plates had been cleared Erin and Isabel seemed to be in their own private discussion about who was the best bitch; Erin was voting for Heather Locklear on Melrose Place while Isabel was adamant it was Tiffani Amber Theissen on 90210.

"You're a guy," Isabel crossed her arms over her chest. "You shouldn't even be watching either of the two shows."

"I have two older sisters, I didn't have a choice. If I wanted to watch TV, it was what they were watching."

"That's sad," Isabel laughed.

Before Erin left he asked Isabel if he could see her again. At first she was hesitant and didn't answer. A nod from Max seemed to be all the encouragement she needed. She agreed to go out to dinner and a movie the following weekend. She scribbled her phone number on a scrap of napkin and handed it to him. She blushed when he held it against his heart. She closed the door and spun around to face Liz, her eyes were dancing.

"Uh oh," Liz stepped behind Max.

"I cannot believe you did that!" Isabel nearly shouted.

"I can't tell if you're mad or not," Liz called over Max's shoulder.

"I was," Isabel finally smiled. "I was pissed, but he's cool. I like him."

"See," Liz whacked Max in the shoulder. "I told you she would."

* * *

Jim Valenti was in the kitchen mixing up a pitcher of Mud Slides when he heard Amy scream. He bolted from the kitchen and saw her standing against the wall, her hand over her mouth. Jim looked to the couch where Leia had been last and saw what had made his girlfriend scream. The stuffed monkey was hovering over Leia and she was giggling.

Jim snatched the monkey out of the air and put it in Leia's hands. He looked at Amy, she was pale.

"Amy?" He ventured closer to her.

She pointed at Leia. "My granddaughter is possessed."

Jim tried to fight a smile. "No, I don't think she's possessed."

"A monkey just flew through the air to her," she looked at him, her eyes wide. "What do you call it?"

"I don't know," Jim shrugged. "A freaky thing that happens when the moon is full?" He wonderful if there was a full moon tonight. "I mean, this is Roswell Amy, strange things happen here."

"Not to my granddaughter!" she chided him. "I should call a priest."

"A priest?"

"I think she needs to be exorcised."

"Oh boy," Jim wrapped his arms around her. "Honey, I think you're over-reacting. She's not possessed, she's just a little girl."

"It was a little girl in The Exorcist."

"Do you really believe that there is anything evil in Leia?"

Amy shook her head and then laughed. "You're right, strange things are always happening around here. One monkey in the air is nothing." She threw her hands in the air and went to pick up her granddaughter. "I'm sorry I screamed, Leia, I was scared."

Jim blew out a sigh of relief and wondered what was going to happen next time and when Michael and Maria were going to break down and tell Amy the truth.

* * *

Michael cruised the city; part of him as Deputy of Roswell, the other part as Michael-I'm-going-to-find-you-Rath. Neither part was doing much good. There was nothing happening on this starry night. No crime, no speeders, no mayhem, no Rath. At the end of his shift he drove to Amy's and picked up Leia. He noticed Amy was acting a little strange, but what was new, right? Jim told him at the door he had a good one for him and would share the next day at work. After Leia was securely strapped in her car seat, he drove home. He pulled in front and smiled at Morgan's beat up VW Bug in the driveway. He liked her. She was tough and kind. She had offered to come over and sit with Maria when she got off work at eight. She told Michael that Isabel was going to Max and Liz's for dinner, a fix-up, Liz had told her secretly.

He opened the door and was surprised to find both Morgan and Maria on the couch. Morgan smiled at him; Maria looked away. He stared at her and thought she looked better. She had more colour in her face and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. She was dressed in real clothes, not just pyjamas like she'd worn every day for the last week.

"Hi," he smiled. "You look nice, Maria."

She barely glanced in his direction. She stood and kissed her daughter's cheek before retreating back to the bedroom. Michael winced as he heard the door shut.

"She can't even look at me," Michael set Leia down in her playpen and took the seat next to Morgan on the couch. "How did you get her out of the bedroom?"

"I told her she was going to get dressed, I was going to fix her hair and we were going to watch TV." Morgan pulled her legs underneath her. "She didn't argue."

"She talked?"

"Not a word, but I did get her to smile when I was fixing her hair. She liked the French hairdresser routine," Morgan grinned. "Oui, Monsieur Guerin."

"You're a nut," Michael ran his hands through his hair. "Thank you for staying with her."

"I'll be happy to anytime." Morgan looked at the clock on the VCR. "It's almost midnight, I guess I better go." Somewhat reluctantly she stood up, shoulders sinking.

"You can stay for a while if you want," Michael sensed the hesitancy in her gait. "If you don't have to be home."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "That would be great, I don't want to go home, yet. My mom's got a date and I can't..."

"It's cool." Michael smiled. "Is Kyle all packed? Tomorrow's the big day, right?"

"He's been packing all night," her eyes were bright when she talked about him. "Packing for the move and then re-packing for school."

"You guys get along pretty good, don't you?" Michael was amazed at himself. Only two years ago and he would have never asked that of anyone. He wouldn't have cared.

"We get along great," she smiled. "That's why I hate to see him go back to school. I mean, I know it's good he's going and all, but I just miss him."

"He's a good guy," Michael stifled a yawn.

"It's late, I should go." She nodded. "You look tired, do you want me to get Leia ready for bed before I go?"

"That would be great." He stood up. "Do you mind if I take a shower while you're still here?"

Morgan shook her head as she picked Leia up out of the playpen and cradled her. She watched Michael go down the hall then went into the nursery.

Michael looked in the bedroom; Maria was lying on top of the blankets facing the opposite direction. "I'm going to take a shower and Morgan's going to get Leia ready for bed." No response. "I love you Maria, I hope you remember that."

BACK TO THE TOP / CHAPTER TWO

STORY OF LINES:
5 - ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

CHAPTER ONE

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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CHAPTER TWO

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DOORWAYS: CHAPTER TEN