ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER FOUR

Michael made the short drive home in record time. Leaving the keys in the ignition he took the porch steps two at a time. He pushed the door open and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Isabel on the couch, Maria next to her with Leia on her lap.

"Hi," he looked from Maria to Isabel and back.

"Hi." Isabel rasied her eyebrows.

"Michael," Maria said softly and looked away from him. She handed Leia to Isabel and stood. She took three steps towards Michael and threw her arms around his neck. She felt his strength wrap around her body and soul. His head buried in her hair inhaling the scents he had longed for. She pushed him away and looked at him, in his eyes. "Michael."

"I've missed you so much," his mouth was dry, his voice cracked.

"I know, I'm sorry." She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss the side of his mouth. "I'm okay."

"What happened?"

She shook her head. "It's over now, everything's going to be okay."

"Why-"

"Michael," she put her finger to his lips. "Don't worry now." She turned back to Isabel and smiled at Leia in her arms. "We're okay. I'm going to take a shower and then we can hang out and talk, okay?"

Michael shook his head dully and watched as she walked down the hall. He turned to Isabel. "What the hell happened here tonight?"

"She talked," Isabel took a deep breath. She lay Leia down in the rolling bassinet and turned back to Michael. "You said on the phone Rath saw Leia?"

"Yeah," the edge was back in his voice. "He said to say hi to her and that she had pretty eyes. When did he see her? When the fuck was he around my daughter?"

Isabel bit her lip. She had promised Maria that she wouldn't tell Michael, but he had to know. He had to deal with Rath. There was no way around it. Would Maria ever forgive her? Doubtful. Was it worth it? She hoped so. "We have to talk."

"About what? Maria?" Michael followed her out on the front porch and sat in the worn wicker chair. She sat on the railing across from him. "What's going on Iz?"

"Maria came to me and trusted me and I'm about to break that trust." She took a deep breath. "Rath was here."

"Here? In my house?" He loosened the top few buttons on his Deputy shirt.

Isabel nodded. "Can I have your promise you won't tell Maria I told you?"

"Fucking tell me Isabel."

"He was here and he was you. He came over that morning as you, in uniform, said he missed Maria."

"Oh fuck," Michael ran his hands through his hair.

"She didn't know it wasn't you and he, well, he raped her."

"I'll fucking kill him!" Michael slammed his hands down on the arms of the chair. "I should have shot him when I had the chance."

"Leia was in the playpen and she started screaming at him and he changed back to himself while he was...you know."

"She couldn't tell me."

"No. She feels so guilty that she didn't know it wasn't you and that she couldn't tell. She said he wouldn't look her in the eye and that's when she knew something was wrong."

"I should have known."

"No, there's no way you could have known anything."

"Rath hinted something before, but I didn't get it," he was breathing heavy. "He said something about tasting the sugar. I should have put two and fucking two together!"

"You had no reason to think-"

"I should have known," he repeated. "The way she scrubbed her skin, how she was afraid of me. It was all there like a fucking After-School Special and I couldn't see it. I have to talk to her."

"She doesn't want you to know," Isabel stated.

"Why not?"

"She's embarrassed and feels dirty. She thinks you're going to think less of her. Maybe that you won't love her anymore."

"That's stupid." He stood and began to pace. "Of course I still love her, I'll always love her. She and Leia are the two most important things in my life. I'd die for them. I will kill for them." He glanced at his watch.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm going to change my clothes and go on a hunt." He untucked his shirt and unbuttoned it the rest of the way. "I'm going to find him and I'm going to kill him."

"I'll go with you."

"No. You stay here and keep them safe. Max will go with me." He stormed back in the house and went to the bedroom. He threw his uniform on the floor and changed into jeans and a flannel shirt. He stuck his police issued gun in the back of his jeans, safely covered by the shirt. From inside the dresser drawer he pulled an Uncle Mike's ankle holster with a .22 in it. He fastened the Velcro around his left ankle and pulled his jeans down over it. The shower was still running as he called Max. "Get up. I'll be by to pick you up in a few minutes."

"What's wrong?"

"I'll explain when I get there."

* * *

"Max?" Liz turned away from her paperback book. "Who was that?"

"Michael," he said, getting out of bed. "He's coming to get me."

"Isn't it kind of late to be going out, you have class in the morning." Liz propped herself up on her shoulder and watched him get dressed.

"It sounded important." He looked back at her. "I have to go."

Liz nodded and snuggled back under the covers. She was asleep before Max left the bedroom. He left the apartment and waited outside by the doors. He saw headlights flash around the corner, engine whining. Max held his hands to his eyes, deflecting the harsh glare of halogen aimed at him. When the Tempo came to a halt, Max opened the passenger door and got in.

"What's the rush?" he asked Michael while buckling his seatbelt. "Where are we going?"

"To find Rath." Michael didn't look at him.

"And then?"

"Kill him," Michael said bluntly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Help me out on this Max, okay?"

"How can I help you out with something if I have no idea what's going on? Talk to me Michael."

Michael shook his head once and continued down the road. "He's dead."

"Michael, pull over and tell me what the hell is going on." Max waited a beat. "Now, Michael."

Michael shook his head and pulled into a convenience market parking lot. He slammed the headlights off and ran his hands through his hair. "I have to find him and then I'm going to kill him."

"What happened? Did he kill again?"

"No. He's the reason Maria locked herself away. He is the reason behind her pain." Michael didn't want to say the real words out loud. Saying them out loud made them too real.

"He...?" Max flashed back to when he healed her skin. The last image had been of Michael. It hadn't been Michael at all; it had been Rath. "Oh Jesus."

"Yeah. He impersonated me." Michael swatted away a stray tear and looked to his friend. "He hurt her and took something from her she'll never get back. He's going to die for it."

"I'm with you," Max reached across the vehicle and grabbed Michael's shoulder and squeezed. "We'll find him."

"Then I'll kill him." He turned the headlights back on and pulled out into traffic.

* * *

"Where'd Michael go?" Maria asked, stepping back into the living room in a robe, her hair up in a towel.

"He went out," Isabel swallowed. "He'll be back soon."

"What do you mean he went out?" Maria couldn't hide the hurt in her voice. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know." Isabel couldn't look her in the eye.

"Isabel?" Maria stepped in front of her. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh my God." She stepped back from her. "You told him. I can't believe you told him!"

"Maria..."

"Oh God, and he left." Tears rolled freely down her face. "You had to tell him, didn't you? You promised you wouldn't but you did. I should have never trusted you because now Michael's gone!"

"He's coming back, Maria." Isabel stood in front of her. "I promise."

"Why?" Maria cried. "Couldn't you leave it alone? It's your fault he left me!" She buried her face in her hands.

"He didn't leave you." Isabel took a step closer to her, tentatively reaching a hand to her. Maria pulled away; anger gleamed in her eyes. "He's not leaving you, he'll be back. I promise."

"Yeah," Maria snorted. "Your promises don't hold much water with me anymore."

"I know and I'm sorry," Isabel sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything, but I had to. Rath is bad and he needs to be dealt with. If Michael didn't know what happened, eventually Rath would have left town and stirred up trouble somewhere else. But he might have come back here, for you."

"Me?" Maria began to tremble.

"Yeah, Maria, for you! He hurt you, bad. Michael had to know, he has to take care of it."

"Take care of what?"

"Rath. He has to take care of Rath. He's going to kill him, Maria." Isabel sighed. "I'm sorry. This is bad, I know."

"He's going to kill him?"

"When he finds him, I believe so. Max is out with him now."

"So everyone knows what happened, right?"

"I told Michael, I doubt he's going to put it up on a billboard."

"Why were you here tonight?" Maria raised her voice. "Why couldn't it have been Liz? She wouldn't have run to Michael the second I was out of the room and told him. Why are you still here?"

"Michael asked me to stay," Isabel bit back her hurt. "I'm sorry Maria. So sorry."

Maria shook her head and went to pick up Leia. She bundled the sleeping baby next to her chest and walked to the bedroom. Isabel cringed when she heard the door close.

"Shit!" she kicked the side of the couch. Here I am trying to make nice and be friends with everyone and look how far I get. Maria confides in me, I guess because I was the only one here, and I blow it. Way to go Iz.

* * *

Liz picked up the phone on the first ring expecting Max; she was surprised to hear her best friend on the other end.

"Maria? Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me." In spite of the grief she felt; a smile broke out across her face.

"How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm better. Is Max there?"

"No," she paused. "Michael came and got him a little while ago. What's up?"

"Michael left," she sniffled. "Damn it! Why couldn't it have been you staying here tonight instead of Isabel?"

"What are you talking about Maria? You're not making any sense."

"I told her a secret and she blabbed to Michael and now he's gone," she cried.

"Slow down, you're not making sense."

"Rath raped me," she said and waited a beat for it to soak in. "That's why I've been the way I have lately. I was scared. I still am. I thought it was Michael, but he changed and it wasn't."

"Oh God. Do you want me to come over?" Liz was getting out of bed.

"Please," she whimpered.

Liz got dressed and bolted to the parking lot; she hopped in the jeep and took off out of the parking lot. She never saw the man in the stairwell watching her, knowing that she'd be down the steps and to the car tonight, knowing her every move.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Isabel asked when she opened the door to Liz.

"Maria called me." She walked in past her. "She in the bedroom?"

"Yeah, but wait." Isabel grabbed her arm. "Did she tell you...?"

"Yeah."

"I had to tell Michael." Isabel bit her bottom lip. "He had to know. He'll be back, she thinks he's gone for good. He's not. He's out looking for Rath. Please, tell her I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt her, I only did what I thought was right."

"I know," Liz nodded. "I might have done the same." Liz nodded and walked to the bedroom. She knocked once and opened the door. She saw Maria and walked to her, hugging her. "Maria, are you okay?"

"I'll never be okay, but I'll get better," she answered.

"Michael's coming back, you know that, right?"

"I don't know anything. I don't know why he would come back if he knows what happened to me."

"Because he love you." She rubbed her friend's shoulder. "He didn't go home for you, he stayed. Nothing's going to come inbetween you. Have a little faith in him."

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ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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