Thanks for the reviews. I wasn’t sure if people were reading them. Also did you hear about Baron and Toluca? It’s a project Brendan and Majandra are putting together and they’re doing some sort of crowdfunding for it. I’d love nothing more than to see the two of them gracing our screens. Thanks I got a couple of DM’s also regarding the story so that makes me think there are more readers out there. I just need to know I’m not writing for space. I’m writing for me, but also for an audience.
Chapter 5
“You’re late,” the girl said in a sing-song voice, as she tapped her pen softly against the desk.
Michael sat in the vacant desk next to her. “I don’t see the professor here.”
“Yeah but you’re still late. He’s just really late. Let me guess too much paperwork at the station?”
Michael shrugged his shoulders “Yeah. Kyle’s been on my ass about this permit case. And I’m not getting sleep.”
Carrie stood up straighter in her chair with a concerned look on her face.
“What’s going on Guerin. Anything the matter.”
He shook his head, “No just....” Once in a while he would get nightmares. Having lived a long history of constantly being prepared to escape and readily being hunted by Skins made him more susceptible to such haunting dreams. However since the Skins were gone he hadn’t felt such pessimism for a while, but now, lately, he was starting to feel that familiar feeling of uneasiness. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something in the air seemed off.
“It’s nothing.”
Carrie frowned. She had been friends with Michael since two semesters ago, when he parked in her space on the campus. After a few choice words, they just grew to sit together in classes. He was always in control but never seemed phased by much. Today he seemed phased by something and to her that was odd.
Carrie was raised primarily by her father who by the time Carrie was three became a widower. Her mother died from an aggressive form of ovarian cancer when she was two and passed away right after she turned three. Her dad was a cop who died while on the clock while she was in College. She moved from NC to Roswell, after her sophomore year at North Carolina University and started her Junior year in Roswell. Why Roswell? Simple answer. Her mom grew up here, but sadly Carrie had no living family. Both her parents were only children and all her grandparents were gone. Because she was a hotline volunteer for RAINN in Charlotte she joined the Roswell location too. She didn’t think she’d ever go in the criminal justice system but the death of her father steered her into a different direction, not to mention her work at RAINN was inspiring. She loved watching repeats of SVU and wanted to be like Oliva Benson.
“Want to go to the Orange Bowl after? Drink some beers and play some pool? Well I can drink the beers for us considering you don’t drink and maybe i’ll let you actually beat me in a game of pool for once. That might take the edge off and you can sleep better.”
“Maybe. I’ll let you know after class,” Michael replied as he motioned to their professor that just entered the class.
Michael liked Carrie but nothing more than a friend. She wasn’t unattractive or unpleasant. She was just a girl that was very laxed that he felt comfortable hanging out with and talking to. She had a bob of blond hair so short that was always so neatly styled. She always wore tight fitting jeans, a tight shirt, and a flannel shirt on top that was always unbuttoned. The colors of the outfit might have changed but the ensemble always remained the same. Carrie could’ve been a guy and Michael would’ve still taken a liking to be friends. She was easy to talk to and she never pressed him to elaborate.
After class the two walked and talked all the way to the parking lot.
“I don’t know that whole case just seemed too predictable. I hate it when a professor leaves us hanging.”
“I totally think it was the babysitter.”
“No way Guerin it was the father! You saw the evidence. There were phone call traces he made to that man, whose fingerprints were found on the victim’s body. Not to mention the victim was his own wife.”
“Okay you watch too much CSI,” Michael replied, causing Carrie to roll her eyes.
“Whatever. Ok so we're going to the Orange Bowl?”
“Think I’ll pass, I’m tired.”
Carrie gave a disappointed look.
Michael felt bad. “Sorry I’m just beat. With the new schedule at work and school, it’s eating me up.”
“Fine,” she replied as she pulled on the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. “You owe me Guerin.”
“Do I, now? What is it this time?A Venti caramel frap-a-cappio thing-a-ma-jiggy again!” he mocked.
Carrie bit her lip as she walked with Michael to his car.
“Promise not to laugh?”
Michael threw his bag in the car, and held the door open giving Carrie a look of intrigue. Standing across in front of the passenger side of the car he could tell she was reluctant to tell him.
“Spill Carrie.”
She sighed, and combed her fingers through her hair. “Ok. Look. I know we’re just friends and it’s cool. What if we went out somewhere that wasn’t the Orange Bowl for once?”
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?” God! He hoped she wasn’t entailing a date but he could tell from the way she was all flustered, she totally was. Oh god, he thought.
“Meaning. Why don’t we get dressed up and go get dinner.”
“Like a date”
“Yeah, I guess. Like a date. “
Michael chuckled.
“You promised!” she pleaded.
“Sorry,” Michael coughed a bit trying to get centered. He didn’t mean it in a mean way, not at all. He wasn’t a dick and he knew that Carrie knew him enough to realize that. But they never hinted at anything more than just being friends. Did she feel something for him? Was Kyle right?”
“Forget it, It’s stupid,” retreating her suggestion.
Michael felt bad. “No, look, Carrie. It’s not stupid. It’s just I’m so anti-date. I struggled with romancing and dating. All of it! So I find it laughable you could picture me in that light.”
“Come on you couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Carrie, I once got a bottle of shampoo and conditioner in one, as a date gift.”
“Are you serious?” Carrie exclaimed covering her mouth trying to stifle a laugh.
“Told you I was anti-dating material.”
“Well you’ve evolved. I mean look at you now. Now you know that back then you made a bad judgement. Bet you wouldn’t do that again,” Carrie smiled encouragingly.
Michael smiled a little back, but he wasn’t budging. “ I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t think I’m ready. You know, ever since my last relationship,”
“Yeah I know. Maria right?”
“Yeah,” said Michael, simply not being able to have the strength to say the name himself. “She was and probably always will be the love of my life. She’s probably moved on and I know I need to also. The thing is Carrie. I like you. I like our friendship. I don’t want to ruin it.”
Carrie smiled. “Yeah, Yeah I guess you’re right. That’s pretty considerate of you to acknowledge too. THe thought crossed my mind as well. I just… I don't know… decided to go for it.”
“And trust me it’s not because I don’t think you’re not attractive. You’re pretty and smart---”
Carrie held a hand up to stop him from rambling. “I get it Guerin.” Michael smiled pleased to find her reassuring and understanding. He was thankful for that. But then he paused thinking for a moment.
“But with that being said. Would it be wrong if we tried it?” Michael asked.
Carrie looked up from where she was staring at the ground. “You serious?” She wasn’t expecting that.
Michael shrugged. “I need to bounce back somehow. The least I could do is try it with someone I really trust and get along with.”
Carrie smiled. “Wow! Look who’s getting soft.”
“Ok stop!” Michael said laughingly as he opened the door wider signaling he needed to get home.
“Ok it’s a date. Let’s get dressed up. You pick the place, and let’s promise, if things get weird and we’re not really feeling it, that we won’t let it affect our friendship.
“Cool,” Michael said nodding.
“Cool. Well I’ll let you get going. I’m parked right there. See you, let’s say tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow works. I just have to go in the morning to run that permit then I’m free.”
“Sweet! Tomorrow it is”
As Michael got in the car and put his seat belt on he couldn’t help but smile. After months, years in fact he was finally going on a date. This time with another blonde. But it wasn’t his ‘blondie’.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Michael parked into the driveway of the house, and decided he needed to really make something special. All of a sudden the thought of dating seemed a little more exciting. He missed being with someone. Holding someone and kissing someone. He missed that touch and that love. Seeing that maybe a possibility of it returning again was just around the corner, though it might never be comparable for the passionate love he experienced before, it still kind of made a skip in his step that he couldn’t explain.
Today wasn’t going to be the usual microwaved dinner that he would use his powers to heat up. No way. He looked around the fridge and spotted some really good ground beef. Opening a can of tomato sauce, he copped some onions and garlic through it in a pan with the beef, and decided he’d make a shorthand version of spaghetti bolognese. He didn’t use too much wine, since he witnessed the effects of it first hand from when Max got drunk, but he knew if he could cook off the alcohol enough it would be safe.
He didn’t cook something like this in a long time, not since….he made that beautiful Italian dinner for Maria. But that was the past, and Carrie. Maybe she was his future. Maybe not. Either way, he was back in the game, and while he never was a player per se, it just felt all the more celebratory.
He put the TV on in the living area so he could hear the show from the kitchen. After letting the sauce cook for almost an hour, he drained the pasta and made a plate for himself. It smelled delicious.
He ventured to the couch and took a seat letting out a long winded sigh. It had been a long day with writing a paper this week, and then having a long day at work, and class. He needed to relax. He finally felt at ease as flipped channels. He just knew he was going to finally get the best sleep ever that night and he needed it badly.
He saw Access Hollywood coming up. God, Maria loved watching that show. All the latest gossip about actors and singers. It’s no wonder she took to New York so well. What the hell? He thought. He decided to watch it, for memory’s sake.
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“Class today?” asked Max as he kissed his girlfriend. Liz took a bite of one of the pieces of bacon he was frying in the pan, as she nuzzled close to him.
“Just lab,” she replied as she put her head on the back of his shoulder, hugging Max from behind.
“Just lab means late huh?” Max said with a smile.
Liz smiled. Max knew her too well. She was stubborn and refused to quit solving a problem until she found an answer.
“It happened again,” Liz said squeezing Max a little tighter.
Max put the spatula down and turned with a concerned look.
“Another premonition?”
Liz nodded. “Yeah, another one, she said with a sigh as she sat at the breakfast table. Max came to sit next to her with his coffee.
“The last one you had was when you got the call for the TA position you had applied for.”
“Yeah. That was a very exciting one, the one I had this morning, was not as much.”
“What did you see?”
Liz looked up and it wasn’t good. Max’s heart melted as he saw the beautiful brown eyes of his love glisten. “Maria.”
“Maria?”
“I saw Maria running.”
Max looked confused. “Okay, where was she running to?”
“Not to Max, from. She was running from something and I don’t know what it was. I think she's in trouble.”
“Did you try calling her?”
“Three times. Her phone is off or dead, because it went straight to voicemail. Please Max, can we ask Isabel?”
Max sighed.
“I know it’s been silent since Nasedo dismantled the Special Unit, and that we all thought that it’s best we not use our powers. Mine aren’t exactly the kind I can just control though.”
Max smiled. He didn’t like to ask Isabel for favors. He knew how much she hated them. Half the time Liz’s premonitions weren’t always accurate either, but being that it was Maria, he had to take it seriously. How could he not?
“Yeah, I’ll call her,” he said as he kissed her forehead.
“Thank you,” Liz replied.
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“Are you sure? The last time Liz had one of those psychic flare ups she thought I was pregnant and I wasn’t, ” Isabel said, frowning as she held the cellphone up with her shoulder as she got a glass out of a cupboard. Jesse and her had been trying to have a baby, and luck really hadn’t been on their side. Jesse had reluctantly suggested IVF, but Isabel couldn’t risk her blood cells being scrutinized by a doctor to only find out she had Extraterrestrial cells.
Max sighed. “I know, but she’s really sure this time.” He could hear Isabel groan in response.
“Look Liz can’t always help it,” Max insisted. “Visions come to her without any warning, but if you could dreamwalk Maria then it would help confirm our suspicions.”
“Let me think about it Max.”
“What’s there to think about, she could be in danger.”
“I know that Max! But she made it clear since the last time I invaded her dreams to never enter again.”
“But this is different.”
“Max I promised her. That’s not something I like to do now anyway. It’s not just uncomfortable for the person I dreamwalk, it’s really uncomfortable to me too.”
Max sighed. “Just think about it. I’ve never seen Liz as scared about a premonition before.”
“Okay, I will,” Isabel begrudgingly agreed as she hung up. She did already think about it. Her answer was no, but there was Max again using the “I’m the King” tone again.
Isabel turned her attention to the footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Morning beautiful,” Jesse smiled as he kissed his wife’s forehead.
Isabel smiled back and handed Jesse a plate of pancakes.
“Who was that?” Jesse asked, noticing the phone was in Isabel’s hand.
“Max.”
Jesse nodded as he took a seat at the breakfast table to eat.
“What did he say?”
“That Maria is in trouble. At least that’s what Liz thinks.”
“A premonition I assume?”
“You assume right. Max wants me to dreamwalk Maria, because they’ve been trying to contact her cellphone but she doesn’t answer.”
“You think her lack of response could be because she’s in trouble?”
Isabel shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“She’s a famous music singer. Maria could just be really busy,” Jesse stated matter of factly.
“Yeah, but when it comes to Liz or I, Maria responds, at least with a text. I feel conflicted Jesse, I don’t know what to do,” she pouted as she tucked a stray strand of blond behind her ear.
Prior to the move to Boston, Isabel used her powers to go back to her original hairstyle. She wasn’t sure if Jesse would like it. Afterall, he fell in love with her as auburn short haired sophisticated woman, but after nights of Jesse’s fingers getting twisted in her long blonde tresses, she felt he was totally fine with it.
“Would it be so bad?” Jesse pressed.
“Jesse, when it comes to Maria, dreamwalking is out of the question she made it clear. I promised her a long long time ago I would never enter her dreams again.”
“What if it’s alien related?” Jesse suggested wearily.
Isabel gave a sigh, “that’s what I am afraid of. That I have to break a promise.”
“Sooner the better,” Jesse stated as Isabel nodded regretfully.
“It’s not exactly night time in any of the American Time Zones though right? I’ll wait till tonight,” Isabel said softly as Jesse kissed her cheek in agreement. Isabel was praying that Maria would be ok and forgiving at the same time when she had to enter her dream.
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Michael had the most restful sleep ever in a long time. A very long time. It was much needed. Michael showered and got ready to go into the station for the whole permit thing he was putting off. He rode his bike into the station that morning. Something about getting on that machine always made every cell in his body feel exhilarated. As he came to the lot of the station he saw Kyle get out of his parked car. Kyle walked over to Michael when the bike came to a stop.
“Hey,” Kyle said as he adjusted his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Hey,” Michael replied, as he parked the bike and took off his helmet.
“So tonight the guys wanted to go to the Orange Bowl and hang out. I forgot to tell you yesterday.”
When it came to the guys, it was a coagulation of the Meta-Chem crew Michael used to work with and some of the guys at the station. They had formed a sort of group, and Kyle and Michael found themselves at the epicenter of it. This was a new layer to Michael considering his very anti-social and “loner” past.
Michael shook his head. “Nah I got plans.”
Kyle gave him a confused look. “Since when?”
Truth was, Michael didn’t want to tell Kyle he had a date with Carrie after he’d been riding his tail about her having a crush on him. Also, Kyle would totally relish in the fact he was right. Well, maybe not the wanting to get in his pants part. Or maybe yes?
“Did Carrie want to get in my pants?” Michael thought
“Just plans,” Michael said, shrugging.
“With who?” Kyle asked.
“Why do you assume it’s a who and not a what?” Michael asked in annoyance hoping Kyle would just forget the whole thing.
Kyle started smirking. “Holy shit. Guerin has a date.”
Michael didn’t confirm nor deny Kyle’s remark. He simply unzipped his leather jacket and sped up his stride to go inside the building.
Kyle chuckled as he jogged up to get to Michael. “Is it Carrie? Come on, tell me I was right! Carrie?”
Michael stopped and looked at him annoyed. “Ok, you were right. She asked, I said yes. Problem with that?” he said looking down at Kyle. He was half a foot taller than Kyle and at least 40 pounds over him. He was hoping just his stature would intimidate Kyle enough from pressing further.
Kyle held his hands up with a smirk, “No problem.”
Michael rolled his eyes and kept walking to the building.
“I will say though, I’m happy to see you moving on,” Kyle added as he walked beside Michael. “ I mean I love Maria, but that doesn’t mean the both of you have to be celebate.”
Michael rolled his eyes. As much as he was a guy and he liked sex- casual sex was not something he could just do. With his alien self he had to be careful. The only one he trusted with that was Maria. Maria on the other hand wasn’t alien. She didn’t need to hold anything back. Michael knew that when it came to opportunities in this field, Maria had more.
“Yeah well, I’m not taking it too seriously and neither is Carrie. It’s more of just starting to try to move on, and I am ok with that.”
“ Wait so you’re using her and she’s ok with that?”
“I’m not using her. We’re seeing where things go.”
“You both are using each other then?”
Michael sighed. “It’s more like I want to move on and I am struggling with that, and she wants to try and see if there’s more there between us than just friend zone feelings. I trust her, so if there’s anyone I could try it out with it’s her. We both want to see what happens.”
“That’s the most turned off date I’ve ever heard of,” said Kyle shaking his head.
Michael rolled his eyes.
“Carrie is gorgeous Michael. Maybe not in that Maria way you like--”
“--What is that supposed to mean?” Michael interrupted. “And can you please stop saying Maria’s name and bringing her into this? I’m trying to separate myself from the past so I can move on with the future.”
“Ok fine, but you’re approaching this like a science experiment. Here’s the hypothesis, tonight's the experiment, and I suppose tomorrow you’ll give me the results.”
“Shut up Valenti.”
“It’s just, I don’t think you are attracted to her but you wish you were. I could be wrong, but I just don’t see the point of you even trying this tonight if you’re not that interested.”
“You made your point. Now shut up,” Michael said as he went to his desk. Kyle shook his head as he went down the hall into the adjacent office. Guerin was taking this on way too logically, to the point that he didn’t realize how unappealing he sounded about the date. This only reconfirmed his hunches that Michael would never get over Maria, and maybe deep inside he didn’t want to get over it.
On the other hand, Kyle always thought of Carrie as pretty. Truth be told, he crushed on her, but he could see from the start that she was more intrigued by Michael so he decided to take a step back. Though Michael didn’t reciprocate any hint of interest even now with the date with tonight, Kyle couldn’t help but wonder if he shouldn’t have backed off from the get-go.
Carrie was smart, funny, and attractive, at least to Kyle anyway. He found her absolutely lovely and it was never a dull moment around her. When the three of them would hang out at the Orange Bowl there was never any flirting. It was like how Micahel had said, it was like she was one of the guys. But every once in a while, Kyle could see that little twinkle in Carrie’s eyes when he himself said a joke or poked fun of her. It’s like he could totally see himself cross that barrier from the friend zone into the dating zone, but something kept holding him back. That something was the apprehension of not knowing when he would change into an alien freakazoid.
He had last dated Liz before he himself was saved by Max, and only God knew when he would start to change and morph into an alien. Liz started getting her powers a year ago. Would his powers soon kick in? And what if they happened to kick in at the most unwarranted of times? He was a sitting duck. Waiting. He decided that after the wait and his transformation finished and got a handle on things then he could proceed on relationships.
That was why he was always a little annoyed with Max. Yes, the alien king saved him, but he also gifted him with an encumbrance of an unwanted inevitable extraterrestrial transformation. Kyle freaked out about it at first. He had now become one of them. Or would be anyway in a matter of time. Two things helped him deal with that notion. Buddha and Tess. Especially Tess.
Kyle immediately threw the image of Tess out of his mind. He wasn’t able to think of her since she left. It was best not to. He couldn’t go down that road of guilt. Alex, the mind warps. All of it.
Kyle sat in his swivel chair, and spun in it a couple of times, before pausing at his desk abruptly remembering something Michael had told him. About a year ago, Michael mentioned going to New York to find Maria and make amends, but when he returned to Roswell, all Michael said was he chickened out and couldn't bear to talk to her. That when it came down to it, even though it was hard, it was right to just let Maria go. Her success was soaring. Michael insisted that it was best not to bring her back down to the normalcy of everything Roswell.
Kyle clicked his tongue. Yup he was right. Michael wasn’t over Maria; he wished he was, but he never would be. The poor Alien hybrid had met his kryptonite; a young blonde, but not the one he was seeing tonight.
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The bus depot in Roswell, New Mexico was bustling with the people that seemed so familiar to her though they were all complete strangers. It was the backdrop to her sense of familiarity. There were people with cowboy hats on, mothers holding on to the hands of their children who were wearing heeled boots. Very apparent Navajo men with their shiny belt buckles, and sprinkles of people speaking in Spanish. This sea of people made Maria feel at home in the most proverbial sense possible. Home was just a few miles away. She needed to find a Taxi fast. She sighed at the uneasiness she was feeling in her shoulder blades. Her back was on fire. Would she make it?
_________________________________________________________________________
Michael was feeling like something wasn’t right. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he felt the whole day like he was jumpy. Maybe even in danger? Maybe it was just his nerves working on overtime because of his date with Carrie. After all, he was nervous- it had been a while since he last dated. His palms were so sweaty considering he had just showered, even applied some cologne, but it was the sixteenth time he had tried to tie his tie and it just wasn’t cooperating with him.
Why the hell was this so hard? Fuck it he thought, as he tossed the tie to the bed. As long as I wear a clean shirt, with a stiff collar and some dark pants I’ll be fine.
Michael dabbed a little hair gel to the tips of his hair. It was at a very handsome length. Not too high and tight like the way Hal Carver once described him as a style he wore years back, but it seemed to fit the description in the most casual sense, with his now signature wild bang cascading on Michael’s forehead.
As Michael rubbed his hands together in front of the mirror taking one last look, he heard a perpetuating knock on the door. Someone was eager, and early! Michael looked at the alarm clark on his end table. It was only 5:00. Carrie was supposed to be there at 6:00. Was he getting cold feet? Michael’s disappointment was quickly replaced by relief.
Maybe she came early to cancel their plans, coming to the realization that this wasn’t a good idea. Because between them it was solely just friendship. Kyle was right. Though Michael kept telling himself he wanted to try it with Carrie, deep down they just couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this.
Michael went to the door.
“You’re early Car--”
Michael was cut off mid sentence stunned who he found on the other side of the door. It was a blonde, but not the blonde he was expecting.
“Maria?”
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Do you hate me? Look, Carrie is great. I really think she’ll add a different direction to the story and I really do think Michael deserves someone like Carrie. BTW, since in my story the later part of the season never happened I picture Carrie a lot like CONNIE from the episode Crash. If that helps you visualize things go for it. Not sure when I will update next. Sorry for such a gap in between. Life. It happens.
It was quite bittersweet... I'm sure Maria now regret that time refusing to not acknowledge that she had still feelings for Michael and that the industry was slowly sucking her soul in. Oh, well, in life, people need to learn their own mistakes by experiencing, I just hope Michael will be there for her when she'll need him! (I'm sorry my thoughts are still on that trailer of yours!) And I was surprised that Michael became a deputy and offered to take care of Amy's house, that's really good for him.
