Roswell Fanatics

~Maria~


"That would probably be Maxwell. I would say Iz, but she's not really herself lately." Michael responds and I still can't believe how often he says Max's name that way. I should be used to it by now, but I guess it's because of the fact that I keep waiting for him to get tired of saying Maxwell because it's longer then Max.

"Where is everyone anyway?" He asks and I shrug.

"Last I knew, Liz and Isabel were in the van and Max was off...." I end up cutting off when I hear Max and turn to see him and Kyle making their way toward us.

"Hey guys!" As they close the distance Max says, "Sorry we held you up."

I simply smile, "It's okay, Max. It gave Michael and I a chance to talk." I lean against Michael, putting my arm around him as I add, "We have to get Isabel and Liz, we have something to tell everyone."





~Liz~


I'm waiting for Isabel to say something when I hear my husbands voice from outside the van. As much as I want to go and see if he's alright, I don't want to leave Isabel feeling as though I didn't mean what I'd just said. So instead, I simply shift slightly in my seat and wait. I'll have the chance to find out what the hold up was about or if everything is alright afterwards.

I'm also hoping that as much time as she's been gone, Maria's alright. Would she have gotten upset with something Michael said during their talk and simply just take off. I hadn't heard much of her. However, a clip glimpse into the passengers side mirror, tells me that she and Michael look just fine.

*Max*

Maria tells me that it's okay that Kyle and I were late because it gave her a chance to talk to Michael. I glance cautiously between them, hoping that in fact, that is a good thing. Things have been rather rocky between them and it's hard to guess what might have happened.

"We have to get Isabel and Liz, we have something to tell everyone," she says, sounding happy.

"Okay," I say cautiously. I thought we were about to jump in the van and get out of here. Obviously something is up. "Liz? Isabel?" I ask, looking into the van at my wife and sister. They both look worried. Isabel looks especially drained, but she gives me a shadow smile anyway.

"Everything okay? Maria says she has an announcement," I say.

OOC: Nice character, Storm! And- sorry if this post sucks, and for taking so long to come up with something . . . trying to work on my studies right now


Isabel

"You know, Isabel... if you ever want to talk.. I'm here."

When did she become my buddy? I was never close to her, often snooty about her. Why did the girl have to be so nice?

I guess that was why Max chose her- because she was beautiful, friendly, sweet. Admittedly, she was perfect- and perfect was something that I had been trying to achive all my life. How was it that she could do it so easily?

It took me a while to realise that Liz was waiting for me to reply. "Well, I . . . thanks, Liz. Thank you," I said, torn between wanting to tell her to mind her own business and feeling grateful for her concern.

When Max popped his head into the van, I wasn't sure if I felt relieved that we were finally going to the next town or irritated because of the same thing. But then, nothing was going to change so my feelings didn't really matter anyhow. I gave my brother a slight smile . . . because his was a face that I had grown up seeing all my life, because he was my family . . . my only family now.

"Everything okay? Maria says she has an announcement," he said.

"An announcement?" I echoed unenthusiastically. Maria's 'announcements' were never appealing. "What, is she breaking up with Michael again?"

~Michael~

Looking at Isabel, I rolled my eyes. "Yes, because we always call a group meeting when we break up. We just can't do it alone." I say sarcastically.

"I really didn't want to tell you this way but you leave me no choice. Maria's a lesbian and I'm ok with it. Turns me on." I said, cocking an eyebrow.

*Max*

Michael's words make me blink, but I try not to show any reaction. I know he's joking but lesbian jokes seem strange right after the conversation I've just had with Kyle. Especially as my lips are still tingling from his kiss.

"I'm so sure that's it," I say, raising an eyebrow. "I'm very happy for both of you."

Isabel

I actually found myself smiling after hearing what Michael had just said. It was funny; and I hadn't recognised funny in a long time.

"I'm so sure that's it. I'm very happy for both of you," my brother said. For a moment, I thought I saw a strange expression pass over his face. But then again, I was probably just seeing things.

"What is it about?" I asked. "A group meeting is a bit much. Why not just do this in the van?"

~Liz~


"Well, I . . . thanks, Liz. Thank you," Isabel responds and I give a slight smile, surprised that she hadn't thrown my words back at me. Before I could say anything though, my very attractive husband looks into the van and my smile brightens.

"Everything okay? Maria says she has an announcement," Max says and I climb out of the van, moving to stand beside him. I hear Isabel comment and couldn't keep from thinking that she was simply being crude.

Michael replies in a manner that truly shocks me, I don't think I've ever seen him so relaxed, Yes, because we always call a group meeting when we break up. We just can't do it alone." His tone is sarcastic and I watch as Maria ribs him playfully, "I really didn't want to tell you this way but you leave me no choice. Maria's a lesbian and I'm ok with it. Turns me on."

"I'm so sure that's it," Max responds and I turn to see him lifting an eyebrow and can't keep from laughing as I looked back at Maria. "I'm very happy for both of you."

"What is it about?" Isabel asked. "A group meeting is a bit much. Why not just do this in the van?"

I nodded, "Spill it, Ria." I could see that she was having a hard time holding whatever it was back. While I waited, I closed the distance between Max and I, wrapping an arm around his waist.



~Maria~

Listening to Isabel's words for a moment caused me to worry whether we should be telling them all at once, but then Michael's sarcastic reply and then the joke relaxed me again. I couldn't keep from ribbing him playfully and looking at him with a smile. I love him sooo much. "What is it about?" Isabel asks and I realize that she's probably impatient. "A group meeting is a bit much. Why not just do this in the van?"

I looked at my best friend and saw her nod, "Spill it, Ria."

I looked up at Michael again and when he turned to look at me, I could see the silent urging in his eyes before I turned back and smiled as I began, "Michael and I were talking and.." I pause a moment, trying to decide just how to word this.

"Well, he asked me to marry him and I said yes!" I finally exclaimed, unable to simply hold back or do it as slowly as I had originally wanted to. And then, lifted my hand to show that I was wearing his ring. "We're engaged!" I watched Liz's eyes widen and her mouth drop before she slammed her mouth shut and looked like she was trying to think of what to say.

"Wow.." Liz finally breathed and then a grin lifted her lips, "I'm so happy for you, both of you." She said and I felt myself relax, not even realizing that I'd been tensed up.

Kyle

"Maybe, uh, I think we need to get back to the van," Max said.

I looked at him for a while, thinking about saying something to him. But I knew it wouldn't do any good, so I just turned away and started walking away. I couldn't talk to him normally after this. There wasn't that option. Not anymore. I heard Max's footsteps as he walked besides me.

"Hey, Kyle," he said. I sighed so that he couldn't here. "I don't want things to be weird between us. You're my friend. Okay?"

I couldn't look at him. Friends. After all I said - he wants to be friends? 'Uh, yeah sure Max. If you don't mind me trying to kill your wife with death glares' I though. But I couldn't say that so I tried to say normally "Sure. Whatever." Even if it didn't sound normal. Not to me anyway.

"Hey guys! Sorry we held you up" Max told the others as we finally approached them. I didn't say a thing. I was afraid I might say 'Yeah, we were just discussing about my awkward feelings towards Max! No biggie.' Now that would be interesting.

Maria said something about talking with Michael. I knew that their relationship wasn't actually the same it had been a while ago. But they seemed to be okay now. Sometimes I got Max and Liz wipes from them too. They never seemed to be always together. Almost always, but they had their less- and more-bad days. I guess that was normal. Then they had an annoucement. What now. If it was something happy then It would've seemed Isabel and I were the only ones who didn't have a need to be happy.

"I really didn't want to tell you this way but you leave me no choice. Maria's a lesbian and I'm ok with it. Turns me on" Michael said.

I felt a small sting on my chest. I knew it was a joke. But it wasn't a funny joke. Not at all. There are really people here who..who liked their own gender. Well, he didn't know that. But it wasn't funny. Not to me.

"I'm so sure that's it, I'm very happy for both of you" Max said. I knew he had the same feeling as I did. Uncomfortable after the whole conversationg. At least he was trying to blend in.

With a corner of an eye I saw Liz putting an arm around Max's waist. A shot of jealousy filled my emotions as I looked away. It hurt. Too much. Why couldn't she do the touching thing somewhere where I couldn't see it?

"We're engaged!" Maria says finally. Another happy married couple coming into the van to distract everything, huh? There was a small moment, I heard Liz saying he was happy for them. I smiled rather awkwardly at Maria. "Good for you.." I said, sounding rather unsure. But I continued looking at her way so I could keep Liz out of sight. "It's good to have something happy, since we've been having some bad times for a while..."

Well at least, I've had a bad time.

OOC: Let's just go with Missouri. Or something . . .? All we need is a name for the place, right?


Isabel

"Spill it, Ria," Liz told her best friend.

Yeah, spill it and get it over with, will you . . .?

"Michael and I were talking and.. Well, he asked me to marry him and I said yes! We're engaged!"

She finally dropped the bomb. Ah. Oh joy.

On the one hand, I was happy for Michael. We'd practically grown up together, and this was an important milestone in his life. It was only right for me to feel happy for him.

On the other hand, my jealous, selfish, bitter self was fighting to bite back a nasty comment. It took an enormous amount of willpower to smile and pretend that I wasn't unhappy.

"Wow..I'm so happy for you, both of you," Liz said, smiling.

"Good for you..It's good to have something happy, since we've been having some bad times for a while..." Kyle said awkwardly. Was it just me, or was he acting differently than how he used to back home? He wasn't really being his jovial, goofy self. I hadn't been paying much attention to the group since we'd left, but it did seem as if something wasn't the same.

Okay, so nothing was the same. Duh.

I tried to keep the smile on my face as I went to Michael, putting my arms around him. I knew he cared about me; I couldn't say that his trying to approach me earlier hadn't touched my heart, however grumpy I'd been. The least I could do for him was to share his joy- or, if nothing else, fake it.

"You finally did it, Michael," I said, laughing to hide my sadness. "The road ahead . . . it's beautiful. Promise you'll make the most of it, okay?"

(In Missouri? How about Stockton? It's a small town north west of Springfield. Just an idea. It really doesn't matter to me.)

~Michael~

Liz and Kyle's reactions didn't really surprise me. Liz was obviously shocked at first but then jumped back into he spirited, happy self that she always did when something went good for Maria. I was glad that Maria had her as a friend and had no doubts that they would always be friends.

Kyle has been acting strange for a while now. I'm not sure what's going on with him but it's obviously something that's bothering him. Funny thing is, I now see the same look on Max's face and have to wonder what they were talking about while they were gone. Kyle's face when I made the joke about Maria being a lesbian was enough to spark my curiousity as it was but seeing the exact same look mirrored in Max's eyes now just made that curiousity spark even more. Max had yet to react to the news which made me wonder what was going on in his head.

Isabel is the one I was most worried about. She's been going through a very difficult time since having to leave Jesse behind and I know news like this couldn't be easy for her. But she didn't let any of that hold her back. Having her come over and put her arms around me the way she did was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Yes, even Michael Guerin feels.


You finally did it, Michael. The road ahead . . . it's beautiful. Promise you'll make the most of it, okay?

Choking on my own tears, I closed my eyes and nodded my head. "Thank you." I whispered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand while still holding onto her. Having Isabel here meant the world to me. I have always been close to Max. He's like my brother. But I've always had a closer connection with Isabel. I've always known she wouldn't judge me. No matter how much I screwed things up.