roswelllostcause: It’s been a long road to reach this point but they’re finally there!
keepsmiling7: Lol, it’s definitely a top priority!
sarammlover: Yep, they’re back together and off to paradise!
Eva: Lol, that’s all that needed to be said!
Epilogue
Michael stepped out onto the sun-warmed deck off of the master bedroom, stretching lazily as he looked around. The island was small, just over a hundred acres, but it belonged to him free and clear. The house had a spacious floor plan and he hadn’t spared any expense on comfort, although over the past year Maria had made more than one change. Well, she called them improvements, and most of the time he agreed with her.
She still worked for Barkley and she loved her job as a researcher. Sometimes she needed to do more than simple information gathering through books and online searching so they packed up and headed out so she could do some hands-on research. He didn’t mind those excursions so much; he was careful to conceal their identities and it got them off the island for more than hitting the markets on the mainland.
“Main island, Michael.” He could practically hear her exasperated tone as she corrected him for the millionth time.
His bare feet slapped against the deck as he made his way along the back of the house. He did a perimeter check, an ingrained habit that had served him well, and took the five steps down to the four-foot-wide wooden walkway that bordered the house. Stepping off of that his feet sank into warm sand and he leaned over to dip his fingertips in the small in-ground pool, checking the temperature before setting off through the trees.
He passed the hammock strung between two trees, a choice location since it was perfect to enjoy the outdoors without being in direct sunlight if one fell asleep, which they often did. Over on his right there was a pit lined with benches carved from the native trees and covered with plush pillows that curved around a wooden table.
More than enough room for a dozen people should they ever want to entertain, he thought as he followed the well worn path down to the beach, pausing to admire the view.
The ocean was its usual stunning aqua and so clear you could see the ocean floor and coral reef below. The sky was a crisp blue, so vibrant it was almost painful to look at it. The sand appeared almost white and stretched out for miles. The sun was shining high in the sky, casting its bright light over everything. And it was all lost on him as he took in the woman lying on a towel several hundred feet down the beach.
Even after more than a year she never failed to stop him in his tracks. He’d wondered more than once in the past if that would get old, but he had yet to tire of looking at her, being with her. It had surprised him how easily they had fallen into a comfortable routine after coming to the island. Oh, they’d had plenty of fights in that time and they still cropped up from time to time, and admittedly, there were times he started a fight just to get her all worked up. He suspected there were times she did the same though so he figured they were on even ground there.
His eyes traced over the perfect lines of her body as she lay there soaking up the sun’s rays, enjoying the heat against her bare skin. He grinned when she shifted and he knew she was aware of his presence. He ambled over to join her, feeling his body react when she raised herself up on her right elbow and shaded her eyes with her free hand.
“You’re overdressed,” she said, unconsciously licking her lips as her eyes traveled over his bare torso, pausing on the low-slung jeans that he hadn’t bothered to button.
“Actually, you’re underdressed,” he countered as he forced his eyes up to meet hers.
She snorted indelicately. “Since when?”
Her confidence was such a turn-on. “Well,” he nodded his head to the east where a small speck was becoming more noticeable, “since we’ve got company inbound.” He chuckled at the disbelieving look she shot at him.
“Who?” She sat up more.
“People,” he answered noncommittally.
“People,” she muttered and stood, grabbing the light sundress she had brought with her and pulling it over her head.
He grinned and grabbed her hand. “C’mon, let’s head over to the dock.” He shot one more look at the seaplane. “We should get there about the same time they do.”
Her heart was pounding as she hurried to keep up with him. “Who is it, Michael? Tell me!”
He shrugged again. “People on a plane, coming in from Colombo. Sri Lanka,” he added when she frowned at him.
“And you think after a year with you I’d believe you’re letting random people come here?”
“Did you hear me say the word ‘random’?”
“Well if they’re not random, then... is it Tess and Kyle?”
“Maybe they’re havin’ engine trouble and radioed because they needed a place to land.”
“Bullshit,” she straightened her dress.
He gestured to the path that led back up to the house. “Would you like to go do whatever it is you do when you’re getting ready and I’ll go get ‘em?” he asked when she started fussing with her clothes again.
“If you’d tell me who it is, I’d know the answer.”
“You’ll wanna see ‘em. Is that answer enough for you?”
She glanced at the plane once more. It had to be Tess and Kyle! She smiled and nodded excitedly.
“Then go do what you need to do and I’ll bring ‘em up to the house.”
“Okay,” she jogged forward. “Some panties should work better.”
He reached out to smack her ass. “Depends on what your intentions are.” He laughed when she turned long enough to stick her tongue out at him. A few minutes later he stood at the end of the dock, thumbs hooked in his back pockets as he watched the seaplane descending in the distance. He glanced at the floating dock he’d had installed to make it easier for unloading supplies, making sure everything was as it should be.
He heard the sound of the engine change as it was dropped back to idle and his attention turned back to the plane as it coasted across the water, piloted by a steady hand, and guided into the dock with ease. He could feel the gusts of wind from the propeller but after a couple of minutes it was shut down and the windows came into clear view. He stepped forward and leaned in to grab the side door, pulling it open and motioning for the occupants to disembark.
“Let me out, I’m sick,” Max held his stomach as he moved past everyone else to leave the plane first, his face as white as a sheet of paper.
Michael frowned as the guy rushed over to the edge of the dock and bent over, hands braced on his knees as he drew in deep gulping breaths. “I take it flyin’ doesn’t agree with you,” he said by way of greeting.
Max just held a finger up in the universal ‘give me a second’ gesture and concentrated on his stomach.
The next to escape from the confines of the small plane, Liz chuckled. “Michael, so good to see you again.”
He nodded. “I hope he hasn’t been tryin’ to throw his liver up for the past hour and a half.”
“Very nicely said,” Kyle snorted as he jumped down on the wooden pier and went to give his old friend a guy hug.
He smirked and shrugged as he pounded his buddy on the back. “How’s life been treatin’ you, Valenti?”
“Good, ever since we left the drama behind. How about yourself?”
“Good. Peaceful in my corner of the world. Don’t really have any major complaints.”
“That’s new,” Val said when she showed up next to them.
Michael turned his head to look at her, taking in the changes that a year out of the life had made in her. She looked good, relaxed and if he were to hazard a guess, happy. “Val.” He chuckled when he caught sight of Whitman close by. “See your shadow’s still on your six.”
“Well, isn’t it good to see you again,” Alex shook his head at the good old charming way of the other man. “Where’s your better half?”
“Back at the house. Had to go do whatever it is women do when they think they need to get ready for damn near anything.”
“Bet you didn’t even tell her we were coming.” Tess was the last to join them and she smacked Michael’s head lightly.
“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she knew, would it?” He rolled his eyes at her. “Evans, have you resettled your internal organs yet?”
“I think I’m good.” He made a face.
“Yeah? Good. I’d hate to see that tray of raw oysters on the half shell go to waste.” He laughed when the guy’s skin tone turned a shade of green that was in no way natural and slapped him on the back. “I’m kiddin’, Evans. I wouldn’t get near those things with a ten-foot pole.”
“OH MY GOD!” A loud squeal was heard in the distance and heads jerked up and turned when they saw Maria down the beach, jumping up and down like crazy with one hand over her mouth.
Michael turned around and his hands rested on his hips as he shot a mock glare in her direction. “What part of ‘I’ll bring ‘em up to the house’ did you not understand?”
She mimicked his gesture. “You didn’t really think I would wait that long, did you?”
“Well, considering how long it takes you to get ready any other time...” He let his words trail off and grinned at her as he stretched his right arm out in the direction of their guests.
Maria’s smile broke loose, so wide it almost felt like her face would split in two. “I can’t believe you guys are here.” With that she ran towards them and grabbed Liz first for a tight hug.
He remained rooted to the spot, just watching the reunion and enjoying the expression of sheer happiness on her face.
“Maria.” Liz returned the hug with joy, so happy and relieved to see her friend again. “It looks like you landed in a good spot.”
“It comes pretty close to paradise,” she muttered and then leaned back to look at her old friend. “With you guys here I think it is.”
“I can’t believe we’re here!” She shook her head, her eyes sparkling. “I really thought we wouldn’t see you again until we met up after two years. I almost went into a panic when we were contacted, worried that our location had been compromised.”
They had carved out a nice life in their little corner of the world. They hadn’t had any idea what the future held or even where they were going when they got on that plane with Tess and Kyle over a year ago. It had been terrifying and they were so far out of their own realm of reality that it had been a blessing when they had been informed that arrangements had already been made for them.
New identities had been created, jobs secured based on their knowledge and experience, and an estate that went far beyond anything they could’ve imagined had come with the package. The jobs kept them out of the public eye, allowed them to work from the seclusion of their new home, and surprisingly enough as time passed they found themselves not only settling into their lives, but enjoying themselves again.
They had been relocated to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and set up at one end of the island in a gated home that was easily large enough for a dozen people to live in and probably never all cross paths in a single day. Their trust funds had unexpectedly multiplied many times over thanks to the help of a couple of interfering assassins.
For the first few months they had been wary about venturing beyond the borders of their new property, but as time passed they began to broaden their horizons. They had become familiar faces at the markets and now employed a couple of locals to handle the house and gardens, giving them plenty of time to work without interruption. This unexpected trip was the first time they had left the island, intent upon taking their safety and well-being seriously.
Maria hugged each of them in turn before returning to Michael. “How’d this happen?”
He stared at her for a few moments before shrugging. “I dunno.” He reached out and trailed his finger over her cheek. “Figured if there was one thing that’d make your birthday perfect it’d be bringing them to you.” Plus, this way he could control the environment and make sure the reunion happened under circumstances that were secure and monitored.
Her birthday was only a few days away. “So you guys are gonna stay a while?”
“You’re definitely stuck with me for a while,” Max said as he leaned back against the railing on the pier. “Because it’s gonna take some time before I’m ready to climb back into that deathtrap she calls a plane.”
Tess snorted. “That plane is perfectly sound.”
“That sardine can with wings is not fit for flight.”
Kyle laughed and pushed away from the railing, slapping Evans on the back when he passed him. “It’s not as bad if you just don’t sit there with your eyeballs stuck to the window.”
Max shook his head. Ninety minutes in that tin can had felt like an eternity and pockets of turbulence were a million times worse in something that small. “I hope you have a decent selection of alcohol on the island because before I get back on that thing I’m gonna need to consume massive amounts of it.”
“We have anything you could possibly need,” Maria assured him as she settled against Michael’s side and his arm came to rest around her shoulders. She looked up at her lover. “So?”
“You’ve got ‘em for a week,” he said, unable to control the smile that broke free in response to her happiness. It was something that had gotten progressively easier the longer they were together and the motion no longer felt so unnatural.
Maria blinked, overwhelmed by his attempt to give her a happy birthday. Standing on her tiptoes, she breathed a kiss against his lips. “Thank you.”
“Damn, Bane’s gone all soft,” Kyle muttered, smacking Tess’ ass. “Let’s find a private spot on the beach and take a dip, babe.”
“That’s gotta be hell for a former assassin,” Max snickered, feeling no remorse whatsoever after that raw oyster comment.
Tess rolled her eyes at them and gave her husband a push. “I’d imagine it can’t be all that difficult to find a private spot around here.” She and Kyle both loved the seclusion of their home on Lake Erie, and beyond charters had rarely ventured out since returning home after depositing Evans and Parker off in their new location, but there was something to be said for a vacation such as this.
“If you go right through the tree line you’ll hit the other side of the island in less than a minute,” Maria said. “There’s a beautiful reef and you can watch the mini sharks close to the shoreline.”
“They’ve got a preference for white meat so you might wanna think twice about losin’ your pants, Valenti,” Michael growled.
Maria elbowed him with an eye roll. “They’re harmless.” Turning to the others she checked on Max. “Whenever you feel better we’ll have some lunch.”
He smiled gratefully. “That sounds good. The fresh air and wide open space is already doin’ wonders.”
“You’re gonna be okay soon.” Liz ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek.
“Oh wow, what you got there Miss Parker?” Maria took a few steps toward her brunette friend and pulled at her hand, glancing at the ring.
“Actually, Mrs. Evans, or well, Baker for our cover names.”
“You guys finally did it.” She smiled as her thumb brushed over the ring, wishing she hadn’t had to miss such an important occasion. She threw her arms around both of them. “Congratulations!”
Max smirked down at his wife. “Was never a question if, only when.”
Maria punched his arm lightly. “Anyone who ever saw the two of you in the same room knew that.”
“Tell me you two aren’t married yet,” Michael muttered when Val and Alex followed him down to the beach. He was happy that Maria was happy but he still wasn’t the romantic kinda guy and never would be.
“Not yet,” she said, biting back a laugh at his customary growl. While he’d never wanted the significant other, family and the whole nine yards, she’d yearned for it, so maybe in a way it was easier for her to roll with the changes.
Beside her, Alex just smiled quietly and let his thumb trace over the engagement ring that encircled the middle finger of her left hand. It hadn’t been noticed yet but he saw no need to draw attention to it if she didn’t. She was his and for him that was all that mattered.
Michael stumbled when Maria attacked, jumping on his back and hugging him from behind, nuzzling his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He chuckled and reached back to steady her legs and carry her piggyback style. “Yeah, whatever,” he mumbled gruffly.
Liz glanced up at Max and smiled as all of their friends walked in front of them, wrapped up in small conversations in one of the most beautiful places in the world. “What an ending to this story, huh?”
Who would have thought that out of cruel, risky and anxious times something so strong could come out? Ever since they had met Maria, she had been this curious, unsure and yet brave woman, who had looked for answers and truth. A part of her was still that woman, but she seemed more settled and aware of who she was now.
“Yeah,” he snorted, “what an ending indeed.”
The End… Or Is It?
A/N: For the past eight years we’ve been running full steam ahead, writing non-stop and as we post the final chapter of The Assassin we’re taking this opportunity to step back. For good? For a while? At this point, we’re not sure. We’ve written 15 fics, 8,105 pages and 3,352,309 words in that time. It’s been a great ride and we’re leaving the door open because you just never know, we could decide to come back at some point.
Right now, we’re taking a rest and refocusing our efforts into a new endeavor. We’ve decided to turn our creativity loose and take on the challenge of writing a novel. It’s something we know we’ll enjoy pursuing and that we’ll be able to take at our leisure, which thanks to current workloads, will be a huge benefit for us.
We’ve had a blast writing for the Roswell fandom and continue to appreciate every reader and review we’ve had over the years. Thanks for the support from all of you guys!
Angel & Steffi