Maria hadn’t woken up since her little encounter with Khivar. Michael knew he had been right when he suspected that bastard was Khivar. It was in Khivar’s presence, how he conducted himself within just a few moments, which tipped Michael off. And Michael wanted to kill that son of a bitch if it was the last thing he did.

Maria kept mumbling words and small phrases in her sleep, and once she had screamed out piercingly, making Michael want to gouge his own eyes out with a dull pencil just so she would never make such an excruciatingly painful sound like that again. She kept repeating the words princess and Khivar, but never anything that made complete sense to him. She just looked so vulnerable and defenseless lying there. Michael didn’t want to do anything but wrap her in his arms for the rest of their lives. He felt so damn guilty for everything that happened to her, for her whole life-threatened existence. If only he had stayed away from her, she wouldn’t be caught up with this stupid alien shit.

Yes, she would, Michael’s (sometimes) reasonable side rationalized. She’s just as alien as you are, she’s got a whole alien history like you do.

His own words didn’t calm his qualms any less though. He was just a big, dumb idiot. He couldn’t save his sister, he couldn’t save his girlfriend, and he would probably end up getting himself killed too.

“She all right?” Max asked as he shut the door quietly behind him. Michael turned and nodded his head at Max, just aware of his new company. Michael went back to laying his head in the tender caress of Maria’s hand.

“How’s Kyle?” Michael asked quietly.

“Oh, I think he’s still twitching on the couch… I still don’t see why Isabel had to tell him.” Max sat down on the floor beside the bed. He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them

“Right, because covering up an alien battle consisting of energy beams and great walls of fire out in the middle of the street is as easy as pie.” Max glared at Michael for his sarcasm.

“There could have been another way. I mean the guy hates us as it is. What makes you think he won’t tell anyone? The only people he can actually stand in our whole group is Maria and Liz, and wow, guess what? Liz is off to hell knows where, and Maria is comatose!” Max’s harsh whispers made Michael’s blood boil, and if he weren’t so focused on being there for Maria, he would have hit Max. Hard.

“Just leave it alone,” Michael replied coldly. “It’s over and done with, and if you were any kind of leader, you would realize having another person on our side could turn out to be an advantage. And don’t you think he would have ran out of here by now if he was going to turn us in?” Michael turned his head away from Max. He didn’t want to be reminded of the mess he called his life. He really shouldn’t be angry at Max cause everything he said was the truth. But, again, he didn’t want the clutters of his life thrown in his face.

The silence in the room was deafening as it continued for a few minutes. Both boys were lost in their own thoughts as Maria was lost in her own, separate world.

“Michael,” Max started uneasily. The tone in his voice called for peace. “Do you want me to…” He gestured with his hands to Maria.