Plus, Maria knew that as soon as she told them – there would be a manhunt to drag him back and make him talk. ‘Michael *wants* to leave – and who are we to keep him here?’ She thought. ‘If he wants to go – waltz out of our lives without a second thought, well, I’m not going to throw myself at his feet and beg him to stay, no Siree Bob.” Giggling, Maria pictured her mother saying that – it was one of her favorite phrases. Her mother – when Maria’s father left, she begged him to stay and look what it got her. Nothing. Just a life of trying to move on while still being slightly hung up on the boy she fell in love with at sixteen.

“And I am *not* doing that,” Maria said aloud, her hand poised at the door. “I’m not going to live the rest of my life hung up on Michael Guerin.” Letting loose a furious series of rapid-fire knocks, she stood back and waited for an answer.

A few minutes later, Liz appeared at the door sleepy-eyed. “Maria,” she mumbled, surprised. “What time is it?”

The blonde pushed past her and stormed into the apartment. “About 8:30, I think. Where are Max and Isabel? Are they up?”

“Uh,” Liz closed the door.

“Who is it?” Max stumbled out with Isabel not far behind. They squinted at the blatantly incensed woman in the middle of the living room.

“He’s leaving,” Maria announced, hands on hips.

Liz padded over to her. “Who’s leaving?”

“Michael.” Max said, coming out of his stupor.

“No.” Isabel shook her head. “He’s not. He just told me yesterday that he would stay longer. We were going to talk.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Maria bitterly sniped. “This is *Michael* we’re talking about. Did you really think he’d stick around, Isabel? Even for you?”

Isabel opened her mouth to respond but Max cut her off. “Stop it.” He shot Maria a warning glance. “When did he say he was leaving?”

“Last night. He came by around ten.”

“TEN O’CLOCK?” Isabel shouted. “You knew that he was leaving last night, and you didn’t say a word? What the hell is wrong with you, Maria?”

“HEY!” Max yelled. “I said knock it off – both of you. There’s a chance that he’s still here. Let’s just get ourselves together and look for him. Do you know where he’s staying?” Maria shook her head. “Is?”

“Some Bed and Breakfast – that’s all I know.”

“It’s probably the one over by Main.” Liz spoke. “Do you think he’s still there?”

“I don’t know,” Max furrowed his eyebrows. “But it’s the best chance we’ve got. After that – we can just drive around and look for him. We’ll take two cars – Liz, you go with Maria. Is and I will take our car.”

“He’s probably gone by now.” Isabel slumped into a chair.

“We don’t know that,” Max tried to comfort her, rubbing her shoulders. “Let’s just see what we can find out. Meet back at the diner on Bailey at ten o’clock?”

“Fine.” Maria grunted.

“Let’s go,” Liz grabbed her shoes and Maria and pulled her down the steps.

**

“Okay, what is *with* you, Maria?” Liz asked after ten minutes of silence. “First you are upset, then angry, then fine with everything, and now you are being…” she paused.

“What? What am I being?”

“A total bitch.” Liz said quietly.

“*I’m* the bitch? *I’m* the bitch?” Maria spat out. “With the ice princess here, I don’t think that I’m any competition.”

“Maria… I’m not…” Liz closed her eyes, frustrated. “I’m just worried about you. I haven’t seen you this worked up since before you left Roswell. Why didn’t you tell us last night? I just don’t understand.”

Maria looked at her best friend, then back at the road. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, then slowly let her fingers relax. “Liz… I don’t know. When he said he was leaving… I just. I can’t explain – I thought I was over it, I really did. His leaving, his being here… him in general. But I’m not. He walked out and I couldn’t move. I stood still in the kitchen for a while, and then I just sat on the couch for hours. I haven’t even slept. Two nights now my mind is on nothing but him. I thought,” she laughed painfully. “I was stupid enough to think that he needed me. I was stupid enough to think that there was a reason he came to me that night. But I was wrong. Again.”

Liz reached out to touch Maria’s arm. “Michael *does* need you. But I think he’s afraid to admit that to himself. You know him… he’s not exactly the type to have a big talk about his feelings. But he’s let you see him in ways that no one else has. Maria… you know to Michael that means more than anything he could ever say.”

Maria pulled the car into the driveway of the Bed and Breakfast. Looking down, she gave a slight nod, then got out of the car.

**

While Isabel had gone into the diner to see if Maria and Liz had shown up, Max waited outside. Leaning against the car, he tried to think of any other places that they should hit. A child’s cry from the store on the right attracted his attention. As he looked over, Max saw the elusive one coming out of the convenience store.

“Michael!” Max called to him, walking across the parking lot.

Michael looked up, then shook his head. Lydia was coming by soon and they were going back home. He just wanted to get out without one more heated confrontation. “I don’t want to talk, Max.”

“I don’t really care what you want right now.”

“And you ever did?” Michael sniped back.

“Do you *ever* think about the consequences of your actions? Have you even given one thought about what this is going to do to Maria?” Max cornered him against the side wall.

“Maria? Why are you so concerned with Maria all of a sudden?” Michael asked, irritated.

“I told you, she’s my friend. I remember what it was like last time you left – she didn’t take it well. Besides, it’s not just Maria. Isabel keeps thinking that you two are going to have this wonderful talk and the world will be right again. You were going to leave without even saying good-bye to her? What’s happened to you, Michael? Who is this person that you’ve become?” Max asked, disgusted.

Michael glared at him, willing his hands to stay at his sides. “Just turn around and walk away, Max. Forget you saw me.”

“Forget. Walk away. Ah, yes, the Michael way.”

Michael’s grasp on his self-control was weakening. He shoved Max away from him and started off to the road. Max grabbed his wrist and forcibly stopped him. An image flashed in Michael’s mind, his whole body shuddering both from the unexpected vision and the realization of what he was just shown.

“You’re not her friend.” Michael whipped around.

“What?” Max asked, getting fed up.

“Maria. She’s more than just your friend.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about, Michael.” Max stared him down.

“You’ve slept with her.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“You don’t know what you are talking about, Michael.” Max repeated, almost condescending.

Michael smirked, shaking his head. “Now I get it. The anger, the ‘worry’ about hurting Maria. You’ve got Liz, and all you’ve been concerned with is Maria.” His eyes narrowed. “So, tell me. Did you wait a whole month after you got back? Six? Or did the two of you just go at it as soon as you walked in the door? And what about Liz? Is she happy that you are getting a piece on the side?”

Slamming Michael against the wall much harder this time, Max held his arm against Michael’s chest. “Listen to me. I’m sick of your self-pitying bullshit. Things changed while you were gone and you don’t even know the first thing about what happened. You haven’t given a damn about any of us for years, and now you are here, angry about what was done in your absence? Fuck you, Michael.”

It was difficult to breathe with Max’s arm crushing against him. Michael finally pushed him away. He brushed himself off and looked past Max. An evil sparkle lit up his eyes. “Does Liz know?”

“Does Liz know what?” A female voice came from behind Max. They both turned to see Liz, quite alarmed, approaching them.

Michael’s eyes darted from Max to Liz and back again. Max turned to Michael again, his own both begging him to keep his secret and daring him to tell. There were no words spoken, no obvious facial expressions explaining what was going on. The two former friends stood perfectly still in a twisted battle of wills.

“Does Liz know what?” She repeated.