{"id":42886,"date":"2020-02-26T10:22:14","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T15:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/?page_id=42886"},"modified":"2020-02-26T10:31:41","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T15:31:41","slug":"marple-maria-marple","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/crashdown.com\/news\/fanfiction\/stories\/michaelmaria\/marple-maria-marple\/","title":{"rendered":"Marple, Maria Marple"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by oyhumbug<\/a> (Charlynn)<\/small><\/p>\n

Title:<\/strong> Marple, Maria Marple
\nAuthor:<\/strong> oyhumbug (Charlynn)
\nFeedback!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> Teen
\nDisclaimer:<\/strong> I can claim no ownership of the show Roswell nor the characters used in this story. Unfortunately.
\nSummary:<\/strong> Set during the final episode of season one, Maria realizes that Tess isn’t exactly who she claims to be, and she sets out to save all her friends from the fourth alien.
\nCategory:<\/strong> Max\/Liz, Michael\/Maria, Isabel\/Alex
\nAuthor’s Notes:<\/strong> This is my first Roswell story. I just recently watched the show online in its entirety (or, at least, what is available, for there are a few missing episodes), and, once I finished, I was struck by how little sense the whole Tess debacle made. Someone should have realized the holes to her story, and I hated the fact that Max and Isabel\u2019s mother agreed with it. So, taking my objections, I wrote a little one shot where Maria recognizes that things with the fourth alien don\u2019t add up the way they\u2019re supposed to, long before Tess has enough time to do any real damage. Let\u2019s just say that this is my attempt to right some wrongs and to retell the final episode of season one. Thanks and enjoy!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Marple, Maria Marple
\nA One Shot
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Czechoslovakians were weird. It was a commonly accepted and known fact… amongst those who knew what<\/i> Czechoslovakians were. But Tess… Well, she was more than just weird. There was something about the girl that bothered Maria, and it was more than just the fact that she was sprouting off about the aliens\u2019 destiny and trying to come between both she and Michael and Max and Liz.<\/p>\n

Frankly, the girl pissed her off.<\/p>\n

Typically, she was a laid back sixteen year old. She went to school, she went
\nto work, she made out with her not-so-human, alien boyfriend, just like any
\nother normal teenager. Sure, there were the occasional patches of danger, but
\nthey did live in Roswell, and she did hang out with extraterrestrials. Wasn\u2019t a
\nlittle risk to be expected? And, yes, Michael could annoy more than what was
\ncommonly accepted as healthy, but Maria was convinced that was all just a part
\nof some crazy, kind of hot alien mating ritual. However, it was different \u2013 the
\nannoyance she felt towards her boyfriend and the sheer animosity that the newly
\narrived Czechoslovakian inspired within her. What she felt towards Tess was
\ndeeper, harsher, not put upon, and there was something about the blonde that
\nset her radar off. Something wasn\u2019t right about her.<\/p>\n

Sitting off with Alex, separated by both distance and DNA from Isabel and Tess,
\nthe diner waitress observed the girl who bothered her so much. If she could
\njust put her finger on what it was that made the other alien so… well, alien,
\nthen she knew that she would be figuring out a pretty significant piece to the whole
\ncrazy puzzle they were all working together to solve. She was missing
\nsomething, though, something key, but, maybe if she talked her way through the
\nproblem, maybe if she bounced her ideas around and off of someone else, someone
\nmore objective, then she would be able to crack the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d she started, elbowing her best friend in the ribs, and that\u2019s what Alex
\nwas \u2013 her best friend, because Liz was more than that. To the only child, Liz
\nwas more like the sister she didn\u2019t have and had never particularly wanted
\nwhile growing up. \u201cPss!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat,\u201d the brunette beside her asked, sounding exhausted, aggravated, and
\nslightly perturbed. Although his voice wasn\u2019t elevated, it still echoed
\nthroughout the hollow salt mine, and the reverberations of his response drew
\nboth of the female aliens\u2019 attentions towards their direction. Quickly, though,
\nboth Isabel and Tess looked away, evidently too worried about other matters to
\nconcern themselves with mere human issues, but that suited her purposes just
\nfine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to talk to you about something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, did you have to resort to physical violence to do so,\u201d Alex complained.
\n\u201cThat hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re a wimp,\u201d Maria countered, rolling her eyes. She knew that her soft
\nelbow to the ribs hadn\u2019t really done any damage. Her friend was merely whining
\nfor the sake of whining… kind of like Michael. Were all boys that exasperating,
\neven the ones she didn\u2019t date?<\/p>\n

Lowering her voice several notches, she asked, \u201cso, what do you think about
\nTess?\u201d<\/p>\n

The teenager beside her fixed her with a pointed stare. \u201cYou really want to
\nhave this discussion now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Snapping, the waitress replied, \u201cjust answer my question. I have a point here,
\nyou know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you think you do, but you probably don\u2019t, so just do us both a favor,
\nand…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd would you just listen to me for a minute,\u201d she beseeched him. When he
\nstill held his stern glare, she added, \u201cplease? This isn\u2019t about me; this is
\nabout Tess, and Max… and Liz.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, fine,\u201d her best friend agreed, \u201cbut, for the record…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think now is the appropriate time,\u201d Maria mocked, waving away his concerns.
\n\u201cYeah, yeah, I heard you. Whatever. Anyway,\u201d she segued, \u201clike I asked, what do
\nyou think of her, of Tess?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s… nice, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlex, come on, that\u2019s a Michael response, and it tells me absolutely nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know,\u201d the brunette wavered, running a distracted hand through
\nhis close cropped hair only to stop and rub the back of his skull as if he had
\na headache. \u201cShe kind of makes me feel… uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d the waitress exclaimed, throwing her hands up in animated agreement.
\nWhen she received curious glances from the Czechoslovakian in question and her
\nmore humanized counterpart, she grinned sheepishly as a silent form of apology.
\nSoon, both Tess and Isabel returned to ignoring both she and Alex. Once they
\ndid, she looked again towards the teen beside her. \u201cShe\u2019s just so blonde,
\nright? I mean, Max is this dark and dangerous, brooding kind of guy, and here
\ncomes his supposed mate, and she\u2019s all blonde with bright eyes and curly hair,
\nand she\u2019s perky. It just doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing up, her best friend glowered down upon her. \u201cI thought you were being
\nserious, Maria.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was,\u201d she protested. \u201cHave you looked at the two of them lately? They just
\ndon\u2019t fit. I mean, like, at all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Alex whispered harshly, ending her rant. \u201cI thought you were really
\nworried about Liz, that you found out something about Tess that could
\npotentially put our friend in jeopardy, but all you\u2019re worried about is the
\nfact that Tess and Max don\u2019t look good as a couple. What\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on,\u201d she hissed back, standing up to meet his gaze… or, at least,
\ncome as close to meeting his gaze as she possibly could. Even with heels on,
\ncompared to the brunette, she was still vertically challenged. \u201cShe\u2019s always
\ngoing on, sprouting off at the mouth about how they\u2019re destined<\/i> to be together. Well, if that\u2019s true, don\u2019t you think that
\ndestiny would have, at least, made them look good together? I mean, he\u2019s a
\nCzechoslovakian king, for crying out loud! His queen should look the part.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaria, this isn\u2019t some movie you\u2019re casting; this is real life… with a freaky
\nRoswell twist. So what if Tess and Max don\u2019t match up well together. We have
\nmore important things to worry about right now. Oh, say, I don\u2019t know \u2013
\nsurviving! You know what,\u201d the brunette said, holding his hands out before him
\nand moving several steps away from her. \u201cI can\u2019t talk to you right now. Take
\nyour crazy conspiracies to someone else, and leave me alone. I\u2019ve had enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d the waitress shouted at his retreating form. \u201cThat\u2019s just fine. I\u2019ll do
\nthat.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Alex didn\u2019t respond. He just shook his head in dismissal, in disappointment,
\nand looked away from her. If he wouldn\u2019t help her, though, somebody would. She
\njust had to find a sympathetic ear. Already, the sixteen year old knew that she
\ncouldn\u2019t talk to her boyfriend about the matter. Michael was too… Michael to
\nunderstand. Plus, he was gone, off risking his life to save Max and Liz, which
\nshe both appreciated and resented at the same time. Obviously, she wouldn\u2019t
\ntalk to Tess, Max hardly talked at all, and Liz was too close to the issue.
\nRoving her narrowed, intense gaze around the salt mine, Maria stopped upon Isabel.<\/p>\n

If a human couldn\u2019t understand her qualms, then maybe a Czechoslovakian would.
\nAfter all, they had all those weird, creepy powers. Maybe it was time Isabel
\nput her supernatural abilities to good use, helping her to expose the traitor
\namongst them. The more she thought about the matter, the more she was convinced
\nthat there just wasn\u2019t something right about Tess, and, in Roswell, something
\nnot being right often translated to disturbing, wrong, and just plain
\ndangerous. One way or another, with or without Alex\u2019s help, she was going to
\nfigure this out. Her next stop for help: female alien intuition.<\/p>\n

~
\n& ~<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

They were in position at the UFO Center, lying in wait for Pierce to come
\nwaltzing… or, more accurately, investigating his way into their trap. Max had
\ngone after Kyle and the agent stationed at the Valenti\u2019s, Liz and Tess were
\nhandling the second suit, and Michael was busy as well, leaving Maria with both
\nIsabel and Alex, only her best friend was still mad at her and off pouting
\nsomewhere. Boys could be such big babies.<\/p>\n

\u201cTess,\u201d the waitress expanded upon her previous question, eyeing the extraterrestrial
\nbeside her closely. They were kneeled down, out of sight, and whispering. \u201cAnd
\nhow she always sides with Max, doesn\u2019t that just annoy the crap out of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The natural blonde beside her narrowed her gaze in consideration. \u201cWhat do you
\nmean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, she\u2019s just so damn simpering. I swear, she\u2019s like one of those cheesy,
\n50\u2019s housewives who live to please their husbands. Can you say, \u2018Hello, Donna
\nReed?\u2019 Seriously!\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel just stared at her, confused. \u201cI have no idea what you just said.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, it\u2019s like this,\u201d she laid it out there for her. \u201cYou and Michael, while
\nyou typically will eventually follow Max\u2019s decisions, you\u2019ll stand up to him,
\ntoo. You\u2019re not afraid to speak your peace and tell him that he\u2019s full of crap
\nwhen he\u2019s wrong, but Tess isn\u2019t like that.\u201d Noticing that her Czechoslovakian
\ncounterpart was following along, Maria pressed on. \u201cShe agrees with anything
\nand everything your brother says. I swear, if he told her to cover herself in
\npeanut butter, roll herself in feathers, and then walk around clucking like a
\nchicken, she\u2019d do it. It\u2019s freaky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s maddening is what it is,\u201d the alien argued. \u201cAnd you\u2019re right. Tess never
\nstands up to Max.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s more than just that, too,\u201d the waitress continued. \u201cHave you noticed
\nhow she always tries to stand as close to him as possible. She\u2019s way too touchy
\nfeely in my opinion, especially since he is<\/i><\/p>\n

still Liz\u2019s boyfriend, not hers, no matter what sort of weird Martian mind
\ntricks she tries to pull on him.\u201d Recognizing the less than pleased glower washing
\nover the natural blonde\u2019s features, she added, \u201cno offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAside from your choice of words, you do have a point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Maria cried out, nodding her head in self-recognition. \u201cIt\u2019s about
\ndamn time somebody realized that.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, her victory was short lived. \u201cBut that probably has something to do
\nwith the fact that they\u2019re supposed to be together, that she is… or was… or
\nwill be, I don\u2019t know, his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSays Tess,\u201d she argued vehemently. \u201cDo we have any proof that what she is telling
\nus is more than just a big, stinking load of bull?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s the book,\u201d Isabel pointed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, that piece of carved tin? Yeah, whatever,\u201d the sixteen year old human
\ndismissed. \u201cHow do we even know if that thing is legit? Tess could have carved
\nit herself. Besides, back to your original argument, if she really is your…
\nkind\u2019s queen, shouldn\u2019t she be strong enough to stand up for herself? God, grow
\na backbone already. Old Queen Elizabeth\u2019s rolling around in her grave right
\nthis very minute at the thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first, the alien adjacent to her just looked perplexed, overwhelmed, then
\nrealization and acknowledgement started to set in, but it was quickly ignored,
\npushed aside, disregarded. \u201cMaybe you have a point, maybe you don\u2019t. I don\u2019t
\nknow. But what I do know,\u201d Isabel stated, standing to move away from her, \u201cis
\nthat now is not the time to be talking about this. We have more important
\nthings to be worried about, and I can\u2019t waste my time coming up with conspiracy
\ntheories with you. I need to stay focused, and, if you\u2019re going to help us,
\nMaria, you need to do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah, yeah, I\u2019ve heard this speech already once before,\u201d the waitress
\ngrumbled. When the challenging Czechoslovakian raised a single brow in
\nopposition, she relented… momentarily. \u201cFine, I\u2019ll let it go \u2013 for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied, the natural blonde walked off, calling out softly for Alex and
\nleaving Maria, once again, on her own \u2013 to think, to plan, to sort through the
\nvery few pieces of true knowledge that they had about the extraterrestrial in
\nquestion. When Tess got back, she was going to be watching her closely, looking
\nfor clues. For some reason, it felt as though time was running out, and she
\ndidn\u2019t want to be too late. In fact, she had a feeling that she couldn\u2019t be, because,
\nif she was, well… Some thoughts were better off not expressed. After all, once
\nthey were put out there into the universe, they couldn\u2019t be taken back, and, if
\ngrowing up in Roswell had taught her anything, it was not to tempt fate, for it
\nwas such a fickle bitch.<\/p>\n

~
\n& ~<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, check this out,\u201d Maria began, sliding into the
\nbooth seat opposite her best friend. \u201cI have the ultimate skinny on Tess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing, Alex begged in a hushed tone, \u201cwould you please just let this bias you
\nhave against the Czechoslovakian rest already? I\u2019m a little distracted with
\nwhat… oh, I don\u2019t know \u2013 worrying about whether or not the girl I like is going
\nto live or stay on this planet long enough for us to figure out what exactly is
\ngoing on between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

She just ignored him. \u201cAlright, forget about earlier. I still stand by what I
\nsaid \u2013 she and Max don\u2019t make any sense together look wise, but whatever. And
\nforget about the whole Donna Reed impersonation thing, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting back stunned, the brunette observed, \u201coh, you\u2019re totally right about
\nthat. She does have that freaky, simpering 50\u2019s housewife routine down pat,
\ndoesn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly, that\u2019s what I told Isabel!\u201d<\/p>\n

Appearing interested, Alex asked, \u201cand what did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she agreed with me, too, and we both find Tess\u2019 whole submissive routine
\nto be quite irritating… and disgusting, for that matter, but I have something
\neven more enlightening to tell you.\u201d Taking a deep breath, she spread her hands
\nout on the Formica tabletop before her and lowered her voice conspiratorially.
\n\u201cShe has the ability to make people see things, things they either don\u2019t want
\nto see or can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her best friend\u2019s gaze widened, appropriately shocked. \u201cWhoa. Can they all… can
\nall Czechoslovakians do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, just Tess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTalk about trippy,\u201d the human teen remarked, sounding slightly dazed. \u201cDo you
\nthink she\u2019s ever pulled it on one of us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I have no doubt,\u201d Maria answered. \u201cAnd just think about what that means.
\nBasically, she has the power to control our minds. In her hands, we\u2019re mere
\npuppets. \u2018Love me, Max.\u2019 \u2018No, I love Liz.\u2019 Bam! Presto! Bibbity, bobbity, boo!
\nShe makes him see himself loving her, and he all of a sudden does. It\u2019s classic
\nCzechoslovakian relationship manipulation. Liz has absolutely no shot
\nwhatsoever.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, what\u2019s more,\u201d the waitress continued, \u201cshe could make us turn against
\neach other; she could make us physically hurt each other. She could even make
\nMichael do her homework for her, and I think we all know just what kind of
\nmiracle that would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and high school career suicide, too,\u201d Alex quipped.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you see my point, right? There\u2019s something… off about her, about Tess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nodding in affirmation, her best friend stated, \u201cI see your point, and I agree
\nwith you. My only question is: what are we supposed to do about it? In case
\nyou\u2019ve forgotten, we\u2019re just your every day, run of the mill humans. We don\u2019t
\nstand a chance against a mind controlling Czechoslovakian. We\u2019ll just have to
\nsit here and wait for them to come back, and, when they do…\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing up, Maria interrupted him. \u201cIf you want to stay here, sitting on your
\nhands, then fine. Do that. But I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following her out of his seat, the brunette protested, \u201cbut you have no idea
\nwhere they would take Nasedo if they did manage to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDuh, they\u2019d take him to the pods. It\u2019s the safest place.\u201d Realization dawning,
\nshe stopped dead in her tracks. \u201cOh my god \u2013 the pods!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, what,\u201d Alex queried, sounding slightly panicked. \u201cWhat about the pods?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t I think of it before,\u201d the sixteen year old mentally berated
\nherself. \u201cIt\u2019s so simple, and it\u2019s been right there, staring us smack-dab in
\nthe face this whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling herself being spun around by the elbow, she stood facing her best
\nfriend right outside of the Crashdown\u2019s doors. With his dark eyes boring into
\nhers, the human teenager repeated, \u201cwhat about the pods?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you on the way,\u201d the waitress promised, \u201cbut we don\u2019t have time
\nright now. We have to get to them… like yesterday!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat,\u201d Alex objected, his voice rising several octaves. \u201cAre you insane?\u201d
\nShaking his head no, he stated, \u201cI\u2019m staying right here. When it\u2019s safe, Max,
\nMichael, Isabel, and Liz will come back, and we\u2019ll tell them… whatever it is
\nthat you\u2019ve thought of then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, no can do,\u201d she disagreed. \u201cI\u2019m going. You can either come with me, or
\nyou can stay here. It\u2019s up to you, but you can\u2019t stop me.\u201d After waiting
\nseveral seconds during which her best friend simply dropped her arm, Maria
\nnodded in acknowledgment of his decision. \u201cWish me luck,\u201d she yelled out before
\njumping into her car. Before she even had the door shut, the engine was already
\nturned on, and she was pulling out of her parking spot.<\/p>\n

It was so simple, so obvious! She couldn\u2019t believe that she hadn\u2019t thought of
\nit before, but better late than ever and all that other corny mumbo-jumbo. At
\nleast she knew it now, and Tess was going down!<\/p>\n

~
\n& ~<\/p>\n

Out of breath (seriously, did Czechoslovakians really<\/i> need to make their top secret,
\nhidden hideouts on the very tippy-top of a freaking cliff?), sweaty, and pissed
\noff, Maria arrived at the pods just in time to see a partially solid, pretty
\nmuch normal looking figure appear… if you ignored the whole glowing thing… and
\nstart to speak to the alien-human assembly present. The woman\u2019s tone was
\nmechanical, almost robotic, and she found herself realizing where the
\nextraterrestrial trio she knew so well got their sometimes cardboard speaking
\nhabits from.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son,\u201d the blonde image greeted Max before turning towards Isabel and
\nMichael, \u201cmy daughter, my son\u2019s second-in-command.\u201d When her gaze stopped upon
\nTess, the woman paused, and her brow wrinkled. \u201cWho are you? Are you Michael\u2019s
\ngirlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d the waitress revealed herself, stepping out of the shadows and into the
\ncenter of the pod room. \u201cThat would be me. Tess is, well, I was hoping you
\ncould tell us who she is exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whispering harshly, Liz attempted to chastise her. \u201cMaria, what do you think
\nyou\u2019re doing? Shut up!\u201d<\/p>\n

However, she ignored her almost-sister and the glowers coming from the aliens surrounding
\nher and pushed on. \u201cYou see,\u201d the sixteen year old explained, \u201cTess claims that
\nshe\u2019s destined to be with Max here, that she\u2019s his former Martian bride, and
\nthat they\u2019ll someday be together again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The image laughed, the sound both melodious and amused. \u201cThat\u2019s preposterous.
\nSmiling serenely, the physical representation of Max and Isabel\u2019s mother stated
\nunequivocally, \u201cLiz is my son\u2019s destiny \u2013 here, on earth. They will together
\nguide and protect our kind and welcome new generations to this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t have said it better myself,\u201d Maria agreed. Leaning comfortably
\nagainst one of the cavern\u2019s walls she continued on. \u201cEverything about her has
\nbeen bothering me for a while now \u2013 her looks, her attitude, her freaking mind
\ncontrolling abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s the first you\u2019ve mentioned it to me,\u201d Michael griped. He was so
\ncute when he was pouting, but she couldn\u2019t get distracted, not now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, none of that proved anything,\u201d the waitress admitted, \u201cespecially
\nsince all Czechoslovakians have creepy powers. But that was before I remembered
\nthe pods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about them,\u201d Tess challenged. \u201cThey are where we were born \u2013 all four of
\nus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know, but let\u2019s return to that adorable birthing story, shall we?\u201d
\nFolding her hands in front of her, the human sixteen year old smirked. \u201cMax, Isabel,
\nand Michael, they were all born at about the same time, but you were still
\nstuck inside your pod, blowing bubbles. If you and Max were so destined to be
\ntogether, why\u2019d he leave you here? He felt such a strong connection to Isabel,
\nhis sister, that they were fold holding hands, wandering around the desert
\ntogether, and their connection with Michael is so strong, they eventually found
\nhim again, too, but they forgot about your imposter ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing up to her full height and pushing away from the wall, Maria advanced
\ntowards the alien in question. \u201cYou\u2019re not his destiny, you\u2019re not his Martian
\nbride, and you\u2019re sure as hell not going to come into my<\/i> town and break us all up. So, go back to Uranus… or whatever the
\nhell planet you came from, Tess, because you\u2019re not welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

For several seconds, time seemed to stand still, but, once the fog lifted,
\nMaria realized that Tess was gone. Despite the action being useless, she
\nglanced around the small, enclosed space, but the blonde had magically gone
\npoof… almost literally. \u201cUgh, sometimes your stupid powers are really
\ninconvenient!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not worry,\u201d the image reassured them. \u201cShe will not be able to hide
\nforever. I do not know who she is, or why she is here, but she is not your
\ndestiny, Max, and I have faith that between you, your sister, your second in
\ncommand, your bride, Maria here…\u201d Pausing long enough to bestow the waitress
\nwith a warm grin, the glowing blonde finished, \u201cand whomever you choose to be
\nwith, my daughter, that you will stop this threat. After all, it has been
\nwritten; it is fate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The image continued to speak for several more minutes, but she found herself
\nzoning out. Really, what she had to say didn\u2019t particularly concern her. After all,
\nshe wasn\u2019t the one phoning home. Besides, if there was anything that she did
\nneed to know, Michael would fill her in later. Instead, the sixteen year old
\nwas basking in the knowledge that she had been right all along. That would show
\nthose Czechoslovakians! While she might be human, and while she might not be a
\njunior scientist like Liz or a computer expert like Alex, she was still pretty
\ndamn smart, too.<\/p>\n

Eventually, they made their way back outside to the two parked vehicles.
\nSplitting up, she took her clueless boyfriend and Isabel with her so that Max
\nand Liz could have some alone time together on the way back to town, and, as
\nshe and the two aliens riding with her settled into her mom\u2019s trusty if not
\nbeat up sedan, Maria found herself grinning from ear to ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m going to officially change my name. From now on, just call me
\nMaria Marple.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rolling his eyes, Michael complained, \u201cthat\u2019s the most ridiculous name I\u2019ve
\never heard of. And where did you get it from anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head in frustration. \u201cWhat, don\u2019t you not read like at all?\u201d When
\nthe alien in question just stared at her, she replied, \u201cit\u2019s from a famous
\nliterally detective, Miss Marple. You know, Agatha Christie… None of this is
\nringing a bell, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re hopeless. You\u2019re practically illiterate!\u201d<\/p>\n

He tossed the tin book Tess had given them onto her lap. \u201cYeah, well, I\u2019m not
\nfrom around here, remember? When you learn to read my book, I\u2019ll consider
\nreading one of yours. Now, let\u2019s get a move on. I\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grumbling under her breath, the waitress started the car and began the trip
\nback to the Crashdown. Here, she had pretty much saved the day, the
\nCzechoslovakians, and maybe even the fate of the entire world, and, still, her
\nboyfriend refused to give her any credit. Female humans got absolutely no
\nrespect!<\/p>\n

Feedback for oyhumbug<\/h4>\n

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