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Maria Guerin was your average young wife. She’d thought she’d found happiness when she had married the love of her life a two and a half years earlier. She thought he was the love of her life. But after four years, now she was just tired. Four years of running from the FBI, and other aliens. Yes, aliens. She was average, but her husband was far from it. An alien, like Max, and Isabel and Tess. Tess was gone now though.
Max had decided things were safe enough to settle down. So they all lived in the same apartment complex, in Salem. Liz and Isabel were going to school, Kyle worked in a car repair shop. Michael had found a job working as a security guard, and Maria worked as a waitress at a club at night, and temped as a secretary during the day. Max, the righteous asshole, he usually was, wasn’t working, and could give you a list of at least fifty reasons why there was nothing wrong with him not working, off the top of his head.
Maria sighed. She had three hours till her shift at the bar started, and in two her husband would be home. It was the norm. They saw each other for a maximum of three hours a day. And that was a lucky day. Normally they saw each other sleep. By the time Maria was done with her shift at the bar and got home, within the hour Michael was up and heading to work.
She didn’t remember the last time they really talked, or kissed, had dinner together, hell she couldn’t even remember the last time they had sex. Maria was miserable. She wanted sex. A hot body, flesh. Sweat. Someone touching her. A real live person. Her vibrator in the shower just wasn’t cutting it anymore. She wanted someone to love her again. She wondered if Michael still loved her, or stayed with her simply because he had made a vow.
Maria wanted a happily ever after. She was jerked out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She jumped up quickly and glanced through the peephole before opening the door. “Hey Kyle, what’s up?”
“The Fearless leader wants to have a meeting. “ Maria rolled her eyes.
“Michael is at work.”
“He doesn’t care.”
“Figures.” Maria muttered before following Kyle down the hall.
“We should move again.” Max said once they door closed. There was a flurry of movement. Everyone was talking at once. “Quiet down! We’ve been here seven months. It’s only a matter of time before they find us.”
“Well, Senior Presidente, what makes you think they are suddenly going to find us?” Maria snapped at him.
“They always do.”
“You don’t know that!” She yelled at him. “We haven’t seen ANYTHING since we left.”
“We are leaving in the morning, I suggest you pack.” Max crossed his arms over his chest.
“I am not going anywhere.” Maria hissed. “This is the closest I have to a home. I am not leaving it.”
“Then you will get left behind.”
Kyle shook his head standing up in a huff. “I’m not going anywhere if Maria is staying.”
“Max. You said we weren’t splitting up!” Isabel said in a panic. They were supposed to be in on this together.
“Things change. Stay if you want. Liz and I are leaving.”
Maria was livid. “You are such an asshole Max.” She told him before storming out the door. She went back to her apartment and sighed. She wasn’t leaving. It was all she could call home.
She was getting ready for work when she heard the front door open. Maria hurried out of the bedroom and saw Michael stripping off his jacket and tossing it over the back of the couch. “Michael, we need to talk.” She said crossing her arms over her chest.
He shook his head. “Later, I’m gonna go shower.” Michael told her and then disappeared into the bathroom.
Maria watched him and she wanted to scream. Damn it. She just wanted to talk to her husband. She glanced down at her wedding ring, Michael had bought it and then enhanced it with his powers. If she told him she wasn’t going anywhere, would he stay? Or would he leave her? Was Max more important than she was?
She used to think that they would be able to make it through anything. That they loved each other enough to have a happily ever after. But now she wasn’t so sure. Angrily she grabbed her jacket and her purse and stormed outside.
Maria pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she walked into the club. “Hey Dave.” She smiled, albeit forced.
“Hey Abigale.” He said and paused before following her into the break room. “Abby, hun, we need to talk.”
“What’s up Dave?” She asked and tied her apron around her waist.
“I’ve gotta let you go.” Maria blinked and didn’t move.
“What?”
“It’s just not workin out hun.”
“It seemed to be working out just fine for the last seven months.”
“I know hun, I’m sorry.” He handed Maria her final paycheck and scratched the back of his head.
Maria was stunned. She drove back home in a daze. She never had been fired before. And she didn’t even know why. By the time she got home she was on the verge of tears. She sniffled quietly. She knew her temping wouldn't cover the bills by herself. She walked into the apartment and saw Michael standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal.
“What are you doing home?” He asked and Maria just shook her head.
“I'm going to go take a shower.” She told him and headed for the bathroom.
“Maria?” He called after her, but Maria ignored him. She couldn't deal with this. She climbed into the shower and let the hot water pound down on her. Then the tears started. They rolled down her cheeks and she braced herself against the shower wall as the sobs wracked her body.
Sometime later she finally climbed out and changed into her regular clothes. She headed out to the living room where Michael was sitting on the couch, a hockey game on TV. “Max says we're leaving in the morning.” She told him.
Michael didn't respond at first. “Oh.” He didn't take his eyes off the TV. “We should pack.”
Maria just stared at the back of his head. She swallowed hard and clenched her eyes shut. “Do you even love me anymore?” She whispered.
“What?” Michael turned his head, but his eyes were still on the television.
Maria's jaw trembled. “Forget it.” She said before heading into the bedroom. She'd lost her job, what was the point in staying in Salem? She grabbed her suitcase and started to pack her clothes into it. Maybe she could just leave. By herself. She looked back down at her ring and wondered if she could actually leave Michael.
“How could you ask me that?” Maria jerked her head up and saw Michael standing in the doorway looking angry.
“What?”
“How could you ask me if I still loved you?”
“I thought it was a valid question. When was the last time you talked to me? Touched me? Hell, even looked at me!”
“I'm looking at you right now.”
“I mean before this. Because, Michael, I can't even remember the last time we had sex! Let alone a conversation that lasted more than two seconds. You ignore me when I try to talk to you. If we are home at the same time, you're either sleeping, or in the shower, or watching TV! So are you actually with me, because you love me? Or is it just because I'm here... because you made a vow to me? Because you think you're supposed to be with me?” Maria started angrily throwing things into her suitcase. “And if I leave, would you come after me? Would you follow me? Instead of Max? Our Fearless Leader? The one that insists on calling the shots when we're all supposed to be in this together?”
Michael gently grasped her wrist to keep her from throwing anything else in her suitcase. “Four months ago.”
“What?”
“The last time we had sex. We made Italian. You wore that pink lacy thing... your hair was curled.” Michael reached out and touched a lock of her hair. “You were glowing that night. I saw these amazing things... from inside of you, felt them.” He shook his head. “You are my wife. That will never change. I know I don't say it. It's still hard for me, after all of these years. But I do love you. More than anything else in my life. You are my home. Where you are, is my home.”
Maria sniffled quietly and looked up at him. “I got fired tonight.” Her jaw trembled. “I've never been fired before!” Michael pulled her into his arms and she rested her head against his chest. “What happened to us Michael?”
“I don't know.” He sighed. “Finish packing.” He said stepping back.
“Michael.” Maria sighed. “I don't want to move again. Max is just going to make us pick up and leave again in another six months. I knew what I was getting myself into... but four years? We've barely spent 6 months in one place. I'm tired of the constant moving, and the constant name changes. Half the time I don't even know my own name! I have had seventeen different names in the last four years Michael!” She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Aren't you tired Michael? Having to find new jobs... new names, changing our Ids...”
“Do you want out?” Michael asked looking at her.
Maria opened her mouth and then closed it again with a sigh. “You're not ready to quit running are you?”
“Answer the question Maria.”
She rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes. “I love you, Michael. I left Roswell to be with you. But I am tired. I'm just so tired.” Maria tilted her head up and looked at him again. “Don't you get it? Max is never going to let us stop. We'll always be running. For the rest of our lives. We won't get to settle down, and start a family, because he won't believe it will ever be safe.”
“You want out.”
“I...” Maria took a breath. “I can't run anymore, Michael.” She watched as he nodded faintly, then turned and left the bedroom. A moment later she heard the front door close softly. A sob tore from her lips and she closed her eyes tightly. She stared down at the ring Michael had put on her finger two and a half years earlier. And she saw her whole life come crumbling down around her.
Maria stood up and finished packing her bag. She carried the suitcase out to the living room and saw her purse sitting on the table by the door, her wallet open, she glanced down, her license was back to her own name. Maria De Luca. It felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. It didn't even say Guerin, and legally, that is what her last name was. But he didn't want her to have his last name anymore.
She pulled off the wedding ring and felt naked without it. There was a picture on the table of the two of them on their wedding day. Both smiling for the camera. She grabbed it and tucked it safely into her suitcase before laying the ring down in its place. Maria grabbed her purse, and headed out the door with her suitcase in hand. Leaving the only life she had known for so long. Loosing her friends, and her family.
And then she left. She left Salem, and she didn't look back. Well, maybe a little. She was worried about them. She wanted to know that they would be okay, but keeping in contact was impossible. She would just have to hope.