to start from the beginning click on the links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50.
part 51 follows the jump...
That night they ate dinner in silence. Everything that had happened to them during that day was just barely sinking in.
The silence was driving Michael crazy. He was so frightened.
He had just lost the man he’d always considered a brother. In a death that was as horrible as it was amazing. Because with it he had been granted life, freedom, and love. And it was unbearable.
Even worse, he had no idea what the two people he had come to consider surrogate parents were thinking of him. If they’d even let him marry their daughter. Why’d they want a fucked-up alien like him in their family was beyond him.
But he couldn’t approach the subject. He didn’t want to hear the rejection he knew he’d receive just yet.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to make it through the next week without Liz. Without her love. And yet, it seemed like he might have to.
“How’d you know?” Nancy asked abruptly.
“Pardon?”
“How’d you know you were aliens?”
“Mom! I hardly—"
“It’s okay Liz,” Michael interrupted his fiancée gently. He’d needed to hear these questions. “It was just a feeling at first. We came out of those pods and were scared, that’s my first memory of this planet. I was so scared; I hid from the Evans when they rescued Max and Isabel. And then there were the powers. We just knew we were different. It wasn’t until recently that any of us had any memories of our home planet.”
“It’s just so amazing. Claudia would have loved this, right Jeff?” Nancy asked her husband.
“Oh absolutely,” Jeff replied before continuing, “When I think of all the crazy stuff you kids have had to handle the past few years…”
“I want to apologize for that Jeff. We never wanted or meant to involve Liz in this mess.”
“Michael Guerin, I resent that!” Liz exclaimed crossing her arms and glaring at him from across the table.
“I’m with my daughter. Michael, if Max hadn’t involved Liz, she wouldn’t be eating dinner with us today. For that we’ll always be eternally grateful,” Nancy said, her voice catching.
“It was Max who chose to save her,” Michael shrugged.
“But you didn’t stop him,” Nancy pointed out.
Michael sighed, “I wished that I had sometimes.”
“But you didn’t really mean that sweetheart,” argued Liz sensing the guilt he was feeling. He was going to insist that he was in the wrong. He wanted to be blamed. He was sure he should be blamed.
Michael shrugged in reply.
“Michael, I won’t let you put yourself down. That you couldn’t protect Max from this; isn’t your fault. That you wanted to protect me from this; doesn’t make you an awful person. You never wanted me to die. You can’t control the way things turn out.”
“I know,” he sighed, “but I wish I could.”
“Son,” Jeff said, “I just want you to know that Nancy and I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to the family. You’re a very special man, and now I know part of the reason why.”
“You might be in danger now,” Michael said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Nancy smiled, “you’re family now.”
Michael couldn’t stop the tears or the smile that Nancy’s words brought to his face. He stood from his chair and gave her a hug. He’d never really known a mother’s love, but for the first time in his life he could see how it felt.
He felt Jeff’s hand squeeze his shoulder, and Liz’s arms wrap around his waist. For the first time Michael had a real family.
*****
It had been a rough couple of days. The news had slowly spread about town and the group gathered at the Crashdown early Tuesday morning to prepare for the memorial service that would be held the following evening.
Maria had been devastated when she heard the news. And she joined Kyle, Isabel, Liz and Michael at the usual table. Not that a lot of talking had been done. Liz and Michael sat together quietly at the corner end, their hands linked together tightly. Kyle sat with his arm around Isabel who cried on his shoulder every time she tried to say what her family had planned. Maria sat crying with her arms about herself. An empty space remaining where Max used to sit.
Finally Isabel managed to compose herself enough to manage to speak. In a voice hoarse with tears she said, “We talked to Brody on Sunday. He’s going to let us use the Planetarium for the memorial service. We’re all allowed to speak if we want to. But no pressure.”
Michael reached out with his free hand and grasped Isabel’s as she burst into another round of sobs. “This is so hard. I never thought he’d leave me.”
“I know,” Michael whispered soothingly.
“You’re not alone Princess, he didn’t leave you alone,” Kyle said.
“I know. But I still want him here.”
“We all do, Isabel. I just wish I’d been there for him. For you. I can’t believe what you guys had to go through…I’m so sorry I’ve been selfish,” Maria said her voice cracking on a wave of tears.
“Oh chica, we understood. Max most of all,” Liz said as she hugged her friend.
“I know, but it feels like I betrayed him somehow, by not being there for him, like Alex.”
Isabel moved to Maria’s side and hugged her too. “Maria, you were a great friend to my brother. He appreciated you. And you didn’t fail Alex. None of us did. We loved him. We loved the both of them. And they knew that.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Maria shakily.
“Yeah I do,” Isabel replied.
Michael and Kyle watched the three girls as they hugged and cried in each other’s arms. Suddenly slamming his fist on the table, Kyle startled the entire group. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I need some air.” He stood and stalked away from the group, Michael looked after him a moment before turning to the girls.
“I think I’ll follow him,” he said as he stood from his seat.
The girls nodded and watched them leave. It was easier for them to express their grief. The boys needed privacy. And their relationships with Max had been so much more complex.
*****
Michael approached Kyle from behind. “You okay man?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’m just fucking mad.”
“Yeah,” Michael said feelingly.
“I need to do something. Anything. Watching Isabel hurt is killing me.”
“I know. I hate this sentimental shit. I have no idea what I’m doing. Want to shoot some hoops?” Michael asked.
Kyle stared at him a moment before nodding his agreement. “Yeah man, that’s perfect. It’s all a game isn’t it?” he said as they started walking towards the park.
“Yeah. How is it that we got so fucking lucky though?”
“Isabel and Liz? I have no idea man. I feel like I cheated.”
“Yeah. But I was always better at basketball than Max.”
“Alex couldn’t shoot a basket to save his life.”
“But they were cool.”
“They were better than us.”
“Yeah. You feel guilty too huh?”
“Yeah,” Kyle paused a moment before adding, ”Should we tell them?”
“Nah, they’ll find us later. They need to hug and cry and be together.”
“Dude, that the last thing I want to see.”
“That’s why we’re playing.”
Kyle nodded, “I hated him so much.”
“So did I,” Michael said.
“I hated that at some moment in time I grew to respect him, I even liked him. I didn’t want to. But at some point he became my friend. I don’t understand why he’s dead.”
“Me either. Maxwell irritated the hell out of me. He was always goddamn right. I was the screw-up. Except Max fucked up too. But he was my brother. And I don’t fucking understand why he did what he did. What gave him the right to decide what was best? Not the fact that he was the King of Antar in some other life none of us really remembers? I loved him. And I’m afraid he didn’t know that.”
“He did man. And he did what he did out of love.”
“Always making it a point to be goddamn perfect huh?”
“Yeah. I’m going to miss the hell out of him.”
“Me too. I’m going to miss him.”
Kyle nodded surveying the empty court at the park before saying, “Dude, we forgot to get a ball.”
Part 51
The silence was driving Michael crazy. He was so frightened.
He had just lost the man he’d always considered a brother. In a death that was as horrible as it was amazing. Because with it he had been granted life, freedom, and love. And it was unbearable.
Even worse, he had no idea what the two people he had come to consider surrogate parents were thinking of him. If they’d even let him marry their daughter. Why’d they want a fucked-up alien like him in their family was beyond him.
But he couldn’t approach the subject. He didn’t want to hear the rejection he knew he’d receive just yet.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to make it through the next week without Liz. Without her love. And yet, it seemed like he might have to.
“How’d you know?” Nancy asked abruptly.
“Pardon?”
“How’d you know you were aliens?”
“Mom! I hardly—"
“It’s okay Liz,” Michael interrupted his fiancée gently. He’d needed to hear these questions. “It was just a feeling at first. We came out of those pods and were scared, that’s my first memory of this planet. I was so scared; I hid from the Evans when they rescued Max and Isabel. And then there were the powers. We just knew we were different. It wasn’t until recently that any of us had any memories of our home planet.”
“It’s just so amazing. Claudia would have loved this, right Jeff?” Nancy asked her husband.
“Oh absolutely,” Jeff replied before continuing, “When I think of all the crazy stuff you kids have had to handle the past few years…”
“I want to apologize for that Jeff. We never wanted or meant to involve Liz in this mess.”
“Michael Guerin, I resent that!” Liz exclaimed crossing her arms and glaring at him from across the table.
“I’m with my daughter. Michael, if Max hadn’t involved Liz, she wouldn’t be eating dinner with us today. For that we’ll always be eternally grateful,” Nancy said, her voice catching.
“It was Max who chose to save her,” Michael shrugged.
“But you didn’t stop him,” Nancy pointed out.
Michael sighed, “I wished that I had sometimes.”
“But you didn’t really mean that sweetheart,” argued Liz sensing the guilt he was feeling. He was going to insist that he was in the wrong. He wanted to be blamed. He was sure he should be blamed.
Michael shrugged in reply.
“Michael, I won’t let you put yourself down. That you couldn’t protect Max from this; isn’t your fault. That you wanted to protect me from this; doesn’t make you an awful person. You never wanted me to die. You can’t control the way things turn out.”
“I know,” he sighed, “but I wish I could.”
“Son,” Jeff said, “I just want you to know that Nancy and I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to the family. You’re a very special man, and now I know part of the reason why.”
“You might be in danger now,” Michael said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Nancy smiled, “you’re family now.”
Michael couldn’t stop the tears or the smile that Nancy’s words brought to his face. He stood from his chair and gave her a hug. He’d never really known a mother’s love, but for the first time in his life he could see how it felt.
He felt Jeff’s hand squeeze his shoulder, and Liz’s arms wrap around his waist. For the first time Michael had a real family.
*****
It had been a rough couple of days. The news had slowly spread about town and the group gathered at the Crashdown early Tuesday morning to prepare for the memorial service that would be held the following evening.
Maria had been devastated when she heard the news. And she joined Kyle, Isabel, Liz and Michael at the usual table. Not that a lot of talking had been done. Liz and Michael sat together quietly at the corner end, their hands linked together tightly. Kyle sat with his arm around Isabel who cried on his shoulder every time she tried to say what her family had planned. Maria sat crying with her arms about herself. An empty space remaining where Max used to sit.
Finally Isabel managed to compose herself enough to manage to speak. In a voice hoarse with tears she said, “We talked to Brody on Sunday. He’s going to let us use the Planetarium for the memorial service. We’re all allowed to speak if we want to. But no pressure.”
Michael reached out with his free hand and grasped Isabel’s as she burst into another round of sobs. “This is so hard. I never thought he’d leave me.”
“I know,” Michael whispered soothingly.
“You’re not alone Princess, he didn’t leave you alone,” Kyle said.
“I know. But I still want him here.”
“We all do, Isabel. I just wish I’d been there for him. For you. I can’t believe what you guys had to go through…I’m so sorry I’ve been selfish,” Maria said her voice cracking on a wave of tears.
“Oh chica, we understood. Max most of all,” Liz said as she hugged her friend.
“I know, but it feels like I betrayed him somehow, by not being there for him, like Alex.”
Isabel moved to Maria’s side and hugged her too. “Maria, you were a great friend to my brother. He appreciated you. And you didn’t fail Alex. None of us did. We loved him. We loved the both of them. And they knew that.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Maria shakily.
“Yeah I do,” Isabel replied.
Michael and Kyle watched the three girls as they hugged and cried in each other’s arms. Suddenly slamming his fist on the table, Kyle startled the entire group. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I need some air.” He stood and stalked away from the group, Michael looked after him a moment before turning to the girls.
“I think I’ll follow him,” he said as he stood from his seat.
The girls nodded and watched them leave. It was easier for them to express their grief. The boys needed privacy. And their relationships with Max had been so much more complex.
*****
Michael approached Kyle from behind. “You okay man?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’m just fucking mad.”
“Yeah,” Michael said feelingly.
“I need to do something. Anything. Watching Isabel hurt is killing me.”
“I know. I hate this sentimental shit. I have no idea what I’m doing. Want to shoot some hoops?” Michael asked.
Kyle stared at him a moment before nodding his agreement. “Yeah man, that’s perfect. It’s all a game isn’t it?” he said as they started walking towards the park.
“Yeah. How is it that we got so fucking lucky though?”
“Isabel and Liz? I have no idea man. I feel like I cheated.”
“Yeah. But I was always better at basketball than Max.”
“Alex couldn’t shoot a basket to save his life.”
“But they were cool.”
“They were better than us.”
“Yeah. You feel guilty too huh?”
“Yeah,” Kyle paused a moment before adding, ”Should we tell them?”
“Nah, they’ll find us later. They need to hug and cry and be together.”
“Dude, that the last thing I want to see.”
“That’s why we’re playing.”
Kyle nodded, “I hated him so much.”
“So did I,” Michael said.
“I hated that at some moment in time I grew to respect him, I even liked him. I didn’t want to. But at some point he became my friend. I don’t understand why he’s dead.”
“Me either. Maxwell irritated the hell out of me. He was always goddamn right. I was the screw-up. Except Max fucked up too. But he was my brother. And I don’t fucking understand why he did what he did. What gave him the right to decide what was best? Not the fact that he was the King of Antar in some other life none of us really remembers? I loved him. And I’m afraid he didn’t know that.”
“He did man. And he did what he did out of love.”
“Always making it a point to be goddamn perfect huh?”
“Yeah. I’m going to miss the hell out of him.”
“Me too. I’m going to miss him.”
Kyle nodded surveying the empty court at the park before saying, “Dude, we forgot to get a ball.”
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