A Brighter Future
By Susan

Category: Friendship and M/M
Rating: PG-13(language)
Disclaimer: I own nothink at all.
Summary: In response to the Blackout in the US and Canada the writers of the RCWW decided to do a set of blackout fics. This is a companion piece to Not My Fault

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5 minutes. He has 5 damn minutes to get her down here or I am going after both of them . Michael thought to himself as he paced back in forth in front of the lobby elevator. People were starting to stare at the obviously aggravated young man.

“Michael will you please stop that. People are starting to stare.” Isabel said looking at her watch and silently praying that Kyle was able to get Maria down to the lobby in 5 minutes because Michael was definitely not in the mood to be kept waiting.

“Five minutes Isabel. He has 5 minutes.” Michael said barely holding in the anger he was starting to feel. Kyle promised him that he would make sure she was there.

“Michael you know Maria.” Max said with a smile on his face. The smile fell away as Michael glared at him.

“I don’t care Maxwell it is Kyle’s job and if he values his life he will not fail.” Michael said between gritted teeth. He began to pace once again.

Max shared a look with his sister both silently agreeing. Kyle is going to be in big trouble.

Liz, who had been standing off to the side watching the interaction between the three aliens, stepped in front of the pacing Michael and placed her hand on his chest. “She will be here Michael.” Liz stated calmly.

Michael looked at Liz and nodded his head, some of his anger starting to fade. Liz was right she would be here .

Michael had finally calmed down enough that he had stopped pacing as was leaning up against the wall when suddenly the lights went out in the lobby. “What the hell? Maxwell?”

“I’ll go find out.” Max said to Michael.

Max turned to his wife and sister. “Keep him calm. Don’t let him do anything stupid.”

Liz and Isabel looked at each other and then nodded their heads.

A few minutes later a worried looking Max walked back to the group. Michael, who had resumed pacing, looked at Max questioningly.

“There is a city wide power outage. According to the front desk a number of cities in the US and in Canada have been affected. They aren’t sure when the power is going to be turned back on. The hotel doesn’t have back up generators.” Max told the group.

“So no elevators?” Michael asked surprisingly calm

“No elevators.” Max answered.

“Are they on the elevators Maxwell?” Michael asked his agitation starting to show once again.

“According to the front desk the security office says there is an elevator stuck but there is no way to know if they are on it unless we go up and check the room.” Max said not looking at Michael. He knows this is not what Michael wants to hear.

“Max that is 20 floors up!” Isabel said the horror in her voice. There is no way in hell that she is walking up 20 flights of stairs.

“I’ll go.” Liz finally said breaking the silence. She needed the exercise anyhow. They had been cramped up in that van way to long this summer.

“Liz..” Max started to protest but she didn’t let him finish.

“I want to Max.” Liz said and then whispered so only Max could hear. “Isabel is obviously not going to do it and you need to stay here.” She said nodding her head towards the now once again pacing Michael.

Max nodded his head in agreement. Liz kissed his cheek and headed for the stairway to make her long 20 floor trek.

“What if they are in the elevator Max? Can “we” get them out?” Michael asked

Max looked over at Isabel who is shaking her head “There are too many people around, Michael.”

Michael stopped pacing and stood in front of Max. “I don’t care Maxwell. Damn it I almost lost her yesterday because there were too many people around. I can’t do it again, especially now. That is my family in there Max.” Michael shouted drawing a few stares from people walking by.

“Calm down Michael.” Isabel whispered frantically pulling both Max and Michael off to a more secluded spot in the hallway.

“Let’s just wait till Liz gets back. Ok?” Max asked hoping that Michael would agree.

“Parker better be quick.” Michael said walking off to stand in the corner by himself as he silently prayed. Please God let them be upstairs and not in the elevator.

Max and Isabel stood on the other side of the hallway watching their friend with concern clearly written on their faces. Both of them prayed that Kyle and Maria were not in the elevator because that was going to mean trouble. Michael was not going to sit by and do nothing. Not this time.

As the Evans’ were watching Michael he was thinking about the events that happened yesterday. Michael can still see the scene in his mind. It is permanently burned there. In a span of a few seconds Michael had nearly lost Maria, his family, his life. Michael could not use his powers to stop the speeding car headed for her. God how he wanted to but Max and Isabel screamed No and he hesitated just long enough that even if he had used them it would have been too late. Thank God Kyle pulled her away from the curve. He could have lost her. The thought makes Michael physically shudder. He ran to Maria pulling her close, afraid to let her out of his arms. Michael remembers looking at Kyle over Maria’s shoulder seeing that he was as physically shaken by the experience as he was. Then Kyle started yelling at Maria for being so careless. How she knew better than to cross a busy street without watching where she was going. And then he said the words that Michael will never forget. “Damn it Maria you’re pregnant you have to think.” The minutes that followed after Kyle announcement are a blur. Michael knows he yelled, ordered and threatened and that is why they are waiting in the lobby at this moment. They had an appointment with a preacher. They were getting married whether Maria liked it or not. She had no choice, she lost that right when she kept the pregnancy a secret from him, and Kyle Valenti was in charge of seeing she didn’t try to back out. Damn Valenti, it isn’t right that he knew first and Damn Maria for keeping it from him. She knows how important a family is to him. She could have died and he wouldn’t have known till to late.

Ten minutes later Michael had started to pace again and Max and Isabel couldn’t keep their eyes off the stairway door hoping that Kyle and Maria would be coming through there at any moment. Suddenly the door way opened but unfortunately only an exhausted Liz walked through the door. She just shook her head.

“Maxwell.” Michael said

“Ok Michael. Isabel you and Liz keep a look out.” Max ordered and then walked over to the elevator. He looked around to make sure that no one looking and placed his hand on the panel focusing his energy to give the elevator the power it need to continue its descent.

Michael stood in front of the elevator doors willing them to open as quickly as possible and then finally they did and Kyle quickly pulled Maria out. The duo stopped suddenly as they saw Michael staring at them both.

“Man it wasn’t my fault. The elevator got stuck. I swear she would have been here on time.” Kyle started pleading his case to the angry looking man in front of them.

“Valenti you must be the luckiest man alive because if this whole city wasn’t in the middle of a blackout you would be dead because I can almost guarantee she was late.” Michael said to Kyle not taking his eyes off Maria, his wife to be.

Maria smiled and said innocently “Me late. Never. It was all Kyle’s fault.”

Michael gave her a smirk and then held his hand out to her which Maria quickly took. Michael kissed her cheek and looked into her eyes silently questioning if she and their baby were ok. Maria nodded her head and smiled brightly as they walked through the lobby both hoping they would still be able to make their appointment. Michael couldn’t help but think to himself, They may be in the middle of a blackout but his future couldn’t look brighter .

The End.