Pygmalion

By DocPaul

Chapter Thirty-two: The irresistible force meets an unmovable object…

Day Forty-six: Friday, 12:27 am

“Is that all he said?”

Michael nodded as he slapped another piece of turkey on his sandwich. Dropping some on the floor for the lurking Mr. B, he searched in the refrigerator for pickles. “Pretty much. Looks like we have a rogue Shapeshifter out there. I don’t like this, Max. I don’t like this at all.”

Sean came down the stairs. “That Julia is sleeping over at her mom’s? I totally agree. When is Sleeping Beauty going to wake up?”

Michael looked up at Sean. “You know, you don’t live here. You could go spend the night at Julia’s mom’s with her.”

Sean suddenly looked embarrassed. “Well, see that’s a problem. Her mom is a little old fashioned. She wouldn’t let me sleep with her there, so…”

Maria came out of the bedroom above her cousin. “What the hell did you do in my bathroom? Dammit, Sean…” She spied what Michael was doing. “Detective! Is that sandwich for me?”

Michael looked at his sandwich and quickly grabbed two more slices of bread. “Of course.”

“That’s my man!” Maria pushed Sean out of the way and bounced down the stairs. “So are we still talking about this whole Destiny thing, or we back to the Shapeshifter?”

Michael cut the sandwich and put it on a plate, pushing it over to Maria, who leaned across the bar to kiss him. “I don’t want to talk about no damn Destiny.” He made a sneering look at Sean as he came into the kitchen and grabbed some bread too.

“Seanie, is there any hollandaise sauce left in the refrigerator?” Sean looked at Maria and shook his head. “Pooh! Okay, just give me the horseradish sauce…or cocktail sauce.”

Max looked at the sandwich Maria was adding olives and midget sweet pickles to, as she took the horseradish sauce and spread some on the sandwich. “Michael, stop her. You can’t let her eat that!” Max was horrified. Maria’s eating habits were atrocious.

Michael, who was watching, hoped she didn’t use all the horseradish. “All I know is we need to find this damn book, read it, and make sure that our children never make this damn thing. I don’t care what it takes.”

They all looked over at a tap on the glass door. Alex. Max quickly went to let him in. “Alex, what are you doing here? I thought you were watching over Isabel.”

“She’s asleep.” Alex went to the refrigerator, moving around both Michael and Sean to grab a beer. “Look, this is getting complicated. Unreal. I think it’s time for you two ‘Royals’ to tell the other two Royals everything.”

Max looked at Michael and shook his head.

Michael agreed. “No. Not yet.”

Maria made a sound in her throat of disagreement. “Look, Isabel is many things, but she isn’t this Vilandra person. She’s Isabel.”

“Agreed,” said Max. “I can’t do that to her. Not now. She’s worked so hard to come back from where she was. She’s only been out of recovery for a little while. She’s in school, finally getting her life on track. I don’t want her to be hurt.” He declined a beer. “Tess has had enough on her plate. The baby is getting close. She’s terrified that the fact Zan’s name is now on this book of Ascension or whatever, means she’ll lose the baby to another world. And I think that adding stress to her life after almost losing Kyle is not the best thing right now. Once the baby is born, then yes. But not right now.”

Michael looked at his brother. “You’re the King. I’ll follow you.”

Max smiled as Michael smirked piously. That way, when Isabel and Tess got angry for being left out, he could blame it on Max, the King. “I just don’t like this Granilith thing. It’s why our world is swarming with these murdering aliens. I say we find this thing and remove it. Or give it to them. Or whatever it takes. But I want this Destiny book. I want to know what’s going to happen, and then I want it over with. My Dupe had it right. Time to stop this damn Destiny cold.”

“You can’t do that, Michael.” Maria said softly.

“What?”

Maria looked at the four men. “None of you can stop this ‘Destiny’ as they call it. None of you. The more you know, the more likely you’re going to interfere in the events that must take place.”

“Maria…”

“No. Don’t you get it? This Granilith...not only did it save our future Earth, but it saved your past worlds. It was built for a purpose, Michael. It was the power source they used to re-engineer you.” Maria dropped some meat for Mr. Boo who was ribboning expectantly through her feet. “If we stop our children from creating it and sending it back, then we stop your own existence, your rebirth. And we stop our children from ever being born. Think about it, Michael. Your children created you. They created their own father.”

Alex rubbed his face hard. “Man, too Star Trek for me. I never could get these timeloop things. Once you get in the loop, it’s hard to say where it started. Did your children create it first and send it back, but you were already here…but you wouldn’t have been here until they sent it back. It’s the chicken and the egg thing.”

“Stop it!” Michael closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t even think about it. Not now. It’s too late in the evening. Tomorrow. Next month. Hell, next frickin’ life. This crap is giving me a headache.”

Maria looked at Alex. “If this doesn’t happen as it’s supposed to, Isabel will never be born. Neither will Max or Tess. Their worlds will have died out centuries ago, long before they ever were originally conceived. I would’ve never met Michael, because there would’ve been no Michael to meet.” Maria put her hand on her stomach. “These guys wouldn’t exist either. That’s why we’ve been protected. Why they watch over us. Until I have my third child, Michael and I are essential. They can’t afford to have anyone harm us.”

The entire group became quiet. Alex drank his beer and ran the cold glass over his forehead. Well, shit!

~~~

The call came while Maria was in the shower the next morning.

“Look, this isn’t my fault, okay? We need to get groceries, so you’ve got two choices. Seafood Banquet or Salmon Delicacy. That’s it, pal.”

Sean snickered as his cell phone rang. “Hey, baby!” He said to his early morning call from Julia. He suddenly he stopped smiling as he realized it wasn’t her, and looked at Michael quickly and then walked away into the living room to continue talking on the phone.

“Your relationship with that cat is becoming weird and bizarre. You realize that, don’t you?” Max asked from the doorway as he came out of the spare bedroom.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Maxwell. Mr. B is a highly-evolved cat.” Michael poured Max a cup of coffee as Mr. Boo began tearing into the Salmon Delicacy. Gesturing toward the bedroom, Max shook his head no. Jonathan was still asleep. His quietness was beginning to really bother Max.

“So...we should talk about all the things happening lately, don’t you think?”

Michael shrugged. “No. Not today. I’m sick of it. I’m going to go catch some bad guys, abuse a few suspects, and clear off my desk. I’m going to pretend that I’m normal.”

“Burying your head, Detective?” Maria asked from the stairs as she came down.

“Deep. You bet.”

Sean disconnected his phone in an angry gesture. His anger was even more apparent when he turned to Maria. “What the hell did you do?!”

Michael moved away from the kitchen and got between Sean and Maria. “Back off, Sean!”

“Stay out of this, Michael. This is between Maria and me. Family business.” Sean glared at Maria, waving his phone. “So, M? What did you think you were doing?”

Maria looked at Michael and then at her cousin. “Perhaps if you could be a little more specific?”

“Specific?” Sean huffed. “How about the information I just got that someone took out a contract on Strickland, and they hired the Chameleon? That someone is you!”

Michael turned and looked at Maria in shock. “Maria?”

“What?” Maria looked at the two men. “What? Was I supposed to sit around while everyone I love is murdered? I will not bury any more people I love. No more. It was a solution! The Chameleon is the solution! You want him? Well there. If he takes the contract, then you have a way of finding him. He’ll go after Strickland. If you miss him, and he doesn’t…then better yet, Strickland is gone.”

“Maria?” Max looked at both Michael and Sean, and back at Maria, almost in shock. “That’s illegal. It’s called conspiracy to commit murder.”

Maria looked at them. “I don’t care what it’s called! My mom. Jim. Kyle. Mrs. Mulhoney. Margo. Zeke. My babies. Julia. Sean. Michael. Where does it end? You can’t find him. This was a solution.”

Michael grabbed Maria’s arm hard, shaking it. His rage was evident in his eyes. “It’s still murder, Maria!”

Maria shook his hand off her arm. “Don’t talk to me about murder. Don’t talk to me about extremes. Tell me that you, any of you, were not going to extract justice for the attack on Jim? On one of your own?”

“That’s not the point,” Michael said coldly. Damn. His wife. His wife! She had shifted back into her father’s world so easily, without even a twinge of conscience.

“It is the point! You do what you have to do. I did what I had to do. It doesn’t make us different.”

“Yes, it does!” Sean yelled. “What I know….what we know... We should arrest you!”

“Arrest yourselves! You had no intention of letting whoever was responsible go free! You had no intention of taking a chance on the justice system! You were going to bring forth  your own type of justice. Well, this is mine.” Maria refused to back down, the stubbornness evident in the lines of her back. “I did what I had to do to protect what’s mine.”

“It doesn’t run both ways, Maria. You can’t have it both ways!” Michael said, his pose angry and unrelenting.

Maria met his furious gaze and the vase next to her blew into shards.

“Dammit! I loved that vase!” Sean backed off as did Max. Maria’s anxiety level was climbing. Michael did not.

“You can’t walk these lines, Maria.”

“Back off, Michael. If it had occurred to either you or Sean, you’d be making the call. The difference for you is that that call comes with a price. For me it doesn’t.”

Michael grabbed her arm again. “Did you ask yourself why? Why does it cost us, and not you? There is a difference, a minor one, but a difference just the same.” He shook her, trying to make her see sense. “There should be a price! There has to be, or you cross to the other side.”

“Get your hand off me, or I will remove it.” Maria’s voice was low and cold. She looked into Michael’s eyes and he stepped back, but his jaw remained clenched. Grabbing her bag, Maria slammed out of the loft. Michael winced at the gunning of the GTO’s engine. She was going to take her anger out on the streets of Roswell.

Michael took his phone to make the call, but Max stopped him. “What are you doing, partner?”

“Having a unit pick her up. She’s a danger to public safety, to herself, and to the babies.”

Max took the phone from Michael’s hand. “You make that call, you might as well file for divorce.”

“Fuck!” Michael walked a few steps away and slammed his palm against the wall and then looked back at Max. Shaking his head, he tried to control his anger.

Sean sat down. “Her plan might work.”

“Shut up, Sean! That is not the point and you know it!”

“Maybe Chameleon is the Shifter? Maybe that’s why he can blend into the woodwork,” Max theorized.

The three men were staring at each other wordlessly when a voice from the door asked,  “What’s going on?”

Max looked over in shock. Jonathan.

~~~

“Maria!” Amy let her daughter in with a quick hug and a smile. “Tell me you brought Max Evans! I have a job for that wonderful man.” Amy tapped her evil cast on her leg. “I was thinking that his wonderfully magical hands could…” Amy stopped and looked at her daughter’s face. Her hand flew to her mouth, “What happened?” The word ‘now’ was unspoken, but hung between them in the air.

“I happened,” Maria sat down dejectedly and looked at her mother. “I don’t know. I can’t say if it’s right or wrong. Michael says it’s wrong, but everything inside me says it’s a solution. Perhaps the only one.”

Amy put on the tea kettle and searched for some cookies. “Start over. Take it from the beginning and tell me, honey.” She listened as Maria told her the entire story, keeping her hands busy to prevent them from shaking. It was hard. So hard. They walked away so many years ago. Chosen a different life. And now...

“And that was it.” Maria sniffed. “Michael yelled at me. He hasn’t done that in a long time.”

“It was just a matter of time. Neither of you are acting like your normal selves. The scare of the babies, being sick, and you almost dying has put a crimp in your usual interactions. Usually the two of you aren’t so sappy and understanding of the other, you’re usually bordering on intolerable to be around. I’ve never seen two people more in love, and more determined to shadowbox the other.”

“It’s not that, Mom,” Maria looked at her hands. “I’ve been sick. Tired. Afraid. I let Michael take care of me, and in the process I gave away my life. It was a life I worked very hard for.”

“Regrets?”

Maria shook her head. “No. I could never regret Michael or the babies. Never.” She picked up another cookie. “I just know that I’m at my best when I’m doing what I was trained to do, and lately, I’ve forgotten that.”

“So hiring a hitman…that’s your training?” Amy picked up crumbs off the table with her fingertip. “That doesn’t sound like training, Maria. It sounds like breeding.”

“Mom...”

Amy held up her hand. “No. Hear me out.” She took Maria’s hand. “Your family made choices. They are what they are, and in that, they bred your brother, your father, and your father’s father. Good or bad. Right or wrong. You used to have an opinion about that.”

Maria looked away.

Amy continued, “You found tremendous courage inside, and at fifteen, you walked away from a family legacy of walking on the wrong side of the law. They’re not evil, but what they do is. Still, they’re your family, and you love them and they love you. You live with them…but always there’s this silence. No judgment. No discussion. The two ends must never meet.”

“I have other things I feel compelled to do too, Mom. Protect those I love. This was a venue. An avenue open to me.”

Amy grabbed Maria’s hand hard. “I know it was. I know it is. There is nothing your uncles would not do for you. For you, or Sean. But Sean is trickier. He walks a careful balance. He accepts nothing without penalty. He knows that it will be a cost he must pay. If there is no cost, then he’s fallen back into the life and become once again a part of the world he walked away from. So he pays the cost. As does Michael. A cop,” Amy said moving Maria’s hair from her face, “always walks with the power of his authority in hand, with the pull of those he pursues at his side. They, the cop and the criminal, walk together along a thin line, as much as day is light, and night is darkness. Sometimes those two blend into shades of gray. They understand this. They play a game. Crossing over comes with a price. They sometimes help each other…give information..., but in this world nothing is free.”

“I’m no cop. They won’t ask for anything in return.”

“I know. I know this world of power and money is available to you, Maria. At your fingertips. You…as your father’s daughter, are able to request a favor with no question of price.” Amy frowned. “It’s not a question of ‘Can you ask this favor?’, because we know you can. It’s a question of ‘Should you?’”

Maria searched her mother’s face. Amy shook her head no.

“But…”

“No buts. Michael is right in this. So is Sean. Maria, you are wrong. Your heart is good and the reason comes from a good place, but no, this is not the solution you’re seeking. You walked away from this life. Fought to be free. You cannot go back when it’s convenient for you. It doesn’t work that way. You cannot turn your back on something, then suddenly use it when it becomes an easy solution.”

“You’re saying that I’m being a hypocrite.”

“I am saying that you, my beautiful daughter, light of my heart, are a spoiled brat.”

Maria smiled at her mother. Damn. That she was. Too often she got her way, got things to her liking.

“An only daughter, beloved, treasured, and given everything. You have no money cares, even though you give away so much. How big is your bank account? Michael emptied his to give you a wedding and honeymoon, and he refused to spend the money given to him from the Family. How much of your money is from your job? Not many can take a year off work, and live comfortably enough to expand their home to almost twice its size.”

“I have some put away.”

“You have more than that, Maria.”

Maria conceded the point. Even after all the money she donated, plus the Foundation, she was still well off. Crime did pay, it seemed. She rubbed her face. So. She could admit to being a brat at times. Maybe that was why she loved Michael. He gave in to her at times, but most of the time, he made her work for it. Her success was never guaranteed. And more times than she liked to admit, he won.

“When I’m wrong, I can admit it.” Maria bit her lip. “What do I do now?”

Amy shrugged. “What is there to do? It’s done. You learn. That’s what you have to do. Learn the limits, Maria. You have a good heart. A strong soul. Learn what’s allowed and what is not. Set the limits. It’s important. You’re going to be a mother. How will your children ever learn what’s allowed when you keep pushing the lines? Especially children possessing the special powers yours will have?”

Maria sat back and nodded. It was true. She pushed. Lately, she’d been pushing a lot. A frown marred her brow. “Something is different with me, Mom. Something big.” She closed her eyes and tried to focus on what she knew about herself, and what she felt now. “Power. I feel powerful. Controlled. Masterful. Perhaps it’s a factor in my bratty behavior, because power corrupts.” She leaned forward. “Do you have any idea how many people think they’re in love with me? This isn’t pride or being conceited. It’s not even truthful. They think they love me…but why?”

Amy looked uncomfortable. She knew what Maria was saying. She felt it. Had felt it before. “Maria, when you were born, there was something special about you. The Family felt it. Your father felt it. Even Frankie, Jr. saw it. He hated it. He hated that you were special. It was like a low hum.” This was difficult. Her child. Her daughter. “That feeling has changed. Increased. Over the last year or more, I can feel a sense of…” Amy paused. There were no words for it. Not really. “I just know that when I speak to you, suddenly I feel refreshed, like there is a world of possibilities. I do things. I try. I try because you tell me to do it. So I do.”

Maria sat up straighter. Dickie. He delivered the mail correctly because she told him to, and he thought he was in love with her. Liz. Liz was lost, waiting, and she told her to stop waiting for Prince Charming, to fight for her life. Liz thought she was… Maria stood up and paced the room. Damn her preoccupation. How many more? What was she missing? Max. Max was fascinated, but she told him too that he wasn’t in love with her, but the idea... She had given him Jonathan’s number. She had sent Isabel to Jonathan to get her money to go to school…

“What am I?” Maria looked at her mom. Oh, God! She sat down. Michael. How much did she push him? Did he love her? Or did she subconsciously tell him to love her? “Mom, I have to go!”

Amy stood up, following her to the door. “Maria! Where are you going?”

She didn’t get an answer, and she stood there wringing her hands, as she watched Maria get in her car and drive away.

~~~

“Jonathan!” Max rushed to the man’s side, but held back uncertain. “Are you okay?”

Jonathan searched Max’s face, and he nodded as his hand moved along Max’s cheek. Ignoring that Michael and Sean were watching, he leaned forward and kissed Max softly. “I’m fine.”

Sean smiled, but Michael made a sound of disgust. “Hey, stop that! Take it to the bedroom or something. Observers.”

“Yeah, like you’re a fine one to talk. You and Maria have been burning up the sheets for months, giving everyone a big fat hairy hard-on, and ….”

“Sean, you can find a new place from which to mooch. Your bed has just been vacated.”

Sean surveyed the room, took in the standing Jonathan, and the thought of getting Julia back hit him hard. “Yeah, you two, have some thought for us spectators.”

Michael suddenly became serious. “Really, are you okay?” Jonathan nodded. “Thanks for helping us get to Tess and Kyle. It was…”

“It’s okay.” Jonathan looked around. “Where is Maria? I need to talk to her.”

The three men looked at each other helplessly.

“She’s out right now.” Michael said with a bite to his voice.

Jonathan looked confused. “What time is it?” He looked around. “What day is it?”

Max sighed. “Friday. It’s Friday. Early still, but after nine.”

Jonathan looked horrified. “I lost a day?”

The others remained silent.

“Damn, did you call my secretary? Did you make arrangements for…” Jonathan searched for his watch. “Nine? After nine? On Friday? I have a meeting at eight this morning!” Jonathan grabbed the phone and quickly dialed. They turned away, giving him some privacy.

Michael shrugged. “That went well. He’s adjusting just fine.”

Sean looked at his watch and streaked for the door. “Aw, shit! A.I. I forgot! I have a meeting too. Later.”

Michael and Max sat down at the kitchen bar and drank a cup of coffee as Jonathan talked on the phone, pacing as far as the cord would allow him.

“Didn’t call his secretary?”

“Forgot. I was otherwise occupied.” Max frowned. “It was just one day. What could possibly go wrong in an office with all those administrative assistants?”

They never found out. Jonathan hung up and rushed back into the bedroom. They could hear him talking to himself and then the sound of the shower.

“Guess he needs to get to work. I was hoping to talk to him about what happened.” Max looked at his watch. “I guess we’ll need to drop him off at the office or home so he can change. We might as well go to work too.” He sipped his coffee thoughtfully. “Where do you think Maria went?”

Michael had no idea.

~~~

“Maria!”

Maria enthusiastically hugged Cheryl. Looking her secretary over, Maria smiled. “I love the new color!” Her hair looked so vibrant!

“Thanks. I just did it.” Cheryl looked Maria over and her hand patted Maria’s small rounded stomach. “God, you look wonderful!”

Maria laughed and kissed Cheryl again. “You got my mail?”

“You didn’t have to come down here for that. I was going to have it couriered over to you.”

Maria shrugged. She had something she needed to do, and the University was the only place she could do it.

“I’m so happy to see you! You can’t believe what the department has me doing. I swear I pick up everyone else’s grunt work, and fill in for any other secretary that calls in or goes on vacation. They lent me out to English the other week. It was a nightmare!”

“Sorry about that. Otherwise, how are our new offices?”

Cheryl laughed. Gesturing with her head toward the office with Maria’s name on it, she waited. Maria opened the door, her mouth open in amazement. Her new office was bigger. Large enough for a real sofa! Built in bookcases. Her desk, normally large when viewed in her older office was suddenly looking smaller. Or it would if…

“Oh God! Oh my God!” Maria went inside looking in amazement. “No! This can’t be!” Her office, it was a shambles. A mess of new epic proportion. “Cheryl, how can my office be this messy? I just moved in, and I wasn’t even here to create it.” The desk, the monster that breathed like a two-headed entity, was a mound of papers, journals, and artifacts rising to the ceiling. “It’s blocking out the sunshine from my new windows?” A cave. Her new office was more of a cave than the one she had in the basement.

“The tenant downstairs, a Professor Harvey, has already voiced a concern that his ceiling will cave in.”

“Where did all this come from? I mean logistically, I move from a small office to a larger one, even with a huge pile of junk, it should look smaller, not bigger.” Maria stood flabbergasted at the pile of stuff everywhere. “It’s breeding! My office is breeding.”

Cheryl handed Maria a cup of coffee, but realized her mistake and quickly took it away. “I’ll get you some tea. Nope, this, my dear, is the result of someone using one of the storage rooms downstairs without permission, and they decided it was time for your wayward stuff to come home. The departmental heads are suggesting that you probably don’t really need those shrunken heads, bundle burials and fertility figurines.”

Maria looked at her secretary in horror. “Give up my prized stuff? No way! It’ll fit. I’ll make it fit. Dammit, I already lost my office at home…this is just a temporary setback. All it needs is a little organization.” Maria bit on her nail. Now where the hell was she going to find organizational genes? Cheryl started to make a comment, but Maria waved it away. “Give me a moment, I’m pregnant, not brain dead.”

Cheryl laughed and left her boss trying to navigate how and who she was going to con into helping her find some order in her life. One thing was certain, she wasn't that someone.

~~~

“Sean, is there anything else you can add?”

“No. I said everything. I gave up all I had a while ago.” Sean looked over the IA officers. The police’s police. Damn. Jack Baxter handed over the papers and waited for the others to leave the room. Sean waited. This was obviously not over.

“What’s the problem, Jack?”

Jack Baxter was a good man, one that wanted to make a difference. It was why he chose IA. It was hard. Other cops didn’t like to think members of their own were watching them. Spying on them. “It’s Andy. He was a huge part of this investigation. He was inside informant. Losing him has really hurt us.” Jack sat down on the edge of the table. “Any clue what he was going to give you, or tell you?”

Sean bit his lip and looked up at the wall. “Are those cameras still working?”

“What do you think?”

Sean stood up. “I think trust is a two way street. I turned on Strickland because I couldn’t stomach his corruption, but I ain’t no snitch. Andy was my friend. A good friend. If he was in danger, you should’ve brought him out of the cold.”

Jack sighed. “We made a mistake. It was…” Jack looked at Sean. “We didn’t know how much he knew, or even what he found. He never had time to tell us. I got a cryptic message, but he was afraid. Really afraid.”

“I know. He arranged for me to meet him somewhere I no longer go. What do you want from me?”

Jack rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. Hope. Maybe you know more than you think you know, or Andy got something to you. Thing is, Sean, Strickland is a piece of a larger tumor. This cancer is big. I’ve got leaks of information in all departments. Things are going out. Nothing coming in. Pierce, and people like him have a direct connection into our cop shop, and we can’t plug the holes. As fast as we do, another one appears. It’s like this damn man is a spook. He just walks around undetected. Nothing stops him.”

Sean nodded. “I understand. You can get Strickland, but that doesn’t do much for the other places that are leaking like a sieve. You think Andy learned something more?”

“I don’t know what he learned exactly. It was enough to have him running. He went underground. Even we couldn’t find him. You were the only person he contacted. The only person he trusted.”

Sean looked away. The only person Andy trusted, and he let him down. God... Andy... Sean closed his eyes. Andy. What did he say? “I’ve got some stuff you need to see. Information. I…it’s not safe for me to be seen talking to you right now, Sean. Meet me at the place, okay? I’d just tell you to pick it up in the place where I left that thing that one time, but this needs more than papers. I’ve got a story to tell. No one I can trust to tell it to. No one but you.” Sean discreetly glanced up at the camera on the wall.

“Sorry, Jack. There’s nothing more I can help you with or tell you. Whatever Andy knew, it died with him.” Sean walked to the door. “I’m really sorry.”

~~~

“Maria, is there someplace special you want this?” George asked, holding up a pile of monographs from early archaeological sites.

Maria frowned. The place looked a little better, but not much. “I don’t know. Ask Jeremy. He’s creating a filing system.”

Jeremy looked up from his work. “One which you will no doubt destroy with use.”

Eddie stood in the doorway, drinking his coffee in wonder. The two bug guys and Maria were desperately trying to find some order. “Eddie, stop taking coffee breaks. We’re never going to get this done.”

George tossed the monographs into a pile and attacked more off the desk. Maria squinted her eyes as an alien object came into view. “Maria, here are some of the records you requested. It might take some work…” Cheryl followed Maria’s glance. “What is it?”

“What is that?” Maria pointed at the lump.

“That’s your computer. You know, a CPU connected to the departmental system and the University. Where normal professors enter their course grades and such.”

Maria handed her the empty cup of tea and cautiously stalked the alien machine. A computer. A departmental computer. “When did I get one?” She had always used her laptop.

“You’ve had one as long as I can remember. Now finding it was another issue all together.”

Maria waved off the comment. “Cheryl, can I find all my class information, past stuff,  like grades and compare it to other professors teaching the same curriculum?”

“Yes.”

“Can I use it to compare how my classes from one semester to the next have performed academically on a graph?”

“Yes.”

“Who can help me do that?”

Eddie, Jeremy, and George collectively said, “I can.” All at the same time.

Maria turned to her helpers. “Men, grab chairs. We have research to do. Cheryl, you better call around. Get us some beverages. Some grub. Call a restaurant. Tell them to kill a cow or two. We have a project!”

~~~

Michael took out his phone, stared at it, and then put it away.

Max looked up from his desk. “Just call her.”

Michael made a face.

“Michael, call her. You’re not going to get anything done until you do.”

Michael took the phone and pushed the memory dial. The ringing continued for a few moments when suddenly it was answered. There was laughter and he heard Maria talking loud to someone.

“Hello?”

“Professor.”

There was a pause.

“Hi.” Maria looked over her shoulder and walked away from the loud group arguing over how to organize the information.

“Whatcha doing?”

Maria looked over at the group, and she frowned at the phone. “I’m working. My office was surprisingly a mess, considering I haven’t been here, so I found some helpers.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Michael digested that information. Workers? That meant devoted slaves. “Who?”

“George, Jeremy and Eddie.”

Michael smirked a little. “The bug guys?” Eddie. At least he would keep an eye on her. Michael paused for a moment. “Look, Professor, you want to talk about this?”

Maria moved her hand along the edge of the bookcase. “Actually, I can’t right now. I have something I need to do.” She took a deep  breath and lowered her voice, “I’m sorry.”

“Maria…” Michael started, but he was interrupted by voices in Maria’s office demanding her attention.

“Maria! We’ve got it!”

Maria looked over at the eager group. “Detective, I can’t talk right now! I’ve gotta go.” She started to disconnect, but then paused, “Michael, I love you.”

Michael looked at the phone as Maria hung up. Now this was worrisome. What the hell was she up to now?

~~~

Maria gazed at the phone for a moment, and then put it away. “What have we got?”

Eddie shook his head. “This has got to be wrong. Damn, Maria, there is no way.”

They huddled around the monster that was her desk and explained the various bits of information they collected had from the University server.

George pointed at a graph. “These are your class averages over the last few years. Since you’ve been teaching. Notice the graph.”

Maria sat on a chair and leaned forward. In almost the last two years her students’ grade point averages had increased almost exponentially.‘

“That’s not possible.”

“Sure it is,” said Jeremy. “It is if you either test easier or give your students the answers so they can’t not succeed. Or if you’re one hell of an educator.”

Eddie had to disagree. “Maria isn’t a cakewalk. Her courses are hard. She demands participation and preparation for class discussion. Students take her classes because they’re interesting and difficult.  Students learn in them.”

“Show her the other one, Jeremy.” George said. He turned to Maria. “As a control, we used the survey class taught to freshmen. Now it’s a standardized test and all information, books and materials are the same. Every Professor covers the same material.”

Maria looked at the set of graphs. “What am I looking at?”

Eddie pointed to the first graphs. “This is your class’s average versus other professors offering the exact same freshman classes. Each graph is a school year. Notice that over three years ago your classes did slightly better than the others. Not by much, but still better. Now look at the next few years.”

Maria followed his finger. The line that signified her classes showed a marked improvement. More than a marked improvement. An unheard of improvement. Jeremy turned in his seat and looked at with a dawning respect. “Damn Maria, you better ask for a raise.”

Maria chewed on a nail. “Can you hardcopy this information, get me a printout of all the graphs along with class scorings, all classes over the last three to four years?”

“Done,” said George. “Maria, what is it?

What indeed. For some reason her classes had higher averages naturally, but not by much. Then suddenly, around the time she became involved with Michael her students suddenly either became smarter, or she became a better teacher.

“I don’t know. I think I need to talk to an expert.”

~~~

Jacob Sanderson opened his door to Maria DeLuca. He stared at her for a moment, and suddenly a smiled burst through. “Maria!”

Maria tossed herself into the young man’s arms. “Jacob!”

He swung her around and kissed her cheek. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”

“I need some help.”

~~~

Michael got home late. The loft was surprisingly quiet. The construction crew had already come and gone for the day. He could smell the lumber and the lingering sawdust. Tossing his jacket across the back of the sofa, he looked up at the upstairs bedroom. It was dark. Mr. Boo meowed plaintively and followed Michael as he searched the entire loft, already sensing she wasn’t there. Going upstairs, he paused in their doorway and looked at the chaos of their bedroom. Clothes. Everywhere.

Maria’s entire closet was strewn across the bed. Clothing... A discarded bag... She had been home. Home and gone again. Wherever she had gone, she had taken a bag of clothing with her. Michael went downstairs and checked her daily vitamins. Gone. Looking in the garage, the GTO was missing. “Where is she?”

The highly-evolved cat simply blinked at him and meowed to be fed. After all, he knew she was all right. She had told him she would be. And this pet had promised no more dieting. He was going to hold him to it.

Sean walked into the loft a few hours later to find Michael lying on the sofa. He hadn’t bothered to turn on any lights. He was drinking a beer. Sean’s eyebrow went up as he looked around the place. It was quiet. Too quiet.

“Where’s Maria?”

Michael drained the rest of his beer. “How the hell am I supposed to know?”

~~~

“Maria, I’m not putting that on a pizza. Order something else.”

“It’s good. I swear.”

“I’m not eating some freaky combination created by a deranged pregnant woman.”

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. “Fine. Extra pepperoni with extra cheese and add in pepperjack.”

Jacob made a sound under his breath. Maria smiled and searched through her bag for her phone. Hoping she was still in her call area, she quickly called home. The phone was answered, but there was no response.

“Michael?” Maria looked at Jacob, and stood up walking away to stare out the window. “Detective? Are you there?”

“Yeah.” Michael didn’t say anything else. The silence grew until he finally sighed. “Where are you, Maria?”

“Phoenix.” Maria closed her eyes.

Then his voice came back low and dry, “Arizona?”

Maria licked her lips at his quietness.

“You leaving me, Professor?”

“What? No!” Maria glanced over at Jacob and quickly walked into the guest bedroom. “God, no! Michael, I told you that I needed to do some research.”

“Research? In Arizona?”

“Yes. It’s where Jacob is.”

Michael breathed deeply. “Your old college roommate? Jacob Sanderson?”

“Yeah.”

“When are you coming home?”

“As soon as I can. I promise.” Maria breathed deeply. “There are some questions I need answered, and I can’t figure them out on my own. Hopefully it won’t take me too long.”

Michael was quiet. “Okay. Promise you’ll be careful.”

“I promise.”

“Promise me that you’ll call me if you sense any danger, or even get a little worried.”

“Promise.”

“Absolutely promise.” Michael said in his ‘don’t bullshit me’ voice.

“Absolutely.” Maria smiled slightly. “I’m sorry I left things unsaid this morning. As soon as I get home, we’ll talk. This is something else. It’s important. You know I would never have chosen to sleep away from you, Detective.”

“I know.” Michael’s voice sounded hollow. “You scare me sometimes, Professor.”

“I know. Sometimes I scare myself.” Maria closed her eyes. “I’ll dream about you tonight. I’m already missing you.”

“I miss you too.” Michael’s voice paused just before he hung up. “I love you, just come home.”

~~~

Jim opened the door to his son. Kyle and Tess stood there waiting for them to answer the door. He opened his arms and held his son tight, pulling Tess into the hug as well. “Where did you go?”

“We decided to take a little time, that’s all. Just a breather.”

Amy came into the room and when she saw Kyle her eyes filled with tears. “My baby boy!” Kyle found himself enfolded in her arms. She was kissing his face and making sounds as her hand reached out and touched Tess’s stomach. Amy let Kyle go to look at Tess. Taking her face in her hands, she quickly hugged the girl.

They group hugged emotionally, as Jim took advantage of the full use of his newly repaired arm. The other night when he returned home, he shocked Amy with an arm that had been starting to look like it would never function correctly again, now suddenly completely healed. They laid in bed, with her in his arms held tight as she ran her fingers over a silver handprint that faded by morning.

Amy stood back and looked at her step-son and daughter-in-law. “Have you eaten?”