PYGMALION

 

by DocPaul

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eighteen: Amy Hit the Atmosphere

 

If I could make it rain today

And wash away this sunny day down to the gutter

I would

Just to get a change of pace

Things are getting worse but I feel a lot better

And that’s all that really matters to me

 

Amy hit the atmosphere

Caught herself a rocket ride out of the gutter and

She’s never coming back, I fear

But any time it rains,

She just feels a lot better

And that’s all that really matters to me

 

We’ve waited so long for someone to take us back home

It just takes so long

And meanwhile the days go drifting away

And some of us sink like a stone

Waiting for mothers to come

 

There has to be a change, I’m sure

Today was just a day fading into another

And that can’t be what a life is for

The only thing she said was she feels a lot better

And that’s all that really matters to me

 

~~Counting Crows~~

 

 

Day Eighteen: Friday, 12:13 am

 

 

Max watched his partner eat yet another plate of food. Maria was finished. She was lying on the sofa bitching about how full her stomach felt one moment, and fast asleep another. Jonathan was moving around the loft, helping to clean up.

 

Amy and Jim had left a few hours previously, but not until after Amy cooked enough food to feed a small army on top of what Jonathan had ordered. Jonathan, with Liz’s help, was trying to put away the leftovers. Max frowned over at Liz, who was chatting animatedly at Jonathan. She smiled and moved into the man’s space.

 

What the hell was with that?

 

“Don’t tell me you’re getting jealous of Parker.”

 

“What?” Max asked distractedly.

 

“You look like you’re going to spit.” Michael said, mopping up his plate with more bread. Burping, he sat back and patted his stomach. Stuffed. Really stuffed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually felt that feeling. Looking over at a sleeping Maria, he frowned.

 

“I need some help.”

 

Max stopped sending Liz daggers of hate and turned back to his partner. “Help? In what? Maria’s looking pretty good right now.”

 

“Today is the last day. I have so much crap left that needs to be done. You got the list right, and you know what to do.”

 

“I’ve got the list. Checked it twice. Everyone will be there.”

 

“Sean... Did you tell Sean to…?”

 

“He called. Had a problem with the hotel, but Jonathan took care of it.”

 

Michael sighed. He had started the arrangements a few hours ago when he woke up and found he hadn’t lost everything after all. Too much time had been wasted. Not anymore.

 

Max stretched. He was tired. He had things he needed to talk to Michael about, but for once, he couldn’t. Michael had other things that were more important right now. The rest could wait.

 

“If you’re not ready, Michael, just put it off another week.”

 

Drinking the rest of his bottled water, Michael reached for another. He still felt dry, about a good pint low on body fluids. “No. Not this time. I can’t.” Michael shook his head. “If she had…If I couldn’t have…” Dammit. He couldn’t even say it. “I wouldn’t have been married to her. Do you know what that would’ve done to me?”

 

Max reached into his back waistband. He fingered the cold steel. Yes, he knew. Pulling the gun out, he put it on the table in front of Michael. “Sean asked me to give this to give back to you.”

 

Michael touched his gun and checked the load. Empty. That wasn’t how he left it. Max remained quiet. There was nothing to say. Faced with the reality that if Maria had died, that Michael was determined not to live, he had no words.

 

Connections. They were all connected. Some stronger and different than others, but they were all living in each other’s lives.

 

Michael took his gun and put it away. “Thanks.”

 

“Michael…” Max didn’t even know what to say.

 

“Is it better, Max? What did Parker say?”

 

Max looked over at Liz and Jonathan talking in the kitchen. “She thinks you changed Maria. That your blood rewrote hers, and she is now able to transport and carry everything the babies need to survive.”

 

“I hope so. I can’t live through this again. It was close. Too close.”

 

Max nodded. They had a real busy day in a couple of hours. Too busy to put off anything else. “I’m going to go collect Jonathan and go home. Try to get some rest. I’ll be back tomorrow to help you.” Gathering his stuff, Max paused. “I want to tell Jonathan. Everything.”

 

“You that serious about him?”

 

Max picked through the things on the table. “It’s pretty serious, Michael. I…yeah, it’s serious.”

 

Michael looked over at a sleeping Maria again. “Fine. It’s okay with me, if Isabel and Tess agree. I already know what Maria would say.” He couldn’t imagine ever keeping Maria out of the loop in anything; it wasn’t fair to expect Max to feel comfortable doing it.

 

Max squeezed Michael’s shoulder and went to talk Jonathan into going home after they saw Liz home through the garden.

 

After it was finally quiet, Michael looked down and saw Mr. Booboo, who had been surprisingly quiet. He dropped some Italian beef on the floor for the cat.

 

“It was close, buddy. Really close. What would we have done without her?” Michael closed his eyes for a moment, and then suddenly smiled. He could feel them. All of them. They brushed the edge of his awareness.

 

The cat merely finished his meat and then gracefully jumped up on the sofa to settle down next to Maria. Michael made a sound in his throat and went to finish putting away food. Maria was safe. Someone was watching over her. In the gloom of the loft, the cat’s eyes shone luminously.

 

~~~

 

“What? That is not what I ordered! Shit. I need it done today! Not tomorrow, today!” Michael listened, shutting his eyes he tapped his fingers against the table impatiently.

 

Maria stood at the top of the stairs watching him. He was damn sexy when he was in a pissed off mood. Truth be told, it was why she loved to push his buttons, make him crazy. Seeing his narrowed eyes and angry pacing, he never looked more fuckable.

 

“Hey, Tiger! Got a problem?”

 

Michael looked up, swearing under his breath, and saw Maria. He made a quick threat into the phone and then hung up, nonchalantly sitting down at the table and covering up his notes and papers.

 

“Naw. Just work stuff.”

 

“Hmm...work stuff. Okay, guess that means no.”

 

“I’ve got Max helping me a little.”

 

“Well, there you go. Mom called. She wants to go shopping despite the doctor telling her to take it easy, stay off the leg, and everything. She wants me to come.” Maria went over to him, hugging his head to her stomach. She bent and kissed this hair, her nose brushing through it. “You okay with that?”

 

Michael reached up a hand and pulled her into his lap, his mouth finding hers easily. “No,” he said huskily. He needed her gone for a few hours, but it felt like too soon. Damn. He could smell her blood beneath the skin, feel the rush of warmth and the telltale sign of her beating heart at her pulse. “You need something from me, Professor?” That husky deep tone with a slight hint of hope was adorable.

 

Maria laughed, delighted at his tone. “I need lots of things from you, Detective. I want lots of things from you too. What do you have in mind?”

 

“A feeding?” Michael looked at her seriously. It had been almost two days since he last fed her, not since that terrible day, that terrible moment.

 

“Hmm, hungry. Not that hungry.”

 

“Sex?”

 

Maria bent and nipped the side of his neck smiling in his skin at his reaction, the small sound in his throat. “Sex. Always want sex with you, Michael. Love sex with you. But for once, I don’t feel a need for sex. I think right now, I’d rather have a nap.”

 

Michael looked into her eyes. “Thank god!” They both laughed. Michael pulled her tighter in his arms. “A nap I could do. When is your mother coming by?”

 

“In about two hours. Plenty of time.”

 

“Uh huh, plenty of time.” Michael picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his middle, he plopped down on the sofa with her on top of him, rearranging her so that they were lying side by side. Grabbing a light afghan, he pulled it over them and arranged her more firmly on his body with their legs intertwining. Maria moved her hand over his chest and snuggled in closer. She felt good. Much better. Not so tired.

 

Rubbing her leg up and down his, she noticed Mr. B. on a chair watching, his eyes winking at them. “Mr. Booboo is watching.”

 

Michael didn’t even open his eyes. He just made a sound in his throat. “He’s always watching. I think we need to consider sending him out for therapy. I think he thinks we belong to him, rather than the other way around.”

 

Maria chuckled and sat up a little. “Is he stealing things again?” She looked over at her kleptomaniac cat with his nappy coat.

 

“Worse. He’s killing everything in sight. Stockpiling dead birds, and he’s taken to digging holes all over the garden. He’s either Oscar hunting, or stashing his extra kills.”

 

Maria made a sound of distress. “Extra kills? But he leaves me about two birds a day.”

 

“I think he kills more. He buries them for days when he doesn’t catch any.”

 

“Oh dear!” Maria buried her head against Michael. “Do you think we’ll ever just be normal?”

 

“This isn’t normal?”

 

~~~

 

“Don’t keep her out too long. If she gets tired, it’s okay, you can bring her home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and…”

 

Amy kissed Michael gently on the mouth. “Stop it. Did you contact Jennifer?”

 

“Yes. She’s got everything done on that end. Jonathan took care of the hotel rooms. The rest is arranged. Now the dress is already picked out, just make sure she…”

 

“I got it. Michael, really, it’s going to go perfectly.”

 

“Okay. Right.” Michael rubbed a nervous hand over his neck.

 

“Jim is coming with us. He’ll be her bodyguard.”

 

“I didn’t…”

 

“You didn’t have to.” Amy laughed softly and went to find her husband as Maria approached them.

 

“Detective, you going to be alright?”

 

Dammit. She was laughing at him. “It’s not funny.” He knew he was acting neurotic. He could hardly keep his hands off her, and even when she tried to walk out the door, he suspected someone was going to have to peel him away from her.

 

“I didn’t say it was. I just find you so incredibly cute right now. I’ll only be gone a couple of hours, okay?”

 

Michael pulled Maria to him. “No.” She kissed him hard. The kiss quickly became deep and passionate, and it was Jim’s throat clearing that had them pull apart. “Okay, go shopping with your mom. But do me a favor.”

 

“Shoot. Name it.”

 

“Buy a special dress with comfortable shoes for tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow?” Maria smiled as a frown marred her forehead. “What’s tomorrow?”

 

“A date.” Maria’s eyebrow went up at that. “I want to take you on a special date. Somewhere away from Roswell. There’s a small town just off the Reservation that’s having a flower festival. I thought maybe you’d like to go. We’ve been cooped up in this place, worried, and to say we’ve had a hard time lately would be the understatement of the year. Let’s just take a day off, okay?”

 

“Hmmm, does this date include anything else besides flowers?”

 

Michael looked at her suspiciously. “Such as?”

 

“Dancing. Slow. Up close and personal.” Maria smiled hopefully. She loved dancing with him, close and slow. He hated dancing in any form.

 

“Okay, there could be dancing.”

 

“How about candles? Will there be candles?” Maria’s eyebrow went up questioningly.

 

“There will be candles.” If it killed him, there would be candles.

 

“Food and music?”

 

“I’m sure that we can find food and music.” That was a guarantee. They didn’t go places that didn’t have food.

 

Maria seemed thoughtful. “Soooo... comfortable shoes?”

 

“Your feet might hurt otherwise.”

 

“Okay. It’s a date, Detective.”

 

Michael kissed her hard. “Thank you, Professor.”

 

~~~

 

Michael was ready to shoot himself when Max showed up. It was kill himself or eat, so he was in the middle of making a large sandwich. Opening the door, hoping for a reprieve or at least Maria to save him from himself, he found Max with Hanson.

 

“Maxwell? Sam?” Michael’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

 

“Is that a sandwich? Good. I’m starving.”

 

“Yeah, come on in. I think sooner or later we’re going to need to talk about you contributing to the grocery bills.” Max just laughed and Hanson followed him in, a little on the timid side. He had been to the loft a few times, but it was still a place of awe to him. Guerin’s home. Wow.

 

Michael went back to making his sandwich. Passing Hanson the bread and fixings, he quickly started making yet another sandwich for himself. He was still hungry. All the lost weight was ground he needed to make up. Maria hadn’t drunk his blood since that day, well except once, but that was more in play, and not in desperate hunger.

 

“So?”

 

Max watched horrified as Michael slapped cold cuts on a sandwich, spread peanut butter on one piece of bread and mayo on the other, adding pickled banana peppers and crumbled blue cheese with alfalfa sprouts.

 

“That’s a nightmare, Michael.”

 

Michael shoved a bite into his mouth and shrugged. “Tell that to Maria. I’m not responsible for her cravings. We can’t keep French Onion dip, hollandaise or cocktail sauce in the house. Add in the Tabasco, and this place is a condiment nightmare after a feeding binge.” Michael paused and added a few large slices of onion. “Make your own sandwich. You too, Sam.”

 

Hanson checked out Michael’s sandwich, and shrugged. “I’ll try one of those.”

 

Michael looked up in interest, and quickly sliced his sandwich in half and passed it to Hanson. If Hanson survived that, he could make his own if he was still hungry.

 

“So you got Maria out of the way?” Max was amazed. He didn’t think Michael would find it possible to let her or the babies out of his sight for a good twenty years.

 

“Amy and Jim took her shopping. They’re going to maneuver her into buying the dress I ordered for her.”

 

Max laughed. Good luck. Michael’s taste and Maria’s taste tended to be at different ends of the spectrum. If one added in Amy’s taste it was going to be a treat to see what Maria ended up with.

 

“Did you stop and pick up…?”

 

Max nodded and patted his pocket. Taking it out, he handed it over to Michael. The box was small and elegant. Michael opened it and looked inside. Good. Now those damn candles. Candles? He didn’t think of that until Maria mentioned having candles. He called Jennifer, hopefully she could get something arranged and done.

 

“Okay, I’ve got everything settled. You know what time to show up tonight, right?”

 

“Yeah. It’s set. What did Amy say?”

 

“Family dinner. She said to let her take care of it. The rest will be around later.”

 

Max just shook his head. It was going to be an incredible nightmare. But Maria would be happy.

 

“So what’s going on?” Michael noticed that Sam not only finished the part of the sandwich he gave him, but was making another one with extra mayo and peanut butter. Michael reached up in a cabinet, in his private stash and passed Sam a can of cheese under pressure.

 

Max made a pained face at the thought Michael and Hanson’s eating habits and made himself a simple sandwich of meat and cheese, a little mayo with lettuce. No onions. He still had to work today.

 

“Tell him, Sam.”

 

Hanson looked at the two men and shrugged hoping he wasn’t making a bigger deal of it than he should. He recounted the person he saw in the sewer, who looked like Michael, and his belief that Courtney had exploded the methane in the tunnel to cover up the other person.

 

“Looked like me? How much like me?”

 

“Well, he was different. Clothes, hair, and there were piercings and tattoos.”

 

“I have tattoos.” Michael mentioned indicating his arm.

 

“These were different. His hair was different. Shorter. Punked.”

 

Michael looked at Max.  The Dupes.

 

“You said your partner, Crissy, exploded the methane?”

 

“Courtney. Yeah. I’m positive. The sound of the match was to my side. She was the only person there. And she started running first.” Hanson looked uncomfortable. “And there’s something else…”

 

Max and Michael patiently waited. Sam Hanson was a slow methodical man. He worked best at his own speed. His speed usually pissed Michael off, but this time Michael just counted to ten with a cuss word between each count and waited. Maria was teaching him patience. Well, sort of.

 

“I…she…that is…”

 

“Hanson!” Michael’s irritated voice made Sam jump a little.

 

“Right. I was just saying that she’s always shown an interest in you, especially you. I thought she had a crush thing going, and even warned her off. I told her that you were very much engaged and not available.”

 

“Damn straight! Anything else? Is that it?”

 

Hanson looked uncomfortable. “Actually no. I...well, I was sort of suspicious of her. She showed up around the same time as that other thing, the strange handprint. And then the FBI came in and took the evidence. I also noticed that she dumps me and takes off on her own a lot. So one time I followed her.”

 

“Well?” Michael’s patience was hitting an all time low. Max put a restraining hand on his arm.

 

“She went to an out of the way public phone on a lower floor and called someone. I couldn’t get close enough to hear what she was saying. But I also took her disappearance as an opportunity to search her desk.”

 

“I swear, Sam…”

 

“Lotion. Lots of lotion in her desk. And pictures. Lots of pictures of the surveillance type.”

 

Max frowned. “Pictures?”

 

“Yes, of the Commander. The Commander and Ms. DeLuca. Maria.”

 

Michael looked at Max and shut his eyes. Calm. He was calm. No. No, he wasn’t. He was going to find that Connie person and strangle her.

 

“Easy, Michael. Where is she today, Sam?”

 

“You reassigned her with Fletcher today to work the University. They have their first major game tonight, and the University asked for help.”

 

Max nodded. Right. Looking at his watch, they had time. “Okay, she’s not home then. Michael, let’s go check out her place.”

 

Before Michael could comment, the door opened and Maria and Amy came in with poor Jim dragging a crap load of stuff.

 

“Oh, good. Help. There’s more in the car. My arm can only hold so much. Between Amy’s driving one-legged and Maria throwing up every three blocks, I’m exhausted.” Jim certainly looked exhausted.

 

Michael crossed over to Maria and tipped her face up searchingly. There was a slight darkness under her eyes, and she was a little pale. She had probably done too much. “Dammit, I…”

 

Maria kissed him instead. Whispering to him, she rubbed her face in his neck. “Stop it. It’s nothing. Mom’s driving. She makes me carsick every time.”

 

Michael framed her face. They had a busy night ahead of them. “Are you sure?”

 

“Positive. Now that I’m out of the car, I’ll feel better soon enough. I’ll make some tea.” Michael shook his head. Leading Maria to the living room, he made her lie down on the sofa. Covering her up lightly with the cover they had used earlier, he dropped a remote on her lap and kissed her on the forehead. “Uh uh. You rest. I’ll make the tea. Amy and Jim are eating over tonight, so that means Sean will come mooch as well. You need your strength.”

 

Maria looked at her mom. “You’re eating with us tonight? You didn’t mention it.”

 

“Oh, I did, sweetie. You weren’t listening. You were badgering the salesclerk.”

 

Maria shrugged. “Oh. Oh! Michael there’s no food in the house.”

 

“Maria, there is a shi…crap….a lot of food in the house. Jonathan had to have ordered the full menus from three restaurants yesterday.”

 

Amy just patted Maria’s head and kissed the top of it. “No matter. I’m cooking. I’ll order groceries to be delivered. Don’t worry. Now just rest a little. You were getting overtired. Jim and I will be back. I need to go get some stuff for dinner. Michael, what do you have in the house for an antipasto tray?”

 

“Olives. I think there are some olives, maybe marinated mushrooms. No cheese. Just ate the last of the fresh mozzarella on my sandwich.” Amy made a determined sound. “Jim, honey. We better go shopping for food.”

 

“I’ll drive.”

 

Amy kept the keys and wielded herself out of the loft on her crutches. “Nonsense. You know you can’t drive with one arm in a sling. It’s illegal. Isn’t it illegal? Diminished capacity or something? Now, on the other hand, my cast is luckily on the foot that doesn’t matter for driving. So…”

 

Maria giggled when she heard Jim’s dry, “Oh yeah, so lucky.”

 

Michael took her hand. “Maria.” He waited for her attention. “I need to go out with Max for just a short while. Why don’t you take a nap before your mom shows up with half a store and her favorite pot. Sam is going to stay with you, and…”

 

Maria laughed a little edgy. “I don’t need a babysitter, Detective.”

 

“I know. But we can’t use the phone where we’re going. At least not to call the Department. Sam will stay and man the phones here, and relay any messages, okay?”

 

Maria looked skeptical, but agreed. As long as it was the job, and not him being freakishly possessive and paranoid. “Fine. But I expect to find you here when I wake up, and not find you on the news for destroying something in the city.”

 

“Deal. Would Max and I destroy the city? I told you we’ve reformed.”

 

“Oh, that’s good!” Maria said perkily and slightly sarcastically.

 

Michael kissed her quickly with a laugh, and then again, slower and with some heat. Looking at her with half-closed eyes, it was a shock to realize that the overwhelming need to have sex was gone, but the sexual desire was still as strong. Nice. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

 

Michael took the cup of tea Max handed him and gave it to Maria, and gestured for Sam to follow them out.

 

“No one comes in unless you know them, right?” Hanson nodded. “Call me on the cell phone if you have any problem, and don’t pet the cat. He hates strangers. No one comes near her, you got that?”

 

“Yes, Commander. No one.”

 

Michael hit him on the shoulder. “Good man. C’mon, Max. I’ve got too much to do to waste time.”

 

Sam re-entered the loft to find the cat guard-dogging Maria. Strange to see a cat so intense with a touch of fierceness to it.

 

“Mrs. Guerin…..um, Ms. DeLuca, I mean…”

 

“Maria. You can call me Maria, Sam. It’s okay.” Maria looked at the embarrassed man and smiled, her eyes becoming quiet and intense. “They really didn’t need to leave you to watch over me. The Commander is just a little overprotective. So is Mr. B.”

 

Sam smiled slightly easing up in his awkwardness. “The Commander talks about you all the time. Sometimes I think I know you better than I do listening to him.”

 

“He does?” Maria couldn’t even describe how happy that information made her. Most of the time she felt she was sort of a burden, that loving her changed Michael’s life so much and he sacrificed many things by knowing her.

 

“He does.”

 

“Well,” Maria coughed a little to distract Hanson from noticing her pink cheeks. Michael talked about her. “Wait! What does he say?” Maria’s eyes were narrowed, and Hanson couldn’t help it - he burst out laughing.

 

Putting up his hands, he surrendered. “Only good things, I swear. I think most of the stuff slips out without him realizing it, like he can’t not talk about you. You must be on his mind a lot.”

 

And that made Maria smile even more. Looking upstairs at the darkened bedroom, her face softened. She almost…

 

No time for those thoughts.

 

“So, did you eat?”

 

“A sandwich.”

 

“Oh, too bad. I was going to tell you about this special goat’s cheese. Now Michael loves it, and it’s very repulsive in smell and stuff, but it really is very good. I hide it from him in the back of the refrigerator. I like to use it in sauces, though I haven’t made any lately so it might be a bit ripe.” Maria paused in thought. “Oh, well it should be okay. Anyway, I know you have a fondness for cheese, so I thought maybe you’d like to try some, have some tea and tell me about yourself.”

 

“In the refrigerator?” Maria nodded and instructed him to the whereabouts.

 

“Of course, I hide it from Michael. It does terrible things to his digestive system, and I have to live here too. He likes it on those special crackers with the cracked pepper. I think there’s a box up in the cabinet.” Maria put on her best smile, most persuasive. “Sam, you don’t see any cookies up there do you? I really can’t see up that high, and being pregnant I’m reluctant to climb up there.”

 

“Three bags.”

 

Three bags! Oreos?” Maria’s eyes narrowed. Cookie hoarder! She suspected as much. Well, that was just against the rules. “You better drag those down as well. And some milk would be great!” Maria watched as Hanson took out the cheese and crackers, added them to a tray with her cookies and milk, and a cup of tea.

 

“Now, did anyone ever tell you about the importance of cookies, the cream center? It has a nice history. Much like the handshake. Now a handshake was once done between strangers meeting, and the open hand was a gesture of no weapons. Very much in that way, the sandwich cookie can have great social implications.” Hanson sat back, nibbling on the very ripe stinky cheese as Maria quickly demolished Michael’s secret Oreo stash. He sat back and enjoyed her long lecture about literally anything and everything that crossed her mind.

 

~~~

 

Breaking into Courtney Banks’ home wasn’t hard. Not once they acquired her address from the Department. Max watched as Michael opened the lock with his hand. They entered and used their handheld pen lights to see in the darkened room.

 

“You take high, Michael. I’ll take low.”

 

“Whatever. How about you just take that part of the room, and I’ll take this area?”

 

Max just grunted. He found a pile of CDs and quickly flipped through them.

 

“She listens to Britney Spears and Jefferson Airplane. Strange combination.”

 

“Psychotic. Let’s fry the bitch.”

 

“Michael.” Max shrugged. Her music was a strange mix. Some oldies. Classic rock and more modern stuff. Not very great choices on the modern, but some of the classic rock was just that, classic.

 

“Maxwell.” Michael held open a lower cabinet and shined his light inside. Max came over and squatted next to him whistling under his breath.

 

“Damn, she must have dry skin or a warehouse buyers’ club where she buys in bulk.” They stared at the entire cabinet full of therapeutic dry skin lotion. Max stood up and opened up a closet cabinet.

 

“Fuck me!”

 

“I told you. Stop that gay stuff, man.”

 

“Stop being a dick and come look at this, Michael.” Max stood back and reached inside the cabinet switching on a light. Michael swore and stood looking at a closet full of pictures of himself pasted everywhere. There was his gym sweatshirt that he had lost from his locker at work. Most of the pictures were of him alone, but a few were of him with Maria. The ones with Maria either had her face marked out, or another picture overlapping  the original, so as to remove her from sight.

 

“What are you thinking?” Max asked. Damn. It looked like a shrine to Elvis or some other idol.

 

“That we need to look into who this chick is. I can’t live through another Cassie, Maxwell. And she comes near Maria, I won’t be responsible for my reaction.”

 

Max put a comforting hand on Michael’s back. “I’ll take care of it.”

 

“I don’t have time right now, and…”

 

“I told you, it will keep. I’ll take care of it, okay?” Michael nodded.

 

“You think she’s one of the Skins?”

 

Max stared at the closet. Major jones for Michael. “Maybe. I don’t know. Hanson is right though, she showed up right around the time that Price went down. We definitely know that we’ve got Dupes here. Scary. Other people who look like us, talk like us, but aren’t us. What are they, Michael? Twins? Our brothers and sisters? What are they?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I just know who my family is, and it’s not them.”

 

“C’mon, let’s get you back to your family. You’ve got problems, Partner.”

 

Michael laughed. “Don’t I know it! The DeLucas are coming for dinner.”

 

Max laughed. “Jonathan was so excited. He said he was going to fast all day.”

 

~~~

 

The loft was in chaos. Amy was home.

 

Michael found Maria immediately. He sat next to her and mauled her neck until she begged for mercy. He whispered in her ear. “You get any sleep, Professor?”

 

“Not a wink. My teddy bear was missing.” Michael made a face as being referred to as a stuffed animal. Reaching over, he took some food from a plate. A rare spiced beef tenderloin topped with seasonings and served in a salad.

 

“Hmm, this could be bad timing.” Maybe the dinner was a bad idea. Maria was tired. It put the fear of God in him.

 

Maria sank down on the sofa next to Michael hugging his arm. “Mom is making me hollandaise sauce.”

 

Michael kissed her on the temple. “Bonus.”

 

They both laughed as a harassed Sean entered the loft carrying a bag, actually bags. He had an equally unhappy Kyle following him.

 

“Aunt Amy, I swear this is the last trip out! I’m sick…” Sean swallowed his tongue at the look on Amy’s face, that and what was in her hand. “Um…that is...I mean, unless you need something else.” Amy put her threatening wooden spoon down.

 

“I need you to roll out the pasta sheets.” Sean quickly washed his hands. Finally something he liked to do. “Where’s Julia?”

 

“Working. She said she’d try to get here before dinner. Where’s the pasta machine?” It had taken him some work to convince Julia to come, but finally she agreed. She felt a little strange doing the couples thing until they got themselves back on track, so Sean was forced to bring in the big guns. He pouted. She caved like a ton of bricks.