PYGMALION

By DocPaul

 

 

 

Chapter Nineteen: In Your Eyes

 

Love I get so lost, sometimes

Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart

When I want to run away

I drive off in my car

But whichever way I go

I come back to the place you are

 

All my instincts they return

And the grand façade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

 

In your eyes

The light the heat

In your eyes

I am complete

In your eyes

I see the doorway to a thousand churches

In your eyes

The resolution of all the fruitless searches

In your eyes

I see the light and the heat

In your eyes

Oh, I want to be that complete

I want to touch the light

The heat I see in your eyes

 

Love, I don’t like to see so much pain

So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away

I get so tired of working so hard for our survival

I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

 

All my instincts they return

And the grand façade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

 

In your eyes

The light the heat

In your eyes

I am complete

In your eyes

I see the doorway to a thousand churches

In your eyes

The resolution of all the fruitless searches

In your eyes

I see the light and the heat

In your eyes

Oh, I want to be that complete

I want to touch the light

The heat I see in your eyes

In your eyes

In your eyes

 

~~Peter Gabriel~~

 

Day Nineteen: Saturday, 9:33 am

“Maria, are you almost ready? We’ll be late.”

“Late?” Maria’s head came over the railing as she struggled to put on her shoe. “To a flower festival? Doesn’t it run all day?”

Michael swore under his breath. Sure it does. “Yeah, but all the exotic and fresh flowers will be picked through. C’mon, what if your family shows up out of the blue? I say we blow Roswell for a few hours before someone remembers they want us for something.”

Maria came completely into view. Standing at the top of the stairs she smiled at Michael, did a quick pirouette and curtsy to him. “Right you are! Detective, do these shoes meet with your approval?”

Michael made a noise in his throat. Enthralled. Caught. Captured. There were too many words. She was so beautiful in a mid-calf dress of antique white lace over a silk sheath,  trimmed in a golden piping. The dress swung at the shirt line in the fashion from the 1950’s. She looked like a movie star from the old days, classical, classy and so gorgeous, she took his breath away. Her golden blonde hair was bright and shiny, swinging as she slowly and carefully descended the steps. The shoes were a cream white silk that matched the dress with a low comfortable heel, more of a strapped sandal than a shoe. She looked young and carefree. Happy. Pregnant. The dress was a very expensive dress, more like a sundress, but still elegant.

“What? You hate the shoes?”

Michael shook his head. The dress. He had seen it in the sheets from the fashion house. Knew that it would be perfect for Maria. It took great effort to have it specially made for her, to fit her pregnant frame, and then figure out how to maneuver her to get the dress he pre-ordered. He had a lot to thank his future mother-in-law for.

“You look…I...,” Michael paused and went to stand at the bottom of the stairs to wait for her to join him. “I love the shoes. Very practical. They fit that dress completely!” Okay, now he just sounded gay. Dammit, Maxwell. But he didn’t know what else to say without exposing his plans.

Maria laughed. “Too much, huh? Mom made me buy it. Insisted. Had a veritable fit over it. But once I put it on, I fell in love with it. It’s perfect.”

“Yes, it is.” Michael’s hands rested on her waist as she stopped two stairs above him. “God, Maria, you look like a dream. Some mythical, magical dream I fell into while I was asleep.”

Maria took on a look of shock, and put her arms around his neck. “Romance? You offering me romance, Detective?”

Michael shut his eyes as her forehead came to rest against his. “Hmm, maybe my version of it.”

Maria kissed him outrageously and hugged him harder when he lifted her off the stairs and twirled her around. “Lead me to the Grease Pit and those cheeseburgers, baby! I love your version of ‘romance’!”

Michael laughed. “I might surprise you someday.”

Maria suddenly became very serious from her perch held high in his arms. Looking in his face, she searched his features and held his eyes. “You surprise me every day, Michael. Every day.”

Damn. They could be late, and…Shit! Michael forced himself to remember the plan and not let her distract him.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. I’m a slow worker, but I think I produce excellent product.” Taking her hand, he led her out to the Mustang.

Maria’s hand rested on the swell of her stomach. “Nothing slow about you, Detective, and I’m positive that anything you produce will be of the highest quality.”

Michael put her in the car and kissed her hand. “Then let the fun begin!”

 

~~~

 

Maria frowned at the small town. It was a small town, mostly Mexican, outside of Roswell with a mixed population of Native Americans and some whites. A small artisan community that specialized in local art. Michael pulled the car into an open field just outside the town next to a number of other cars. Getting out, he helped Maria alight, keeping her hand in his.

“No parking in town?”

“Easier to leave this way. It is a small town, but that’s why I wanted you to get comfortable shoes.” Maria nodded and smiled at the sunshine, the running children carrying streamers and laughing. Many of them had their faces painted. The main street of the community was lined in flowers of all sorts, streamers of ribbons, colorful and festive. Greens. Emeralds and white, with pinks and blues, purples and gold. It was so beautiful, almost medieval. The scene reminded her of Italy when she was young.

Her parents had taken her to Palermo to a special festival, and it remained one of the most colorful memories of her life. This had the same close knit community feel to it. Family. A community. There was music and laughter, and balloons of all colors floated in the air. The flowers added a sweet perfume, and it was all about being alive. She was alive. Her babies were alive, and Michael’s hand was in hers. Nothing could be more perfect than that very moment.

“Isn’t this the place you had that necklace made for me?”

“Yeah. My friend, Rick has an artist shop here. C’mon, let’s walk!” Michael led her through the streets as people made a path for them.

The Church was at the end of the street, a nice Old Catholic church. Maria laughed when its bells began to ring. The doors stood open, beckoning those to enter.

That was when she first saw them. Scattered among the flowers and the people, were her people. Friends. Family. People she knew from work, the museum, her private life. People she knew with Michael. His work friends. Her mom and Jim.

“Mom?”

“Hi, honey. You look so beautiful!” Amy was all misty eyed and she quickly kissed Maria and placed a long stem white rose in her arms. Jim did the same.

Maria looked at them in confusion and then at Michael, but he just tipped his head and gestured for them to continue walking.

More people she knew came up to her. They all greeted both her and Michael, kissing her and shaking hands with him offering her a flower. There were too many, all of them coming up slowly, but fast enough that she couldn’t corner Michael for an explanation.

He kept them on a constant slow crawl down the street, his hand never letting go of hers, only pausing to greet people as his arm went around her waist to hold her back tightly to his chest.

“Michael?”

“C’mon, let’s go.” They were never going to make it at this pace.

The amount of flowers she was carrying was becoming too much, so Michael took most of them and let her start over.

Sean was standing there with Julia and a large handful of long stem roses. He kissed his cousin and laid them across her arms. Whispering in her ear, he kissed her cheek and stood back as Julia hugged her as well.

Roses weren’t the only flower of the day. Orchids. Birds of Paradise. Irises. Full displays of tropical and exotic flowers to the most charming of violets were in festive arrangements wherever she looked. Maria glanced behind her, and she saw that people that she had greeted were following them along their walk.

Sneaking a peek at Michael, she could see the new mark on his chest through the open button of his shirt. The interlocking spirals. Glancing down at her own chest and the skin just above her right breast exposed by the low cut of her dress, she could see the same mark on herself.

It hadn’t become apparent until after the silver handprint was gone. But there it was. On her the larger spiral moved clockwise with the smaller one moving counter clockwise. It was just off center above her right breast. On Michael his dominant spiral was counter clockwise, off center on his left chest. They offset each other. It wasn’t a tattoo or a scar or even a burn. The pigmentation of their skin had changed. It looked like a unique birthmark.

Perhaps it was. She had died, and in a way so had he. At the moment of her death, all the power of his body was drained from him, pulled into her, through her heart and back again. Who was to say, that in that moment, before the rush of energy completed a circle, that he, drained of his life force, had not also died? Last night, they had laid facing each other until the early morning light trickled into the upper windows of the loft. Their bodies closed and melded together until the marks on either of their chests touched, matched as mirror images of the other.

It could’ve been a birthmark, because she felt reborn.

“What did Sean say?” Michael asked as Maria continued to hug and greet people.

“That I looked like a fairytale princess, one of the ‘fey’ ones. In his best Irish, which sucks.” Maria looked at Michael. “Is this my party? For me?”

Michael’s eyes sparkled, and he nodded. “Yes. It’s for you.”

Before she could comment, she found herself engulfed in a hug from her uncle. Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and put her head back to watch the swirling colors of the day, the ribbons and balloons mixed as he swung her around. For a moment, it felt like her father was there, that he was alive, and she once again was but a child in his arms.

“Zio! What…”

He stopped her from speaking. “Later. You have a long way to go and so many others to meet.” The older man pulled something from his pocket. A necklace. Old and handcrafted. Her aunt Teresa stood next to him with a hand on her mouth with a large smile and tears in her eyes. Marco held up the necklace and then handed it to Michael to put on Maria.

“It would do me a great honor if you were to wear this, keep it and treasure it. It was your great-grandmother’s, my grandmother. It was once to go to your father to give to you one day, but he is not here. And there is no greater pleasure or honor that you can pay me, your uncle, then to let me stand in his place.”

Maria looked down as the necklace laid on her breast and then up again, to quickly hug her uncle. Whispering in his ear, she kissed him again with tears in her eyes. He finally put her away from him, quickly cupped Michael’s cheek and pushed them both on their way. Teresa handed Maria a stem from their lemon trees from home, with blossoms attached. The older couple watched as they walked on, and when Amy and Jim came to stand next to them, the four continued on behind them.

Marco DeLuca, a large and powerful man, the head of his family took out his kerchief and wiped a hint of moisture from his eyes, quickly blowing his noise. Teresa ran a comforting hand on his arm and ran her hand down to join with his.

“What did she say?”

Marco looked at the day, the place, and the smell of summer and he had to agree with Maria, it was one of the most beautiful places on the earth. “She said that her father stands with me, that she can feel him, and she isn’t alone. That every time she sees me, she sees her father. That I am her father.” Marco wiped his eyes again.

Jim smiled down at a crying Amy, his one good arm holding her close. She was walking awkwardly on her cast in a special boot and using a cane. She refused to ride in a chair, or use crutches. Not today. Today, it was important that she walk. Jim tried to talk Amy to at least wait at the end of the street, closer to the church so her walk would be short, but she refused. Amy insisted on being the first to greet her daughter and to walk the long road with her.

Maria and Michael finally came upon Zeke and Margo. Zeke was wearing almost the same thing Michael was. They were both dressed in loose muslin cloth pants and light open shirts of the same material. They both looked like they were living in the Caribbean under the sun. Michael’s shirt was held closed only by about three buttons, but young Zeke hadn’t bothered to close his at all. He stood there looking tall, strong, healthy and young with a timid Margo at his side. She was smiling, loving the community and the flowers, all the colors and music put a healthy bloom in her cheeks, and Maria paused staring at her, amazed by her immense beauty as her brilliant red hair shone and made her part of the festive color.

Margo held something in her arm, against her body protectively while Zeke held flowers. Long stemmed Lilies of the Valley. Maria’s hand tightened on Michael hard. Their first children. Zeke and Margo. Those that came to them scared and beaten, and in the sunlight of the day, they both stood so tall and straight, so young and valiant. It was a good day.

Margo kissed her and handed Maria a small portrait. Mrs. Mulhoney. It was fitting that she too be there that day. Maria, wiped a stray tear off her cheek and hugged Margo hard, and then Zeke. The three of them looked over at a watching Michael, he just stared at them. Nodding he took her back and shoved all the flowers into Zeke’s hand.

“You two better follow close. Try to keep up.” Michael took a little of Maria’s load and added it to the bundle Zeke was already holding as Margo chuckled under her breath, and then finally helped the young man with all the stems. “Don’t drop any of them.”

“Yes, Pa.”

Michael just gave the boy a quick glare.

Maria laughed softly under her breath when Michael said ‘cheeky bastard’ and took her hand and led her on. They only had a short ways to go.

Maria stood at the bottom steps leading to the open door of the church.

“Michael?” The quavering uncertainty of her voice had him holding her close to him.

He bent and whispered in her ear away from the ears of those following them. “I thank God every day for you.”

Maria looked at him, her eyes bright. “You don’t believe in God,” she whispered back in a hushed tone.

Michael put his hand on his children and cupped the back of her neck forcing her to look at him. “Now I do. Can you finish the walk with me?” Maria nodded, looking back at all the people following them. Michael forced her to look back at him. “There is just you and me. No one else. Maria, in your eyes I see the doorway to a thousand churches.”

Maria smiled as he pulled her up the stairs with him. “That’s Peter Gabriel. You hate Peter Gabriel.”

“I think he stole the lyrics from Metallica.”

They stopped in the church, at the first pews. Maria’s voice caught in her throat. The entire place was covered in white silk ribbon, brocade satin sheets, flowers and long white tapered candles all lit in every place imaginable. The sound over her head made her look up. White birds flew in the top belfry of the church to the sanctuary. Doves. Behind them, those they knew best, those they loved and cherished, moved into the church up the sides to take places standing in front of the pews to turn to watch the two standing at the door, paused before making that last walk to the front.

“Michael…”

Michael took her hand and brought to his mouth kissing the back of it. “Marry me? Maria DeLuca, marry me.”

Her hand turned to cup his face. “I thought I already said yes.”

Michael moved closer, his head resting against hers. “Here. Right now.”

Maria looked around at all the beaming faces of her family and all those she knew, and smiled, her smiled wavering as a few tears ran down her face.

“You…you did this?” Michael nodded. “For me?”

“For you, Professor.” Michael wiped her face. “Stay with me. Walk just those last few steps with me, and I swear, you’ll never walk anywhere in your life alone again. Can you do that, Maria?”

Maria smiled and took his face in her hands and kissed him, ignoring their audience, she kissed him long and slow, closing her eyes to anything, to everything, to the world. There was nothing but him, them.

They must have been kissing longer than either of them realized because her uncle’s voice broke through and made them return to the world of the living.

“Miko! Was that a yes? Are we getting married today, no?” Maria rested her forehead on Michael’s and laughed at her aunt’s outraged voice saying, “Marco! Let him do it! You promised.” Her uncle made a huffing noise under his breath, something about getting on with it.

Maria looked in Michael’s eyes and smiled, and she said, “Yes. Yes, we get married today!”

The church exploded in sound as Michael took her hand and led her to the front of the church and the waiting priest.

Amy cried through the entire ceremony. The photographers she hired were taking enough pictures to send Kodak’s stock into orbit. The ceremony went off without a hitch, except for both Michael and Maria’s voices being very hushed and almost a whisper when they said their vows. It didn’t matter. They could hear the other, as they stared at each other the entire time.

There was only one glitch. Rings.

“Huh?”

The priest smiled and said slowly trying to get Michael’s attention. “The rings?”

Michael searched his clothes quickly, cussing aloud enough to make the guests all laugh in delight. “Dammit, Zeke, where did I put them?”

Zeke shrugged. “You didn’t give them to me.”

Max whistled loudly at Michael. He held up the box. Tossing it to Sean who was closer, Sean caught to and gave it to Zeke who handed it to Michael.

“Rings. Right. Got them.”

Michael quickly opened the box and showed Maria matching rings for them both. His was a large golden band with a counter clockwise spiral. Hers was a smaller band with a clockwise spiral and diamonds that fit the engagement ring she was already wearing.

Maria stared at the spirals and looked at Michael confused.

“I’ve been dreaming about them. It just seemed right.” He took the ring for her and repeated the ceremony slowly sliding the ring on her finger. Maria watched the ring as it moved on her finger and then looked up to watch him staring at him. It took a moment before she realized that the priest was talking to her.

“Huh?”

“The ring.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful.” Maria said with a breathless sound in her voice, her eyes never leaving Michael’s.

“No. His ring.”

“What?” Maria looked at the priest in confusion. Then it hit her. Michael’s ring. It was her turn. “Oh! Right. Um...ring.” She quickly looked around embarrassed and Zeke handed her the other ring from the box.

Michael’s tongue came out in amusement at the delicate pink shade staining her cheeks. He actually laughed when she swore under her breath. Maria turned a deep pink at the sound of the audience’s soft laughter, her mother’s rising above the rest.

Michael kissed the bride before the priest got to that part, but undaunted, the man finished his duty before man and God. Zeke came up to Michael and handed him the end of a ribbon. He nodded. Maria was watching Michael bemused and for once silent, when she noticed everyone was leaving.

Michael kept her close to his side.

“Where are they going?”

“To the party.”

“Party?”

“Food.”

Maria laughed. Of course. Food. What else was there? That and lots of love. “Are you taking me to this party?”

“In a moment.” Michael looked over at the priest who nodded, and he discreetly left leaving only the two of them in the church filled with flowers, doves and lit candles.

“Michael?”

Michael looked out of the church and he made a gesture she couldn’t understand. It took a moment for her to realize that he was speechless, overwhelmed. They had just gotten married. What a huge step for both of them, considering they started to this very moment!

She tried to help him. “You did all of this on your own?”

“I wanted to. I sort of screwed up the proposal thing, and when I thought of your mother’s wedding, the nightmare planning and stress, and everything…there was nothing I wanted less than a big wedding.”

“I was thinking of Reno or Atlantic City myself.”

“I know.” Michael finally looked at her, fingering the neckline of her dress, and touching the necklace her uncle gave her. “I thought of that too, but I couldn’t. My father, Mikey. My real father. He would have loved you. Adored you, Maria. And you...you would have loved him too. He was a great man.” Michael looked up at the top of the church and around clearing his throat. “He would have been ashamed of me if I didn’t marry in the Church, a Catholic Church. And despite everything, he would’ve told me that the day wasn’t about me, that it was about you, and our family, and all our friends that would want to wish us well. I knew that cheating them of that would be a real selfish thing, and the more I thought about it the more I knew I wanted to do it all myself.”

“It’s beautiful. The most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me.” Maria gave him a watery smile.

“I didn’t want to cheat you of having your uncle give you away or Sean walk you down the aisle, or even bridesmaids. But I had to compromise some things if I wanted it to be a surprise.” Michael led her to a low bench and made her sit down. “It took longer than I was planning. The organization. Buying out all the flowers from every state from here to Hawaii. Getting the church decorated, the town decorated, and creating the festival. Organizing the guests so they knew where to come.” Michael touched her dress. “Choosing the dress and making sure you picked it. I special ordered it for you.”

“Michael!” Maria laughed through the tears. Oh God. All that? That from a man who found the simple act of matching his socks to be a major inconvenience.

“I wanted it to be special. A day you’d never forget, because it was going to be the only wedding day of your life.” Michael moved closer to her, his mouth just inches from hers. “I wanted you to know how much it meant to me that you said you loved me. I knew it was hard for you, and such a huge risk, it meant something. To me, it meant everything.”

Maria framed his face. “To all that, and more. I love you. Practically the moment I saw you. What the body saw as lust, my heart knew as love. Detective, was there ever a breath that I drew that didn’t have a part of you in it?”

Michael laughed and rubbed his head into her. “You do this romantic crap pretty good, Professor.”

Maria looked around and shook her head. “Surprisingly, so do you, when you put your excellent mind to it. What if I expect this level of romanticism from you all the time?”

Michael leaned in close and whispered to her, “I’ll kill myself. This is it, Professor. All the romantic bones in my body were crushed for this one big affair.” Maria laughed delighted by the look on his face, but suddenly he went very serious.

“I made a fatal error, Maria. An almost fatal one.” She looked at him and waited. “I held you in my arms, dead, and it hit me that I would never marry you. I would never marry you, because you were dead. I waited too long. I would never forgive myself that.”

“I’m not dead. I live. That is thanks to you.” Maria kissed him. Framing his face she searched for the part of him that she knew better than her own heart. Smiling, she closed her eyes and felt them.

Spirals. Off center. Circling. Completing a perfect ascetic form. What nature had created, time and destiny polished.

It was Sean at the door clearing his throat that made them stop kissing. “As much as I’m sure that this time is important, you have guests that are getting impatient for your arrival. They made me come and fetch you since it was decided that I am the only one that can handle the beating Michael would give anyone interrupting him.”

Maria laughed as Michael pulled her to her feet. Michael gestured Sean to go away.

“So, where is this party, Detective? How do I get there?” Maria leaned into him and kissed the side of his neck. “And more importantly, is there a planned honeymoon?”

“Hell yes! I planned the honeymoon first!”

“A man with priorities.” Michael laughed handing her the large red ribbon that Zeke had shoved in his hand. “Perhaps if you were to follow this…”

Maria laughed, her eyes sparkling as she almost did a dance, and already she was literally hopping in delight. Michael was playing, being part of the fun. He came up close behind her reaching his arms around her middle, “Mrs. Guerin, let me help you with that.”

“Mrs. Guerin?” Maria made a face. “I was thinking that you could be Mr. DeLuca.”

“Nope. Mikey would turn in his grave. Guerin it stays.” They walked out the church into the bright sunlight. He had planned the party away from the church so their pesky guests wouldn’t be out there to pelt him with rice or some ecologically sound grain that the birds could eat at his mother-in-law’s instructions.

Damn. A handful of rice or something hit him in the face. He scowled at a group of children all laughing at them. The eldest held up his hands.

“The man paid us to do it!”

Michael scowled as Maria pulled him away, made him help her gather the long streamer of red ribbon leading them to the party. Kyle? Sean? It had to be Sean. No, Maxwell! One of them. He was going to get even after he de-riced his hair.

They didn’t need the ribbon to find the party. The sound of music, laughter, and the smell of food was enough to get them there. The town had a nice old fashioned Irish pub with an outside serving area. The artists in the community liked to sit outside, drinking dark ale and talking politics. Michael had found the community a few years back after rescuing a man named Rick who was driving drunk. Rick’s wife had left him, taking his daughter. Rick, in a fit of depression, had hit the bars of Roswell. All of them. Michael pulled him off the road and drove him home. They had been friends ever since.

The outside area behind the pub was enclosed with large tents. There were barbeques set up, manned by a local restaurant, Michael’s favorite place. Italian restaurants, as many as he could find, brought food and set it up in long buffet lines. They entered the party through the hanging tent covers and stood there in front of the crowd.

Okay. So that was his nightmare. Being on display. The center of attention. For an instant, it seemed interminable, but then suddenly the place exploded and Maria was ripped from his hands into a flood of friends and family, and he was pulled into the vortex as well.

The rest of the day was one huge blur between all the people talking to him, the hugs, and the occasional pinch on his ass from a few of Maria’s cousins, thankfully all female, including one elderly aunt. Finding Maria between the barrages of well-wishers, the only time he got a rest was to actually dance with his wife, until someone swept her away.

“Who are all these people?” Maria asked him as they slow danced.

“Townspeople. I decided to invite them as well.” Maria smiled at his soft heart. “How do you like the music?”

Maria kissed him hard. “I love it! A mixture of Irish music and Italian. The last aria had Uncle Marco in tears.”

Michael made a face. He could do without the opera crap, but the other music was okay. People were dancing and drinking, and about two hours into the party they all began to make speeches. Since he didn’t have a best man, all the males decided to assume that duty, including men he had never met before. Perhaps they were townspeople. Sean’s tipsy toast was…colorful, and had his mother hitting him with her bag.

“So last night was…”

“Family wedding dinner. And stag parties.”

Maria moved her hand up his front under his open shirt rubbing his skin. He was slightly drunk. Between the toasts and stuff, he had consumed more than usual. Max was suffering too, and Jonathan was keeping a close hand on him, keeping him upright. Isabel, who was still on the wagon and Tess, who was pregnant, just watched the boys, amused.

Isabel was dancing with Alex. Non-stop. They practically danced every slow dance together, except for the one she danced with Michael. Alex had taken an opportunity to dance with Maria by shoving his girlfriend in Michael’s arms. It didn’t last long. Michael and Isabel exchanged merry insults and good wishes, but soon Alex went to rescue Isabel from Michael and the couple was back together in their own world.

Maria laughed when Jonathan tried to talk Max into dancing, but gave up when it was decided that Max wouldn’t be able to stay on his feet.

“Soooo..... Who bought you the lap dance?” Maria asked, not so innocently.

Michael laughed. “Luis. I swear, my hands never touched her!”

“Uh huh.” Maria looked around with narrow eyes and found her cousin Luis. He saw the look and quickly ducked into the main bar. “I’ll take care of him later.”

Jim  and Amy came up to them at that point, and Amy quickly stole Maria from Michael’s arms. The two stood whispering, and Amy kept moving her fingers through her daughter’s hair.

“I’m going to take Amy home. She’s been on her leg too long, and we have a houseful of DeLucas over the next two days.”

“Everything arranged with their flight?”

Jim nodded. “Kyle and Sean will help out. I’m going to start back at work in another week. Sean has your keys, and he’ll pick up the Mustang from Albuquerque tomorrow.”

Michael tried not to think of his Mustang in the hands of Sean. Some things couldn’t be helped.

Zeke came up beside Jim.

“Do you need to get going, Zeke?” Michael could see Margo over in a corner safely behind Marco DeLuca’s protective bulk.

“Yeah, I think Margo is at the end of her tolerance for social events.” Michael thought as much. “I was going to catch a lift with Amy and Jim.”

“Okay. You have all the security codes and the special numbers I gave you, right?” Zeke nodded. “Don’t be missing any school. Sean will be at the loft. He’s babysitting Mr. B, so if you need anything, go to him.”

Zeke hit Michael on the shoulder. “We’re fine. We’ll be fine.”

Michael made a face. It was hard to walk away, even for a short while with all that had happened over the last few weeks. But he needed to walk. Both he and Maria needed some time away, alone. They were both still very low, and it was time to reclaim a little of their lives.

Jim put his good arm around the younger man’s shoulders and gave him a good squeeze. “I’ll watch over them. Don’t worry. When are you leaving?”

Michael looked at his watch. “In another hour. Our flight from Albuquerque is in six hours. We leave Miami tomorrow. So we’re spending the night there. You’ve got my travel plans, right?”

“In a sealed envelope, not to be opened unless the world is on fire.”

“Good.” Michael hadn’t divulged his honeymoon plans to anyone. But in good conscience he couldn’t disappear without leaving an itinerary, so Jim was his choice.

“I’ve got the boys on clean-up crew tomorrow. All the wedding presents will be at the loft waiting for you when you get home.”

Presents? Michael smiled at that. Maybe he would get a new Playstation. They didn’t really need household stuff.

It was much later than Michael wanted it to be before he could extract Maria from the guests and family. The party would go on far past their departure. He had had Amy pack Maria’s bags the night before, and everything was waiting for them in the Mustang. He left specific orders that no one was to decorate his car, on threat of a horrible and excruciating death.

The last people they said goodbye to were Marco and Teresa DeLuca. Maria hugged her aunt and uncle, and said good-bye to her numerous cousins, paying particular attention to the one who had caught the bouquet. She was eying a very red Hanson who had the garter on his arm.

“Miko. This was a good thing. You did a good job.” Michael nodded to the elder DeLuca. “Maria, she looked like the ray of sunshine she was born to be. An angel on Earth, and you make her happy.” Marco became serious. “Make sure you continue to do so. Ci capiamo, eh?”

Michael gulped slightly, “Understood.”

Marco nodded in satisfaction. It was tradition, threatening a new member of the family. Marriage was a serious thing. More than an alliance of families, but an alliance of the heart. Nothing to be entered into lightly.

Marco slapped Michael on the shoulder companionably and handed him an envelope. “This is information you will need, including a lawyer. When you return home, you will call me and make arrangements for transfers and transactions.”

“Transfers?” Michael opened the letter as Sean stood next to his father. Both Max and Jonathan were next to Michael reading over his shoulder. The three men whistled at the same time in amazement. “What is this?”

“Maria’s dowry. It comes with her.”

Michael shook his head handed the envelope back. “That’s okay. I didn’t marry her for no damn dowry.”

Sean discreetly shook his head. “We know that, Michael,” he said quickly. “It’s something the Family created a long time ago. Every marriage to one of us comes with this. It is just…tradition. Most just invest it in their future.” Sean shrugged dramatically.  “They put it in a college fund for the children. You already have two coming, so keep the money. Invest it and save it.”

Michael stood looking at the envelope. Damn. He had literally just spent every penny he had in the world on a wedding. Between that and his car, he was pretty broke until he received his next paycheck. Well except for the emergency fund that he kept aside for his children’s trust fund and college. But that was money Mikey left him. Looking at the check, his stomach felt sour. He couldn’t spend that much money over a lifetime. Maybe two. It was DeLuca money. Money made killing people professionally, but it was also where his wife came from. His heritage was that of an alien and hers was what it was. Michael nodded. Fine. But he’d never spend one red cent of it.

Handing the letter to Jonathan, he looked at the man standing next to his partner. “You’ll take care of that? Put it somewhere safe for the babies?”

“First thing Monday.”

So Michael learned a valuable lesson. Marriage wasn’t just about love. At times, it was also about business. But that was over now, and it was time to concentrate on what was really important. His wife. Their honeymoon.

Well, until the party saw them to the car and he got a lesson in how fucked up one’s friends could make a car. His damn Mustang looked like a circus wagon, with streamers, cans and condoms decorating it.

“I’m going to kill someone.”

Maria laughed and pushed him towards the car. “No, you’re not. We’ll stop in a mile and clean it off. Get in the car, Mr. DeLuca.”

“Guerin. Whatever you say, Mrs. Guerin.”

“DeLuca.”

 

~~~

 

The flight from Albuquerque to Miami was uneventful. Maria was tired so she rested against Michael, sleeping for most of the flight.

A flight attendant approached him, “Would you like something to read, or a drink?”

“No. Could I have a light blanket? She gets cold at times.”

The flight attendant smiled. “Of course.” Reaching to an overhead compartment, she pulled a light blanket and handed it to Michael who spread it over Maria.

“How far along is she?”

“About seven months.”

The woman seemed shocked. Maria looked too thin for being seven months pregnant, and she hadn’t added any of the extra weight on her face or other places.

“She is very beautiful.”

Michael looked down at her golden hair, his hand resting on her stomach. “She is that. She really is.”

Michael watched as Miami came to view. It was after nine at night. Twelve hours. It had been a long day. Much had happened. Tomorrow they would board a plane to St. Thomas to meet up with their special reservations, and then to the British Virgin Islands. Roswell seemed a lifetime away.

 

~~~

 

“Is it done?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“There is something else.” There was a subtle pause.

“Something else? They finally married, did they not?”

“Yes. They married. The players are in play.” There was a laugh lacking in humor. “They showed up today with the marks on their persons.”

The man at the end of the line voice increased in volume. “The spirals?”

“Yes, the spirals mark their bodies.”

“Then Destiny is upon us. The prophecy is true.” The man’s voice becomes cagey. “Did you find the Granilith?”

“No, but then neither have you.” Pierce laughed. “Her blood is the One along with the Commander’s. All the pieces are present, and the Granilith should activate soon. I’ll be here when it happens.”

“I have agents…”

“Ah, yes. The ever-diligent Nikolas. Really? Did you not think it better to give him something other than a child’s body? The longer they wear their skins, the harder it is for them to divorce themselves from the emotions and thoughts of the lifeform they take. Your Nikolas is suffering the torment of a thirteen year old boy. Perhaps he is caught in the thralls of Playstation? It was poor planning on your part.”

Kivar refused to comment. It was the only way to keep the dangerous Nikolas under control. Earth. What a shit pile.

“So, you are here?”

“I am here, but I am gone, Shapeshifter. Walk carefully. I understand there are outside forces threatening your precious Royals and their Destiny. Until the One is born, there is nothing for us but to wait.”

Pierce knew that to be true already. “The Granilith. Its time is now. The manuscript never told us how it disappeared, or where it went. It can’t be on Earth, or it will never be created.”

Kivar laughed. “I love these paradoxes. Don’t think I don’t know that you wouldn’t have killed them all if you could’ve found a way. I would’ve done the same. Until everything is in place, I guess they remain protected by us all - reluctantly.” Losing the Granilith over twenty-three years ago was a bitter pill to swallow. How could they have known?

“Perhaps I will get the Granilith first? That and the new King?”

Kivar’s voice became deadly in its intent, “The King of Antar will be under my reign, or he will be dead. I killed his father once; do not think I will not kill a child King.”

Pierce’s voice broke in amusement. “Perhaps a deal can be struck. A deal for power, an alien King, and a weapon of extreme power.”

“Perhaps there is a way. We will talk again, Shapeshifter.”