Author: AuroraDawn
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Michael and Maria, told through Kyle's POV
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, which is a good thing at the end of the day.
Spoiler: This is the Epilogue to Illusions and Realities. See those stories for more details.
Improv: Clouds- Noble- Fury- Decadent
Distribution: Roswell Desert Skies and Kingdom of Tula, all others just ask!
Authors Note: Well, I tried writing this in Michael or Maria's POV, but Kyle convinced me he could show it better. Since this is my first Kyle POV, please let me know if I portrayed him well. Hope you all enjoy!




"Get ready to hand over everything you've got."

Michael's voice held just a little too much gloat, but Kyle looked up anyway. Typical Guerin to be holding a great poker hand when his own was full of crap. Sitting across from Michael, Ava didn't seem so assured. The punk girl glared at the other hybrid over the top of her own spread of cards, her blue eyes narrowed.

"You better not be changing those cards when we aren't looking."

"Do I look stupid to you Ava?"

She snickered at Michael's reply, the silver ring in her lip glinting in the light. Her eyes flicked up briefly, then met Michael's again.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

When her gaze flicked up again, Kyle followed it this time, holding back his grin when he saw Maria standing a few steps behind Michael. She was holding up several fingers in succession, and after a second Kyle realized she was telling Ava what cards Michael held. Ava's only reaction was a smug smile.

"So why don't you fold already Guerin, we all know you got shit."

Michael scratched his eyebrow absently, studied the cards in his hand. Then he looked up with a considering stare.

"Maria tell you that?"

"Maybe."

She laughed again as Michael twisted in his chair and made a quick grab for Maria, a grab she avoided by taking a hurried step back. But after that first retreat, Maria came back up to him and allowed him to pull her down onto his lap. Kyle smiled at the grumbling that ensued as they discussed Michael laying down his cards.

Despite the frown on his face and the low growl of his voice, Kyle knew Michael wasn't angry at having his bluff called. If anything, he seemed happy about Maria's intervention. Happy to have her there. He'd been that way this whole trip, which was surprising considering how tense things had been right before they'd left. The night before they were going to depart, Maria had taken another one of her late night walks into the desert. In this last year they'd grown less frequent, but hadn't yet abated. Things still weren't resolved.

That's why Kyle wasn't surprised when he'd checked the garage the next morning and found the walls covered in fist-sized holes. He hadn't said anything to Michael, though, knowing his friend wouldn't talk about the destruction or the loss of control that had led to it. He never talked about it, to anybody, and that was part of the problem. Both he and Maria were keeping things bottled up until they exploded out in blood or destruction.

But you couldn't tell it to look at them right now. Michael had finally consented to folding his hand, which upon closer inspection was a total bluff, and Ava was shuffling the cards for the next deal. One of the two men who completed the table was trying to wheedle Michael's tricks out of Maria, and although she was laughing at his attempts and outrageous bribes, Kyle noticed that she didn't pull too far away from the arms wrapped around her.

Maria never strayed far from Michael's side when there were strangers around. Kyle had first noticed it when they all went into town together, but this trip had confirmed it. Granted, there were a lot of people around this week. The conference was being held at the Jorgenson ranch in Southern Colorado, and there were delegates from all the Western States attending. That meant upwards of forty people, men and women, alien and human. And Michael, Ava, and Tess. Maria had accompanied them to all the meetings, all the gatherings, always making sure Michael was within her line of sight.

Silently accepting the cards Ava passed him, Kyle reasoned that Maria's need to be near Michael was something left over from her time away. Maybe she didn't feel safe unless he was close by. Or maybe if she kept him within sight, she could be sure it was really him. Not that Kyle had any way of knowing for sure. Neither she nor Tess had ever told him what exactly had happened to Maria. But he knew what Tess had gone through, knew that Khivar had been a shapeshifter, so he had a pretty good idea.

The sounds of another argument drew him back to the present, and Kyle looked up with a smile at the bickering going on between Michael and Maria. This time it wasn't a fight over the cards, but rather over the size of the bet Michael wanted to put down. He had his cards in one hand and Maria's wrist in the other, as though to keep her from reaching for the stack of money in front of them.

"What about gas money to get home? Where are we going to come up with that if you keep losing?"

Michael shrugged, setting down his cards and laying his free hand over the small pile of bills, pushing them to the center of the table.

"Kyle's good for it." He looked over, an encouraging look in his eyes. "Aren't you?"

"I'm not getting in the middle of that." Kyle shook his head, but he couldn't help laughing at the disgusted way Maria rolled her eyes. "Besides, we've got another couple nights for him to win it back."

Maria didn't seem assured, and smiling, she snatched back the top couple bills from Michael's pile and tucked them into her pocket before he could get them away.

"Fine, but that's my backup money. I've seen you play cards before and I'm not walking home when you both go broke."

Her acerbic comment got a laugh out of the other three at the table, and only a mild frown from Michael. The next few hands passed with little fanfare, and only a couple suspicious glances when Ava won two hands back to back. Kyle didn't say anything though, just significantly decreased the amount of his bets, which earned a sideways smile from the punk girl.

Folding early in the fourth hand, Kyle sipped at the remains of his beer as he watched Michael and Maria quietly debating their hands. She'd finally decided to play a round, using Michael's money as her own betting pool. Maria studied the cards in her right hand with fierce concentration, seemingly oblivious of the way Michael was stroking over the prominent scar on her other arm. When she tipped her head back and kissed him absently on the cheek, Kyle decided maybe she wasn't that unaware.

Michael's voice was too quiet for him to hear as he bent his head to whisper in Maria's ear, but she nodded and laid her head against his chest for just a moment. Kyle jerked slightly at the sharp kick to his ankle and twisted slightly in his chair, even knowing it was Ava behind the demand for attention. There was a slight frown on her face and, sitting next to her, Kyle could hear the whispered 'quit staring' that she uttered before turning back to her cards.

It only took a few more minutes for Michael to finally win a round of poker, but instead of capitalizing on his winnings, he gathered them up and handed them to Maria.

"Don't tell me you're quitting now Michael."

He shook his head at Ava's comment, gently sliding Maria off his lap before he stood.

"Just for tonight. Kyle, make sure she doesn't change the cards when nobody's looking. She's a damn cheat."

Kyle smiled, more at Ava's affronted noise than Michael's comment. Maria just laughed.    

"Don't listen to him Ava, he's just jealous because I won't let him get away with it."

Smiling tiredly at the other girl, Maria then turned her gaze to Kyle.

"Don't forget to come get him when it's time for watch. And don't worry, you won't interrupt us this time."

Cursing the blush that crept over his skin, Kyle nodded and looked away. A couple nights ago he'd accidentally walked in on the two of them at the wrong moment. Not that he'd seen anything, much. But still, it was weird. His best friend and the woman he considered a sister. Naked. Well, as much as he could tell in the brief, two seconds before he realized he should turn away. As if remembering the encounter, Michael raised his eyebrows slightly and smirked before taking Maria's hand and leading her out of the room.

Kyle watched them go, then tried to turn his attention back to the poker game. It only took a couple losing hands before he knew his concentration was shot. Excusing himself from the game, he wandered into the kitchen and started searching for something to eat. The Jorgenson's had acres of fruit trees, and the remains of the apple pie Tess had made were still on the counter. Digging a fork out of the drawer, he peeled off the protective cover and started eating. Tess was one of the few women he knew that could make a simple pie taste so decadent. She had always been good with cooking, even when she lived with him and his dad. A glance at the battered watch on his wrist told him he still had a couple minutes before he had to get Michael for their turn at watch.

Because of the people at this conference, and because three of the hybrids were under the same roof, security was a lot tighter than it normally would have been. Anyone with battle experience had been recruited to take a turn patrolling the grounds, mostly at night. It had been no surprise when he and Michael had ended up with quite a few shifts. On most of those nights, Tess would stay with Maria while they patrolled. When they returned to the main house, Michael would only give Tess a quiet nod before picking up a sleepy Maria and carrying her back to their room.

The friendship between those two women was something Kyle still didn't understand. Even knowing what he did, even knowing what they had been through together, it still didn't make a lot of sense. Especially considering the past and what had happened with Alex. He knew Michael didn't get it either, although his friend seemed a little more accepting of Tess than he initially had been. At least now they would talk beyond single sentences.

Setting his dirty fork in the sink, Kyle recovered what remained of the pie and set it back on the counter before stepping out of the kitchen and winding his way through the house. Because of his position in this new society, Michael and Maria were staying in one of the bigger bedrooms at the back of the house. Quietly moving down the hall, Kyle went to round the corner and paused as a sudden flash of light reflected off the hallway mirror and caught his eye. Whether by accident or as a reminder to themselves, Michael and Maria had left the door to their bedroom wide open. The hallway mirror was placed in such a way that, from where he stood, Kyle could see the inside of the dimly lit room reflected in the wavy glass.

At least they weren't naked this time. Looking away would have been the appropriate thing to do, but Kyle didn't move, only watched. Michael and Maria were both barefoot and lying together on top of the quilted comforter, still in the clothes they'd been wearing earlier. The small lamp by the bedside was the only light in the room, but it was more than enough. Michael was lying propped up against the pillows, one hand behind his head, the other resting on Maria's back. Maria was draped over him, her long legs on either side of his hips, her head resting against his chest.

She almost looked asleep with her eyes partly closed and her entire body limp. Michael was talking to her, but softly enough that Kyle could only hear the murmur of his voice. They looked...oddly content. Like there wasn't anything more important in the world than that moment right there. Nothing more important than the two of them. It was nice to see them that way, to see them both peaceful for a change. But he could also see Michael's gun on the bedside table and it was a reminder that they lived in a dangerous world.

"Voyeur."

Kyle jumped at the whispered word, relaxing when he realized it was only Ava sneaking up behind him.

"Christ, Ava. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Her pink and black streaked hair swished almost silently as she shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was as low and quiet as his had been.

"Nope. I was just going to tell Michael that I'd take his shift for him tonight. I'm too wired for bed anyway."

Kyle nodded, and both of them were silent as they watched the couple in the mirror. Maria must not have been as asleep as she appeared, because a smile creased her face at something Michael said. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head up and met his mouth in a persuasive, drawn out kiss. An erotic kiss in which neither of them moved beyond the mating of their lips.

Even from around the corner of the hallway, Kyle could feel the energy and heat coming from the darkened room. Like a half remembered scent, it wound itself through the air until it wrapped around him too. Until it affected him too, making him restless. It was always like that with the Michael and Maria. In high school they'd flared and sparked with a sexual passion that nobody could miss. Even when they were fighting you could feel the energy in the air.

Those sparks had been missing when Maria had come back from wherever Khivar had taken her. Only in the last couple of months had Kyle realized they were starting to reappear when Michael and Maria fought. There were times he could feel the passion humming in the air over dinner or if he came up on them at just the right moment. Tess hadn't said anything, but Kyle knew she had felt it too. Even Ava in the last couple days had remarked on it more than once, although she had only made some snide comment about getting a room.

"They look happy."

He nodded at her quiet comment, not tearing his eyes away even when he felt her small hand slide into his. Ava stepped closer, her short hair brushing over his bare arm as she did.

"Why do I get the feeling that isn't everything?"

"'Cause it isn't." Kyle glanced down at the punk girl and was surprised at the melancholy in her eyes. Without thinking, he tightened his grip on her hand. "There is still a lot of stuff between them. A lot of things they won't talk about."

Ava was silent for a moment, as though debating. She tugged absently at the ends of her hair in a familiar gesture that he knew meant she was unsettled about something. He waited her out and after a moment she spoke again in a quiet voice.

"Things like why Maria cuts herself?" At Kyle's startled look, she shrugged her shoulders. "Tess and I were talking about our powers and it kinda came out that she's been healing Maria when she comes back from the desert."

Feeling his stomach clench tightly around itself, Kyle swallowed hard. Because he'd always tried to make himself scarce when Maria came back at night, he hadn't realized right away what was going on. One night she'd misjudged and lost a little too much blood. When she'd stumbled on the rocks, Kyle had waited patiently in the distance for her to get up, and when she didn't, he went after her. That's when he had seen the shallow cuts on her arms and the blood that was staining the ground.

Wiping his free hand on his jeans, Kyle tried to rid himself of the slippery feeling of her blood on his fingers. Somehow she'd gotten him to promise not to tell Michael.  It didn't make it an easy secret to keep, and the only consolation was that her nighttime trips were getting less frequent. Maria wouldn't explain why she did it, no matter how he asked, but she always seemed different afterwards. Calmer, maybe was the word. Like she was more at peace with something. Or maybe it was just that there was less pain in her eyes for the subsequent days or weeks or however long until the next time.

"That's part of it, but Michael doesn't know she does that."

"So why haven't you told him?"

"Maria threatened to get better at hiding her tracks so I couldn't follow her. Besides, if I tell Michael her secret, I have to tell Maria about how his powers get out of control when he's in a fury. He's trashed the garage four or five times since she's been back. It's his way of dealing with things."

What had surprised him, though, was that Michael usually repaired the damage by hand, rather than using his alien powers. It took time, and a lot of patience, but it seemed to do the trick. His dad had done the same thing after losing his job as sheriff, so Kyle supposed there was something to be said about physical labor. That didn't mean he understood or particularly enjoyed Michael's anger.

"Neither of them seems to be talking about what's happened or what's going on now. Michael has cracked or shattered all the mirrors in their house and every time Maria pushes him to replace them, he puts her off. I tried asking him what happened to them, and he shut me out. Just like he used to. You remember how it was."

Both he and Ava had been on the receiving end of Michael's silences more than once while Maria was gone. He would get cold and his eyes would take on that distant expression as though he'd removed himself and gone somewhere else. Somewhere nobody else could reach him. Since Maria had returned, things were better. At least most of the time.

Kyle glanced back at the mirror's reflection. Michael had one hand on Maria's hip now, as though holding her close, while the other one traced back and forth in lazy lines over her spine. She had her fingers in his short hair, and this time it was the higher pitch of her voice that Kyle could hear as she talked to him. He could even swear he saw Michael crack a smile, albeit a short one.

As he watched them, Ava wrapped her free hand around their joined ones and leaned against his arm like she used to. When Kyle looked down at her, there was an unreadable expression on her face and clouds in her sky blue eyes. 

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know." Kyle looked back at the reflection. "There's not a lot we can do. They have to figure it out themselves."

Ava sighed, an unusually pensive expression for her.

"Do you really think they will?"

"Yeah." Kyle knew that was the only acceptable answer. "Eventually. I mean, even in this last year things have gotten a little better. It's just going to take time."

They were silent for a moment, then Ava reached up to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You're a great friend Kyle. They're lucky to have you."

Shifting her grip, Ava wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down to her even as she pushed him back against the wall. When their bodies collided it was easy to fall back into the old familiar rhythms, to let the passion suck them under. She tasted the same and felt the same under his hands. Typical Ava, she kept herself together and pushed him away after a long, searching kiss. A reminder of everything they had once shared. Refusing to let it end, Kyle reached for her again. Yanking her back into his embrace and hearing the metal of her lip ring clicking against his teeth as he took another deep kiss from her. His hands slid down over her ass and pulled her closer, swallowing her quiet moan.

"Is this a free show? Or is there a fee for watching?"

Maria's voice was amused, and very close. Kyle pushed himself away from Ava as the blood sluggishly tried to make its way back up to his brain. Ava wiped her fingers quickly over his damp lips before turning to Maria with a smug smile on her face. Maria's expression was one of enjoyment as she stood outside their doorway with Michael behind her.

"Were we too loud?"

If Ava was trying to sound concerned, she failed miserably. Michael only frowned and wrapped his arm around Maria's waist as he studied them.

"It was the sound of Kyle hitting the wall that got our attention." Michael's frown faded slightly and his voice took on the hint of a smile.  "Jesus, Ava, he'll be in no shape to patrol if you keep that up."

"Don't worry about it Guerin, I'll take care of him. Besides, we were just coming to tell you that I'll take rounds for you tonight."

Michael hesitated, glancing down at Maria before he raised his eyes to Kyle. Kyle knew Michael wanted to stay with Maria, even though he probably felt it was neglecting his responsibilities. He could be so damn noble sometimes and Kyle knew he'd given up more than he should have for the good of others. But everyone deserved to be selfish once in a while, and the memory of how peaceful they had looked laying there together on the bed kept coming back to him, so Kyle nodded his head as though to signal it was okay with him.

"You sure?"

Ava nodded at Michael's words, and Kyle saw her gaze flick over to Maria briefly.

"It's the least I can do. Besides, this way you'll owe me." she added with a grin.

As though sensing Michael's lingering hesitation, Maria looked at Ava and Kyle and made the decision for him.

"Thanks Ava. I have no doubt you'll take good care of Kyle tonight." There was an obvious bent to her words, but Kyle held his tongue as she looked over at him. "Come get Michael if you need anything. Just make sure you knock this time."

Kyle nodded, the smile still on his face as Maria took Michael's hand and pulled him back to their bedroom. The door shut behind them with a firm and decisive click. From behind it there was a soft thud and a low, masculine laugh. Kyle stared at the shut door for a couple of seconds before he felt Ava tug at his hand.

"Come on cowboy. We'll keep 'em safe tonight."

Taking a deep breath, Kyle allowed her to lead him out of the house. They could do that. It wasn't a lot, but it was time Michael and Maria could spend alone together and hadn't he told Ava that was what they needed? Time to sort it out, time to beat the demons that plagued them. Someday they'd finally do it. They'd lay down the knife, fix the mirrors and start talking. Start healing. Maybe even someday soon.