Part 14

Rath forced a kiss onto Maria's lips. Maria tried to pull away but Rath was to strong. Maria then kneed him in the balls and tried to make a run for it. But Rath just laughed and threw her on the bed, then getting on top of her.

"See Ria, no matter how hard you try." He got closer and leaned into her ear. "You'll never get away from me." He whispered.

Maria closed her eye's. Praying that it was another nightmare that she would wake up from. Praying that when she opened her eye's she would be in her room and would be cussing at herself for falling asleep again. She slowly opened her eye's. One single tear rolled down her cheek. She wasn't dreaming, it was real. It was a real nightmare coming to life.

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Max looked over at Michael and noticed the pained look on his face. He knew Michael was worried but he seemed to get even more worried in the last minute. He didn't want to ask Michael what was wrong because they all knew what was wrong. But there was something different that was bugging Michael.

"Michael?" Max asked. Michael turned his attention to Max.

"Max, she's in pain." Michael told him.

"I know. We all know that but..." Michael cut Max off.

"No! I can feel her. We're close. He's hurting her! HE'S TOUCHING HER!" Michael yelled while slamming his fist on the car.

"Michael, calm down. You said we're close. We'll get there in time." Liz tried to reassure him, even though she wasn't that sure herself. Michael just sighed and nodded his head. He knew getting even more angry wouldn't make things better.

But he couldn't help it. He felt her, he could hear her in his head calling for help. He hated this feeling, the feeling that he couldn't help the one he loved most in the world.

"You guys! I think thats it!" Kyle yelled as he pointed to the hotel on the side of road. Max made a sharp turn into the parking lot.

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Maria struggled under Rath. He was so strong, she could only move her legs. She started kicking and moving has much as she could. Rath got angry and slapped her across the face. Maria didn't even wince, she just moved even more. Rath got off Maria and picked her up, so she was standing up. He punched her, hard. She fell to the ground and touched her now bloody lip.

"Ya wanna be difficult?" Rath asked in his yelling voice. Maria stood up and looked at him.

"Wow, difficult! Isn't that a big word for you to be saying?" Maria asked, knowing she was playing with fire and was going to get burned. Rath just smirked at her and held up his hand. In one-second Maria was blasted across the room.

"Ria' what did I tell ya? The more you act like that, the more I wanna play." Rath told her while walking towards her and making her stand up.

"God your sad." Maria told him. Rath paused and looked at her.

"What did cha' say?" He asked her. Maria wanted to get to Rath. She had to buy herself some time.

"You. Are. Sad. All your life you've been nothing but a throw away. So to make yourself feel better you beat up on a girl. Not only a girl, but a human girl that doesn't have a chance against you. If you were a real man, you would just go up to Michael and take him out yourself. If that's who you really wanna take out. But all you can do is beat the sh!t out of me. Thats just sad." Maria told him harshly.

Rath filled with anger. He kicked Maria in the stomach. Maria screamed in pain. She couldn't hold it anymore. It hurt all over, but she got up again. Knowing she hit a soft spot with him. She knew he could kill her, but she didn't care. In some weird way she was starting to win.

"What's wrong, Rath? The truth hurts?" Maria asked before getting another low blow from Rath. Maria dropped to the ground. It took her while to get up again and face Rath.

"You know nothing about ME! You know nothing about the past; about the future." It was Rath's turn to get to Maria. "You know in the past me and Vilandra were together. What makes you think it won't happen again?" He asked her. Maria tried not let it get to her. But couldn't help it, she has asked herself that same question before. "Well, lookie what I got. Have I hit something, Ria?"

"Michael, wouldn't do that. He loves me, and I love him. Isabel is married. There's nothing that will brake me and Michael's love." Maria told him. Rath just smirked at her.

"That's their human side." Rath paused and then whispered. "But what about their alien side?" He let the question hang for a little bit before he started talking again. "No matter how much they try to fight it, they're alien and the alien is in them. And there's nothing that no one can do." Rath told her. Maria was silent, she wouldn't and couldn't let Rath get to her like that.

Rath smiled at her. He was winning now, he took out the fears that she has always had but forgot about. Maria let out a tear but then shook her head and looked up at Rath.

"Where is Lonnie?" Maria asked him. Rath didn't say anything. "Did she throw you away too, Rath? Well, now thats really sad. The only person or living thing in this universe that is as pathetic as you threw you away. So now your just all alone. By yourself, nothing but the left over crap." Maria told him.

Rath didn't want to hear anymore. He hit Maria again, right then Michael, Max, Isabel, Kyle and Liz walked in. Michael locked eye's with Maria. She smiled at him and thank god that he came. She knew Rath was ready to kill her.

Michael then looked at Rath and raised his hand. Rath didn't even see it coming, a bright light filled the room. The next thing that anyone saw was Rath across the room blood dripping from his mouth and nose. Rath gave everyone one last smirk and fell to the floor dead.

Michael was the first one to rush to Maria's side. He pulled Maria into a hug as one tear fell from his eye. Maria let out a sigh, she was so happy to be back in Michael's strong arms again.

"I thought you were gunna kick his ass first." Maria joked with him. Michael let out a small chuckle.

"I wanted too, but I just couldn't stand to see him near you anymore." Michael told her, while pulling her away and looking into her eye's. Everyone went to Maria side and started giving her hugs. But Maria never lost eye contact with Michael.

"Oh, Maria. I'm so glad your okay." Liz told her while hugging her. Maria finally looked away from Michael and closed her eye's.

"I know what you mean, babe." Maria said with a smile. Kyle then hugged her, followed by Isabel and then Max. Maria then returned to Michael and looked at him.

"You guys, what are were going to do with Rath?" Kyle asked. Everyone looked over at the now dead Rath.

"When he smiled, it seemed as if he didn't care if he died." Isabel said out loud, Max noticed that too. They all did. Maria then thought about what she said to him. She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

They all slowly walked up to him. Michael held Maria tight to him, as if Rath was going to come back and hurt her more. Max bent down and tried to touch Rath face, but before he could, Rath turned into nothing but dust. Everyone backed away in shock.

"I guess that answers my question." Kyle said out loud. Maria rolled her eye's and made a snort. Max waved his hand over the dust and it disappeared.

"Come on, lets get out of here." Michael said out loud. But he was really just telling Maria while he pulled her with him. Everyone nodded their heads. No one wanted to be here anymore. It was over, finally over.

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"There I'm all better now." Maria said while standing up. "Doctor Max, fixed all my boo boo's." Maria joked and sat next to Michael. Michael looked into Maria's eye's. He knew she was in pain. He knew she needed to cry on his should.

But she didn't. She wouldn't

"Max, can you leave for a little bit? I wanna talk to Maria for while." Michael asked Max. Max just nodded his head, got his jacket and left.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Maria asked Michael. Michael didn't say anything he just crossed his arms over his chest. "Well?"

"I'm waiting for you." Michael told her. Maria gave Michael a confused look.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked him. Michael sighed.

"Come on, Maria. I know your hurting. I know your still scared. I'm here now. You don't have to hold your tears in." Michael told her, while placing one of his hands on her cheeks. Maria shook her head and stood up.

"I'm fine! I'm okay now!" Maria yelled as her body started to shake. Michael tried to pull her towards him but she pulled away. "You know what? I'm gunna go home and take a shower. I'll be back in a little bit." Before Michael could protest against it Maria was out the door.

Michael watched as Maria walked away. He sighed, she would come to him. He knew she would. She was, in some ways, like him. She needed him as much as he needed her.

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Maria walked into her bedroom and laid down on her bed. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. For some reason, she felt if she cried it would hurt more. Maria sighed and headed for the bathroom.

Maria turned on the hot water and took off her clothes. She got into the shower and let the warm water cover her body. She wanted to wash away all the pain and stress. After a while she got out of the shower and got dressed.

Maria looked in the mirror. It was foggy from all the steam in the bathroom. She wiped the mirror and noticed her face had bruises and cuts all over her face. Maria started to breathe hard. She looked down at the sink.

Breathe breathe

Maria looked up at the mirror again and all the cuts and bruises were gone. Just the way Max had healed them. Maria started to shake again. But still no tears fell from her eye's.

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Max was out with Liz and Michael was watching T.V. in the living-room. He then heard a knock on the door. Michael got up and answered the door.

"Maria?" Maria didn't say anything, she just ran into Michael's arms and let out all the tears. Michael let out a sigh of breath. He knew she would come. He brought her to the couch and let her cry on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Maria. I'm here. I'm here. Shhhhh." Michael whispered into her ear.

"I love you, Michael." Maria sobbed. Michael closed his eye's.

"I love you, too." Michael told her. That night Michael let Maria cry into his shoulder. He held her tight and made sure she knew that he would never let her go. No matter what.

The End