Synopsis: For Michael's 18th birthday, he gets a bigger surprise than a party and from a very unexpected source.

Warning: Takes place after "Departure."  Contains minor spoilers to that episode.

It was Michael Guerin’s 18th birthday!  A pretty important day for anyone, but for Michael it had taken on even more significance.  Amy DeLuca, his girlfriend’s mother had insisted on taking Michael some place special.  “Someplace fitting one of the most important day’s in a person’s life,” were her actual words.  Maria’s mother had never been your everyday adult or parent.  She was really very cool and looked more like Maria’s sister than her mother though there was no doubting the relationship once you heard her say, “Maria!” in that very ‘you better be listening to me’ tone.  And being Michael had no family of his own, Amy had as of late, made it a point to make Michael a part of hers.  When Alex had died, Michael and Amy had gotten to know one another a lot better and since then Michael was always welcomed at Maria’s.  He liked being around Amy while she stayed in the role of Maria’s mother, but this, he wasn’t sure about.

What was she up to?  Maria had answered that question the same way the last 10 times Michael had asked it, this time while standing in front of his locker at school, “Just go along and enjoy it. I’m sure it will be very enlightening. You know my mother.”

That was the problem!  He did know her mother and she could be pretty scary at times with that hippie junk she did, aroma therapy, essential oils, essence of this and that, and who knew what else.

“But why do I have to go with her by myself?” he kept asking, whining like a little kid, which didn’t fit with a guy as big as Michael.  “Don’t you think it’s weird?”

“Michael!  What do you think is going to happen?  She just wants to do something nice for you.  Before you use to complain about not having a family, about not belonging and now you’re a part of our family and you’re still complaining.  Is there like, no pleasing you?” Maria asked, her hands emphasizing all she was saying.

“I’m not complaining, I just don’t want to be with your mother without someone else there. You know, someone she can talk to,” he explained.

“She can talk to you!”

“Yeah, about what’s on TV, sitting in your living room.  Not in a car or a restaurant without anything to talk about,” Michael whined again.

“Shut up Michael!  I am not talking about this with you anymore.  Just go with her and please try to enjoy it,” Maria demanded.

“Well, who will you talk about it with?” he said, not ready to give up.

Totally over it, she turned, dismissing him, and headed down the hall to her next class. 

“Liz?  Max?  Isabel?  Is there anyone you’ll talk to you?” he called after her desperately.

A flick of the back of her hand was her only response.

Only three more hours and Amy would be picking him up from school for their ‘special outing’.  Michael banged his head against the locker door.  I could fake being sick, go to the nurse, and have her call Ms. DeLuca.  Nooo.  Maria would kill me.  Then with a sigh of defeat, he thought, God, I’m really going to have to go with her!

School was over before he knew it and Amy was waiting for Michael in the school parking lot in the same red Jetta that he had traveled all over the Southwest in.  At least that would feel familiar!  He got in the car putting his books in the back seat while saying, “Hi, Ms. DeLuca. Wouldn’t you like for Maria to come with us?”

“Oh Michael, not to this place.  This is very special and you should be able to concentrate and not have any distractions.  Maria would be a distraction,” she replied in her hippie dippy way.

But, I want a distraction. Someone to distract you from focusing in on meee, Michael thought as they pulled out of the parking lot headed for god knows where.

What Michael didn’t see was Maria, Max, Isabel, and Liz watching, with more than amused looks on their faces.

“I really wish I could be a fly on the wall for this,” giggled the usually reserved Isabel.

“Do you think you could dreamwalk him so you could tell us all about it?” Liz asked conspiratorially.

“Oh, if only I could,” Isabel wished.

They all laughed out loud, even Maria, enjoying what they all knew was pretty close to being Michael’s worst nightmare.

As they drove out Highway 70 headed west, Ms. DeLuca started by saying, “Michael, you don’t have a mother, or father for that matter, and there are some things in this world that parents should do for their children.”  Michael froze.  This was almost how Valenti had started the other day, and the rest of that conversation was definitely not something Michael was going to have with Maria’s mom. I have to get out of here. This is a trap! He looked at the door handle and checked the speed. Could I jump?  How much would it hurt?

The conversation with Valenti had been bad enough, and he was a guy and not Maria’s parent.  Michael had been floored when the Sheriff had suddenly started the ‘talk’ with, “Michael, I know I’m not really any relation to you, but with my relationship with Amy and the fact you have no real adult males in your life to ummm,” he had hesitated, “guide you, I feel that umm, I need to have a talk with you.  I’d hate for you and Maria to get in the same situation that Max and Tess got themselves into.  Now I know…” it suddenly hit Michael, He’s talking about sex!  His face must have registered this revelation because then the Sheriff put his hand on Michael’s shoulder, all fatherly like, and said. “I’m not telling you what to do or not do, I just want you and Maria to be ‘safe’.  Do you know what I mean?”  Michael knew all too well, but how did Valenti know?  The sheriff continued, “I’m not saying the two of you are or aren’t doing anything, it just seems that there has been,” he paused for a beat or two, “shall we say, a ‘shift’ in your relationship.  So if you have any questions…” and there he had let it drop, thank god.

Back in the present Michael broke out in a sweat thinking this was what Maria’s mother had gotten him alone to talk about, too.  Jumping was looking better by the minute.

Still in her cheery tone she continued, “So Michael, do you feel more grown up?  More in charge of your life?”

What does she mean by that?  What is she asking me?  Does she think that now that I’m 18 I should marry Maria?  Would she think that?  Even in his own mind, Michael could recognize the beginnings of hysteria. Calm down, she’s just asking, making conversation.  She doesn’t want Maria married this young.  Okay, breath Michael, just keep breathing.  He felt like it was Maria in his head.  He was thinking like Maria talks!  Hey, what gives?  Am I totally losing it?

After what seemed like an eternity, with Ms. DeLuca trying to make conversation with a clearly uncomfortable Michael, they pulled up to a house with a neon sign out front stating where they were.  They were at Madame Vivian’s, Psychic.

PSYCHIC?  Michael almost jumped out of his skin.  Ms. DeLuca was talking some more, but he was too freaked out to hear what she was saying.  What is she saying?  Should I listen?

“…Madame Vivian is so wonderful.  She can tell you all about your past and, more importantly, your future.”  There was that voice again, so upbeat.  What was he going to do?  He knew there was no way she was going to let him out of this.  It wasn’t like he believed in psychics, but what if…?  Oh god, don’t even go there.

He felt her take his hand to help him out of the car and vaguely heard her saying: “Don’t be afraid, she’ll give you information that will help you in your new life as an adult.  This is very important Michael.  This could stop you from heading down the wrong path.” Too late, I’m already there, he thought.  Suddenly she changed gears, “Michael I can’t pull your dead weight out of this car, you are going to have to help.”  He realized that he was almost rooted to the car seat and she was pulling on his hand.  With her slight build, there was no way she was going to budge him.  Maybe that was how he could get out of this, just…don’t…move.

Then he looked up at Amy and saw the disappointment in her eyes.  She really had been very nice to him, understanding and supportive and she really believed in this stuff.  Resigned, he slowly came out of the car and saw her expression change back in to a smile.  “Believe me.  You’ll really be glad you did this.”  And like a whipped puppy he followed her in to the house and to his, he thought, certain doom.

Madame Vivian and Amy greeted each other with hugs and quick pecks on the check. Michael just hung back hoping they would be too busy with each other to remember him. No such luck! Madame Vivian very soon came and took Michael’s hand to lead him to a room off to the left with all her massive Indian silver jewelry clanking with each step. “We’ll back soon Amy,” she said over her shoulder.

They sat at a table where Michael finally looked at the woman who was going to expose him, possibly in more ways than one.  I’d rather face the FBI.

The Madame took his hand and stared into his eyes.  He blinked and tried to look away.  Somehow she wouldn’t let him; she held his gaze. What is she is doing to me?  This is really freaky!

Suddenly she dropped his hand and picked up a deck of cards handing them to Michael.  Then she spoke her first words to him, “I think Tarot is the right way to go with you.  Shuffle the cards several times, cut them, restack them, and place them in front of me.  While you do that, think about your question.”

“But I don’t have a question,” he said.

“Yes, you do; you just don’t know it yet.”

Michael did as he was told and after he had put them down in front of her, Madame Vivian picked up the deck and started to turn them over one by one laying them out in a way Michael had never seen before.  When she was finished, she studied the cards before her for a few moments, looked up and said, “You’ve been here before, I recognize you.”

“No, never!” he blurted out terrified.

“Well,” she continued, “not you in the physical, but your energy has been here before. Probably with Maria.”

“Oh!” was all he could manage as another chill went through him.

Studying the cards, she said,  “You’re a very interesting subject.  Lots going on.  I think you will be surprised at what I have to say.”

She started talking about his past, his human past.  She said he had had a lonely childhood and had felt abandon all of his life, a feeling he couldn’t let go of.  Michael leaned forward to hear her better and to watch her touch the cards, being drawn in in spite of himself as she told him what each one said to her about him.

“This one shows how much you distrust people, this one shows how hard it is for you to open up, but that you really want to.  And this last one, here, shows how much you have grown as a person, in the umm, looks like around the past 6 to 9 months and you’ve had a tremendous break through quite recently, a major life revelation.  It’s turned your whole life around, grounded you.  And Michael,” she said looking directly in to his eyes sensing his innate unwillingness to believe her, “ what you need to know is that all that has happened to you, and around you lately, is real and true.  The love you feel for others and from others to you is true. I’m not saying that you won’t ever be hurt, but all the blessings that will come to you from believing in love are worth the risk.”  She continued, taking his hand, “You need to know that you can trust yourself. That includes trusting your heart and those you chose to open up to.  Do you know what I am talking about?”

He thought he knew, but how did she know about his choosing to stay on earth and about how he had finally let Maria in? And all his doubts about what kind of person he was.

“I don’t know specifics, I see the big picture,” she started as if she could hear his questions.  “So you have to see where this all fits for you. Do you?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I do see.  I think.”  He saw in her eyes that what she said was true; he could trust himself.

“Things may seem fuzzy right now, but over the next 2 or 3 weeks, they will get clearer.  You will get clearer on what you want and how to get it for yourself.  Things you thought were never meant for you.”

Michael was blown away. He wasn’t sure what she was talking about exactly, but it felt right to him.

Soon the reading was over without any other major revelations except a warning that Madame Vivian had given him when she was gathering up the cards.  “One more thing Michael before you go.  Now this is friendly advice not physic.  Amy is a wonderful person and very giving, but you and Maria be careful.  I’ve known Amy a long time and she will kill you both if you do anything stupid.  Understand?”

Michael studied Madame Vivian’s face for a second before replying, stumbling on his words thinking of all Maria meant to him, “We’ll be careful, I don’t ever want to hurt either one of them.”  Feeling he was no longer afraid of who he was and the future.

“I know.” she said putting her hand on his shoulder as they walked back into the main room where Amy was waiting.

Amy looked up at Michael feeling very pleased at what she saw on his face.  He looked happy, if a little perplexed.  She knew their little trip was a success.

After Amy and Madame Vivian said goodbye to each other, Madame Vivian turned to Michael saying, “You are going to be a good man, don’t ever doubt it.”

In the car as they headed back to Roswell, there was silence for a long time, Amy just driving them home and Michael deep in thought.  He was thinking about what Madame Vivian had said about trusting himself, something he had never really let himself do.  It had caused a lot of problems with him and Max, and with Maria, hell, with everyone and everything in his life. I’m not so bad after all, Madame Vivian sees good things in me and Ms. DeLuca must see something or she wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble for me.  Ever since killing Pierce, Michael had had great doubts about himself and the kind of person he was.  These things haunted him day and night; today those ghosts had been laid to rest.  He let out a comfortable sigh and a sense of peace came over him, a totally foreign feeling for Michael.  He turned to look at Amy as she drove.  “Thank you, you were right, that really was special.  I just don’t know how to tell you about it though.”

“You’re welcome Michael.”  Then reaching over and patting his hand, she said, “And you know what, you don’t have to tell me.”

The End

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