Isabel finally said, “You remember that we didn’t start school until Grade 1?”

The guys nodded.

“Well, we were orphans, are orphans I guess. Some tourists found us in the desert one day when we were 6 years old.”

Max spoke up, “Yeah we knew about that. Everyone did. The Parker’s adopted you, so what?”

“Well, those men are FBI and as far as we know they want to question us about how we came to be in the desert that day. We don’t know anything, but they are persistent.” Isabel shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sure everything will be fine once we answer their questions.”

It was the truth, sort of.

Alex bought the story with an innocence that was partly due to his being innately naïve and partly due to his infatuation with that particular Parker sister.

Max and Kyle looked to Michael for his reaction since they were in the dark about almost everything anyway, but he remained quiet. Max figured he was probably in a lot of pain and let it lie. He was right but the pain wasn’t purely physical. Michael knew that Isabel wasn’t telling the truth and it didn’t matter so much except that Maria wouldn’t even look him in the eye. He leaned back in his seat and grimaced as his arm, which was almost surely broken, sent a sharp wave of pain coursing through his body. He felt Maria’s body stiffen beside him and wondered what was going through her mind.

She answered his unspoken question by leaning back beside him on the seat and speaking softly. “Look, I should have never let you get involved in this but it’s too late to get out now. I need you to just trust me when I say that I can’t tell you what’s going on and leave it at that. Can you do that? For me?”

Michael’s answer was quick and simple. “Yes.”

Maria sighed. A lone tear fell down her cheek and Michael tried to reach up to brush it away before another wave of pain wracked his body.

Now Maria turned to him. “Shh, you’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll take care of everything once were safe. We just have to wait and see what’s in store for us but I won’t let them hurt you again.”

Michael made no move to speak. He could see by the look in Maria’s eyes that she meant every word she said but he couldn’t make sense of it. He should be protecting her, not the other way around. He had a strange feeling that he was going to find out more about this situation than he cared to know.

Maria sat back next to him and the teens grew silent as the van drove along steadily for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only 5 hours. Tess had fallen asleep with her head in Liz’s lap. Liz had slowly leaned over onto Max’s shoulder and fallen asleep as well. Max was leaning back with his eyes closed, a content smile on his face. Michael had to grin inwardly at that. Even in the face of whatever was happening to them, Max had taken some small comfort in finally being close to his dream girl. Kyle sat with his head in his hands, occasionally making small remarks to Alex who was supporting Isabel’s sleeping form against him. Michael wondered if Maria was asleep beside him but didn’t dare move a muscle. His face felt as if someone has caught it on fire and his arm throbbed with an intense, hot pain. He held it close to his body for support but every tiny bump of the van jarred the separated bones.

A particularly rough bumped bounced the jeep and Michael swore under his breath.

Maria turned to look at him, “You’re awake?”

“Yup.” Michael grimaced as he open his mouth to speak.

“It hurts, doesn’t it.” It was a statement, rather than a question. Michael tried to answer her but another bump caused him to squeeze his eyes shut against the blinding pain.

Maria’s heart tore at the sight of him. She held no doubts that this was entirely her fault. She knew that technically she wasn’t the one that injured him but the only reason he was here was her. She slipped out of her sweater and fashioned it into a sling. She touched Michael lightly on his good arm and when he opened his eyes she just stared into them.

Michael wondered how this girl he barely knew could have such an effect on him. He watched as she moved his arm gently and positioned the sweater beneath it. Working quickly she positioned his arm so that it was raised diagonally across his chest and tied the sweater sleeves around his neck.

He looked down at his arm and wondered stupidly why her actions hadn’t hurt when he had been unable to stem the flow of pain all night.

Maria sat back beside him. “Better.”

Again, a statement.

Michael actually felt well enough to move his body a little and repositioned himself so he could look more closely at Maria’s face.

He paused and fumbled in his brain for the right words to say to her. She didn’t turn her head to meet his eyes but mumbled, “That’s okay. I know.”

He turned to sit back in his seat and moved his left arm up and placed it around her shoulders. He felt her body stiffen as he gently pulled her into him; then felt her relax as she leaned against his chest.