Love Conquers All _The Sequel_

Chapter Thirty Three - Aching and Breaking

Michael's POV:

One snap in a moment of history and everything seems clear. Mary was ET all along, even though she never knew it, but that's why all this occurred. ET's anger was fueled just by her own thoughts. And I guess it doesn't help with her rage that we called her a him this entire time. But that explains how ET knew my secret, I eventually told Mary and she was the only one who knew about it.

That secret...

It still bites me in the butt today, it's always in the back of my mind and sitting like a lump in my throat.

I hardly enjoy pondering over it because thinking of it is very uncomfortable...

I shake my head. Enough of that.

ET/Mary is shuffling alongside me as we make our way back to the house.

"Okay, I'm gonna go inside and tell Tex and Kim everything that happened. I'll explain it all and then I'll let you in," I tell her.

"K-k-kiimmmm?" She gurgles.

I nod. "She stayed when you left, and she's actually not evil anymore. It's like she had some sort of intervention or something."

Mary looks down and frowns,
puzzled. It's very off-putting and eery looking down at this creature, my wife, who I was not too long ago stabbed in the back by. I shiver, momentarily frightened.

We reach the house and I walk inside.

"Be right back," I inform Mary as I shut the door behind me.

Tex and Kim are sitting on the couch, looking anxious.

"Was it her? Is she back?" Tex asks hurriedly.

I sigh. "Yes it was her," I start, and Tex and Kim cheer. "But, a lot has happened and I need to explain. No interruptions, please."

Kim and Tex nod.

"You know how Mary got old when she left Neverland for that week of murdering? Well, Mary has been gone for four weeks, and she's changed a lot... Not just changed, she's... She's turned into ET," I explain and cringe.

Tex's face drops. His smile is diminished entirely and crushed by my news and Kim's face is blank.

"When she realized who she had turned into, she had to carry through and do everything ET did, otherwise time would be rewritten and you guys never would have met me. It was all just a paradox. Anyways, I have her just outside, so when I let her in don't freak out. It really is her, I know it is," I say. I begin to walk over to the door.

"So this whole time is was her, and she did it just so everything can stay the same?" Tex asks, and I can tell he is horrified.

I nod. "But somehow I know her reasoning is right, I get it all now... Finally, I think everything is actually over."

I turn the doorknob and let Mary in. She waddles inside and stands beside me, avoiding eye contact with Tex and Kim. A little glob of slime and scale she sits there with a lopsided frown, awaiting the ruling of the two.

"Mary..?" Tex whispers. She lifts her head and peeks at him, silent.

"She can't talk very well," I inform them.

"Will she be this way... Forever?" Kim asks.

With a heavy heart I shrug. A small croak escapes Mary's throat and we all stare at her. Despite the way things may finally be over, if Mary's this way for all time it's a bit disappointing. She can't talk at all.

"Well... I'm sorry about all this, but I'm goin' to bed," Kim says with a curt half-smile as she stands and walks away.

"Hey, the three of us back together again, right?" I say, trying to lighten things up a bit. The solemn cloud hanging over us remains, despite.

Tex gets up.

"I guess I'll head to bed, too," he says while making his way towards the stairs.

Mary glances at me and I can read her thoughts. She feels like her return is unwelcome and unrewarding, due to her transformations. I know I am glad she's back, though.

I walk over and take a seat on the couch, and Mary stands in front of me.

We sit in silence for a few moments and theres a melancholy feeling floating around the air. She's back but she's ET. It's all coming to a resolve.

I reach out my hand to her, and she takes it. Her hand is bony and scaly, covered in a thin layer of alien mucus. She's not really an alien, right? We were just lead to believe that ET was an alien due to his- her appearance. But it's just plain old Mary.

I place my other hand over our interlocked fingers and look at her. There are tears leaking from her wide blue eyes, and her thin lips are crimped into a frown.

"No, don't cry," I say, patting my hand on hers and laughing a little. She looks down, though, refraining from any happiness I offer.

An idea surfaces in the back of my mind.

I open my mouth and take a breath in, preparing for what I'm about to do.

I look at her once again, and start to sing.

"Smile... Though your heart is aching..."
Her head snaps up and there are even more tears spilling across her cheeks, but I continue.

"Smile, even though it's breaking, when there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by..."

I smile.

"If you just... Smile."

I stop singing and wait for a reaction from her.

All she does is cry and cry, and it's so unlike anything I've ever experienced.

But, moments after my song ends, a radiant yellow light materializes around Mary, and soon she's out of my sight, engulfed in colors.