August 1, 2005
“The Seekers”
Chapter 1
by Stargazer MD
Disclaimer: The characters don’t belong to me. If they did, the show would still be on.
Some text is borrowed from the show, I didn’t treat it any worse than the original writers.
Setting: Future Fic, Five years after graduation.
Category: Alex/Isabel with CC
Rating: Teen
Back-story: S-2 ended on a good note, Tess turns out to be okay, Alex lives, S-3 never happened.
**********
Michael slapped his hand around the nightstand looking for the phone. “Yea?”
“Do you know what time it is?” he asked gruffly.
Maria reached and turned on the light on her side of the bed. She watched as Michael took the call.
“Where?” he asked hopefully.
“Yea, okay, I’ll be ready.” Michael hung up the phone and looked at Maria.
“Where?” she asked.
“Maryland.” He looked at her, bewildered, “What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to do the same thing you always do. You’re going to get dressed, grab your bag, and get going.”
He placed his hand on her stomach. “But this isn’t like every time,,,”
“Give me a break Spaceboy, the baby’s not due for another three months. You’ll be back in a week.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone right now,” he responded softly.
“But you have to; besides, I won’t be alone. If I need anything, the biggest problem will be to decide whether to call Liz and Max or Kyle and Tess. Now get going,” she said, kissing him. “Good luck.”
**********
Jim was working the overnight covering for a deputy that had called in sick. He noticed a car flying towards him and turned on his lights. He recognized the car as he pulled off the road behind the offender. He walked to the passenger window and leaned down. “Evening Michael, where are you folks headed to in such a hurry?”
“Evening Sheriff,” Michael said apologetically. “We’re headed for Maryland.”
“Well I know it’s almost impossible to ask, but try to keep things under control. This time you didn’t even get out of town before you got stopped for speeding.”
“We’ll be careful Sheriff,” Michael sighed, not believing it.
“Well good luck, be careful,,,” he was cut off as the car sped off, leaving him standing in a cloud of tire smoke. He watched as the tail lights faded in the distance, ‘God, please look out for them. They are going to need all the help you can give.’
**********
The cashier sat at the register at the end of the counter. She was looking forward to going home after a long day in the short-handed eatery. She looked up as the bell over the door chimed, looking at the new arrival.
“I’m here about the ‘help wanted’ sign in the window.”
The cashier said to wait while she went into the back. “Agnes, there’s a fresh one out front.”
**********
“No, turn left!” Alex said, his voice near panic. “It should be right around the corner.”
Michael found the place, Richardson’s restaurant, just as promised. “Remember, we agreed. I’ll do the talking.”
“I don’t care, can we just get in there?”
Several minutes later Michael was talking to the owner. “Yes Ma’am, this is a picture, but it’s five years old, and the hair may be different.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you.”
“Could you look again, please?”
“I’m sorry, no one like that’s been through here.”
“Is there anyone else we can talk to, someone who may have been working while you were off?”
“Listen, I own the place, I do all my own hiring and firing. I know every one who works here and I can’t help you.”
Michael turned in defeat. “Come on Bud, we’ve got two days of driving to get back home. Maybe next time.”
“Two days? Washington’s only an hour away,” the woman commented.
“How do you know about Washington?” Michael asked hopefully. “We’re not FBI, we’re from Roswell, New Mexico. We’re her family,”
The woman only shook her head. “That doesn’t change anything. I can’t help you.”
Michael turned back to his traveling companion, “Come on Alex, we have to get back.”
Alex didn’t move. In fact he looked so close to the point of collapse that Michael thought he might have to carry him. “Why Michael? I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”
“Of course you can, you have to, for her. This is just like the last time, and the times before that. You’re going to get a couple days of rest and then we’ll start over. We’ll keep going until you find her.”
“Alex? Your name is Alex? You’re dead.” The woman said softly.
“Only on the inside,” Alex replied, to upset by another failure to recognize the significance of the woman’s comments.
“How do you know about Alex?” Michael asked carefully.
She pointed to Alex, “I don’t think anyone can fake feelings like that. But if you’re lying to me, so help me God, I hope you both burn in hell.”
“Believe me, I’ve offered.” Alex sighed. “The devil’s not making any deals. Please? I’ve been searching so long. Is she here?”
“Tell me this. If I mentioned the word Prom, what would you say?” the woman challenged.
“She wore a red dress,” Alex replied without hesitation.
The woman sighed, coming to a decision. “I wish I could help you. She was here most of the summer, but she left a week ago.”
“Did she say where she was going?” Michael asked excitedly.
“No, I’m sorry. She said she was going up north to look at the foliage, but nothing more specific than that.” The woman’s face lit up, “I’ve got something for you.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a photo. “It was taken at my birthday last month.”
Alex took the photo almost reverently. He showed it to Michael. It showed the owner of the restaurant wearing a party hat and standing next to a tall woman. Both men were able to recognize Isabel despite her shoulder length auburn hair. Alex could plainly see that the smile she was wearing never reached her eyes.
The woman was touched as she watched bittersweet tears start to flow down Alex’s face. “Keep that, I ordered double prints.”
“Thank you,” Michael said with feeling. “This is more than we’ve had in a long time.” He turned to Alex, taking him gently by the shoulders. “Come on Bud, I’ll take you home. Everyone’s going to want to see that picture.”
“Alex?” the woman added as they started to leave. “I hope you find her. She is the loneliest person I have ever met. But I’ll tell you one thing, dead or alive, she has never stopped loving you.”
**********
“So, you’re not from around here, are you?” Agnes asked.
“No, is that a problem?” the young woman asked. “I mean; I’ve got experience. I’ve worked at a lot of small places just like this.”
“It’s not the experience I’m worried about,” the owner replied. “It’s the end of the season, and I really want someone local who is willing to work a couple of hours here and there.”
“Listen, I really need this job. You don’t even have to put me on your payroll, I would be willing to work for meals and tips.”
“Things get pretty slow around here during the winter,,,”
“I don’t need to work that long, only a couple of weeks or a month or two at the most. When you don’t have enough work for me I’ll leave, no questions asked.”
Agnes looked at the new girl, “You sound too good to be true. Who are you running from? I don’t want any trouble with the law.”
“I’m not in trouble with the law,” the tall auburn haired beauty replied.
“You don’t want to be put on the payroll. There’s usually a good reason for that.”
The new girl looked at Agnes and saw that she wasn’t judging her. She decided to follow her instincts and trust the older woman. Her instincts had been right so far. “I’m haven’t done anything wrong, well except meet a really nice guy. Handsome, polite, a good job working for the government. But then he started trying to change me. ‘Wear this, do that.’ He started telling me that I could only socialize with his friends. When he told me I had to stop spending time with my family I knew things had gone too far. He works for the FBI, and I have to keep far enough away from him until he loses interest in me.”
Agnes took a minute to make her up her mind. “Well, I’ll use you until business slows down to the point there won’t be enough tips for you to get by on and I also have a room in the back you can use, that will save you some money.” She reached her hand out. “My name’s Agnes, and that’s Betty on the register.”
The new girl shook the offered hand, “My name’s Diane Philips. Thank you, you won’t regret this.”
TBC
